Zenith of Tea (Apron Strings Tea Tale) by R.F. Wong

 

Zenith of Tea by R.F. Whong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a stand alone novella that captures so many emotions and different situations, it brings about a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as the story unfolds. For a short book, this sure captures the heart and soul of the struggles that were faced in the 1920s during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Mijen has faced a lifetime of adversity. She was abandoned at a young age, has a fairly large birthmark on her face, and lives in the caves while robbing tombs to financially support herself. Chaos, choice words directed at her, and having to grow up so quickly have left Mijen stubborn and closed off towards others.

Enter Joseph, who is in trouble when Mijen finds him and rescues him. Together they travel to Canada to try to escape the turmoil they've been facing in the US. They open up a teashop and help rescue girls who are being trafficked. They rely heavily on their faith (which Joseph had but started helping Mijen to find for herself) to continue to persevere in this life.

As previously mentioned, there is so much packed into this short story. I absolutely loved the characters of Mijen and Joseph. I could see myself being best friends with Mijen! My heart broke for her and all she's endured through life. It's a reminder that the heart is what is most important when it comes to beauty and not the outward appearances. I do want to point out the beauty of the cover of this book though too (even though I said it's not always what we see!). The cover is beautiful and I feel accurately represents Mijen and Joseph!

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Allison Turns the Page by Leslie A Rasmussen

 

Allison Turns The Page by Leslie A. Rasmussen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a new-to-me author and I picked this one up because the cover of this book was so pretty.

Allison is a romance author who is tired of writing the sappy, mushy, stories that she's known for. Instead, after receiving pressure from her publisher to put out another novel, she goes rogue and decides to write about the flip side of romance. The dark, edgy side. She mistakenly puts some notes into a little library about this story and in turn, starts finding notes back. Will she finally be writing and living out her own love story?

This was a fun read that went by pretty quickly. I am going to have to go back and read the other books in this series that are previous to this one.

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The Keeper's Secret: A Gripping Pacific Northwest Female Sleuth Crime Thriller (Logan McKenna #12) by Valerie Davisson

 

The Keeper's Secret: A Gripping Pacific Northwest Female Sleuth Crime Thriller by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book 12 in the Logan McKenna series. A lot of times a series of this length tends to lose it's steam but that's not the case with this one. Each book seems to get better and better!!

This one opens up with Logan locating an abandoned, corroded wheelchair and a bone. Logan is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and learn who these two items belong to.

This is a very enjoyable book with twists and turns. It's a fairly short book and it moves quickly, making it a bit difficult to tell you much about it without giving too many things away. Just trust me when I say that this one is worth the read!! Be sure to check out the other books in this series too. Each is a standalone but does have cross-over characters and situations.

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Mouse's Twelve Days of National Park Christmas Visits (Mouse Traveler Series) by Tricia Gardella

 

Mouse's Twelve Days of National Park Christmas Visits by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun take on the Twelve Days of Christmas with Mouse!! We get to travel to different national parks in the spirit of the twelve days of Christmas and learn more about different national parks. At the end of the book, there is an informational page with more historical information on some of the greatest places to visit on earth. Mouse takes us on an adventure that is also educational!

Not only is this a fun story, but it's also full of some vivid imagery to go along with it!

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Where the Night Takes Us (Fear-Death Experiences Series) by Robert Chazz Chute

 

Where the Night Takes Us by Robert Chazz Chute
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where the Night Takes Us is a fantastic psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Dr. Simon Fethullah is a forensic psychologist who has helped to put away the Rainy Day Cannibal. What a name! That alone enticed me into this thriller where Dr. Simon, his wife, and the family dog Stefano, are encouraged to go to mountains to heal. I mean, who wouldn't want to go to the mountains and have some R&R time to decompress and move away from the recent situations he's been facing? Like all great thrillers, our madman just isn't going to relent and the good doctor get any rest. It's his life ambition to make sure that not only the doctor doesn't rest, but no one else in his circle does either.

What a great introduction to a new series!! It's hard to write a review on a book as good as this one without giving too much away. Just trust me when I say you should read it!

Can we also give some love to the illustrator of the book cover too!? I am totally loving it!!

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Fall by Tricia Gardella

 

Fall by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is all about the things of Fall. The leaves changing, the squirrels collecting nuts for hibernation through the winter, football, and so much more!! It's a great way to talk to young readers about the changes that the seasons go through, how that's normal, and things to look forward to.

The illustrations of this story are very well done also. They help to show the beautiful color changes as well as to illustrate in vivid imagery the events of the season.

