Month: January 2022

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by Alice and Martin Provensen

This title includes a lengthy conversation with the daughter of the illustrators, two of their speeches, of which one was a Caldecott Medal Acceptance, an introduction and forward, photos of the couple, and…the illustrations. These go from 1951 for A Child’s Garden of Verses all the way to 2005’s Klondike Gold.

This book is completely delightful. The illustrations that this couple made are engaging and often whimsical. They often brought smiles to my face. This is a book that readers will enjoy visiting time and again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book will be published on 01 Mar 2022.

#MurderMostFair #NetGalley

Those who have read the earlier entries will be eager to get their hands on this title which is number five in the series. The books are best read in order but, if a reader is willing to accept spoilers from the earlier novels, they can read in any order.

First, the cover. I love the period feel to each of the covers in the Verity Kent series. They beautifully evoke the time period and character of what is inside the book.

Readers know (or find out) that Verity has had several earlier adventures which evolved from her work during WWI. Because of the Official Secrets Act, Verity’s family has no idea of all that she has experienced. Her mother, especially, judges her daughter. Readers may be surprised (as her mother would be if she knew) to learn that so much has happened to this young woman who is in only her early twenties.

In this novel, readers become better acquainted with Verity’s family. Her great aunt Ilse, who is German, arrives on Verity’s doorstep unannounced. What has brought her to England? How will she manage being in England where she is often viewed as an enemy despite her advanced age? Who has she seen? What does it mean? How do events in the present relate to Verity’s connection with her aunt when the war was on-going? Are the repercussions from that time about to cause trouble?

Verity decides to leave London early for the Christmas holidays, feeling that this will be better for her aunt. This allows readers to spend time with Verity’s parents and siblings in Yorkshire. Some of these relationships are less than ideal. Readers will also get to know some in her community including old friends, and new vicars and their wives.

When a murder occurs Verity and her dashing husband, Sidney, are on the scene and ready to solve the crime. Readers will try to figure things out right along side them.

I very much enjoy this series and highly recommend this latest entry. Alas, now it will be at least a year before I can catch up with Verity and Sidney again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This classic is free today.

A Novel

by Eva Jurczyk

Visit the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. You will learn a lot about ancient manuscripts, the appearance of a beautiful library and the (not always savory) ways of academia, especially when donations are needed.

Spend time with Liesl who has (finally) moved up from second in command to temporary head of the collection. Her boss, Christopher, has had a stroke and is unable to help Liesl with the many problems that she faces. Those she works with may or may not be trustworthy and one of these employees, Miriam, has disappeared just as mysteriously as the library’s newest acquisition. Will Miriam be found and found alive? Will everything be solved? Read this book by an accomplished first time novelist to find out. The author creates a good story and, at times, skewers university life.

One thing that I liked about the recently published novel, The Maid, was that the main character was so very much herself. I felt the same way about Liesl. She is of a certain age and temperament, deals with life and relationships in her own way. I hope to see her again.

Note that there both a reading group guide and a conversation with the author at the end of the book. These added to my enjoyment and understanding.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

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Erik Larson has a true talent for bringing history to life.  In prior books he has written about an American family in Hitler’s Germany (In the Garden of Beasts) and, in the Dead Wake about the crossing of the Lusitania, among others.  He is clearly well credentialed for writing about history and WWII.   As an added bonus, Larson’s books are not only informative, they are very readable.

I was quite excited to receive this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  As can be seen from the title, this one is about Churchill and his circle during the time immediately after he became Prime Minister.

I have read several books on Clementine Churchill, both fiction and biography so was very interested in this book.  It did not disappoint.  It was wonderful to spend time with this man who was truly the right man for England’s difficult blitz years.  The book reads easily and tells the story of the country and also Winston and those who surrounded him, including his wife and children.  Readers also get to spend time in iconic locations, including Chequers.

This book is highly recommended for those interested in England, WWII abd a human and steadfast leader to whom we all owe much.

Again, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Decolonize Your Bookshelf in 50 Books

by Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne, Kadija George Sesay

This title is a fantastic resource for those who want to expand their reading horizons. The three women who put this book together write on fifty books that are well worth reading. I want to list all fifty excellent choices here but will just list a few. Then readers can experience their own joy of discovery with this resource. So, there are Things Fall Apart by Chinua, Achebe; Wide Saragasso Sea by Jean Rhys; If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin; The Color Purple by Alice Walker; and Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid. All of these books were known to me but others, including The Emperor’s Baby by Bernandine Evaristo, an How to Read the Air by Dina Wengestu were not.

Each entry describes a book in depth. There is then a section, The Novel, that gives some context. Next is autobiographical information on the author and finally, my favorite section entitled If You Like This Try…

I definitely recommend this one! I agree with the introduction that notes that fiction can help us to enter worlds that are not a part of one’s own experience of daily life. This title will lead readers to hours of exploration and many new treasures to pick up. It will be an especially excellent resource for those who are seeking books by authors who are not white and who represent many points of view.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This title will be published on 22 Feb 2022,