Althea's Reading Corner

Title: Cats Don't Like Christmas  Author: Andy Wortlock Genre: Children's Fiction Format: Kindle No. of Pages:  Date of Publication: September 6, 2022 Description:  It’s Christmas time! It’s here again! But first I need to say… I think you’re making too much fuss about this holiday! Our adorable little cat is back this Christmas and he thinks there might be a little too much fuss this holiday season. Cats aren't great with change and there's plenty this time of year, in such a short period of time! For little and big readers, this is the funny, festive, companion to the award winning, Cats Don’t Like That! by Andy Wortlock and Nahum Ziersch. My Thoughts: I choose to read and review this book because I love cats. Before we moved to Australia from the United States we had three cats, which we unfortunately left behind because it was not humane in our eyes to make them take the long journey. The cover and the drawings in the book all display an image of a grumpy cat, which...

Title: Little Bird Finds Christmas Author:  Marianne Richmond Genre: Children's fiction      Format: Kindle No. of Pages: 40 Date of Publication: November 4, 2022 Description:  A delightful holiday book from beloved author Marianne Richmond,   Little Bird Finds Christmas   reminds us all of what's really important during the holidays. Back in their warm and cozy nest, Mama and Little Bird cuddled against the December chill. "Want to know my favorite place to find Christmas?" said Mama. "I do," said Little Bird. "With you," Mama said. An adorably sweet new Christmas story from a bestselling author whose books have become family classics, LITTLE BIRD FINDS CHRISTMAS is a delightful journey of finding Christmas wherever you are-in your heart. My Thoughts: The premise behind this book is cute as it is about a little bird who goes to find Christmas as if it is an actual person. The little bird journeys through town and observes people going about typica...

Title: The Anxious Monster Author: Sarah Reed Genre: Children's fiction Format: Kindle ARC No. of Pages: 22 pages Date of Publication: July 26, 2020 Description:  Even scary monsters have worries and fears *Help your child overcome any of their own worries  *Use of perspective and problem solving *Keeping worries from getting too large *Most worries never come true This story is geared to kids ages 3-5, level 1. Perfect for boys, girls, preschool, pre-K, and Kindergarten. Excellent resource for counselors, parents, and teachers. My Thoughts: I picked up this book for my son, who is a little too young for the book at this time as he is only 11 months old but I know it will come in handy later when he is older. The books is filled with colorful illustrations. When Sarah Read is describing the anxious monster, it reminded me of the way that I describe my son to others when talking about what milestone progress he has made and what he likes to do.  Sarah Read takes the reader...

Title: One by One Author: Ruth Ware Genre: Mystery, suspense, thriller Format: Kindle ARC No. of Pages: 384 Date of Publication: September 8, 2020 Description:  Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers…each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide. When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the...

Title: More Fish Faces Author: Tam Warner Minton Genre: Nonfiction Format: Digital (phone) No. of Pages: 52 Date of Publication:  September 1, 2020 Description:  Ocean lovers and budding marine biologists will love   More Fish Faces , Book Two in the children's book series, Ocean Friends, that started with   All Fish Faces .   More Fish Faces   gives you more fun faces and more fun facts for fish fans young and old. Colorful photography — including the names of every fish featured — creates a colorful dive log worth experiencing again and again. The photos and fun facts are presented in small and easily digestible bites so your child can enjoy learning in short bursts or longer reads. It is a wonderful book for bedtime. Concepts like recycling, re-purposing, and sustainability are presented with photos and practical examples that are easily understood. The new kid's series, Ocean Friends, educates children with colorful photography, practical examples, and ...

Title: The Adventures of Rembrandt the Tuxedo Cat Helps Callie, the Callico Cat, Find Her Meow Author: Marsha Walk Carroll Genre: Children's book Format: Kindle ARC No. of Pages: 32  Date of Publication: October 6, 2020 Description:   Rembrandt, affectionately known as Remy, is well loved and lives with his Purr-ents and his big brother, Leo, the Tabby Cat. In this inaugural story book of Rembrandt, the Tuxedo Cat, Remy comes upon an unfamiliar calico cat who has shyly seated herself on the bench in his backyard. A great mystery has presented itself with the quiet little calico cat. As Remy strikes up a conversation, the little calico cat has no meow. Remy and Callie, as he calls her, go on a quest to help her find her meow. They search his back yard and the woods behind his house. Will they find Callie’s meow? And if so, where will they find it? My Thoughts:  This is my first children's book that I have picked up from Netgalley for a review. I thought it would be a ...

