Imagine that is four o’clock on a late fall or winter afternoon. A cup of tea or coffee or hot chocolate is on the table and this book is in your hands.
Take the time to read an entry any day that you have the opportunity. It will see you through many a cold, dark night.
Some of the entries in this book are very short as is the first one by Anne Frank. At most the others are still less than ten pages.
There are authors whose names I recognized including Virginia Woolf, Tove Jansson, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Vincent Van Gogh. Interspersed with their writings were many minutes of getting new perspectives on the time of year.
Start with the author’s introduction and then read this one in any order. It is a title that I will be pulling out again and again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for this title. All opinions are my own.
This novel has all of the things that a reader of women’s fiction could want. There are engaging characters, an appealing setting that includes gardens, a, second chance romance and (my favorite) lots about books. There is also a bit of seriousness as protagonist Savannah has been diagnosed with lupus.
As the story opens Savannah is a bit at loose ends. She has come to visit the relative with whom she spent many childhood summers. This aunt introduced Savannah and her summer friend Evan to many good reads. Evan and Savannah subsequently fell out of touch but meet up again during Savannah’s visit. Both have had some complex life experiences-for Savannah this includes her diagnosis and a broken engagement while, for Evan, he now has sole custody of his daughter following the death of his child’s mother.
As the story unfolds, one plot, not surprisingly, has to do with this relationship. Another storyline centers on the library in Eleanor’s garden. What happened to it and how will it survive? Readers will root for these characters (pun a bit intended due to gardens and the town being called Bloom) as the pages turn.
I loved that each chapter heading came with a quote from a book. I also enjoyed the many book titles that were scattered throughout the story. Readers could come up with a great TBR pile from these.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable read. Just right for a spring or summer escape.
Many thanks to Forever/Grand Central and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
The story begins at a music festival that is enjoyed by most Shetlanders including Cass and Gavin. Cass is a sailor who is in port for a bit. Gavin is a DI and the person with whom Cass is in a relationship. Together they have a murder to solve…and one with links to the past.
This book moves back and forth between the present and the 80s when oil was being explored and there was a big camp at Sutton Voe. Cass has come into the possession of an old diary from that time and wants to return it to its owner. However, this may not be easy and may also reawaken old tragedy.
In the present, a well-known folk musician has been murdered during the festival. Readers can be pretty certain that this event links with things that happened in the past. Pages will be turned to find out.
Some of the things that I very much enjoyed in this book were the setting, the sailing, the characters, the Scottish words, the evocation of the early 80s and the story itself.
Anyone who has enjoyed crime fiction by Ann Cleeves (Jimmy Perez) and/or Val McDermid (Karen Pirie) should absolutely take a look at this series. I plan to go back to read all of the earlier novels. So glad there are so many of them!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book introduces the concept of emotions to toddlers. Reading, talking about and looking at the colorful and expressive pictures in this title will begin the process of a child’s learning to identify their feelings. Kids are encouraged to consider each emotion that it is featured and when they feel it.
This book offers a good take on its subject. Acknowledging how one feels and recognizing the emotions of others are important life skills. This title shows that learning to do so can begin at an early age.
Many thanks to Callisto Publishing-Callisto Kids and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Thinking about buying a Christmas themed mystery book for someone you know…or yourself? Look no further. This is a fun anthology with a holiday flair.
Inside are 18 stories by many authors whose books I have enjoyed. Just a few of these writers are Belinda Bauer, David Bell, J T Ellison, Clare McGowan, and Tom Mead.
Some times a short story is just the right thing. For anyone who enjoys a quick read, dip in anywhere in this title. There are some gems.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
This year, HTP has a fabulous fall line up. Today’s title is definitely worth a look.
Many thanks to the team at HTP for this opportunity.
IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS
Author: Crystal King
ISBN: 9780778310570
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: MIRA Books
About the book:
Italy, 1948
Julia Lombardi is a mystery even to herself. The beautiful model can’t remember where she’s from, where she’s been or how she came to live in Rome. When she receives an offer to accompany celebrated eccentric artist Salvador Dalí to the Sacro Bosco—Italy’s Garden of Monsters—as his muse, she’s strangely compelled to accept. It could be a chance to unlock the truth about her past…
Shrouded in shadow, the garden full of giant statues that sometimes seem alive is far from welcoming. Still, from the moment of their arrival at the palazzo, Julia is inexplicably drawn to their darkly enigmatic host, Ignazio. He’s alluring yet terrifying—and he seems to know her.
Posing for Dalí as the goddess Persephone, Julia finds the work to be perplexing, particularly as Dalí descends deeper into his fanaticism. To him, she is Persephone, and he insists she must eat pomegranate seeds to rejoin her king.
Between Dalí’s fevered persistence, Ignazio’s uncanny familiarity and the agonizing whispered warnings that echo through the garden, Julia is soon on the verge of unraveling. And she begins to wonder if she’s truly the mythical queen of the Underworld…
Start reading:
Prologue
Bomarzo, Italy, 1547–1560
It took me years to find Giulia Farnese, but no time at all to win her confidence. I did so with an unassuming cherry rose tart. It had been nearly a hundred years since I last looked upon her face, but from the moment she pulled the golden tines of her fork away from her lips and she looked to me, not her husband, I knew my influence had taken hold.
“You truly are a maestro, Aidoneus,” she said, closing her eyes to savor the sweet, floral flavors. “And a welcome addition to our kitchen.”
“Madonna Farnese, you flatter me.” I gave the couple a polite bow, my gesture more fluid than human custom, and turned back to my earthly duties.
“It seems you will eat well when I am gone,” Vicino joked behind my back. “But don’t eat too well, my beauty, or you won’t fit into those lovely dresses.”
Giulia laughed, and my heart warmed. Oh, she would eat well, I vowed. Very well.
* * *
The next day, as Vicino Orsini gave his wife a peck on the cheek and vaulted onto his horse, I watched from the rooftop terrace, my gaze lingering on the horizon where earth met sky—a threshold I knew all too well. Then, with a flick of the reins, he led his men down the road into the valley. They were headed to Venezia to escort the Holy Roman Cardinal, Pietro Bembo, to Rome. Afterward, Vicino would depart for Napoli and Sicilia on business for Papa Pio IV.
Jupiter had blessed the region of Lazio with a warm spring, and a week after Vicino left, Giulia asked me if I wanted to take a walk. I suggested we explore the wood in the valley below the palazzo. She readily agreed, which did not surprise me. It was impossible for her to ignore the aphrodisiac qualities of my food, let alone the timbre of my voice, and the brush of my hand against hers. The first time she startled at my warmth— no human runs as hot as I—but she did not ask me to explain. In all the centuries past, she never has. This alone stoked the fire of hope within me.
She led me on a thin path through the verdant tapestry of the forest, where sunlight, diffusing through the emerald canopy, dappled the woodland floor with patches of gold. Beneath our feet, a carpet of fallen leaves, still rich with the scent of earth, crunched softly. We moved through clusters of ancient evergreen oaks, their gnarled limbs reaching out like weathered hands, and past groves of squat pomegranate trees with their ruby-hued fruits catching the sunlight and casting a warm, inviting glow.
Upon reaching a clearing surrounded by several large tufa stones jutting up through the grass and weeds, I was immediately drawn to one of the stones embedded in the hillside. The exposed side was round and flat, and it hummed, a song of the earth, a low vibration that warmed the deepest depths of me.
Giulia could not hear the humming, but she was surely aware of it in some hidden part of her, for she turned to me then.
“I love this wood,” she said, her arms outstretched toward the
stone. The early morning light brightened her features, making
her blue eyes shine.
“I can see why.”
