There, There

There, There
By Tim Beiser; Illustrated by Bill Slavin
When a rainy day forces him to stay inside, Hare is quite upset. His friend Bear tries to comfort him, but as Hare's whining continues, Bear decides to teach him a lesson instead.

The full color illustrations are engaging and the rhyming text is good (not the same old predictable sort of rhymes). This book wasn't quite my thing--but I can totally picture kids, particularly little boys, getting a big kick out of it, especially the ending.
3.5 stars.
I read a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I Want a Friend

I Want a Friend
By Anne Booth; Illustrations by Amy Proud

Arthur wants to make a friend, but he isn't entirely sure how to go about it--and his initial attempts don't work out so well. But maybe Lily can help him learn how to be a good friend.

 I love the illustrations; they're so cute. I also like the concept--navigating the waters of friendship isn't easy, and kids will relate to the Arthur's struggle. The rhyming text was pretty good; some of the passages were better than others, but overall, they worked okay. A fun book to share with kids and talk about how to be a good friend.
3.5 stars
I read a copy available through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman

Having been forced to leave the job he had for over thirty years, there is nothing keeping Ove from joining his wife Sonja, who passed away a few months before. And that is just what he intends to do, but before he can, his new neighbors, Patrick (how doesn't know how to do anything practical, it seems), Parveneh (Patrick's pregnant Iranian wife, who quickly comes to rely on Ove for anything practical that needs to be done, despite the fact that everyone seems to think Ove is bitter, mean, cranky, etc,.), and their two daughters rope Ove into all sorts of projects and jobs and turn up at the most inopportune times. When Ove assists them, due to his innate sense of needing to do what is right and to do things the proper way, he ends up being drawn into helping others as well.

I've thrown a book against the wall and time or two before because I disliked it so much, but I don't think I've ever actually hugged a book before--but I have now. More than once I had to stop reading this book and wrap my arms around it because I loved it so much and because I couldn't hug Ove (for which he would be grateful I'm sure) for his cranky but honorable self, Parveneh for seeing something in him, Sonja for loving him as much as he loved her, the kids for accepting Ove as he is, Adrian for daring to think Ove is just the one to help, or one of the other endearing characters. I love, love, love them. And I loved the plot, seeing all things from Ove's past that made him who he is, and seeing all the things happening in the present that shape who he becomes. There are so many funny aspects to the book, but there is also a tenderness that makes it just unforgettable. I absolutely adore this book!

For the Record

For the Record
By Regina Jennings

Deputy Joel Puckett has left behind his beloved Texas after being falsely accused of taking advantage of a woman and is looking for a fresh start in Pine Gap, Missouri. He soon finds his new job has plenty of challenges—old feuds, lawlessness, a sheriff who isn’t inclined to stop criminals, and a gang of hooded riders set on carrying out vigilante justice. No one seems to want him there, except maybe Betsy Huckabee, but since he wants nothing to do with women, she’s just another obstacle to him succeeding in his new position.
Betsy can’t help but notice the new deputy’s good looks, even if he doesn’t have the personality to match. While he always seems to want to be rid of her, she keeps tabs on him because in him she sees the way to gain independence from her family: she’ll embellish stories about the Dashing Deputy for a serial newsletter column. But as Betsy writes about the Dashing Deputy, she comes to see that the real Joel Puckett might be even better than the Dashing Deputy she has imagined—and he might be just what she and Pine Gap really need.

This is the third book in a series, but you don’t have to read the others first (I didn’t…but I will go back and read them now!). I wasn’t familiar with Pine Gap or the feuds and trouble with outlaws that presumably were covered in the previous books, and I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything that takes place in the Ozark Mountains (other than Where the Red Fern Grows), so it did take me a couple chapters to feel comfortable with the setting and context of the story. Once I felt a little more settled, though, I was intrigued by the setting.
The characters intrigued me from the beginning—Betsy is funny and refreshing and just determined to do what she wants to do, while I couldn’t help but feel bad for Joel, who had been falsely accused in his old town and is resented and unwanted in his new town. I really liked some of the secondary characters, too, particularly Clive Fowler, who is the leader of the vigilante group; he is really an interesting character because while he’s working against Joel because he takes the law into his own hands, he does so because he’s trying to keep people safe. He’s a great character for making you think about justice, morality, following the law, and what it means to do what’s right.
The plot was fresh—not the same old story that I’ve read a lot of times. The idea of Betsy romanticizing Joel for the purpose of her fictional article was funny, as were Joel’s determination to stay away from her and some of the things he said to her as he tried to accomplish that. The conflict between them, when it came to a head was different than a lot of stories, because instead of just assuming that everything wasn’t going to work out, they gave each other the benefit of the doubt pretty quickly and didn’t just write each other out. I liked that; there really was a problem and hurt feelings and confusion, but instead of just avoiding each other or something, they worked together and fixed it pretty quickly, without months and months of brooding or something.
 This is an enjoyable story from Regina Jennings. I can’t wait to read more of her books! I received a free copy of the book from the author and Bethany House. All opinions are my own.
4 stars.

I'll Hug You More

I'll Hug You More
By Laura Duksta and Melissa Iwai
There are lots of chances and reasons to give hugs throughout the day, and this beautiful picture book explores many of them--first from a parent's perspective, and then, when you flip the book over, from the child's. The illustrations--full color spreads--are so beautiful, with a variety of different animals, and kids will love looking at them. This is the perfect book for cuddling up at bedtime and is sure to inspire a few extra hugs. It's absolutely adorable!

