160 pages nonfiction Grand Central publishing November 9, 2021 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Written for anyone who has known the touch of a cold nose on their hand, the bark of a best friend, or the joy of a walk accompanied by a wagging tail, All Dogs Are Good pays tribute to the special bond we share with our canine companions.Filled with heartfelt poems and prose on the love, dedication, and laughter our dogs bring, as well as the unique lessons they teach us along the way, bestselling author Courtney Peppernell’s vignettes of life with our dogs are a touching reminder of the gifts they give us during their journey on earth.Celebrating dogs everywhere, All Dogs Are Good is a collection dog lovers will hold in their hearts forever.
MY THOUGHTS
Such a well written and beautiful book. This is a work of nonfiction. I was brought to tears multiple times as I read. This is a collection of poems and memories people have about their dogs. So many lovely memories and how much they enjoyed spending time with their dogs whether it was walking, snuggling or giving them treats. They all had great memories and miss them so much. It made me think about my dogs that are no longer with us and miss them too all the while having all the wonderful memories.
Pub Date 09 Nov 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
76 pages Silverwood Books Nonfiction Pub Date31 Jan 2023
ABOUT THE BOOK
The biggest celebrity cult since ‘Made in Chelsea’, Bob Marley and Roman Abramovich, the two brothers have already appeared on TV, magazines and their own Instagram page without letting on just how really naughty they are.
These are their little stories…written for children of all ages, particularly if you’re a parent looking for a way to break the vice-like grip of the iPhone and the internet on growing minds. They’re lovable, funny, poignant and even a tiny bit exciting – much like Bobby and Bubba themselves. Hope you love them as much as we all do!
MY THOUGHTS
I was instantly drawn to the cover when I saw it. Bulldogs are cheeky and adorable, and they will certainly let you know what they want and don’t even try not giving it to them. This nonfiction book is about British Bulldog brothers – Bobby and Bubba. They divide their time between the town (London) and the country (Warwickshire). This famous duo is famous on television, magazines and of course social media. The book is marketed for children, but I know adults enjoy it as well. With short chapters and it being adorably illustrated, it’s okay to read just one more chapter to your child at bedtime. I enjoy reading about these spoiled pups’ antics and seeing what they got up to.
Pub Date 31 Jan 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Although he has written extensively on political and economic topics, this is Anthony Coombs’ first foray into books. He was encouraged to do so by Bobby and Bubba themselves. Whilst relying on the “daddy” Alexander for their everyday needs, they insisted that “grandpa” Anthony use his dwindling literary skills to share with the world their “irresistible charm” and the adventures it gets them into. In any spare time Anthony gets from dog walking, he combines a career as chairman of a FTSE finance company with building houses and overseeing a charitable trust which supports children and young people with physical and mental disability challenges. Following his earlier incarnation as a Member of Parliament, Anthony also likes to write about current affairs. He loves both football where, despite his father once owning Birmingham City, he is an avid Aston Villa fan, as well as the fancy footwork required in ballet where he sits on the board of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Anthony likes to torture himself at golf, more gently in the gym and to take equal care of his soul as a practising Christian and trustee of Premier Christian Media. Most important of all, he is the proud husband of thirty-eight years to Andrea, and of course the father of B and B’s daddy, Alexander. –This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Have you read any nonfiction books recently? I don’t read many but do need to remedy this.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. Hosted at Carole’s Random Life.
This week I am featuring:
All Dogs Are Good
Poems & Memories
by Courtney Peppernell
Pub Date 09 Nov 2021
ABOUT THE BOOK
Written for anyone who has known the touch of a cold nose on their hand, the bark of a best friend, or the joy of a walk accompanied by a wagging tail, All Dogs Are Good pays tribute to the special bond we share with our canine companions.
Filled with heartfelt poems and prose on the love, dedication, and laughter our dogs bring, as well as the unique lessons they teach us along the way, bestselling author Courtney Peppernell’s vignettes of life with our dogs are a touching reminder of the gifts they give us during their journey on earth.
