Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!
Great reads for adults and children!
What a clever concept this is! Code breakers is one title in a series of puzzle books that uses material from Sherlock Holmes in an intriguing puzzle book format. This one is full of cryptograms. They are challenging and seem suitable for anyone from a middle school aged kid to an adult. Get this book, get out your pencil, step away from the computer and solve! They are a great distraction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Robyn Carr is a prolific writer of women’s fiction; to name just a few there she has written the Virgin River, Grace Valley and Thunder Point series. Her many fans will pretty much always read what she writes.
This title is a standalone. It tells the story of Justine (in her fifties) and Addie (in her thirties), sisters who, due to their age difference, were not especially close. Addie, for reasons that the book makes clear, left her degree program to care for her parents while married mother Justine went from success to success with the support of her house parent husband.
However, as we all know, novels often have an arc. Characters have experiences, struggle, grow, learn and, if they are lucky, find themselves in a better place. As Justine’s marriage implodes and Addie tries to figure out what to do with her life, what will happen? At the end of the novel, will the sisters be closer and happier? (Readers will hope so).
In following the Justine and Addie’s stories, Ms. Carr explores social issues including women who return to the workforce insecure after years away and men who face partner abuse. The author clearly wants her readers to know that there is help for those who suffer.
This book is an easy read that fans of the author will welcome. The small town setting is very appealing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
#SunriseonHalfMoonBay #NetGalley |
Mystery, women’s fiction and biography. See my ealier review of the Martha Grimes book below.
The Knowledge:
Welcome back Richard Jury and Co!
After reading The Man with a Load of Mischief, I always looked for books in this series. Then, I moved away from them…not sure why, the books or me. But, I will tell you that I very much enjoyed The Knowledge. All of the trademarks are here; characters including Wiggins, Melrose Plant, Diane, etc. and of course the preternaturally smart, cunning and ingenious child(ren). On top of this there is Africa, Art, Astrophysics, the Stars and murder, all of which line up as perfectly as an eclipse. If you enjoy traditional British style (author is American) mysteries with a twist, read this novel!
This picture book is filled with the most engaging and colorful illustrations! I especially enjoyed the frequent appearance of the children’s cat. The story is a simple one of two children; the little girl tells the boy about what happens at school. She assures him that school is fun as is being with him. That’s it. An uncomplicated but fun book for little ones.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest reivew.
#PlayDaySchoolDay #NetGalley |
Often we take the things around us for granted. However, the author of this book does not. Instead she reflects upon things found in a home and writes about them. The list of what she looks at is extensive and include everything from bathtubs to Turkish and Persian rugs, from picnic baskets to pillows and from fireplaces to rocking chairs. For each item, the author provides an evocative entry.
The first entry in these alphabetical listings is bathtub. Their history from earliest times is presented and from there she moves to the present day. Similarly in an entry on bookshelves readers learn that at first books were scrolls without shelves; a history is then given that goes right up to the moment when we started putting together shelves from Ikea.
There is a lot to learn in this book. It has simple illustrations that enhance the text and engage the reader. If you are curious about the objects around you, dip into this book. It is a treasure trove.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
The things that fill our homes say a great deal about who we are, as well as what we are and whom we value.
Every domestic object—the desk you write at, the chair you’re sitting on, the lamp that lights the room—not only has a personal history but also a secret history with roots in the past.
The Elements of a Home looks for the highlights in objects’ lives as they evolved to become the things that are familiar to us today, and reveals the fascinating stories behind more than 60 everyday household objects and furnishings.
Discover the complex, colorful, and often surprising story of the domestic objects with which we furnish our homes.
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YbZYpsBWL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[244,346],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YbZYpsBWL._SX350_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
This could definitely be the right book for the right time. Has there ever been a time that called out more for positive thinking? Was there ever a time when we were more likely to be sitting at home and have the time to write in a journal?
The author’s goal is to help readers to think and feel more positively. There are entries that cover a full 52 weeks of writing activities. These include creative prompts, spaces for mindful journal writing and, what the author calls, expressive sessions.
The first entry invites writing about oneself and then looking at what was written with perspective. A few other entries…one week encourages writing down the names of people one loves and encouraging letting them know, another encourages discovering what is seen around oneself and describing it as if for the first time; a third example is to write about one’s bad habits and how they might be changed.
If this kind of reflection and writing appeals to you, this book is an excellent resource. Many thanks to the publisher Callisto for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: April 28, 2020
This colorful board book is part of a new series on some of America’s favorite cities. The book is colorfully illustrated and includes lots of things to see in Boston. There are also pages on some of the Boston foods including New England Clam Chowder and Boston Cream Pie, and sections on the history of this iconic city. This book is a sweet introduction to Boston for the littlest travelers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Again, a mix. You can see a review of Before and Again in my archive. I liked the book. Here are mystery, history, intrigue and literary fiction. The Buchan book, inspiration for the Hitchcock movie, is free.
I found this endearingly illustrated story to be charming and sweet. It will be especially enjoyed by children who like cats as the adventurous cat features in all of the illustrations. Our narrator tells about all of the kinds of stories that he does not like as he goes through the events of his day…but wait! What happens at the end? Read the book to find out. It is cute.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
#IDoNotLikeStories #NetGalley |
What a beautiful, complex, heartbreaking and uplifting novel this is! I rate this story about C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman highly.
Many people know who C.S. (Jack) Lewis was. The first thing that often comes to mind is his children’s (Christian) book series about Narnia. But of course he was and accomplished so much more than this. An Oxford and later Cambridge professor, a writer on many Christian topics, a heartbroken child who lost his mother, a caretaker for a brother whom he loved deeply and a believer in four types of love. (Readers will learn about these in reading the novel.) C.S. Lewis was also a veteran, a person loyal to his commitments and a friend to many including Dorothy Sayers and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Joy Davidman Gresham Lewis was a child of an exacting father, a highly intelligent and well-educated woman, a wife to the dysfunctional Bil, a mother to beloved sons Davy and Douglas, a writer, editor, poet and more. She lived her life fully and complexly.
How did these two, one British and the other American come together? Readers learn fairly early in the novel that Joy had a profound and life changing religious experience. This led to her writing to C.S. Lewis. No spoilers so readers must go to the novel to learn about Joy and Jack’s uniquely evolving relationship.
The settings of the book are so beautifully evoked, both in New York and Vermont, also in London and Oxford. Oxford, in particular, is so lovingly described that Anglophiles will truly rejoice at the sections of the book that are set there.
The full meaning and impact of the title, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, becomes deeply affecting the deeper one travels into Joy’s world. It was a very clever name for the novel, even as it is deceptively simple.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis is published by a press that describes itself as one that publishes “stories that inspire, illuminate, and transform. Stories that captivate the imagination, enlighten the mind, and strengthen the spirit.” They are the right ones for this title. The novel made me think about the complexity of life choices and the meaning of many kinds of love. It has inspired me to learn more about these two remarkable people.
I found the novel to be one that did not read especially quickly but I enjoyed the time that I spent with it. The end definitely touched my emotions.
In this paperback edition of the book, there are many extras. These include a map of Oxford, comments by the author, a bibliography, a timeline, discussion questions and more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this amazing read!
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AS AN E BOOK FOR $3.99
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 