I look forward to starting my day with this book. Since I received it in June, I began right there with an entry on flip flops that truly evoked summer. I then looked at the beginning of the book and felt the tenderness of January 4th’s entry about when the author got his first library card. Those who adore reading will go a bit pitter-pat when they come to that one.
Each day offers a short reflection. Best of all, there is something to read for the entire year. Enjoy these entries along with the occasional illustrations.
Recommended as a nice way to start one’s day.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Description:
from the publisher
Wonder Is a Lovely Place to Be gathers 365 essays, poems, and sketches from Brian Doyle, revealing his keen eye for grace and an imagination shaped by his Catholic faith. Drawing from both beloved and previously unpublished works, this collection invites readers to notice holiness woven through ordinary, everyday moments.
With a keen eye for detail—the slap of flip-flops on pavement, a kindergartener released to the playground with arms flung open and untied shoes, a no-look pass in a neighborhood pickup basketball game—Doyle shapes small moments into stories and aims them straight at the human heart. His writing is a summons to live with wide eyes and open hearts in a fragile world: “Do not tire, do not despair, . . . be relentless, be merry, . . . be alert, be attentive—for there is holiness all around us like an ocean.” In Doyle’s vision, holiness lives in pain as much as it does in joy, and “no moment is mundane, every moment is a miracle, every moment is a meal.”
Doyle wrote everywhere—on envelopes, inside book jackets, on the backs of menus—driven by the conviction that we are “here so briefly” and called, each day, to “see clear” and “bring [our] best selves to bear.” Some of these fragments became essays published around the world; many others remained scattered across his desk like driftwood from a life immersed in language. Now his wife, Mary Miller Doyle, gathers his writing—including never-before-seen stories, poems, sketches, and even cartoons—into a daily collection that invites readers into his sacred imagination on all year long.
A born story catcher, Brian Doyle was a master of the brief essay, the tight poem, and the achingly beautiful anecdote. Though the magazine editor, novelist, and author of One Long River of Song and A Book of Uncommon Prayer died of brain cancer at sixty, readers continue to return to his work for the way it reveals the joyful, wild mystery of holiness humming through all things.
Advance Praise
“Daily doses of wonder and inspiration from a brilliant writer who drew and was gone much too soon. I stole so much joy from the pictures and words in this collection, and so will you.” Austin Kleon New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist
“Wonder Is a Lovely Place to Be peeks inside the life and mind of Brian Doyle, the most curious and creative writer (and amateur artist) whose pen ever danced across the page, leaving a legacy of wit and wisdom in his wake. If you’ve long loved Brian’s poetic, playful, daring, and startling way with words, you will leap at the chance to hold more in your hands. And if you’re new to Brian’s brilliance, what a joy awaits you in these pages! A daily dose of Brian Doyle is a lovely place to be.” Laura Kelly Fanucci Author of Living Easter
“Brian Doyle had a rare gift for catching grace as it flew by and setting it gently on the page. This book is a yearlong invitation to see the world with a sacramental imagination and to discover holiness hiding in plain sight.” Fr. Edwin Obermiller, CSC Special assistant to the vice president for university relations for the University of Portland
Many thanks to Stop You’re Killing Me for these lists!
2026 DAGGER SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED The Dagger Awards are awarded by The Crime Writers’ Association to celebrate the best in crime and thriller writing. The awards will be presented on July 2nd in London. Here are the shortlists:
2026 CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE Crime Writers of Canada present the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence to recognize excellence in Canadian crime writing. The 2026 Award Winners were announced on May 29, 2026. Our congratulations to the winners (listed first in each category) and to all of the nominees.
I had learned about this title long before it was published and knew that I wanted to read it. I was absolutely thrilled to be given an advance e-galley.
I could not wait to sit down and begin this novel. I went on to savor it and find it easy to give an excellent review.
WWI led to devastation and a reorganization of British society. Many men died; many women were unlikely to marry. Social changes came as with the suffrage movement and (finally) the admittance of women to Oxford degrees. (Prior to this, women could attend but would not formally graduate).
