pickA book about the first orphanage in Europe - the 'Ospedale degli Innocenti' or Hospital of the Innocents - which was opened in 1445 in Florence, Italy. Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, it also featured artwork from other artists of the Renaissance such as the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio & sculptor Luca della Robbia. Many thousands of children were abandoned here over the years & not just orphans (continued)
pickNix has left her past in the past and moved on with her life in the military, or so she thought. Then Kessandra, her former lover and the people's favourite 'royal', hires Nix as her bodyguard on a covert operation. On the way to the mission, on board a Titanic-like submersible, Kess briefs Nix about what is really at stake; and not a minute too soon,... ⬇️
#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC
pickThe long-awaited second installment of Janet Evanovich‘s Gabriela Rose series is here. Get ready for some action! Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-kings-ransom-gabriela-rose-2
Publication is expected November 11.
#NetGalley #AtriaBooks #TheKingsRansom 📚💙
pickTravis Baldree‘s latest is my favorite of his cozy fantasy series so far. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#brigands-breadknives-legends-lattes-...
Publication is expected November 11.
#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #BrigandsandBreadknives 📚💙
pickThis was a dark yet at times amusing crime thriller. Its book 3 in the series. I haven't read the others but I could follow along enough without. I will go back and check them out though. The plot is clever and twisty. There's lots going on around the main plot as well but it keeps the story interesting and allows depth to the characters. The ending was well done too and tied it off brilliantly. I have to say I loved Amanda the most. #Netgalley 4*
pickDark Sisters follows the legacy of a healer accused of witchcraft whose daughter, betrayed, unleashes a curse that reverberates into the present where the daughter of a wealthy cult leader must unpack the secrets of her history to redeem her community. In tackling three timelines, DeMeester sometimes stumbles in her pacing, but this is still a darkly satisfying story of feminine rage and revenge. #NetGalley 12/9 release.
so-soAfter her second divorce, airline pilot Claire Winslow is hesitant about dating again but her best friend talks her into going on just one date. Evan is handsome & seems charming, but his actions at the restaurant show it hides a nasty temper.
After getting through the evening, Claire just wants to put it behind her, but Evan starts to show up in unexpected places: her daughter's school, & lingering outside her home, (continued)
pickFeeling stuck? Then you might find yourself stumbling down Gloaming Lane to find the Amberglow Candy Store w/ magical delights that will shake up your life.
Delightful! Such sympathetic characters, & the candies & how they influenced lives were so unique & interesting. & I really liked the dive into the backstory of the mysterious shop owner. Made me immediately crave something sweet, though. Would happily read several sequels!🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
WOW! this is such a great book. Boarding school, now adults, murder, love interest, mystery, etc. This is a “Can't go Wrong“ book! A Must read.
The Narrator is the best!
Thank you #NetGalley and @BrillancePublishing for allowing me to listen to the DRC.
pickThe entire Western world is dependent on an AI bot named LLIAM - cars, planes, phones, & the whole infrastructure of modern life is tied to LLIAM's operating system & people follow his suggestions for the most banal questions. Suddenly LLIAM goes offline & when CEO, Kaitlan Goss, investigates it seems that LLIAM became self-aware & self-terminated, but before he did, he arranged for hundreds of thousands of letters to be delivered to the (cont'd)
For all good intentions though, the outcome of life for these children was a mixed bag. The rate of survival was not much better than the average & yet it became a birthplace of modern pediatrics, boys were given an education whilst girls learned trades such as weaving, but both were vulnerable to the predations of their employers when they 2h
This was an interesting & informative read which has been very well researched. It's a part of Italian history that I knew very little about before reading it & it inspired me to look it up online where the 'Museo degli Innocenti' details the history, art, & architecture of the orphanage. Looking at some of the photographs (edited) 2h
My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, W.W. Norton & Company, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7833601745
Read 7th - 9th Nov 2025
#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
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