I loved this book! It is an early reader with simple language and appealing illustrations. Adults and children who love cats will enjoy watching the unnamed child and Kitty Kitty as they settle down for the night. This is a very cute read!
E-book bargains: Vincenzi, Winspear and Lippman
Penny Vincenzi writes those books that are called door stoppers because of their length. They can be fun to read though. About The Best of Times:
On an ordinary London afternoon, a truck swerves across five lanes of traffic and creates a tangle of chaos and confusion. As loved ones wait to hear news and the hospital prepares to receive the injured, a dozen lives hang in the balance. A doctor is torn between helping the injured and hiding his young mistress; a bridegroom hopes to get to the church on time; a widow waiting to reunite with a lost love ponders whether she’ll ever see him again; and the mysterious hitchhiker, the only person who knows what really happened, is nowhere to be found.
Filled with suspense, romance, and more twists than a country highway, The Best of Times proves once again why Penny Vincenzi is the queen of happy endings.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Baltimore Blues is the first in the Tess Monahan mystery series. She is a Baltimore reporter.
From Publishers Weekly
Downsized ex-reporter Tess Monaghan spends her days working part-time at the bookstore owned by sexy Aunt Kitty and trying not to fall into the disgustingly polluted Patapsco from her city-owned boat. When rowing buddy Rocky pays her what looks like a fortune to follow his fiance, the trail leads to murder with Rocky the prime suspect. “Uneven” is the word for this first novel-hometown and newspaper backgrounds are alive from page one, but characters are cartoons until chapter 15 (out of 30) when Tess investigates the victim. Suddenly the story perks up to a believable pageturner. If Lippman continues the promise of the second half of Baltimore Blues while adhering to advice attributed to Elmore Leonard to cut out the
parts people won’t read, mystery fans can anticipate an engrossing series.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Among the Mad is part of the excellent Maisie Dobbs series. Best started from the beginning but definitely all worth reading.
The author on the book:
From the time I realized that in Maisie Dobbs I had a series character, I’ve wanted to explore further the phenomenon of the range of war neuroses known to the layperson as “shell shock,” and how we see those whose behavior isn’t always within the bounds of what we consider “normal.” I also wanted to look again, through the lens of story and history, at the manner in which society treats wounded veterans, especially those whose wounds cannot be seen, but are of the mind and spirit. To do this, I drew as much upon personal experience as my research.
As many of my readers know, my grandfather suffered both physical wounds and shell shock in the Great War, and as a child I remember having to be quiet around him, so as not to excite or trouble an elderly man with terrible memories. Later, in my mid-teens, I attended a school where we were required to undertake community service one afternoon each week (and we had to attend school on Saturday mornings to make up for it!). So, on Wednesday afternoons, I joined a small group who visited a psychiatric hospital–to talk to the patients, make the tea, read to them and generally offer kindness and companionship. I can recall many of the patients, some who were obviously not able to live outside an institution, and others who inspired one to wonder why they were there at all–and when you found out, the reason was often shocking. I remember one patient I talked with each week, an astoundingly sharp, intelligent man. He had been a top-ranking surgeon, one who was regarded as almost without peer. He was also a madman, a murderer. I thought of him often while writing Among the Mad.
Last year, during my book tour, a military chaplain came to one of my events and stayed behind afterwards to talk to me. He told me that he recommended my books to the families of those who have suffered loss during the Iraq war, and especially to people who are trying to accommodate the special needs of a soldier suffering from what we today call Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). He added that in reading a story where such losses are suffered in a time of war, yet separated by history, it facilitates a deeper understanding of what the returning veteran might be experiencing, and challenges involved in coming home from war.
