Getting this book as a gift for a horse loving child will ensure immediate popularity and thanks. This title is packed full of information that young horse enthusiasts will find fascinating.
The visual aspect of this book is very impressive with many photos. There is also a lot to learn with some of the topics including Mares and foals; Horses in history; Exploring the horse; Horses of the world; Useful ponies and much more. For each subject there is a two page spread.
This is a book that can be perused in any order. It is a nice entry in the Eye Witness series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and DK-DK Children for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Garnett Girls are women who are trying to find their way over the course of this well written first novel. Mother, Margo, was once wildly in love with Richard but all did not go well. She has gone on to a somewhat chaotic life and has been a less than perfect mother.
Margo’s three daughters have their own relationships and issues. Imogen is about to be engaged but is William really the right person for her? Is she doing what is safe or what is best for her? Sasha has a rather prickly relationship with controlling husband Phil, while Rachel seems to have the perfect husband d(he does lots of cooking and childcare). Is he?
Readers follow each of the daughters careers-writer, doctor and lawyer respectively. Has professional success made then happy? What will happen to them and Margo?
This book has wonderful settings. The characters are sufficiently complex and there is lots of plot. All of these make for an involving read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and, Avon and Harper Voyage for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 16 May 2023
From the Publisher
These blurbs are from authors whose books I have enjoyed.
I highly recommend this title that teaches and empowers girls (though it could be useful to boys, adults…). It is nicely illustrated and packed with information.
This title is divided into sections on matters related to home, schoo,l and being out in the world. Just to give a flavor of the title with a subsection from each area…learn how to do laundry, to have difficult conversations with friends, to understand money matters.
This title would make a great gift and I think the recipient may refer to it often.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. All opinions are my own.
So many know the poem of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s that begins “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” Many also may know that Robert and Elizabeth were deeply attracted to one another. But…how many know the background of their story with the restrictions of Victorian life, strong fathers and connections to Jamaican sugar plantations? How many know where they went to live and how they fared?
Ms. Mc Neal pens excellent historical fiction here. The people are brought to life and some new insights are offered. Historical fiction fans are in for a treat as are admirers of these poets.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
This series began with last year’s Mastering the Art of French Murder. This second title is every bit as delightful.
Here is an historical mystery set in post WWII Paris. It features a fictional protagonist, Tabitha, and a friend of hers. That friend is the larger than life Julia Child. Together the two become involved in murderous situations.
This time, chefs should beware what they drink. Not too far into the novel, two have died after imbibing what should have been very special vintages. Tabitha and Julia are on the case even if the police inspector (and possible romantic interest for Tabitha) does not want their help.
What I like best in this book (and in the first one) is the evocation of Paris. When Tabitha and Julia visit a market it is easy to visualize the food and want to start cooking. And speaking of which, every time Julia is around food, and that is often, the book is so much fun.
Highly recommended to those who are foodies, those who love Paris and those who like historical mysteries. I hope there will be a third book soon
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Last April I was lucky enough to hear Clare Mackintosh speak about her foray into a mystery series. It was a change from writing her suspenseful standalones.
After writing the first book, The Last Party, Mackintosh felt that she was not ready to say good-bye to Ffion and those in her world. I am so glad that she did not. I enjoyed The Last Party and highly recommend it. I also very much enjoyed A Game of Lies.
Would you want to be on reality TV? Game of LIes is predicated on a group with secrets who sign up for what they think is one show only to find out (when it is too late) that the show’s premise is based on something else entirely. This leads to disappearance, murder, and a need to find those responsible.
Mackintosh does a good job of evoking the book’s setting on the border of Wales and England. I welcomed back all of the ongoing characters and their (sometimes tricky) relationships. Prickly Ffion is a great character. That she has heart is clear from her relationship with Dave. (Read the book to learn who this is.) I also was happy to again meet up with Leo.
It is not necessary to have read The Last Party to enjoy Game of Lies. That said, this is where the characters are introduced and their complex relationships explored. I recommend reading both. They offer what mystery/suspense readers are looking for.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
The cover of this book, its title and the book’s description all drew me in and made me very eager to read this one. It did not disappoint. I think that The Women of Ardemore House will be adored by those who enjoy a twisty plot and an interesting protagonist.
As in The Maid (Nita Prose),, the main character, inheritor of Ardemore House, sleuth, and keen observer is neurodiverse. This leads to Jo being hyperlexic as just one of her talents. But, readers will enjoy spending time with Jo for many reasons, not just her autism. (It has been noted that the author also is neurodiverse, leading her to be well able to describe Jo’s world.)
Jo is coming out of a difficult period when the story opens. She is recently divorced and has been badly used by her publisher ex. Jo has also experienced the death of her mother. So, when she learns that she has an inheritance in England, Jo is ready to try out the ex-pat life. She arrives to find the requisite decaying country pile and its small cottage, a rather strange caretaker and a portrait…but it disappears.
