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.
The Memory Library tells the story of a mother and daughter who have a complex relationship-is that not always the case? For Sally and Ella in particular, their issues lead them to live on opposite sides of the world (England and Australia) for decades. When Sally suffers a bad fall, Ella returns to England for a month and the stage is set.
One thing that I very much liked in this story was the love for books that came across quite clearly. Early on Sally reads Little Women to Ella and gives her a copy of her very own. They enjoy a tradition of a new birthday book each year. What a nice idea!
The title comes from what Sally did during Ella’s absence. Each year she purchased a book for Ella and inscribed it. What happened to them? Can they ever be shared?
This story delves into the lives of these two characters and those around them. It looks at how a parent-child relationship might fall apart and how it could be healed. It offers a heartwarming and enjoyable read.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys stories about relationships and families.
Note for those with Kindle Unlimited, this is a free read. For others, it is worth buying.
Sophie Mayhew is married to an English politician who is poised for great things, hopefully to be the next P.M. Devoted Sophie is the perfect spouse. She is intelligent, beautiful, supportive and kind with a tragedy in her past. She is the one who shows compassion for her husband’s constituents and stands by his side to enhance his profile.
However, Sophie, though well-educated and seemingly perfectly suited for this role, is quite unhappy. Things come to a crisis point (no spoiler as this happens early in the novel), when she learns of her husband’s second affair. Groomed carefully on what to say to the media, Sophie instead says what she wants and of course, chaos results.
Sophie escapes to the one place where she had been happy, lives under an alias and begins to know what she wants for herself and to feel entitled to this. Along the way, she forms friendships and a potential romantic relationship. However….Sophie knows that she must return home. What will happen then?
This is a delightful escapist read so, of course, readers can imagine what will happen. Still, getting there is enjoyable and I very much enjoyed this light read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A glorious, heartfelt novel” (Rowan Coleman, New York Times bestselling author )
“Every time you discover a new Milly book, it’s like finding a pot of gold.” (Heat magazine)
“A warm hug of a book” (S Magazine)
“Bursting with warmth and joie de vivre” (Jill Mansell, New York Times bestselling author )
“Must read” (Express)
“Absolutely loved it. Milly’s writing is like getting a big hug with just the right amount of bite underneath”
(Jane Fallon, Sunday Times bestselling author )
Stephen Fry wears a few hats. One of these is author and, in that guise, he has written his version of the Greek myths. Readers are lucky that he has taken on these stories of the gods with all of their powers but also their human flaws.
This is a long (over 500 pages) book that will keep readers entertained for hours. So many stories are included here. Read about Gaia’s Revenge, Hera, Artemis, Cupid, Phaeton, Hyacinthus, Pyramus and Thisbe, Midas… and that is just a very small sample of the characters found in these pages.
This is a new edition of the previously published Mythos. It is lavishly illustrated. Mythos will bring so much pleasure to readers. Think about giving this as a gift to someone who loves Greece, mythology and beautiful editions of books. I am certain it will be welcomed.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Crooked Lane Books has become one of my favorite publishers. They publish so many good traditional mysteries and this book is no exception.
I enjoyed the background and setting to this story. Readers are invited into the world of a regional theater and costume designer Tasha Weaver. Or course, this is a world that is filled with egos and can be cutthroat. So, it is no surprise when Kurt Mozer is killed. He was the star of Annie Get Your Gun, a musical that once was performed at my summer camp.
Read this one for the plot, the suspects and the knowledge that all should work out. I hope that this is the first in a series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life
by Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
#TheJoyofConnections #NetGalley
Ruth Westheimer, who recently died, was beloved by many for her straightforward advice and way of looking at the world. The Joy of Connections is her last book but it is by no means the least.
There has been much attention given to what is termed an “epidemic” of loneliness. Given that people need and thrive with connections, this is indeed an important issue and one that Dr. Ruth addresses in this title.
Dr. Ruth writes a meaningful introduction to the book. She notes the difference between loneliness and solitude. Westheimer also reflects on the loneliness that she experienced throughout her life. Nonetheless, note the title of this book-Dr. Ruth wants to offer hope and tactics.
Readers follow Dr. Ruth’s “Menu for Connection.” This leads to an examination of significant life areas including Self, Family, Friends & Lovers, Community and, outside her circle graph but close by, technology. As she looks at each of these, Dr. Ruth offers practical help and many examples from her own life.
This is a title that will appeal to those who are looking for change and to those who are fans of the author. It is filled with ways to find pathways to more connection and joy.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Rodale Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
My first impression is that Kate Atkinson must have enjoyed herself when writing this book. In this novel, she has created unique, over the top and idiosyncratic characters who often, in my opinion, require some suspension of disbelief on the reader’s part. The plot here includes a number of tropes, including the murder mystery weekend, the small English village, the snowstorm that isolates characters, stolen art, family relationships and more.
