Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!
Great reads for adults and children!
Here is a wonderful, empathic, gorgeously colorful counting book. It can be used as exactly that but this is also a title that invites discussion as kids and their adults read the text and think about the people in the pages. This book gives a sense of how interlinked we are.
Note too that the end of the book offers questions and activities. All in all, a really nice book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#ADeadlyWalkinDevon #NetGalley
Here is the first entry in a promising new cozy series. The protagonist, is Rick who goes by the nickname Chase; he is a retired detective whose partner died not long ago. Chase continues to miss him.
Chase has made plans to go on a walking tour in England. Also on the tour is his very good friend Billie, a retired librarian. They are two in a group of travelers. The most obnoxious of these has been threatened and indeed is murdered.
This is not a locked room but there is the concept of a contained group of people who come together. Who had the strongest motive? Will Chase be drawn in the solve the murder? Of course! The fun is in watching how things go.
I enjoyed getting to know Chase and Billie. I did indeed find the victim to be obnoxious and I enjoyed my virtual trip to England. Recommended for cozy fans who like their mysteries with some armchair travel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 26 March 2024
New historical fiction for June — Dunkirk, dogfights and drudgery
Frank Bruni is a long term columnist with the New York Times and a writer who ably reflects what is going on in the world around him (and us). That is true here.
The cover of this book is quite evocative and points to how many are living now-instead of pouring oil on troubled waters, many seem to be reaching for the gasoline. Why so much grievance? Why so little understanding?
Bruni goes through many of the current grievances. Many of these will be familiar to readers who may have already formed their own opinions. Keep reading though because Bruni also has suggestions about how to do better. There are also suggested readings.
Note: those who regularly read Bruni’s columns may well find some familiar material here.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 30 April 2024
For many readers, including me, just seeing Katherine Cemter’s name on the cover of a book is enough to make it a must read. Center is a master of writing stories with good characters, plots that keep the pages turning and, most importantly, humor and heart. Readers come to care about her characters and their lives, almost as if they are real people. This book is no exception.
Emma is woman with unrealized dreams and potential. She works freelance on writing projects for her old high school boyfriend. Emma’s father was in a catastrophic accident and requires her to be around full time. Her sister has, in some ways, been living out Emma’s dreams. She has gotten to go away to college and is about to begin a prestigious internship as the story opens.
A plot twist then comes. Logan, the high school boyfriend, offers Emma a ghost writing job with her absolute idol, screenwriter, Charlie Yates. Let’s just say that Emma has an unbelievable crush on Charlie and his films. However, his latest attempt, an update of one of Emma’s favorite movies (It Happened One Night) is an absolute disaster.
So…Emma makes the necessary arrangements for what she thinks will be the job and experience of a lifetime and flies out to L.A. Okay…I’ve set the scene but don’t want to spoil the fun by saying anything else.
This book is a perfect summer read. Anyone who picks it up will be sorry to see it end.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 11 June 2024
I both read and listened to this book, enjoying the audio when I was going for walks or doing household stuff. As a real treat, it is partly narrated by the author. The audio is excellent and invites the reader right in.
Either way (or both) that is chosen, here is a book to put on a must read list.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for this delightful listen.
#ThePhoenixBallroom #NetGalley
Any book that Ruth Hogan writes is a book that I want to read. I still remember how much I loved The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes. I also enjoyed Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel, and The Moon, The Stars and Madame Burova. Common to all of these novels are characters for whom readers will care and good stories. That excellent trend continues in The Phoenix Ballroom.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be widowed at a certain age? Does life end or do new experiences come to one? Does it have to be that adult children think they know what is best for one? These are some of the themes in this story.
Venetia is seventy-four when her husband dies. Around the same time, her son and his wife plan to move to France leaving their young son, Kite, behind in boarding school. He is not happy there. Additionally, Venetia’s son, Heron, wants her to have someone nearby. This leads to Liberty Bell’s arrival.
Liberty has her own story. When her mother died, she did not receive the inheritance that she expected. She was left a copy of The Lady magazine which is where she saw the ad for Venetia’s position.
Kite, Liberty and Venetia will all develop and grow in these pages. Readers will adore spending time with them, other characters, and Venetia’s dog named Colin Firth. They will also watch to see what happens to the ballroom of the title.
Anyone who loves a good and charming story should pick this one up. It is very highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 11 June 2024
An e book bargain today
Pub Date 18 May 2021
Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna is the fourth entry in what I find to be a rather quirky series. There is a lot happening in this one with exorcism, a dead nun and an extraordinarily attractive priest. Then, of course, there is Poldi, actually not Italian but Bavarian. Readers of the series know that she is very busy in Sicily though.