My only disappointment is that hockey wasn't mentioned in this book!! LOL

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Middle C Learns a Music Lesson by Tricia Gardella

 

Middle C Learns a Music Lesson by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Middle C has had it. No one ever plays him right and he's tired of it. Percival does his best to hit middle C but this time, middle C escapes and goes on an adventure. Music just isn't the same now and in most places, music is now non-existent. Middle C realizes that he might have overreacted a bit (you think?!) and decides to go back to Percival. Sweet music relies on middle C and he just needed to be more patient and understanding about his complexity.

The illustrations in this book are phenomenal and go well with the story. I love how this book focuses on music and gives the younger generation a taste of how beautiful music can be when all the players (notes) work together.

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Bubbles in Autumn (Seasons with Bubble Girl) by Wanda Carter Roush

 

Bubbles in Autumn by Wanda Carter Roush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a timely read for this time of the year! There are bubbles all around and it's a joy to capture them in their beauty. This book reflects on the colors changing, the squirrels gathering nuts for the winter hibernation, the festivals that occur, and more. The overall theme is to not change to fit in, rather to fit in where you are!

My favorite part about this book is the vibrant illustrations! They are a perfect match to go along with the story and help the reader to envision what autumn looks like, especially if they live in an area where the colors don't change as much!

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Lucky Lin-Lin series of books by Lyn Lozano Galicia

 

Lucky Lyn-Lyn at Big School: An Inspiring Picture Book About Courage, Confidence, and the Power of Asking Questions by Lyn Lozano Galicia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lyn-Lyn and her sister Bing-Bing have just left the familiarity of their home in Manila and have moved to Happy Island to live on a farm. Gone are the loud sounds of the city and they are now replaced with the more calmer rural life. It's time for school to start and Bing-Bing is going to kindergarten while Lyn Lyn is going to "big school". The sisters are very close and can't image spending the day so far apart. An opportunity opens up and Lyn Lyn becomes very brave and asks an important question.

This book is about having confidence and not being afraid to ask questions. There are some neat activities in the back of the book as well for further engagment from the readers.

View all my reviews Lucky Lyn-Lyn's Big Idea: A Heartwarming Story About Entrepreneurship, Teamwork, and Believing in Yourself by Lyn Lozano Galicia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lyn-Lyn enjoys living in Manila and seeing the people in the marketplace. It gives her an idea to start her own business. The way that she goes about it isn't the most ethical and I wish she would have fixed this before the story ended (I feel like it was an unfinished part of this story that could have easily been fixed). She inspires her friends with her idea and together they begin to do good things.

This story is about having an imagination and not being afraid to try something new. I loved this book except for the unraveled end that I mentioned earlier.

View all my reviews Lucky Lyn-Lyn and the Halloween Mystery: An Illustrated Children’s Halloween Book About Curiosity, Imagination, and Mystery by Lyn Lozano Galicia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lyn-Lyn and her sister Bing-Bing are out on Halloween night. They see 2 people dressed all in white. It's getting to late to farm so the girls become concerned. They follow them for awhile and then suddenly they disappeared. The girls run home as quick as they can!! Over dinner their mother recants a similar story from earlier in the day.

This book is timely for the Halloween season and is all about imagination.

View all my reviews Lucky Lyn-Lyn and the Christmas Coins: An Illustrated Children’s Book About Honesty, Kindness, and Giving by Lyn Lozano Galicia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's Christmas time and Ling-Ling and her sister Bing-Bing love getting coins from Mr. Chu. He's their dad's best friend but ironically looks like Santa Claus. They go to visit him and they are given a Christmas coin. Bing-Bing went in her PJs because she was so excited to go!! Ling-Ling asks if they can go again but this time everyone dresses up. They get another coin from Mr. Chu, even though they'd already received one.

I feel like the mark was missed in this story. Ling-Ling should not have been greedy and wanting another coin. I feel like the message of this book is going to mislead the actions of others to follow in her steps.

View all my reviews Lucky Lyn-Lyn and the Brown River: An Illustrated Children’s Book About Courage, Confidence, and Trying New Things by Lyn Lozano Galicia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lyn-Lyn and Bing-Bing walk to school everyday and they love the sites and sounds of the farmland around them. It's the rainy season so they are sure to take their umbrellas with them to school. One day they come home and the stream that they walk through is brown. It also looks very deep. They become scared until a friend comes along and shows them that it's safe to cross and explains why the water is brown.



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The Nightingale Detective Agency: A 1920s cozy mystery with secrets worth killing for by Denise Devine

 

The Nightingale Detective Agency: A 1920s cozy mystery with secrets worth killing for... by Denise Devine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a new series by a fairly new-to-me author! I've read one other book of hers but I'm excited about this new series.

