The cover of this book invites the reader in. Here, kids can learn how others around the world enjoy special days. They can also read about their own family’s celebrations.
This title organizes holidays by type. There are entries for the New Year, Nature, Religious Holidays, Carnivals, days Noting the Dead, and others that mark the Memory of People and Important Events. There are also entries on Special Occasions.
Just some of the holidays covered include Rosh Hashanah, the New Yam Festival, Saint Jordan’s Day, Busojaras, Halloween, Saint Lucy’s Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. For each selection, there are colorful illustrations and information on the holiday.
The author notes that holidays bring people and communities together. This spirit comes through in this book.
This title belongs in home and school libraries. I recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
With Agony Hill, Ms. Taylor begins a new and compelling series. It follows on her recent four books that took place in both the States and Ireland. I had hoped that there would be a fifth title in the series that began with The Mountains Wild but sadly that is not to be (at least for now? I can hope).
That said, Agony Hill is a terrific series launch. I have so much admiration for how the author has created an entirely new world and set of characters in this story that takes place in Vermont in the 1960s. I
Franklin Warren has relocated to rural Vermont where he will be a detective. It is clear from early on that he has a backstory and a life that has included some complications. Warren is glad to be in a new community. However, challenges come to him even on his very first day.
A “back to the land,” eccentric and difficult farmer by the name of Weber has died in a fire on his land. It appears that it may have been suicide as the door is locked from the inside of the building. (Of course, veteran mystery readers will know to not trust this). Hugh has left behind a young widow, four sons and a baby on the way. How will they manage? Has Hugh provided for them at all? Hugh’s brother certainly hopes not.
This becomes a case for Warren to investigate. There is also a second fire death early in the book. (no more spoilers here). It will be complex and interesting as events unfold.
While there are many characters in this story, another one to notice is Alice. She too has a history. Her life has not been limited to her beautiful gardens.
All in all, this was an absorbing story. I spent much time reading it instead of doing other things that may have needed doing.
Fans of this author and those new to her will both enjoy this one. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 06 August 2024
Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Agony Hill
“The author of the Maggie D’arcy mysteries (A Stolen Child) launches a historical mystery series with a compassionate, vulnerable detective and a setting so vividly described it could be a character. Julia Spencer-Fleming fans will want to try this one.” –Library Journal (starred review)
From Kirkus Reviews:
VERDICT The author of the Maggie D’arcy mysteries (A Stolen Child) launches a historical mystery series with a compassionate, vulnerable detective and a setting so vividly described it could be a character. Julia Spencer-Fleming fans will want to try this one.
It has been close to thirty (!) years since Laurie R. King’s first Holmes and Russell novel, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, was published. When I read this first in the series, I enjoyed viewing the Holmes canon through a new lens. Having recently read some Doyle works for a class, I was excited about spending time with King’s version of him, along with the inimitable Mary and other of his family connections.
This time the story is a fun one. I loved that there was a storyline about Damian Adler (yes, think of Irene) and his family. Where have they gone? Why did they flee? Holmes wants to find out.
Mary stays behind and in looking around the empty house, she finds some coded journals, along with memorabilia of a Holmes relation. Always up for a challenge, she will try to decipher these documents.
There is all of this plus India in the novel. King handles everything skillfully making this another terrific entry in a series that continues to intrigue.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
This is the penultimate entry in the Maisie Dobbs series. How I will miss her when she is gone! A Sunlit Weapon is an excellent addition to the Dobbs stories.
What I liked most in this book was the way in which Winspear created a world and opened that to readers. There is a fair amount about Maisie’s home life here including her marriage to American, Mark. Readers also see Maisie as a parent to Anna. She is willing to fight for her child and any parent who reads this one will perhaps relate to how painful it is when a child is unhappy. With Maisie on her side though, readers can certainly hope that Anna will soon feel better. Readers will also be glad to again meet up with Priscilla, Billy, Brenda, Maisie’s dad and so many others.
The mystery itself is complex and involving. Who is shooting down planes including some that are being ferried to bases by women? Why were two Americans involved in some dark plans? Will they suvive?
Also in the story is Eleanor Roosevelt. Feelings about her propel some of the plot forward.
There is social history in this book that readers will find of interest. The story of women pilots and the segregation in the U.S. military have places in the novel.
Winspear reminds me of the importance of the people for whom we care. She also continues to show Maisie’s growth. With Maisie on the case, readers can hope that some sort of order will be restored…even during war time.
I highly recommend this title and all of the books in the Maisie Dobbs series.
The cover of this novel drew me right in. It promised exactly what I needed during a stressful time. In these pages I knew that I would find Paris and food. In addition, reading the book I found characters about whom I cared.
Sophie Beaumont really knows the city and its culinary world. The descriptions of both helped me to feel that I was walking in many neighborhoods and tasting many treats. The cooking school itself sounded so special that I wished it were real.
Readers most closely follow three characters and those around them, including their romantic interests. Each has a backstory that readers get to know as they spend time with Kate, Gabi and Sylvie. Readers will want to witness their growth and will hope that they find happiness.
