Book review: Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book (the first in the series) has a very clever premise. Bookwanderers are those readers who have the ability to actually wander into a book and “live out” the book’s experiences. Tilly is one of those fortunate to have the ability to do so, and this is her first adventure in the discovery of her abilities. The adventure includes how to be a good friend, how to be true to herself, and the hunt to find out what really happened to her mother.
If either Anne of Green Gables or Alice in Wonderland is a favorite of yours, this book will be especially resonant. (And the Lord of the Rings gets a throwaway line shout out as well.)
The book is geared towards middle school readers and, therefore, is an easy and perhaps overly simplistic read for adults. That being said, it would make an excellent gift for a bookworm of any age who would enjoy actually having the ability to be a bookwanderer.



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Book review: Death in Focus by Anne Perry

Death in Focus by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’ve been a fan of Anne Perry’s for a long time, and I was delighted to see that she had a new series. This is the debut novel of the Elena Standish mystery series. And while the book is a debut novel of a new series, it doesn’t read like a typical debut novel, probably because the author is well-practiced in writing historical mysteries. The writing is sure and the world-building is seamless. This particular book takes place in between World War I and World War II in England as competing factions of government either conclude war is inevitable because of Hitler’s rise to power (see Team Winston Churchill) or those who never want to put the country through the suffering from World War I again (see Team Neville Chamberlain).
If I had a complaint, it is that the plot is a bit scattershot, but that’s a minor quibble. The book is an enjoyable read and the historical setting is an interesting one.
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series will also enjoy this one.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series!




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