Mary Oliver was the most wonderful poet. I read her works almost daily. Oliver’s love of the natural world, dogs and people as translated through her works is wondrous.
Given how much I love her poetry, I was so excited to see that a book has been written to introduce Mary Oliver to younger readers. Hopefully, they will grow up to read her oeuvre when older.
I loved this book! Adults who find that Oliver speaks to them will want to give this a look too and not let it just be for kids.
The illustrations are gorgeous and show Mary as she goes from a young girl to a woman with white hair. Her biography is simply delineated including her relationship with Molly, the love of her life. Oliver’s love of nature also comes across clearly.
I recommend this one most highly!!!! It is so pretty to look at.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book is so sweetly illustrated. There is much to look at on each page. Kids could find the nine children and count or they could name the many objects that they see, for example.
This book watches 9 kids as they grow from infancy to childhood. Without banging the point on the head, the book celebrates that there are many different kinds of families who come with many different backgrounds and yet have similar experiences.
This is a lovely book for a young child and adult to look at together.
Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Bookstore at the Beach is the second title that I have read by Ms. Novak, following her earlier novel, One Perfect Summer. As was true of that book, this is a long (448 pages) story that is filled with plot and character.
Readers follow and get to know the lives, struggles and joys of three generations of women from one family. The oldest is Mary. She runs a bookstore in a small town and leads a fairly insular life. Mary is not a risk taker. Why? What happened to her in the past that formed her attitudes and character? No spoilers so you have to read the book to find out.
Next up is Autumn, Mary’s daughter. She has come with her two children to spend time with Mary over the summer. Readers learn early on that Autumn’s husband has been missing for nineteen months, most likely related to his travel in Ukraine. Should Autumn hold on to hope that he will come back or…should she again become involved with her high school crush who lives in the town where Autumn is summering?
Finally there is Taylor, Autumn’s daughter. She was feeling numb and engaged in sexual activity without using birth control. Is she pregnant? If yes, how will this define her life? There is also a strong plot line about Taylor’s friendship with Sierra as Taylor wonders if she is in love with her.
The author holds onto all of the many plot strands without losing any of them. She tells a story that has some depth and that held my interest.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Sarah Morgan has become one of my favorite authors when I want a story with good characters, plot and settings. That is definitely true in her newest novel which has all of these qualities.
Characters include two women who were best friends and are now coming back together. They are Milly and Nicole. There are other characters as well from Milly and Nicole’s lives.
Milly lives and works at her family’s lakeside resort. While no specific location is given, I would visit there if I could! Milly is recently divorced and mom to a young teen.
Nicole made it big as an actress. She has not been able to secure her mother’s admiration and, as a child, adored Milly’s more open and affectionate family.
A scandal causes Nicole to reach out to Milly. From here, the story takes off. It is one about reconciliations, friendship, living a good life even when that is not a perfect life, and more.
Highly recommended to readers of women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 06 May 2025
General fiction-women’s fiction
308 pages
From the Publisher
Other books by this author:
Note: While some of these are listed as e book bargains, that was true at the time of the original post and may no longer be true.
I had learned about this novel long before it was published and knew that I wanted to read it. I was absolutely thrilled to be given an advance e-galley.
I could not wait to sit down and begin this novel. I went on to savor it and find it easy to give The Eights an excellent review.
WWI led to devastation and a reorganization of British society. Many men died; consequently, many women were unlikely to marry. Social changes came as with the suffrage movement and (finally) the admittance of women to Oxford degrees. (Prior to this, women could attend but would not formally graduate).
This engrossing historical novel follows four women from this time period who were known as “the eights” because of the corridor that they lived on at their Oxford College. Readers meet Beatrice, Marianne, Otto, and Dora. Each has their own history and backstory.
Beatrice is the daughter of a very politically active mother who was an absent parent. Readers learn that it was difficult for Beatrice to confide in her mother. Beatrice s studying PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).
Marianne is a cleric’s daughter. It is clear that she is hiding something. Marianne is also less financially well off than some of her peers.
Otto is part of a family with socialite sisters. Her parents would like her to marry. Otto is studying Mathematics.
Dora has had two major losses from the war. Both her brother and fiance died. These men would have been at Oxford had they lived. Dora feels that she is there in their place. Dora is studying English.
The world of Oxford in this time period is engagingly portrayed through many characters in addition to these four. I came to care very deeply for the eights and did not want the book to end. It is my sincere hope that Miller is penning her next novel even as I write this.
