My Favorite Read of August 2023

Goodreads Synopsis:

Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.

Reasons I loved this book:

It’s hilarious!
Despite her flaws, you can’t help loving Vera
The suspects are all likable, and the murder victim is deplorable
Delicious food and tea descriptions
Found family

September 1, 2023

Throwback Thursday Book Review: 8/24/23

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: May 1, 2013

Date Read: February 21, 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard, caught in the jaws of the monster crocodile who drags him down to a watery grave. But it was not yet my time to die. It’s my fate to be trapped here forever, in a nightmare of childhood fancy, with that infernal, eternal boy.”

Meet Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends. But everything changes when Stella Parrish, a forbidden grown woman, dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan’s rules. From the glamour of the Fairy Revels, to the secret ceremonies of the First Tribes, to the mysterious underwater temple beneath the Mermaid Lagoon, the magical forces of the Neverland open up for Stella as they never have for Hook. And in the pirate captain himself, she begins to see someone far more complex than the storybook villain.

With Stella’s knowledge of folk and fairy tales, she might be Hook’s last chance for redemption and release if they can break his curse before Pan and his warrior boys hunt her down and drag Hook back to their neverending game. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen is a beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale.

My Thoughts:

I love books that tell familiar stories from a different perspective. In this case, we see a misunderstood, tortured Captain Hook, who is forced by Peter Pan to play the villain for life. This is a fascinating character study that turns the story of Peter Pan upside down. This is a great, lesser-known story for people who love retellings.

August 24, 2023

Picture Book Review: There’s a Yeti in my Tummy by Meredith Rusu

Title: There’s a Yeti in My Tummy

Author: Meredith Rusu

Illustrator:Martin Moran

Publisher: 4U2B Books & Media

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

What happens when your inner yeti comes out to play?

Matthew is a young boy with BIG, BIG feelings—so big it sometimes feels like there’s a YETI just bursting to get out! And when Mathew’s yeti comes to play, he’s bound to stay all day. That silly yeti comes out of Matthew’s feet, his nose, his hair, his burp, and even his BUTT!

Bound to make any child roar with laughter, There’s a Yeti in My Tummy teaches kids that strong feelings are okay, and so are their inner yetis. Along with Matthew, kids learn to channel those feelings in constructive, positive, and loving ways. And parents will pick up a few tips on language to help children understand when and how to rely on their inner yeti.

An imaginative and fun story told in delightful rhyme by Meredith Rusu and crazy-fun illustrations by Martín Morón, There’s a Yeti in My Tummy is a big, bold, instant classic.

There’s a Yeti in My Tummy is the first book in The Mighty Moods series from 4U2B Books & Media, where we strive to create resources that enable children to become joyful, compassionate, and brave, and that empower and adults to instill those qualities in children.

My Thoughts

Kids will love this book. The story and pictures are hilarious. Kids can relate to the restless feeling of having a “yeti in your tummy.” This is the first in a series of books about big emotions, and I like the message that it’s okay to have big feelings. As an adult, I was just expecting a little more about handling these big emotions. But some books are just meant to be fun, and this one hits the mark.

August 23, 2023

My favorite read of July 2023

Goodreads Synopsis:

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

Reasons I loved this book:

It’s a beautiful combination of whimsical and heartwarming
A delightful cast of diverse characters with unique backgrounds and personality quirks
Found family trope
I loved how Mika looks at people through the lens of nice vs. kind
It’s a great model for making social change in small steps

August 1, 2023

Throwback Thursday Book Review: 7/27/23 Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication Date: February 6, 2007

Date Read: August 10, 2010

Goodreads Synopsis:

Dana Clarke has always longed for the stability of home and family—her own childhood was not an easy one. Now she has married a man she adores who is from a prominent New England family, and she is about to give birth to their first child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, but no one can help noticing the African American traits in her appearance. Dana’s husband, to her great shock and dismay, begins to worry that people will think Dana has had an affair.
The only way to repair the damage done is for Dana to track down the father she never knew and to explore the possibility of African American lineage in his family history. Dana’s determination to discover the truth becomes a poignant journey back through her past and her husband’s heritage that unearths secrets rooted in prejudice and fear.
Barbara Delinsky’s Family Tree is an utterly unforgettable novel that asks penetrating questions about race, family, and the choices people make in times of crisis—choices that have profound consequences that can last for generations.

My Thoughts:

This book is a unique look at racism and family.

