What struck me most was how times do (or don’t) change all that much. In his time, the world for Aquinas may have felt much as ours does today. It was unsettled and insecure with many feeling alienated and one with strong divisions among people.
The author of this book notes, in the introduction, that Aquinas was not always “right” but that he offers a helpful view of the world that is still relevant. Aquinas’s humanity and beliefs in constructs like community, fellowship and justice still have resonance.
This said, Aquinas was a Christian with a very Christian world view. This is something for the reader to take into account in deciding if they want to explore what Aquinas has to say.
This is a read for those who are open to a challenging read and one that will require time and thought.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All opinions are my own.
Here is another title in this excellent series of short biographies for kids. This time, I got to read about Mary Kom, someone whom I did not know. As is always the case in the Little People, Big Dreams titles, readers will find a story with inspiration, this time about a girl who dreamed of becoming a boxer. Learn how she achieved this, how she grew along the way and how she gave back.
This book is beautifully illustrated and tells Mary’s story well. Give it to a child to show them how dreams can lead to accomplishments.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
NOTE: a new book in this series will be published soon
Four stars****
This book will absolutely delight cozy mystery fans and royal watchers. What a premise it is to have Queen Elizabeth discreetly investigating murder and mayhem. She may well become many readers favorite amateur sleuth.
In this third in the series, the Queen is in Norfolk for the festive December holidays. However, all is not well. A hand has turned up on the beach. The hand sports a specific signet ring which leads the Queen to name the owner of this body part. No, She is not squeamish. What happened? Who was responsible? Will justice be achieved?
The mystery itself is well done although I confess that, at times, I had a bit of trouble keeping all of the characters distinct in my memory. But, that did not pose any major difficulties and I very much enjoyed this book.
The delight of this novel lies in the insider feel that Bennett gives readers into royal life. The house and grounds of Sandringham feel accurately described as do events such as Boxing Day shoots and the exchange of gag gifts.
At Sandringham with the Queen are Anne, Charles, Beatrice, Phillip, Harry and others. No William however as he and Kate are at the Middletons. Every one is made to feel very real with personalities that reflect the sense that readers may already have of them.
As was true in the earlier titles in the series, 6 foot tall, Black, Rozie, the Queen’s APS, make her appearance. She is such a fun character.
I highly recommend this one. Readers who have not read the other books in the series will be fine here but many will want to go back to the first two just for the fun of it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Barbie…just the name is enough to form the picture of this her in the reader’s mind. She is a doll that has both been embraced and vilified, perhaps even both at the same time for some. Now, she is so much a part of popular culture, it is difficult to remember that once there was no Barbie.
Author Renee Rosen has written a detailed, intriguing and complex story about Barbie and her creators. She has brought the historical people to life, especially Ruth and Jack (more below), Elliot and Charlotte, to name a few. She also has created fictional characters including Stevie who interacts with all of the historical figures.
I learned so much about the toy industry, how toys go from plans to reality and how this applied specifically to Barbie, in these pages. Ruth had a vision and it took her and engineer Jack much work and many years before Barbie was brought to the market. It is intriguing that Ruth saw Barbie as a source of freedom for girls. She wanted them to have a doll that offered more to them than imagining becoming a mother and wife.
It was intriguing to think of the real fashion designers who made the clothes and why Barbie has her dimensions. It was fascinating to find out how many tries it took to get Barbie just right.
Both Ruth and Jack were quite complex individuals. Readers learn that Ruth’s mother did not want to raise her. They find why work was so critical for Ruth and the ways in which this impacted her children and husband. Jack, also was complicated. Readers learn that he had some mental health issues with which to struggle.
Over the course of the novel, readers learn about both the triumphs and lows of these characters so that is there is no fairy tale. All of this is part of the characters’ life stories.
In her afterword, Rosen notes that she had wanted to write this novel before the Barbie movie was released. The movie will undoubtedly bring readers to this novel but, in my opinion, this excellent book stands very well on its own.
Highly recommended to readers of historical and women’s fiction. Of course, those who are already interested in Barbie will flock to this but, even if a reader is not a Barbie aficionado, there is much in these pages.
I was so delighted to be asked to read and review this title. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group this title. All opinions are my own.
It is not easy to get to glorious Tuga. This fictional island is far from anywhere, takes a long sea (sick) journey to get to, and is often not accessible. It is a very distant (fictional) British outpost.
The islanders are descended from several families. Many have distinctive dimples. Some want to stay there, a few want to leave (and come back) and once in a while an incomer arrives.
In this story readers meet Charlotte Walker, a vet, who has traveled to Tuga where she plans to live for a year while studying a particular tortoise. She is escaping her London life and her demanding mother while hoping that, in Tuga, she may discover her father, advance her career and enjoy a new experience.