The recent news that servicemen and woman wounded by PTSD will not be eligible for the Military Order of the Purple Heart–awarded to US military personnel who have been wounded or killed in a war zone–struck a chord. In Britain during and following the Great War there was much controversy about war neuroses, and many soldiers were denied a pension as a result of a clampdown on the diagnosis of shell shock. In my second novel, Birds of a Feather, one of the characters says, “That’s the trouble with war, it’s never over when it’s over, it lives on inside the living.” Such a sentiment is never more true than in the case of the man or woman who has served their country in a time of war, but who has to live with that war reverberating in their mind every single day for the rest of their lives. Maisie Dobbs is such a person, as is the person she is in a race to find in Among the Mad.
Friendship for the nursery school set: Alycat and the Friendship Friday
This book is a good one for a nursery or pre-k library. In this story, Alycat is looking forward to a school field trip. When she does not get to sit with her best friend on the bus, she at first is sad. However, Alycat figures out a way to have two good friends! In addition, this book has some health information because the field trip involves meeting with Dr. Katz. A bonus is that this book has instructions for making a simple friendship bracelet at the end.
#AlycatAndTheFriendshipFriday #NetGalley
Now in paperback: A Hundred Small Lessons by Hay
This is the first novel that I have read by this Australian author…and I am glad that I did! The story of a home and the people who lived in it is told with warmth and insight. We follow the elderly seller of the house as she is moved to assisted living. She has her memories though and we experience her earlier life and relationships. In the present, a young mom tries to understand her life and parenthood. A warm and lovely book! Thanks Net Galley.
So many good reads ahead! Debut fiction sampler
A look through this title shows that there will be lots of good reading this fall. Nine novels are excerpted in this volume. Here they are:
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Sight by Jessie Greengrass
The Adults by Caroline Hulse
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher
Tell Me You’re Mine by Elisabeth Noreback
We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Ways to Hide in Winter by Sarah St. Vincent
There is an incredible range within these titles; some are dark, some are suspenseful, some have romance and one is based upon a real person. There are mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, men and women; a wide array of fictional choices. It was a pleasure to read the excerpts and now I look forward to reading some of these books. You will too!
Pub Day!! Mortals & Immortals of Greek Mythology, Time for bed, Mikyuki and Dark Tide Rising
Many books have been written for children retelling the stories of the great Greek myths. This book deserves a welcome place on that shelf. Each God or Goddess is introduced with a paragraph stating their Latin name, their parents, their appearance, character traits and role. The stories are told in a lively manner that demonstrates the human qualities of the gods; they can be jealous, have affairs, go to war, fight with their siblings, etc. The illustrations are lovely and have a painterly quality. If you or your child wants to know more about mythology, take a look at this appealing book.
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!
A new Anne Perry novel is always most welcome! Dark Tide Rising is in the William Monk series, following last year’s excellent An Echo of Murder. This new case hits very close to home for Monk, in terms of his feelings for Hester and, at work, where he fears that one of his men has betrayed the team. Some plot…Monk works for the River Police where he is a Commander. He is contacted when Kate Exeter is kidnapped and her husband wants assistance in releasing her once he has paid the (exorbitant) ransom. He and Monk’s team accompany him to a very dank, dreary spot known as Jacob’s Island for the transfer. But something goes very wrong…no spoilers, so I won’t say more. It will be well worth your reading the book to find out for yourself.
In this novel, there is back story that will please long time readers of the series. We learn much more about Monk’s second in command, Hooper, and watch him fall in love. There is a trial with Oliver Rathbone defending and Inspector Runcorn also makes an appearance. If you are new to the series, you will be able to catch up and know who’s who quickly.
