Posted on by Maureen

Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen

In the interest of full disclosure, I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I first discovered Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series during an Audible sale last year. It was absolutely love at first sight. In a matter of months, I read and/or listened to all 8 books in the series- and the novella Masked Ball at Broxley Manor.

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the series, allow me to offer a brief explanation: Georgiana Rannoch is a young woman who is 35th (or so) in line for the British throne. Her brother is a duke, but the family fortune has been spent, and they all live in genteel poverty. Georgie is a particular favorite of Queen Mary (George V’s wife), and she is often called in to discreetly solve a problem on the behalf of the Queen. Georgie is resourceful and has a good sense of intuition, which help her with her sleuthing. The series is infused with a wonderful sense of humor, and the 1930s setting is just delightful. Read more

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Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week by Caroline Adderson

I first became acquainted with Jasper John Dooley when I read an ARC of his most recent adventure, Lost and Found. I’ll be posting my review of that book after it is released on September 1st. My girls and I enjoyed reading Jasper’s story so much that we looked for some more of his books for the library.

Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week is a children’s book written by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Ben Clanton. This is a chapter book, but the language is fairly simple- I’d place it at about a second grade reading level.

Jasper is a young boy who goes to elementary school. As the story begins, he is preparing for his role as Star of the Week in his classroom. He will get to present something for Show and Tell, and he will get to do a science experiment, and he will even get to bring in a special snack. Read more

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The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

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

I enjoyed reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate a couple of years ago, so when I received an opportunity to read The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, I was very excited.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate is a middle grade novel written by Jacqueline Kelly. The story begins in the spring of 1900, only a couple of months after the end of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Callie is still determined to become a scientist, and she spends as much time as possible with her grandfather. When Callie is not working with her grandfather, she is playing with her younger brother Travis. Travis is gentler than the other boys, and cannot help put take pity on the foundling animals he finds. Callie knows that it cannot possibly be a good idea to bring home an armadillo or a baby raccoon, but she has trouble saying no to her kind brother. Travis is heartbroken when their attempts at domesticating the animals don’t work out, but Callie approaches things from a scientific perspective and tries to remain impartial. Read more

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China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

Two years ago, I read Kevin Kwan’s debut novel, Crazy Rich Asians. It was a delightful romp through Singapore (and other locations) that featured some of the wealthiest people in the world. When I found out that a sequel was coming out, I placed a request at the library months in advance. China Rich Girlfriend arrived about a week after its release, and I was very excited about diving right into the book.

China Rich Girlfriend features an ensemble cast of characters, most of whom appeared in the first book. While there are many subplots, the main story features Rachel Chu. In the first book, she was forced to dodge accusations that she was a marrying her fiancé for his money. How could this be true when she had no idea that Nick belonged to one of Singapore’s wealthiest families? Nick’s mother Eleanor has returned, and she has managed to track down Rachel’s father. Even though Rachel and Nick are content to live typical American lives (they both work as professors), they find themselves flying to Shanghai to get to know Rachel’s father and his family. Read more

Posted on by Maureen · 1 Comment

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

After we finished listening to Paddington, my girls and I listened to the Audible edition of Pippi Longstocking in the car as we drove around town on errands. I grew up with Pippi- even before the 1988 movie- and I was excited about sharing Pippi with them.

Pippi Longstocking is a unique little girl, who is probably best known for her bright red pigtails that stick straight up and her incredible strength. At the beginning of the story, Pippi has just moved into Villa Villekulla, a house in a little town in Sweden. Pippi lives all by herself- her mother has passed away, and her sea captain father was blown away in a storm. Pippi is not completely alone: she has a little monkey named Mr. Nilsson and a horse. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

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As soon as I heard about The Royal We, I knew I wanted to read it. I submitted a request through the library network, and it arrived quickly. I started to read, and I was enjoying myself so much that I decided to use an Audible credit to purchase the audiobook version.

The Royal We is a collaborative effort from Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, the women behind the fashion blog Go Fug Yourself. This is the story of Rebecca Porter, who is preparing for her wedding to Prince Nicholas at the beginning of the book. There is an official biography, but Bex assures us that it is highly inaccurate. She then proceeds to tell the reader the real story behind the courtship. Seven years ago, Bex was an American college student spending a semester abroad at Oxford University. She ends up living on the same hall as Prince Nicholas, third in line to the British throne. They bond over a weird American soap opera and American junk food, and they fall in love, even though neither of them intended for that to happen. Their relationship is often tumultuous, and involves an ensemble cast of characters including Bex’s twin sister Lacey, Nick’s wild brother Freddie, stuffy aristocrat Lady Bea, and more. Read more

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A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Paddington Bear was a big part of my childhood. My mother read several of the books to me, and I used to love watching the television show on The Disney Channel in the 1980s. Phrases like “Darkest Peru” and “Please look after this bear” have become family in-jokes that we cite frequently. Michael Bond began to write the Paddington books in 1958, but they have remained fresh and funny over the years.

I picked up the Audible edition of A Bear Called Paddington last year during a sale on children’s audiobooks, but we didn’t listen to it until last month. The girls have been vaguely interested in Paddington since the movie came out last year. We haven’t had a chance to see it, but when we finished listening to The Little Prince, they picked A Bear Called Paddington as our next audiobook. The Audible edition is read by Stephen Fry, and gives a delightful and whimsical performance. Read more

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Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

My 8 year old daughter and I read Completely Clementine together not too long after its release. We are big fans of the Clementine series, and have read all of the other books.

Completely Clementine marks a turning point for our heroine. After six books, Clementine has finally reached the end of third grade. She is not very happy about this because she doesn’t like when things change. She is not looking forward to moving to a new class because she likes her teacher and her classroom. Read more