Hi all! Just a peek at some books you'll see at View for the Birdhouse in October. Many of these have giveaways. Some are reviews, and some are spotlights. Crepe Factor by Laura Childs (cozy mystery set in New Orleans)
Finding Libbie by Deanna Lynn Sletten (women's fiction)
Masking for Trouble by Diane Vallere (cozy mystery set at a costume shop)
Just Fine with Caroline by Annie England Noblin (women's fiction)
Life of the Party: The Remarkable Story of How Brownie Wise Built, and Lost a Tupperware Party Empire by Bob Kealing
Memory of Muskets by Kathleen Ernst (cozy mystery set at a Civil War reenactment)
Unlucky Charms by Linda O. Johnston (cozy mystery set at a dog boutique)
All Is Bright: A Devotional Journey to Color Your Way to Christmas
Dear Friends, How are you doing? I hope your week has been fun, full of lots of good things and no bad things!
My big excitement this week came in the middle of the night. Our neighbor's air conditioning compressor made a big noise around 2:00 a.m. that sounded like a helicopter landing on the backyard. Needless to say, this did NOT make me happy. I was up for quite a while after all the excitement. Otherwise, it is finally getting just a little cooler here (cooler in the deep south being relative -- it is still 75 - 80 degrees most afternoons). I have hopes that Fall is still going to arrive here. Fall is good weather for nice long walks! I would like to invite you to an online meet and greet. What is a meet and greet? It is a weekly post all about a different pet friend (or family of pet friends). Everyone is welcome - dogs, cats, birds, bunnies! If you are interested, please leave a comment below and be sure to leave your email address. Momma will send you a little short questionnaire (all fun, light questions) and you can return it via email with a few photos. I am really excited about this idea, and look forward to meeting lots of fur-friends online at this meet and greet. I hope you'll join in! Wishing you a great weekend! Love and xoxo, Abby
Book Synopsis It’s fall and there are blessings all around us, especially in the
pumpkin patch! Children will love the sweet rhyming text by Kim Washburn
and the whimsical illustrations by Jacqueline East as they take in the
fun of the fall season and remember how much they have to be grateful
for. My Review Pumpkin Patch Blessings by Kim Washburn is a very cute board book for young children. It is die cut with a colorful cover featuring bunny rabbits playing on pumpkins. The story is told in rhyme, and would make such a good read aloud for young children at home or in a classroom. Readers of Pumpkin Patch Blessings will find much to be thankful for in fall including sweater weather, colorful leaves, roasting corn, a hay ride, and of course pumpkins!
An example of the upbeat read aloud quality of this book:
"This time of year the trees are so bold, exploding with colors, red, orange, and gold.
The green leaves turn crispy and then start to fall. They crunch as you step and kick through them all." The illustrations by Jacqueline East are colorful and appealing. They show young children enjoying all the aspects of autumn. The book is sturdy and well made, with board book pages -- great to read again and again. I recommend it for a home or preschool library. It is perfect for a fun fall read! I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.
Book Synopsis Amateur
sleuth Emily Cabot’s journey once again takes her to a world’s fair—the
Paris Exposition of 1900. Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer is named the
only female U. S. commissioner to the Exposition and enlists Emily’s
services as her secretary. Their visit to the House of Worth for the
fitting of a couture gown is interrupted by the theft of Mrs. Palmer’s
famous pearl necklace. Before that crime can be solved, several young
women meet untimely deaths and a member of the Palmer’s inner circle is
accused of the crimes. As Emily races to clear the family name she
encounters jealous society ladies, American heiresses seeking titled
European husbands, and more luscious gowns and priceless jewels. Along
the way, she takes refuge from the tumult at the country estate of
Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. In between her work and sleuthing,
she is able to share the Art Nouveau delights of the Exposition, and the
enduring pleasures of the City of Light, with her husband and their
children.
My Review I have always been fascinated by World's Fairs and Expositions, so I was particularly interested in reading Death at the Paris Exposition.
Emily Cabot is a university lecturer from Chicago who also solves crimes. She travels to the Paris Exposition of 1900 with socialite Bertha Palmer. She takes her husband and three young children along, and while in Paris, she works as Mrs. Palmer's secretary. A couple of valuable jewels go missing, and then a body is discovered in a wax figure tableau. That is when the mystery really deepens, and the search for the killer - and jewel thief - is on.
The historical details in this book are absolutely fascinating. Readers will visit the Paris Exposition, meet artist Mary Cassatt, encounter Art Nouveau, couturiere gowns by M. Worth, and learn about life in Paris, 1900. I loved many of the small details in this book, like Emily's visit to a marionette show with her children, and les bouquinistes, book stalls by the Seine.
The mystery is well paced and complex, and it kept me guessing. I really liked the character descriptions as well, and particularly liked Emily as protagonist.
Death at the Paris Exposition is part of a series, the Emily Cabot mysteries. It is the first novel I've read in the series. It worked fine as a standalone, but now I really want to read the rest of the books as well!
I recommend Death at the Paris Exposition enthusiastically to fans of historical fiction, World's Fairs, French culture, or just readers who enjoy a particularly well written mystery.
Author Bio Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke and Simmons Colleges, and recently
retired from the University of Chicago. She now divides her time between
Boston and Cape Cod. She is the author of five other titles in the
Emily Cabot Mysteries series, which is set in the 1890s and takes place
primarily in Chicago: Death at the Fair, Death at Hull House, Death at Pullman, Death at Woods Hole, and Death at Chinatown.
Happy Friday to you! I hope you have had a good week. I was wondering where your dogs and cats like to sleep? I am a very big fan of the bed. When I first came to live here, I was happy in the living room and then I suddenly disappeared. I dashed up the stairs (don't worry - Momma knows about baby gates, and they are up now ALL the time). My human Grandma came up after me and she found me in the center of the bed, looking very happy. A bed is very important to me. When I found a soft comfy bed here, I knew it would be a good place. I sleep in the bed with my Momma at night.
I also am very fond of my dog bed in Momma's study. She works here long hours, and our television is here for evening viewing ... so it is important that I have a very comfy place to rest. My dog bed in the study has some fleece blankets and lots of cuddly soft toys. (I am more interested in snuggling with toys than playing with them.)
One of my friends sent me a very cute link about a Chihuahua named Pancho has his own room. Yes, you read that correctly: not just a dog bed or crate, but his own room. It is so cute that I thought you would enjoy it too! Momma also found a few fun links about old fashioned console TV sets that have been converted to a dog bed, almost like a mini bedroom. Momma said she sees these console televisions all the time at yard sales and thrift stores. Here are a few examples with "do it yourself" directions:
