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

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.

I adored The Little Paris Bookshop with its story of how one can become isolated and yet have a richer and more meaningful life when moving beyond that unsatisfying safety. This is truly a beautiful and satisfying read.

From Amazon: “Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. (INTERJECTION BY ME…WHAT COULD BE BETTER?) From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.”

Will Perdu open the letter? If he does, what will this mean to him? Find out in this lovely book.  Highest recommendation by me!!

There is a lot of variety here but all of these are worth a look.  The Shell Seekers is a grand family saga; it is a book that I return to when I want to find a sense of calm and escape.  Among the Mad is part of the Maisie Dobbs series; these are best read in order, although all are good.  The series begins in WWI and has now progressed to WWII.  The books are mysteries.  Silent is the Grave is the start of a mystery series; it is slightly unconventional.  The Red Notebook is French and has been on my TBR stack for ages.  A Terrible Beauty is part of a series; I have not read this one but have blogged on two others about Lady Emily.  Dead Water is part of the Jimmy Perez series; readers of the blog know that I LOVE this series. Wings of Fire is part of Charles Todd’s historical mystery series that is set in the aftermath of WWI.. Charles Todd is a mother-son writing duo. Unnatural Death is part of the Lord Peter Wimsey series; these novels are from the golden age of mystery and are indeed golden.  Baltimore Blues is the first in the Tess Monahan mystery series; the protagonist is a Baltimore reporter.  Aftermath is part of the Detective Banks, English mystery series.

Happy exploration are reading, all!