On the way towards faith: The Road to Grantchester

As soon as I saw this title on NetGalley, I desperately wanted to read it.  Many thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for granting my request.  The opinions below are my own.

I read the first Sidney Chambers novel, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, when it was first published.  I was captivated by the character of Sidney and wanted to know more about him.  I have continued to read the stories and have adored the Grantchester series on TV.  For me, James Norton has personified Sidney in a most satisfactory way.

The Road to Grantchester tells the story of Sidney before he was the TV character or the man in SC and the Shadow of Death.  I was so pleased at the prospect of learning how he became himself.

The beginning of the book was not easy.  After a brief prelude, Sidney is immersed in the horrors (and I mean horrors) of WWII in Italy where he serves with Robert Kendall. Robert is the brother of Amanda, a key character in the series.

What Sidney and his fellow soldiers witness and participate in is truly unspeakable.  James Runcie has written about war in a way that will make the reader long for peace.  Survival in his circumstances is kind of a miracle for Sidney.  However, not everyone important to him makes it home safely.

As a reader, because of how awful it was, I was relieved to move to the part of the novel that was post war.  Sidney comes home to a world that has changed and yet he has changed even more.  He tries to understand what he is meant to do with the gift of his life.  After much reflection, he decides to join the church.  The reader follows Sidney on his on-going faith journey.

This book is about those important to Sidney.  There is Robert his best friend and war compatriot…no spoilers here so I will not say more.  As in the TV series, there is prickly Amanda whose relationship with Chambers (as she calls him) is complex but important.

I left this book wanting to reread all of James Runcie’s books.  This is an excellent read if you are a fan of Sidney, want to remember why war is a mess or if you want to understand a protagonist’s wish to live a meaningful life.

This novel may not be for everyone but for me it was a five star read.

 

#TheRoadToGrantchester #NetGalley

A variety of fathers and their children enjoy activities together in this simple story with bright, colorful and likeable illustrations.  Whether it is working together, playing together or getting ready for bed, life is fun for parents and children when they spend time together.  This is a nice read for a child and a dad to enjoy together.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this appealing picture book.  Since I read an e-galley, I missed out on lifting the flaps but you won’t have to!

Pair this one with the previously reviewed My Mommy and Me.

Time well spent: My Mommy and Me

#MyDaddyAndMe #NetGalley

Let’s go for a drive: What a Nice Car!

This is a simple, nicely illustrated picture book for young listeners.  In it, Mouse is driving in a car that he has found.  He picks up several friends along the way and they look for the car’s owner.  Meanwhile, mouse’s hat blows off and is found by elephant whose car it is.  All of the animals together then go for a ride.

This book emphasizes sharing and the niceness of doing things for others.  While it has nothing unique to say, it is a fine book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.  The opinions are my own.

#WhatAniceCar #NetGalley

Time well spent: My Mommy and Me

This picture book for toddlers has very bright, appealing and cheerful illustrations.  The simple text describes activities that moms and their children enjoy together. I had an e-galley so no flaps, but the real book has them to lift and I am sure that makes this one even more fun.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.  The opinions are my own.

#MyMommyAndMe #NetGalley

A book of fun: Game On!

I see this book and immediately think…Perfect for kids  for car trips or plane trips or for waiting in doctor’s offices…you get the idea.  This book contains a variety of puzzles that kids should find quite fun and amusing. There are mazes, word games, jokes, spot the difference puzzles, word searches and more.   It is the sort of book that I adored when I was a kid.  I even want to do the puzzles now. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this fun puzzle collection.

#GameOnMoreAwesomeActivitiesForCleverKids #NetGalley

Today’s e-book bargains

The Gap of Time: William Shakespeare' The Winter's Tale Retold: A Novel (Hogarth Shakespeare)This is a modern re-telling of Shakespeare”s The Winter’s Tale.  I want to read it!

“A shining delight of a novel” (The New York Times Book Review): A Whitbread Prize–winning author reinvents Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale in this twisting story of time, loss, and redemption in 21st-century England and America. “Smart and witty… Compelling, entertaining, and elegant” (The Guardian).

Publisher Description

The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s “late plays.” It tells the story of a king whose jealousy results in the banishment of his baby daughter and the death of his beautiful wife. His daughter is found and brought up by a shepherd on the Bohemian coast, but through a series of extraordinary events, father and daughter, and eventually mother too, are reunited.

In The Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson’s cover version of The Winter’s Tale, we move from London, a city reeling after the 2008 financial crisis, to a storm-ravaged American city called New Bohemia. Her story is one of childhood friendship, money, status, technology and the elliptical nature of time. Written with energy and wit, this is a story of the consuming power of jealousy on the one hand, and redemption and the enduring love of a lost child on the other.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Mrs. Pollifax Series Book 1) by [Gilman, Dorothy]Mrs. Pollifax is a woman of retirement age who becomes an amateur spy.  I read the series

Publisher Description

“Should delight you whether you’re looking for smiles or thrills.”—The New York Times Book Review

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown, married children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. So, naturally, she became a CIA agent.

She takes on a “job” in Mexico City. The assignment doesn’t sound dangerous at first, but then, as often happens, something goes wrong. Now our dear Mrs. Pollifax finds herself embroiled in quite a hot Cold War—and her country’s enemies find themselves entangled with one unbelievably feisty lady.

“Mrs. Pollifax gives Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple a rival to reckon with.”—Toronto Star

Cozy MysteriesCrime Fiction and MysteriesFictionMysteriesWomen Sleuths
Book data provided by author, publisher, or Bowker data services.

years ago. They are light, undemanding and fun.

l

A Kid’s Book on Inclusiveness: Diversity is Key

This brightly illustrated book will be a useful addition to classroom and library shelves.  In this story, it is diversity week at school. Students from Japan, Mexico and Hawaii share some of their traditions and the children learn from one another.  Suggestions for responding to new experiences will encourage politeness among those who are being exposed to something for the first time.  Diversity is presented as a positive value in which all have something to contribute.  The book also includes suggestions for the adults in students’ lives.

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

#DiversityIsKey #NetGalley

For young sports fans: My Favorite Sport-Tennis

This book serves (no pun intended) as an introduction to the game of tennis. The basic elements of play are described, terms are defined and there are short quizzes for the reader. The photographs contribute to the book’s appeal by showing kids in action. Youngsters interested in the game may want to take a look at this.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

#MyFavoriteSportTennis #NetGalley

Emotional education: Feelings Forecasters

This book invites children to be meteorologists in their own emotional climates.  The analogy between weather conditions and feelings provides the context for the activities and reflections in the well illustrated text.  This is a book that will help children to safely explore their feelings and will then provide them with echniques that will help them to manage in daily life.

In my opinion, this book is a book for children to explore with a trusted adult.  In order for them  to complete the challenges, children clearly would need to feel safe. Thus, Feelings Forecasters deserves a place in schools that focus on the “whole child,” as all schools should.  It could also be a good resource for children who are in the foster care system who could explore the activities with peers and a trusted counselor.

Feelings Forecasters is a rather sophisticated book.  Adults may initially need to help children to buy into its agenda.  If they can become invested, children will have the opportunity to better understand themselves and to manage in a complex environment.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this informative and emotionally resourceful read.  The opinions are my own.

#FeelingsForecasters #NetGalley