This book is a terrific read for a young lover of mysteries. They will meet Matilda who is a hotel bellhop. Will she be able to solve the case of the stolen secret recipe? It is needed for the World Baking Contest. The hotel’s Chef Stefan sure hopes so!
Matilda faces some doubts and accusations from those around her. Will she triumph? Who turns out to be behind the theft? Young children will enjoy finding out.
Isabella Follath has created delightful illustrations that enhance the enjoyment of the story. All in all, this is a short and appealing book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
The month-by-month guide to your best ever gardening year
by Zia Allaway; Guy Barter
#RHSTheGardenAlmanac2025 #NetGalley
I found this to be a lovely title. There are attractive illustrations as well as many photos throughout. Gardeners will find much helpful information in these pages, while non-gardeners will enjoy the virtual visits.
This title is organized by month. Each month begins with an illustration and a thoughtful and evocative paragraph. Information follows on many topics. To name some, there are what to do in (that month), plants of the month, projects, info on things like average rainfall, challenges and more. I liked the many entries on “Horticultural Heroes.”
This title belongs on British gardeners bookshelves. I can imagine that its audience would want to purchase this one every year.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
To my mind, Ms.Quinn is a bit of a chameleon. Her latest novel, The Briar Club, felt quite different from say The Rose Code (a favorite of mine). That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy The Briar Club because I very much did.
A few things about the structure of the book:
The house gets some chapters as events unfold.
The story is told almost as a series of short stories with a section given to each of the main characters.
There are recipes from each of the main characters included.
As regards the story itself, which unfolds during the McCarthy era, right from the beginning readers know that there has been a murder. There may be more to come (no spoilers). Who was killed and why? Of course, readers want to know. They will keep turning the pages to find out.
The character who moves in to the house right at the beginning of the story seems to be the glue between characters. It is Grace March who draws everyone together and it is she who organizes the regular weekly tenant dinners. The residents who attend are quite different from one another. One character works at the National Archives, another is a mother with a young child, someone is more involved with the McCarthy hearings, an older woman was once an artist and is now down on her heels. These are just some of the women and all of them have backstories.
I would read anything by Kate Quinn and this book does nothing to change that opinion. I recommend it highly recommend it as do Library Journal and Publishers Weekly which both gave this a starred review. Readers will remember the women and events at Briarwood House.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own..
We currently live in a rather fractured and partisan world in which, it seems to me, we often lose the ability to disagree without being disagreeable, to attempt to understand another’s perspective and to venture out of communicating only with those with whom we already know that we will agree. How did we get to this point? Is it where we want to be? If, those reading this post recognize that there is work to be done but need help getting there, please pick up this book.
David Brooks has written a work that cries to be read by just about everyone, including the mental health community, politicians, the person who is a friend, a parent, a partner, and so on. He has synthesized a great deal of research on how to relate to others while also sharing some of his personal experiences with the reader.
Brooks observes that, despite being a reporter, he did not always communicate well outside of his professional role. In some ways, he wrote this title for himself as well as the reader.
Some of the topics artfully explored include how to really see another person and to listen to them, what gets in the way of that, whether a person wants to be an “illuminator” or not, defense mechanisms, talking about the hard things, understanding what empathy really is and much more.
The number of highlights that I have added to my copy of this book reminds me of how much I was left to ponder. Book clubs, teachers, social workers and others, read this book and then talk tabout it. It will be worthwhile.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Curtis Sittenfeld is a nimble author whose novels are each unique. I have read her takes on both Laura Bush and Hilary Rodham Clinton; while each had a similar subject in a president’s spouse, the books were definitely not the same kind of story twice. I also read Eligible which was a Jane Austen update. There is always a voice of its own in her works dating back to Prep.
This title is a lighter one in the Sittenfeld oeuvre. Many will think that there is some resemblance to SNL here. There are writers, a comedy sketch show with celebrity guests and other aspects that reference late night television. However, there are also the characters and relationships and they are Sittenfeld’s own. These folks include Sally who has not been lucky in love and has been having “hook ups” instead of commitments. She watches as a co-writer, Danny, who is described as not too well put together appearance wise, become involved with someone “out of his league.” Why do things turn out this way for men more than women?? What happens when guest host Noah comes on the show and what will happen between him and Sally over time? Read this one to find out.
Many have adored this book. I liked it. I could not quite enter its world and pushed a bit to finish it. That said, I think this will be a very popular read this spring and summer.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for the delightful new book by Freya Sampson who is a favorite author of mine. Many thanks to the team at Berkley for this opportunity.
About NOSY NEIGHBORS
Two neighbors-at-war band together to stop a dangerous criminal in their midst in this enthralling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Ticket.
Welcome to Shelley House: a historic old apartment building in the quaint English town of Chalcot where 25-year-old Kat Bennett and 77-year-old Dorothy Darling reside. Kat and Dorothy are notorious enemies—Dorothy sees Kat as prickly and unapproachable, a punk with pink hair who prefers to keep to herself; Kat rolls her eyes at Dorothy, a cantankerous senior citizen who can’t seem to mind her own business and spends her days sternly reminding everyone in the building to mind the rules. When Kat and Dorothy receive word that Shelley House will be torn down and replaced by new condos, and that all its residents will be evicted, they’re devastated—but they won’t miss each other, or even their acquaintances in the building.
