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

This is an adorable bedtime read for toddlers. The illustrations are bold and appealing while the simple text pairs well with the pictures.

In the story, a group of creatures tell what they need to do before going to bed. By the end of the book, a young child tells their routine for what must happen before going to sleep. In a sweet way that ties the book together, each critter that was previously featured in the story then is shown within the child’s room (for example, as part of a mobile). Young readers are then asked what they need before going to sleep.

This storybook has an appealing concept; reluctant toddlers will undoubtedly love to see how each featured player finds ways to avoid bedtime. The book will then, hopefully, send them off to the land of Nod.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this book which I was given in return for an honest review.

This book is very clever, funny and yet full of art history. It is a wonderful way to learn about or review art movements. The facts are well researched while the art reflects each period. Covering everything from Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, Fauvism, De Stijl to Abstract Impressionism and more, the book provides a thorough introduction to art movements. I even learned about several art periods that I did not know including CoBrA and the Young British Artists.

For each era, there is one large and other smaller illustrations. There are sections of the painting techniques and the artists of each movement. For example, the Fauves use of bright colors and collage are noted. For this section the illustration is of a cat that could have been painted by Matisse. For on Pop Art there are cat food cans that are recognizable as being in Warhol’s style. At the end of the book there is a timeline which provides a helpful additional reference.

I will enjoy going back to this book time and again. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the fun and informative read.

Here is the publisher’s description for readers’ additional a-mews-ment:

Become litter-ate in the basics of important art movements through a host of beautifully illustrated cats, each one inspired by a specific period in art hiss-tory: Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Ancient Egyptian (of course), and many more. From Claude Meow-net to Jackson Paw-llock, these creative cats will introduce you to key themes and artists you won’t soon fur-get. Purr-haps even inspiring you to make your own version!

This is an appealing book of opposites featuring Pandas.  It offers a very cute way to teach your child while you enjoy gorgeous photos of the animals.  Both adults and children will have fun with this one.

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

This is an extraordinarily charming book. The illustrations are delightful and evocative. The text is rhyming. Young readers or listeners will learn about Steinlen, the artist who made the iconic Le Chat Noir posters. He studied textiles but realized that fine art was his calling. Steinlen encountered many other famous artists during this exciting time in French art.

At the end of the book, there is additional biographical information on the artist. There is also a section on objects that young readers can go back and search for in the text.

I enjoyed this lovely trip to France. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have very much enjoyed the Peter Diamond mystery series, set in Bath, by Peter Lovesey.  Here is one as a bargain.

The Au Pair is in my TBR pile and has gotten good reviews.

Enjoy.

This colorfully illustrated story will appeal to young children and their adults. In it, Herbert only wants to eat his favorite food; will he ever tire of it? See what happens when Herbert’s parents go away and his grandmother accedes to his wishes. This is a cute read on a typical toddler-preschool food issue.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this read in exchange for an honest review. I’m off to my freeezer now!

Although I do not live in the UK and few of her books are published in the U.S., I am a big fan of Erica James and often order her books, happily paying for the shipping.  This one has been in my TBR pile for a while although I am not sure why.  I think that this is one of the best books that this author has written.

The novel has a dual story line; the one in the present is about Saskia and her family.  Saskia, a book restorer, lost several family members to an accident when she was younger.  A book restorer who is now in her thirties, Saskia lives with her two grandfathers and her father.  Saskia is content with her life but perhaps not willing to risk hurt in looking for more.

All of the characters in the present story line come to life in the novel.  Saskia’s father and grandfather’s personalities and love for Saskia are clear.  Into this world comes Matthew who has books to be evaluated by Saskia’s father.  Not surprisingly, Matthew and Saskia bsecome a focus of the story.

Matthew and his mother lived with Jacob, a professor.  Saskia discovers a  WWII diary that she and Matthew realize was written by him.  This backstory is the backbone of the novel.  The reader follows Jacob and Kitty’s moving love story through Jacob’s diary.

The Dandelion Years refers to how Kitty thinks “of the war and the effect it’s having on everybody.  The hopes and certainties we used to live by have been swept away.  We live in a time when all it might take is one little puff and everything could be gone…”  That sense of time and life as precious permeate the story in the past and give a lesson to those in the present.

I highly recommend this novel and hope that more readers will discover this author’s many titles.  Let me know if you know of Erica James.

The suggestions for today seem tilted toward Father’s Day but could be enjoyed by any one of us. 

Jane Harper’s well-received first novel, The Dry, is an e book bargain today. After you enjoy this one, there are two more by this author. Happy reading!📚

Students in my Women Who Sleuth class had differing opinions about Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.  I am firmly in the camp that has delighted in reading about this duo.

Harriet makes her first appearance in Strong Poison, the novel in which she is accused of murdering her lover.  Have His Carcase is the first mystery in which Harriet, a writer of mysteries, is the detective rather than the suspect.  In this novel, Harriet discovers a dead man on the beach.  Who was he?  What happened to him?  Will the evidence disappear with the tide? You will need to read the book, of course, to find out.

The books in the series are long but, if you enjoy classic, intelligent, mysteries, put these on your list.  I look forward to rereading all of them with a shout out for Gaudy Night which takes place at Harriet’s college.  It is also fun to watch the relationship between Harriet and Peter evolve.

Gaudy Night is a super e book bargain right now in the edition listed above.