Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

I was intrigued by this non-fiction title when it was released and have been wanting to read it.  Today was my lucky day as it was on sale as an e-book for just $2.99.  As I haven’t read it yet, I will copy from a review so you can learn more.  “Irresistible…. We owe Mundy gratitude for rescuing these hidden figures from obscurity. Even more valuable is her challenge to the myth of the eccentric, inspired, solitary male genius, like Alan Turing.”―Elaine Showalter, Washington Post

I first read the Luke Thanet mysteries when they were published in the 1980s.  The novels have recently been re-released.  I blogged on The Night She Died which I received from NetGalley.  I found that I still very much enjoyed spending time with Luke, his family and his sidekick, Mike.  The mysteries are cozies set in an English village.  If you are a fan of classic mystery writers like Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh or if you watch Midsomer Murders on TV, these are worth your while.  The Inspector Thanet Mysteries Volume One is on sale for $3.99 today, if you need further inducement.

I have been blogging about Anne Perry a lot it seems. Then today I saw this as an e-book deal.  The first three Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels are on sale today for $3.99.  If you want to try the series,  this is a good opportunity.  If you like the Victorian era, interesting characters and good mysteries, these novels could be just the thing for you.  Happy reading!

Fifty Ways to Feel Happy offers kids ways to manage stress and cope with life when it is difficult. The book is divided into ten sections with each having activities and ideas. I especially liked the chapter on mindfulness with its suggestions for becoming centered when stressed. For a more introverted child, the section on relating could be very helpful. Topics for conversations with friends give some good ideas for initiating and reaching out.  One other take away that I particularly liked was the use of the word YET as in I can’t do this YET, or I don’t understand this YET. There are art activities, inspirational suggestions and all around good ideas throughout the book.This book could provide useful discussion with your child so consider taking a look.

#50waysToFeelHappy #NetGalley

I have reviewed several Anne Perry books on this blog so those of you who read regularly know that I love her historical mysteries.  From the offer: “In the posh London street of Paragon Walk, a young woman is brutally raped and murdered. Once again, an incomparable team of sleuths—Inspector Thomas Pitt and his young wife, Charlotte—peers behind the elegant masks of the well-born suspects and reveals that something ugly lurks behind the handsome facades of Paragon Walk. It’s something that could lead to more scandal and more murder. Deal expires 3/23/18.”  I think if you read one book by Anne Perry, you will read two or three…or twenty!

I recently blogged Summer at Willow Lake which is the first novel in Susan Wiggs’ Lake Shore Chronicles.  This is the start of a great series with 11 novels to date.  In this one, Olivia Bellamy is restoring her grandparent’s summer camp site in the Catskills.  The characters are lovingly portrayed and this is a wonderful start to a long relationship with the Bellamys.  As the series goes on both new and old characters make appearances which makes for a perfect read with many books to enjoy.

Everyone, I think, knows Jojo Moyes three book series about Louisa that starts with Me Before You and recently finished with Still Me.  However, Ms. Moyes has been writing for years and has a number of good books to her name.  Sheltering Rain is an early one.  I have not yet read it but it is on my TBR list.  Maybe you want it to be on yours too?

These are both books that I think are more than worth their price!  Enjoy.

I recently blogged about The Paris Wife which is an historical novel telling the story of Ernest Hemingway and Hadley, his first (of five, but who is counting?) wives.  It fictionalizes Hemingway’s early years as a writer, his move to Paris, falling in love with bull fighting and trying to become a published author.  There are appearances by the amazing denizens of Paris including Gertrude Stein, the Fitzgeralds and the Murphys.  I cam to admire and like Hadley very much. This was Paula McLain’s first book but reads like that of a more experienced writer.

Before I Go to Sleep was written before the surge of novels like Gone, Girl and The Girl on the Train.  As you see, it does not have the word “girl” in its title.  Nonetheless, it is a good and suspenseful read of that genre.  The novel is about a woman who has suffered a memory loss.  She keeps a journal with what she recalls each day as per her doctor.  Who should she trust?  What should she do?  It is a thrilling read.  This was made into a movie with Nicole Kidman although I have not see it.

At first I thought that these books had nothing in common but actually they do.  They are about marriages; how and can they work, who is trustworthy and how does one make it through.  Hope you put one or both of these on your TBR pile.

Today, it is cold and snowy where I live.  What better weather for reading a novel that is set in a hot climate, in this case India.  A full review of this novel is to follow but so far I am truly enjoying it.  This is the first in a series about Perveen Mistry, the first female lawyer in her Indian city in the 1920s.  I look forward to finishing this and to reading the next novel when it is released.

The author, Sujata Massey, is an author I know well.  I have read all of her Rei Shimura mysteries and I cannot recommend them too highly.  In each, while reading an absorbing and character driven story, the reader learns about an aspect of Japanese culture.  The first novel, The Salaryman’s Wife, is about exactly what this says, a wife who is home while her husband works.  In other novels, I learned about manga, flower arranging, pearl diving, etc.  There are recurring characters, romance, family, murder and excellent mysteries.  If you have not tried this series, you should! (in order)  And when you finish, move on to India and Malabar Hill.

These are just a few of the books but look for them all.  You won’t regret it but, if you do, please let me know.

This is a gorgeous book and one that I highly recommend to travelers, both armchair and ready to go. The photos are so beautiful and evoke the best of the American spirit. The narratives add a deeper dimension to the book. A number of trips are described that can be taken on classic American roads in all parts of the country. Enjoy looking at places you have been while dreaming about where you would like to go next. You won’t regret spending time with this volume.

#NorthAmericanRoadTrips #NetGalley

March is that terrifying, sometimes exhilarating time of year for those who are waiting to hear from colleges.  The season made me think about two novels.  Admission is the story of an admissions officer at a college who has to make all of the usual difficult decisions about who is in and who is out.  Portia’s situation becomes more complicated as issues from her past arise.  Will she compromise her values?  How much power do those admissions officers have?  This is a good read and the basis for the movie starring Tina Fey.

The Gilded Years is an historical novel that takes place at Vassar at the turn of the 20th century.  It gives a clear picture of what it was like to be a student at an elite women’s college at a time when many women did not receive higher education.  The reader also gets to experience the many and unique traditions that the college had.  Added to this narrative is an important historical dimension as the novel tells the story of an African American young woman who was passing as white in order to attend the school.  What was this like for her?  Will she be found out?  How alone did she feel?  This novel is based on true events and I would highly recommend it.  You will get a sense of how far (and not) we have come over the years.

Good luck to all high school seniors out there.   Read these novels for evidence that you are not alone.