Lucy: Speak Out! by Charles M. Schulz

Charlie Brown: Do you know exactly what you're going to be when you grow up?

Lucy: Of course, a smart cookie!

That one interaction gives a pretty good glimpse into the character of Lucy Van Pelt. She is a hard headed young lady who knows who she is and what she wants out of life. Whether she's in the psychiatrist booth, writing a biography of Beethoven, or playing ball, she knows what she wants.

We also get to see Snoopy and his bird troop, a glimpse of the WWI flying ace, and other favorite characters like Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and, of course, Charlie Brown.

Four stars
This book book came out March 12
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
All opinions expressed are my own

Big Nate Goes Bananas! by Lincoln Peirce

This summer, a question for the ages is answered, when is the best time to eat a banana? Nate certainly has an opinion in this book. He also interacts with many of our favorite characters; Kim, Chester, School Picture Guy, and Artur. One person who is out for a bit is social studies teacher Mrs. Godfrey. Nate is delighted until he finds out who the substitute teacher is...

This book comes out September 18
Four and a half stars
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Unicorn of Many Hats by Dana Simpson

Phoebe and Marigold are off on a new set of adventures that capture Dana Simpson's incredible imagination and wit. Marigold learns to write fan letters (you can definitely assume you know who the first person she writes one to is). Phoebe finds a like-minded individual on the internet but then finds out she might not like the person so much IRL. And we get to see Marigold's house as well as learning about unicorn elections and how the friends spend their holidays (let's just say Marigold is not about to let a Christmas tree out-sparkle her.)
As usual, a highly entertaining read. Well worth picking up.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out March 20
Follows Phoebe and Her Unicorn in the Magic Storm
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson

I was surprised but grateful to get an ARC of this book after it was already on the shelves. Especially when I saw it was advertised in O magazine. And for a good reason. This book is very well-explored but with short engaging sections that start with a brief description of the comic, a lovely quote, and then information about the creators and when the book first appeared. Not just the popular comics, this book touches on some that only ran for a few issues, ones that are... not quite ready for prime time, and some comics that are just plain weird. I was intrigued by a few of the books based on Nicholson's descriptions and added to my TBR.
As easy and fun a nonfiction book as you'll ever find.


Four and a half stars
This book came out May 2

Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley

I first "met" Jessamyn Stanley on Instagram and loved her pictures. I saw her book on NetGalley and snatched it up. I loved the book. I love the writing, I love the language and I  love the pragmatism. There is language in this book. It's not a high-falutin' philosophic exploration of yoga (though it does include some of that). Instead, this is a lovely introduction to people who might be nervous about getting onto the mat for the first time. Yogis are often introduced as skinny white ladies twisting themselves into ridiculous poses but the fact of the matter is that everybody (every body) can do yoga.
I liked the mix of poses and writing. So many yoga books do all the writing and then do all the poses and then asanas. This was a nice interspersion.
A  nice review for experienced yoga-goers and I suspect a very nice beginning for newbies.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out April 4

Unicorn Crossing by Dana Simpson

I've heard about this series on several podcasts and at least a few blogs and there was a general amount of squee-age involved with every review. And now I know why.
The unicorn, Marigold, and her human friend Phoebe go through a lot in this book. Halloween, winter, reading books (discussion of ebook vs. physical vs. scroll), Marigold going on a trip, and many other adventures. It's fast, it's fun, it even imparts some moral lessons. A good read.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out March 28

A Million Little Things by Susan Mallery

I really do adore Ms. Mallery's trilogies. There's a depth to both the characters and their stores that you don't get from the average Fool's Gold romance novel (not knocking those books, I love them too, they just fulfill a different reading niche.)
We met Pam earlier in the series. Her husband died unexpectedly and it has now been a couple of years and, while she's not moving on per se, she has settled into a routine. One of the things that she has to cope with now is her daughter Jennifer.
Jen has an 18-month-old who isn't speaking and she's terrified. She's also terrified about toxins, about germs, and about her husband's new job and new partner. Just to get down to it, she's anxious, tired, and unable to sleep. Her whole world revolves around her son and the people around her are beginning to feel shut out.
One of those people, Jen's best friend Zoe, contacts Pam to see if they can maybe figure something out. It's this incident that leads Pam to very subtly set Zoe up with her son, Steven and it's going very well. Unfortunately, partway through the book, Zoe find out she's pregnant by her ex and it throws Pam off course disrupting her relationships with Zoe, with Jen, with Steven, and even the burgeoning romance with Zoe's father Miguel.
This book has a nice balance between the three main protagonists. Pam is a jumping off point but we get to see the fears behind just starting to have a family and what that can mean in today's world, a mother who is concerned for her young son, and even a mother who has grown children and is worried about them as well.
A wonderful book for those who have read the rest of the Mischief Bay series but also for those new to Susan Mallery as well.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out February 28
Follows The Friends We Keep
Followed by Sisters Like Us

