The Greatest Star on Earth

The Greatest Star on Earth

Kate Klise

Genre: Chapter Book

Summary (from Goodreads): The rascals from the world s friendliest family circus are back in the second installment of this smafunderful * fully illustrated series.

Everyone knows Sir Sidney's Circus is the best in the world. But who's the "star" of the show? "The Circus Times" is having a contest to find out. Just thinking about it gives Sir Sidney a worrywart, and it's quickly clear why. Soon after he goes off to rest, the performers start thinking too much about winning the trophy and not enough about putting on a good show.

Meanwhile, it looks as if ringmaster-in-training Barnabas Brambles might need some help managing the crew, so Bert and Gert, the sly brother-and-sister mice who travel with the show, set out to write a book to teach him how it's done.

Does Bert and Gert s plan work? And who" is" the star of the circus? All will be revealed in "The Greatest Star on Earth." 

Review: I like this book because Sir Sidney, the owner of the circus, is very kind, and I like how all the animals in the circus are kind and funny.  It is especially funny when Leo the lion thinks he should sing high because he might win the trophy, and Tiger the cat thinks she should sing low so she could win the trophy, and it's very funny because if I could actually hear them singing they would sound really really hilarious.  This book has a lot of pictures, at least one on every page, and the pictures make the book extra fun so that kids have a good image of what is happening.  There are other books in the series, called The Show Must Go On, The Circus Goes to Sea, and Pop Goes the Circus.  I like all those books, too.

Rating: 5 stars

Tuesdays at the Castle

Tuesdays at the Castle

Jessica Day George

Genre: Chapter Book

Summary (from Goodreads): Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

Review: I like this book because Celie has so many adventures and always seems to be having so much fun.  The castle that she lives in, Castle Glower, seems very interesting because it adds a new room or switches things around every Tuesday.  One time it added a room with a bouncy floor; it would be really fun to have a bouncy room in your own house!  While having her adventures, Celie figures out that one of the princes visiting the castle is a bad guy and she has to stop him.  I like Celie because she is adventurous and usually cheerful, and because she is brave and smart.  I would recommend this book to girls who like adventure.  But it has dragons and griffins in it, so I think Noah would like it, too.  There are two more books in the series that are really good, too: Wednesdays at the Tower and Thursdays with the Crown.

Rating: 5 stars

Mystic Summer

Mystic Summer

by Hannah McKinnon

Genre: Chick Lit

Synopsis:  Maggie Griffin is a hardworking elementary school teacher in a tony Boston suburb, a devoted sister, and a loving aunt.  With her childhood best friend's wedding on the horizon and her own relationship moving even deeper into commitment, this is the summer she has been waiting for.  She's eared it.

But when Maggie's career is suddenly thrown into jeopardy, it sparks an unraveling of all that matters most to her.  Stricken, Maggie returns to her childhood home in seaside Mystic, Connecticut, where she expects to find comfort in family and familiarity.  Instead, she finds Cameron Wilder, a young man from her past who has also returned home and whose life has altered in ways that put her own struggles in harsh perspective.  When tragedy strikes for Cameron, Maggie must ask herself: If you go back home, can  you truly return to what you left behind?

from the back of the book

Review:  This book was just what I needed to end my hiatus of reading.  This was a light romance beach read but it kept me entertained and engaged.  This book was a bit meatier than some other romance novels.  The romance was a bit predictable.  There were some moments of the book that I questioned why it was added to the book such as a discussion about Post Partum Depression.  It just didn't add anything to the book and it seemed to be forced into the dialogue.  If you're looking for a beach read this is a good one to pick up.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Be Frank with Me

Be Frank with Me

Julia Claiborne Johnson

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Reclusive literary legend M. M. “Mimi” Banning has been holed up in her Bel Air mansion for years, but now she’s writing her first book in decades and to ensure timely completion her publisher sends an assistant to monitor her progress. Mimi reluctantly complies—with a few stipulations: No Ivy Leaguers or English majors. Must drive, cook, tidy. Computer whiz. Good with kids. Quiet, discreet, sane.

When Alice Whitley arrives at the Banning mansion, she’s put to work right away—as a full-time companion to Frank, the writer’s eccentric nine-year-old, a boy with the wit of Noël Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and very little in common with his fellow fourth graders.

