Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

You can see my review of the Carr novel in my archive.

You can’t go wrong with this Dorothy Sayers set at an Oxford women’s college.

The Silent Wife is in my TBR pile.

This summer one of my daughters invited/challenged me to read all of the Harry Potter books.  I am not sure what number read through this was for her but, for me, it was the first time that I have read all of the books.  Was I familiar with them?  Of course. Had I bought them all for my children, sometimes two copies so that neither would have to wait?  Had I heard Jim Dale narrate them in the background of my car rides?  Had I seen some of the movies?  Had I read some?  The answer to all of these is yes.  I thought that the first book was a perfectly formed novel that would have earned praise even if the author had stopped there. I continued to read for a while but stopped when I got the Professor Umbrage.  I disliked her so very much that I put the books down.

Well, this summer I made it past that banally evil teacher and finished all seven of the books.  I am sad to be done.  It was quite a journey.

It is difficult to say something about the novels that has not already been said.  The books are meant to be epic, about a world in which evil can possibly triumph, a world in which one group, Voldemort’s followers, wants to exterminate another, Muggles, for not being pure enough.  The books show the importance of community, friendship, doing what is right.  They demonstrate that a person can go on even if, like Harry, they lose many who are most dear to them.

This is also the ultimate boarding school story.  It is populated by professors, houses, magic, sports, teenage love, studies and angst.  All of these are familiar tropes yet J.K. Rowling makes them new again.

I recommend the series most highly for everyone from children to adults, although I think that, because of the dark nature of some of the later books, they are not meant for your first or second grader.

Have you read the series?  Your comments?

Three excellent mysteries here.  All are parts of series.  If you don’t already know them, you are in for some good reading.

https://nyti.ms/2ZSv4oo

This novel is certain to be one of the “big” novels of the fall.  Its author Ann Patchett is well known for her thoughtful, literary style and moving story lines  The Dutch House will be welcomed by Patchett’s loyal readers and may well attract some new fans.

The book tells the story of siblings, Maeve and Danny, those around them and the home that resonates with them.  The story moves back and forth in time as characters and their stories take center stage or temporarily recede.

This is a complex and sophisticated novel that makes readers think about relationships (parent/child, stepparent/child, husband/wife, siblings, step-siblings,  those who work for families), finding a way in life, sacrifices and choices.  Readers will not forget The Dutch House and those who lived there.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Four stars ****

What makes for a perfect birthday? Is it perfection that makes it perfect? Young listeners will enjoy finding out the answer to that question as they find out about beaver’s big day.

Beaver wants the perfect birthday cake and he has the perfect recipe for it. His friends want to help and things do not go as Beaver planned. How does he react? What happens? What is most important? Children will know when they finish the story.

This book is for toddlers and preschoolers. It will gently help them to think about what matters. Adults will know the predictable answer but young children may not.

The illustrations that accompany the book are detailed and playful. They definitely enhance the story while adding humor.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

This book offers an excellent introduction to the achievements of Ada Lovelace, daughter of a mathematician and a poet. Her early years, the education that she had (when many girls did not), her interest in Math and work with Babbage are all covered in one easy to read package. By the way, the illustrations also add to the book as they reflect Ada’s personality. Get this one for a young reader you know who wants to be a big thinker with big ideas!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read about Ada who worked on what later came to be known as the computer. All opinions are my own.

A couple of thrillers, a women’s fiction, a classic, an entry from a favorite series of mine and one for those who find cats amewsing.

The Guest Book-check my archive for my review.

The Nest

Medium Raw by the late Anthony Bourdain

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Little Beach Street Bakery. Jenny Colgan’s books are nice, easy reads.

300 Days of Sun is romantic suspense.

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This is a fantastic collection of stories, some of which will be known to readers and listeners while others may not. There is, for example, the story of Hansel and Gretel which, or course, I know. That is immediately followed by Grandfather’s Eyes, a tale from Czechoslovakia that was new to me.

The stories are organized into sections. A few examples include Into the Woods, Down by the Water, Enchanted Places, Strangers at the Door and many more. Each story is identified by region of the world and country. No story is very long so these tales make for perfect (slightly) scary bedtime or anytime reads. The illustrations reflect the tone of the book and are quite striking.

This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for these spooky reads.

4 stars ****

From the Publisher

HANSEL AND GRETEL

Hansel and Gretel lived with their father and stepmother beside a great forest. One night their father, who was a poor woodcutter, told his wife that they had no money left. “I don’t know how we shall feed ourselves,” he sighed. His wife had no love for Hansel and Gretel and saw this as a chance to be rid of them. “We must take the children into the forest tomorrow and leave them there,” she told her husband. “Then we’ll only have two mouths to feed.”

DOWN BY THE WATER

THE STORY OF THE YARA In a little town by a river that flowed through the rainforest, there lived a young man called Alonzo. Alonzo was new to the country but he’d quickly grown to love the rainforest, where parrots swooped through the trees and hummingbirds darted among bright flowers. He’d also grown to love a girl called Julia and they were soon to be married. Every day after work, Alonzo visited Julia and they sat out under the stars talking together. Afterwards, while the night was still warm, Alonzo would go to bathe in a forest pool near the river. One evening, Alonzo told Julia about a mysterious voice he had heard singing when he went for his swim in the pool.	THE BUNYIP One hot day, in the wilderness, a group of young men set out from their camp to find food for their wives and children. Full of high spirits, they challenged each other with spear-throwing and boomerangs along the way. After a while, they came to a valley where there was a large pool in which bulrushes were growing. Bulrush roots were good to eat but the young men didn’t want to spend time wading in the water to collect them so they decided to fish instead.	MORAG AND THE WATER HORSE Every summer, the farmers of the valleys took their cattle to graze on the lush grass that grew on the high hills.However, Donald MacGregor wanted his cattle to have the very best grass which grew lower down the hillside, beside a deep loch. So he built his stone hut on a slip of land between the loch and a little stream that ran alongside it.The other farmers kept away from that place because they were afraid of it. “Haven’t you heard of the terrible Water Horse that lives at the bottom of the loch?” they asked Donald. “It rides up out of the water and changes its form to trick people. Then it carries them away to their doom deep down below!”

THE WATER WITCH

William was a poor cowherd who loved a dairymaid called Bella. One day, he decided to give up work on the farm to seek his fortune. “I shall come home with my pockets full of gold so that we can be married,” he promised Bella. Bella didn’t want William to go but he was determined. When it was time for him to leave, Bella fetched three things that her father had given her before he died. The first was a little bell which could be heard by a friend in time of danger. The second was a knife which had the power to undo any enchantment and the third was a staff which would take its owner wherever they wanted to go. Bella gave William the bell and the knife. “I shall keep the staff,” she said and with a heavy heart she wished him good luck.