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

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

This short read-aloud articulates many of the fears that a child could experience when thinking about the first day of school. Each anxiety is given an airing and a reassurance. Using an animal rather than a human may make it easier for a child to obliquely acknowledge his or her own concerns. I felt that this book’s strength lay in recognizing the concerns that a child might feel. However, in addition to providing reassurance the book might have benefited from talking about the routine and structure of the school day so as to help a child to know what to expect.

The illustrations were simple and colorful. They added to the text.

There are so many alphabet books for young children that parents are spoiled for choice. This one has a cute concept. The animals are not the most common ones so there is a little more surprise for the little learner. The book has bright, colorful illustrations that will engage youngsters. At the end, all of the animals are lined up for children to pick out and remember. This one is a good addition for early learners’ bookshelves.

Andrew and Briana Volk have authored a lavishly illustrated compendium of food facts, recipes and cocktails. All are influenced by the state of Maine, the city of Portland and Briana’s Finnish ancestors. There are recipes for dishes like salmon soup, smoked trout with deviled eggs, summer vegetable stew, pretzels, butterscotch buddino with pistachio praline, etc. To this are added cocktails both cold and hot. There are side treks to places like Mohegan Island and information on things like how to shuck oysters. A great resource for interesting food and drink with a special shout out to Maine, one of my own favorite places.

This is the perfect gift book for riders and those who love horses. Some of you out there may well want to make this book a gift to yourself. Many disciplines including dressage, show jumping, polo, carriage driving, eventing, and others are described in this lush book. The importance of the bond between horse and rider is emphasized with the author describing horses as animals who are eager to please. The reader can dip in and out of the book, reading about the horse encounters they most love or they can learn about new disciplines and sports. The photographs throughout are stunning. Highly recommended for horse folk! Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for this one.

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!

A fun introduction to the basic moves of gymnastics. Each move is compared to the way an animal moves; young folk can slither like a snake, for example. The illustrations are vivid and multi-cultural. Children and their parents can enjoy this book together as they bend, stretch, jump and use up some energy. A cute addition for a toddler’s bookshelf!

This picture book depicts two friends having a conversation.  Which Dad takes care of each of the things that a little girl needs?  With simple rhyming language the reader learns that both fathers love and care for their daughter.  The book provides a nice introduction for learning about how different kinds of families nurture their children in similar ways.  A good addition for a school library!

At $2.99 or $3.99 per novel, you should definitely buy all of the books in this series.  Suzanne Chazin has written four excellent suspense novels that also make a strong social statement.  Each of the books documents the struggles and fears of illegal immigrants.  The author is most sympathetic to their plight.  At the same time, Ms. Chazin has written intriguing mysteries with recurring characters who have interesting back stories.  I always love catching up with Jimmy Vega and Adele Figueroa.  I highly recommend these novels.

On the first novel:

“The intricate plot and the important social issues combine in this strong debut of a
promising series.”
–Booklist

“Hits the heart, not just the pulse, with people you come to care about. First rate and highly recommended.”–Lee Child, internationally best-selling author of the Jack Reacher series

“…Keenly moving and suspenseful.”–Julia Spencer-Fleming, bestselling author of “Through the Evil Days”

Which cover do you prefer?  I like the British one (on the right) better.

Cathy Kelly, an Irish author, has a long history of writing engaging women’s fiction.  I was very excited when I read my first Cathy Kelly book, Past Secrets. She has now written more than a dozen novels.

Secrets of a Happy Marriage tells the stories of characters who face losses and must figure out how to regroup and live their lives.  Edward’s wife and Jojo’s mother, Lottie, died.  How do they choose to go on?  What happens to Jojo when infertility is added to the mix?  What about Cari who loses a fiance when he abandons her at the altar?  And then there is Fainne who fled to America when she faced an unexpected pregnancy 40 years ago?  There is also Bess who was left to raise her daughter Amy as a single parent.

All of these characters interact as a party is planned for Edward’s seventieth birthday.  There is one surprise and lots that happens as the characters face their futures.

I enjoyed this novel and will look forward to whatever Ms. Kelly writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Cathy Kelly.

In September, thoughts always turn to school.  We either are going or know someone who is.  We either dread it or are happy about new opportunities.

I am in the happy group.  I just started a course on Children’s Lit.  The first discussions were on fairy tales.  In class this week, we compared three versions of the Little Red Riding Hood story.  There was discussion of time periods, the amount or lack of detail in each version, the underlying (or not) sexuality in the tale and the moral.  If this is a taste of what is to come, I am all in!

All of the fairy tales that we will be studying are from this volume.