Review: Pete the Cat and the New Guy Kimberly & James Dean

Goodreads Blurb

There’s a new guy in town, and Pete can’t wait to meet him. After all, more friends mean more fun. When Pete finally meets Gus, he realizes they’re very different from each other…but that’s what makes him cool. Gus is special in his own way, just like Pete and just like you, and there is something everyone can do!

In this hardcover picture book, the message of acceptance shines through and is perfect for young readers learning to navigate the social waters. Fans of Pete the Cat will delight in the rhythmic storytelling and fun repetition throughout the book.

The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Pete has a new neighbor, Gus. They go on an adventure doing different activities, which Gus couldn’t do. He was sad and wasn’t having any fun. The next day, Pete heard sounds coming from Gus home and found him playing the drums. They found something that they all could do together that was fun. They can all play an instrument.

Review: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Goodreads Blurb

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

My Review: Rated 2 out of 5 stars

It is a heartbreaking story of two people who loved each other so much that they lived a destructive life. It is a story of love with an unstable writer, deceit, unfaithfulness, and backstabbing friends. I knew from the beginning that a life with Hemmingway was a disaster waiting to happen. Hadley Richarson fell hard for the narcissist writer. Hemingway couldn’t live by himself, but he also couldn’t find comfort in living with his family. I didn’t enjoy this book one bit. Men like Hemingway crush dreams of women who fall head over heels for them and leave their dreams behind to make a jerk happy. I had sympathy for Hadley, but I was also angry for her fulleshness and weakness. I couldn’t comprehend how he thought he could happily love and live with two women who were friends. His deceit was unforgiven, and Pauline was a despicable backstabbing friend. I hope this story will remind those in a similar relationship that love isn’t settling for someone who treats you less than, cheats on you and doesn’t encourage your dreams that only theirs are the priority.

Author Biography

Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times and internationally bestselling novels, The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun and Love and Ruin. Now she introduces When the Stars Go Dark (April 13, 2021), an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and is also the author of two collections of poetry, the memoir Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses, and the debut novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, Town & Country, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, and elsewhere. She lives with her family in Cleveland, Ohio.

Upcoming Event: Alafair Burke

Meet New York Times Bestselling Author Alafair Burke

Sun 12th January

12:00 PM

Books & Greetings

Come meet Alafair Burke, the bestselling author of the New York Times, in person and hear about her latest book!

Each person attending the event must purchase their own book/ticket. You can order your book through this link or call the store 201-784-2665 and purchase it over the phone with a credit card or stop by the store if you are local

Link to purchase book https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-new-york-times-bestselling-author-alafair-burke-tickets-1101169119479

Location
Books & Greetings

271 Livingston Street Northvale, NJ 07647

Upcoming Book Event: Pam Jenoff, February 12 at 6 pm

About this Event

Please join us in welcoming author Pam Jenoff as she celebrates the release of her new book Last Twilight in Paris.

A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.

London, 1953. Louise is still adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a secondhand shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe-and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of her friend Franny during the war.

Following the trail of clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boos Ian, with whom she shares a romantic history. The necklace leads them to discover the dark history of Levitan – a once-glamorous department store that served as a Nazi prison, and Helaine, a woman who was imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband when the Germans invaded France.

Louise races to find the connection between the necklace, the department store and Franny’s death. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever. Inspired by the true story of Levitan, Last Twilight in Paris is both a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about sacrifice, resistance and the power of love to transcend in even the darkest hours.

Special Instructions

TICKETS CAN BE RESERVED AT THE LINK BELOW:

https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/bncliftoncommons/pam-jenoff-book-signing

There will be a book signing following the discussion. The featured title Last Twilight in Parismust be purchased from our store to gain access the signing line.

Clifton
Clifton Commons
395 Route 3 East
Clifton, NJ 07014
(973) 779-5500

Currently Reading: James by Percival Everett

Reading this book for the Barnes & Noble book club, which is back at Paramus, NJ B&N. I missed meeting other readers to discuss books. I’m looking forward to meeting my friends and discussing this book, which made B&N Book of the Year.

