A Work in Progress

Shiny New Books #12

Issue #12 of Shiny New Books is now out.  You can find me there today.  Check out the Book Buzz section where I share "books that were written just for me" in their A Novel Calling column and let me know what you think!  Or better, tell me which books are your own "writtens just for you" . . .  You know I love a good book list (making my own and reading others!).  Back tomorrow with more bookishness (and yay the weekend is almost here once again).

Time for More Shiny New Books!

You can find me today in the virtual pages of Shiny New Books!  The Summer edition is now available for your perusal.  Make sure you have pen and paper handy when you click on over, I bet you will find a few (or more) notable shiny new books to tempt you. 

I was very fortunate to be asked to read Swedish author, Katarina Bivald's The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend!  Ooh, I think you are going to like it as much as I did--it's an absolute delight. 

As I was reading it felt a little uncanny how a Swedish woman an ocean and a few continents away was writing a book that I could imagine so well in my mind and then add to that the fact that I live in Nebraska and the book takes place in a small town in Iowa--just across the river from me.  How did she do that?  I guess no matter what language we speak, how much our views outside our windows might differ, as readers we are more or less the same inside.  Well, give the book a try and you'll see exactly what I mean.  It is one for my own personal comfort read list!

Shiny No. 5: Where to Find Your Next Read!

Shiny New Books: Issue 5 (Spring 2015) is now out!  You probably have already heard, but if not, do go and take a look around at all the fabulous new books.

The editors kindly let me create a book list (you know how much I love lists) of Spring-themed books.  Do please take a peek and let me know what you think.  What Spring-ish titles would you have shared?  

Happy weekend reading everyone!

The 'In-Between' Issue of SNB is Out!

The 'inbetweeny' issue of Shiny New Books is out now.  It has a Christmassy focus.  It's chock full of new reviews to tide you over the holidays.  I know I will have a break from work to look forward to and am already contemplating books to full my extra free time with.

You can find my review of Margaret Leroy's The English Girl there.  I read one of her earlier novels years ago--a library find which has always stuck with me (from my pre-blogging days).  When I saw that her newest novel is set not only in the days just before WWII but has a Viennese setting, I knew I had to read it.  It's a mixture of beautiful elegance in the descriptions, a dash of love story but mostly a very satisfying story of one young woman's coming of age (and finding a strength she didn't realize she had) during a dark and difficult time. 

Do click on over and have a look, and then check out the rest of the wonderful reviews on offer!

Autumn Edition of SNB is Out Now!

You can find me today over at  Shiny New Books.  The Autumn edition is out now and is chock full of good things!

Although she's been writing for quite some time, I have found a new mystery series to follow.  I've jumped in midstream and read the third Hakim and Arnold Mystery, Poisoned Ground, by Barbara Nadel.  I liked it so much that I hadn't even finished it before buying the first two books in the series. 

If my review of Poisoned Ground isn't enough to tempt you to give the book a try, do read my Q&A with Barbara Nadel.  She very kindly agreed to answer a few questions, and she (and her characters) is absolutely fascinating to read about!

If you didn't already have enough books to keep you busy, prepare to add a few more to your wishlist.  Now I am off to discover some new reads myself . . .

The July Edition of Shiny New Books is Out!

The July edition of Shiny New Books is now out, so I will direct your attention there today.  You can find my thoughts on a few really good reads, so please click on through the links.  I'll share a few teasers in case you are wondering which books I'm hoping you might be tempted to read, too.

I found Martine Bailey's novel, An Appetite for Violets, a delightful (and sometimes intriguingly dark) concoction.  It's set in 18th century England, France and Italy and Biddy Leigh is a most engaging heroine.  There's a lot of drama, a little mystery, a touch of romance and lots of delicious cooking.

Black Lake by Joanna Lane is an elegantly told story of one family's disintegration as the modern world interferes in their way of life lived for generations, and the sense of loss and dislocation they suffer as a result.  Think Downton Abbey on a much smaller scale and a way of life no longer tenable in this twenty-first century.

And Joan Chase's During the Reign of the Queen of Persia is a rediscovered classic.  NYRB has done it again--given readers an exquisitely written coming-of-age (though much more than that, too) story set in mid-20th century America of much depth and complexity.

Have a good look at all the new reviews (I know I'll be browsing about over there as well) and make sure you have a pencil and paper in hand.  I suspect I'm going to find a new book or three I want to read sometime very soon.