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

Oh, to be a child again in a world with so many wonderful reads.  Recaps below.

National Parks of the USA-Cheerfully illustrated and full of facts.

The Know Nonsense Guide to Space-A great introduction for future astronomers and astronauts.

Surfer Dude=A lovely, touching book about a Chincogeague pony.

Anna at the Art Museum-For adults and children who may not have been enthusiastic at the prospect of a visit.

Fantastic Failures-From all walks of life, those who learned form their experiences.

Little People, Big Dreams–Josephine Baker-One of my favorite children’s series.  Another good entry.

I Like Art-Realism-A quick and factual introduction to the art movement with good reproductions.

10 Reasons to Love a Penguin-As if you needed them?  Cute and appealing.

The Night Dragon-A lovely bedtime story that is beautifully illustrated.

The Bossy Pirate-One to help children learn to share.

Joy-Wonderful illustrations about a young girl and her grandmother.

Music Legends-An appealing look at great artists that is full of fun facts.

Greek Gods and Heroes-As above but about gods.

Good Morning Neighbor-A lovely read aloud for young children.  I liked the repetition and the illustrations.

Time for Bed, Miyuki-A fantastical bedtime story with gorgeous artwork.

Who Made This Mess?-A book to gently teach children to look after their stuff.

See the blog archive for the full reviews.  Thanks for reading!

So many good books this month.  A recap is below.  Please see the blog archives for July for the posts.  As always, I welcome your comments and thoughts, your visits and likes.  Thanks for reading!!

 Books That I Read This Month

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston:  Written by an African American author and a classic.  Find out who Janie is and wants to be.

The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald:  Another classic that is well worth a first read or a second…or even more reads.

The Glass Room by Cleeves:  An entry in the Vera Hope mystery series.  Always enjoyable to spend time with Vera and her team.

Charleston by Bell and Nicholson:  For lovers of the Bloomsbury group.

Dark Tide Rising by Perry:  The newest Monk mystery which will be released in August.  Readers of the blog know that I love this author.

A Double Life by Berry: Based on Lord Lucan’s murder.  A fictional re-telling and a page turner.

The Perfect Couple by Hilderbrand: A popular women’s fiction writers first mystery.  A good summer read.

The Banker’s Wife by Alger:  A financial thriller.  I really enjoyed this one!

Okay!  On to August.  Happy reading.

This is Flynn Berry’s second novel; it follows Under the Harrow. A Double Life is inspired by a true murder that was reportedly committed by Lord Lucan. Lord Lucan supposedly murdered his children’s nanny after he mistook the nanny for his wife. Lord Lucan was never seen again and nothing is definitvely known about what happened to him. Lord Lucan’s wife died only recently, never saying anything more.

In this novel, Flynn Berry imagines what might have happened. She tells her story largely through the eyes of the daughter, imagining what life was like for her, her mother and her brother following the horrific murder. Flashbacks about the relationship of the protagonist’s parents and their friends add to the seeming veracity of the story.

I found this book to be a page turner and finished it within a few days. There were some plot twists and some food for thought once the full story was told. Anyone out there who reads this, I will be interested in your take on the ending.

Note this is a fictional account and does not in all respects follow what happened to the family.

Thanks for this excellent read NetGalley and the publisher!

Kudos to Quarto publishers and the author for another informative, appealing and enjoyable entry in the Little People, Big Dreams series. This time it is the story of Josephine Baker, a dancer and entertainer, who moved far from her segregated hometown to find renown in Paris and beyond. I discovered things that I did not know about Ms. Baker in this short book. While I knew about her performances and the large family that she created through adoption, I just now learned that she helped the French Resistance during WWII and was active in the Civil Rights movement.
This book will appeal to both children with dreams and the adults who encourage them. As always, the illustrations add to the appeal of the book.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for publishing these inspiring stories

The Banker’s Wife is a great summer read, especially for those who enjoy novels like The Expats by Chris Pavone. The set up…Annabel is married to Matthew. Matthew is a banker at a Swiss bank that keeps secrets for its depositors. Marina is a journalist who is engaged to a prospective presidential candidate’s son. She works with Duncan. They are trying to locate a notorious Ponzi schemer. The story, of course, is even bigger than this.

Matthew is reported killed in a plane crash along with a cousin of Syria’s dictator. Annabel is left bereaved and unsafe. Marina is unsafe as well. While the two do not meet, they are both impacted by the business practices of Swiss United Bank.

