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

When I was a child, watching The Wizard of Oz was a yearly family tradition. Armed with snacks, thanks to my father, we settled in to watch, be scared by those flying monkeys, see the world go from black and white to technicolor and hear Somewhere Over the Rainbow. But wait! Did L. Frank Baum write that song? No spoiler, he did not. So…how was this movie made? Who were the actors behind it and who were Mr. and Mrs. (Maud) Baum? You can find answers while reading this delightful historical novel.

There is familiarity as favorite characters are met on the set of the movie. Maud worked hard to have a presence there and to be true to the author’s intentions for the work. She also gets to know Judy Garland and comes to understand her history, emotions and pressures.

Behind and around this, the novel tells the story of Maud and Frank. I learned so much! For example, Maud’s mother was a committed suffragette and Aunt Susan (B. Anthony) was well known to the family. I also read about Maud’s experience as one of the early female students at Cornell. Meeting Frank, getting married, Franks’ biography, struggling…all of this is present in this book.

Finding Dorothy is an excellent historical novel. Follow the road to it!

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

#FindingDorothy #NetGalley

In this book, young children will spend time with Eddie and Leah as they search for the things that don’t belong in each scene.  There are five two page spreads including Flying High, On the Waves, In a Spin and On the Farm.  The illustrations in each are bright, lively and engaging.  At the back of the book are answers and some fun facts.  A cute book to entertain your little one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance read in exchange for my honest review.

#WhatsWrongOnTheMove #NetGalley

Last year, Ruth was in Italy (The Dark Angel).  This year she is back in Norfolk in a superb entry in a most favorite series of mine.

The first Ruth Galloway mystery, The Crossing Places, is referenced in this book.  The murder and its solution are thought by the characters to have links to the current crime.  I love this series so much that I urge you to start at the beginning.  However, you can read this as a standalone.

There are mysteries here including a cold case and a current baby abduction.  Both story lines are suspenseful and the pieces all come together with the clues there for the reader.

I think though that true lovers of this series read it for the characters and the updates in their personal stories.  If that is part of what you enjoy in the Ruth books, you will not be disappointed.  Every favorite character and relationship is here.

The only bad thing about having read this book is that now I have to begin the long wait for the next in the series.

Enormous thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

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.

Stress is a popular topic these days. Stress comes at us from many directions at, what sometimes feels like, an ever increasing velocity. There may be family issues, work problems, school struggles, etc. or you may just have a personality that is vulnerable to stress. For any of these, this book may be helpful.

This book is organized into sections and subsections. A few examples:

Morning (section) has subsections including Waking Well, Starting the Day and Breakfast

The Peaceful Home (section) includes Light, Shade and Colour, Managing Your Spaces, Positive Energies, The Feel Good Home, Outside and Your Neighborhood

and one last example

Evenings (section) which includes Winding Down, Looking Back-Looking Forward and Off to Bed

Within each of these areas there are short, simple things to ponder such as Forget Yesterday’s Mistakes, Create a Personal Affirmation and Call Yourself from Home (leaving a positive message that you will listen to when you arrive at work).

This book may be read in order or dipped into at random. It provides some good suggestions for living comfortably.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Are you planning to go on vacation with an elementary school aged child this summer or would you like to give a book to a child who will be traveling?  If yes, this is a good potential keepsake for that child.

Inside, there are lists, questions to answer, things to color, jokes, things to think about, a space for addresses, checklists, etc.  A child could well enjoy the activities in this book and…when they are done, they will have a good keepsake.

A few examples from the book…a checklist titled “These are some of the activities I am looking forward to doing on vacation, I would never leave home without…, If I owned a souvenir shop these are some the things I would sell, etc.

So, get out your pencils, crayons or markers and get writing.  Bon Voyage!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this vacation reading.  All opinions are my own.

When my kids were little we used to read a Sesame Street book that started this way: “Follow the Monsters wherever they go, sometimes they’re fast, sometimes their slow…” This toddler book reminds me that kids are interested in monsters (Cookie and otherwise) from a young age. If you know a little monster who is interested in monsters, get them this book.

The author retells the stories of many monsters in a way that felt like hearing a story or fairy tale. Some of the many featured monsters are Apep (from Ancient Egypt), Beatrice Rappaccini (Hawthorne), Dorian Gray (Wilde), Frankenstein (Shelley), and The Weird Sisters (Shakespeare). Each entry includes additional facts including the Category of monster, Base of Operations, Timing, Powers, Deeds, Fear Factor, Weakness, etc. There are additional sections that enlarge upon each monster’s tale; for example, in the Dracula section, one can read Dear Dracula and The Grisly Tale of Elizabeth Siddal.

This book is a wonderful compilation of monsters, their stories and more. It will be welcomed by those who like the weird and wonderful.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this (scary…not really but good) read. All opinions are my own.
#TheBigBookOfMonsters #NetGalley

This is a challenging search and find book for children. Each section starts with a sentence like “I lost my favorite truck-my fire truck. Where can it be hiding?” Then on the following page the child is told “Look at my red truck. Keep the picture in your head, turn the page, and if you see it, show me.” This is followed with illustrations of many similar vehicles. There is then another quote and illustration of the next vehicle to be found.

I think that children will need patience for this book. They will need to examine the differences among similar objects. They will feel quite rewarded if/when they make the match!

#WhereIsMyCar #NetGalley

Children will meet a number of animals in this book including, among others, a dragon, a hippo and a cat. Each animal is shown in an illustration with a picture of their house. The challenge for the child is to turn the page and find exactly that house among those pictured.

This book provides children with a fun way to build their visual discriminatory skills. I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

This is such an appealing book for kids interested in maps and exploration! It charts journeys that expanded knowledge of the world, starting in ancient times and continuing to the modern era. Each two page spread is lavishly illustrated and easy to follow. The route of the traveler and facts about the things seen are so interesting.

The book starts with some good information on exploration, then moves on to describe how to read and use the maps. Then the journeys begin. Just some of the explorers included are Hanno the Navigator (a very early explorer), Ibn Battuta (a devout Muslim), Cortez, Cook, and Peary. There are also several women!

The book is politically correct as it, for example, commenting on the controversy around Columbus. Additionally, the author points out that some expeditions, such as Amelia Earhart’s, end tragically but nonetheless are noteworthy.

I learned a lot while reading this book. The world is there for each of us to explore!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I very much enjoyed my armchair travels. All opinions are my own.

#AmazingExpeditions #NetGalley

This picture book shows two foxes; I did not realize initially that they are brothers, although they are. Benny, the older fox, is having fun doing many different activities. Whenever the younger (nameless) fox asks to participate, he is told no. This happens repeatedly, in my opinion a few more times than needed for the sake of the story, although the illustrations are fun. Eventually the younger fox begins to play on his own although he continues to follow Benny a while longer. After a time, the two foxes begin to share and play together in an activity initiated by the younger.

This story shows the persistence of the younger fox and the older fox’s focusing on himself, not others. The ending, in which, Benny enters into an activity with his younger brother is meant to, at least temporarily, resolve their conflicts.

Younger siblings will most likely relate to being pushed away by their elders. Older siblings will be reminded of how hard it is when a younger brother or sister wants their attention. This is all fine but what I slightly quibble with is the persistence of the younger sibling. He might be viewed a bit as a victim, rather than as a child who has some resources of his own. Nonetheless, this may be a good story book to read with children of any birth order.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance read. Opinions are my own.

#WhatAreYouDoingBenny #NetGalley