#MMBBR #Reviews #OlgatheBrolga by @RodClement1 AND #HappyHatchday by @RobBiddulph via #partner @Harper360 who #provided a #free #reviewcopies

Happy Hatchday: Find out more HERE

The first series from the bestselling and award-winning picture book genius Rob Biddulph!

A brand new, creatively cretaceous story from the bestselling Rob Biddulph – and the first book in his first ever series!

Meet Otto, Winnie, Greg(osaurus) and all the other dinosaur juniors, as they traverse life’s first ups and downs – all in Rob’s trademark rhyme filled with warmth and humour.

This first book is perfect for Rob’s youngest fans, with colourful, detailed artwork and a simple rhyming text perfect for reading aloud. 

Happy Hatchday by Rob Biddulph

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A darling book about the ninth and final dinosaur to hatch. Greg is having a hard time figuring out where he fits in. It seems the others have paired off and this has left him feeling left out and a bit lonely. He is not sure where is life will lead him, when all of sudden there is a shift that shows little Greg that is a place for him after all and it is perfect! A sweet story with rhyming text and bright and colorful illustrations that allow new and emergent readers to follow along while they learn the words! Adorable! 

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Olga the Brolga: Find out more HERE

A story to reach beyond the obvious. Olga, a slender bird, wants to dance, but nobody will join her. She decides to dance by herself, faster and faster - she kicks and flaps and flies through the air, and soon a crowd picks up the beat. Olga has her way - and dances all afternoon.

Olga the Brolga by Rod Clement

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic book that is both fun to read and a delight to look at! I loved it cover to cover. It has a great lesson and a fun style both in story and illustrations. It is one that kids will love to read and adults will love to read it to their children. A perfect book for home and school libraries!



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#MMBBR #Review #IWillRaceYouThroughThisBook by @JonathanFenske AND #UpUpUpDown by @boniashburn and #KimberlyGee via #partner @penguinrandom #PenquinYoungReaders who provided a #free #reviewcopies

See if you can beat Book-It Bunny in a reading race! 

This easy-to-read adventure breaks the fourth wall as Book-It Bunny challenges the reader to race her to the end of the story. But with distractions and tricks up her sleeve along the way, the competition becomes both fierce and funny at the same time. On your mark, get set, read!

I Will Race You Through This Book! by Jonathan Fenske

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A darling book that will have new and emergent readers burning through the pages to beat bunny to the end. With fun illustrations and simple rhyming text kids and parents alike will love reading this book aloud! Such fun!

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Follow an energetic toddler's day with Dad that's full of opposites - up and down, make and break, yum and yuck, and more. 

From his first demand to be picked up and then immediately put down, opposites pop up all day long for this energetic boy. Breakfast is no, no, no, yes! At the sandbox, it's make, make, make, break! And jumping into the pool goes from can't, can't, can't, to can!

Kimberly Gee's expressive illustrations emphasize the loving connection between a boy and his father in this clever concept book about everyday highs and lows that is sure to entertain little (and big!) members of the family.

Up, Up, Up, Down! by Kimberly Gee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A cute story for children and their father's! A day of fun in the story allows young ones to learn opposites! A cute story that would make a great Father's Day gift!

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#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #OnlyEverHer by @MarybethWhalen via #partner @NetGalley who provided a #free #reviewcopy

It was to be the perfect wedding—until the bride disappeared.

Annie Taft’s wedding is four days away, and it will be one of the grandest anyone can remember in her small South Carolina town. Preparations are in order. Friends and family are gathering in anticipation. Everything is going according to plan. Except that Annie herself has vanished. Did she have second thoughts?

Or has something much worse happened to the bride-to-be?

As the days pass, the list of suspects in her disappearance grows. Could it be the recently released man a young Annie misidentified as her mother’s killer? Could it be someone even closer to her?

While her loved ones frantically try to track her down, they’re forced to grapple with their own secrets—secrets with the power to reframe entire relationships, leaving each to wonder how well they really knew Annie and how well they know themselves.

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

#FirstLine ~ He tugs at his collar and takes a swig of tepid coffee.

A slow burn mystery that creates more intrigue than it does suspense. It was an enjoyable read and one that has depth both in story and characters. Worth the read.

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#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #SunsetBeach by @mkayandrews via #partner #TandemLiterary who provided a #free #reviewcopy

Pull up a lounge chair and have a cocktail at Sunset Beach – it comes with a twist. 

Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried – to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job.

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance – her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions.

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may – or may not – involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon.

Sunset Beach is a compelling ride, full of Mary Kay Andrews' signature wit, heart, and charm.

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

#FirstLine ~ Drue turned the key in the ignition and the white Bronco's engine gave a dispirited cough, and then nothing.

I loved this book! What a great read!!!! Honest and spot on when it comes to how love and family can be both the best and worst of us. With heart and mystery woven together this story highlights so many aspect of the human spirit, from love, to family, to crazy life circumstances, to drama on many levels, to how life can be, heartbreaking, funny and amazing . When you mix this all up you have yourself an amazing story and when you add in wonderful characters what you have now is a brilliant read, which is perfect for summer and book clubs, 5 stars!

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#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #TheUnbreakables by @lisabarr18 via @LibraryThing where I #won a #free #reviewcopy

A delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre—a lust for life, art, and steamy sex.

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect” husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in their town.

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality and ambitions as a sculptor.

As she sheds her past and travels the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever...and what it means to be truly unbreakable.

“Artful, feminist, and emotionally gripping. The Unbreakables is a remarkable tribute to a woman’s strength in the face of heartbreak and adversity.” — Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

Smart, sure and sexy, The Unbreakables is unforgettable.” — Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale and The Lost Girls of Paris

“This exquisitely wrought novel will appeal to readers who believe in the redemption of new beginnings.” — Publishers Weekly 

The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#FirstLine ~ Gabe, my husband, still incredibly sexy at forty-two, approaches me from behind in our walk-in closet, wraps his muscular arms tightly around my waist and kisses my neck hungrily.

