A Tree, A Book, and A Breeze

The Snow Queen Written by Hans Christian Andersen,  Illustrated by Snna Annukka Ten Speed Press      Here's a confession: I've never like the original story of The Snow Queen . I grew up on Andersen's fairy tales and I always favored The Princess and the Pea , The Wild Swans , and even, occasionally, The Little Mermaid . The Snow Queen never captured my attention, and I always found it slightly bizarre. (Probably not helped by the fact that my childhood edition had rather ugly illustrations). But in recent years, though I still wouldn't name it as a favorite, I've come to appreciate many of its themes and imagery.      However, for this edition, the illustrations and binding itself is what I'm truly reviewing. I'm always on the lookout for expanding my hardcover book collection, and this copy, with its clothbound cover, caught my attention, The size of it is a little awkward for a hardcover, and I have mixed feelings on the illustrat...

Shadow of the Storm Connilynn Cossette Bethany House Publishers In the Depth of the Storm's Shadow, Only Truth Can Light Her Way  Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife. When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and...

Another Day, Another Dali Sandra Orchard Revell A Fast-Paced, Keep-You-Guessing Whodunit with a Dash of Romance  When a valuable Salvador Dali painting belonging to her grandmother's friend is mysteriously replaced by a forgery, FBI Special Agent Serena Jones is called in to investigate. Serena hopes finding the thief will also mean finally measuring up to Nana's expectations. But when the evidence points to members of the owner's own household, it becomes increasingly clear that Serena won't be winning any popularity contests.  The Dali isn't the only painting that's fallen prey to the forgery-replacing thief, raising the specter of a sophisticated theft ring--one with links to dirty cops, an aspiring young artist, and the unsolved murder of Serena's grandfather.  With plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments, "Another Day, Another Dali" gives the plucky Serena Jones--and readers--a new high-stakes case to crack.      Having read the first b...

Five Magic Spindles Rachel Kovaciny, Kathryn McConaughy, Grace Mullins, Michelle Pennington, and Ashley Stangl Rooglewood Press Awaken the Magic! Emma, a good-hearted midwife, rushes to warn a neighbor about the hired gunman headed to his ranch but can't prevent the catastrophe in store for his daughter. Palli, the prophesied daughter of a king, is fated to rescue her people from the destruction called forth by a vengeful priest. Roselee, a ghost with a faulty memory, flits through the halls of an insane asylum in search of the mortal boy who can help her save the day. Arabella, a living spirit trapped in her own comatose body, helplessly watches from the realm of dreams as her usurping cousin plots to destroy her once and for all. Tanza, a tomb raider on a distant planet, struggles to make a living and doesn’t need a long-lost prince to complicate her difficult life. One way or another, these beauties have no intention of sleeping away their problems.      ...

The Raven Mike Nappa Revell As part of his regular street performance, a deception specialist who goes by the name The Raven picks his audience's pockets while they watch. It's harmless fun--until he decides to keep the spare wallet a city councilman doesn't seem to miss, hoping for a few extra bucks. When he finds not money but compromising photos of the councilman and his "personal assistants," The Raven hatches a plan to blackmail the man. However, he quickly finds himself in over his head with the Ukrainian Mafia and mired in a life-threatening plot code-named, "Nevermore."  Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill must scramble to sort out the clues--and their complicated feelings for each other--to rescue The Raven and save hundreds of lives from a wildcard bent on revenge.   Mike Nappa snags readers from the first page of this fast-paced thriller--and he never lets go until the end.      When I heard about Mike Na...

A Lady Unrivaled Roseanna M. White Bethany House Publishers Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile--even if it's just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won't wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better.  Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he's determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won't budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her--and his dau...

To Follow Her Heart Rebecca DiMarino Revell A Satisfying, Emotionally Rich Conclusion to The Southold Chronicles Series It is 1664 and Patience Terry is devastated to learn that Captain Jeremy Horton's ship has been shipwrecked off the coast of Barbados, with no survivors. She had hoped that Jeremy would someday give up the sea and settle down with her in Southold, Long Island. Unaware his memorial service is being planned, Jeremy is rescued and aboard a British Naval Gunship with secret orders to attack New Amsterdam and claim it for the British Crown. When he makes his surprise return to Southold--and to an overjoyed Patience--it's not the happily-ever-after his beloved had hoped for. With a finely tuned sense for authentic historical characters and settings, Rebecca DeMarino plunges readers into the 17th century--a world of high seas and tall ships, daring journeys and yearning hearts.        Despite the fact that I found this author's previous book...