Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

Which cover do you prefer?  I like the British one (on the right) better.

Cathy Kelly, an Irish author, has a long history of writing engaging women’s fiction.  I was very excited when I read my first Cathy Kelly book, Past Secrets. She has now written more than a dozen novels.

Secrets of a Happy Marriage tells the stories of characters who face losses and must figure out how to regroup and live their lives.  Edward’s wife and Jojo’s mother, Lottie, died.  How do they choose to go on?  What happens to Jojo when infertility is added to the mix?  What about Cari who loses a fiance when he abandons her at the altar?  And then there is Fainne who fled to America when she faced an unexpected pregnancy 40 years ago?  There is also Bess who was left to raise her daughter Amy as a single parent.

All of these characters interact as a party is planned for Edward’s seventieth birthday.  There is one surprise and lots that happens as the characters face their futures.

I enjoyed this novel and will look forward to whatever Ms. Kelly writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Cathy Kelly.

In September, thoughts always turn to school.  We either are going or know someone who is.  We either dread it or are happy about new opportunities.

I am in the happy group.  I just started a course on Children’s Lit.  The first discussions were on fairy tales.  In class this week, we compared three versions of the Little Red Riding Hood story.  There was discussion of time periods, the amount or lack of detail in each version, the underlying (or not) sexuality in the tale and the moral.  If this is a taste of what is to come, I am all in!

All of the fairy tales that we will be studying are from this volume.

I adored The Little Paris Bookshop with its story of how one can become isolated and yet have a richer and more meaningful life when moving beyond that unsatisfying safety. This is truly a beautiful and satisfying read.

From Amazon: “Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. (INTERJECTION BY ME…WHAT COULD BE BETTER?) From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.”

Will Perdu open the letter? If he does, what will this mean to him? Find out in this lovely book.  Highest recommendation by me!!

There is a lot of variety here but all of these are worth a look.  The Shell Seekers is a grand family saga; it is a book that I return to when I want to find a sense of calm and escape.  Among the Mad is part of the Maisie Dobbs series; these are best read in order, although all are good.  The series begins in WWI and has now progressed to WWII.  The books are mysteries.  Silent is the Grave is the start of a mystery series; it is slightly unconventional.  The Red Notebook is French and has been on my TBR stack for ages.  A Terrible Beauty is part of a series; I have not read this one but have blogged on two others about Lady Emily.  Dead Water is part of the Jimmy Perez series; readers of the blog know that I LOVE this series. Wings of Fire is part of Charles Todd’s historical mystery series that is set in the aftermath of WWI.. Charles Todd is a mother-son writing duo. Unnatural Death is part of the Lord Peter Wimsey series; these novels are from the golden age of mystery and are indeed golden.  Baltimore Blues is the first in the Tess Monahan mystery series; the protagonist is a Baltimore reporter.  Aftermath is part of the Detective Banks, English mystery series.

Happy exploration are reading, all!

Readers of this blog know that I rarely give five star reviews but I did for this one!

Many of us have warm memories of Anne of Green Gables, both from the novel and the Megan Folows and Colleen Dewhurst TV series. An updated series Anne with an E can now be streamed on Netflix, although I have not seen it. Anne was a favorite character for me and I have reread the novel as an adult. So…as you can imagine, I was excited to learn about this book. It is wonderful! I was torn between moving ahead quickly and savoring. This is a book to be enjoyed for the many photos and for the insight into Maud Montgomery’s life. Even if you have never read Anne of GG, this book provides a lovely, serene and visual armchair travel experience. Highly recommended!

This is a sweetly told fall story about friendship, being there for others, co-operation and apple pie!  The animal characters are sweetly drawn and engage the reader.  A nice book to teach children about caring for others.

#AutumnIsForApplePie #NetGalley

My review of this book from last year:

I loved Missing Presumed, Susie Steiner’s first book in this series, and was very eager to read Persons Unknown. What I most enjoyed in reading both books was the author’s ability to create a quirky, interesting protagonist in Manon. I related to Manon’s observations on the bonds of parenting and her experience of pregnancy. Early on, I was glued to this book because I was so worried for Fly, Manon’s adoptive son. I found the mystery itself a bit less strong but that did not lessen my enjoyment of this book. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I hope that there will be more in the series in future!

This is a very readable look at what it means to be Jewish both today and in terms of the religion’s long history.  The book is organized as a journal that a twelve-year-old Jewish girl, Ruth, shares with her close friend, Ayla, who is Muslim.  There is some plot centered around Ruth’s family to frame the narrative.

This book is expansive and inclusive.  It makes room for people with a strong belief in God and those who are more cultural Jews.  There are descriptions of holidays, customs and values.

Those who are Jewish can learn from this book as can those who are not.  I found this to be an excellent, liberal take on the Jewish faith.

These two very different book bargains feature female protagonists as they deal with their lives in their historical periods.

Cocaine Blues is the first novel in the Phrynne Fisher series of mysteries.  The books are set in Australia in the 1920s.  Phrynne is an independent woman who solves cases with the help of a cast of repeating characters.  The books are fun.  Note:  the novels were made into a mystery series that I think might still be available through Acorn TV.  The TV series was good escapist fun.

From Publishers Weekly

Has everyone read Girl with a Pearl Earring by now?  If, by some chance, you missed the novel now is your chance.  It richly and luminously describes its time and place.  Vermeer and his maid are brought vividly to life.  This is a quiet novel but a good one.

From Publishers Weekly

If you enjoy watching The Crown or if you are curious about the life of Elizabeth II, this is a well-written and researched biography.  While over 700 pages long, it is still an easy read.  There are also lots of photos to enjoy.

Praise for Elizabeth the Queen

“An excellent, all-embracing new biography.”—The New York Times

“[An] imposing, yet nimbly written, biography [that] dwarfs the field . . . a most satisfying and enjoyable read, one to be savored at length.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Fascinating . . . After sixty years on the throne, the monarch of Britain is better known for her poker face than for sly wit or easy charm. Yet in biographer Sally Bedell Smith’s Elizabeth the Queen, Her Majesty sparkles with both.”—More

“Smith breaks new ground, [with the cooperation of] more than two hundred people, [including] the Queen’s relatives and friends. . . . [A] smart and satisfying book.”—Los Angeles Times

“A fresh and admiring look at Elizabeth II, a woman whose life has been chronicled in numerous books, but perhaps never with such intimacy.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch