Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!
Great reads for adults and children!
#SimoneBiles #NetGalley
This entry in the popular series tells the story of the world renowned gymnast. Her successes in competition are certainly given attention but so are some struggles and her willingness to stand up for what is right. All of these facts of Biles make her an inspiration.
Simone Biles is a role model. Here kids will get to know more about her.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: June 25, 2024
An e book bargain
Susie Hodge has written a number of books about museums and art. I have found all of the ones that I have read to be interesting and informative. That is again the case here with Ms. Hodge here sharing her insights and ways of looking at things.
This title is well organized. There are ten elements of art explored in these pages. These include scale, colour, light, movement, medium, technique, content, location, time and, the artist. After explaining each of these in a clear way, Hodge moves on to explore a number of paintings. Just some of these works are The Arnolfini Portrait (van Eyck), The Serenade (Judith Lester), The Monk by the Sea (Caspar David Fridrich), Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Katushika Hokusai), The Starry Night (Vincent Van Gogh), and Guernica (Pablo Picasso). There are too many to list but all are engaging and worth a look.
There are works here that readers will recognize and look at anew and those that will be getting a first glance. In each case, it is terrific to read what Hodge has to say.
Highly recommended to art lover experienced and un. Note the many gorgeous reproductions as the pages turn.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Five stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
An e book bargain
Natalie Jenner’s previous novel, The Jane Austen Society, was a true favorite of mine. (See review on my blog). I was so excited when I learned that she had a new novel coming out. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the double thrill of receiving advanced copies of both the audio and print book editions. I enjoyed toggling back and forth between them, being able to listen on my walks and when doing chores.
The audio is read by one of my favorite actresses, Juliet Stevenson. She is brilliant and captures the voices of each of the characters, all of whom have different accents. This audio is a real treat!
Before picking up the novel, I thought that it was a standalone. It can function as that but there are some recurring characters from The JAS. Readers of that book will, undoubtedly, be happy to encounter Evie and some of the others again.
This novel has moved forward in time to the early 1950s. Much of the action (though action is not exactly the correct term for a leisurely read), takes place in a bookshop. This is a bookshop with rules; each chapter is headed by one of them. I loved imagining what the interior looked like based upon the descriptions. I adored the dropping of book title names and the famous real life literary people who came in, including Daphne DuMaurier and Ellen Doubleday.
The story focuses on a number of people who work in the shop. My one minor quibble is that I would call them women not girls, as in the book’s title. Evie is a character from The JAS. A Cambridge graduate, she is not able to easily find a job as the better jobs go to men. How does she get her job in the bookstore? There is some drama around this. Vivien has worked in the shop for a while; she has been thwarted by her inability to advance. She has also faced a tragedy. Change may come for her….Finally, there is Grace. She is presented as calm, practical and less than happy in her marriage. Will anything change for her?
There are a number of men in the story as well. There is the Indian gentleman employee who is interested in entomology. Readers also meet an employee who has a touchy relationship with Vivien. Another character is a Lord who owns the shop. Each of these men is well portrayed. They interact with the book’s female characters.
As was true for The JAS, this is a slower moving book and one to savor. I most highly recommend it. Note: All opinions are my own.
This title will be published on Pub Date 17 May 2022.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callhan tells the story of Joy Davidman and C.S. (Jack) Lewis. I absolutely adored that book so was thrilled when I received an early review copy of Once Upon a Wardrobe, another novel about C.S. Lewis.
The structure of the story is that George, a young boy with a heart defect, discovers The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and wants to know more about it. George’s sister, who loves him deeply, shares that Lewis is at Oxford where she, Megs, is a student. Wanting to do what she can for George, Megs gets to know Jack and Warnie and brings the tales that Lewis shares home to her brother.
Jack’s life story is beautifully told. There were very hard times and yet a man emerged who is so beloved by many. I won’t detail the biography so that readers can discover it for themselves.
George is preternaturally wise about life while Megs is perhaps less so. Over the course of the novel, she learns that her beloved scientific point of view and way of solving problems is but one way to look at the world. She and George are both deeply human, seeking, loving people with whom readers will enjoy spending time.
Those who have read the Narnia stories will eagerly read this title looking for the same insights that young George is seeking…to understand where the characters in the books came from, who they may have been based on and more. Will those answers be in these pages? You will need to read the novel to find out.
Those who have not read the Narnia books can still love this title. Its insight into a person’s life with all of its tragedies and peaceful moments are for all readers.
I give this one my highest recommendation. Ms. Callahan your talent for understanding Lewis and life are so impressive.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Our columnist on new books from T.J. Newman, Andrea Mara and A.E. Gauntlett.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2024/09/01/books/review/new-thriller-novels.html
In “We Solve Murders,” the author of the hugely popular Thursday Murder Club series introduces a new set of crime solvers.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2024/09/26/books/review/richard-osman-we-solve-murders.html
Wow! What an intriguing premise for a novel. With artist Salvador Dali as a presence in the book, readers know that some odd and interesting things will happen to Julia.
This story takes place in two time periods. In each of these, a woman faces challenges. Readers will know more about Julia, Persephone and Hades as well as a garden by its end.
This is a unique historical/fantasy novel with Gothic elements. It will keep readers turning the pages.
#TheatricalAdventuresofEdwardGorey #NetGalley
Anyone who enjoys Gorey’s unique, quirky, macabre way of looking at the world will, I think, adore this book. There is so much within these pages. Look at cats, Broadway poster designs, programs. photos, the iconic Mystery for PBS drawings and so, so much more. This is really a treasure chest of a book with terrific accompanying text by the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 15 October 2024
When I was contacted by the publisher with an invitation to read this book, I was over the moon. I had heard about it and was eagerly awaiting its release. It was an immeasurable treat to have early access.
This title offers a series of reflections and conversations between Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea. Originally written for an archive, the two got the idea to publish a book together, and the reader is so lucky that they made that decision.
Within these pages, readers get to share in Judi’s life and her professional career. Her love for her husband, her daughter and her craft all come across. She is witty, wise, and it was an absolute pleasure to read her words.
Judi Dench and her husband, referred to Shakespeare as the man who pays the rent because they were in so many productions over the years. However, Shakespeare never really became routine for them and Judi brought her best self to every performance.
The first play that is reflected upon is Macbeth. Judi Dench very much views it as a play about the relationship between Lord and Lady Macbeth. She sees the deterioration of their marriage as a true tragedy.
Included here are Dench’s thoughts on nineteen plays interspersed with other reflections. A couple of examples of these are Company and Fireside Ramblings.
For anyone who admires Judi Dench or who wants to more deeply understand the bard, this book is a must read. I adored it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 23 April 2024
New thrillers for September — a diplomat on the run and the new Peter James
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 