Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

I have absolutely adored Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway mystery series and hope that she will continue to write many more book about Ruth, her family, colleagues and friends. Ms. Griffiths has also penned the post-war Max Mephisto series. Now, she has written her first standalone novel. I will start by saying that this atmospheric, character driven story does not disappoint.

Plot: Clare is a teacher at the school where her daughter, Georgia, is a student. Harbinder is a Detective Sergeant whose alma mater is this school. When Clare’s colleagues begin to die, Harbinder is assigned the investigation. The school also has close ties to the author of a very scary story. These threads intertwine to produce a suspenseful, somewhat Gothic tale.

Most interesting to me in the book were the many characters and their interrelationships. There are Clare and her ex-husband, Clare and her daughter, Clare and her colleagues, Clare and Harbinder. Then there are Georgie and her parents, Georgie and her teachers, Georgie and her boyfriend, Georgie and her writing group, etc.

Another feature of the novel is the offering of different points of view. The reader sees events through the eyes of Clare, Georgie and Harbinder.

As in all good mysteries there are some twists. This is a novel that I definitely recommend. My favorite novels by this author are still the Ruth novels but this is worth a read for suspense lovers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read by one of my favorite authors!

This is another inspiring entry in the Little People, Big Dreams series. This time the story is about young Maria who was intelligent but found school to be boring when she was young; as a result, she made up games to make her education more fun.

Maria grew up and became the first Italian woman to go to medical school. She combined her medical and educational backgrounds to help some neglected children in the hospital to learn. We adults know that her child centered methods were subsequently embraced the world over.

Young readers who are just starting school will get a sense of how important good teaching is and how it leads to good learning. Hopefully this will encourage them to love their school experience.

As always, the illustrations enhance the story. There are additional facts, photos and resources at the end of the book. (note: they did not come out on the galley)

I would give this an A plus. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions are my own.

This is another entry in the series of children’s books that is published in conjunction with the American Psychological Association. Each title gently teaches young children how to manage their world.

In this picture book, Blue is upset when Red and Yellow fly off without him. In his upset, Blue starts a rumor that is spread by birds of many colors. (A side benefit of the book is that children can show off their ability to identify the colors.) Eventually all is resolved. Blue apologizes for his lie while Red and Yellow acknowledge that they should have invited Red to come along. The birds of every color are together in harmony.

At the conclusion of the story, there is a section for caregivers on how to help children to deal with similar situations. This adds extra value to the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book that belongs on nursery and day care bookshelves.

The title of this book comes from one of the poems inside, called Here are Girls Like Lions by Elisabeth Hewer. A quote:

Here are girls like lions,

here are girls like howling wolves…

Here are girls who can’t breathe air, only fire.

Here are girls who carry kindness…

You’ve got to help them rise.

This anthology of poems about and for women includes authors that I both know and those who are new to me. A partial list includes Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sandra Cisneros, Sappho and Mary Oliver whom I know and Mary Jo Bang, Naomi Shihab Nye and Jean Valentine whom I did not. If you are looking for an interesting, thoughtful anthology with an excellent introduction by Cole Swenson, I recomment this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-galley which I was given in exchange for an honest review.

Robert Munsch has a uniquely entertaining style. It is shown to good effect in this counting book. While your child counts to twelve, s/he can search the illustration for the object that is being represented. A fun addition to the genre.

This is a simply told, factual book about Rosa Parks for young listeners.  Children will learn a bit about Rosa’s growing up, what she stood for, what she did and how she brought about change.  Her story makes for an inspiring read. The illustrations beautifully enhance the story.

All in all, another excellent addition to an excellent series. Note:  this is a My First series board book, part of the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto publishing for this e-galley in return for an unbiased review.  All opinions are mine.

#LittlePeopleBigDreams #NetGalley

For young students with inquiring minds…learn about some of the world’s most famous scientists in this easy to read (or browse through) resource. It deserves a spot on school library shelves and the home shelves of students who will be fascinated by these interesting thinkers.

The book is arranged in two page spreads and is organized historically. We start with Thales while the final entry is on Neil Degrasse Tyson. There are men, women and those from many different countries represented and acknowledged.

For each scientist there are short entries including topics such as biography, amazing, famous for, etc. Accomplishments of each are acknowledged.

One of the things that I enjoy about reviewing children’s books is that my horizons are broadened as well. There were many scientists that I knew in this book but also some with whom I just had a first encounter, like Thales. The time that I spent with this excellent resource was well spent.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for helping me to learn more. You will too!

Some examples:

#SuperScientists #NetGalley

A re-post:

I have watched the first two seasons of Queen Sugar and am in the middle of the third.  The show tells the story of three African-American siblings and those around them.  The story takes place in Louisiana where Queen Sugar is sugar cane.  The show has taken on some tough issues, including police treatment of Black men and the difficulties of being a woman running a cane business, and has done so well.  I was curious to read the book after seeing the series although usually I have read first and watched second.  The book is different from the TV series in some ways.  For example, Charley is a widow, not married/divorced from a professional basketball player and Micah is a girl, not a boy, and not a teen, while Ralph-Angel’s wife died unlike in the TV series where Blue’s mother faces substance abuse issues.  Still, there is a story to tell and Natalie Bazile does it well.

From Booklist

So…we have three stories of women and Paris.  There is also one about infertility that was well received when it was published.

So…here we have the newest Cormoran Strike novel, a mystery (her first) by Elin Hiderbrand, a nonfiction title and Paris.  Hope there is something here that you might enjoy.

This is a wonderful book for armchair readers and explorers.  25 fictional places are featured and paired with the novels that made them well known.  Some of my favorites were New York City/Catcher in the Rye; Yorkshire Moors/Wuthering Heights, Bath/Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, Naples/My Brilliant Friend, Alabama/To Kill a Mockingbird and really just about every place and book mentioned.  The author and illustrator are well matched; the text is informative and helps the reader to imagine the place described at the time that the book was written as well as now, while the drawings are just slightly whimsical and very appealing.

This book will inspire you to look at old favorites, find new ones and think about either real or virtual travel.  I recommend it highly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-galley.  I enjoyed my journey!

There is quite a mix here.  There is historical fiction (A Well Behaved Woman), wome’s fiction (The Rosie Project, Friendship Cake, The Library at the Edge of the World,Dear Mr. Knightley), poestry and prose (Mary Oliver), classics (Wharton and Austen) and two other books that looked interesting (The Thing About Clare) and Reservoir 13).

Happy reading!

So here is something for everyone…travel to Provence, England, Georgia, Alaska, upstate New York or Brooklyn.

I give a special shout out to the book by Julia Spencer Fleming.  Please think about reading the whole series in order; it is one of my most favorite.  I got very attached to Clare and Russell and wish that the author would write a new book.

Enjoy!