Those who enjoy historical fiction set in the WWII period will want to read Code Name Butterfly. As is true of much historical fiction, this is a dual timeline story in which historical personages have a role.
In the present, Lizzie is dealing with her inability to carry a child to term. She is heartbroken. In her grief, she returns to her childhood home and becomes intrigued with some family history.
In the earlier time period, readers will spend time with both fictional and real characters. In this part of the narrative, they will learn much about Josephine Baker (yes, that flamboyant one) and her role in a much quieter, secret life during the war. They will also enjoy meeting Elodie and seeing how the plot lines fall into place.
The pages turn in this story. Even if a reader has read lots of WWII historical fiction, this is worth a look. There is even some romance.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this title. All opinions are my own.
I love this book. The comics are all so endearing and sweet. This is the perfect book to have on hand for a challenging day. I will open this one many times I am sure.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
For those who may not know, haiku poetry consists of seventeen syllables. While this may seem short, so very much can be expressed in this form.
This title includes works by four masters of haiku. Read about each of them before going to the poems. The overall introduction is also informative.
The included poems are often gorgeous and thought provoking. I love that each page includes calligraphy and a transliteration of the Japanese as well as the English translation.
In my opinion each work is a jewel and meant to be savored. Read slowly and take in the experience in this lovely book.
Many thanks to Amber Books and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Inspired Ideas for Cozy Reading Corners and Stylish Book Displays
by Vanessa Dina; Claire Gilhuly
#BookNooks #NetGalley
Book lovers who wonder where to put their volumes will, I think, swoon over the photos in this title. This is a book that lets the observer feel like a voyeur as they witness the many ways in which books are arranged in people’s spaces.
In addition to looking at different types of nooks, for example those for kids or traditional libraries or small spaces, there are also other tidbits. One of the first of these, for example, details Gillian Flynn’s Favorite Mysteries. To whet your appetite I note that she likes Case Histories and The Westing Game, among others. Another of these lists is Jasmine Guillory’s Must Have Romance Novels. She likes Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and The Boyfriend Project, to name just two
This title will be adored by book lovers. Just a perfect gift.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
This very cute title will be enjoyed by young children who like animal stories. The text is simple and inviting, the depiction of the cats will ring true to cat lovers, and the illustrations are bright and charming.
Highly recommended. This is adorable.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Oberman’s alphabet book featuring NYC is very cute(as is her counting book, Let’s Count NYC). See 26 iconic NYC sights/sites while learning the alphabet with your little one. NY natives will recognize all of these and maybe those from away will start a wish list of places to see.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius for this title. All opinions are my own.
This comic collection features animals who represent human situations and feelings. The comics struck me as reflective of the times that we live in, meaning that a kind of gentle/sarcastic humor is taken from challenges of daily life and existence. These are comics for an adult audience. The title seems to perfectly reflect the book’s content.
An example to give a flavor of the comics. In this one, titled Your Issues, the characters comment on Denial, Acceptance and Exuberance. If this appeals or if the author is known to a reader, this book could be a good choice.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
I very much enjoyed this author’s first novel, The Last Bookshop in London. I was so delighted to see that she had written a second book. This one is set during WWII as was the first.
What could be more enticing than a novel called The Librarian Spy? I couldn’t wait to open the book and then became immersed . I highly recommend this sophomore effort on Ms. Martin’s part.
This time the author has developed a plot that feels more complex than that of the first book as she follows two different woman. The Librarian Spy is Ava. When the story opens she is working at the Library of Congress in D.C. Ava very much likes her job and the feeling of security that being surrounded by books provides for her. Nonetheless, when she is tapped for a special assignment, Ava takes the new position even though it means getting on a plane, something that is highly fraught for her (readers will learn why).
Ava finds herself in Portugal. Not all readers may know that Portugal was neutral during the war. The author does a terrific job of portraying the city. There are no shortages for many while others are waiting in long lines, hoping against hope to be able to board a ship and to leave Europe. There are the many who watch others; these Portuguese and Germans leave others feeling unsafe despite the neutrality.