Note that there is a helpful glossary at the back of the book for those who are unfamiliar with British higher education.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 15 April 2025
Historical fiction
382 pages
Note:
Recommended those who have enjoyed the novels by Pip Williams.
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book of Spring A Book Riot Best Historical Fiction of April A Brit & Co. New April Book to Add to Your Calendar STAT
“The Eights is an entertaining and moving imagining of four smart women dealing with the engrained misogyny of the time. I came to love these four women as though they were my sisters.” —Tracy Chevalier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Glassmaker
“A story about women taking their place in a man’s world, The Eights beautifully captures the power of friendship and love in the wake of extraordinary loss. It was a pleasure to read.” —Pip Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
“Miller’s engrossing debut follows the first women undergraduates eligible to earn degrees at Oxford University. …. They’re unlikely allies, a novelistic trope that Miller transcends through insightful and surprising characterizations…. It’s a memorable tale of a fast-changing world.” —Publishers Weekly
“Miller describes campus life in vivid detail, and her protagonists are complex, with hidden motivations and insecurities that are gradually revealed as their friendships develop. This pairs well with Helen Simonson’s The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club and Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club.” —Booklist
“A heartfelt, thoughtful and engaging book about the first women students to go to Oxford University – their friendships, their secrets, their ambitions and their opponents – in the tremulous, haunted years immediately after the First World War. Joanna Miller brings 1920s Oxford to life with a vivid immediacy and makes us care deeply about four young women who find themselves pioneers in a strange new world, trying to find a way forward in the aftermath of war. A thoroughly lovely debut that will win many hearts, with its celebration of friendship and the persistence of hope.” —Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Whalebone Theatre
“My book of the year. The writing is wonderful, the subject fascinating and the storylines utterly absorbing. I’m so sad I’ve finished it. I loved everything about this book. I ADORED it.” —Jill Mansell, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It
“The past feels astonishingly present in Joanna Miller’s debut…Rigorously researched, The Eights brilliantly synthesizes fact and fiction, and the trials and triumphs of the quartet are deeply relatable. [Surrounding a] debate about whether women have any business being at Oxford … The Eights is a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys emotional, character-driven narratives and for anyone who celebrates impeccable writing. But most of all, it’s for anyone who has ever been told they couldn’t do something but did it anyway.” —BookPage
I recently took a course on Jane Austen in which we read all six of her major works. I have also been to a terrific exhibit on Austen at New York City’s Morgan Library and saw a very creative Pride and Prejudice, courtesy of the Guildford Shakespeare Company. So, it has been great fun to be immersed in Austen in her anniversary year.
I had earlier read Pride and Premeditation (see below) and decided that it would be enjoyable to read another of Price’s novels. As can easily be deduced from the title, this one is a take on Sense and Sensibility. Anyone who has read that novel will enjoy seeing how the characters from it appear in this young adult mystery. The personalities seem to stay intact but the characters are used in the service of the story. So, for example, Wickham comes on the scene but not in the same way as in the novel. Still, readers will expect that he is up to no good, in accord with S and S.
The concept of the story is that Marianne and Elinor’s father did not die a natural death. His greedy daughter in law and his son do inherit the estate but the estate is a bit different. Mr. Dashwood was the principal in a detective agency and left his business as well as his real estate behind. Marianne was involved with this business as well and Elinor has been made a budding chemist (the better to detect poison?). Will the sisters conclude that Mr. Dashwood was indeed murdered and, if so, by whom?
I found this book to be light and entertaining. I plan to go on to read the cleverly named Manslaughter Park.
Again, this is not an adult book but I think can be enjoyed by readers of many ages, especially if the reader would like a bit of fun with Austen.
