May 2025 Reads

I finished The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper. My local library had a challenge to read a book from each continent and this one was based in Australia.
Now reading A Promise for Tomorrow by Tracie Peterson and Judith Pella.

Scratch-and-Play Easter Hidden Pictures
by Highlights (Creator)
Leona's review
May 20, 2025 ·

I won Scratch-and-Play Easter Hidden Pictures from Goodreads and Highlights for Children.
My kids are now in their 60s and our family had a subscription to Highlights Magazine. I see the quality has not changed.
These are scratch off cards where the child finds an object and uses a type of scratch pencil (no lead) to find the object and scratch it. This one was Scratch-And-Play Easter Hidden Figures. There are 10 cards in the package; one to use and one to share. Cards were: Have an Egg-cellent Day!, Hoppy Easter, Some-bunny Loves You, Donut Worry, be hoppy and You're an IM-PECK-ABLE FRIEND!.
Highlights also has Hidden Pictures Mysterious Ocean Puzzles, Hidden Pictures Animal Puzzles, Hidden Pictures Rainbow Party Puzzles, Dinosaur Hidden Pictures and Unicorn Hidden Pictures. The cost is $7.99 each.
Great gifts for birthday or holiday.
I plan to order from my great grandson for Christmas as he will be a good age for them.
The opinions are my own. 5 star rating.

A Promise for Tomorrow
Julia Pella and Tracie Peterson
This was book 3 of the Ribbons of Steel and my first read of the series. I have read and have books by Tracie Peterson but Judith Pella is a first read for me.
The book is basically about building the B&O railroad line. James Baldwin is in charge of the project of building the Kingwood Tunnel near Grafton, Maryland. There is a map at the front of the book.
Part One May-November 1843, Part Two February 1849-February 1850. Part Three February- December 1850 and Part Four September 1851-January 1853.
I felt the book had too many topics at the same time and I felt it was a heavier read I usually get from a Christian Historical read. Family is the main topic I feel was in the book. Slavery is also a subject as well as Irish workers.
I do not want to discourage any readers so will not give more derails. I own the book and will possible read again for the history. I did like most of the characters.
I gave it a 4 star rating.

I'm just finishing the e-book The Pianist's Wife by Soraya M Lane, a novel about 1930s Germany and the holocaust from an unusual angle.

I'm also finishing rereading my old paperback copy of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams' sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which surely needs no introduction.

Finished The Codex by Douglas Preston. I have an interest in the Maya as I have studied them, taught about then at a museum, and have visited some of the sites. I do like Douglas Preston books.

I finally finished Henry VIII by Scarisbrick, having spent most of a year on it! Started something much smaller,though perhaps more weighty, in nature if not in pounds - Beautiful Eucharist.
(Don't know why Touchstone isn't working. It shows in my library. But hen Henry VIII isn't showing properly either.)