An Island Wedding is the fifth title in the series that began with The Cafe by the Sea. Each of the books is set on the small island community of Mure, a spot that feels pretty idyllic.
Readers who have followed the folks who live on Mure will surely be happy to find that there is a new book. While the stories are best read in order, Ms. Colgan thoughtfully provides an introduction to the characters and places, so this book could be read and enjoyed by new readers too.
I was happy to again spend time with Flora, her baby, her fiance, her family and her friends. It was nice to revisit the hotel and see what was happening there. I also enjoyed the plot about Saif, a refugee doctor who has found a new beginning for himself and his children on Mure.
There are wedding plans here, daily life and a few surprises. How will Flora and Joel’s wedding, one that they planned to be “micro” compare with that of Olivia who has returned to Mure for an extravaganza? Will love triumph? Relax and enjoy as you find out. Enjoy a (virtual) vacation in Mure, that magical island between Scotland and Norway as the pages are turned in this light read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.
I did not know who Alice Marble was before I started reading this absorbing historical fiction by Jenni Walsh. Now I know that I won’t forget who this talented athlete and woman was.
Alice was growing up poor. Her father had died and older brothers had left school to help support the family. One of these brothers sparked Alice’s interest in tennis, even though it was because he wanted to channel her away from what he perceived to be the less ladylike sport of playing ball.
Alice had raw talent, drive, ambition, spirit but not the resources of some of the well heeled players against whom she was matched. She got a lucky break when “Teach” noticed her. She went on to work so hard at her game. Readers will find themselves rooting for Alice and hoping for her success in both tennis and life.
However, as can be gleaned from the title of this book, Marble did more than play tennis. What was her work during WWII? How much of a difference did she make? What was the rest of her life like? Read this one to find out.
Anyone who enjoys historical fiction will, I think, enjoy getting to know Alice Marble. Tennis fans, too, are in for a real treat. I very much liked this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for this title. All opinions are my own.
Miss Benson’s Beetle is by the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a book that I very much enjoyed. So, I was excited to receive this e galley from the publisher. The book does not disappoint.
As has been true in her other novels, Rachel Joyce is a mistress of creating quirky characters for whom readers will care. The beginning of the novel introduces Miss Benson. What teacher will not identify with her ‘losing it,’ even if they might not take the actions that she does?
From this unlikely beginning Miss Benson goes on the quest of her lifetime, to the New Caledonia, in search of a rare golden beetle. Readers learn what led to this obsession and of the tragedies in Miss Benson’s past. Accompanying Miss Benson is the irrepressible Enid Pretty who has her own back story. There is also another less savory and wounded character whom Miss Benson did not hire when she met him.
This is a story about doing what one dreams of in life. It is about embarking on a journey without knowing how it will end. Isn’t this a universal of going on journeys and taking risks? Readers will become attached to the story and character and will immerse themselves in Miss Benson’s world.
This is a novel that has both humor and heart. I highly recommend it.
Patti Callahan Henry’s novel, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, is one of my favorite books of all time. I similarly loved Once Upon a Wardrobe. Now I want to read every title of hers. So, I was very happy to spend time with this novel.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea is a book that I enjoyed very much. I found that I wanted to read it slowly so as to savor the story and the time that I got to spend with the characters. I also delighted in the many literary references that were scattered through these pages. (Mecklenburgh Square, a pen of Virginia Woolf’s and many more)
Henry creates a fully realized world in this novel, both in her characters’ pasts and presents, but also in Whisperwood, the special place that two sisters shared in their imaginations.
This is a story with a timeline during WWII and another that begins in 1960. In the 30s, Flora and her older sister, Hazel, are sent to the countryside to keep them safe from London’s bombs… but something happens to Flora. This leaves Hazel alone and bereft. How and why did Flora disappear…and what is the meaning of a book that Hazel “borrows” from her employer? Readers, start here and then you will want to keep going.
This is the sort of novel that will resonate with its readers. I think that they will both like and admire Hazel as she goes on a quest. I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this title. All opinions are my own.
We all go to see a doctor at some time. But, do we ever think about the implements and objects that they use? The discoveries that have helped with diagnoses and care? Each has a history. In this book, readers get a deep dive into twelve of these. Can you guess what any of them are?
Well, to name a few…the bone saw, the microscope, the stethoscope and obstetric forceps. Find out about these and others in this fascinating look at discoveries in the medical world. For each, there is a photo or illustration and a lot of information on the object.
This book would make a good gift for budding medical professionals and others interested in the history of medicine.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
To Catch A Thief has to be one of my favorite movies of all times. Every time I watch it I escape into a good plot, good characters and an amazing setting in France. I had never read the novel upon which this popular film is based, so was thrilled when it was available on NetGalley.
