Posted on by Maureen

Poppy by Mary Hooper

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, so I was very excited about the opportunity read Poppy by Mary Hooper.

Poppy Pearson is a young woman living in England during World War I. She is working as a maid in a grand house, but she has bigger dreams. Poppy did well in school, but she needed to take the position in the de Vere household to help supplement her family’s income.

Poppy receives the opportunity to train as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse. The bulk of the novel deals with her experiences working in a hospital in England that receives injured soldiers as they return from the battlefields in France. Hard work and taking orders are not as much of an adjustment for her as they are for some of the girls who come from more affluent backgrounds. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary

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My girls and I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks this summer. We made our way through most of Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins series. Neil Patrick Harris’ narration really brings the books to life, and made the stories even funnier.

Henry and the Paper Route is the fourth book in the series. As the title suggests, Henry‘s main focus is getting a paper route of his very own. This is something that Henry has wanted for most of the series, and he has even helped his friend Scooter with his paper route… but he has been too young to have a route of his own. Of course, it would be too simple for Henry to receive a paper route as soon as he turns eleven, and you’re going to have to read the book to find out how Henry gets his route. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

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I have had my three girls home with me all summer. We have some afternoon activities and we will drive to the lake/pool, so there is plenty of time in the Odyssey. We have been listening to some of Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins books while we drive around.

Henry and Ribsy is the third book in the Henry Huggins series. Henry is a young boy who lives in Oregon with his parents and his dog Ribsy. There are many other children on Henry’s street, and there is always something happening. Ribsy has always played a supporting role in the Henry books, but in this book, Ribsy’s actions have more of an impact on the plot. Henry wants to go salmon fishing with his father, but he needs to prove that he is responsible and that he can keep Ribsy out of trouble. Will Henry be able to go fishing with his father? Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

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I found Outrun the Moon on a Goodreads list a couple of months before it came out. My interest was piqued, and I added it to my queue. I found it in the New YA Books section at my town library.

Outrun the Moon is a YA novel by Stacy Lee. It takes place around the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. There have been a couple of recent books across various genres set during the same milieu; this is not surprising- it is the 100th anniversary of the great tragedy.

Mercy Wong is a hard working young woman living in Chinatown. She does not have any opportunities for school beyond the 8th grade in her community, and she wants nothing but the best for herself. That includes a position for herself at St. Clare’s, an exclusive girls’ school. This school is not open to Chinese girls, but Mercy finagles a position for herself. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen

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I have been a fan of Rhys Bowen’s books for a couple of years, and I always look forward to new releases. All of her books are lovely, but I must admit that her Royal Spyness series is my favorite. If you’re not familiar with this series, here’s a brief explanation: the books take place in 1930s England, and Georgiana Rannoch is 35th in line for the throne. She is an astute young woman, and she often receives royal requests for help. Of course, one cannot refuse the Queen of England. Georgie has all sorts of adventures, and solves mysteries.

Crowned and Dangerous is the 10th book in the Royal Spyness series. When we last encountered our heroine Georgie, she was attending the wedding of her cousin Prince George to Princess Marina. As the story begins, she has been swept away by her enigmatic beau Darcy O’Mara, who after several years of casual dating, intends to take her to Gretna Green and marry her.

Alas, fate intervenes and Darcy sees a newspaper bearing grim tidings: his father, Lord Kilhenny has been arrested for the murder of the wealthy American man who bought the Kilhenny estate several years ago. Read more