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

The Way to Treasure Island is a treasure of a book: it is visually appealing and tells a sweet story about a father and daughter. The reader learns early on that parent and child are different from one another but always have fun together. In a role reversal, it is Matilda who is neat, organized and follows the rules while her dad is messy, distractable and more willing to veer from what is expected. The two share an adventure that is full of whimsy. Go with them to find the treasure; you will enjoy the voyage.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this delightful picture book. All opinions are my own.

Here are two good mysteries, both British and parts of series.  Enjoy!

Miyuki is eager to welcome spring and to see her flower bloom.  While her grandfather counsels patience, Miyuki is so impatient that she cannot do this.  The story unfolds as Miyuki goes on a journey searching for water and learns that things happen in the time that is meant for them.

This is the second collaboration by the author and illustrator.  As in the first book, Time for Bed, Miyuki, the text and illustrations complement each other well.  As can be seen from the book cover the reader looks at peaceful, gorgeous, imaginative scenes.

I hope that I will get to spend more time with Miyuki, her grandfather and her world in the future.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this lyrical volume. All opinions are my own.

Once the warm weather arrives, I start thinking about summer fiction; for me, that means the books that will provide me with escape.  The Lemon Tree Hotel is a good read in this category; the setting in the Cinque Terre region of Italy comes to life and I would certainly love to spend some time at a hotel like The Lemon Tree.

The story is about a grandmother, Chiara, who runs the hotel that her parents ran and loved after WWII.  She did not marry her childhood sweetheart, Dante, and is in a marriage that lacks warmth.  When Dante returns, what happens?

Chiara’s daughter, Elene, runs the food side of the hotel.  I most definitely wanted to sit on the terrace and eat anything that she  prepared.  Elene is one of those characters who is seemingly set in her ways from a young age.  How will she grow, if at all?

Elene’s daughter, Isabella is at the hotel desk.  She has a warm relationship with Chiara but not so much with her mother.  Isabella gets to know a visitor to the Lemon Tree from Germany.  What is he doing there?  Is it related to WWII?  Will he and Isabella find love?

If you are a reader who reads women’s fiction and would like to answer these questions, travel to the Lemon Tree.  Let me know if you enjoy your vacation.

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

Advance Praise

A book for each month between January 2018 and July 2018.

So hard to just pick one.  Feel free to search the archives and let me know about your faves.

This is a wonderful nature book for children.  In it, they will learn about the Citizen Scientists’ Christmas Bird Count.  The reader watches as a young girl, her mom and Big Al go out on a cold winter’s day to record all of the birds that they see; the reader learns about how the count takes place as, for example, a bird must be seen by at least two people for it to be counted.  Along the way, there are facts about different birds and their calls; the birds can easily be found in the appealing illustrations.

There is bonus content at the end of the book.  Information is there about both the birds and the author.  There is also a section on additional resources.

This is a very good book for children who would like to know more about birds.  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e book in exchange for an honest review.

#BirdCount #NetGalley

The Keeper of Lost Things is on my TBR pile.  I have read and reviewed this author’s second novel,which I liked very much.  Here is that review for The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes:

This is author Ruth Hogan’s second novel. I was quite moved by it and plan to read her debut, The Keeper of Lost Things. She has a talent for describing characters who are fully human, quirky and both struggling and trying their best.

The novel is about two women and those they know, love and/or have lost. Masha is a mother whose child disappeared a number of years ago and, although not found, was presumed to be dead. Masha has grieved for him and has struggled to progress in her life. The reader observes as she moves forward bit by bit, fortified by new and old relationships. Part of Masha’s story takes place at the lido, a favorite locale for me after reading Libby Page’s novel. As in that novel, swimming yields some peace.

Then there is Alice. She is a mother who is overprotective and very attached to her son. Her backstory is told with compassion and the reader comes to understand her struggles and decisions.

Sally, herself, is a elderly woman whose past history becomes known late in the novel. She is eccentric and a source of some of Masha’s healing. She reminds Masha of the importance of continuing to dance, both literally and metaphorically. Other characters include Kitty who has overcome her own tragedy.

While characters in this book have experienced loss, the story is not depressing. Ruth Hogan writes empathically and I was sorry when the novel ended. There is a twist that you might see coming but, even if you know, you can enjoy reading about it.

This is classic Agatha Christie.

This one looks interesting though I have not read it.  I think it sets up a Bernie Madoff-like story.

 

It has now been two years since I began blogging on this site.  I have so enjoyed sharing my reading adventures with you.  Many thanks to all who have read a post here and there and thanks, indeed, to all of you who have become followers.

In honor of the two years, I am going to pick a book that was a favorite for each month. Today, I am looking back at 2017.  Hopefully, you will find something that you have read or would like to read below.

The Dearly Beloved is the first novel by Cara Wall; I am pretty certain that it will not be her last. The Dearly Beloved is the story of Charles, Lily, James and Nan. Each is an adult with a unique upbringing. Charles has faced many parental expectations; Lily has suffered much loss; James had a hardscrabble background, while life seemed sweet for Nan. While in college, Charles and Lily meet as do James and Nan.

Both Charles and James are “called” to the church; they have different approaches to God and activism, as demonstrated over the course of the book. Charles and James are appointed as co-ministers of a New York City church on lower Fifth Avenue. Their strengths and weaknesses come to light and are not the same. The reader watches as the two families’ lives unravel and knit over a period of many years.

This book includes discussion about what faith (or lack of it) means to each protagonist. I found these sections enhanced the novel for me.

This is not perhaps a perfect book, just as James, Charles, Nan and Lily are not prefect but it IS might good.

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

#Thedearlybeloved #NetGalley

So very many good choices here.  Hope you find something that you will enjoy.