She twined her hand in mine. “I come here often to bask in the feeling. The moment I arrived in Bomarzo, I felt like I had been called home, to my true home. And this wood, this is why. It re-minds me of a fairy tale, or a place from the ancient, heroic myths.” It was then that I had the idea. The stone—it hummed be-cause the veil to the Underworld was thin there. Perhaps…yes… if the wood was enhanced, and energy from the darkness was better able to pierce the surface into this realm I would no longer have to spend years attuning to Giulia when she reappeared in the world. Instead, she would be drawn closer, and I would
find her faster. It would work. I was sure of it.
“Vicino doesn’t like me walking here alone. Too many wolves and bears, he says.”
I could sense a wild boar in the far distance, but no wolves or bears. “I think we’re safe here.” I gestured toward one of the big misshapen rocks. “Sometimes I like to imagine rocks as mythical creatures. Like that one. It could be a dragon poised to fight off danger.”
“Ooo, I can see it. The big open mouth, ready to take on any wolf, or even a lion.” Her enthusiasm was exactly what I had hoped for.
I waved my arm toward the large, round, smooth rock be-hind it. “And that should be a great big orco, with a mouth wide open. And it eats up and spits out secrets.”
“An ogre that spits out secrets?” Giulia laughed.
“Oh yes. This orco would tell all. Ogni pensiero volo.” I made my hands look like a fluttering bird.
She wore a wide grin. “All thoughts fly! How perfect. But if he eats up secrets, there should be a table inside this orco. It could be his tongue.”
As we wandered through the wood, dreaming up new lives for the monstrous rocks left eons ago by a force of nature, I was delighted to see how invested she was in the game.
“There are so many stones,” she said, clapping her hands together. “We could make a whole park of statues. I will write Vicino tonight.”
I did not expect it would be quite so easy. Usually it took a long while to convince Giulia of the merit of my ideas. But the pull of the Underworld was strong here and my influence was far greater than it would have been in Paris, or some backwater hill town in the wilds of Bavaria or Transylvania.
On the walk back, she paused by another enormous stone that jutted out of the ground, the size of a giant. She leaned against it. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked coyly.
“Of course.”
“This secret is only for you.” She leaned forward and grasped the edge of my cloak, pulling me toward her. Our lips met and she melted into me.
In the years following, as Vicino began work on the garden, a change was palpable in the air. Each evening, as the twilight deepened, a subtle energy began to emanate from the heart of the valley. I found contentment not just in the evolving grove, but also in my closeness to Giulia. Our time together, so abundant and intimate, felt different. I had never waited so long to make my attempt, but I nurtured this earthly bond, knowing it was essential for the garden’s growth.
The day finally arrived when Vicino ushered Giulia into the heart of the Sacro Bosco—the Sacred Wood—the name he had fondly bestowed upon the garden. As she crossed the threshold, I sensed it—a strengthening of our connection, more profound than ever before. It was time.
That night, the chicken with pomegranate sauce I prepared was met with Giulia’s usual lavish praise, although I knew she took in the single pomegranate seed garnishing the dish as a courtesy, not a desire for the fruit. As she savored each bite, I felt a loosening in the ethereal shackles binding her heart. A vivid, red-hued hope blossomed within me.
Post dinner, I retreated to the palazzo’s highest balcony, my gaze drawn to a nascent light in the wood below. The light, though barely perceptible, was imbued with a power that seemed to bridge the realms of mortal and divine. A faint green luminescence that whispered of unwanted things to come. It pulsed like a languid heartbeat, beckoning to something—or someone.
I was immediately compelled to find Giulia. Amidst the soft murmur of the salon where she played with her children, I enveloped her in my senses and the flower of hope within me withered. Her heartbeat, steady and unsuspecting, echoed the rhythm of the garden’s glow.
Crystal King is the author of In The Garden of Monsters, The Chef’s Secret and Feast of Sorrow, which was long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and was a Must Read for the MassBook Awards. She is an author, culinary enthusiast, and marketing expert, and has taught at multiple universities including Harvard Extension and Boston University. She resides in Boston. You can find her at crystalking.com.
Wow! What an intriguing premise for a novel. With artist Salvador Dali as a presence in the book, readers know that some odd and interesting things will happen to Julia.