Celebrating dogs everywhere, All Dogs Are Good is a collection dog lovers will hold in their hearts forever.
Why I added this to my reading pile
I love dogs and enjoy reading about them. I believe this is a nonfiction book will be a great addition to my books read this year.
Are your unread books filling your shelves and piling up on the floor?
Then The Backlist Reader Challenge is for you!
Hosted byThe Bookwyrm’s Hoard Dates of Challenge:January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 Challenge Sign-Up/Details:Click Here
#BacklistReader
Rule #1 – Books have to be published before 2023 AND they must already be on your TBR list or pile. Rule #2 – No Re-Reads : Compromise: you can only count a book you have read before IF (a) you haven’t read the book in the past 10 years, AND (b) you can’t remember much about it.
I am going to set a goal of 15 backlist books. Hopefully I can read more. I’ll track them here.
Dr. Frank Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute when, on his way out, he accidentally collided with an elderly floor maid. To cover the awkward moment Dr. May field started asking questions. “How long have you worked here?” “I’ve worked here almost since the place opened,” the maid replied. “What can you tell me about the history of this place?” he asked. “I don’t think I can tell you anything, but I could show you something.” With that, she took his hand and led him down to the basement under the oldest section of the building. She pointed to one of what looked like small prison cells, their iron bars rusted with age, and said, “That’s the cage where they used to keep Annie Sullivan.” “Who’s Annie?” the doctor asked. Annie was a young girl who was brought in here because she was incorrigible—nobody could do anything with her. She’d bite and scream and throw her food at people. The doctors and nurses couldn’t even examine her or anything. I’d see them trying with her spitting and scratching at them. “I was only a few years younger than her myself and I used to think, ‘I sure would hate to be locked up in a cage like that.’ I wanted to help her, but I didn’t have any idea what I could do. I mean, if the doctors and nurses couldn’t help her, what could someone like me do? “I didn’t know what else to do, so I just baked her some brownies one night after work. The next day I brought them in. I walked carefully to her cage and said, ‘Annie, I baked these brownies just for you. I’ll put them right here on the floor and you can come and get them if you want.’ “Then I got out of there just as fast as I could because I was afraid she might throw them at me. But she didn’t. She actually took the brownies and ate them. After that, she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was around. And sometimes I’d talk to her. Once, I even got her laughing. One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor. They asked me if I’d help them with Annie. I said I would if I could. So that’s how it came about that. Every time they wanted to see Annie or examine her, I went into the cage first and explained and calmed her down and held her hand. This is how they discovered that Annie was almost blind.” After they’d been working with her for about a year—and it was tough sledding with Annie—the Perkins institute for the Blind opened its doors. They were able to help her and she went on to study and she became a teacher herself. Annie came back to the Tewksbury Institute to visit, and to see what she could do to help out. At first, the Director didn’t say anything and then he thought about a letter he’d just received. A man had written to him about his daughter. She was absolutely unruly—almost like an animal. She was blind and deaf as well as ‘deranged.’ He was at his wit’s end, but he didn’t want to put her in an asylum. So he wrote the Institute to ask if they knew of anyone who would come to his house and work with his daughter. And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong companion of Helen Keller. When Helen Keller was nominated for the Nobel Prize, she was asked who had the greatest impact on her life and she said, “Annie Sullivan.” But Annie said, “No Helen. The woman who had the greatest influence on both our lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury Institute.”
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
I know this book isn’t for everyone. It’s a nonfiction book. To me the book sounds fascinating and the women in it smart and very helpful. This week I choose:
THROUGH THE MORGUE DOOR
256 pagesPublishes 13 Feb, 2024 University of Pennsylvania Press
In 1934, at the age of fourteen, Colette Brull-Ulmann knew that she wanted to become a pediatrician. By the age of twenty-one, she was in her second year of studying medicine. By 1942, Brull-Ulman and her family had become registered Jews under the ever-increasing statutes against them enacted by Petain’s government. Her father had been arrested and interned at the Drancy detention camp and Brull-Ulman had become an intern at the Rothschild Hospital, the only hospital in Paris where Jewish physicians were allowed to practice and Jewish patients could go for treatment.
