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!
When I visited Paris for the first time I cried when I left. That is how hard it was to leave a place that I had so long wanted to visit. The streets, the museums, the cafes, the Seince-I truly could not believe that I was there.
We may be hearing a lot about Paris this year because of the Olympics. Much will be highlighted. However, to learn intimately about the City of Light, readers would do well to pick up a copy of Untold Paris. It is written by someone with a deep insider’s knowledge of the city.
The title is divided into sections on Art and Culture, Food and Drink, History, In the Shadows and Ways of Life. Just some of the subheadings include Cafes and Literature, Eiffel and His Monument, The Art of French Pastry, The German Occupation, The Girl in the Champagne Bath, French vs English and so much more.
This eclectic guide is illustrated with some lovely drawings. They enhance the pleasure of the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Nita Prose’s first novel, The Maid, introduced the interesting hotel maid Molly. She will make readers appreciate the folks who do this work for their comfort. Molly was around murder in that book and history repeats itself here.
The murder takes place in the hotel’s newly refurbished and elegant tea room. The victim is a wildly popular mystery writer with a fan club. He was at the hotel to share an important announcement. Of course, he died before the speech and all of his cue cards are missing.
It turns out that Molly had a connection to this victim. She brings her unique intelligence and set of skills to figuring out what happened. Along the way, readers are treated to many of her aphorisms and get to enjoy her relationship with her grandmother among others.
I was lucky enough to hear the author speak at a mystery conference last year. She acknowledged the difficulties of writing a second book when the first was well received. In my opinion, Ms. Prose did a find job here.
Those who like a traditional mystery with an untraditional protagonist will enjoy The Mystery Guest. This book can be read on its own but readers who like Molly will probably want to read that first book as well.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book was published in November 2023
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Heartwarming . . . Like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who’s rendered invisible because she’s an old woman, Molly and her grandmother are not seen because of the kind of work they do. In this affecting and socially-pointed mystery series, however, invisibility becomes the superpower of the pink-collar proletariat.”—NPR
“[Molly] returns in The Mystery Guest, which builds upon The Maid’s many charms. Prose peppers the mystery with sly jokes about the vagaries of crime writing, but Molly’s voice remains central and moving.”—The New York Times
“Molly is a singular character—she’s intelligent, unfailingly honest and the epitome of a professional maid—and readers will enjoy checking into the Regency Grand to follow her and her exploits.”—BookPage
What a fun way to learn colors! For each color, a work of art in the museum’s collection is featured. For anyone who has access to the Met Museum. a treasure hunt of these objects would be fun. At the end of the book, kids are asked to recall the color of each art work. There is also a list of each work that is in the book.
This is an appealing way to learn both colors and a bit about art. I liked it very much.
Many thanks to NetGalley and DK Children for this title. All opinions are my own.
This cookbook is one that will take readers away to a vacation feeling. The photos are beautiful and will have readers/chefs dreaming of summer.
The author has organized the recipes by the following: Mornings by the Water, Light Meals on Deck, Sundown Hour, Hearty Meals to Share and, Sweet Finishes. Before going to the recipes, it will be helpful to read the beginning sections which include an introduction, information on stocking a pantry and a piece on farmer’s markets.
The recipes…breakfast…how about cornmeal pancakes or crispy pasta with fried eggs? For later in the day the maple glazed carrots look delicious. I also would like to eat eh fresh Vietnamese-Style spring rolls or the salty banana Nutella toasts, among many other good chices..
Do as the author suggests if you are lucky enough to be going on vacation. Take this cookbook with you. The recipes are clear and doable.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
It is hard to believe that this is Kristen Perrin’s first novel. She writes with an assured hand and keeps readers turning the pages in her take on a traditional mystery.
The story-Frances Adams was a teen growing up in the sixties when she went to see a fortune teller. She was given a very detailed and particular warning of things to watch out for. Much of her subsequent life was spent trying to evade her own death by nefarious means. On this night, Frances was with her friends Emily and Rose. They have roles to play in the story.
Frances had a niece and grandniece who are living an eccentric London life as the story opens. When Annie is summoned to meet with Frances’s lawyer in the small town where Frances has an estate, off she goes. There she meets Walt, the attorney and his relative, Oliver. She also encounters the annoying Elva and her family.
Not a spoiler because this happens early in the story, Frances is found dead. Who will inherit her money? Who killed her? Find out in this very enjoyable novel.
It is easy to recommend this title. Hopefully, Ms. Perrin will keep writing twisty, fun mysteries.
Many thanks to Penguin Group-Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 26 March 2024
From the Publisher
A Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club Finalist for 2024
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A GMA Buzz Pick!
