Jane Litte's Blog, page 96

REVIEW: Doris’ Dear Delinquents by Emma Ward

Doris the gharial crocodile has her motherly hands full with twenty-six misbehaved hatchlings. Follow along on a journey through the alphabet as she tries to bring peace back into her home.

An amusing book about a crocodile and her cheeky hatchlings, whose names all start with a specific letter of the alphabet. For readers who know their ABCs ages 4 years and up.

Review

I think this book works on a number of levels to teach children new things and reinforce their ABCs. It’s cute but with a b...

REVIEW: Soomi’s Sweater by Susie Oh

Soomi’s new sweater arrives, but it doesn’t quite fit. Mom makes it just right and Soomi can’t wait to show her friends. Soon, Soomi’s brand new sweater isn’t so new anymore. Her friends try to patch it up, but nothing works. Thankfully, Mom knows just what to do. She creates something better than brand new!

A heartwarming book about a little girl and her brand new sweater. For children ages 4 years and up

Review

Soomi’s Sweater is brand new, blue-green, with stripes, and buttons. It arrives...

REVIEW: Evergreen Chase by Juneau Black

A Shady Hollow Holiday Short Story

It’s the winter solstice in Shady Hollow, that magical time of year when creatures of all shapes and sizes come together to honor the season and eat as much pie as possible. Reporter Vera Vixen is eager to experience her first holiday in town and is especially looking forward to the unveiling of the solstice tree. But then disaster strikes. The year’s tree—the tallest in the forest—has disappeared without a trace. Can Vera, her best friend, Lenore, and Deputy...

REVIEW: Winter Blessings: Warm stories from The Village by Izzy Abrahmson

Whether you spell it Hanukkah or Chanukah, most books only have one story. This book goes to eleven!
Funny, Silly, Heartwarming, Delicious!

Izzy Abrahmson’s holiday stories have been enjoyed by readers and listeners around the world. This book collects eleven of his favorites, plus the novella, “Out of the Woods.”

Winters in The Village are crazy, but the promise of holiday candles always light the heart.
No two years are ever the same. You’ll find out…

Who invented the Chanukah present?
What’...

CONVERSATION: On Series

DISCLOSURE: In addition to reviewing for DA, I am a writer of romance manuscripts. I wrote a standalone in the past and my current project is part of a series. -Janine

Janine: A while back Rose, who was once a reviewer here at DA, suggested that “series vs. standalones” might be a good topic for a conversation post. It sounded good to Jayne and me, and I decided to add a few other questions on the topic of series and invite Rose to participate. These were my questions to the group:

What do you s...

REVIEW: Fated Blades (Kingsmen #3) by Ilona Andrews

An uneasy alliance between warring families gets heated in this otherworldly novella from bestselling author Ilona Andrews.

At first glance, the planet Rada seems like a lush paradise. But the ruling families, all boasting genetically enhanced abilities, are in constant competition for power?and none more so than the Adlers and the Baenas. For generations, the powerful families have pushed and pulled each other in a dance for dominance.

Until a catastrophic betrayal from within changes everythin...

JOINT REVIEW: Someone Perfect by Mary Balogh

Janine: Kaetrin and I have been reviewing Mary Balogh since her Westcott series of historical romances began eight books ago and this review continues the tradition.

Someone Perfect is Westcott-adjacent and the start of Balogh’s “Friends of the Westcotts” series; its heroine, Lady Estelle Lamarr, is Viola Westcott’s stepdaughter.

Estelle and her twin Bertrand are living in the country. Estelle has turned away many a suitor; if she can’t “find herself,” she’s content to live with brother. As the...

REVIEW: Shine a Light by Rebecca Crowley

When Ellie Bloom’s life literally goes up in flames after an apartment fire, she slinks back to her sister’s house in the St. Louis suburb she’s avoided since her mom died. Ellie quickly caves to her nephews’ pleas to direct the temple Hanukkah play—her mom’s pride and joy—and by the time she’s lighting the first candle in her menorah, she doubts she’ll ever escape her hometown. And then she spots the cute fireman who rescued her lighting his own menorah in the window next door.

Firefighter Jo...

REVIEW: The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland

1775, Boston Harbor. James Sparhawk, Master and Commander in the British Navy, knows trouble when he sees it. The ship he’s boarded is carrying ammunition and gold…into a country on the knife’s edge of war. Sparhawk’s duty is clear: confiscate the cargo, impound the vessel and seize the crew. But when one of the ship’s boys turns out to be a lovely girl, with a loaded pistol and dead-shot aim, Sparhawk finds himself held hostage aboard a Rebel privateer.

Sarah Ward never set out to break the l...

REVIEW: Personal Pleasures by Rose Macaulay

Personal Pleasures is an anthology of 80 short essays (some of them very short) about the things the feminist critic and novelist Rose Macaulay enjoyed most in life.

Review

Ever since I read and loved “Business as Usual,” I’ve kept an eye open for other books that are being reissued by Handheld Classics. Some look interesting while others I’m not so sure about. I’ve never read anything by Macaulay before but the idea of short entries on the pleasures of life appealed to me.

Macaulay loved l...