Goodreads Blurb

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Author Biography

Percival L. Everett (born 1956) is an American writer and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California.

There might not be a more fertile mind in American fiction today than Everett’s. In 22 years, he has written 19 books, including a farcical Western, a savage satire of the publishing industry, a children’s story spoofing counting books, retellings of the Greek myths of Medea and Dionysus, and a philosophical tract narrated by a four-year-old.

The Washington Post has called Everett “one of the most adventurously experimental of modern American novelists.” And according to The Boston Globe, “He’s literature’s NASCAR champion, going flat out, narrowly avoiding one seemingly inevitable crash only to steer straight for the next.”

Everett, who teaches courses in creative writing, American studies and critical theory, says he writes about what interests him, which explains his prolific output and the range of subjects he has tackled. He also describes himself as a demanding teacher who learns from his students as much as they learn from him.

Everett’s writing has earned him the PEN USA 2006 Literary Award (for his 2005 novel, Wounded), the Academy Award for Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (for his 2001 novel, Erasure), the PEN/Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature (for his 1996 story collection, Big Picture) and the New American Writing Award (for his 1990 novel, Zulus). He has served as a judge for, among others, the 1997 National Book Award for fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1991

Currently Reading: Steamed Secrets by Tonya Kappes

☕Welcome to Honey Springs, where the gossip flows as smoothly as the coffee—and murder is the latest buzz.

👠When Roxy Bloom traded in her high-powered lawyer heels for cozy barista sneakers and a fresh start in her charming hometown, she never expected murder to darken her doorstep.

🔪But when Vanessa Hartman—a model with secrets to spare—turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, the Bean Hive Coffee Shop becomes the center of small-town whispers, and Roxy can’t resist stirring the pot.

🐶With her trusty rescue pup Pepper at her side, Roxy dives headfirst into a swirling mystery of tangled relationships, jealous rivals, and one too many secrets steeping in the background.

😘And just when the case gets hot enough to scald, Patrick Cane, the swoon-worthy man who stole her heart, is there with kisses and steadfast support to keep her grounded—if only Roxy could keep herself out of trouble.

🐝As the Honey Springs Spring Festival lights up the town with laughter and charm, Roxy faces a parade of quirky suspects, a squawking parrot who just might hold the key, and a killer determined to keep their secrets buried.

🔎Can Roxy solve the mystery before the culprit skips town, or will her snooping put her back in a life she swore she left behind?

📚Perfect for fans of small-town cozies, sweet romance, and a dash of southern sass, Steamed Secrets will keep you turning pages faster than Roxy can serve up her famous lattes. ☕

☠Releases January 26th
☠CLICK PREORDER https://bit.ly/3UakzLU
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3DwLImS
BookBub: https://bit.ly/3VXMi3w

#bookstagram #bookish #AmReading #bookrecommendation #bookreview #ReadingList #booklovers #bookaddict #BookNerd #GoodReads #bookphotography #BookCommunity #ReadingChallenge #cozymystery #hardboiledmystery #CurrentlyReading #TBR #FavoriteBook #BookObsessed #LibraryLove #BookishLife

Review: The Make-Believers by Ryan Seacrest and Meredith Seacrest Leach

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This beautiful book is filled with the magic of dreaming big. The illustrations are amazing with bold colors that match perfectly with the story. I love that the illustrations have diverse characters and inclusivity. Perfect book to encourage children to dream big and that they can be anything they dream they can be. Children will enjoy a book that welcomes those with imaginative endeavors.

Review: Busy Betty & The Perfect Christmas Present by Reese Witherspoon

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This festive children’s book will have children looking for creative ways to make gifts for their family. Betty wants to purchase gifts for her whole family, but finds out she doesn’t have any money in her Piggy bank to purchase gifts. She comes up with the idea of selling cookies, but with it being winter, no one is around to make a purchase. Her adorable dog destroyed all the cookies, but Betty came up with the perfect idea. She can make her family their favorite cookies. Making gifts is more meaningful than purchasing one. It’s a way to be creative and put so much love in what you create. The illustrations are adorable. Betty’s Christmas outfits are perfect for this festive story.