When caretaker Sid is murdered, the story moves toward solving the case. This gives readers the opportunity to know all those working the case as well as the people in the village.
Who killed Sid? Why? Will Jo find happiness in Britain? Readers will turn the pages as they wait to find out.
I recommend this title. Mystery fans could not do better as they start reading in 2024.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Shannon Reed offers readers her idiosyncratic answers (and they are many) as to why we read and why she does. Early on Reed shares that, as someone with a hearing impairment, reading books was a comfortable place to be as there was no need to struggle or answer based on imperfect understanding of what was being said. Reed read everywhere and everything, even a car manual when she forgot (never again!) to have a book with her. Bibliophiles will relate to not ever leaving home without something to read; I know that I did.
This is not an academic treatise but more a series of wide ranging personal thoughts and reflections. Throughout it is clear that Reed loves reading and wants her students and everyone, really, to find joy in a book.
Reed begins by talking about getting her first library card and the many libraries that have played a role in her life. I know two of these personally which made the pages come to life for me.
Whether it is about reading (or not reading) series, signs you may be a character in a popular children’s book, reading to see ourselves across time, for comfort, fun or shock, or more, it is intriguing to see what the author has to say on a variety of topics.
This book would make a fun gift for a reader…even if that reader means giving a gift to one’s self. Take a look at the back of the book for an exhaustive reading list based on the books mentioned in the text. This will give a bibliophile many ideas for what to try next or to fondly remember books that they have read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
First of all, if a book title has the word bookshop in it, I am in! And, this time, I am so glad that I was. This is a lovely book that has been translated from the Korean. It is thoughtful and delightful.
Many know what it is like to think that they were on a path that turned out to not be the right/best one for them. This is what happened to the book’s protagonist who now runs a bookshop. The shop, the protagonist, the characters all are fully realized in this book about connections and life choices.
Anyone who enjoyed books like Until the Coffee Gets Cold or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, here is your next read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 20 February 2024
Editorial Reviews:
“Already a bestseller in Korea, this quiet debut novel poses big questions about what it means to be successful and lead a fulfilling life. A worthy entry into the ever-growing constellation of fiction about the power of books, reading, and community.” ―Booklist
“The prolonged philosophical considerations of reading, community, happiness, and the meaning of work offer moments of reflection and observation. Bo-Reum pleasantly evokes the feeling of spending an afternoon in a favorite bookstore.” ―Publishers Weekly
“A snapshot of life in a quiet corner of Seoul examines how reading can help give voice to emotions, worries, and dreams.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“A story that embraces its sentimentality.” ―The Observer
Before Covid I had never read a book by Brenda Novak. I then read One Perfect Summer and found that I could finally sit down and enjoy a book. Since then, I have read a number of Ms. Novak’s novels. Each has good characters, enough plot to keep the pages turning and generally nice resolutions of the story. All of that is again true here.
In this novel readers meet the Jane of the title. Life has not been going exactly according to plan for her. She is not living where she wants to, she has responsibilities, she wants to be a mom but it hasn’t happened and so on. What will happen when she interacts with her sister’s ex? Will her life become less messy by the end of this story? Find out in this book.
Note that this is a title in a trilogy. So, if you enjoy spending time with Jane look for the other titles. They are Talulah’s Back in Town and The Talk of Coyote Canyon.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinons are my own.
Pub date: 20 February 2024
My thoughts on One Perfect Summer
Do you enjoy women’s fiction? Are you ready to be immersed in a long (464 page) book? If you might answer yes to these questions, this title could provide you with an escapist read.
The setting is Lake Tahoe, a beautiful and peaceful place with lots of water, places to walk and sports to enjoy. There are three protagonists; Serenity, Reagan and Lorelei.
Serenity writes books about true crimes. There is a true crime in her personal life that has changed everything for her. Next is Reagan; she is an ambitious, successful advertising executive until one decision and one moment changes everything. She will be faced with some big decisions. Then there are Lorelei and her four year old daughter Lucy. Lorelei grew up in foster care and knows nothing about her family. She was happy in her marriage until…
What do these women have in common? No spoiler as this comes out early in the novel; the three share a blood relationship discovered after they did testing with a DNA site. How are they connected? Who is their common biological relative? Why has no-one ever discussed any of this with any of them> You will need to get very close to the end of the book to find the answer.
Around this central plot there are many others involving the sisters’ families, their evolving relationship and their next door neighbors, all of whom have their own stories. The strands intertwine and four narrators voice the story; these are the three sisters and Finn, one of the neighbors.
Overall, this was a book where the pages turned. The characters are well established and each is very much their own person. That said, I think that the novel might have been (even) better had it been shorter. Sometimes sections replayed things that were already known to the reader.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 