Under Claire Heyman, a charismatic social worker who was a leader of the hospital’s secret escape network, Brull-Ulmann began working tirelessly to rescue Jewish children treated at the Rothschild. Her devotion to the protection of children, her bravery, and her imperviousness in the face of the deadly injustices of the Holocaust were always evident—whether smuggling children to safety through the Paris streets in the dead of night or defying officers and doctors who frighteningly held her fate in their hands. Ultimately, Brull-Ulmann was forced to flee the Rothschild in 1943, when she joined her father’s resistance network, gathering and delivering information for De Gaulle’s secret intelligence agency until the Liberation in 1945.
In 1970, Brull-Ulmann finally became a licensed pediatrician. But after the war, like so many others, she sought to bury her memories. It wasn’t until decades later when she finally started to speak publicly—not only about her own work and survival, but about the one child who affected her most deeply. Originally published in French in 2017, Brull-Ulmann’s memoir fearlessly illustrates the horrors of Jewish life under the German Occupation and casts light on the heretofore unknown story of the Rothschild Hospital during this period. But most of all, it chronicles the life of a truly exceptional and courageous woman for whom not acting was never an option.
Would you read this book?
Have a best day and stay cool. Thanks for stopping by.
285 pages April 4,2023 publication date Publisher Thread
About The Book
“I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, and I felt an ember of hope. If I could make myself useful, helping these horses, maybe I could stay alive.”
In the darkest moment of history, one child found the courage and strength to survive the unimaginable. This is Henry’s true story.
One hot, humid day in July, 1943, the Gestapo abducted fifteen-year-old Henry and his mother, forcing them onto cramped cattle cars in the Łódź Polish Ghetto. Like so many Jews before them, they had been selected to disappear – they were being sent to Auschwitz.
Exhausted after hours of traveling, they finally emerged from the stifling, filth-ridden cattle car. Already devastated at having lost his father to starvation, Henry clutched his mother’s frail hand, knowing she was all he had left in the world, and that he was the only one left to protect her. In a flash, he felt them being brutally torn apart.
Crying out for her, his heart shuddered as he watched her disappear into a sea of other women. Henry knew that was the last time he would ever see her, and he felt like he had failed her. He was now completely alone in the world.
Starving, and close to giving up all hope, Henry volunteered to work in the stables, responsible for breeding horses for the war effort. As he watched other prisoners leave and never return, Henry quickly realised these horses were his only lifeline – because every morning he was sent to the stables, was one more morning he escaped the gas chambers.
Before long, caring for the horses became a passion, and their comfort and strength gave Henry a glimmer of life and hope in an ocean of death. Although with every second that passed, Henry knew if he became too weak or made one mistake, he would be mercilessly replaced…
This is the heart-wrenching and inspirational true account of a courageous little German boy who, against all odds, after losing almost everything a human being can lose, survived to tell his story.
This book was originally published as The Kindness of the Hangman.
There are accounts of people who have survived the abuse of the power of the Nazi’s but not many stories of surviving children. This is one of those stories. Just six years old when he starts school in Cognac, Germany Jewish child Henry Oster enters school on the first day excited. Living as an only child of well to do parents he doesn’t know he’s different or Jewish until after school when the non-Jewish children attack with more than words the Jewish children. The jews have all their rights stripped away, not allowed to own businesses or homes they feel powerless, useless. Against their will they are rounded up like cattle and sent to a repurposed ghetto with broken windows a lack of food and severe overcrowding. Eventually they are sent to a concentration camp. You feel a deep empathy for these characters as their horrific conditions and treatment is revealed. At a camp Henry is in charge of the horses because of his native German language which the horses are used to getting commands in. I have read many historical accounts of Auschwitz and its prisoners, but this account is unlike any I’ve read before. In the face of incredible horror and danger to not only survive but to have his story told. He was a very brave person and his life, and the life of the others counted. Such a time in history we must never forget.