Dark Tide Rising is another very good entry in an already strong series. You will feel the iciness and fog on the Thames, care about the characters and await the resolution of the case. Enjoy!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review of Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
Under her Galbraith pseudonym, J.K. Rowling impressively sustains suspense over the course of a lengthy mystery in her fourth outing for London PI Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott. The pair have reunited professionally after the events of 2015’s Career of Evil, in which Strike fired Robin for her handling of the Shacklewell Ripper case; their personal relationship remains unsettled in the wake of Robin’s marriage to a man who resents her job. The “curious case of a government minister, slashed horses and a body buried in a pink blanket, down in a dell” begins when a man named Billy, “one of those ill and desperate people you saw in the capital who were always somebody else’s problem,” bursts into Strike’s office and claims that he saw a child strangled when he was very young. Billy flees before offering more information, but Strike’s curiosity about the possible cold case leads him to try to trace Billy. Soon after, in what seems to be suspicious timing, Strike is retained by Culture Minister Jasper Chiswell to protect him against an extortionist, who turns out to be Billy’s brother, Jimmy Knight. Rowling’s emotionally intelligent portrayal of her protagonists never overwhelms the whodunit story line. Agent: Neil Blair, the Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Sept.)Under her Galbraith pseudonym, J.K. Rowling impressively sustains suspense over the course of a lengthy mystery in her fourth outing for London PI Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott. The pair have reunited professionally after the events of 2015’s Career of Evil, in which Strike fired Robin for her handling of the Shacklewell Ripper case; their personal relationship remains unsettled in the wake of Robin’s marriage to a man who resents her job. The “curious case of a government minister, slashed horses and a body buried in a pink blanket, down in a dell” begins when a man named Billy, “one of those ill and desperate people you saw in the capital who were always somebody else’s problem,” bursts into Strike’s office and claims that he saw a child strangled when he was very young. Billy flees before offering more information, but Strike’s curiosity about the possible cold case leads him to try to trace Billy. Soon after, in what seems to be suspicious timing, Strike is retained by Culture Minister Jasper Chiswell to protect him against an extortionist, who turns out to be Billy’s brother, Jimmy Knight. Rowling’s emotionally intelligent portrayal of her protagonists never overwhelms the whodunit story line. Agent: Neil Blair, the Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Sept.)
Moms who are there: A Tale of Two Mommies by OelschlagerA t
A Tale of Two Mommies is an excellent book for home and school libraries. It reflects that, in families, adults take care of their children with love. In a rhyming cadence, questions are asked and answered about which female parent meets her son’s needs in different situations. Sometimes it is one mother, sometimes the other and sometimes the little boy can take care of himself. This book is an easy and positive way to teach children that there are many kinds of families and that they are all alike in so many important ways.
This book is a companion to the author’s book A Tale of Two Daddies.
Two books that I am excited about: Transcription and Lethal White
Read a story about this novel in today’s New York Times. This looks like it will be an excellent read from the talented Ms. Atkinson. See link below.
and for a preview
![Lethal White (A Cormoran Strike Novel) by [Galbraith, Robert]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514wvVBGykL.jpg)
Tomorrow is pub day for the newest Cormoran Strike. A related article link is below.
https:/nyti.ms/2NjoyGm
I am very (!) excited about these two novels. Are you??
E-book bargain: The Chalon Heads by Maitland
![The Chalon Heads (The Brock and Kolla Mysteries) by [Maitland, Barry]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519a8a%2BnrJL.jpg)
Barry Maitlandis the author of a very British police procedural series. As you can tell from the cover, this one centers on a stamp. This entry is an e-book bargain today. As I read it long ago, I will include some others’ opinions below:
“Superb . . . An ingenious, craftily plotted, well-written, full-bodied procedural. . . . [H]e just keeps getting better and better. . . . The revelations continue and delight until the very last page.” —Providence Journal
“[Barry Maitland] writes what may be the best police procedural today. . . . [A] classy story in a usually unclassy genre.” —Sunday Star-Ledger
“Barry Maitland is a master of mysteries, and The Chalon Heads is a crafty and well-crafted showpiece of the genre.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Riveting . . . Deviously complicated . . . Maitland’s intricate tale never fails to grip.” —Publishers Weekly
My two favorites in this series are:
. The Marx Sisters was the first in the series. It was well written and engaging. The Malcontenta takes place at a health spa. I adored it.I definitely recommend giving Kathy and Brock novels a try!
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 