One of Amazon’s Top 10 Best Books of April, One of Jimmy Fallon’s favorite books for Spring 2024, The Top LibraryReads pick for March 2024, A Publishers Marketplace 2024 BuzzBook
Named most anticipated by: Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, BookRiot, BookBub, The Nerd Daily, Shelf Reflection, Novel Suspects, Borrow Read Repeat, The Everygirl, The Scout Guide, The Real Book SpyA
“The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie’s growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent.”—Publishers Weekly
“Perrin juggles characters and clues with aplomb, sketching in the past via teen Frances’ journals and immersing readers in the present through Annie’s determined, good-hearted point of view. Readers will root for her as she gains hard-won confidence in this entertaining exploration of family secrets.”—BookPage
Natasha Lester writes historical fiction that I very much enjoy. In each of her novels, this author successfully develops characters about whom readers will care. She also has interesting plots that offer perspective on WWII and its aftermath. What makes her special for me is the way that she also incorporates fashion seamlessly (pun was not intended) in her stories.
Alix St. Clair has had a challenging life. She was orphaned young, taken in by a close friend’s family, educated in Switzerland and expected to marry well (to Bobby). Life surely did not go to plan however as readers will quickly discover.
This is a story that takes place in more than one time period.. In the most recent, postwar era, Alix is working for Christian Dior just as his fashion house is coming into being. The scenes in this atelier are wonderful to read; I was inspired to look up many of the dresses described in these pages.
Other sections of the book are about Alix’s work and life during WWII. She experienced the most awful of betrayals and wants to avenge some deaths. In doing so, she becomes involved with an American journalist. They have common experiences and a common foe…and maybe an attraction to each other. There are many other characters woven into the narrative; these include people both bad and good.
This long (432) and immersive read is highly recommended to historical and women’s fiction lovers who enjoy stories about the war. I give it four plus stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 10 January 2023
rom the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre braids espionage, fashion, and a broken-but-unbowed heroine together into one fascinating tale. Natasha Lester weaves a triple-stranded delight!”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
“Natasha Lester has done it again with this sumptuously written page-turner! Alix St. Pierre is everything that makes an admirable heroine – independent, plucky, and clever as the story spans from the fashionable world of Dior in Paris to the fascinating intrigue of international espionage in neutral Switzerland. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a captivating novel that readers will absolutely adore.”—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London”Natasha Lester has expertly woven a brilliant heroine who is as brave in the fashion world as she is spying on the enemy. From page one, I was completely captivated by her daring and enamored with the glamour of Paris fashion. Unputdownable!”—Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop
I highly recommend this title that teaches and empowers girls (though it could be useful to boys, adults…). It is nicely illustrated and packed with information.
This title is divided into sections on matters related to home, schoo,l and being out in the world. Just to give a flavor of the title with a subsection from each area…learn how to do laundry, to have difficult conversations with friends, to understand money matters.
This title would make a great gift and I think the recipient may refer to it often.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. All opinions are my own.
The cover of this boook will draw readers right in. Here, there are already ideas about the role of art. Open the book and read the beginning section on some points about the importance of art. Next find a beginner’s history of art. It starts with Ancient Art and moves right through up to Contemporary Art.
Throughout, this book is appealingly and colorfully illustrated. Adults (and some kids) will enjoy seeing what is on each page. For example, at the very beginning, readers can see Monet at work.
The text is full of information and features many places and cultures. It does not overwhelm but, I think, offers enough to intrigue children.
I wish that someone had gifted me a book like this when I was younger. Even as an adult I love it. I learned a lot in these pages. Very highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and DK Children for this title. All opinions are my own.
This novel has all of the things that a reader of women’s fiction could want. There are engaging characters, an appealing setting that includes gardens, a, second chance romance and (my favorite) lots about books. There is also a bit of seriousness as protagonist Savannah has been diagnosed with lupus.
As the story opens Savannah is a bit at loose ends. She has come to visit the relative with whom she spent many childhood summers. This aunt introduced Savannah and her summer friend Evan to many good reads. Evan and Savannah subsequently fell out of touch but meet up again during Savannah’s visit. Both have had some complex life experiences-for Savannah this includes her diagnosis and a broken engagement while, for Evan, he now has sole custody of his daughter following the death of his child’s mother.
As the story unfolds, one plot, not surprisingly, has to do with this relationship. Another storyline centers on the library in Eleanor’s garden. What happened to it and how will it survive? Readers will root for these characters (pun a bit intended due to gardens and the town being called Bloom) as the pages turn.
I loved that each chapter heading came with a quote from a book. I also enjoyed the many book titles that were scattered throughout the story. Readers could come up with a great TBR pile from these.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable read. Just right for a spring or summer escape.
Many thanks to Forever/Grand Central and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
I appreciate the dual meaning of the title of this book on cocktails…and the drinks look pretty good too!
The cocktails are organized by occasion. For example there are A Classic Dinner Date; Game Night; and Holidays & Special Occasions among others. A few of the cocktails are “Hemingway to My Heart; Amoretto Spice; Straw BAE & Balsamic; and It Takes Two to Mango.” There is also helpful information on stocking a bar. In addition, there are lots of fun things. For example in the first section there are a playlist and a quiz to do with a partner.
This book will be a real treat for its audience. Raise your glasses.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 