Pub Date: 04 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
n 1933 Henry Oster was just 5 years old, a carefree kindergartner in Cologne, Germany, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seized power. For the next 12 years Henry struggled to keep on breathing while his family, his friends and the Jews of Europe were overwhelmed by the Holocaust. Henry hid his mother from the SS in an attic in the Lodz, Poland Ghetto. He escaped a firing squad in Auschwitz. Endured a death march through the Polish winter. Formed a life-long friendship in the nightmare barracks of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Saw his friends killed by a British fighter-bomber. And came within hours of starving to death before his liberation by General Patton’s 3rd Army. Henry rebuilt his life from nothing, coming of age as a free young man in Paris. He arrived in the U.S. with no English, no money and no education. And from the ashes of a ruined past built a life full of love, joy and compassion. Now, complete with chilling documents liberated from the Nazi concentration camps themselves, his heartbreaking, triumphant story can finally be told.
Dexter Ford is a Contributing Writer to The New York Times and other major publications on history, politics, the Holocaust, World War ll, architecture, transportation technology and the auto, aviation, motorcycle industries. He also writes extensively on adventure travel: he has flown upside-down with the Blue Angels, ridden a motorcycle through China, Russia, and the Andes, and swum alone, at night, with airplane-sized Manta Rays. Mr. Ford lives in Manhattan Beach, California and Higgins Bay, New York. –This text refers to the hardcover edition.
It was an honor to participate in this blog tour. Thank you @Thread
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl and this week’s topic is a freebie. I have a lot of books on my to be read list so I thought it would be a great month to try to read some of my books I want to get to for black history month. I hope to get to all of them, but I do have blog tour books and author review books to read as well so we shall see.
A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
In an early twentieth-century America roiling with racial injustice, class divides, and WWI, two women fight for their dreams in a galvanizing novel by the bestselling author of Golden Poppies.
The author of the award-winning Sally Hemings now brings to life Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in the early 1900s, in this mesmerizing novel swirling with atmosphere and steeped in history.
From award-winning author Robin W. Pearson comes a new Southern family drama about one family who discovers their history is only skin-deep and that God’s love is the only family tie that binds.
Set in 1920s New York, an addictively readable, thoroughly entertaining historical novel involving sex and secrets, race and redemption, and power and privilege—based on a sensational real-life case that made international headlines—in which the marriage between a working-class black woman and the scion of one of America’s most powerful white families ends in a scandalous annulment lawsuit.
Four generations of women experience love, loss, war, and hope from the rise of Nazism to the Cuban Revolution and finally, the fall of the Berlin Wall in this sweeping novel from the bestselling author of the “timely must-read” (People) The German Girl.
Berlin, 1931: Ally Keller, a talented young poet, is alone and scared when she gives birth to a mixed-race daughter she names Lilith. As the Nazis rise to power, Ally knows she must keep her baby in the shadows to protect her against Hitler’s deadly ideology of Aryan purity. But as she grows, it becomes more and more difficult to keep Lilith hidden so Ally sets in motion a dangerous and desperate plan to send her daughter across the ocean to safety.
Harlem Shuffle’s ingenious story plays out in a beautifully recreated New York City of the early 1960s. It’s a family saga masquerading as a crime novel, a hilarious morality play, a social novel about race and power, and ultimately a love letter to Harlem.
Running from Bondage tells the compelling stories of enslaved women, who comprised one-third of all runaways, and the ways in which they fled or attempted to flee bondage during and after the Revolutionary War.
Born in West Africa in the mid-eighteenth century, Maryam Prescilla Grace—a.k.a “Momma Grace” will live a long, wondrous life marked by hardship, oppression, opportunity, and love. Though she will be “gifted” various names, her birth name is known to her alone. Over the course of 100-plus years, she survives capture, enslavement by several property owners, the Atlantic crossing when she is only eleven years of age, and a brief stint as a pirate’s ward, acting as both a spy and a translator.
Set in the Deep South pre Gone with the Wind and the Civil War, The Wedding Gift is a compelling and powerful story of slavery, abuse and passion. Perfect for fans of The Help.