Pretty Face by Lucy Parker

When I started this book, I was vaguely worried. "Act Like It" was such a fabulous book, would Parker be able to follow it with a book that was as wonderful? Short answer -- Yes. Yes she can.
Luc Savage is used to being in the spotlight. His longtime girlfriend just broke up with him and then married another man less than three months later. Luc isn't worried about that, he just wants to get his next play on the books. But to do that, he needs to find his Elizabeth I. The too-appealing, breathy soap actress, Lily Lamprey is not exactly his first choice. Or even on his list. But her godfather and Luc's friend/casting director are both insistent that Lily could work.
Lily wants to be on the stage. She knows that her voice will need work but she wants to act. She's used to people dismissing her because of her pretty face and large boobs but when Luc Savage does it, she's ready to fight back. Even if he does set off flutters in her belly.
There is a 13 year age gap between the two but I feel like Parker handled it well, addressing it but not making it the main premise of their relationship hurdles. I really enjoyed that Luc and Lily had grown-up conversations about how to deal with their problems. And they took their relationship slow rather than just hopping into bed. There are some rough spots but those may be ironed out by the time the final version comes out.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out February 20

The Wolves Return by Celia Godkin

A nice book about the return of the wolves and the ensuing trophic cascades. A little bit romantacizes it an definitely anthropomorphizes some of the animals. But the pictures are beautiful (almost pointillism) and look fairly accurate for body type/structures of the animals.

This book came out January 18
Three and a half stars

On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins

Damn it, Kristan Higgins. Why must write such wonderful books full of so many feels? All the feels. I think I started crying around page 10 and then just kept going. I loved the characters in this book, even the ones we didn't really get to know (Nate). Even the despicable Eric could have been painted as much more a two-dimensional villain but came off as more deluded than anything else. Ainsley was maybe a little (a LITTLE) too goody two-shoes but she also let a guy walk all over her for too many years so it was nice to see her develop a spine. Especially nice that it was for herself and not because of some new relationship.
The book opens with newlywed Kate reflecting back on the last day with her husband, Nate. They were heading off to a cancer-free celebration for her (half)-sister's boyfriend. We get a rich picture of all four of them almost at once. Kate and Nate (just realized how twee that is!), both older, in a whirlwind romance that they're just figuring out after being married for four months; her sister Ainsley who never really had a chance to fit in with the rest of the family, being a result of a father who cheated on his first wife, then happily gave her the responsibility of raising his second wife's daughter when the second wife died and he re-married the first wife; and Eric, a fairly narcissistic man who is used to being adored by one and all.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out January 31

Epic Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

A look back at the Big Nate comics over the years including an interview with Lincoln Peirce (done by Jeff Kinney, of "Wimpy Kid" fame), a brief history of the strip, and then several examples of the strips from 1991-2015 peppered with comments from Peirce about how he came up with ideas or how characters evolved.
The foreward to this book was certainly interesting. It took a very "Behind the Music" tone. I even heard Casey Kasem's voice as I was reading it, "After 18 years, 'Big Nate' had become an overnight sensation" (not a real quote).
But this was was definitely a fun read though I would recommend the hard copy, NOT the eversion. Reading this on a smaller screen was incredibly difficult, having to make the text big enough to read and then having to scroll, shift the screen, scroll, get to a new page, and then scroll took a lot out of the experience.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out October 25

Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs by Lincoln Peirce

Everything you want from a Big Nate comic book. Lots of time with his friends, with Jenny and Arnold, with Kim, and with Spitsy. We also get to see Big Nate interacting in school and, of course, in detention. We also learn that he is terrified of cats.
A fun book.
Four and a half stars
This book comes out September 6

A Pressing Engagement by Anna Lee Huber

Kiera is in love with her fiance, Sebastian Gage, but that doesn't mean that she's free of bridal jitters. Luckily, she is distracted by the arrival of her cousin Jock who comes bearing a wedding gift. Surprisingly, it is not some dead animal, but a Scottish torc. In fact, a Scottish torc that looks very much like one that Kiera and Gage have been looking for. The fact that Jock found it in a pawn shop gives Kiera the very excuse to leave the house that she's been looking for. The search brings them back into the path of Bonnie Brock Kincaid, "the head of Edinburgh's largest and most notorious gang of criminals." And it seems that Bonnie Brock is after the favor that Kiera owes him.
A lovely little novella and just a perfect bite for in between books.

