"The First Wave" -James R. Benn

Billy Boyle is a crass, selfish detective from Boston who doesn't want to be in the army, doesn't want to be in Europe, and doesn't want to be fighting a war; frankly, he's not too likeable, which is exactly what makes him realistic. This is the second installment in a series of World War II mysteries in which Boyle finds himself solving a murder in a time of war, never failing to mention the irony.

The First Wave takes place in North Africa with the Vichy French alliance up for grabs. It was slow getting started but once the murder took place, it picked up in both mystery and history. The first book in the series was much more of a typical British murder mystery. This one is a weaker mystery but more historically rich. Take your pick...

Read Also:

I haven't yet read Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series, Mr. Churchill's Secretary but it is a suspense novel which takes place during WWII. Yes, I realize this is soooo specific but whatever.

I'd also recommend Lori Wick's Every Storm, your perfect, and...

Pam Jenoff's The Kommandant's Girl, your less than perfect look at WWII.

"Chopsticks" -Amy Krouse Rosenthal

One of the best things about working in a library is the number of picture books one can unabashedly read...for work, no less! Nothing boosts one's confidence than reading a dozen books in a day...

I've read Rosenthal's Spoon and while this is "not exactly a sequel to Spoon, more like a change in place setting," it was just as darling of a book. As utensils in the kitchen go about their designated purpose, sometimes life causes them to check out other options. Honestly, Rosenthal is just a great children's author. Original stories with fairly common place characters.

Read Also:

Similar in tone, I recommend Peter H. Reynolds' I'm Here, The North Star, and Sky Color for illustrations and simple, thought-provoking stories.

Back in the Saddle...

I am opposed to blogs on principle. Really! I don't see where the time comes from to spend time reading them. However, I have come across another point for a blog: BOOKS!! Where have I been?! How did I not think of this before?! The irony is too good to pass up: yet another thing to read all about reading other things. So I shall attempt to review all books I read. This actually coincides quite nicely with my goal to record every book I've ever read. Needless to say, this blog will not include too much backlog, just what's ahead...Yippee!