Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

  A Place to Remember is women’s fiction at its finest and most absorbing. Set in Australia, the descriptions of place were vivid and brought this story to life. The characters were easy to engage with and I enjoyed reading about them. There are two stories, that of a mother/daughter and father/son who come to care deeply for each other as the reader does too. Romance is in the air but its course is not smooth. There are some less likeable characters as well although clearly the reader is not meant to like them. This book would make a perfect pairing with the series A Place to Call Home that is available on acorntv.com in the U.S.

#AplaceToRemember #NetGalley

As those of you who have read this blog know, I always look forward to a new Anne Perry novel.  I have read the Thomas Pitt and Inspector Monk series from the first to the latest.  Now there is a new variation to look forward to.  Publishing in April is Tweny-One Days, which features Thomas and Charlotte Pitt’s son, a newly qualified lawyer. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.  I am enjoying it so much and will post my review as soon as I finish.  SPOILER ALERT…I was deeply moved to learn about what has happened to some of my favorite characters in the series.  I felt a true sense of sadness but will not tell you why.  You may find out for yourself when you add this book to your TBR pile…and you should!

I am writing this in follow up to one of Madame Writer’s excellent posts on where to find inexpensive ebooks.  I recommend scribd.com.  It costs about $9.00 (U.S.) dollars per month.  On the site you will find an enormous selection of both audio and eBook choices.  You can search by subject, author, etc.  After you use the site a bit, suggestions will be given to you as well.  You can borrow an unlimited number of books/audiobooks each month.  I consider it to be money well spent!  https://www.scribd.com/

I loved this sweet, gentle and deeply moving novel.  It is about an elderly  French man and is narrated in both the past and present.  It is a story of how we live and view our lives and how we care for each other.  Characters include Baptiste who, as an infant, was mysteriously separated from his mother on a train never to see her again; Sophie, a young waitress who endeavors to keep Baptiste anchored in the world and they mysterious Amandine, a therapy client of Baptiste but so much more.  This is an emotional read that I highly recommend.  Please note that the illustration at the top of each chapter lets you know if you are in the present or past.

Another month means a new compilation from Book Buzz. Take a look to find out what needs to go on your TBR pile for April. Also, read the excerpts to maybe find something out of your usual taste.

Two long standing series have new entries out this month.  The Punishment She Deserves will be released on March 20th and To Die But Once the following week.  To speak of the second first…the Maisie Dobbs series is a wonderful read for those who like historical mysteries where the characters you come to love continue to grow and develop.  Maisie was born to the servant class but, as you will learn, she attends university and becomes a nurse during WWI and later an enquiry agent.  Her teacher Maurice Blanche was unique and imparted a world view to his mentee.  The series is now up to WW II.  I most definitely will read this latest entry.  I can’t wait and maybe you can’t too.

I have read every book in the Elizabeth George Inspector Lynley series.  The early ones were truly unputdownable.  Some of my favorites were Payment in Blood, For the Sake of Elena, In the Presence of the Enemy and most especially With No One as Witness.  However, you would not want to read WNOaW out of order because of what happens in that novel.  However, I then felt that Elizabeth George’s books were no longer quite so good.  As regards the new novel,  I requested it from NetGalley but have not yet been approved.  However, the NetG reviewers have all been giving it five stars so I think I will read this very lengthy book (at over 600 pages) when it is released and will purchase it if not approved.  Let me know what you think if you read this one or Maisie Dobbs.

We are getting closer to spring but, while you are waiting, enjoy this Mutts book.  Cartoonist Patric McDonnell’s critters have a sweet take on life and can also be very amusing.  Technically this is a children’s book but why should children have ALL the fun?

I adored this book.  It has everything that an Anglophile could possibly want.  There are churches, books and searches.  There is romance between a Brit and an American.  There are mysteries and family connections. There are even arguments about print versus digital.   On your first cold night in this fall, imagine you are by the fire and enjoy this read!

This year, I am trying to read more broadly.  I will always adore mysteries and fiction but also want to expand and keep learning and challenging myself.  I have read part of this biography so the full review will follow later.  I recommend it already though.  Suzanne Valadon had such an interesting, often difficult life.  So far, I have learned a great deal about the hardships that her mother faced, French history and customs; and Suzanne’s early years.  She will be a well-known model, painter and mother of a painter by the time I finish this book.  So many of us have admired Renoir paintings; there was just a marvelous exhibit at the Phillips in DC.  This is a chance to learn more about what transpired behind the scenes.  More to come but but this on your TBR pile.  It comes out in February.

#Renoir’sDancer #NetGalley

This week in my class on Adultery in 19th Century Literature, we had our first discussion of Gustave Flaubert’s great novel of realism.  I had read this novel when in my twenties and was curious to see what I would think in rereading it now.  I will share some of my reactions next time.

Emma Bovary, a farmer’s daughter, has built her life on dreams of being the heroine of her own romantic story.  Marriage to Charles, a country doctor, and life in a provincial town leave her stultified and looking for a great passion.  Emma flirts first with Leon and later with Rodolphe as her marriage bores her and does not meet her needs.  Sadly, however, Emma is naive and susceptible. She dreams and spends money that she does not have as she tries to deal with what she sees as life’s disappointments.  Next week, I will learn more about the book and her fate.

Questions to think about in reading the novel…what was it like to be a woman in a time when there were few choices?  Was Emma a good mother?  Why can she and Charles not understand one another? Does Charles, who loves Emma, have any clue to her inner life?  What does it mean that there are different standards for men and women?

If you have never read Madame Bovary, I recommend it.  If you have, please share your thoughts about this novel.