This engrossing historical novel follows four women from this time period who were known as “the eights” because of the corridor that they lived on at their Oxford College. Readers meet Beatrice, Marianne, Otto, and Dora. Each has their own history and backstory.
Beatrice is the daughter of a very politically active mother who was an absent parent. Readers learn that it was difficult for Beatrice to confide in her mother. Beatrice s studying PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).
Marianne is a cleric’s daughter. It is clear that she is hiding something. Marianne is also less financially well off than some of her peers.
Otto is part of a family with socialite sisters. Her parents would like her to marry. Otto is studying Mathematics.
Dora has had two major losses from the war relating to both her brother and finace. These men would have been at Oxford had there been no war. Dora feels that she is there in their place. Dora is studying English.
The world of Oxford in this time period is engagingly portrayed through many characters in addition to these four. I came to care very deeply for the eights and did not want the book to end. It is my sincere hope that Miller is penning her next novel even as I write this.
Note that there is a helpful glossary at the back of the book for those who are unfamiliar with British higher education.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 15 April 2025
Historical fiction
382 pages
Note:
Recommended those who have enjoyed the novels by Pip Williams.
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book of Spring A Book Riot Best Historical Fiction of April A Brit & Co. New April Book to Add to Your Calendar STAT
“The Eights is an entertaining and moving imagining of four smart women dealing with the engrained misogyny of the time. I came to love these four women as though they were my sisters.” —Tracy Chevalier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Glassmaker
“A story about women taking their place in a man’s world, The Eights beautifully captures the power of friendship and love in the wake of extraordinary loss. It was a pleasure to read.” —Pip Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
“Miller’s engrossing debut follows the first women undergraduates eligible to earn degrees at Oxford University. …. They’re unlikely allies, a novelistic trope that Miller transcends through insightful and surprising characterizations…. It’s a memorable tale of a fast-changing world.” —Publishers Weekly
“Miller describes campus life in vivid detail, and her protagonists are complex, with hidden motivations and insecurities that are gradually revealed as their friendships develop. This pairs well with Helen Simonson’s The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club and Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club.” —Booklist
“A heartfelt, thoughtful and engaging book about the first women students to go to Oxford University – their friendships, their secrets, their ambitions and their opponents – in the tremulous, haunted years immediately after the First World War. Joanna Miller brings 1920s Oxford to life with a vivid immediacy and makes us care deeply about four young women who find themselves pioneers in a strange new world, trying to find a way forward in the aftermath of war. A thoroughly lovely debut that will win many hearts, with its celebration of friendship and the persistence of hope.” —Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Whalebone Theatre
“My book of the year. The writing is wonderful, the subject fascinating and the storylines utterly absorbing. I’m so sad I’ve finished it. I loved everything about this book. I ADORED it.” —Jill Mansell, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It
“The past feels astonishingly present in Joanna Miller’s debut…Rigorously researched, The Eights brilliantly synthesizes fact and fiction, and the trials and triumphs of the quartet are deeply relatable. [Surrounding a] debate about whether women have any business being at Oxford … The Eights is a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys emotional, character-driven narratives and for anyone who celebrates impeccable writing. But most of all, it’s for anyone who has ever been told they couldn’t do something but did it anyway.” —BookPage
Jojo Moyes has written many novels that I have loved. There, of course, was the trio of books that began with Me Before You. I also enjoyed The Last Letter From Your Lover and Silver Bay, among others.
I was interested in reading The Giver of Stars but hesitated for a while. The reason was that I had recently read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and I knew that the books covered similar territory (literally in terms of geography and also in concept). I am glad to report that both novels are well worth a reader’s time.
Each of these historical novels is premised on the love of books and ways to make books available to readers. In this one, readers follow Alice. She was born in England and has married an American. Her life is not exactly what she was hoping for so, when Eleanor Roosevelt is looking for women to distribute books, she is eager to rise to the challenge.
Over the course of the novel Alice and her new female friends learn a lot about one another and how they want to live their lives. Follow along with them and enjoy this latest novel by one of our best writers of women’s fiction.
My only quibble with this book is that it is so similar to Troublesome Creek. For that reason, readers may want to spend time with just one of these titles.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Editorial reviews:
“Though she made her mark writing contemporary romance, Moyes proves just as adept at historical fiction. . . . The Giver of Stars is a celebration of love, but also of reading, of knowledge, of female friendship, of the beauty of our most rural corners, and our enduring American grit: the kind of true grit that can be found in the hills of Kentucky and on the pages of this inspiring book.” —The Washington Post
“Moyes paints an engrossing picture of life in rural America, and it’s easy to root for the enterprising librarians.” —The New York Times Book Review
This is a wonderful historical novel based upon the Book Women who delivered library materials to those in the out of the way sections of Kentucky. The book women were part of a program started by President Roosevelt under the WPA.
There are many book women in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky but the protagonist of the novel is the unforgettable Cussy. Cussy speaks in dialect which helps the reader to fully enter into her world. Cussy faces special challenges because she is the last of the ‘blues.’ There really were blue-skinned people in America as a supplement at the back of the novel attests. They were objects of curiosity and also of prejudice, just as was the case for the African American population.
Cussy wants to be independent both before and after her disastrous short term marriage. And yet, what will happen with patron Jackson who is one of the few to call Cussy by name, rather than the derogatory Bluet?
Cussy’s love of books flows through the novel. There are references to books that were popular at the time, including those by Steinbeck and Rex Stout. Cussy’s inventiveness in making books and delivering what her patrons need is impressive.
The landscape of rural Kentucky, the small towns, the mines, the mountains are all well described. Each patron that Cussy visits has a back story and readers will even come to learn more about the mule who transports her.
If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction set in the U.S., consider this one. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am very excited to be a part of this blog tour. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by this author. Fans of historical fiction will too. This book is definitely worth a look!
Many thanks to everyone at HTP for this opportunity.
About the Book:
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
Start reading:
PROLOGUE
Nottingham, England April 1931
JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER. Emma lingered in the storage area on the second floor of her father’s bookshop, Tower Bookshop, with Jane Austen’s Emma cradled in her lap. Sadly, not her namesake—her parents had named her Emmaline for an aunt she’d never met, who had died on Emma’s seventh birthday ten years ago.
Still, the book was one of Emma’s favorites.
“Emma.” Papa’s voice rose from somewhere in the bookshop, sharp with irritation.
She frowned. Papa was seldom ever cross with her.
Perhaps the smoke from the man who had come in with his cigar earlier still lingered in the shop.
She settled a scrap of paper into the spine of her book.
“Emmaline!” Something to that second cry snapped her to attention, a raw, frantic pitch.
Papa was never panicked.
She leaped up from the seat with such haste, the book dropped to the ground with a whump.
“I’m in the warehouse,” she called out, racing to the door.
The handle was scalding hot. She yelped and drew back. That’s when she saw the smoke, wisps seeping beneath the door, glowing in the stream of sunlight.
Fire.
She put her skirt over her hand and twisted the knob to open the door. Thick plumes of smoke billowed in, black and choking.
She sucked in a breath of surprise, unintentionally inhaling a lungful of burning air. A cough racked her and she stumbled back, her mind reeling as her feet pulled her from the threat.
But to where? This was the only exit from the storeroom, save the second-floor window.
“Papa,” she shouted, terror creeping into her voice.
All at once, he was there, wrapping a blanket around them, the one she kept in the shop for cold mornings before the furnace managed to heat the old building.
“Stay at my side.” Papa’s voice was gravelly beneath the blanket where he’d covered the lower part of his face. Even as he led her away, a great cough shuddered through his lean frame.
Beyond the wall of smoke was a vision straight out of Milton’s Paradise Lost as fire licked and climbed its way up the towering stacks of books, devouring a lifetime of careful curation. Emma screamed, the sound muted by the blanket.
But Papa’s hand was firm at her back, pressing her forward. “We have to run.” Not slowing, he guided her to the winding metal staircase. She used to love clattering down it as a girl, hearing the metal ringing around her.
“It’s hot,” Papa cautioned. “Don’t touch it.”