In a deeply emotional novel of family, cultural heritage, and forgiveness, estranged sisters wrestle with the choices they’ve made and confront circumstances beyond their control.
Which book do you think I should start reading first? Have you read any of these titles? What were your thoughts on them?
Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in today.
How the cat she never wanted taught her the lessons she never knew she needed.
It was not love at first sight for Jinx and Cynthia. The long-haired, dandruff-ridden creature wasn’t Cynthia’s dream for a new family pet. And Jinx was equally unimpressed with her.
Jinx’s arrival marked a dramatic turning point in Cynthia’s life. Soon after, she endured a devastating loss and battled grief, loneliness, and depression. Throughout the turmoil, Cynthia and Jinx progressed from sparring partners, to reluctant roommates, to friends. When Cynthia finally decided to take her life back, she brought Jinx along for the ride.
Side by side, they weathered all the excitement, disappointment, mishaps, and adventures that come with finding happiness and redefining your life. Through it all, Jinx was an unexpected source of comfort, affection, and valuable life lessons. Because sometimes the thing you most need shows up in the way you least expect.
Ten lessons you can apply to take back your life and find your joy.
Lesson #8: Cats are an excellent judge of character
“Happiness is always on the other side of fear.”~ Margie Johnson
Lesson #10: Cats are smarter than people
“LOVED this story and you will too!” ~Dee
My Thoughts
As a cat owner this book just resonated with me. Her daughter wanted a cat after their other one passed away, she did as well but just not the one her daughter chose. At the time of coming into their lives, the cat and woman do their best to avoid each other. After all cats have personalities too and we can’t expect cats to warm up to us as soon as they meet us. From a broken-down romantic relationship to finding true happiness her cat is with her the whole way. Starting out with the cat and the author not liking each other to tolerating each other to not wanting to be without each other we see such progression in the relationship. Each chapter is short and easy to get through but yet there is a simple truth to the life lessons the cat teaches along the way. Cats are very good judges of character. I very much enjoyed taking this journey with the cat owner and her cat. It is a heartwarming and enjoyable read. I recommend this nonfiction book by this new to me author.
Pub Date 11 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Are you ready to change your life?
Have you ever struggled with anxiety, depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder? This book tells the true story of my journey from utter brokenness to happiness, and how my cat taught me life-changing lessons. You will laugh and cry with me as I tell my story honestly and openly. How I nearly died of a broken heart, became suicidal then learned from my cat to be truly happy.
About The Author
I am the youngest of 3 children and the only girl. My two older brothers taunted, teased and often terrorized their baby sister, but it made me who I am today; strong, confident and not afraid to stand my ground. I was lucky enough to grow up in Rural Nebraska on a farm where I learned to love animals and the outdoors. I wrote my first book when I was about 10 years old and I have been writing ever since. I recently won a top award for some song lyrics I entered in an online contest on a whim. That was so exciting! I now live in New Mexico and get my ideas for new stories while hiking in the foothills.
Thank you so much for stopping in today. You visit blesses me. Have a teriffic day.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by thatartsyreadergirl with a new topic every week. This week is a freebie so I’m choosing Christmas books that I still haven’t read from last year or before. Let’s not even talk about the ones still on my list from this year 😉 Ready for Christmas book reviews in March? Christmas books are great to read any time of the year though in my opinion .
I have tried reading this because everyone should read this classic, right? It’s just can’t get into the writing style.
A Christmas Carol was first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. It has become a Christmas classic and has been continuously in print since its first release, as well as being made into numerous plays and movies. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. It explores themes about the treatment of the poor and the ability of people to reform themselves. It is worth reading every Christmas.
Twenty tales for the holiday season selected for their spiritual value and literary quality.
They are some of the warmest childhood memories, those unhurried evenings around the fireplace, Christmas tree, or dinner table, when there was time for a story… Now, with this collection, you can keep the story-telling tradition alive in your family, and pass it on to your children or grandchildren.