Four and a half stars
This novella comes out May 17

Obsession by Nora Roberts

Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. This. Is. An AWESOME book. I had a couple of issues (no use of condoms, and other spoiler-ish reasons) but this really is a four-and-a-half-star book for me. Even two days later.
When she was twelve, Naomi Bowers followed her father out to the woods and discovered a horrible secret. Setting the girl free led to her father's imprisonment and her own notoriety, something that affects her again and again in the story. (I also wish we had seen more of Ashley but that may have over-bloated the book).
She ends up becoming a photographer and traveling around the world but, for reasons she doesn't entirely understand, she's just bought a house. A huge house. A huge dilapidated house. A house that needs a lot of work. And it's a place for her to start putting down roots. Even meeting a great guy.
Xander Keaton (Buffy fans, unite!) owns a garage in Sunrise Cove. He's not school-educated but he loves books. And it's through his love that we get passages dedicated to the love of reading. Happy sigh. Oh. And he's in a band. A smokin' hot band.
The problem being that, of course, Naomi tends to wall off her own heart because of her past and Xander can't help chipping away at it. Also, there's a serial murderer who has started killing in their town. Small detail.
I just re-read Blue Smoke and can see a LOT Of parallels with this story, but I liked this one so much more. There is less time in the past and more on the present. I also liked Xander so much better.
Roberts fans will be in love. People new to Roberts will love this book as well.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

I requested this book from Edelweiss and was surprised to see it a little later featured on the Mighty Girl Facebook page. And this is definitely a story about a mighty girl. One who is a regular (unnamed) girl who likes to hang out with her dog doing the normal things (racing, eating, exploring, relaxing) and also creating. Until the day that she thinks of the *Most Magnificent Thing.* But this time creation doesn't go so smooth. "It was not her finest moment." I can just see two- and three-year-olds parroting that and being absolutely adorable. The language is not too difficult but it wasn't dumbed down either.
I loved the lessons about learning from your mistakes and adored that the little girl was an inventor. The illustrations were fabulous as well and fit the story perfectly.

This book comes out April 1, 2016

Anything for You by Kristan Higgins

LOVED this book. Loved it. 4 1/2 stars. There was a B story that I felt was distracting and not needed but we finally get to see restaurant owner Connor find his HEA. He's already found his true love. Hell, he found her 21 years ago. But they've had a rocky road and Jessica has very valid reasons for why she doesn't want to have a "real" relationship and we get to see many of those reasons as we skip along their relationship's past. And Higgins once again tugs on the heart strings while creating a truly happy-ever-after.

Four and a half stars
Comes out on Dec. 22, 2015
Follows: In Your Dreams

Living Mindfully: At Home, at Work, and in the World by Deborah Schoeberlein David, David Panakkal

This book starts off a little slow for those who have practiced meditation in the past or read any books about it. But for those who haven't, this might be a nice way to begin. And the middle section is a fabulous re-read, even for those who have tried these techniques before. The writing and editing make this an incredibly easy read.
I wish that the last chapter hadn't been quite so preachy, but it's overall a book worth reading.
Four and a half stars
This book goes on sale November 24, 2015

The Mutts Winter Diaries by Patrick McDonnell

A collection of winter strips, all in one place. it makes you realize how great Patrick McDonnell is at recycling jokes but giving them new little twists each time. Earl and Mooch are trying to figure out how to survive the long cold winter. One storyline involves hibernating while others include various types of clothing, or trying to find identical snowflakes. 

A very cute book that any comics reader will enjoy.
Will be published on October 13.

The Scam by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg

Evanovich and Goldberg are really hitting their stride in this book. I tore through every chapter enjoying almost every moment. The absolute craziness of the series all comes together in this story. I liked this one even better than The Chase. Would this be a good stand-alone? I don't know. I feel like the build up of the first three books is nice to have so that you can understand exactly how the utter zaniness of this book (using modified land mines to deter coyotes, Kate's dad taking on a member of the Yakuza, bringing in a driver whose last misdeed was to steal a tour bus... with the tourists on it) is central to the series.
I am also really enjoying the interplay between Kate and Nick. With some series, it's just like "Get ON with it already already!" but I tend to feel that more keenly with love triangles (I'm looking at you, Joanne Fluke). Evanovich and Goldberg have created (probably more the former, based on her other books) a great repartee between the two where the sexual tension is at a nice simmer.
This time, Kate (FBI agent) and Nick (sorta-not-really-reformed criminal) are after a casino magnate who is laundering dirty money for some really bad dudes. It's up to them to infiltrate the casino and bring the bad dudes to justice. AND doing it while meting out justice for a friend of Kate's dad and even managing to have some fun.

Four and a half stars

This book comes out September 15, 2015

Follows The Job

Followed by The Pursuit

Ebook from Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Libby August 2023

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good by Kathleen Flinn

Yet another memoir interspersed with recipes? Hasn't that been done to death? Kathleen Flinn proves the answer is no. In this delightful book that moves seamlessly between time periods, Finn gives us an intimate glimpse into her life. I don't know who Kathleen Flinn is (probably a famous chef or cook?) but this book is a fantastic look at no only her own life in 1970s Michigan but how her family operated even before she came along. There are fantastic passages like "Burnt toast makes you sing good. Be thankful; no matter how little you've got, someone's always worse off than you. You can't give anything away, it always comes back. [My parents] handed down these simple life lessons to me as surely as they did their recipes."
I can't tell you yet how good the family recipes are, but I can tell you that I can't wait to read the rest of Ms. Flinn's story.