I very much enjoyed this version of the story. It is suspenseful and stands the test of time. I highly recommend it. Jewel thieve…beware!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book could be just the right one for an adult to share with a child as the new year begins. Learning how to cope with making mistakes is a life skill that will give back so much to kids. The need to be perfect can really hold a child back.
Spending some time with this book will, I think, be helpful to those worried kids. It may just be helpful to some adults as well.
This book is organized as a workbook. There are cartoon like illustrations that make the chapters feel accessible.
Learning that it is okay to make mistakes and that they can even be important to learning is vitally important. I hope that this book will help some kids to not only accept but embrace the ways in which mistakes can lead to growth rather than shame.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Magination Press-the American Psychological Association for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title has been very popular in the Netherlands where it was first published. It is a short (less than 200 pages) book that has some whimsical illustrations in addition to the text.
The publisher notes that this read will likely be enjoyed by adults who picked up The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and His Horse. There is a similar use of animals who take on human emotions.
If you are like the hedgehog, or know someone who is, this one could be for you. It is for those who want to be close to people but sometimes let doubts get in the way.
This is the first in a projected series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
I very much enjoyed this author’s first novel, The Last Bookshop in London. I was so delighted to see that she had written a second book. This one is set during WWII as was the first.
What could be more enticing than a novel called The Librarian Spy? I couldn’t wait to open the book and then became immersed . I highly recommend this sophomore effort on Ms. Martin’s part.
This time the author has developed a plot that feels more complex than that of the first book as she follows two different woman. The Librarian Spy is Ava. When the story opens she is working at the Library of Congress in D.C. Ava very much likes her job and the feeling of security that being surrounded by books provides for her. Nonetheless, when she is tapped for a special assignment, Ava takes the new position even though it means getting on a plane, something that is highly fraught for her (readers will learn why).
Ava finds herself in Portugal. Not all readers may know that Portugal was neutral during the war. The author does a terrific job of portraying the city. There are no shortages for many while others are waiting in long lines, hoping against hope to be able to board a ship and to leave Europe. There are the many who watch others; these Portuguese and Germans leave others feeling unsafe despite the neutrality.
Ava’s job is to collect newspapers and other documents that can be transmitted to the States. She meets with a number of characters in the course of her work. Readers especially watch her relationship with the British James.
Meanwhile in France, a second plot line unfolds. This is the story of brave Elaine. Her name has been changed, because, as readers learn early in her part of the book, she gave her papers to a Jewish woman who was fleeing. She was lucky to get new ones. Now, as Elaine, she is involved with the Resistance. Elaine’s husband has been captured and readers may feel a great deal as they wait to see if he will survive the war.
Readers follow Elaine through a depleted city as she couriers, and into the woods where the maquis hide. Will she survive? Will her work change anything in the war? Will Elaine lose friends to the Germans? Finally, how will the two stories intersect?
As I have previously noted, there have been so many WWII titles published for historical fiction fans so it can be hard for any particular one to stand out. In this novel, I found that the courage of these characters moved me especially when I think about the current state of our world and the need for values and bravery in the face of challenges. I recommend this novel even within a crowded field.
Readers who have enjoyed novels by Susan Elia MacNeal and/or Anne Perry’s Elena Standish series may also want to give this title a look.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub Date 26 Jul 2022
The author’s first book:
The Last Bookshop in London
A Novel of World War II
by Madeline Martin
#TheLastBookshopinLondon #NetGalley
Pub Date 06 Apr 2021
As soon as I saw the title of this book, I wanted to read it. The magic word, of course, was bookshop. I also found the cover to be very appealing. So, I initially judged this one by its cover. That said, I wasn’t disappointed.
This novel’s protagonist, Grace, is a young woman who recently lost her mother. Along with her best friend, Viv, she moves to London to stay with a family friend. The two arrive only to have war declared not long after. Viv enters one of the women’s units while Grace remains with her mother’s friend. She takes a position in a bookshop and the shop is also a character in the book.
This story points out the importance of literature. In a lovely scene, Grace goes underground during a bombing raid where she begins reading Middlemarch to those who are stuck in the shelter over night. Those stuck there look forward to additional chapters when the next call to go underground comes.
Grace organized the bookshop and develops a relationship with its curmudgeonly owner. She studies way to make the shop successful and, for example, advertises buying books to read while unable to sleep in one’s beds due to the bombings.
The author does a good job of portraying wartime Britain. There are losses of people, property, usual foods, a way of life. There are also the joys of friendship, love, books and connection.
There are so many WWII set novels being written now. My theory is that, awful as the war was, it is more reassuring to look back at that time than our current one. For all of the suffering, the reader knows that eventually Britain will declare victory.
I think that this title is worth reading. Let me know what you think!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Miss Benson’s Beetle is by the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a book that I very much enjoyed. So, I was excited to receive this e galley from the publisher. The book does not disappoint.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 