Review: Amelia Unabridged

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Publication Date: 16 February 2021

Publisher's Description

 Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. So when Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is ecstatic. It’s the perfect way to start off their last summer before college.

In a heartbeat, everything goes horribly wrong. When Jenna gets a chance to meet the author and Amelia doesn’t, the two have a blowout fight like they’ve never experienced. And before Amelia has a chance to mend things, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident. Grief-stricken, and without her best friend to guide her, Amelia questions everything she had planned for the future.

When a mysterious, rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia is convinced that it somehow came from Jenna. Tracking the book to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for Amelia’s and Jenna’s fight and perhaps the clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

Ashley Schumacher's devastating and beautiful debut, Amelia Unabridged, is about finding hope and strength within yourself, and maybe, just maybe, falling in love while you do it.

 

Review: GrowVeg!: 45 Easy Ways to Grow Your Own Food

GrowVeg!: 45 Easy Ways to Grow Your Own Food by Benedict Vanheems
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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 Publication Date: 2 March 2021

Publisher's Description

A book for anyone who has ever wanted to have a little piece of ground for growing their own food — whether fresh strawberries, an array of herbs, or a seasonal rotation of fresh vegetables – but wasn’t sure where to begin, Get Growing! offers simple recipes for gardening projects that are both attainable and beautiful. No matter what size garden — or even without any garden at all — readers will cultivate success, with instructions friendly even for beginners and step-by-step photography for more than 40 edible gardening projects, from a walk-through edible archway to a rustic crate of herbs on a sunny balcony.

 

Review: Much Ado About You

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

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Publication Date: 2 February 2021

Publisher's Description

The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling's life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she's passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There's no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.

Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she's drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can't deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love. 

Review: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Publication Date: 2 February 2021

Publisher's Description

Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano's adult debut, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a witty, fast-paced mystery series, following struggling suspense novelist and single mom Finlay Donovan, whose fiction treads dangerously close to the truth as she becomes tangled in real-life murder investigations...

SLP 2021: Animal Live Cams

 

During my presentation this morning for NCKLS & NEKLS, we had a small chat about Live Cams and, as promised, here's a list of some of my favorites. These would be fantastic to promote on your own social media. I'm focusing on the free (but donations are quite welcome) options.

SLP 2021: Duct Tape Wallet

 

 

I'm beginning to treat this summer as the summer of animal print. Much like my earlier post on Origami, this is a craft that we are all pretty familiar with and switching to animal print is an easy way to tie it in to our summer theme.

With that in mind, let's make some easy duct tape wallets.

SLP 2021: No Sew Scrunchies

 

SLP 2021: Cute as a Button

 

Review: Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun, Vol. 1

Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun, Vol. 1 by Minoji Kurata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
hers. 

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Publication Date: 16 February 2021

Publisher's Description

 A gripping manga based on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China video game, featuring iconic Assassin Shao Jun. Unveil a tale that will engulf the world.

1526 AD—China is ruled by the Great Ming Empire. Though the empire flourishes, the winds of the new Emperor’s political purge are sweeping over the land, and turmoil is brewing. With the decimation of her comrades, Shao Jun has become China’s last Assassin. After escaping to Europe, she has now returned alone to her homeland. Her purpose: vengeance!

Review: The King's Beast, Vol. 1

The King's Beast, Vol. 1 by Rei Toma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Publication Date: 3 March 2021

Publisher's Description

A smoldering tale of romance and revenge set in the world of the New York Times best seller Dawn of the Arcana!

Legend says that a sacred beast appears in the time of a great king…

Ajin are people who bear the attributes of beasts, and in this kingdom they are forced to serve men in the military and women in the brothels. The Ajin boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim. When Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu showed signs of such abilities, he was ripped from her arms and given to Prince Tenyou as a beast servant, where he quickly fell victim to bloody royal intrigues. Now in a world that promises only bitterness, Rangetsu’s one hope is to disguise herself as a man and find a way into the palace to avenge her brother!

But Prince Tenyou is not what Rangetsu expected, and the political currents in the palace run deep and strange. Does Rangetsu have any chance of finding justice for her brother, or will she become just another Ajin casualty in the game of kings?

SLP 2021: Origami

 

SLP 2021: Easiest Basket Upcycle

 

SLP 2021: Trivia

 

 

With this summer most likely being virtual for us, we are definitely going to be embracing some trivia challenges. Our favorite part of trivia? That we can use the same themes and topics and adjust the questions for any age group. So with that in mind, here's a round-up of some of the areas that we are exploring to coincide with this summer's animal theme for CSLP.

SLP 2021: Nom Nom Nom

 

If you didn't think we were going to use edible bugs this summer, then you were so mistaken!

SLP 2021: Writing Club+ -- Mythological Creatures

Let's return to Writing Club for a moment and discuss a topic that I nearly forgot about. Mainly because it was meant to happen during last summer, but alas...

Mythological Creatures totally fit in this summer.

Review: Love Is a Revolution

Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Publication Date:   2 February 2021

 Publisher Description

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Rene Watson comes a new YA--a love story about not only a romantic relationship but how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is.

When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani's birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He's perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she'll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself. 

SLP 2021: Oil Pastel Animals

 

Writing Club: More Animal-Based Stories

My desire to find more potential ideas for Writing Club this summer continues with inspiration from a popular movie franchise. This one combines animals and weather.

SLP 2021: Prize Books

 

A question we see frequently is, where do you find your books that you give away each summer. And the answer is: many different places.

But to be more specific, let's go shopping.

SLP 2021: Writing Club-Fan-Fiction

 

Writing Club is one of those library programs that lends itself well to the virtual world. That shared experience does not easily diminish just because you are not in person. And with that in mind, I've been trying to come up with ways to tie in Writing Club with our summer theme.

 

My first idea: Fan-Fiction!

Review: The Lost Apothecary

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Publisher's Description

In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating exploration of women rebelling against a man’s world, the destructive force of revenge and the remarkable ways that women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

Review: The Girls I've Been

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Publisher's Description

A slick, twisty YA page-turner about the daughter of a con artist who is taken hostage in a bank heist.

Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape.

For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:

#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.

#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:

#3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it.

The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…