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-Price’s second “Jane Austen Murder Mystery” is just as clever as the first (Pride and Premeditation), this time giving a murderous spin to Sense and Sensibility. This novel begins much the same as Jane Austen’s classic, with the death of the Dashwood patriarch and their brother’s inheriting everything. However, in this tale Elinor and Marianne discover that their father’s death was a poisoning. Marianne, an apprentice detective following in her father’s footsteps, and Elinor, an aspiring chemist, are the perfect duo to take on the case. Over the course of the investigation characters from the original novel appear, easily recognizable despite changes in circumstance for many of them, because Price expertly crafts their personalities to match the source material. The mystery is just complex enough to keep readers guessing without becoming frustrating, it revolves around opium, so the book may be better suited to more mature readers. A suspension of disbelief may be necessary due to the historical inaccuracies (explained in an author’s note) regarding the Dashwood sisters’ unladylike, but empowering, behavior. All characters are white. VERDICT A delightful reimagining of a classic that will be enjoyed by Jane Austen fans and mystery readers alike.-Mariah Smitalaα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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
A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness
by Eliza Knight
#TheMayfairBookshop #NetGalley
The Mitford family seem to be enjoying a renaissance on TV and in books. There was a recent miniseries with Lily James and, not long ago, I read both The Bookseller’s Secret and the latest entry in Jessica Fellows’ historical mystery series that features Nancy and her siblings.
For anyone who may not know, the Mitford daughters were fascinating and so different from each other. Diana left her husband, a Guinness heir, to be with the Fascist, Oswald Moseley. Unity was enamored of Hitler. Nancy was an author and there were also, Jessica and Deborah.
Happily I did not suffer from Mitford fatigue and I thoroughly enjoyed Eliza Knight’s novel. As is popular now, there are two timelines. In the present, Lucy is a book curator from Washington DC who is spending time in England. She is fascinated with the Heywood Hill bookshop where Nancy Mitford once worked. Lucy also has a connection to someone Nancy almost married.
Lucy is a huge Mitford fan. She possesses some Mitford letters and her mother, who is no longer alive, had a valuable edition of one of Nancy’s novels.
While in England, Lucy visits the Mitford home. This is beautifully described and made me long to see the real location. Lucy’s quest is to discern who the Iris in a dedication in one of Nancy’s novels is.
In the historical timeline, Hitler is on the horizon. As noted above, some of the sisters are not pro democracy. Nancy does attend a rally at Diana’s urging although she is clearly not a “Black Shirt.”
Readers get to know Nancy well. They vicariously see her pre-marriage lifestyle in the smart set. Readers watch Nancy in love with the ensuing disappointment, marriage and compromise. They also witness Nancy writing her novels, working at the bookstore and trying to support herself (husband Peter does not do well in the work world).
I very much enjoyed my time at The Mayfair Bookshop. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy historical novels and/or women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for this title. All opinions are my own.
I first read about this book when it was published in England and knew that I would want to read it. My favorite genre-mystery- plus an Oxford setting and a lot about words. (I loved The Bookbinder which was historical fiction set in Oxford with much about words). So, getting this book from NetGalley was a real treat. It did not disappoint.
Readers meet Martha who works for the Clarendon English Dictionary which feels like a fictional stand in for the OED. She and her colleagues including Simon, Alex and Safi get to deal with words as their profession. They are just four of the many characters in this story.
As the book opens, there is a staff meeting and all seems pretty much as usual until an odd letter arrives. It takes a bit but Martha comes to realize that this letter may be referencing the disappearance of her talented, bright and beautiful sister thirteen years ago. No one knows what became of Charlie? Who is “chorus,” the anonymous letter writer? What other messages will be received? What did happen to Charlie?
From this point in, I was so drawn in and spent as much time as I could reading the story. There were also some fun treats along the way with various vocabulary words. For example, I loved conjobble which was defined as eat, drink and talk!
Still, while the English vocabulary references were great fun, it was the story that kept me intrigued. Publishers Weekly described this book as a “treat.” I definitely agree.
I am delighted to know that this is the first in a series. I can’t wait for more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 30 September 2025
384 pages
Mystery & Suspense
Editorial Reviews
Review
“There are pleasures here for anyone who revels in the joy of text.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Etymologist Dent makes an impressive fiction debut with a clever whodunit that pivots on her linguistic expertise…a tantalizing puzzle for Anglophiles and Golden Age mystery lovers alike.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Linguist Dent proves she is a talented wordsmith in her own right, diverting readers with historical and lexicological tidbits throughout the story…Martha and her team are whip-smart and fun, providing a light juxtaposition to the suspense elements, while the lush and vibrant descriptions of Oxford create a lovely sense of place; readers will be both informed and entertained.” ― Library Journal
“If you’re like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent’s impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary – it’s a tantalizing mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief… all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike.” ― Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
Next in the series:
Publisher’s Synopsis-From the British publisher
A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown‘s resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford
**AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it’s clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city’s streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 