Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

Stress is a popular topic these days.  Stress comes at us from many directions at, what sometimes feels like, an ever increasing velocity.  There may be family issues, work problems, school struggles, etc. or you may just have a personality that is vulnerable to stress.  For any of these, this book may be helpful.

This book is organized into sections and subsections.  A few examples:

Morning (section) has subsections including Waking Well, Starting the Day and Breakfast

The Peaceful Home (section) includes Light, Shade and Colour, Managing Your Spaces, Positive Energies, The Feel Good Home, Outside and Your Neighborhood

and one last example

Evenings (section) which includes Winding Down, Looking Back-Looking Forward and Off to Bed

Within each of these areas there are short, simple things to ponder such as Forget Yesterday’s Mistakes, Create a Personal Affirmation and Call Yourself from Home (leaving a positive message that you will listen to when you arrive at work).

This book may be read in order or dipped into at random.  It provides some good suggestions for living comfortably.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

This is the first in a long running and very good series set in the aftermath of WWI.  The protagonist, Ian Rutledge, is haunted by the ghost of a solder whom he was forced to kill for cowardice.  Hamish’s presence enhances the book as it helps the reader to better understand Inspector Rutledge.

An interesting fact…Charles Todd is really a mother/son writing team.

From Library Journal

Just Mercy is a non-fiction title that is supposed to be excellent and thought provoking.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time

For the Sake of Elena is an excellent title by Elizabeth George.

From Publishers Weekly

The Other Alcott tells the story of Louisa’s artistic sister May.

“[May’s] adventures illuminate the world of intrepid female artists in the late 1800s […] The Other Alcott comes alive in its development of the relationship between Louisa and May.”  –The New York Times

Enjoy!

This book has appealing and somewhat comical illustrations.  The story is told in simple declarative sentences with a sense of humor.  A cute read for a young child.

Thanks to NetGalley and Xist publishing.

#FallIsComing #NetGalley

With simple vocabulary and cute illustrations, this early reader is designed to appeal to beginning readers.  Ideally, the book is to be read by two children together with each taking a role.  Early readers may enjoy showing off their skills with this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

#IThinkICan #NetGalley

Pulitzer Prize Finalist: “A stunning work of biography” about three little-known New England women who made intellectual history (The New York Times).

“Marshall’s book is a grand story . . . where male and female minds and sensibilities were in free, fruitful communion, even if men could exploit this cultural richness far more easily than women.” —The Washington Post

I read this book when it first came out and found it to be fascinating.  The Peabody Sisters interacted with all of the elite of western Massachusetts, including  Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau and Horace Mann.  One sister was married to Hawthorne and another to Mann.

This is a recommended read for those who are intrigued by the period.  The book is well written and very interesting.

Kudos to the author and publisher for this informative and important book. It deserves a place in all school libraries and would be an excellent read for Black History Month (or any month). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This non-fiction work tells the story of African American women’s entry into the Women’s Army Corps of WWII and their experiences while in the service, as they trained and were assigned to their duties. Issues of prejudice were quite present and the women’s responses, protests and efforts are noted.

Two things made this book exceptional: One was the photos that illustrated the text; the other was that women were named and quoted. These makes the book feel intimate and real.

I had an aunt who served in WWII. I wish that I had spoken to her more about her war experiences. I hope that she knew about and respected all of the African American Corps members.

This book is highly recommended…and not just for children!

This should link to an article about Shetland. As a fan ofAnn Cleeves’s Jimmy Perez series, I enjoyed this armchair travel.

On the Playground is a non-fiction title that introduces children to the ways in which prejudice can be hurtful and damaging.  In an afterword, the author states:  “When I was growing up, it was common to see other kids being bullied…Much to my shame, I remember doing nothing…I encourage all readers of this book to make better choices than I did.”  The author wrote this book to help children understand and do better.

This is an informational text.  It does not have a fictional story line. There are illustrations that are multi-cultural and multi-contextual.  There is a hybrid of what seems like a read aloud with other sections that are related and instructional.

To this reader, the book did not seem like one that a child would pick up and read but more one that would be part of a discussion in a school setting.  While I admired what the author hoped to, and does in many ways accomplish, I found the book to be a bit dry.  Using this book as a jumping off point for discussion makes sense to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this interesting read.

#OnThePlayground #NetGalley