Another interesting batch of books have just arrived for review. Check them out and then stop by our site in a few weeks to read the reviews!
Mysteries Have No Borders by Nancy Gettelman Robb Schneider, owner of a successful brew pub in Milwaukee, has accepted an invitation to attend the International Convention of Brew Pub Owners, to be held in March, in Victoria, British Columbia. He urges his wife, Sara, to go. It is still cold in Milwaukee, he points out, and he has been told at other conventions that Spring is much earlier in that western province where the capitol is famous for its many beautiful flowers. As well, they would have an opportunity to meet Canadians from other provinces. Sara agrees and, as the ferry pulls into the harbor, the sights captivate her imagination. Much to her delight, she meets the Victorian who encouraged Robb to bring her along, and who, with his wife, hosts a dinner party to meet their friends. During the day when there are meetings for the men, Sara's new friends take her to various places of interest in the city. Everyone is very friendly to her―with one exception a woman who is wrapped up in herself and disinterested in almost everything else. Later, unexplained tragedies dampen everyone's pleasure, and the search is on for answers.
Frank by Connah Brecon Try as he might (or might not), Frank is a bear who is always late. And when he starts school, the trouble really begins. Frank has very good reasons, like the time he had to save a cat stuck in a tree and the morning he found himself challenged to a charity dance-off, and even the time he had to rescue a family of bunnies from a huge, smelly ogre. Frank's teacher has heard enough of Frank's excuses, but what happens when a giant zombie lizard king really does attack the school? Sometimes there is truth to the most unusual of circumstances, and being helpful can pay off in the most unexpected ways.
Star Wars Episodes I-VI: The Skywalker Saga Poster-A-Page (Star Wars Poster-a-Page)by Disney Star Wars is an ever deepening, timeless, mythological tale of good versus evil, set in a galaxy far, far away. Filled with noble Jedi Knights, fearsome creatures, and cruel villains, the epic space fantasy introduced "the Force" into the global vocabulary, along with characters such as evil Darth Vader, wise old Yoda, idealistic Luke Skywalker, and lovable Chewbacca. The epic Star Wars saga continues to grow and expand, captivating new generations with its exotic worlds, iconic themes and unforgettable stories. A new era in the rich history of Star Wars is about to begin with the announcement of a new trilogy of Star Wars movies, starting in 2015, and the announcement of a series of Star Wars spin-off movies, over the coming years.
Story Monster and Friends: Creatures to Color from Five Star Land Paperback by Conrad J. Storad (Author), Jeff Yesh (Illustrator), Michael Hagelberg (Illustrator), Nathaniel Jensen (Illustrator), Nadia Komorova (Illustrator), Alex Lopez (Illustrator) An ingenious hybrid of enlightening factoids about animals and insects living in the delightful, fictional world of Five Star Land, Story Monster and Friends entices little ones to learn more about the world around them. As kids color whimsical illustrations extracted from award-winning children's books and read the words of internationally acclaimed children's nature and science writer, Conrad J. Storad, their young minds are primed for the wonders of literature. The 36-page coloring book's central character is Story Monster, a.k.a. “Little Greenie,” a friendly green being who "devours stories of all kinds" and guides children from cover to cover. Its mission: to turn children into ravenous readers by introducing them to a variety of real-life creatures they will surely want to investigate to further.
We Are Not Good People by Jeff Somers The ethics in a world of blood are gray—and an underground strata of blood magicians has been engineering disasters for centuries in order to acquire enough fuel for their spells. They are not good people. Some practitioners, however, use the Words and a swipe of the blade to cast simpler spells, such as Charms and Cantrips to gas up $1 bills so they appear to be $20s. Lem Vonnegan and his sidekick Mags fall into this level of mage, hustlers and con men all. Lem tries to be ethical by using only his own blood, by not using Bleeders or “volunteers.” But it makes life hard. Soon they might have to get honest work.
When the pair encounters a girl who’s been kidnapped and marked up with magic runes for a ritual spell, it’s clear they’re in over their heads. Turning to Lem’s estranged master for help, they are told that not only is the girl’s life all but forfeit, but that the world’s preeminent mage, Mika Renar, has earth-shattering plans for her—and Lem just got in the way. With the fate of the world on the line, and Lem both spooked and intrigued by the mysterious girl, the other nominates him to become the huckleberry who’ll take down Renar. But even if he, Mags, and the simpletons who follow him prevail, they’re dealing with the kind of power that doesn’t understand defeat, or mercy.
The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield The booming North Dakota oil business is spawning “man camps,” shantytowns full of men hired to work on the rigs, in towns without enough housing to accommodate them. In such twilight spaces, it’s easy for a person to vanish. And when two young men in their first year on the job disappear without a trace, only their mothers believe there’s hope of finding them. Despite reassurances that the police are on the case, the two women think the oil company is covering up the disappearances—and maybe something more. Colleen, used to her decorous life in a wealthy Massachusetts suburb, is determined to find her son. And hard-bitten Shay, from the wrong side of the California tracks, is the only person in town even willing to deal with her—because she’s on the same mission. Overtaxed by worry, exhaustion, and fear, these two unlikely partners question each other’s methods and motivations, but must work together against the town of strangers if they want any chance of finding their lost boys. But what they uncover could destroy them both...
