FINDING RUBY STARLING by Karen Rivers

Ruth Quayle is playing around with pictures of herself online when she finds pictures of her face - but she knows she is not the girl in the pictures. That girl is Ruby Starling, and she lives in England. But why does she look exactly like Ruth?

I really enjoyed this story told through emails between these two girls and their families and friends. Emotions are expressed honestly about a confusing situation, although maybe more poetically and maturely expressed than you might expect from such young characters. Themes include identity, family, and truth. There is also a Buddhist aspect to the story.

4.5 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level at the time of this writing.

* I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoyed. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE EMUS by Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow is back. This time her grandfather is trying to rescue over 30 feral emu, and a PI friend is trying to track down Meg's long-lost grandmother. His search leads them to the emu situation - and a murder.

I am happy to say this long-running series is still producing fun, well-plotted mysteries. This story was thoroughly enjoyable! I like trying to figure out the murderer, but I did not succeed this time. I did catch another big reveal before it happened so I was at least satisfied with that. This book had a lovely family story as a "side dish" to the main mystery. Fans of this series will be happy with this new chapter in Meg's story. New readers can start here but probably won't enjoy the family pieces as much as those who have been along from the beginning. The entire series is worth a read if you enjoy cozy mysteries.

5 out of 5 stars

New book releases October 21. (It's unusual to get two in one year - it's a bonus treat!)

MONDAY: Star of the Week

The subtitle of this book is "A Story of Love, Adoption, and Brownies with Sprinkles." I wandered up and down the picture book stacks at my library and saw that and had to pick it up.

Such a sweet book about adoption that is honest without being heavy handed. Great look at how a child might have to deal with her adoption at school. The family isn't directly involved in her school project or her "dilemma," but their every-day messages are referenced as the source of her comfort and strength with her adoption and her special family circumstances.

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