Emma hugged against his side as they squeezed down the narrow steps that barely fit the two of them together. It swayed beneath their weight, no longer sturdy as it had once been. The blazing heat felt as though it was blistering Emma’s skin. Too hot. Too close. Too much.
And they were plunging deeper into the fiery depths.
The soles of Emma’s shoes stuck to the last two steps as rubber melted against metal.
What had once been rows of bookshelves was now a maze of flames. Even Papa hesitated before the seemingly impassable blaze.
But there was nowhere else to go.
The fire was alive. Cracking and popping and hissing and roaring, roaring, roaring so loud, it seemed like an actual beast.
“Go,” he shouted, and his grip tightened around her, pulling her forward.
Together they ran, between columns of fire that had once been shelves of books. An ear-shattering crack came from above, spurring them to the front as fire and sparks poured down behind them.
Emma ran faster than she ever had before, faster than she knew herself capable. Papa’s arm at her side yanked her this way or that, navigating through the fiery chaos. Until there was nowhere to go.
Papa roared louder than the fire beast and released her, running toward the blazing door. It flew open at the impact, revealing clean sunny daylight outside. He turned toward her even as she rushed after him and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her into the street.
Emma gulped in the clean air, reveling in the cool dampness washing into her tortured lungs. A crowd had gathered, staring up at the Tower Bookshop. Some came to Emma and Papa, asking in a frenzy of voices if they were hurt.
In the distance came the scream of emergency sirens. Sirens Emma had heard her entire life, but had never once needed herself.
There was need now. She held on to Papa’s hand and looked behind her at the building that had been in her family for two generations and was meant to become hers someday. Her gaze skimmed over the bookshop to the top two floors where their home had once been.
The fire beast gave a great heaving howl and the top floor crumpled.
Someone grabbed her from behind, dragging her back as the rest of the structure came down, ripping her hand from her father’s. She didn’t reach for him again, unable to move, unable to think, her eyes fixed on the building as it crashed in on itself in a fiery heap. Their livelihood. Their home.
All the pictures of her mother who had died after Emma was born, all the books she and her father had lovingly selected from bookshops around England on the trips they’d taken together, everything they’d ever owned.
Gone.
Emma choked on a sob at the realization.
Everything was gone.
“We need a doctor.” A man’s voice broke through her horror, pulling her attention to her father.
He lay on the ground, motionless. Soot streaked his handsome slender face, and his thick gray hair that had once been the same shade of chestnut as hers was now singed in blackened tufts.
“Papa?” She sagged to the ground beside him.
His eyes lifted to her, watery blue and filled with a love that made her heart swell. The breath wheezed from his chest like a kettle’s cry. “You’re safe.”
Once the words left his mouth, his body relaxed, going slack.
“Papa?” Emma cried.
This time his eyes did not meet hers. They looked through her. Sightless and empty.
She shuddered at how unnatural he appeared. Like her father, and yet not like her father.
“Papa?”
The wailing sirens were still too far-off.
“I’m a doctor.” A man knelt on the other side of her father. His fingers went to Papa’s blackened neck and the man’s sad brown eyes turned up to her.
“I’m sorry, love. He’s gone.”
Emma stared at the man, refusing to believe her ears even as she saw the truth.
It had always just been Emma and her father, the two of them against the world, as Papa used to say. They read the same books to discuss together, they worked every day at the bookshop together, friends and colleagues as much as they were father and daughter. Once Emma had completed her schooling, she’d even traveled with him, curating books like the first editions they were still waiting on to arrive from Newcastle.
Now that beautiful light that shone in his eyes had dulled. Lifeless.
Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.
Just as a narrowboat must travel at its own, somewhat measured pace, the timing of this novel is deliberate and thoughtful (in a good way). This is clearly a book to savor, not one to rush through. Readers will commit to the experience of enjoying some literary travel in an unhurried way.
The Narrowboat Summer tells the story of three women and those around them. The owner of the boat is Anastasia, an older woman who has lived on the canals. She needs a place to stay off of the water while she receives medical treatment. She comes to stay at Eve’s home.