Title:  Don't Be a Victim: Fighting Back Against America's Crime Wave Author:  Nancy Grace with John Hassan Genre: Self-help, non-fiction Format: Kindle ARC No. of Pages: 384 Date of Publication: September 22, 2020 Description:  Discover gripping true crime stories and the surprising tools you need to keep you and your family safe -- from iconic legal commentator, TV journalist, and  New York Times  bestselling author Nancy Grace.   Nancy Grace wasn't always the iconic legal commentator we know today. One moment changed her entire future forever: her fiancé Keith was murdered just before their wedding. Driven to deliver justice for other crime victims, Nancy became a felony prosecutor and for a decade, put the "bad guys" behind bars in inner-city Atlanta.   Now, with a new and potentially life-saving book, Nancy puts her crime-fighting expertise to work to empower you stay safe in the face of daily dangers. Packed with practical advice and invaluable p...

Title: I Will Make You Pay Author: Teresa Driscoll Genre: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Format: Kindle No. of Pages: 317 Date of Publication: October 10, 2019 Description:  Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the terror returns. It seems like an ordinary Wednesday, until the phone rings. A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next Wednesday, the stalker makes another move—and it becomes clear that this is all about Alice. Someone wants her to suffer, but for what? Her articles have made her a popular local champion—could it be her past rather than her work that’s put her life in danger? Alice is determined not to give in to fear, but with the police investigation at a dead end, her boyfriend insists on hiring private investigator Matthew Hill. With every passing Wednesday the warnings escalate, until it’s not only Alice but also her family in the stalker’s sights. As her tormento...

Title:  What Have We Done Author:  Alex Finlay     Narrators:  Brittany Pressley; James Patrick Cronin; Jon Lindstrom; Maggie Thompson Genre:  General Fiction, Mystery Thriller Format:  Audiobook Listening Length:  11 hours 30 minutes D ate of Publication:  March 07, 2023 Description:  In this “top-notch mystery thriller” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review) from Alex Finlay,  What Have We  Done  is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever. One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2023:• BookPage • BookBub • E! News • Go BookMart  • Goodreads • PopSugar  •  The Every Girl • She Reads • Beyond the Bookends A stay-at-home mom with a past. A has-been rock star with a habit. A reality TV producer with a debt. Three disparate lives. One deadly secret. Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, having forged a bond through the abuse and neglect...

Title: The Essence of Darkness Author: Tom Clearlake Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Format: Kindle ARC No. of Pages: 447 Date of Publication: April 18, 2020 Description:  Five unexplained child disappearances have plagued the small town of St. Marys in the space of four months. All the elements indicate that these are abductions. FBI Special Agent Eliott Cooper is sent to investigate. Little by little, he uncovers facts that he can’t rationally explain. Soon, he finds that a dark and very ancient evil seems to have taken over the forests around the city. This is only the beginning of his investigation... My Thoughts:  I almost didn't complete this book as I found it extremely difficult to get into it until I was a little more than half way through. Honestly, I thought about putting this book down a number of times but since I had requested the book from Netgalley and it was granted to me, I felt an obligation to try to complete it.  I requested the book because of the...

Title:  The Perfect Mother Author: Caroline Mitchell Genre: Suspense, Thriller Format:  Kindle Arc No. of Pages: 364 Date of Publication: January 14, 2020 Description:  She thought they wanted her baby. But they won’t stop there. Roz is young, penniless and pregnant. All she wants is to be the perfect mother to her child, but the more she thinks about her own chaotic upbringing, the more certain she is that the best life for her baby is as far away as possible from her hometown in Ireland. Determined to do the right thing, Roz joins an elite adoption service and can’t believe her luck. Within days she is jetting to New York to meet a celebrity power couple desperate for a child of their own. Sheridan and Daniel are wealthy and glamorous—everything Roz isn’t. Her baby will never go hungry, and will have every opportunity for the perfect life. But soon after Roz moves into their plush basement suite, she starts to suspect that something darker lurks beneath the glossy surfa...

Title: A Desperate Place: A McKenna and Riggs Novel Author: Jennifer Greer Genre: Mystery, Suspense, & Thriller Format: Kindle Arc No. of Pages: 316 Date of Publication: August 11, 2020 Description:  Three separate homicides. Three unrelated victims. One grisly secret. When the body of famous actress Niki Francis is unearthed from its shallow grave, the small town of Medford, Oregon is alarmed, but not shook. After all, there should be plenty of motives and suspects--Niki had fame, wealth, looks. The kill was targeted, premeditated, and it's about her celebrity. Or so they thought. Whit McKenna is licking her wounds, working as a reporter for the local Medford rag. Fresh from a harrowing assignment for her previous post at the  L. A. Times  which cost her her husband, Whit must pull herself together for the sake of her two daughters. The wound has hardly begun to scab when she's called to cover the murder, so she teams up with her best friend, medical examiner Katie R...