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

This is an important, painful, fascinating and uncompromising look at the life of Anne Frank, her family and the destruction of the Jews during the Nazi years. The narrative is readable and makes Anne and her family come alive. There are many photos of Anne’s daily life which serve as a painful reminder of all that was lost and the absurdity of one group of people despising and mistreating another. There are many asides in the book that answer historical questions. While not an easy read, this is a superb introduction to Anne, the horrors of WWII and antisemitism. The courage of those who hid the Franks is also noteworthy. While written for middle school to teen readers, adults can surely benefit from spending time with this book as well. I recommend it most highly.

I’ve been thinking about how to best write about this book by first time author Jess Montgomery. First time author! Wow, Ms. Montgomery writes like an experienced novelist as she effectively creates a place, characters and narrative tension. She has written what I consider to be a truly excellent debut novel.

The Widows are Lily and Marvena, each of whom has children, has lost a husband and is trying not to lose her way. Life in Bronwyn County, Ohio for them and those they love, following WWI is full of hardship. Coal is king and a harsh master. Poverty and company scrip rule many lives.

In this world, Marvena and her common law husband John have worked to organize the miners. This is a freighted and difficult task given the strong arm tactics of the mine owners. Pinkertons are brought in to quell resistance. Other outsiders try to dominate illegal moonshine businesses.

On the surface, Lily’s life looks better. She is married to Sheriff Daniel Ross, a former boxer and half brother to the mine owner. However, early in the novel, Daniel is killed. The circumstances surrounding his death are a central mystery in the novel.

Both Marvena and Lily have relationship history with Daniel. Each realizes that she did not fully know him. As they come to know one another, Lily and Marvena come to also know themselves.

Peopled with many additional characters that come vividly to life, this novel is engaging, realistic and compelling. Put it on your TBR pile for January when it will be released. I recommend this one very highly.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Minotaur for this fantastic read!

#TheWidows #NetGalley

Have you ever been asked to name your favorite fiction title? Have you ever tried to answer this question just for yourself? When I am in this situation, I always think about Bel Canto. I delayed reading this novel for ages. Who needs to read a novel about a hostage situation I would ask myself. Life is tough enough. Wow! Was I wrong. This is an amazing book. Never have I cared about characters so much and been so sad to know that there could not be a happy ending for them all. The set up is a hostage takeover at an opera performance for a private party and the aftermath of this event. All of the characters are nuanced and I cared for each and every one of them. If you have not read this, do so, do so, do so!

As you can see, the book has been made into a movie starring Julianne Moore.  It comes out on September 14th.  See below for an article on opera and music in movies and for more on Bel Canto.

https://nyti.ms/2NSSuEP

This illustrated book includes so much information that it will be read and re-read by young folks interested in science and the skies. The book starts by encouraging readers to observe what they see when they look up into the sky; for example, they may see those in apartment buildings or window washers or lightning rods on tall buildings. The author then has readers see what there is by going higher and higher before back down to earth. So…there are airplanes, space stations, galaxies, etc. and on the way down clouds, birds and so on. The illustrations are engaging and add to the fun of the facts. This book seems like a great way to encourage young readers and their adults to observe and learn more about their world.

#TheSkiesAboveMyEyes #NetGalley

When I doodle, I almost always draw flowers.  So, for that reason, I was intrigued by this title, thinking that I could improve the quality of my drawings.  This book could definitely help me to achieve that goal.  The directions are clear, the layouts are well done, suggestions for colors are given and there are colored drawings of each flower.  This is a great book for those who would like to improve their creations!  Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.

#TenStepDrawingFlowers #NetGalley

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.

#MortalsAndImmortalsOfGreekMythology #NetGalley

Today we spent a good part of the class talking about Snow White.  Focus was on the roles of women; the idealized version of a woman was Snow White; she is beautiful, innocent and takes care of others, in this case the dwarfs, by cooking and cleaning.  The stepmother was seen by the professor as not necessarily “wicked,” but more as a woman who was not accepting the mores of the time.  The stepmother was a woman who knew what she wanted and tried to achieve it, something that was not usual for females at the time.

Another lens of the tale had to do with the “eternal triangle” or  the relationships among Snow White, her father and the stepmother.  Both females were seen as wanting the father’s attention and love.

Interestingly, the Disney movie was released in 1937.  This was a time when people were happy to have work following the Great Depression.  This is reflected in the movie with songs like “Whistle While You Work.”  Also noted was that, in the fairy tale, Snow White was seven years old whereas she is a young woman in the Disney movie.  Finally, Snow White does not awaken from a kiss in the story; the apple is dislodged when she is being moved in order to live with a Prince who plans to admire her in her coffin.  Of course, when she wakes up, she willingly goes to live with  him, though she does not know him at all.

More fairy tales next week and then it will be Alice in Wonderland.

Readers, are you interested in Children’s Lit posts? What are your thoughts about this tale?   Please let me know!

I always look forward to the day when the next Buzz Books Monthly is published! There is no better way to learn about the books that I will want to read. October’s issue includes excerpts from The Traveling Cat Chronicles along with new books by Diane Chamberlain and Leif Enger. There is also an excerpt from The Winters and yes, it is Rebecca based and also excerpts from new novels by Barbara Kingsolver and Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent. And…if that’s not enough, there are also listings of books to be published. I will be looking for new books by Elly Griffiths, Elin Hiderbrand, Jan Karon and Kate Morton, among others. Brene Brown also has a new release. It is going to be a great reading season! Thanks for keeping me up to date Book Buzz.

Calling all those who love the Stephen sisters, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf, along with their spouses and many Bloomsbury friends, all prominent artists, writers and thinkers. The group included Roger Fry, Maynard Keynes and Lytton Strachey, among others.
Fans of Bloomsbury life will enjoy a trip to Charleston, a unique home, which you can visit in this book. Vanessa Bell lived at Charleston, while Virginia and Leonard Woolf had a house nearby. Vanessa’s child Quentin Bell spent a great deal of time there when he was young as did his brother and sister.
Quentin and Quentin’s daughter, Virginia Nicholson, contribute their memories of Charleston to this lavishly illustrated book. There are photographs of the house, reproductions of art work and so much more in this volume. It is organized by room so you can spend time wherever you like and in the order that suits you.
This book is highly recommended. It has a beautiful layout, gorgeous visuals and many enjoyable reminiscences. Thanks for my visit NetGalley and Quarto.

Do you like stories in which girls and women are strong characters with independent lives? If the answer is yes, you might enjoy reading this book with a grade school child that you know. The author has taken well-known fairy tale heroines and given them lives that have more roles than just princess/bride. From detectives to environmentalists, these girls want to accomplish things. I very much enjoyed the concept of the book. At times though, I think that the book was a little too heavy handed. On the other hand, the author is trying to make up for years of a certain kind of fairy tale, so I can see where this is a matter of taste. I would give this book three stars although others might rate it more highly.

$3.99 today.  This is the last novel written by the beloved author of the Kinsey Milhone series.  It is probably good to start with A is for Alibi although I have not read the books in order.  Sue Grafton is missed!

The New York Times Book Review says, “[I]t’s Kinsey herself who keeps this series so warm and welcoming. She’s smart, she’s resourceful, and she’s tough enough to be sensitive on the right occasions.”

$3.99 today.  Is there any one out there who reads women’s fiction who has not read this novel?  It is such a good one.  This is the story of somewhat flaky Louisa who cares for paraplegic Will.  In addition to being an unconventional romance this book gets the reader to care about larger issues including the quality of life that each of us wants.  Highly recommended.

From Booklist