A fantastic story that makes one think. I love that Barr writes stories that are multi-layered allowing the readers to fully connect with the characters. I love stories that not only entertain, but also make you think about things on a deeper level. Barr captures the readers attention and holds it throughout. A hit for sure and a book that book clubs will devour! 

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#MMBBR #Review #FirstLine #onthebrightside by #HendrikGroen via #partner #GrandCentralPublishing who provided a #free #reviewcopy

On the Bright Side: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old

Hendrik Groen

HARDCOVER BOOK - 1538746638 / 9781538746639

ELECTRONIC BOOK - 1538746611 / 9781538746615

DESCRIPTION

"THE MALE ELENA FERRANTE" -- New York Post

In the acclaimed follow-up to the #1 international bestseller The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, everyone's favorite curmudgeon is back and as funny and charming as ever with the newest adventures of the Old-But-Not-Dead Club -- for fans of Frederik Backman and Graeme Simsion.

Everyone's favorite octogenarian is back and, together with his pals in the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, he is more determined than ever to wreak havoc and turn a twinkly eye on the brighter side of life.

After a year spent mourning the death of his beloved friend Eefje, Hendrik may be older and a little more wobbly, but his youthful appetite for mischief hasn't diminished. When fears arise that the home is set for demolition, it's up to Hendrik and the Old-But-Not-Dead Club to intervene.

On the Bright Side: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old by Hendrik Groen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

FirstLine : Wednesday, December 31, 2014 ~ According to the statistics, on this day of the year a man of eighty-five has approximately an 80 percent chance of reaching December 31, 2015.

This is one of the BEST books I have ever read. I adored it cover-to-cover. I laughed, was moved and was inspired to live life to the fullest. I was so into reading this diary and was up way too late...I nearly read it in a day. I loved the friendship, honesty, shenanigans that were highlighted in this book. There should be a warning though, that this book will both heal your heart and break it a the same time. There is something very important in this book, the need to focus more money, time and care to the elderly. There is no doubt that we are failing them in their final years. This book could change your whole perspective on life...you will certainly not be the same after you read it.

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AUTHOR BIO

Hendrik Groen started his pseudonymous diary on the literary website of Torpedo Magazine. He says about his first novel: "There's not one sentence that's a lie, but not every word is true." The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen has been translated into over twenty languages.

EARLY PRAISE

"You might say he's the Elena Ferrante of the octogenarian set - though whether or not he is actually an octogenarian (or a man) is also anyone's guess...It's an appealing novel with a lot of heart, reminding readers young and old that fun is to be found even in the routine of everyday life. And of course, the possibility that it's more memoir than fiction is delightful." --- New York Post

"Humorous...A realistic and perceptive glimpse into the aging process, shaped by empathy, optimism, and vibrant wit." --- Booklist

"I laughed until I cried and then laughed and cried some more." --- David Suchet

This may contain confidential material. If you are not an intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete immediately, and understand that no disclosure or reliance on the information herein is permitted. Hachette Book Group may monitor email to and from our network.

#MMBBR #Highlight #CloseUps ~ Volume 1: Wes Anderson, Volume 2: Vampire Movies and Volume 3: New York Movies via #partner @Harper360 who provided #ReviewCopies

See movies through a new lens with Close-Ups, a series of pocket guides from the award-winning film magazine Little White Lies.

a.       Volume 1: Wes Anderson

b.       Volume 2: Vampire Movies

c.       Volume 3: New York Movies

The indispensable, illustrated pocket guide to the films of Wes Anderson, from Bottle Rocket to Isle of Dogs.

Wes Anderson is a distinctive auteur of modern American cinema, known for having created a personal universe out of pastel colour palettes, meticulous set design, nostalgic soundtracks and a troupe of familiar actors – all seen in films such as Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hoteland Isle of Dogs.

In this illustrated pocket guide Sophie Monks Kaufman delves beneath Anderson’s pristine surfaces to examine his emotional preoccupations with family, romance, failure, adventure and death. She carefully unspools the cultural threads that inform his aesthetic to explain why this precocious arthouse film nerd from Texas has become one of the most popular directors of his generation.

The indispensable, illustrated pocket guide to the world of vampire movies, from Nosferatu to A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.

When F. W. Murnau brought Nosferatu to the screen in 1922 he ushered in the bloody reign of cinema’s most venerable villain – the vampire. Nocturnal, fanged and insatiable for human blood, the vampire has infected the public consciousness like no other movie monster.


In this illustrated pocket guide, Charles Bramesco goes vampire hunting across a century of cinema, stalking around lonely Transylvanian castles, dusty New York apartments and rain-soaked Washington woods to discover why the vampire has become cinema’s most enduring villain.

The indispensable, illustrated pocket guide to New York movies, from Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen to Lena Dunham and Noah Baumbach.

New York has always been one of the world’s most filmed cities, with its apartments housing tenants like Rosemary's baby and the Royal Tenenbaums, its skyscrapers scaled by the likes of King Kong and graffiti artists and its rubble-strewn streets prowled by everyone from Travis Bickle to Carrie Bradshaw.


In this illustrated pocket guide to New York and its movies, Mark Asch explores the Big Apple block by block and neighbourhood by neighbourhood, jogging past the iconic bench from Manhattan, eating at Katz’s Deli from When Harry Met Sallyand mooching around the Coney Island boardwalk like one of The Warriors. Retracing the steps of countless iconic actors, cinematographers and directors, he draws up a unique cinematic map of The City That Never Sleeps.