Home for Christmas includes twenty time-honored tales. Several are by world-famous authors; others are little-known treasures translated from other languages. Selected for their literary quality and spiritual integrity, they will resonate with readers of all ages, year after year.
With original woodcuts by David Klein
Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewell is ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe…
With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition…
Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!
Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.
I like the simplistic cover, but I’ve heard this one is a bit of a downer. Anyone have any thoughts on this one?
Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger–a stranger who will change the course of Josie’s life.
Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special.
Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye.
Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they’d never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?
A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the last page.
The brand new romantic Christmas read from Alex Brown –the Queen of Feel Good Fiction and #1 bestseller!
Bridget smiled to herself, certain she could see one of the stars twinkling extra brightly in that moment as if to acknowledge her wish and convince her that, yes, Mulberry-On-Sea was just the place they all needed to be. Surrounded by those happy memories of holidays and special times where nothing bad ever happened…
Finding yourself without a home in the weeks before Christmas would break most people, but for Bridget Carrington it’s a chance to start again. Mulberry-On-Sea has always been her happy place and she’s hoping it can work its magic this festive season and heal her family after a difficult year.
Now, as the community wraps Bridget and her children in its warm embrace, she starts to feel like herself again. With a new business, kids who are starting to smile, and the promise of a second chance at love, Bridget’s holiday season might just be a happy ever after…
He’s willing to risk his life to save others. Is she willing to risk her heart on him?
Morgan’s late husband was a daredevil…and now she’s a widowed single mom. All she wants now is to set up a stable life for herself and her son in the small town of Pine Hill, Kentucky.
Andrew’s a firefighter who thrives on the rush of saving others. His secret dream is to become a smokejumper and fight raging wildfires across the country. But it’ll mean leaving his hometown and the people who rely on him.
Morgan and Andrew are drawn together as they both volunteer to make quilts for veterans at the local quilt shop. Morgan’s son looks up to Andrew, and Morgan can’t help but notice how good Andrew is with him. Meanwhile, Andrew’s torn between his ambition and his growing attraction to Morgan. They both have choices to make about their future…and about each other.
Christmas has come early to the beautiful Poconos resort that’s the setting for the American Baking Battle’s holiday special, where chef Courtney Archer is on hand to sample festive fare—and lift the lid off a killer…
Six ambitious bakers are competing for glory and a grand prize, showcasing their most delicious candies, cookies, and desserts. Courtney detects some on-set grinchiness from her coworkers, especially judge Shannon Collins, but she’s hoping the sweet treats will restore everyone’s festive spirits. That Christmas wish swiftly fizzles when assistant director Kinzy Hummel is found strangled—with an apron from Shannon’s new product line…
Shannon insists she’s innocent. Meanwhile, Kinzy had been under pressure from a disgruntled attorney to settle her late grandfather’s estate. But could that be a motive for murder? The show must go on even as Courtney sifts through competitors and crew for likely suspects. But unless she can quickly get to the truth, there’ll be another helping of homicide amid the pinwheel cookies and fruitcakes…
In The First Christmas, Stephen Mitchell brings the Nativity story to vivid life as never before. A narrative that is only sketched out in two Gospels becomes fully realized here with nuanced characters and a setting that reflects the culture of the time. Mitchell has suffused the birth of Jesus with a sense of beauty that will delight and astonish readers.
In this version, we see the world through the eyes of a Whitmanesque ox and a visionary donkey, starry-eyed shepherds and Zen-like wise men, each of them providing a unique perspective on a scene that is, in Western culture, the central symbol for good tidings of great joy. Rather than superimposing later Christian concepts onto the Annunciation and Nativity scenes, he imagines Mary and Joseph experiencing the angelic message as a young Jewish woman and man living in the year 4 bce might have experienced it, with terror, dismay, and ultimate acceptance. In this context, their yes becomes an act of great moral courage.
Readers of every background will be enchanted by this startlingly beautiful reimagining of the Christmas tale.
The brand new seasonal romance from the author of Duvet Day. Escape to the Arctic Circle and fall in love under the Northern Lights . . .
All it takes is one moment to change your life . . .