As she gets to know Frank, Alice becomes consumed with finding out who his father is, how his gorgeous “piano teacher and itinerant male role model” Xander fits into the Banning family equation—and whether Mimi will ever finish that book.

Full of heart and countless only-in-Hollywood moments, Be Frank With Me is a captivating and heartwarming story of an unusual mother and son, and the intrepid young woman who finds herself irresistibly pulled into their unforgettable world.

Review: Oh, I loved this book so much because I loved nine-year old Frank.  A very very smart child with a penchant for dressing like Fred Astaire, his adult-sized intellect combined with his little-boy emotions made him so sympathetic and lovable.  The rest of the story was good, too, although Alice the kind-hearted nanny kind of disappears into the cast of larger quirky personalities.

Rating: 5 stars

The Wishing Hill

The Wishing Hill

Holly Robinson

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): What if everything you knew about your life was wrong?

Years ago, Juliet Clark gave up her life in California to follow the man she loved to Mexico and pursue her dream of being an artist. Now her marriage is over, and she’s alone, selling watercolors to tourists on the Puerto Vallarta boardwalk.

When her brother asks her to come home to wintery New England and care for their ailing mother, a flamboyant actress with a storied past, Juliet goes reluctantly. She and her self-absorbed mother have always clashed. Plus, nobody back home knows about her divorce—or the fact that she’s pregnant and her ex-husband is not the father.

Juliet intends to get her mother back on her feet and return to Mexico fast, but nothing goes as planned. Instead she meets a man who makes her question every choice and reawakens her spirit, even as she is being drawn into a long-running feud between her mother and a reclusive neighbor. Little does she know that these relationships hold the key to shocking secrets about her family and herself that have been hiding in plain sight.…

Review: I'm not sure why, but this book just didn't capture my attention like I expected it would. And now I've delayed so long in writing the review that I barely remember the book at all.  I think that Robinson is a good writer, but my main problem with this book was that I just didn't like any of the main characters that much.  What I did like, however, was the mix of elderly and middle-aged characters.  Although I can't comment on how accurately her book reflects aging, her lively, quirky and opinionated elderly characters added an interesting contrast to the typical middle-aged women I'm used to reading about. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

Amy Reichert

Genre: Chick Lit

Summary (from Goodreads): YOU'VE GOT MAIL meets HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.

In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancé…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.

Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.

The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?

Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together.

Review: It was fun to read a book set in Wisconsin, especially one that highlights the awesome things about Wisconsin, instead of making fun of small town people living in fly-over country.  From the first page, it was easy to see where this book was going, but the author got there with well-developed characters, delicious descriptions of food, and a great deal of charm and whimsy.  A fun and light-hearted read that will make you wish that you, too, lived in Wisconsin!

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe

Mary Simses

Genre: Chick Lit

Summary (from Goodreads): A high-powered Manhattan attorney finds love, purpose, and the promise of a simpler life in her grandmother's hometown. 

Ellen Branford is going to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish--to find the hometown boy she once loved, and give him her last letter. Ellen leaves Manhattan and her Kennedy-esque fiance for Beacon, Maine. What should be a one-day trip is quickly complicated when she almost drowns in the chilly bay and is saved by a local carpenter. The rescue turns Ellen into something of a local celebrity, which may or may not help her unravel the past her grandmother labored to keep hidden. As she learns about her grandmother and herself, it becomes clear that a 24-hour visit to Beacon may never be enough. THE IRRESISTIBLE BLUEBERRY BAKESHOP & CAFE is a warm and delicious debut about the power of a simpler life.

Review: The title of this book is deceptive; it is NOT about a bakeshop and cafe.  Instead, it's a story of an accident prone young woman who keeps getting herself into unlikely situations and developing more and more ridiculous lies about her life.  I could just see her digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole, and I tend to really dislike that type of character and plot.  But that is just something quirky about me.

This book had an interesting premise, a lovable cast of small-town characters, and a satisfying sense of the main character discovering her true self.  It just happened a little too quickly and a little too predictably for my taste.

Rating: 2.5 stars