Chi's Sweet Adventures

Chi's Sweet Adventures, Volume 1, by Konami Kanata and Kinoko Natsume

Summary: Cat lovers and comic readers alike rejoice at the return of manga's biggest name in feline cartoons - Chi! Chi's Sweet Adventures collects dozens of new full color Chi stories.

Chi is back! Manga's most famous cat comic returns with a brand new series! Inspired by the new Amazon PrimeTV anime, Chi's Sweet Adventures collects a number of new full-color kitty tales made for readers of all ages!

Angie’s comments: This is the first of four volumes about Chi. Chi is a sweet, funny cat who loves her human family. It is super cute and suitable for children (and adults). The panels go by columns, so make sure you are reading down the column, and not across the row. 

Recommended for anyone who likes sweet, cute tales about cats.

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Women with Money

Women with Money: The Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and Yes, Rich) Life You Deserve by Jean Chatzky

Summary: Ask successful women what they want from their money and they'll tell you: independence, security, choices, a better world, and-oh yes-way less stress, not just for themselves but for their kids, spouses, partners, parents, and friends. Through a series of Happy Hour discussions (when money is the topic, wine helps) and one-on-one conversations, Jean Chatzky gets women to open up about the one topic we still never talk about. Then she flips the script and charts a pathway to this joyful, purpose-filled life that today's women not only want but also, finally, have the resources to afford.

Chatzky's candid three-part plan-formed through detailed reporting with the world's top economists, psychiatrists, behaviorists, financial planners, and attorneys, as well as her own two decades of experience in the field-involves helping women understand themselves in relation to money. Readers will wrap their hands around tactical solutions to get paid what they deserve, become inspired to start businesses, invest for tomorrow, make their money last, and then use that money to foster secure relationships, raise independent and confident children, send those kids to college, care for their aging parents, leave a legacy, and-best of all-bring them joy! 

Angie’s comments: Good, basic financial advice for women, and for anyone really. The chapters on helping your parents as they get older and thinking about what legacy you want to leave are quite good and got me started thinking about some of the issues. 

Recommended for female readers interested in financial information. 

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A Killing at Cotton Hill

A Killing at Cotton Hill by Terry Shames

Summary: In this award-winning debut mystery novel, the chief of police of a small town is also an unreliable drunk. So when Dora Lee Parjeter is murdered, her old friend and former police chief Samuel Craddock steps in to investigate. He discovers that a lot of people may have had it in for Dora Lee--the conniving rascals on the farm next door, her estranged daughter, and her live-in grandson. And then there's that stranger Dora Lee claimed was spying on her. As Craddock digs to find the identity of the killer, the human foibles of Jarrett Creek's residents--their pettiness and generosity, their secret vices and true virtues--are also revealed. 

Angie’s comments: A mystery that digs deep into a lot of secrets. The characters, especially Samuel, are well developed and the atmosphere is small town. The secrets range from small and wonderful to large and depressing. First in a series. 

Recommended for mystery readers. 

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Mrs Moreau's Warbler

Mrs Moreau's Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names by Stephen Moss

Summary: We use names so often that few of us ever pause to wonder about their origins. What do they mean? And where did they come from?

From the common starling to the many-colored rush tyrant, the names we have given to birds are some of the most vivid and evocative words in the English language. They can carry whole stories - of arctic expeditions, pitched battles between rival ornithologists or touching romantic gestures.

Through fascinating encounters with the bird kingdom and the rich cast of characters responsible for coming up with their names, in Mrs Moreau's Warbler Stephen Moss shows how these words reveal as much about ourselves and our relationship with the natural world as about the creatures they describe.

Angie’s comments: This is a fun exploration of how birds got named, ranging from being named after people to being named after physical appearance. The names range from old and used for hundreds of years to ones that have been named very recently. The book is mostly focused on birds that you can find in Britain, although North America is included as well. The writing is easy and you learn about science, etymology, language, social customs, and of course, birds. You also travel along with Moss as he goes birdwatching. 

Recommended for readers interested in birds and/or language.  

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A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder

A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Summary: In this exciting historical mystery debut set in Victorian England, a wealthy young widow encounters the pleasures—and scandalous pitfalls—of a London social season . . .

Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London season.

No sooner has Frances begun her new life than the ghosts of her old one make an unwelcome appearance. The Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.

While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances learns of mysterious burglaries plaguing London’s elite. The investigation brings death to her doorstep, and Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst, perhaps even among her sister’s suitors. And Frances must unmask the villain before Lily's season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end.

Angie’s comments: A fun historical cozy mystery. Frances is an interesting character, and the challenges of navigating British (and American) society and laws as a woman are highlighted. A hint of romance and some good humor, this book is a delight.

Recommended for readers of historical cozy mysteries. 

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