Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

I love to read, recommend books and open the world of reading to others. I tutor to ensure that the next generation of readers will know the joys of a good book because their reading skills have improved. I am an avid reader, especially of mysteries and fiction. I believe that two of the world's greatest inventions were the public library and eyeglasses!

E-Book Bargains (Rendell and Ashley)

Not in the FleshRuth Rendell aka Barbara Vine writes two kinds of books.  The Ruth Rendell/Inspector Wexford books are in a series and are typical British mysteries/police procedurals.  The Barbara Vine books are generally spooky and darker.  I prefer Inspector Wexford.  The first book in the series is From Doon with Death and there are at least fifteen altogether.  I read these novels a while ago but remember starting with one and just keeping on going.  You can read the series in order or try this one that is on sale today.  If you like traditional British mysteries, you may have already read these.  If not you have a treat in store.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In addition to solving two long-ago murders, Chief Inspector Wexford is troubled by female genital mutilation in the local Somali community. The temptation would be to cut the subplot, but this abridgment retains the richness of the novel. Tim Curry’s performance is splendid, even better than Daniel Gerroll’s excellent performance of Rendell’s End in Tears. Curry does a particularly marvelous job with the minor characters, such as the two wives-in-law of a local author, who cackle at the sexual innuendos of their own jokes. Then there’s 84-year-old Irene McNeil, alternately supercilious and weepy. Throw in the obsessive Grimbles, on whose land the bodies were found; some migrant fruit-picking Roma; Wexford’s family; Somali immigrants; and Curry somehow sounds like a full-cast audio. If only Wexford sounded less like his assistant Burden, the performance would be absolutely perfect. A Crown hardcover (reviewed online). (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Little Teashop of Lost and FoundI blogged this one just last month and today it could be yours for just ninety-nine cents!  Review reprinted below:

The following quote sums this novel up nicely:  “Glorious escapism . . . A foundling turned star baker, a tough childhood, the Yorkshire moors and a dashing neighbour are a winning mix in this bittersweet novel with nods to the Brontes.” —The Lady

I notice that I am doing a lot of comfort reading recently…hmmm.  Well, I do still have Anna Karenina with its vast panorama, complex relationships and depiction of the Russian social classes to finish.  Meanwhile…this novel was a soothing read.  We watch as Alice rebuilds her life following a tragedy, is helped by many along the way and finds herself.  There is adoption, romance, baking, antiques, friends…great ingredients indeed!  Try it.

Would you like to think about this? (Shriver)

I've Been Thinking . . .: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful LifeThis is the first book that I have read by Maria Shriver; I felt that it was worth my time.  This short volume is for dipping into as well as reading straight through, whichever you prefer.  Many topics of daily and spiritual life are written about in entries a few pages long.  Each ends with a short prayer that Ms. Shriver has written.  This is a book that is easy to relate to and offers the reader a pause for reflection in the midst of a busy daily life.

A blurb: “If you are feeling stuck, lost, or you just need a pick-me-up, this is the book for you. Shriver’s wisdom will fill you up.” —Hoda Kotb, coanchor, The Today Show

Pub day re-posts

PLEASE NOTE THAT I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Much has been written about Ernest Hemingway and his wives but no-one writes about them better than Paula McLain, whose new novel is about Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn. I thought that this author’s debut novel, The Paris Wife, was a wonderful book;  it told the story of the young Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. The author beautifully captured Hadley’s voice. When I started Love and Ruin, I wondered if Ms. McLain would be able to again capture the essence of an historical character…she does!
Martha Gellhorn and Hemingway initially meet in Florida. They become closer when traveling to Spain during the Civil War, a war which is hearbreakingly portrayed in the novel. Hemingway and Gellhorn travel together to Cuba, Florida, Europe during WWII, Utah, etc. with each locale coming alive. World events unfurl in their presence.
This is also the story of a relationship; what is it like to be in the orbit of a truly charismatic person? Is that enough? How does one maintain a sense of identity? Gellhorn, a writer and reporter of merit, struggles as a relationship of equals becomes less so. There is love and yes, ruin, in the coming together and apart of these two historical personages.  The reader is a witness to the joys and struggles of this couple.
I highly recommend Love and Ruin. It is one of the finest historical novels that I have read. Thanks for this one NetGalley!  It was special.

#LoveAndRuin #NetGalley

This is such an appealing book! Children who love their pets, and animals in general, will enjoy the short entries that explain why animals do the things that they do. There are entries about cats, dogs, horses, pigs, ferret…snakes. You get the idea. The illustrations are bright and appealing. This is a book that a child can read alone but that adults will also enjoy. I kept shouting out facts to my husband as I read this and I am about as adult as I ever will be!

April Recap

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Below are the books that I read and reviewed this month.  Each can be found by searching the author’s name on the blog.  On the blog, I also listed many e-book bargains, made re-posts for pub days and also put in some book lists and suggestions.  I have not re-posted these but they are there for you on the site.  Let me know if there are things that you would especially like to see (or not see) moving forward.

