Can I Tell You About Being Jewish? by Howard Cooper

Written as a diary loaned to a friend, C.I.T.Y.A.B.J is primarily geared toward pre-teen & teen readers. Author Howard Cooper does an admirable job of highlighting some of the main aspects of the Jewish lifestyle, presenting various viewpoints without pursuing any one agenda. As someone who has recently begun studying Judaism, I can honestly see where a scenario as presented in this short book could be a part of any teens everyday conversation as the language and customs involved with the Jewish lifestyle can be a bit overwhelming upon first exposure. Cooper is able to use C.I.T.Y.A.B.J as a vehicle to not only explore what it is to be a Jew but to show that there are many similarities with other religions and cultures and that we are more like each other than not.

Can I Tell You About Being Jewish?

by Howard Cooper  Pub Date: 21 Mar 2019

JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT by CATHERINE RYAN HYDE

Just received an advanced copy of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s newest book JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT, which is due out in December. Described as “an uplifting and poignant novel about friendship, trust, and facing your fears” I have been a fan of Hyde’s previous novels and look forward to a great read.

#JustAfterMidnight #NetGalley

A Shot in the Dark….Misses the Target

I am always on the lookout for a good cozy mystery series and I appreciate the sometimes odd or quirky British sense of humor (at least to Americans) but A Shot In The Dark is written in such a manner that the story borders on being unreadable. A prime example of this is the author’s fascination with the word nebulous. I can honestly say I have read scores of books where this word does not appear even once, but it becomes apparent that author Lynne Truss seems to be in need of a good thesaurus as she is obviously at a loss for new adjectives. A very disappointing start to a new Cozy series.

A SHOT IN THE DARK by LYNNE TRUSS

PUBLISH DATE NOVEMBER 6 2018

BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING

A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thompson

Opening with a sense of melancholy and longing Jean Thompson’s newest novel “A CLOUD IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL” invites readers into a setting that at once seems both familiar and almost confessional.

Alternatively told from the viewpoints of three generations of women, Thompson’s characters struggle with the choices they have made in the name of family and the inner demons that plague us all.

Simon & Schuster  October 9, 2018

Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge Laura Levine

Anyone familiar with the Jaine Austen mysteries will feel like they are running into old friends in the newest entry from the Laura Levine series. Jaine’s neighbor Lance, her persnickety cat Prozac and Jaine’s oddball couple parents are all back in this holiday-themed story. The Jaine Austen series have all followed a basic format: the basic plot of the story, a new love or loss of for Lance, mischief of some sort from Prozac, and e-mails from her Home Shopping Network obsessed mother and always at war with the neighbors father. In this installment, Levine stays true to that formula. As someone who has read the entire series so far, the humor can seem a little retread at times but all in all, this is still one of the best cozy mystery series around.

Pub Date 25 Sep 2018