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

#TheArtistWhoLovedCatsTheInspiringTaleOfTheophileSteinlen #NetGalley

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.

This illustration shows the young girl who is learning about the artist from an antiques dealer.

Jojo Moyes’s novel One Plus One. Will be welcomed by her fans.

Sidney Chambers and the Perils of the night by Runcie. If you already like, or would like to get to know Grantchester, go for this. I have enjoyed both the books and the TV series. Note that The Road to Grantchester will be out soonish. I thought it was fabulous..

#TheStoneCircle #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.

#PlanetFashion #NetGalley

Do you know a child who is interested in fashion? Maybe you know a child who has watched Project Runway with you. Maybe you just want to let a child know that the world is full of interesting things to learn. For any of these kids, Planet Fashion is a fun resource.

The book covers 100 years of fashion history in detailed, bright, appealing two page spreads. The book starts in 1890. Just a few of the places to visit include Paris, Harlem, London, Mexico, China and India. For each fashion described there are facts listed by the figures. There is also for each two page fashion look, a section including When, Where, Key Designers, Silhouette, Hemline and Sleeves.

At the back of the book, there are additional pictures of accessories including hats and bags. There is also a section with objects to look for. All in all, the whole package is amusing yet informative.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this tour of fashion. I truly enjoyed it. All opinions are my own.

The first is about a young Monet and the second is a good thriller.

Anne Perry is a prolific writer of British historical mysteries. She has written series including the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels, the William Monk books, a series set during WWI and the Christmas novellas.
Perry’s most recent series features Daniel, the son of the Pitts. The first in this was last year’s Twenty-One days.
 Daniel, a new lawyer, is now the protagonist of Triple Jeopardy.
What I loved most about this book was spending time with favorite characters including Daniel’s parents and his sister, Jemima. Jemima is now grown up, married to a police officer and living in the States. She has two young daughters. I also was delighted to again see Miriam fford Croft.
The plot takes time to build and engage the reader as it moves to a courtroom climax. My favorite scenes, however, are the ones that take place on the small island of Alderney.
Did a young employee of the British embassy in Washington D.C. commit crimes including breaking into a young woman’s bedroom, embezzlement and murder? If he did not, who did and why? You will have to read the book to find out.
As always, I love reading anything by this author. I give Triple Jeopardy a solid four stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a very good read. All opinions are my own.

When was the last time that you read a book and found that tears were rolling down your cheeks? For me, it has been quite a while but I cried over this one.

When I told my husband about this novel, he said that it must have been depressing. I replied that it was not depressing but that it was sad. Sadness is an essential piece of this book and yet to me it was a wonderful read and one that I recommend highly, if it is your kind of book or if you are willing to see if it is.

Henri, a French man with a history, is a journalist who covered wars. His thirteen year old son, Sam, did not know him. Just when they are about to meet, Henri saves a young girl but himself is injured and thereafter is in a coma. This means that Sam and Henri’s reunion takes place in the hospital where Sam, who has synesthesia, senses deeply and feels Henri’s presence. Sam spends every day at the hospital sharing himself with Henri and the novel’s other protagonists.

This book is the story of several characters: Sam, Madelyn who is a young girl in a coma and Eddie, the woman that Henri let get away. Their relationships are explored and intersect with one another over the course of the novel which is told in alternating voices.

There is a philosophical underpinning to this book. The characters both live their lives and imagine the ways in which their lives might have played out differently with the same people. The author also explores what she imagines that characters think and feel when they are in a non-awake state and what happens when someone is about to die.

Nina George comments that she wrote three of her novels, of which this is the third, to better understand death. She was writing in the aftermath of her father’s death. The book is beautifully written.

I very much enjoyed this author’s novel, The Little Paris Bookshop and feel that The Book of Dreams is also a keeper. For me, it is a five star novel.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a moving and wonderful read. The opinions are my own.

Little French Bistro is by one of my favorite authors! Read it and savor. An ebook bargain today.

I have blogged The Little Paris Paris Bookshop previously. It is a wonderful book,

And out tomorrow…The Book of Dreams. It is amazing!! I will reblog the review tomorrow on its pub date. Truly five ⭐️s

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.

#OprahWinfrey #NetGalley

This is an inspiring biography for kids. It features many quotes and wonderful illustrations that appear to be made, in part, from cut paper.

In our celebrity obsessed culture, it is easy to think that someone who is successful has always been successful or has had a life without struggle. This gives a false sense about how to succeed and about important values.

Now, many know Oprah for the wide platform that she has…from TV, her book club, her school in Africa, etc. But she was once a little girl who felt alone as she moved among her grandmother, mother and father. How did she come to believe in herself? What lead to her success and what lessons can be learned from it? Read the book to find out more.

In my opinion, this is a great biography for kids. They will learn a lot about Oprah and may also begin to develop their own dreams. Told simply and factually and not avoiding issues like racism, this is a well researched biography.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this excellent read. I learned things that I had not known. All opinions are my own.