Little Woodford by Catherine Jones- Women’s fiction ***stars

Mindful Me by Stewart and Peterson ****stars.  Written for children but good for adults

Snoopy the Fitness Fanatic by Charles Schulz ****stars

Date with Malice by Julia Chapman ***stars

Fifty Wacky Things Pets Do by Fiedler ****stars  Fun for children

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Started in March) *****stars

The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy ***stars

No Cure for the Dead by Christine Trent ***and 1/2  Florence Nightingale as protagonist

The Little Teashop of Lost and Found by Trisha Ashley ****stars

Eleanor Roosevelt: Fighter for Justice by Ilene Cooper  *****stars Written for children but a good resource

Our Secrets and Lies by Sinead Moriarty ***stars

Macaroni the Great and the Sea Beast by Childress ***stars  A picture book

Love and Ruin by Paula Mclain *****stars About Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn

 

 

Hemingway and Gellhorn brought to life (McLain)

Much has been written about Ernest Hemingway and his wives but no-one writes about them better than Paula McLain, whose new novel is about Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn. I thought that this author’s debut novel, The Paris Wife, was a wonderful book;  it told the story of the young Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. The author beautifully captured Hadley’s voice. When I started Love and Ruin, I wondered if Ms. McLain would be able to again capture the essence of an historical character…she does!
Martha Gellhorn and Hemingway initially meet in Florida. They become closer when traveling to Spain during the Civil War, a war which is hearbreakingly portrayed in the novel. Hemingway and Gellhorn travel together to Cuba, Florida, Europe during WWII, Utah, etc. with each locale coming alive. World events unfurl in their presence.
This is also the story of a relationship; what is it like to be in the orbit of a truly charismatic person? Is that enough? How does one maintain a sense of identity? Gellhorn, a writer and reporter of merit, struggles as a relationship of equals becomes less so. There is love and yes, ruin, in the coming together and apart of these two historical personages.  The reader is a witness to the joys and struggles of this couple.
I highly recommend Love and Ruin. It is one of the finest historical novels that I have read. Thanks for this one NetGalley!  It was special.

#LoveAndRuin #NetGalley

Would you like to “Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay?” (Mansell)

Meet Me at Beachcomber BayJill Mansell’s books are the best kind of women’s fiction.  Both funny and heartwarming, this story of mismatched and eventually sorted out relationships is modern and entertaining.  Clemency meets Sam but he is married.  Clemency’s sister meets Sam when he is free.  Clemency makes believe that she is dating Ronan to make her sister jealous…but Ronan loves Kate..and these are only some of the stories in the book.   You know that all will be sorted by book’s end but the fun is in getting there.  In addition to romantic love, there are stories of parental love and an adoption story in this novel.  I have been reading Jill Mansell’s books for years, ordering them from England before they were available here.  They are among the best of their kind!

A tale for a young child (Childers)

Macaroni the Great and the Sea Beast is a read aloud for a young child. This picture book with appealing illustrations, is told from the point of view of Macaroni, the cat. It is a gentle tale about how he and his owner, Sammy, spend time together; they share routines, eat and go out fishing. What happens to their biggest catch? Read this cute story to find out!

#MacaroniTheGreat #NetGalley

Edgar Winners for this year

BEST NOVEL
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown & Co./Mulholland Books)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper (HarperCollins – Ecco)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola (Sourcebooks – Sourcebooks Landmark)

BEST FACT CRIME
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (Penguin Random House – Doubleday)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
Chester B. Himes: A Biography by Lawrence P. Jackson (W.W. Norton & Company)

BEST SHORT STORY
“Spring Break” – New Haven Noir by John Crowley (Akashic Books)

BEST JUVENILE
Vanished! By James Ponti (Simon & Schuster – Aladdin)

BEST YOUNG ADULT
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Simon & Schuster – Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
“Somebody to Love” – Fargo, Teleplay by Noah Hawley (FX Networks/MGM)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD
“The Queen of Secrets” – New Haven Noir by Lisa D. Gray (Akashic Books)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
The Widow’s House by Carol Goodman

How important is the truth? (Moriarty)

Our Secrets and Lies tells the story of Lucy and her family. If you enjoy women’s fiction, this may be for you.
Lucy was top of her class, ambitious and in love when she fell pregnant. The decisions that she makes from that point on fuel this novel. This book talks about many important issues in a way that is made part of the story. There is unplanned pregnancy and the difficulties of deciding what to do, teen drinking, sexting, bullying, etc. Characters are warmly drawn and each has a unique personality. My only quibble with this book is that it could have been shorter. Certain themes are repeated more than I felt that they needed to be. Overall, a good read though.

#OurSecretsAndLies #NetGalley

A fun book for kids and their parents (Fiedler)

This is such an appealing book! Children who love their pets, and animals in general, will enjoy the short entries that explain why animals do the things that they do. There are entries about cats, dogs, horses, pigs, ferret…snakes. You get the idea. The illustrations are bright and appealing. This is a book that a child can read alone but that adults will also enjoy. I kept shouting out facts to my husband as I read this and I am about as adult as I ever will be!

 

#50wackyThingsPetsDo #NetGalley