Bear Grylls is well known to many. This collection is authored by his wife Shara who offers some wisdom for long term relationships.
Some of the advice is offered by those whose names readers will recognize and some is not. For example, there is something from Gordon Ramsay, from Miranda Hart and her husband, and from the Sebag-Montefiores. There are also words from more religious origins like the Bible and Martin Luther. Some are from members of the author’s family.
Some advice is anodyne and some is wise. Some entries are humorous while others are more serious. Some I very much liked, as for example, an Irish blessing and an Apache one.
This book could make a nice gift for someone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
This is a wonderful historical novel based upon the Book Women who delivered library materials to those in the out of the way sections of Kentucky. The book women were part of a program started by President Roosevelt under the WPA.
There are many book women in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky but the protagonist of the novel is the unforgettable Cussy. Cussy speaks in dialect which helps the reader to fully enter into her world. Cussy faces special challenges because she is the last of the ‘blues.’ There really were blue-skinned people in America as a supplement at the back of the novel attests. They were objects of curiosity and also of prejudice, just as was the case for the African American population.
Cussy wants to be independent both before and after her disastrous short term marriage. And yet, what will happen with patron Jackson who is one of the few to call Cussy by name, rather than the derogatory Bluet?
Cussy’s love of books flows through the novel. There are references to books that were popular at the time, including those by Steinbeck and Rex Stout. Cussy’s inventiveness in making books and delivering what her patrons need is impressive.
The landscape of rural Kentucky, the small towns, the mines, the mountains are all well described. Each patron that Cussy visits has a back story and readers will even come to learn more about the mule who transports her.
If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction set in the U.S., consider this one. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this book in exchange for an honest review.
As I write this, we are approaching Labor Day so Christmas is far away. Still, this book comes out in September so thoughts may turn to winter and holidays soon.
The illustrations for Wadsworth’s poem in this book are appealing and nostalgic. They beautifully evoke the season.
The poem itself feels very relevant with its repeating lines that evoke the need/hope/wish/belief for peace on earth and goodwill towards men. This is a message that very much resonates for today.
Note: There is one page that depicts momentary despair; this may need some discussion with young children.
This is a book for children but I believe that adult’s will enjoy it as well.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius for this title. All opinions are my own.
This novel by Bruce Nash is relatively short, at 240 pages, and yet he successfully creates Rose’s world. She is an older woman (in her 80s) who resides in assisted living. Her days are pretty routine and include meals, medications, visits from her family, time spent with another resident who is a friend, and time spent observing the life of the home. Rose also must deal with dementia.
Nash does what feels like an accurate job of portraying Rose’s inner life. He shows how unnerving dementia can be. Readers watch as Rose often says a word that is not the one that she wants although, often, she is able to make a correction. She also, for example, has a unique way of playing scrabble.
One day, her friend and neighbor is found dead. Will Rose be able to figure out what happened to her and why? Readers will watch as Rose tries to figure things out.
Readers who want to get a sense of the world of someone like Rose may want to give this title a look.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
I have read and enjoyed novels by Barbara Kingsolver and so was both excited and intrigued to see that she was publishing a book of poems. I read about this volume in an interview with the author that said her poetry was personal and could not have been put out into the world earlier in her life.
The poems themselves cover many topics. The first section, aptly in view of the title of this collection, is all about how to…how to Have a Child, Cure Sweet Potatoes, Survive This and more. There are a number of other sections as well.
The poems can, of course, be read in any order. I loved many of them. There is a life wisdom that Ms. Kingsolver has acquired and shares; take part in it. Read this title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I truly enjoyed Annie Lyons’s novel about Eudora Honeysett and gave it five stars. I, was then, of course, quite eager to read The Air Raid Book Club. It did not disappoint.
This is an historical novel that will appeal to those who have read Dear Mrs. Bird, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Last Bookshop in London, and other similar titles. It is warm in the same way with characters about whom writers will care. Plus, there are books, lots of books. At the end of the novel titles are listed should readers wish to explore further.
Gertie was married to Harry. Together the two opened and loved a bookshop. Sadly, Harry died from the very thing that kept him from serving in the military. Gertie has subsequently lost her zest for life. When she is asked by one of Harry’s friends to take in a Jewish child as WWII looms, she hesitates before making her decision. What happens as a result of this choice, the importance of books, and more make this title a most satisfying read, even with some sadness in the events of the story. As an extra bonus, get to know Mr. Hemingway…no, not that one! He is Gertie’s lovely dog.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 11 July 2023
From the Publisher
My review of Eudora…
So many of the reviews that I saw for this novel were quite praiseworthy so I read it with very high hopes and expectations. It did not disappoint. This is a novel that engages the reader through its characters and its story lines. I think that readers who enjoyed novels like The Little Paris Bookshop or The Lido will want to read this one…as will many others. Miss Honeysett is a prim woman who is 85 years old. She believes that the time has come to take control of the end of her life. This leads her to contact a Dignitas like clinic and submit an application. Will her request be granted? Will Eudora want it to be? Readers learn that Eudora faced a number of tragedies and disappointments over the course of her her life. Most chapters in the novel include a flashback to a key moment for Eudora. No spoilers so I do not want to write more. In the present, Eudora meets the irrepressible Rose. The two have a relationship that evolves over the course of the book as Rose awaits becoming a big sister. Another important character is Stanley. His friendship with Eudora and Rose is impacted by some memory issues. What will happen to each of them? At times acerbic, at times touching this is a novel that I most definitely recommend. Give it a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
They sure do: My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!
by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
#MyGrandmaandGrandpaRock #NetGalley
This book is so very inviting and will be enjoyed by kids and their grandparents. The illustrations are lively and engaging. The accompanying text is fun.
The narrator’s grandparents enjoy music, both singing and with their hands respectively, and are not quiet and calm. They dress uniquely. They are given space here, even as kids are invited to think about what their own grandparents are like and can do.
The end of the book has fun illustrations with the names for grandparents in many cultures. A shout out is given to whatever talents they may have, sweetly ending with how they love their grandchildren.
This title will make a perfect addition to a toddler’s library.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for this title. All opinions are my own.
Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott (Bronson and Louisa May)…Margaret Fuller? Most readers of American fiction and essays know the first few names on this list. They may be less familiar with Margaret Fuller. However, by the time that readers close this book, they will fully appreciate her life with its successes, challenges and tragedy.
Young Margaret was a highly intelligent child, whose father took her education most seriously. When he died, Margaret was left feeling that she needed to support her family. She did that while also being part of the transcendentalist movement and more.
One aspect of the book that I really liked was the way in which icons became human. For example, early in the novel, Margaret visits Emerson and his second wife. Waldo, as Margaret is invited to call him, engages in a flirtation with Margaret. It is in moments like this, that readers get to look at great American figures in a new and less iconic way. Similarly, as the story opens, Thoreau is a young man working for the Emersons, and just beginning his writing career. Bronson Alcott is running a school, while Louisa May is still a child.
Pataki has written a number of works of historical fiction. She has another success on her hands here.
Many thanks toNetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 