Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

FOUR STARS ****

I have a tendency, at times, to buzz around and need to stop to breathe. That is what I hoped would happen when reading this title and, yes, it did.

The author shares some of the insights that can be gained from the gardening profession and how this work connects with mindfulness. Redwood acknowledges the influence of the well known Thich Nhat Hanh who has had a deep influence on those practicing mindfulness. There are quotes from Hanh in the text.

The book is organized by seasons, beginning with spring. Readers first spend time with the snowdrop and then learn about a mindfulness activity that can be done while pruning. The book goes on to offer gardening tips and ways to practice mindfulness in this setting.

I am not lucky enough to have a garden but I visit a botanical garden regularly. I will try to take some of these practices and insights with me when I next walk there. After reading this book, I also know that I would like to visit Chalice Well Gardens near Glastonbury Tor, a peace garden, where the author is employed.

This book offers a chance to step back, breathe and contemplate. It is part of what i think will be an excellent series.

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

#TheAirRaidBookClub #NetGalley

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.

Pub date: 11 July 2023

From the Publisher

My review of Eudora…

So many of the reviews that I saw for this novel were quite praiseworthy so I read it with very high hopes and expectations. It did not disappoint. This is a novel that engages the reader through its characters and its story lines. I think that readers who enjoyed novels like The Little Paris Bookshop or The Lido will want to read this one…as will many others. Miss Honeysett is a prim woman who is 85 years old. She believes that the time has come to take control of the end of her life. This leads her to contact a Dignitas like clinic and submit an application. Will her request be granted? Will Eudora want it to be? Readers learn that Eudora faced a number of tragedies and disappointments over the course of her her life. Most chapters in the novel include a flashback to a key moment for Eudora. No spoilers so I do not want to write more. In the present, Eudora meets the irrepressible Rose. The two have a relationship that evolves over the course of the book as Rose awaits becoming a big sister. Another important character is Stanley. His friendship with Eudora and Rose is impacted by some memory issues. What will happen to each of them? At times acerbic, at times touching this is a novel that I most definitely recommend. Give it a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

I REVIEWED THIS.

I REVIEWED THIS.

I REVIEWED THIS. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ADJACENT TITLE TO THE WONDERFUL BECOMING MRS. LEWIS.

PART OF A GOOD SERIES

ONE OF MY FAVORITE TITLES BY THE AUTHOR.

PART OF A FUN SERIES. I REVIEWED THE AUDIO BOOK VERSION.

FOR FANS OF GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

REVIEWED BY ME. A GOOD SERIES.

CLASSIC AND DELIGHTFUL

REVIEWED BY ME.

In “Good Girls,” Hadley Freeman chronicles her long battle with anorexia, and its larger implications.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/books/review/good-girls-anorexia-hadley-freeman.html

A selection of recently published books.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2023/07/14/books/review/new-this-week.html

2023 DAGGER AWARDS PRESENTED
The Dagger Awards, awarded by The Crime Writer’s Association to celebrate the best in crime and thriller writing, were presented on July 6, 2023 in London. Our congratulations to the winners (listed first in each category) and to all of the nominees.

Audio Book

Hardcover edition

#TheRagingStorm #NetGalley

Ann Cleeves is a true master of the mystery genre. From her early series featuring Inspector Ramsay to her Birdwatcher series, and then on through the Vera and Jimmy Perez novels, she has entertained me for hours. Her latest protagonist is Matthew Venn; here we have the third in that series.

Matthew has a somewhat complex history. His parents were part of a (fringe) religious group that he felt he needed to leave. Matthew was not comfortable with the Brethren’s beliefs and knew that his partner Jonathan might never succeed in being fully accepted by them. Series readers have followed Matthew as he engages in his new life. That said, this book could be read as a standalone.

The Raging Storm is a complex mystery with many characters, relationships and plot threads. The story takes place in the small community where Matthew had grown up. Readers spend time with his team, a sometimes competitive group, and with Matthew and Jonathan. Jonathan, by the way, is a very loving and tolerant spouse.

There are also all of the people in the community and they make for a large group of suspects. The (first) victim was a well-known sailor and a second murder occurs (no spoilers so not naming this person) as well. In addition, there is a disappearance. There are many interrelationships here.

Settings in the book are well described. There are emergency workers on the lifeboat group heading out to sea, members of the yachting club, houses that are falling apart and more.

Why did the first victim, Jem, return to the community? Who did he plan to meet? Why did he choose to spend his time there in a broken down hut? Was there a special reason for the location of his body and the next one?

This book has a slow burn. It is long (400 Pages) and involving. I recommend The Raging Storm most highly (though my heart will always belong to Jimmy Perez of another series).

I toggled back and forth between the print and audio editions of this title, reading when I was home and listening while on the go. This worked perfectly for me. The narration of the audio book was crisp, clear and easy to follow.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 05 September 2023

I ENJOYED THIS ONE. THE THIRD ONE IS FORTHCOMING.

www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/books/review/crook-manifesto-colson-whitehead.html

newspaper.mailplus.co.uk/data/2721/reader/reader.html