Readers who have read other Jackson Brodie mysteries will be delighted to meet up with him, his family and his police contacts once again. This time, he has been hired to look into stolen art but stumbles on much more.
There were times when I felt that Atkinson was going for the comic, even farcical, effect. That said, some of her portraits of the characters, were quite moving. While many jokes were made, often by Ben, about his war experiences, he is very sympathetically presented. Ben reminded me of Strike in the JK Rowling series. Their situations are similar in dealing with the loss of a limb. He is just one among a group that includes a vicar, actors, down on their heels aristocrats and others.
This book just gallops along. Events and situations pile up on one another. Atkins fans will rejoice!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for this title. All opinions are my own.
Remember when the first Harry Potter title was published? It went on to become one of those books that just took off and has been loved by so many. Similarly, I think that Impossible Creatures has every chance of being that next, very special book.
This novel tells an involving story of two children and a created world. First readers meet Christopher. One day he rescues a baby griffin and his life changes for ever. On this very same day, Christopher meets Mal (and her magic coat). She is in need of his help. Of course the two join forces.
Over the course of this book much happens to these characters in a story that is heroic, magical and engaging. Note that the illustrations add much pleasure to the reading. These are whimsical and quite appealing.
In my opinion, young readers will be very eager to get their hands on this one! I am sure that it will get kids reading. Yay!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s-Knopf Books for Young Readers for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 10 September 2024 in the U.S.
* BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR * WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER * BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS’ AWARD WINNER * FOYLES CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR * SHORTLISTED FOR AMAZON KIDS AND YA BOOK OF THE YEAR * THE TIMES CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK * THE INDEPENDENT CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK * SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER IN SEPTEMBER 2023
There’s a place where all the wildest stories began . From Katherine Rundell, the British Book Awards Author of the Year, comes the paperback release of the first novel in the critically acclaimed, award winning, best-selling Impossible Creatures series. This edition includes The Centaur’s Spectacles bonus short story.
Christopher is stunned when he discovers a passage to the Archipelago: a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures of myth still live and breed and thrive in their thousands. There he meets Mal: a girl from the islands, who is in possession of a flying coat and a baby griffin, and who is being pursued by a killer. Together they embark on an urgent quest to discover why the creatures are suddenly perishing, voyaging across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, in a bid to save both the islands and the world beyond them from a rising evil – before it’s too late.
‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’– The Guardian
‘A marvellous, imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle – a book to race through in a day and keep for a lifetime’ –Jacqueline Wilson
‘The world of this new book is so intriguing and so well put together that I couldn’t resist it. Readers who already know her books will seize this with delight, and new readers will love it and demand all her others at once’ – Philip Pullman
‘A masterpiece to rival Tolkien and Pullman’ – The Daily Telegraph ‘Fantastically exuberant, wildly imaginative, impossibly brilliant. Rundell’s best, which is something to be marvelled at’ – Kiran Millwood Hargrave ‘Between the covers of Impossible Creatures is a world as enchanting, as perilous, as richly imagined as Narnia or Middle Earth‘ – Frank Cottrell-Boyce ‘Rundell’s book packs a punch with imagination and creativity in its purest form. She has created a story with potential to be adored by fantasy lovers for years to come’ – The Independent ‘With a delightful cast of characters, breathless adventure, and an abundance of myth and magic, Impossible Creatures offers the very best of fantasy’ – Aisha Bushby ‘A fierce, fantastic, wild-hearted adventure that roars and bristles with imagination. I devoured it like a hungry dragon’ – Sam Sedgman ‘A rare and remarkable feat of glittering imagination from a truly masterful storyteller’ – Catherine Doyle ‘The action is gripping. Every sentence sparkles. You can feel the flutter of griffin feathers and the menace of strange poisonous shrews. Magnificent’ – The Times ‘Surely the next classic’ – The I
The Mysterious Bookshop is a wonderful place to visit in person. Luckily for those who can’t get there, Penzler publishes many titles. This time, he has collected seasonal stories that were first given to the store’s favored customers as a holiday gift. Now they can be read by bibliophiles everywhere.
Here are stories that follow three rules-they had to be seasonal, there needed to be a crime and, at least in part, must take place in a bookstore. From there, writers created their own engaging tales.
Some of the authors included in this volume are Lyndsay Faye, Ace Atkins, Laura Lippman, Ragnar Jonasson and Tom Mead. There are sure to be finds here for readers with varied tastes.
This book would make a perfect stocking stuffer. Penzler had indeed offered a gift to readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers-Mysterious Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Sophie Mayhew is married to an English politician who is poised for great things, hopefully to be the next P.M. Devoted Sophie is the perfect spouse. She is intelligent, beautiful, supportive and kind with a tragedy in her past. She is the one who shows compassion for her husband’s constituents and stands by his side to enhance his profile.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 