When a cleverly edited video of radio host Lucy Fairweather goes viral, she knows she needs an escape. And preferably somewhere far away.
Where better than Wild Zone – a destination for people who want to experience the Arctic Circle? Owned by the gorgeous but brooding Tommi, Lucy agrees to help with the guests in return for her stay. But getting to grips with her skis is proving harder than it looks.
Far from home and in a winter wonderland, will an encounter with the breathtaking Northern Lights change her luck, in both life and love?
Can neighbours become more than just good friends this Christmas?
Bella Moore is excitedly counting down the days to Christmas. That is until she arrives home one evening to find her boyfriend leaving her for another woman. Completely heartbroken, Bella is left wondering if Christmas can still be the same this year.
Next door, Bella’s neighbour Nick is facing his first Christmas as a single dad and doubting whether he can make it the magical time his son Freddie deserves.
Determined to fix both Christmas and their broken hearts, Bella comes up with an idea: a Christmas giving tree for the whole village, where the community can unite and secretly give each other the Christmas presents they truly need.
As Bella becomes chief elf, taking donations and delivering gifts with much-needed help from Nick and Freddie, the two neighbours grow closer and start seeing each other in a whole new light.
But when Nick’s estranged wife returns just before Christmas, is their budding romance over before it’s begun? Or will love be Nick and Bella’s perfect gift this Christmas?
Have you read any of these or plan to? What are your thoughts on them?
Christmas is a time for joy, wonder, and a little bit of mischief. Does any creature manifest these attitudes better than a cat? Their fascination with all those breakable ornaments on the tree and their appreciation of a cozy spot to nap seem made for the season. The way they alternate between calm and crazy echoes the way we all feel at Christmas, doesn’t it? And that’s just what you get with The Cat in the Christmas Tree.
This collection of true, feel-good holiday stories by various writers celebrates the gift of cats and delivers all the warm fuzzies you could desire. It’s the perfect companion for those magical Christmas evenings in front of the fireplace with your favorite feline. It also makes the purrfect gift for cat-loving friends.
My Thoughts
The cat in the Christmas Tree is a delightful non-fiction book. It has three-to-four-page stories authors have contributed to the book about their cats taking place at Christmas time. Mostly about kittens gotten around Christmas time, it is quite the entertaining read. As you can imagine with cats, rascals as we all know, there are quite a few stories about cats in the Christmas tree, those trees falling down, decorations smashing and the like. Read this purr and cuddle filled book, perfect for all cat lovers. I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I have.
Published October 11,22. I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Suzanne Baginskie and her husband, Al, left New Jersey and relocated to the west central coast of Florida. She’s been writing ever since her mother gifted her a five-year diary for her eighth birthday. Unknowingly, her mother’s inspirational nudge helped the writer inside her emerge.
She recently retired from a law firm as a paralegal-office manager. Now she writes daily, spinning tales of romantic suspense that pair tantalizing mystery with compelling romance. Fascinated with strong FBI female characters and their male counterparts, she loves solving cybercrimes and situations that involve human and drug trafficking. In her books, the special FBI agents working together through difficult life-threatening criminal activities usually fall in love.
Each morning, she takes a four-mile walk and meditates on her current writing project. A voracious thriller, crime reader and movie buff, she’d volunteered for eight years at the local sheriff’s office and also supports her local library association as a friend. She loves traveling, especially on cruise ships. Most sea days on board, you’ll find her plotting stories outside on the deck, gazing at the beautiful blue ocean.
The first published book in her “FBI Affairs” series is “Dangerous Charade-Book One” released on October 17, 2021. “Dangerous Revenge-Book Two,” followed on December 1, 2021, and “Dangerous Innocence-Book Three” was recently published on April 20, 2022, by Magnolia Blossom Publishing. She is currently working on the next book in her series.
Callie Smith Grant is the editor of A Prince among Dogs and A Dickens of a Cat. She is also the author of several nonfiction books for young readers and adults as well as many animal-themed stories and poems which can be seen in Guideposts anthologies and in magazines such as Small Farmers Journal.
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