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!

Now out:

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022

by Jess Walter; Steph Cha

#TheBestAmericanMysteryandSuspense2022 #NetGalley

Every year I look forward to the new edition of this excellent anthology series that offers its audience the opportunity to read some of the best mystery stories written in the past year. There are authors that I know in these pages, as for example, S.A. Cosby, Lauren Groff, Gar Anthony Haywood, Leslie James and Kristin Lepionka among others. However, joyfully, there were lots of new writers (to me) to get to know as well.

Steph Cha introduces this collection with some tough reality; at the time of her writing we were still struggling with Covid and what, to many, has been a bleak political landscape. She notes that one way that people cope is to look to fiction, and readers will do exactly that as they pick stories to read from the choices in these pages.

The introduction is excellent and detailed. The information on individual authors and their stories will help readers know where to begin, if one does not want to read in order. Walter also urges fans of the genre to also look to the honorable mentions for more good reads.

This title is one that lovers of mysteries will want to view. They will leave with an appreciation of those who write stories for us.

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

A terrific resource: The National Parks Cookbook

The Best Recipes from (and Inspired by) America’s National Parks

by Linda Ly

#TheNationalParksCookbook #NetGalley

Anyone who has been to a National Park knows that the experience is magical. Acadia in Maine is one of my favorite places in the world and the one I always think about when I am looking for a sense of peace. I know that others have their own special parks.

At all of them, food is available. At Acadia, for me, it was all about the popovers. And, yes (!), the recipe is here. It is one of many in this beautifully illustrated book.

Highly recommended for those who like to eat, (armchair) travel and recall good times.

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

Pub date: 11 October 2022

He was unique: And Then There Was Light by Jon Meacham

#AndThereWasLight #NetGalley

Jon Meacham is the highly regarded author of a number of biographies; among these are books on Jefferson, John Lewis and Andrew Jackson. Now Meacham has turned his attention to one of the country’s best known presidents. Here is a fascinating look back at Lincoln and his divisive times. Oh, so many, wish that we had a leader like him now.

This book is long and one that a reader may approach in a slow and steady manner. There is so much to savor here. There are many Lincolns within these pages; thre is a public man of strong morals who got to the presidency from what many saw as inauspicious beginnings. Lincoln was also a private man; his wife was a complex woman and so was his marriage. In addition, Lincoln knew private grief through the death of his son. Lincoln was a leader in wartime, a man who kept a battered country together. There is so much that can be learned from him. I am aware that I am just skimming the surface here. Read this book to learn more for yourself.

Those who enjoy autobiography and those who want to reflect on other troubled times in U.S. history, will want to have this book on their shelves.

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

Pub date: 18 October 2022

720 pages

From the Publisher

An illuminating new portrait of a very human Lincoln
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. says Jon Meacham has given us the Lincoln for our time.Doris Kearns Goodwin says written with wisdom and grace . . . biography at its best.Michael Beschloss says illuminates not only Lincoln and his times but society that we live in today

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In his captivating new book, Jon Meacham has given us the Lincoln for our time. And There Was Light brilliantly interweaves the best of gripping narrative history with a deeper search for the complex interplay among morality, politics, and power in a life, in a democracy, and in an America ripped apart over slavery. Here Meacham takes us to the heart of the president who shaped events at ‘the existential hour.’ In doing so, he fortifies us to meet our own.”—Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

“Biography at its best, the great historian Barbara Tuchman wrote, paints an intimate portrait of an individual which simultaneously provides a sweeping view of history. With this deep, compelling work, Jon Meacham has achieved this gold standard. Written with wisdom and grace, his story of Lincoln’s complex moral journey to Emancipation mirrors America’s long quest to live up to its founding ideals.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin

Now out:

Making A Masterpiece

The stories behind iconic artworks

by Debra N. Mancoff

This lavishly illustrated title tells the stories behind twelve well-known artworks. The paintings include everything from Botticelli’s Birth of Venus to Amery Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama. Interestingly to me, many are paintings of or by women. There are the Mona Lisa, Judith Beheading Holofernes and Woman in Gold, for example.

Each featured art work is labeled a masterpiece, a term that is defined in this title’s introduction. The history of the word is also discussed. The author also talks about the current plurality in the art world and questions how masterpieces may (or may not) fit within this framework.

Each of these works is discussed in depth. Ways in which a given painting has influenced more contemporary artists is also included here. Read in any order and come away with a deeper understanding of these treasures.

Recommended for both the serious art historian and a reader who would like to take a deep dive into works with which they may already be familiar.

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

Bono By the Book Interview – The New York Times

“I got a copy of Edna O’ Brien’s ‘The Country Girls’ growing up, which hurried my puberty to a place where I thought differently about girls and women,” says the singer and frontman for U2, whose new memoir is “Surrender.” “I still do.”
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/books/review/bono-books-interview.html