Author Biography

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon is an American actress, producer, and entrepreneur. She is the recipient of several awards, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Tennessee, she began her career as a teenager, making her professional screen debut in The Man in the Moon (1991), for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award.

Witherspoon’s breakthrough role was playing Elle Woods in the 2001 film Legally Blonde, for which she received her second Golden Globe nomination. In 2014, Witherspoon produced the thriller Gone Girl and received critical acclaim for portraying Cheryl Strayed in Wild, for which she earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a fourth Golden Globe nomination. In 2017, she co-produced and starred in the HBO drama series Big Little Lies, for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Limited Series, winning the latter as a producer.

Witherspoon owns a production company Hello Sunshine, a clothing company Draper James, and she is actively involved in children’s and women’s advocacy organizations. She serves on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and was named Global Ambassador of Avon Products in 2007, serving as honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

Review: Snowcaps, Skiing, & Sabotage by Tonya Kappes

Goodreads Blurb

The small town is buzzing as Normal, Kentucky, hosts the Southeast Olympic ski trials for the first time, drawing elite athletes and sponsors to the usually peaceful Happy Trails Campground. But whispers of sabotage and broken equipment soon cast a dark shadow over the competition—and all clues seem to lead back to Mae’s campground, where one of the competitive skiers is found dead.

With ruthless sponsors, jealous rivals, and old grudges coming to light, Mae finds herself on a slippery slope of secrets and lies. Alongside her trusty friends, the Laundry Club Ladies, Mae digs into the lives of the skiing elite, uncovering motives as sharp as the winter chill.

As Mae races to uncover the truth, she’ll have to tread carefully through snowy trails and hidden dangers. Because in Normal, where everyone knows everyone, the killer might be closer than she thinks.

Perfect for fans of small-town charm, sassy amateur sleuths, and mysteries that keep you guessing, Snowcaps, Skiing, & Sabotage will have cozy readers flipping pages well into the night. Grab a mug of hot cocoa and settle in for a thrilling ride through the heart of winter in Normal, Kentucky—where the temperature’s low, but the stakes have never been higher.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Skiing is an accelerating sport with many dangers. This time, Tonya takes her readers to Normal, Kentucky, at Happy Trails Campground that Mae owns. I have never skied in my life and would probably roll down the bunny slope just like Mae graciously did. The Southeast Olympic Ski trials will take place for the first time in this quaint small town. When you have people competing for thar number one spot, you will see how aggressive people can be, that even murder can be a possibility. Cyril Downing was the professional skier everyone wanted to be, but with success, they is jealously, and Cyril is found dead by Mae.

Nothing can ever stop Mae from sleuthing and working with the Laundry Club Ladies to figure out who murdered Cyril. These ladies have read enough murder mysteries to decipher who the murder suspects are. As you can only imagine, there were many suspects who didn’t like Cyril. Mae goes on a wild goose chase on a snowmobile and sneaks into hotel rooms to find evidence while walking right into danger. You will be thrilled and chasing the villain down these slopes with Mae. Who do you suspect is the murderer?

Author Biography

Tonya Kappes has written more than 180 southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time in her camper!

You can find her all over social media and at Tonyakappes.com .

Visit Tonya:
Facebook at Author Tonya Kappes,
https://www.facebook.com/authortonyak…

Webpage
tonyakappes.com

Book Event With Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

I was so excited to meet Ryan and his wife Regina. If you are a fan of the show, Oddities, or love collecting the weird and unsual, well, you will enjoy reading their new book. The event took place at the Westport Library in CT, which is a beautiful library.

We were lucky that they brought the witch’s door to the event. If you look closely, you will see a spooky figure and words. You can read more about the door in their book.