July 27, 2023

Throw Back Thursday Book Review: 7/19/23 Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Date Read: November 22, 2008

Goodreads Synopsis:

Natalie and Tom have been best friends forever, but Tom wants them to be much more. When Natalie’s longtime boyfriend walks out on her just when she thinks he’s going to propose, Tom offers her a different and wildly romantic proposition. He suggests that they spend twenty-six weekends together, indulging in twenty-six different activities from A to Z, and at the end of that time Tom’s convinced they’ll be madly in love. Natalie, however, is not so sure. As Natalie’s touring the alphabet with Tom, her mother’s going through her own romantic crisis—while Tom’s unhappily married sister-in-law, Lucy, struggles with temptation. And over the course of six amazing months, three generations of passionate dreamers are going to discover that, no matter how clever they are, love—and life—is never as easy as A, B, C . . .

My Thoughts:

This as a fun friends to lovers story. Tom and Natalie alternate picking ideas for each weekend which coordinate with the letters of the alphabet. This was a fun concept and the different activities chosen helped to develop the characters in a unique way.

July 20, 2023

Throwback Thursday Book Review: 7/6/23 The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

Dead Read: February 28, 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

Paris

Breathtakingly beautiful, the City of Light seduces the senses, its cobbled streets thrumming with possibility. For American Cade Corey, it’s a dream come true, if only she can get one infuriating French chocolatier to sign on the dotted line…

Chocolate

Melting, yielding yet firm, exotic, its secrets are intimately known to Sylvain Marquis. But turn them over to a brash American waving a fistful of dollars? Jamais! Not unless there’s something much more delectable on the table…

Stolen Pleasure

Whether confections taken from a locked shop or kisses in the dark, is there anything sweeter?

My Thoughts

Cade is an heiress to a chocolate company which appears to be a thinly disguised version of Hershey. While they have some of the best selling chocolate in the world, it does not have the quality of French chocolate. She is determined to discover the recipe, even if it means breaking and entering. Sylvain is apalled by the plebian American chocolate and refuses to share his secrets. But, when the natural enemies meet, sparks fly.

This is a fun hate-to-love romance which is the first book in the Amour et chocolat series. While the characters are connected, they can be read as a stand alone. Warning: you will crave chocolate while reading this book

July 6, 2023

My Favorite Read of June 2023: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

“Please try to remember that books aren’t always an escape; sometimes books teach us things. They show us the world, they don’t hide it.”
― Sara Nisha Adams, The Reading List

Goodreads Synopsis:

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

Reasons I loved this book:

It celebrates that a great book can mean different things to different people.

I love a intergenerational friendship story.

I learned more about Indian culture.

I love creating my own book lists.

July 1, 2023

Throwback Thursday Book Review: 6/28/23 The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publisher: Berkley Books

Publication Date: December 7, 2010

Date Read: December 11, 2010

Synopsis:

This sexy, funny new novel asks: Can a woman find a modern-day Mr. Darcy in Daytona Beach?

At thirty, Grace O’Bryan has dated every loser in Daytona Beach. After the ultimate date-from-hell, Grace decides to turn her dwindling book club into a Boyfriend of the Month Club, where women can discuss the eligible men in their community. Where are the real life twenty-first century versions of literary heroes such as Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy?

Could it be successful and handsome Brandon Farrell, who is willing to overlook his disastrous first date with Grace and offers financial help for her parents’ failing Florida gift shop? Or maybe sexy dentist Joe Rosenblum, who’s great with a smile but not so great at commitment? Unfortunately, like books, men cannot always be judged by their covers…

My Thoughts:

This is a fun contemporary romance for anyone who loves classic love stories. Grace and her book club categorize the men in their lives as Austen and Bronte characters. But real people are more complex. This results in some misteps on the road to true love. These modern characters made me look at their classic versions with new eyes.

June 29, 2023

Throwback Thursday Book Review: 6/22/23: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publishers: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: June 1, 2012

Date Read: December 8, 2013

Favorite Quote: “The act of reading is a partnership. The author builds a house, but the reader makes it a home.”
― Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer, Between the Lines

Goodreads Synopsis:

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book–one book in particular. Between the Lines” may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

My Thoughts:

Who hasn’t dreamed of a favorite book character coming to life? This is a fun diversion from Picoult’s usual issue driven fiction. While is aimed at YA readers, book lovers of any age will enjoy it.

June 22, 2023