Fans of Poldi will welcome this book with its humor and action. It is not for everyone though in my opinion. Those wanting a very traditional mystery may be disappointed.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
An e book bargain today
#TheBerlinLetters #NetGalley
Imagine that it is the weekend. You (Monica) are a mom with a three year old little girl (Luisa). Your husband (Haris) is a journalist and needs to work even though it is not a weekday. You live in the eastern part of Berlin. You are meeting your parents for lunch. They have moved a few blocks away and are just a few blocks into the western part of Berlin. Imagine that you go out with the stroller to meet them and find barbed wire! You cannot go for lunch but you do something big and impulsive that will have reverberations (no spoiler so no exact details here). This is the beginning of the story, the division of Berlin and the subsequent erection of the wall.
This start of Reay’s novel really captured me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it must have been like for ordinary people when their lives were transformed by a wall and an ideology. It is to Reay’s credit that she sets the scene of the novel so well.
The book goes on to be largely told by two characters. One of these is a grown up Luisa and the other is Haris. There is a lot to find out about both of them (and others) but I do not want to give anything away. A few things to think about: an infinity symbol, truth and lies about family, codes. This should be enough to intrigue prospective readers.
Reay’s last book, A Shadow in Moscow, was a compelling read. Here Reay has again created a book that I both simultaneously could not walk away from and did not want to end. I recommend it very highly.
A note on the audio: There are multiple narrators which gives a true sense of the characters and story. Those who prefer their books as listens can’t go wrong with this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse for the e book and audio versions of this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 05 March 2024
An e book bargain today
The December 3, 2023 New York Times has an in depth article on Maria Callas. The 100th anniversary of her birth has just passed so she will be receiving much attention I expect. Author, Daisy Goodwin, had good timing in writing this historical novel about the world renowned star. Note that Goodwin has written other enjoyable historical fiction including The American Heiress and, Victoria. She has another good book here.
Readers are invited into Maria’s world from the very first page. She has an interesting and tumultuous life. She was a less favored child to her more beautiful (blonde) sister whose mother only seemed to see her when she realized Maria’s gift. Maria struggled with what today is called body image. Almost everyone knows how her love affair with Aristotle Onassis ended and the trajectory of her career. These topics and more are in the book.
Readers will, I think, feel empathy for Maria as they read this title. Despite her success, she struggled with her appearance, her self-esteem and her perfectionism.
Readers are given an inside look at the glitzy world that Maria inhabited with many names dropped including Elsa Maxwell, Franco Zeffirelli, Marlene Dietrich, Rudolf Bing, Liz Taylor…and these all just at the beginning of the book. Readers will discover many more.
Settings are well described. There are stages, parties, yachts but also places like Maria’s childhood home. There is music. There are relationships. There are success and heartache. What more could a reader of (historical) fiction possibly want?
I highly recommend Diva. For me, it was an immersive read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 23 January 2024
336 pages
#AGirlsGuidetoWinningtheWar #NetGalley
Last year I read and enjoyed this author’s The Air Raid Book Club. With her latest novel, Lyons again sets a story during WWII.
Lyons has a gift for writing about characters with warmth and caring. Readers will be hoping for the best for many of those that they meet in these pages.
I loved how the book’s protagonist Peggy believed in libraries and stories. The author also makes literary references that I enjoyed.
Peggy is trying her best in all ways to help the war effort while working for the Ministry of Information. At the same time, her twin brother sees active service and Peggy hopes that her work will somehow end the war sooner and bring him home.
In contrast, when readers meet Lady Marigold Cecily, Peggy’s nominal boss, she is more of a socialite than a worker. Will she change and make a contribution? What about the others in Peggy’s unit? Some are irascible; all have personalities.
Readers also get to know generations of Peggy’s family. They are an endearing group.
This is a book that is very easy to like. I recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for this title. All opinions are my own.
My thoughts:
I truly enjoyed Annie Lyons’s novel about Eudora Honeysett and gave it five stars. I, was then, of course, quite eager to read The Air Raid Book Club. It did not disappoint.
This is an historical novel that will appeal to those who have read Dear Mrs. Bird, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Last Bookshop in London, and other similar titles. It is warm in the same way with characters about whom writers will care. Plus, there are books, lots of books. At the end of the novel titles are listed should readers wish to explore further.
Gertie was married to Harry. Together the two opened and loved a bookshop. Sadly, Harry died from the very thing that kept him from serving in the military. Gertie has subsequently lost her zest for life. When she is asked by one of Harry’s friends to take in a Jewish child as WWII looms, she hesitates before making her decision. What happens as a result of this choice, the importance of books, and more make this title a most satisfying read, even with some sadness in the events of the story. As an extra bonus, get to know Mr. Hemingway…no, not that one! He is Gertie’s lovely dog.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 