5 stars!

Heartless

Heartless
By Marissa Meyer

Catherine Pinkerton may be the daughter of a marquess, but all she wants to do is open a bakery with her friend/maid Mary Ann. She certainly doesn't want to marry the silly King of Hearts--and that's before she meets his new joker, Jest, and is swept off her feet by him. Once she meets Jest, though, she is certain she can't marry the king, even though it seems nearly impossible that she'll be able to disagree with what her parents want and do what she wants instead. But Jest has a way of making the impossible possible, and Catherine comes to believe there might just be a way to make all her dreams come true.

So, I've never actually read Alice in Wonderland, and I've never seen the entire movie, so while I was vaguely aware of some of the details of the story, I didn't have very much background as I started reading this book. I did know enough to know it wasn't going to end well...but at the same time, I couldn't but hope there was a way that it COULD end well, which I suppose in some ways in similar to Catherine's experience in the book--hoping that the impossible will become possible. I didn't like this book nearly as much as I liked the Lunar Chronicles, but I think I knew going in that I wouldn't because of personal reading biases--like the fact that I like happy endings and I'm not a fan of the literary nonsense genre or talking animals. While those things worked against the book, I DID like both Catherine and Jest and I was intrigued by their relationship and the idea of the Queen of Hearts' backstory. I felt like the overall change in Catherine came too quickly--but that could be because the nonsense elements of the story detracted from the building of their relationship and I wasn't as drawn into as I think I would have been without those elements. I think other readers who are more comfortable with and more interested in the literary nonsense genre and with Alice in Wonderland in general would have been pulled in to the relationship more and the subsequent changes and reactions would seem more intense to them.

3.5 stars.

Spring in Hyde Park

Spring in Hyde Park


A Happy Accident
by Jennifer Moore
During a rainstorm, Jonathan stops in Hyde Park to assist a stuck carriage--and shortly thereafter, finds himself reluctantly married to Maryann Croft, whose father accuses him of improper behavior with his daughter. Although he initially thinks Maryann has contrived to land herself a noble husband, he soon finds himself having softer feelings for his wife...but she has a secret that threatens to come between them.

The Disdainful Duke
by G.G. Vandagriff
Although her sister Lavinia is engaged to his brother Gilbert, the Duke of Mayfield seems to have no use for Sophronia; she's rather plain and not getting any younger, so he seems to think she must want to somehow ensnare him. Sophronia, however, sees nothing desirable in the duke. With their continued acquaintance, however, each find there may be more to the other than initially thought.

An Invisible Heiress
by Nichole Van
Arabella Heartstone does the unthinkable: she proposes marriage to a gentleman. Colin refuses the proposal and in his rejection, suggest that she learn to fly, using her wealth and skills to succeed at more than just finding a husband. Belle, grateful for his advice, plans to repay his kindness anonymously by investing in one of his business ventures, never dreaming that her initial investment would lead to seven years' worth of correspondence between the two. With Colin thinking he's been writing to a gentleman mentor, however, his return to England creates all sorts of problems for Belle's heart.

Delightful! I loved all of these stories. Usually in a collection of stories, I can pick out a favorite and a least favorite, but I can't in this case; I thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. Each was well-written, with interesting plots and well-developed characters. This is one of my favorite collections of romantic stories.

5 stars. Clean read.

Never Follow a Dinosaur

Never Follow a Dinosaur
By Alex Latimer
Joe and Sally find dinosaur tracks and try to deduce what is going on--when the tracks are deep, they realize it must be a heavy dinosaur; when there is a pile of leaves on the tracks, they decide the dinosaur must have hit his head on an overhanging branch, etc. When the tracks just mysteriously end, they can't figure out how the dinosaur just disappeared--so they decide to set a trap. But will they catch their quarry...or will he catch them?

Really fun book. The illustrations are cute and engaging, and it's fun to see what Joe and Sally deduce about their dinosaur. The text is fun, as each deduction adds to the previous (a very hungry dinosaur, a very hungry, heavy dinosaur, etc.), and the twist ending will make kids laugh. Although there are tons of dinosaur picture books, this one stands out.

 I read a copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

4 stars.

Henry Hodges Needs a Friend

Henry Hodges Needs a Friend
By Andy Andrews
Henry is lonely, so his parents tell him that they'll find him a special, one-of-a-kind friend. Henry imagines what sort of pet that might be--like a goldfish with antlers or a goat with 10 feet. What he ends up getting, though, is the perfect pet for him.
Kids will enjoy the cute illustrations, particularly the ones of the special pets Henry imagines, and the rhyming text is fun to read aloud.
I read a copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
4 stars.

Pirates in the Library

Pirates in the Library
Nadia Ali

When one of the Dread Pirate Dewey's treasure maps makes it way to Captain Jake's pirate ship, he's determined to find the treasure at the library. But when he and his crew arrive, they find, with some help from Librarian Ms. Benitez, that while there IS treasure to be found, it's not what they expected.
What a cute idea! This is a fun way to discuss the treasure that books are without being heavy-handed or boring. The illustrations are fun, and while the book is geared toward children, even adults will get a kick out of the humor.

I read a copy available through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
4 stars.