Both Annabel and Marina are connected to a myriad of other characters. There are questions about whom to trust and how to unravel the bank’s schemes and hold those who are guilty accountable. The reader experiences doubts too regarding what has happened and who all of the ‘bad guys’ are.

Christina Alger has written a book that is suspenseful and engaging. The plot is complex but not too hard to follow. The reader will understand more about financial shenanigans and the private banking worlds that are fascinating and not part of many readers’ daily lives.

I truly enjoyed the settings, characters and the plot of the novel. I highly recommend it!

“First-rate…Slick, heart-hammering entertainment.”–The New York Times Book Review

#TheBanker’sWife #NetGalley

When they wake up for the day,  Joann and Jane each find a very messy bedroom. What happened? Who made the mess? The sisters approach the situation as detectives would;  they look for clues and interview family members. Young listeners may guess the culprit; regardless of whether they do or not, they will have fun along the way. There is a gentle message in the book about cleaning up and taking responsibility that I am certain parents will appreciate. A cute read overall.

#JoannAndJane:whoMadeThisMess? #NetGalley

Miyuki takes her time as she puts off going to bed.  Her grandfather lovingly and patiently waits for Miyuki to complete her tasks and be ready.  Finally,  Miyuki is tucked in, hears a bedtime story and falls asleep.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book!  The illustrations are of such high quality with their whimsy, imagination and bright colors. The text is sweet and repeats, something that is quite appealing to young children.  This book will be a welcome addition for those looking for gentle bedtime stories.  Highly recommended!

#TimeForBedMiyuki #NetGalley

This is a very appealing picture book that will be an enjoyable read-aloud for young children.  It is the story of animals who work together to make a cake. Cooperation is a clear theme but it is gently presented.  Throughout the book, there is repetition reminiscent of the old children’s game, “I am going on a trip and I packed…” Young children will enjoy how the book repeats as it then adds the next animal character and that animal’s contribution to the baking project.  Children can play a fun memory game by trying to recall the critters and their ingredients in the correct order.  The illustrations are lovely and feel reminiscent of that great master, Eric Carle.  All in all, I highly recommend this one!

#GoodMorningNeighbor #NetGalley

Elin Hilderbrand has written many novels that take place on Nantucket.  This is her first murder mystery and the first book that I have read by the author.  The setting is beautiful and full of details of how the well-to-do spend their summers on the island.

A wedding is scheduled to take place.  The groom, Benji is the scion of a wealthy family while his bride to be, Celeste,  comes from a loving, middle-class background.    Celeste and Benji’s parents come to life in portrait-like depictions.  Benji’s mother is a society woman who writes mystery novels and always hosts in the most proper ways.  Her husband, Tag, is a man who has had many affairs. They live a life of luxury but do not have a happy marriage.  In contrast,  Celeste’s parents are “salt of the earth” types who have a loving relationship.  Karen, who has breast cancer, is portrayed in a wonderfully empathetic fashion.  Kudos to the author for sympathetically but not maudlin-ly describing Karen.  Bruce, Celeste’s dad, clearly adores both his wife and child.  They both want only Celeste to be happy and secure.

Celeste’s maid of honor is the murder victim.  For fear of spoilers, I won’t say more about what happened or the solution of the mystery.  There are numerous suspects and many relationships come into play.

This is what I would describe as a good summer read.  It is a long (over 400 pages) novel in which the reader becomes immersed.  If you want a light summer escape, this one is worth trying.

This is an appealing and informative resource for kids who would like to know more about popular and significant musicians and/or groups.  The book begins with Elvis and goes on to the Beatles, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and many others; there are 40 stories in all.  The book is beautifully laid out with two pages per music legend.  Ilustrations are lively and really catch the look and flavor of each musician’s personality.  There are some dates, important facts and interesting trivia.  Adults can also enjoy this look at the music that shaped the world when they were growing up.  Highly recommended for popular music aficionados!

#MusicLegends #NetGalley

I blogged on this book yesterday, only to find that today it is an e-book bargain!  This is a fun, suspenseful read with quite a twist.  So, here I am recommending it again.

I read this one awhile ago and enjoyed it.  Two mysteries are intertwined; one is about the murder of a slave many years ago and the other a current murder at the plantation Belle Vie.  I am including additional information about this book below.

From Booklist