Jane Litte's Blog, page 144

REVIEW: Dragon Unleashed by Grace Draven

Dear Grace Draven,

I adored Phoenix Unbound last year so I was really excited to read the second book in The Fallen Empire trilogy, Dragon Unleashed. Plus, dragon!

The two books overlap slightly, with most of the action picking up at the Goban market where book one ended. While the romance and story arc are self-contained, I think the world building and the over-arching story mean that this book wouldn’t stand alone well. Also, many of the characters are introduced in book one and this book reli...

Open Thread for Readers for July 2020

Got a book you want to talk about? Frustrated with a book or series? In love with a new one? Found a buried treasure? An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading? Just want to chat about stuff in general?

NEW RELEASES: Week of June 16, 2020

Contemporary


Don’t Let Me Forget by BELINDA WILLIAMS: $ 3.99

AMZN | iBooks | Kobo | BN | Google Play

Contemporary



Never Gonna Happen by Cynthia Eden: $ 3.99

AMZN | iBooks | BN | Kobo | Google Play

Contemporary



Coasting by Elise Faber: $ 2.99

AMZN | iBooks | BN | Kobo | Google Play

Contemporary



Unexpectedly Expecting the Sheik’s Baby by Elizabeth Lennox: $ 2.99

AMZN | iBooks | Kobo | Googl...

What Janine is Reading and Listening to: This and That

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, narrated by Rosamund Pike

I listened to this audiobook a long while ago so I’ve probably forgotten some things. A lot of you already know this, but Sense and Sensibility tells the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two teenaged sisters who navigate romantic relationships in very different ways.

Marianne, the more emotional of the two, falls in love with a cad named Willoughby, and when his true nature becomes apparent, Marianne first refuses to believe...

REVIEW: 40-Love by Olivia Dade

Dear Olivia Dade,

First off, what a gorgeous cover! It’s pretty, fun and flirty and represents the main characters very well.

Tess Dunn, who is about to turn 40, is the assistant principal at Marysburg High School and is on vacation with her BFF Belle, a fellow teacher (who now lives in Boston), for two weeks on a resort island not far from the Florida coast.

Tess is fat. Her fatness is front and centre in the book, from the cover to the meet cute and all the way through. Tess is taking an early-...

REVIEW: Alya and the Three Cats by Amina Hachimi Alaoui, illustrations by Maya Fidawi

The arrival of a new baby seen by three adorable cats

Maryam and Sami have three cats: Pasha the black angora cat—proud as a pasha really!—Minouche the grey tabby cat found in the street and Amir the playful Siamese. One day Maryam’s belly starts to get bigger and something starts to stir in it. Maryam disappears for a few days and comes back home with something that screams and demands a lot of attention. Their three cats are very confused. What’s going on?

Review

I know I coo about how ador...

REVIEW: I Am Enough by Grace Byers

Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

A New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner!

This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.

Review

The illustrations are t...

REVIEW: Little Book of Kindness by Francesco Pirrone

It’s easy to be kind. Offer a smile. Say thank you. Lend a helping hand. You’ll see that when you are kind, others are kind too.

A little book about kindness and friendship. For people of all ages.

Review

When I saw this cover I realized it’s impossible to resist reading about a pig in short pants. Especially if he’s clasping a cat. In sweet drawings and simple text, Pig shows how easy it is to be kind and helpful. To look out for others in ways both large and small. It takes almost nothing y...

REVIEW: Joy by Yasmeen Ismail

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! A lively kitten is full of joy until she takes a tumble. Can a little comfort from someone special help her feel happy again?

A bouncy kitten loves to play. She scampers from the bed where her mother sleeps. She wriggles and races all through the room, chasing her ball of yarn, until — TRIP, TRIP, SLIP, FLIP! OH, NO! A romp with a big blue dog sends the kitten tumbling! Who can make things better again? Award-winning author-illustrator pair Yasmeen Ismail and Jenni Desmond ce...

REVIEW: I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?

For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Gol...