Two women, previously unknown to one another, take on the task of ferrying Anastasia’s boat to its’ destination. One is Eve and the other is Sally, both of whom are seeking change and meaning in their lives.
As the two navigate and travel, they become closer to one another. They also meet a series of people on their literal journey and their voyages of self-discovery. These include an elderly man, a storyteller and others, all of whom have something to say and teach about life.
The stories of the characters are engaging and readers root for all of them as they seek the lives that they want (and deserve). Take the time to travel with them. You will enjoy the journey.
As a side note, I have always thought that it would be marvelous to travel along the British canal system. I still have not done that but this book did nothing to lessen my wish to do so.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.
“As deliciously dishy as an English cream tea and the royal gossip whispered over it!”—Kate Quinn, author of The Astral Library
Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors. The first novel to be dedicated to this infamous rivalry, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals.
As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied. Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”
My thoughts:
Many are aware of the conflict between Princes Harry and William, and their wives. Of course, history often repeats itself and that is the case in some ways today. Because, of course, before Harry and William, there were David and Bertie, two brothers with wives who also did not like each other. In each of these eras, important decisions were made that affected the monarchy and the personal lives of family members.
In this book, Benjamin very enjoyably tells the stories of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Warfield Simpson and those around them. Their experiences growing up were so different as were their fates. Wallis grew up poor and wanted security. Elizabeth grew up secure and was not seeking to become Queen. Yet as each married a Windsor brother their lives were set on a course. There were trying times ahead for both.
Even those who think that they know a lot about these historical personages will find much to like in these pages. They will leave the book understanding more about the women’s relationships, responsibilities and decisions.
It is easy to recommend this title to those who enjoy historical fiction and/or those who enjoy stories about British royalty.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.
From the Publisher:
From Library Journal:
VERDICT Both a sweeping account of nearly a century of royal history and an intimate look into the characters of the two women at the center of it all, this will please readers who enjoyed Benjamin’s previous novels or those who can’t get enough of the drama of the House of Windsor.
Many years ago I read Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. Mona’s Eyes will do for the history of art what Gaarder’s book did for philosophy. Both of these books are wonderful and reward careful, unrushed reading.
Mona’s Eyes is translated from the French. It tells the story of a little girl who had an episode of temporary blindness. It is not clear as the story begins whether or not, she will face a life without vision.
Many intercede to care for Mona. The most interesting might be her grandfather, Henri/Henry. When Mona is supposed to be attending therapy sessions, instead her grandfather is taking her to Paris museums. He wants Mona to soak up the art so that it is in her memory and he wants her to learn the lessons that the works have to teach. It is from here that readers find out much about the history of art beginning with Botticelli and moving forward all the way to Pierre Soulage. There is ample description of each work as well as a sense of what Henri hopes Mona will take forward from each. To start at the beginning, the Botticelli is paired with learning to receive as well as give.
In addition to the art history, there is a plot relating to those around Mona including her family and friends. There are also details of her daily life.
There are no reproductions in the book so it is best to read this one with access to the works as they are described. That way, the reader can see what Mona is seeing.
I most highly recommend this title. Mark your calendar for its release date.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Europa for this title. All opinions are my own.
Note: This book is one that I hope to read soon. It is an e book bargain today.
Description:
from the publisher
Escape into the world of Sally Page with the perfect armchair read! From the author of the phenomenal bestsellers The Keeper of Stories and The Book of Beginnings comes another novel that will warm your heart.
Can one small note give her the courage to find a new path?
Kate gave up her dreams of being a painter years ago. But six little words pinned to the noticeboard of her local café could change her path forever.
“To be, or not to be …”—printed on an orange card with no explanation—appears one morning.
Each day, a new line from a different Shakespeare play is added, sparking curiosity throughout the café. Among the regulars is Bardy, a retired English teacher grappling with writer’s block.
As Kate and Bardy follow this breadcrumb trail, they discover a local community group encouraging people to rediscover their own creative spark—and the long-lost courage to chase it.
For Kate, their new group might just offer a second chance at happiness, if only Bardy can find the strength to share his story too…
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 