The Adventures Of Lettie Peppercorn Book Review

Title: The Adventures Of Lettie Peppercorn


Author: Sam Gayton

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Children,

Plot: Little Lettie Peppercorn is 12 and she runs this joint. She cooks, cleans, tidies, keeps watch through her telescope and takes in new customers at her inn. She seems quite content with running the show and never misses a beat. There are some odd bits to her world though. Her house is on stilts, her mother told her to never go outside and her mother disappeared. No one knows where she is or what happened to her.

One evening while her father is off drinking at the local pub, a stranger who calls himself an alchemist and has an icy beard arrives. Once he is all settled in with a room, he shows her an incredible invention called snow and sends Lettie off on the adventure of her life when he tells her that he knows where her mother is.

Likes/Dislikes: This is a really cute little story complete with some lovely illustrations to hence the experience for young readers. This book is geared toward kids 8-12 and at that age, I would've been all over this book. It feels special, magical and unique. The best part is there is just enough fantasy and reality to make it believable and a very memorable story for anyone who wants to meet little Lettie for themselves. My girls are too young for the story right now but they are enjoying looking at all the pictures and carrying the book around.

Rating: G-8 and up.

Date Review Written: November 2nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Where We Belong Book Review

Title: Where We Belong


Author: Lynn Austen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Egypt,

Plot: Growing up in the rough and tumble of the Chicago streets in 1892 is hard on orphaned sister Rebecca and Flora Hawes but they make it work and they survive. From there, their unconventional personalities and love of adventure propel them out into the world to do good deeds and impact the people around them for the greater good.

Traveling from Chicago to Cairo and thence into the great Sinai Desert is a long journey peppered with many dangers, new sights and smells, and incredible experiences. But soon the sisters - along with their sturdy young butler Soren and a plucky young girl named Kate - find themselves trapped in a fierce sandstorm and must wait to see if they will survive the danger or perish at the end of their journey.

Likes/Dislikes: The main attraction to this book for me was the idea of another exciting adventure in Egypt. I love reading books set in Egypt, especially in this time-period. But this book is dense and very long, written in a rambling manner and the bulk of it is all in flashbacks from all four of the main characters which can get a bit confusing after awhile. There isn't a lot of time spent in Egypt like I'd imagined either. I really don't have much interest in Chicago during any time-period. Oh well, better luck next time.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: November 2nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House Publishers and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Begin Again Book Review

Title: Begin Again

Author: Leeana Tankersley

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Self-Help,

Plot: When you are stuck in a place in your life where you feel you have hit rock bottom and there's nothing else around except for some rocks and a hard place, life can seem pretty down. Nothing ever works out for you and the past just keeps hanging around, dragging you down and burdening you with its unbearable weight and pocketfuls of regret and despair. But there's still hope. A very tiny thin stream of hope to light the way. All you need to do is be brave enough to reach out and touch it.

Having been through her own hard times, author Leeana Tankersley shows us how to be brave enough to grasp that thread of hope and begin again, drawing ourselves out of our personal pits of despair and leaving behind the past with its pain, regret and darkness. When we begin again, we can finally let go and rest in peace without all the anxiety and inner torment we've been dealing with for so long. And that is well worth it.

Likes/Dislikes: Admittedly, I took a shot at reading this because the cover was pretty and it sounded very intriguing. I've been in some tight places and have spent the last year and a half or so reshaping my life and changing it. So this sounded like the perfect book for me. Unfortunately or fortunately, I was already past the point where this book would've been necessary and I found it to be a bit stale and repetitive instead of helpful. But that is just me. All around, a pretty solid book.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: October 21st, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Eating With Peter Book Review

Title: Eating With Peter


Author: Susan Buckley

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Romance, Food, Travel

Plot: Susan lives nice and comfortably in her own little comfort zone till she falls in love with Peter - an older man who takes her on a whirlwind adventure. He challenges her to expand her comfort zone and try new things - especially foods. For their honeymoon they travel the world and try all kinds of different new foods, making friends along the way and saving recipes to use in their own little kitchen when the honeymoon tour ends.

For readers who enjoy books about food and travel, this is a true delight!

Likes/Dislikes: I love this book! It takes a nice quiet tone and pace and pairs up well with a rainy day for a good long reading session. There are twenty-seven recipes too so when the reading is done, we can cook too!

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for interest and reading level.

Date Review Written: September 25th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

One Magical Christmas Book Review

Title: One Magical Christmas


Author: Berni Stevens

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Christmas,

Plot: Annie Berry has her hands full prepping for her baby sister's wedding in early October and she has finally found the perfect maid of honor dress. It's incredibly expensive but she feels it will be so worth it. And when she collides with Nic in the parking lot at the wedding wearing that gorgeous dress, the impression she creates will last a lifetime.

Having been knocked over by a vision in midnight blue with blonde hair, Nic thinks the answer to his prayer might just have been answered. Still, since he didn't get her name, he resumes his attempts at online dating till the vision sails back into his life. This time he gets her name and asks her out as well. But while their budding relationship shows considerable promise, he still hasn't told her his secret and he is running out of time.

Likes/Dislikes: Everyone loves a good sweet Christmas romance and this magical book delivers it beautifully. We have adorable kids, a nice leading pair and even a reindeer to fit in with the Christmas theme. Of course, it is very easy to guess what Nic's big secret is even before we open the book but it is still a fun read. The only things I had an issue with were Annie constantly watching her weight and going on about it, food and her perfect sister. I really couldn't relate to that but I haven't ever had any weight or food issues beyond a dairy allergy. And since the story takes place in Britain, I thought it odd that Nic preferred cold beer. Al in all, a good short story and surprisingly very clean.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level and a few stray kisses.

Date Review Written: October 21st, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Choc Lit. Publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Who Cares If They Die Book Review

Title: Who Cares If They Die?


Author: Wendy Dranfield

Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary,

Plot: Dean Matheson is on his way to becoming a detective his small town. With that goal in mind, he works the streets as a beat cop and keeps his eye open for odd cases that can help launch his career. So when he gets the call about an apparent suicide, he tunes into his instincts and starts to ask the questions no one else seems to be asking.

Meanwhile, Beth is the new prison psychiatrist and is trying to find her place in her new town as well as get a foot in the door career-wise. She catches Dean's eye early on and could prove to be a useful element to his investigation or a lovely distraction. But when the killer ramps up his game, Beth might just be his next target.

Likes/Dislikes: While the premise of this story sounded intriguing and just a shade darker and grittier than what I usually read, the writing style proved to be a massive letdown. Written in first person present tense, this story jars and jabs across the page with the very strong feel of a debut novel with a hasty editing job. In addition to this, Dean is married but has been cheating on his wife and he is torn between wanting to continue the affair and saving his marriage. Once Beth walks in, he completely looses focus and goes sideways after her. I couldn't finish this book as the writing style was so terrible. It did have a lot of promise though, just some bad execution.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content and reading level (affairs, murders, etc.)

Date Review Written: October 11th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.