Friday, March 29, 2024

Review: Yours from the Tower

 


Tirah, Polly, and Sophia finished boarding school and have gone back home. Sophia's lucky that her wealthier Aunt will sponsor her for a season. Sophia's hoping to marry wealthy so that will give her sisters more opportunities. Tirah is stuck being a companion to her cranky grandmother. She hates living in the small town where there is no one else her age to talk with. She longs for adventure but is denied at every turn. Polly lives at home and works in an orphanage. She meets brothers who tug at her heartstrings. 

The three friends write letters back and forth sharing the details of their lives. 

My Thoughts: I loved this book. I loved how the friends wrote to each other and passed the letters between them. There's a lot of romance, family drama, and talk of the future. I do love epistolary novels.  I loved the letters and telegrams. There was talk of balls, learning, qualities in a wife, and if you should marry for money or love. I enjoyed how the girls were not thrilled with their education when it came to thinking about the future. They wanted more classes on how to talk to men.  I had to keep reading to discover how everything was going to end.  

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A fun friendship story that's perfect for fans of Regency Romance. 




Thursday, March 28, 2024

Booklist: Sherlock Holmes

 


On Monday, I reviewed The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall, so I decided to create a list of other Sherlock Holmes books - both YA and Middle Grade. 

Here are the other books on the list:
Enola Holmes: The Case of Missing Marquess
Lock & Mori
Secret Letters
A Study in Charlotte 
Death Cloud 


Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan?

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Picture Book Wednesday: Easter Books (2)


Easter picture books and board books new to the library:

Board Books:
This is a cute board book that ties into the picture book series. There are some crossover characters that pop up in this interactive book. 

Easter is over, but what happens next? Lots of egg possibilities in this book as readers explore where the bunny might live. 

An early book about Easter for babies with bright colors.

A cute book with bunny - take a look inside his home. There's lots to look at and discuss here.


Adorable photos of dogs in Easter decor with lots of Easter excitement. 

A count down to an Easter celebration with textured eggs. There are lots animals in this book. 

Picture Book:
The Easter Bunny needs to get more eggs, he asks the Ostrich for help. The Ostrich agrees to step in, but the little girl is way to clever for him. Will he spoil the day?

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Movies

 This week's topic is books I would love to see turn into movies.


Paging Hallmark - these stories would make Great movies:









And these books, I would love to see made into a TV series:



Do you agree with my choices?

Monday, March 25, 2024

Review: The Improbably Tales of Baskerville Hall

 

* First in a new series * 

Arthur Conan Doyle used his quick wits to save a baby, but in doing so, he also saved himself. Because of his quick actions, he's been gifted an opportunity to go to boarding school. He's excited to go to Baskerville Hall and to keep learning. He's hoping that soon, he will be able to make his family more comfortable. 

He soon meets three friends who help him settle into the school. Although, he does make an enemy. This enemy seems determine to make trouble for Arthur. When a secret society calls upon them, Arthur will have to make choices that will change everything.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book - lots of action and danger. There are secrets to uncover and truths to sort out. Everything is not what it seems - which makes for quick page turning. I liked the Baskerville Hall - from the studies, the students, and the grounds. I loved the different friends and their quirks. I'm eager to see where this series is going. But I do hope there's a little more about Arthur's family life. 

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A great book for your school and public library collections. Highly recommended. 

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Picture Book Review: Books About Food


Some picture books about food, gardens, and farming

This picture book shares poetry about farming. It's a combination of poetry and story with rich illustrations. 

I like how it says if you like X (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or mushrooms on pizza) and then proceeds to share how those crops become available. I also love how it talks about lots of different ways to farm and then sums everything up with an afterward showcasing all the methods showcased in the book. 

Three siblings join their uncle in his garden. The garden is in the city. They worked hard to plant the garden and then taking care of it. 

I love how each sibling was allowed to pick their own vegetables to grow. I enjoyed watching the veggies grow and how excited everyone was. Of course, there was a celebration at the end of the summer with all the food. There's a recipe at the end of the book.

A young girl's mother doesn't like the winters where they live; her mother grew up in Taiwan. When they go for a visit, the two spend a lot of time outdoors. But when they go back home, everything goes back to normal. It makes the girl sad, so she tries to share nature with her mother again.

This is a wonderful story about being outside and learning about nature. It inspires me to get out more; I could use a little more sunshine. The illustrations are charming. There's a glossary at the end of items in nature talked about as well as garden plants.

When winter fades away, one day Amanda brings a box of chalk outdoors. She begins to draw on the sidewalk. Others soon join in. Pretty soon they have a glorious picture filled with color. Four days later it rains. While they don't have any more chalk, they still have their imagination. And they create something else.

A book about community coming together after surviving hard times. I love how everyone drew with the chalk and worked together. It might not be a real garden, but it shares the same sentiment. 

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Winter TBR Check -in


Earlier this week, I shared my TBR list for Spring, so I'm taking a look at what I read from my last list.

So far, I've read seven books.

But I have a few on my list that are checked out from the library and hopefully I will be reading them soon.