This has been a year that none of us will ever forget. The move from normal to the “new normal” impacted every one. During this crazy time, reading and writing about books has provided such solace and joy. I look forward to more good reads and posts in the new year.

I wish each and everyone of you the best holiday season. I hope that for all 2021 will be a year of good health and better times.

Warmly,

Joyce

Rebel Girls Lead

25 Tales of Powerful Women

by Rebel Girls

This book belongs on the shelves of young girls. It will show them all that women can do and hopefully encourage them to feel that they can do anything on which their sights are set. Each of these women is worth reading about. Some of those included are Aly Raisman, Cleopatra, Eufrosina Cruz, Jacinda Ardern, Kamala Harris, Melinda Gates, Michelle Obama, Ricoberta Menchu Tu and Stacey Abrams. Some of these women may already be known to you and a child that you know but others most likely may not be. All are inspirational. Each is featured in two pages, one of text and the other with a bright illustration.

The biographies are followed by some activities. A girl can write her own story, draw a portrait, think about the kind of leader they are and more.

This is a terrific entry in an excellent series. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: January 26, 2021

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I read, enjoyed and reviewed The Printed Letter…, The Book Woman…, The Gown and The Woman Before Wallis.

A Graphic Novel Adaptation

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is perhaps one of the greatest of American novels. It is one that is often read in high school but there is something to be said about rereading this book as an adult.

This graphic version of the novel can be enjoyed both by those new to TGG and by those who are revisiting the novel. The essence of the story is here. The illustrations are clever and definitely complement and enhance the storyline. I liked that the text was creatively placed on the pages to best go with the drawings and add additional meaning.

Following the end of the novel, there is a good note by the author. It talks about how he came to work on the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Below are some thoughts from the last time I read this book for a class.

Chances are that you read The Great Gatsby when you were in high school.  If some time has passed since your first reading of the novel, I urge you to read it again.  I had read TGG when I was in college and had not thought about it too much since, except to recall that the paper I wrote on it got me my first A from a tough professor.  Well, this was the last novel that we read in my summer Currents in the Modern Novel class and it was a stunner.

Start with the title…was Jay Gatsby great?  Is the title genuine or meant to be ironic?  Lots of discussion on this in class.  What makes someone great?  Is it their accomplishments?  Is it who someone is inherently?  What does it mean to have money?  Does it make a difference as to whether it is “old” or “new?”  Is it okay to “carelessly” take the things that one wants in life?  What does it mean to be a “careless” driver?  How do we organize our lives around dreams?  What does it mean as these play out?  Are dreams illusions?

There was also lots of discussion about capitalism in class.  Is the novel an indictment of the capitalist system?  Some critics say yes while others say Fitzgerald did not intend that.  Your opinion?

I was more moved by Jay Gatsby after I finished the novel this time.  Will you be?  spend time with Jay, Nick (is he an unreliable narrator?), Daisy, Tom and Jordan and then let me know.

Pub Date for the graphic novel is 05 Jan 2021

by Laura Childs

Narrated by Susan Boyce

#DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

Laura Childs is the author of three mystery series; one features Theodosia Browning and her tea shop; another is set in New Orleans and has a scrapbook theme, while Egg Shooters is a Cackleberry Club mystery. To be honest, the tea shop stories are my favorite.

In Egg Shooters, one of the three protagonists is at a hospital to visit her doctor fiance when a shooting takes place. The gunman escapes after killing a security card. Suzanne survives and, in the way of amateur detectives, wants to find out what happened. She is helped by friends Toni and Petra.

The narration of the audio book is good. Ms. Boyce has different tones and accents for each of the main characters. The story itself did not completely capture my attention however, Still, for readers who love cozy mysteries, this one may be worth a try.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Audio book

So many of the reviews that I saw for this novel were quite praiseworthy so I looked to 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. The audio version is well done and the narrator reads with a clear, easy to follow style.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

by Kristen McCurry

#PatricksPolkaDotTights #NetGalley

Patrick loves a pair of polka dot tights. He enjoys wearing them and also finds multiple uses for them with his vivid imagination. All goes well until…the sister that the tights belongs to reclaims them. What will Patrick do? How will he cope? Young children will soon find out.

This book shows that a boy may wear tights without any moralizing or over focus. The book gently gives a message that kids can be who they are.

With its vivid illustrations and a text that pairs well with them, this is an engaging title.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 01 Jan 2021