Ava’s job is to collect newspapers and other documents that can be transmitted to the States. She meets with a number of characters in the course of her work. Readers especially watch her relationship with the British James.
Meanwhile in France, a second plot line unfolds. This is the story of brave Elaine. Her name has been changed, because, as readers learn early in her part of the book, she gave her papers to a Jewish woman who was fleeing. She was lucky to get new ones. Now, as Elaine, she is involved with the Resistance. Elaine’s husband has been captured and readers may feel a great deal as they wait to see if he will survive the war.
Readers follow Elaine through a depleted city as she couriers, and into the woods where the maquis hide. Will she survive? Will her work change anything in the war? Will Elaine lose friends to the Germans? Finally, how will the two stories intersect?
As I have previously noted, there have been so many WWII titles published for historical fiction fans so it can be hard for any particular one to stand out. In this novel, I found that the courage of these characters moved me especially when I think about the current state of our world and the need for values and bravery in the face of challenges. I recommend this novel even within a crowded field.
Readers who have enjoyed novels by Susan Elia MacNeal and/or Anne Perry’s Elena Standish series may also want to give this title a look.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub Date 26 Jul 2022
The author’s first book:
The Last Bookshop in London
A Novel of World War II
by Madeline Martin
#TheLastBookshopinLondon #NetGalley
Pub Date 06 Apr 2021
As soon as I saw the title of this book, I wanted to read it. The magic word, of course, was bookshop. I also found the cover to be very appealing. So, I initially judged this one by its cover. That said, I wasn’t disappointed.
This novel’s protagonist, Grace, is a young woman who recently lost her mother. Along with her best friend, Viv, she moves to London to stay with a family friend. The two arrive only to have war declared not long after. Viv enters one of the women’s units while Grace remains with her mother’s friend. She takes a position in a bookshop and the shop is also a character in the book.
This story points out the importance of literature. In a lovely scene, Grace goes underground during a bombing raid where she begins reading Middlemarch to those who are stuck in the shelter over night. Those stuck there look forward to additional chapters when the next call to go underground comes.
Grace organized the bookshop and develops a relationship with its curmudgeonly owner. She studies way to make the shop successful and, for example, advertises buying books to read while unable to sleep in one’s beds due to the bombings.
The author does a good job of portraying wartime Britain. There are losses of people, property, usual foods, a way of life. There are also the joys of friendship, love, books and connection.
There are so many WWII set novels being written now. My theory is that, awful as the war was, it is more reassuring to look back at that time than our current one. For all of the suffering, the reader knows that eventually Britain will declare victory.
I think that this title is worth reading. Let me know what you think!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher 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.
When I have the opportunity to both read and listen to a book I am happy. I can read when I am sitting and can listen when I am out and about. This synchronicity worked perfectly while I enjoyed The Murders in Great Diddling.
The cover and title give some sense of this as a British mystery and indeed it is. Great Diddling is in Cornwall. It is a community where the people who live there know one another.
The story begins when there is an outdoor tea party. Owner of a grand (if rundown) estate has invited the villagers to a tea party. This device leads to a rapid introduction to many characters for the reader.
There are the manor owner, Daphne and her assistant Margaret. There is Daphne’s difficult and disliked nephew. There are author Berit and Sally, daughter of her agent, and hopeful employee of Berit. There is a couple; James has a stake in a hotel and Penny has a stake in defending her husband. There are owners of village businesses whose doors are to be closed and others as well.
There is an explosion and in its aftermath a body is found. I will leave it to the reader to find out who the victim is. Suffice it to say, there are many with motives.
This is the lead in to a long, fun and involving story. Take the time to enjoy it. I did. Note how much there is about books, lots of books in this one as you read or listen.
I found the narration to be spot on. The reader was British and helped to create the atmosphere of the story in a delightful way.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 