This story takes place in two time periods. In each of these, a woman faces challenges. Readers will know more about Julia, Persephone and Hades as well as a garden by its end.
This is a unique historical/fantasy novel with Gothic elements. It will keep readers turning the pages.
“Inventive spin on the Hades and Persephone myth… King makes the familiar tale feel fresh with her unusual and enthralling setting, which eerily blurs the real and the surreal. This is an exciting reinterpretation.” –Publishers Weekly
I enjoyed spending time with the Elm Creek Quilters beginning with the very first in the series, The Quilter’s Apprentice. I went on to read each entry as it came out.
After a bit, Chiaverini turned her hand to historical fiction. I thought that was the last that I would see of these characters, their quilts, their stories and some history. Happily, Chiaverini is now back at Elm Creek. There is this book and another one coming out in the spring. I think that her fans will rejoice.
In this book, readers catch up with so many of the people who have spent time at quilting classes and with those who teach them. There is a lot of focus on one of the younger women, Summer, who is trying to figure out what she wants to do. Does she want to continue in her Ph.D. program? In the meanwhile, she becomes involved with a very interesting project and meets a number of quilters. An old building is to be restored and an exhibit of historical quilts will be featured.
This is a quiet, easy to read story. It is perfect for when a reader wants a chance to slow down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
by Elle Cosimano, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Emma Rosenblum, Nita Prose, Kellye Garrett, Alicia Thompson
#Busybodiescollection #NetGalley
This collection offers readers lots of fun. There are six stories and six authors included in this short title. The authors names are noted above. Several of them were already favorites of mine, including Nina Prose and Jesse Q Sutanto. That said, I enjoyed each of these tales.
In these pages are both humor and detection. In addition, there is info about each of the authors along with their photos.
Here is a nice read with the added bonus of perhaps learning about new authors
Many thanks to Net Galley and Amazon Original Stories for this title. All opinions are my own.
Note that this title appears to be free for those with kindle unlimited.
What Taylor Swift has achieved in her career is pretty amazing. She has to be one of the most popular singers ever. This entry in the good series tells her story.
Readers learn that Taylor grew up in a family that loved music Once she discovered country music, Taylor knew what she wanted to do even if she felt isolated from her peers at times. She has gone on to sing in many genres for her fans. Her hard work and persistence make her a role model for those with dreams.
This book is delightfully illustrated. There is additional information at the back.
Many thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
For some reason, during the corona virus pandemic, I have been spending a lot of time in virtual Italy reading mysteries that are set there. My guides, until I read this novel, were Donna Leon and her Inspector Brunetti, and Andrea Camilleri and his Detective, Montalbano. Their novels feature an engaging protagonist, beautiful locations and, VERY IMPORTANT, delicious food.
So, I was curious about this book set in Tuscany and happy to receive an ARC. I was not disappointed. This novel, the start of a new series, and its detective, fit right into the sub genre of Italian police stories.
The protagonist of Murder in Chianti is widower and former New York City police detective, Nico. He has moved to Chianti following the death of his wife, Rita. Rita has a cousin in Chianti who owns a restaurant, one source of the delicious sounding food in the novel. Food wise, I would give a lot to get breakfast where Nico does each day. I also would like to sample some of the alcohol mentioned in the book, especially the red wines.
Around Nico are the police officers who want his help in solving a case, Perillo and Daniele. The murder of the story has ties with the past. The victim left Italy a number of years ago and became a successful vintner in California. Why did he return to Italy? How does this visit lead to his death? Who will be hurt as the case is solved?
This was a very readable book and one that I enjoyed. I recommend adding it to your TBR list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an hoenst review. I look forward to the next novel in this seris.
For some reason, during the corona virus pandemic, I have been spending a lot of time in virtual Italy reading mysteries that are set there. My guides, until I read this novel, were Donna Leon and her Inspector Brunetti, and Andrea Camilleri and his Detective, Montalbano. Their novels feature an engaging protagonist, beautiful locations and, VERY IMPORTANT, delicious food.
