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!

An e book bargain-With Love from London

A Novel

by Sarah Jio

#WithLovefromLondon #NetGalley Pub Date 08 Feb 2022

This is the first book that I have completed in 2022. I hope that I will enjoy many others as much as I enjoyed this one.

To begin, I did not (at first) love the cover. However, by the time a reader finishes the novel, it is clear that everything there has meaning. This is true for the title of the book as well.

This is a dual timeline story. One focus is on Eloise. She is a British woman who makes relationship choices that reverberate across both time and the plot. Readers watch as she chooses between Edward, a wealthy Brit, and Frank, an American. What will happen to her and how will she cope?

Eloise’s daughter is Valentina. She lost her mother’s presence in her life when she was twelve. This has left her wounded. What happened? Why?

Plot lines cross when Val travels to London to take over a bookshop. What will she learn about herself over the course of this endeavor? One spoiler…she will find love.

I don’t want to give anything away so no more on plot. I will just say that this is a novel with heart.

The bookshop is really a character in the book. I would want to spend so much time there were it a real place. Because of this, the novel is an anthem to books and their role in reader’s lives.

I very much enjoyed this novel. It is a lovely read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Try for some: Mindfulness in Reading

Meditations on Words & Wisdom

by Ella Berthoud

#MindfulnessinReading #NetGalley

This title is part of a series on mindfulness. Previous titles have included Mindfulness in Gardening, Mindfulness in Knitting and, Mindfulness in Wild Swimming, among others. The wide range of subject matters shows that mindfulness can be approached/practiced in many ways.

The world feels so shaky at times that mindfulness may become more popular than ever. Those who already enjoy reading will, I think, find that if mindfulness is needed, here is one way to embrace it. This book has chapters on topics like losing yourself in a book, ways to read, reading like a child, sharing the joy of reading, finding one’s self in a book, and putting down books. There are also helpful resources at the end of the title.

Note that the reader’s guide through this book is a true bibliophile. I enjoyed what she had to say from the very beginning when she writes about how she taught herself to read at age five. She has not stopped since and is a bibliotherapist who takes her work seriously.

I liked that this book encouraged me to think about how I read. Mindfulness in the process will add to my approach and enjoyment.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 05 November 2024

Others in the series

Now out: Mindfulness in Knitting

Now out: Mindfulness in Gardening

Now out: Mindfulness in Swimming

Now out: Mindfulness in Baking

Now out: Mindfulness in Drawing

Jackie (Dawn Tripp)-an e book bargain

#Jackie #NetGalley

Is there a more iconic American woman than Jacqueline Kennedy? Much has been written about her and yet she still retains an air of mystery.

In this novel Dawn Tripp successfully imagines Jackie’s life with a carefully researched title. Readers follow Jackie over a period of many years. They will learn more about her life before Jack, her courtship and marriage to both him and to Onassis, her role as a mother, her career, her cancer diagnosis and much more in this well written narrative. Readers will witness both the tragedy and the inner strength that defined this most impressive woman.

Tripp has written a long (over 450 pages) and immersive novel. It is very easy to recommend this title to historical fiction readers and those who are intrigued by the myth of this woman.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 18 June 2024

From the Publisher

Your life, I told myself, was not the life I was looking for.
Chris Bohjalian says “brilliant, beautiful”Melanie Benjamin says “richly detailed novel”Therese Anne Fowler says “a wondrous accomplishment”
Bouvier. Kennedy. Onassis. JACKIE

Other books that I have reviewed about Jacqueline Kennedy

Get to know them: Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul

Yes, that Jacqueline: Jacqueline in Paris

An e book bargain-None of this is True by Lisa Jewell

Four stars ****

Is everything false? Is nothing true? Is the title of the book just a trick? Readers will eagerly, maybe compulsively, turn the pages of this title to find out. If they know Lisa Jewell at all, they will expect a gripping story that takes them for quite a ride. If readers are new to the author, they will finish this and look to her backlist.

