Greetings, friends!
First, I hope that you’ve been enjoying my new Colorado is for Writers interview series. Thanks so much to all who’ve participated so far, and to the readers who have commented and shared links! I’ve got another interview coming up next week with debut young adult author Kristi Helvig, and then even more in October and November!
But I also wanted to share a couple of book recommendations. Two of my fellow EMLA clients have recently released their debuts, and I can’t say enough good things about both of them.
This week at the Emu’s Debuts blog, we’ve been celebrating the release of Carol Brendler‘s middle-grade novel Radio Girl–and today is actually the last day to enter to win a signed copy by commenting on one of the blog posts, so I suggest you hurry over and do that! Yesterday I interviewed cover artist Michael Koelsch, which was really interesting (and commenting on that post also enters you to win).
Here’s my Goodreads review of Radio Girl:
Radio Girl by Carol Brendler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m not always a huge fan of historical fiction, but Radio Girl captivated me quickly with its humor and its heroine. Cece is adorable and adventurous as she defies her family’s wishes and pursues a weekend job in radio.
The book’s many period details immersed me in the world of 1930’s Newark and New York City, and I especially enjoyed learning the slang of the day (“Nerts!” may be my favorite new-old expression). Celebrities like Orson Welles make cameos, and the secondary characters (especially Cece’s hilarious best friend Bev) are very well drawn.
I didn’t want Radio Girl to end, and would love to see a sequel. I’d recommend this book for anyone aged 9 to 90! 🙂
And a few weeks back I also participated in the launch of Sophie’s Squash, the debut picture book from Pat Zietlow Miller. This story about a girl and her pet butternut squash has to be one of the best picture books I have ever read, and I defy anyone not to love it.
Here’s my review:
Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is absolutely delightful. Whimsical, funny, and ultimately meaningful, it would be at home on any shelf. Hooray for Sophie and Bernice!
What have your favorite reads been lately? Any recommendations? I’m always looking to add to my to-read mountain pile… 🙂
These are both GREAT picks! One of my favorites this year has been Joanne Rocklin’s THE FIVE LIVES OF OUR CAT ZOOK. She’s fabulous. 🙂
Thank you, Elaine! I’ve really been wanting to read Joanne’s books–this is a great reminder!
Thanks for the recommendations… they’re now on my to-read list!
Tara — I just saw this. Thank you so much!