On the trip to Tuga, Charlotte meets Dan. He is a physician who has studied abroad and is returning to Tuga to take over his uncle’s practice. He and Charlotte spend a lot of time together on the trip out. Will they have a future?
These are only two of the many, many characters who populate this warm hearted story. It takes a bit to sort them all out but there is a helpful character list at the start of the novel. Get to know them, their stories, their interconnections, challenges and loves in these pages.
Many have already declared this to be a special book. I agree. I have read that it is the first in a trilogy.
It seems to me that one of the joys of being an author is that the writer can create an entire world, populate it how they want and decide the fates of their characters. Segal has done all of this in creating Tuga. I recommend enjoying a (virtual) visit there.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for this title. All opinions are my own.
This is Stig Abell’s second title; it follows on Death Under a Little Sky. While it is not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one, anyone who likes Death in a Lonely Place will want to read the origin story.
Here are many of the characters from the first book starting with Jake. He is a former detective who has chosen to live largely off the grid in a remote home that he was left by a relative (although he has many go arounds). Readers should take a look at the map of the estate that is in the front of the book. Jake has charmingly named the various spots for well-known detective fiction people and characters. There are other mysteries and authors mentioned in the text as well.
Jake is in a relationship with a local vet, Livia, who has a young daughter named Diana. He wants this relationship to succeed. He and Livia are in different spots as an old case surfaces and Jake becomes involved while Livia’s main wish is to keep Diana safe.
No Taboo-it is a dark organization that offers people the unthinkable. In investigating it Jake has to think about a very dark place. Readers will wonder how the events unfold. Will Diana’s newest and very wealthy client put her and/or Diana in danger?
This book offers an interesting mix between Jake’s rather cozy domestic life and some very nasty business. Abell manages both of these story aspects well.
I recommend this title to those who enjoy crime stories. I look forward to whatever Abell writes next.
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 11 April 2024
Praise for Death in a Lonely Place
‘Loved this. Multiple layers of delight for crime fiction fans’ Lee Child, creator of Jack Reacher
‘Abell is a skilled storyteller and it’s easy to fall into the pages of Death in a Lonely Place. Highly recommend’ Karin Slaughter, creator of Will Trent
‘An immersive, intelligent delight with huge atmosphere and heart. My favourite new crime series’ Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment
‘Utterly beautiful descriptive prose that brings Jake Jackson’s world to life’ Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan series
‘A darkly elegant, thrilling, escapist slice of countryside crime’ Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End
This book offers a wonderful treat for budding ornithologists. It is beautifully illustrated throughout and packed with information. There is even a handy guide entitled How to Use This Book.
Following the introduction, there is a section on What is a Bird?, followed by A Guide to Bird Families. After this, there are sections on many kind of birds. To name just a few there are Birds of Prey, Owl, Tunnel-Nesters and Forgotten Birds.
I would have loved a book like this when I was a kid. I find it helpful as an adult as well. It is just filled with interesting facts.
Recommended to nature lovers of many ages!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Take a deep breath as you begin this title. The story opens with a husband and wife telling their adult children that they plan to end their lives in exactly one year. They have their reasons although Jane, Violet and Thomas are in no way accepting when they hear this. The novel takes off from there.
In these pages readers get to know Joseph and Evelyn over the course of their lives, beginning when they were kids. They move together through the significant events in their lives, their children’s lives and those around them.
The story is told by different characters and in different time lines. This allows readers to experience past events as they were happening.
Will Evelyn and Joseph move ahead with their plans? Read this emotional title, get to know the characters, see what they decide and see what you think.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
When I have the opportunity to both read and listen to a book I am happy. I can read when I am sitting and can listen when I am out and about. This synchronicity worked perfectly while I enjoyed The Murders in Great Diddling.
The cover and title give some sense of this as a British mystery and indeed it is. Great Diddling is in Cornwall. It is a community where the people who live there know one another.
The story begins when there is an outdoor tea party. Owner of a grand (if rundown) estate has invited the villagers to a tea party. This device leads to a rapid introduction to many characters for the reader.
There are the manor owner, Daphne and her assistant Margaret. There is Daphne’s difficult and disliked nephew. There are author Berit and Sally, daughter of her agent, and hopeful employee of Berit. There is a couple; James has a stake in a hotel and Penny has a stake in defending her husband. There are owners of village businesses whose doors are to be closed and others as well.
There is an explosion and in its aftermath a body is found. I will leave it to the reader to find out who the victim is. Suffice it to say, there are many with motives.
This is the lead in to a long, fun and involving story. Take the time to enjoy it. I did. Note how much there is about books, lots of books in this one as you read or listen.
I found the narration to be spot on. The reader was British and helped to create the atmosphere of the story in a delightful way.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 13 August 2024
For audio book: #TheMurdersinGreatDiddling #NetGalley
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 