Two women. Two lives. Two stories. Intersections. Podcasts. True crime shows. Is that enough? I assure you that it will be.

Josie and Alix are both celebrating a forty-fifth birthday. Their lives look very different when each goes to dinner that night at the same place. Josie is there with her husband and it is a big splurge while Alex is there with a large group of friends and seems more financially comfortable.

Josie starts something when she points out to Alix that they are “birthday twins.” Uh-oh, a lot happens from this point on as readers get t know these women, their families, the way their minds operate and more. When Alix and Josie start work on a project together a complex set of circumstances results.

Those who like domestic thrillers and.or domestic thrillers will turn the pages at lightning speed in an effort to figure all of this out. Ms. Jewell has done it again; she has written exactly the kind of novel at which she excels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

None of This Is True
None of This Is TrueNone of This Is TrueNone of This Is True
None of This Is TrueNone of This Is TrueNone of This Is True

Pencils out: The Ultimate Fun Adult Activity Book by Julie Demyanovich

#TheUltimateFunAdultActivityBook #NetGalley

A look at this book’s cover tells readers exactly what they will find inside. Anyone who enjoys puzzle solving will, I think, enjoy this title. It offers a chance to leave the day behind and concentrate on completing some fun tasks.

Some pluses for solvers include that this book is over 150 pages long and that the puzzles are grouped by category. For example, there are sections entitled Get Historical, Arts & Literature, Whodunnit and more. In addition, there are clear directions at the front of the book for each puzzle type.

I think that I will buy the hard copy of this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 26 November 2024

Adoptees Who Changed the World

A Board Book

by Lorri Antosz Benson

#FamiliusBooks #NetGalley

There are, I am quite certain, many adoptees who have changed the world. Of course, in a very short book, just a few can be featured. That is the case in this board book which briefly profiles nine adoptees. As can be seen from the cover, three of them are Steve Jobs, Simone Biles and Jamie Foxx. The others are George Washington Carver, Crazy Horse, Nelson Mandela, Kristin Chenowith, and Faith Hill. Each person has two pages with some biographical material and illustrations. Note that the illustrations are quite appealing.

I am not sure of the audience for this book. I don’t think that the text would appeal to the youngest children. I do think that this title could be used as a conversation starter.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 12 November 2024

What is it like to be: The Keeper of Stories (by Sally Page)-an e book bargain

#TheKeeperofStories #NetGalley

Often children follow the path of their parents but, here, Sally Page wrote her novel after her daughter, Libby Page, has published several. I think that Sally writes stories that are every bit as involving and heart warming as Libby’s (not that there is a competition. I loved Libby’s first novel The Lido).

As this story opens, Janice is working as a house cleaner. (See Phaedra Patrick for another good story about a cleaner). This job may not be high prestige but Janice brings a lot to it, including her curiosity about people.

In a way that reminded me of Maeve Binchy, in parts of this book, Ms. Page ably sketches the life stories of her characters. One, for example, has created a doll house but…it has an undertaker’s on the first floor. Readers will find out why.

Janice is an appealing and curious woman who enjoys reading and learning about people. What will happen as she learns more about herself? What will Mrs. B’s role be in this process? Read this enjoyable novel to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this title. I look forward to her next book. All opinions are my own.

This title was published in January 2023.

Advance Praise

“I absolutely loved it! So different, clever, funny, and charming.”

-Katie Fforde, Sunday Times (London) bestselling author

“Funny, wise, moving, and full of lovely moments…The characters are endearing and unforgettable.”

-Hazel Prior, author of the Richard & Judy Book Club Pick Away with the Penguins

“Absolutely spellbinding…Warm-hearted, thoughtful, funny, and yet deeply poignant.”

-Celia Anderson, author of 59 Memory Lane

“A treasure of a book. Beautiful, emotional, and heartfelt with a cornucopia of characters you’ll love spending time with.”

-Phaedra Patrick, author of The Library of Lost and Found