This cozy read is set in the 1920's Prohibition era, Charlotte Van Elsberg is determined that she is going to be the first female private investigator. She gets the opportunity when a young debutante is found dead. This story is full of mystery, grit, suspense, and a good bit of tension too.

This was a fun afternoon read!

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The Fortress of Us by Diane Hester

 

The Fortress of Us by Diane Hester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was no hope in putting this book down for a break once I got started. It grabs you, sits you on the edge of your seat, and holds you there until you reach the end.

Kelsey is a neurodivergent who witnesses her mother's death. She then witnesses another death and ends up on the run. She's on a mission to save her friend while trying to deal with her grief and all the things that come with it. Did I mention she's only 8 years old??

There are so many twists and turns, unexpected and ones you can see coming. All the stages of grief were experienced while reading this and I'm still not quite over it. Just be sure to clear your day to finish this one because you won't be able to put it down.

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Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape by Mark C. Fava

 

Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape by Mark C. Fava
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy the Admiral takes his reader on a tour of the Navy ship that he is on. He speaks of the ways that a seaman should act, with manners, cleanliness, and more. He does so in a rhyming manner to make it more memorable for the younger reader or listener.

This would be a great book for a family with a new seaman who may be in training. It can give them a brief glimpse into the life of the Navy and might even inspire them to go into the Navy one day as well.

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Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by Paula Peckham

 

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by Paula Peckham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Derek Norton is the lead singer for the rock band The Assassians. They've had a good 20+ year run but if they want to keep going, some things are going to need to change. Derek is told that a journalist will be joining them on this tour to help boost their social media presence and hopefully bring new life to their fan base. After the last journalistic fiasco, this is the last thing that Derek wants to do.

Andi Thompson is a recent divorcee and a newly empty nester. Wow, what a time in her life! Andi has been a journalist for years but her work has been underpaid and underappreciated. She gets an opportunity to tour with one of her favorite bands, The Assassians, and write a piece on them to help boost their audience and bring some new life to their music. However, with Andi, it's bombshell after bombshell in her life and she questions whether she should really do this or not. Trusting her gut on this one, she decides to jump in with both feet, not having any idea how she will be met.

Let's just say that the the initial meeting of Andi and the band was a bit frigid. It takes awhile to thaw out old thoughts and feelings, especially when you feel that this is so unnecessary. Time will prove some things actually are much different though. Will The Assassians be able to hang on to their current record deal and continue to build a fan base? Will Andi get the promotion she's been searching for?

I really enjoyed this story. It was billed to me as an inspirational romance, to which I agree that it is. However, there were some lines that got a little blurry for me in terms of the spiciness of this book. I would not hand this to a younger reader due to the nature of some of the content. As far as inspirational, yes it definitely has a focus on religious thoughts and quotes Bible verses. It is also a clean read in terms of their not being any inappropriate language (save the spiciness and being a little more graphic than most books of this genre tend to be). I don't believe I've read anything by this author before but I will be going back and checking out some of her other titles.

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The Celestial Shot (A True North Murder Mystery #3) by A.J. Ullman

 

The Celestial Shot by A. J. Ullman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A.J. Ullman does it again with another great true-crime style book. The setting is in Ohio in the 1970's and there is a murder at a diner where our favorite detectives are trying to enjoy a celebratory meal. So much for that! It's another fabulous who-dun-it story with action, adventure, and so much more!

Be sure to check out the other books in the series too! While each can be read as a standalone, you'd be cheating yourself to just read this one!

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Miz Country Goddess: A Cozy-Spicy, Second-Chance Country Music Romance by Cat Treadgold

 

Miz Country Goddess: A Cozy-Spicy, Second-Chance Country Music Romance by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A country music romance for a county music lover for myself was just what I needed. I was looking for an escape for a bit and walking down this road with Henry and Rina was perfect. Also, I'm a lover of second chances!

This book is a bit on the spicy side at times, just like a good country song sometimes happens to be. The ups and downs of the industry are hard on relationships and that's brought out in this story too.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I didn't really have to think too much about other than to just listen to the music the pages were providing.

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The Adventures of Curtis the Long-Necked Turtle: An Austrailian Wildlife Adventure About Bravery, Friendship, and Standing Up to Bullies by Sturt McEwan

 

The Adventures of Curtis the Long-Necked Turtle: An Australian Wildlife Adventure About Bravery, Friendship, and Standing Up to Bullies by Sturt McEwan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Curtis is setting out to explore the Austrailian Bush. He has so much to learn along the way and meets up with and makes some new friends who help him. He runs across some not so nice bullies along the way too but it's a learning lesson for him as well.

This is a great book to encourage kids to be brave, stand up for themselves, and to be kind to others.

