This was a cute cozy. Low on violence and high on heart.

The sermons are presented with little context. When those liturgies are given as memorials, a bit more context would have been appreciative. It felt very choppy. Some of these are worth saving for inspiration and resistance. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy. Due out 9/9.

Just creepy enough to be perfect for kids.

Beautifully written. There is a more complete story here than in many a tome.

Gritty and brutal. The words get the job done but with no beauty.

This exceeded my expectations for the amount of suspense and emotion surrounding the abduction of the protagonist‘s sister. I expect to see much more of this author. It is an open door romance and occasionally it felt like an emotional boomerang between the romance and the hunt for a serial killer.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance review copy. While the beginning is slow, once the main character leaves her pretentious, hallowed walls of learning, Cambridge, the plot becomes more interesting. Barely. The satire regarding academia is cutting. This could have been an engaging fantasy novel. Instead, I spent much of the book admiring the author‘s literary knowledge and not much else.

This is just sad and depressing. It wasn‘t very engaging. The shifts in point of view were frequent and confusing.

After death comes for each character, they have the opportunity to portray their lives in photos, one from each year of life. The reader accompanies them for a revisit to a day that changed their lives. There is no morality check or judgement. These characters become dear by sharing their fears and joys. This book manages to be warm and comforting even as it focuses on endings.

This felt like propaganda?

This book is the epitome of muted danger as two siblings are left in the care of a band of misfits as their mother continues her career in intrigue. The characters are vaguely drawn and the narrator had an omniscience that was often annoying. While some of the plot strings were tied up, many were not. The writing was gorgeous, but the overall experience was somewhat unsatisfying, more so as the author clearly had the ability to do a complete job.

The slow, tender unwrapping of this story of twin brothers and their small village bed and breakfast is genuinely funny and sweet.

The love of family is beautiful to behold and this family includes Mishka, the rabbit. A tender, loving story.

An inspiring collection of stories about an inspiring man.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy. This is a dark, supernatural romance. Deep thinking and character growth are not the high points.

One of the best books about book people. A great comfort read. Funny, sad, and yes, a bit saccharine too. I needed a book about good humans.

This was informative, almost overly so. This could have been two very good books. I learned many things but I know I missed just as much. This wouldn‘t be the first book on Ukraine I would read but it did add to the overall picture.

This wasn‘t an easy read but there is a massive amount of information about the Ogallala aquifer and its importance and depletion due to irrigation, recreation, and development. While it is educational, it isn‘t written in an academic manner.

“There are few watercourses, and those that exist are usually dry. “Platte and Missouri Rivers?

“There are few cities—none, really, north of Texas.” Oklahoma City, Omaha, Denver, Kansas City?

The information is organized in a logical way. It lacks the inspirational tone I expected. It feels more like a check list.

This was the first in the Nero Wolfe series and not the best showing of the characters or pacing.

Slezkine introduces the reader into the homes and histories of the families living in the House of Government. Their fanatic idealism, close, almost familial, ties to their fellow political revolutionaries is as inspiring as it is melancholy as their friends were behind their downfall and/or death.It is with astonishing to realize many of those who lost everything still considered Stalin their friend and savior. the font is almost painful to read.

This was a harsh, tragic, and beautiful story. It took awhile to get into the story but then it became quite gripping.

A detailed account of the pogroms against Jewish people in Ukraine around the time of the first World War. There is general information but the Author‘s main focus and the context used is that of her family. Having one family as an entry point into this horrible time makes it easier to understand the devastation and lives lost.

This was a short, very nonlinear class in the appreciation of the history and storytelling which aid in resisting the smothering culture. It almost broke my brain in places with the ebb and flow but I was always happy to be able to return to it. Release date: 9/16. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy.

Gross.....but too gross? There is an impressive amount of information about decomposition in this book in the midst of reanimation of the dead. Friendship, family drama, and mad scientists fill out the rest.

The focus was squarely on the villain and the violence he perpetrates which was reminiscent of the very worst of true crime. The adolescent shock talk and wink-wink, nudge-nudge references to his other creations and pop culture was just annoying. The plot was decent. This just isn‘t for me.

The pace of the story was good but the resolution was predictable and the romance lackluster. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy. Pub date 8/19.

This was a unique story with a fantastic group of characters and all of the emotions. There is a great exploration of grief and how differently people react to it. The adults were actual complex characters and likable when they weren‘t perfect. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy. Release date end of August.

This was a thoughtful, sweet, and moderately spicy romance set in a bookstore in London. That is enough, isn‘t it? Great side characters are always a plus. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy. Pub date in September.

The plot was convoluted and the characters were many and undeveloped.

For some reason, these are incredibly fun and relaxing. The narrator including the reader in the story reminds me of my magnum pi watching days.

This was a unique take on this story. While some bits of the storyline didn‘t make sense, the completeness of the girls‘ pack was beautiful. Sad, infuriating, hopeful, and lovely.

Why did I pick up a time travel book when i hate reading time travel narratives? Not for me. It didn‘t help that the main character was fun and smart in one narrative and whiny and impulsively stupid in the other. No more time travel tales for me.

It breaks my heart that the author of such beautifully-written gothic tales of mystery and horror is no longer with us. I think I will reread the Shadow of the wind series.

This was a very convoluted tale which should have been edited prior to publication. The drama was extreme and the actual emotions lacking. Unbelievable reactions by characters. The only thing that rang true was the gross behavior of the media.

This was a well-written, well-illustrated story of feeling you have to be someone you are not. The only problem was several of the word bubbles were slightly off so it cut off part of the letters which was irritating.

The discrepancy between how important Saffron's financial independence and career are to her and how much time she actually spends at her job and on her plants was quite large and rather irritating. Also, it felt like there wasn't much of a conclusion to this one. The pacing was good and the relationships were more interesting.

This was a sweet story but I think most kids will lose interest before they hit their reading stride.The ending just sort of ran out.

3.5

The characters were wonderfully vivid. The grinding poverty and desperation were very well described. It is unfortunate that this feels more contemporary than it should.

If you are looking for a linear narrative, you won‘t find it here. These sparkling vignettes told by a generous, sparkling, and restless soul are beautiful to behold while sometimes feeling hard to follow. May she rest in love and beauty.

This ended up being a beautiful story of supportive relationships and strong women. It started out as a rage-inducing story of a man manipulating and taking advantage of a young girl. I almost dnf‘d it. I am in a rage often enough these days. I am glad I finished it.

The main character seemed slightly less impetuous in this one. It was still quite unrealistic to the time period.

A slow, interconnected tale of people, time, and the land. Some of the stories were more engaging than others.

Light pick. This was a fun, cozy mystery set in the 1920s. It is not true to the societal norms of the time. It was interesting.

An interesting collection of trivia. It was quite a bit of information to digest at one time.

Light pick. Atmospheric with an intricate plot. There were certain plot points that seemed to be contradictory to the world building. Still a good time.

This almost reminds me of a less descriptive historical mystery than the Maisie Dobbs series. A quick, fun tale with interesting historic bits.

This book was great fun! I enjoyed figuring out the riddles along with Caspia and her friends.