But then, their friendly neighbor, one who has been a vocal opponent of the demolition, is attacked inside his apartment. Kat and Dorothy begin to notice strange happenings and even break-ins at the apartment complex, and it quickly becomes apparent that trouble is afoot. The odd pair must work together to figure out who is behind the crimes at Shelley House before anyone else gets hurt. In the process, they may even learn to like each other—and to rally a neighborhood to save the home they hold so dear.
Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past.
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House’s longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there’s a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors—a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home.
When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it’s up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice.
About the Author
Freya Sampson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Chance Library and The Lost Ticket. She studied history at Cambridge University and worked in television as an executive producer, making documentaries on everything from the British royal family to neighbors from hell. She lives in London with her husband, children, and cats.
My thoughts:
Quirky characters, an historic building named for a poet, a greedy landlord, shenanigans, mystery, alliances, backstories, relationships, good plot-what more could a reader want? I highly recommend this engaging novel.
From the Publisher
“Nosy Neighbors is addictive reading. Freya Sampson has a wonderful talent for creating characters that feel vividly true to life, and it really shines here. This warm and moving novel is layered with mystery, emotion, and heart as it explores its powerful themes of guilt and community. I just know readers are going to love it as much as I do.”
—India Holton, author of The Secret Service of Tea and Treason
“Freya Sampson is a master at creating perfectly imperfect characters that burrow into your heart and leave a lasting impression. A brilliant novel full of heart and colorful personalities, you won’t be able to put it down until the very last word.”
—Lyn Liao Butler, Amazon bestselling author of Someone Else’s Life and Red Thread of Fate
Sampson (The Lost Ticket, 2022) once again presents a charming story about intergenerational friendship leading to healing…This heartwarming tale is full of subtle humor and rich characters.”—Booklist
“The tenants are as crafty and charming as the house in this all’s-well-that-ends-well tale.”—Kirkus
Movie lovers and fans of Audrey Hepburn may now the movie Sabrina. This is the film that inspired this novel’s title and some of the story line. Much like Sabrina, Emma has grown up on a luxurious estate where her parents are servants/staff. Also, as in Sabrina, there are two men who capture Emma’s interest. Henry is the grandson of the estate’s owner while Leo is the son of the estate owner’s driver. Will she find true love with either of them?
The story takes place in the present with many chapters that detail the past and Emma’s experiences as she grew up. Emma was not immune to tragedy but neither were Henry or Leo. Leo and Emma discover something rather unsavory about Leo’s grandfather; are they right about his connections in the past? Also, what happened to beloved cook Fleur? A niece of Fleur’s also wants to know.
When the story opens, the grand estate is part of a plan for a luxury housing development. Emma is aghast and goes to an open house to learn more. She would like to prevent the sale. While there, Emma is reconnected with Leo and meets Fleur’s niece. Readers, the pages just turn from here as relationships build along with the plot.
I very much enjoyed this novel. Fans of women’s fiction with some historical context, should mark their calendars for this title’s release date.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 18 April 2023
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for The Audrey Hepburn Estate
“A complex family tale of love and deception. Brenda Janowitz always delivers delightfully complicated stories that leave me with tears in my eyes and hope in my heart!” —KRISTIN HARMEL, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names
“Brenda Janowitz strikes again! Fast-paced, emotional, and unputdownable. Janowitz skillfully weaves the past and present as Emma’s love triangle persists then and now.” —LISA BARR, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire
“Janowitz adeptly crafts a tale that is sentimental yet enigmatic, and readers will find themselves engrossed by this absolute treat of a book.” —PAM JENOFF, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire
“The Audrey Hepburn Estate is as charming and elegant as Miss Hepburn herself and, also like Audrey, hides a huge heart. This book is smart and sweet and funny.” —JENNA BLUM, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Family
As many may remember, Radcliffe was once the women’s college affiliated with Harvard University. As such, it was one of the prestigious seven sisters schools.
As this novel, set in the 1950s, opens four young women are enrolled as Radcliffe freshman. They each arrive at school with their own family history. Tess hopes to be a writer and is happy to leave an unhappy home life behind in order to be a scholarship student at the school. Tess’s roommate, Caroline, is a wealthy young woman with a voluminous wardrobe. She seems less interested in academics than in dating and having fun. There are then Merritt and Evie rounding out the group.
A new bookstore has opened in Cambridge. The slightly mysterious owner, Alice, is planning to have a monthly book group with the first selection being Jane Eyre. Our four protagonists join.
I enjoyed this book’s setting and the way that the gracious life of a 1950s women’s school was brought to life. I could completely visualize the common room’s sofas and the dorm dining room where waitressed meals were served. These details accurately reflect the novel’s time period. I also enjoyed and eagerly waited to see which book would be discussed each month.
Many things happen to and around these four young women. They go through some difficult times on their way to adulthood and the story can be quite dramatic.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 