The illustrations in this book are amazing as well!! The cover alone is eye-catching and gorgeous and just wait until you see the rest of the book!


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Her Own Legacy, Her Own Revolution, Her Own War (Château de Verzat #1-3) by Debra Borchert

 

Her Own Legacy by Debra Borchert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a new series. This author has extensively reseached this time period and it's very evident!! Before we talk about the book though, can we all just take a few minutes and soak in the beauty of the cover? Oftentimes that's why I pick up a book and this was no exception.

Countess Joliette de Verzat would much rather be out and about and managing the family's vineyards and leave all the politics behind. Everyone depends on her for the family's fine wines but she's really got no stake in the inheritance unless her husband dies and leaves her a widow.

The women start to march during the Revolution and it's during this time that the rightful owner of the vineyards is located. Joliette's life is in danger. Can she count on being saved?

Such a great book full of rich history!! I loved every page of this story!!

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Her Own Revolution by Debra Borchert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in this series but it can easily be read as a standalone. Why would you want to do that though when this author has done massive amounts of research to make this story, while still a work of fiction, as historically accurate as possible? Don't cheat yourself out of another good read!

Women's rights are pretty non-existent in this man's world time. Geneviève doesn't care though and bends rules to attend University dressed as a man. Talk about a risky move, but especially when her father is the Prosecutor, responsible for sending people to the guillitine. A man she believes to be innocent is added to the execution list but doesn't stay on there long thanks to the help of Geneviève. Her life is now at risk but how many can she save?


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Her Own War by Debra Borchert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The amount of research that has gone into creating and writing this series is phenemonal!! It's one reason that this author stands out in her genre of historical fiction. She is truly a master of details, to the point that you feel like you are living in that time period while reading this story.

Geneviève LaGarde is being forced to make some of the hardest decisions of her life. Every choice she makes impacts the lives of hundreds of others along the way. Napeleon is in charge and being the tyrant that he is, life is beyond miserable for most alive. Land is confiscated, people are forced into servitude, and that's just the beginning. Geneviève isn't going to let him have his way anymore if she can do anything to help it.

A great story of love, determination, and a powerful woman coming up against a horrible government.

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The Architect of Deception by Debbie Baldwin

 

The Architect of Deception by Debbie Baldwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a new-to-me author so I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I sat down to read (actually devour) this book. I planned to sit and read for a couple of hours and take a break for life but found myself reading this one all in one setting.

It starts off slow, simply because there is a lot of background information to be laid. Kinda like a real life murder investigation...it has to start out slow but also with a sense of urgency so that the culprit doesn't get away. However, when it picks up, WOAH NELLIE!!! I wasn't quite ready for that roller coaster ride just yet. I was still warming up but these characters were like, Nah, we're going!

I made a list, checked it a few times for my suspects and I was still wrong. Every time. Every turn of the page came a new revelation that had me second guessing everything. There are plot twists you never see coming, a couple were suspected, and the story is not near what I thought it would be. It was so much better than that!!

Read this one and thank me later. It does contain R rated content, so keep that in mind when picking this one up. I wasn't aware that it would be like this. If you can block all of that out, it's still a great story overall.

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The Wrong Time for Love (The Anderson Sisters Book 3) by Jennifer Raines

 

The Wrong Time for Love by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed every story that has been woven by Jennifer Raines so far. This is a shorter read and like most of her stories, I found myself wanting her to write just one more chapter or two in this story. She writes very authentic, emotionally gripping stories that have you feeling like the characters are your friends or members of your own family. The story of Helen and Bluey is no different.

Both Helen and Bluey have experienced devastating losses in their lives. They aren't doing the best with coping with these losses, as is the case in many situations. Helen is trying to keep her head and her farm above water while Bluey is working to ease the pain. They find common ground but at what expense to their families?

Buckle up and plan on reading this one all in one sitting!!

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Flash Point (Pinegrove FB Novel #4) by Libby Kay

 

Flash Point by Libby Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Javi Ortiz is well known around Pinegrove. He's a firefighter and heats up relationships faster than a 5 alarm fire to move on to the next lady with his casual dating style. He's quite the ladies man but has recently decided he's ready to slow down and maybe even settle down.

Lola Peabody and her daughter are looking for a quiet, quaint town to live in. Lola is a photographer trying to get herself established in her new life. She's not looking for love or drama!

Pinegrove is a very small community so it's almost impossible not to run into the same people everyday. Lola and Javi seem to find each other all the time and it's soon just easier to get over denial of the feelings and let the relationship go where it will.

A great series and each book can be read as a standalone. Characters from previous books in the series do make small appearances so if you're curious about the relationships, be sure to read them all! You should just read them all anyway!

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