It is very easy to recommend this title. I very much look forward to whatever this author writes next.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Kids who have visited or hope to visit some of the National Parks will enjoy this beautifully illustrated title. The stories are wide ranging and interesting as the book shows the many parks in their glory. Start with a look at the map of the U.S. Personally, I did not know that there were sites in Texas, North Dakota, South Carolina and more. I also didn’t know that there are sixty-three parks in all (info on those not featured can be found at the back of the book).
In these pages meet people important to the parks. Find out about the animals that make the parks their home. See and enjoy the natural beauties. Jump in anywhere and explore.
Here is a treasure trove to joyfully explore. I recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book just made me smile. I love the colorful and engaging illustrations that feature beloved Sesame Street characters. I like the reminder (for both kids and adults) that there is much to be grateful for.
This book is perfect for any toddler’s bookshelf. They will enjoy the rhyming cadence in the text and seeing characters that they know.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for this title. All opinions are my own.
Australian writer Sophie Green has quickly become one of my go to authors. I have already read The Fairvale Ladies Book Club, The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle, Thursdays at Orange Blossom House, and Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society. Green also has a new book just out titled Art Hour at the Duchess Hotel. I will savor that one.
What Green does so well is to simply create stories that I want to sit down and read for a bit of escape. Her characters face challenges but they also learn, grow and even find happiness. That is certainly true in Bellbird River.
Another facet of the novels that I enjoy is that each takes place in a different part of Australia. The country is so vast and varied that these virtual trips offer armchair travelers a real treat.
This story features (as is true in all of the novels) a cast of women characters and those around them. They include Victoria a doyenne in her small town and whose husband recently left her. She is visited by her cousin, Gabrielle, an opera singer with voice issues. Readers also meet Debbie who has been in prison and is trying to regain some happiness, and Janine, who needs to value herself more. Finally there are Alex and her daughter. They are going through some struggles. Will their move to Bellbird River bring them closer together?
The device behind the plot is that all of the women sing in the same group. The joys that music can bring are clear.
I highly recommend this book and all of Green’s other novels to anyone who likes immersive fiction.
There was a time in England when Cambridge grads became traitors; among the most famous of these men were Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and Donald Maclean. They hid in plain sight, not suspected for a long time because of their social class and educations. They were idealistic to start with but some devolved into alcoholism and of course, many defected.
This novel takes place within the time frame of these spies in the late 40s and early 50s. One of the spies, Guy Burgess, is even a character in the novel.
Two sisters Iris and Ruth are the book’s protagonists. When the story opens, Ruth is successfully running a modeling agency in New York. She and Iris have not spoken for many years. Readers will find out why when they read the novel.
When the two were still close, they lived in Rome during part of WWII. While there Iris falls madly in love with Sasha Digby. She makes the decision to follow him wherever he goes and, not to spoil anything, they eventually make a big move. Readers will find out why.
One day, Ruth gets a call for help from Iris. She heeds it and this leads to the most exciting events of the novel.
Also in the story is Lyudmilla, a very conforming Russian. Where does she fit in the story and how do her life and the Digbys’ lives intersect? Again, read to find out.
Beatriz Williams has written an absorbing story here with an excellent plot twist. Events unfold; this is not a James Bond like read but it is a good one. The settings and characters shine.
Think about the title as you read. See how close you come to guessing some of the story’s resolutions. Enjoy the novel as you do. It makes for a good read.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Williams has a sure hand in this deceptively quiet novel, told from the perspective of three different women. She expertly shifts between family drama and a suspenseful espionage plot, and makes every word and note count.” — Library Journal (starred review)
When was the last time that you read a book and found that tears were rolling down your cheeks? For me, it has been quite a while but I cried over this one.
When I told my husband about this novel, he said that it must have been depressing. I replied that it was not depressing but that it was sad. Sadness is an essential piece of this book and yet to me it was a wonderful read and one that I recommend highly, if it is your kind of book or if you are willing to see if it is.
Henri, a French man with a history, is a journalist who covered wars. His thirteen year old son, Sam, did not know him. Just when they are about to meet, Henri saves a young girl but himself is injured and thereafter is in a coma. This means that Sam and Henri’s reunion takes place in the hospital where Sam, who has synesthesia, senses deeply and feels Henri’s presence. Sam spends every day at the hospital sharing himself with Henri and the novel’s other protagonists.
This book is the story of several characters: Sam, Madelyn who is a young girl in a coma and Eddie, the woman that Henri let get away. Their relationships are explored and intersect with one another over the course of the novel which is told in alternating voices.
There is a philosophical underpinning to this book. The characters both live their lives and imagine the ways in which their lives might have played out differently with the same people. The author also explores what she imagines that characters think and feel when they are in a non-awake state and what happens when someone is about to die.
Nina George comments that she wrote three of her novels, of which this is the third, to better understand death. She was writing in the aftermath of her father’s death. The book is beautifully written.
I very much enjoyed this author’s novel, The Little Paris Bookshop and feel that The Book of Dreams is also a keeper. For me, it is a five star novel.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a moving and wonderful read. The opinions are my own.
![Our Woman in Moscow: A Novel by [Beatriz Williams]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KOpkf8jEL.jpg)
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 