Let’s consider: Solitude (Netta Weinstein, Heather Hansen and Thuy-vy T Nguyen)

#Solitude #NetGalley

We live in a world in which we are hyper connected and seemingly available absolutely all the time. It can be exhausting. An antidote to this state of being is to actively seek out solitude. In this book that is written by academics, the average reader can also learn a great deal. The authors include a psychologist, a science writer, and an expert in studying solitude in lab conditions.

The authors help readers to understand the benefits of alone time (as distinguished from loneliness) and the ways in which it can boost well-being. There are many advantages as becomes clear, even if it is sometimes tricky to be alone with one’s self.

The authors note the limitations of their work in an emerging field of study. They acknowledge that most studies have been with college students or older adults and that more needs to be understood about other age groups. They also acknowledge their largely Western perspective. Despite this, there is much of value in this title.

I found this book to be quite readable and informative. The reader is immediately drawn in with the description of Beryl Markham and her solo flight. There are many instances of people’s stories along with the information in this title. It is definitely worth a look and some thought.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cambridge University Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 18 April 2024

The Paris Dressmaker: An e book bargain for 16 May 2024

The Paris Dressmaker

by Kristy Cambron

#TheParisDressmaker #NetGalley

Pub Date 16 Feb 2021

This is another book set in France during WWII. Before you think that you’ve read enough of these, give this one a chance. It is an engaging and involving read.

The Paris Dressmaker follows several women and the men and families that surround them. Lila is a talented dressmaker and designer. Lila’s closest friend is Amelie, another seamstress. Then there is Sandrine and her close friend Michelle. Sandrine works at the Jeu de Paume. Each of these characters faces moral decisions, choices and moments of fear and courage.

The settings in this book are wonderfully rendered. There are the dress salons, a bookstore, the Jeu de Paume, a bakery, The Ritz..and the list goes on. Each is vividly portrayed as are the streets of wartime Paris.

This is a novel that tells moving stories of love, friendship, resistance, traitorous behavior, courage and consequences. The narrative moves back and forth in time from 1939 and into the 1940s.

I became quite involved in the lives and stories of these characters. I think that readers will as well.

I alternated between reading this book and listening to it. The narration was excellent with characters well delineated and the French accents of the characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen (Isabel Maria Sanchez Vegara)

#LeonardCohen #NetGalley

Leonard Cohen is beloved by many. His musical talent and unique perspective got people listening to his music. But…how did he become this icon? Young readers and their adults will find out in this title.

As a child, Leonard loved the stories around him; he found them everywhere from his books to the stories he heard in his synagogue. All that he took in influenced his later song writing as did the message he wrote to his father on the day of his (father’s) funeral. Over time, Leonard moved from writing poetry to making music and collaborating with Judy Collins.

Adults who love Leonard’s music will enjoy this title. Children will, as always in this series, feel encouraged to pursue their own creative dreams.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 06 August 2024

What was: The Paris Assignment (Rhys Bowen)

#TheParisAssignment #NetGalley

Rhys Bowen is a busy author. She has her long running Molly Murphy and Her Royal Spyness series. In addition, Bowen has written a number of stories set during WWII. The Paris Assignment is one of those.

Londoner Madeleine Grant meets her future husband, Giles, in Paris. The two are living a charmed life with their young son when the world changes for them, just as it did for many others. WWII’s impact is hitting them. This leads to the geographical separation of the couple. What happens to each of them (including some tragedy) forms the basis for this good work of historical fiction.

Rhys Bowen fans and those who enjoy WWII fiction may well enjoy this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

This title was published in August 2023

Some others’ thoughts on this one:

Rhys Bowen’s multitude of fans will love The Paris Assignment, a story of love and war, of bitterness and brutality, of bravery and forgiveness, woven together with a rich sense of time and place, and characters only a master storyteller could create.” —Jacqueline Winspear, New York Times bestselling author of The White Lady and the Maisie Dobbs series

“No one writes a wartime historical novel as well as Rhys Bowen. The Paris Assignment is a gripping, evocative, and skillfully plotted read, with a heroine you will root for right up to the satisfying conclusion. I couldn’t put it down!” —Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of the Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James novel series

Elements of Art

An e book bargain for 16 May 2024

Susie Hodge has written a number of books about museums and art. I have found all of the ones that I have read to be interesting and informative. That is again the case here with Ms. Hodge here sharing her insights and ways of looking at things.

This title is well organized. There are ten elements of art explored in these pages. These include scale, colour, light, movement, medium, technique, content, location, time and, the artist. After explaining each of these in a clear way, Hodge moves on to explore a number of paintings. Just some of these works are The Arnolfini Portrait (van Eyck), The Serenade (Judith Lester), The Monk by the Sea (Caspar David Fridrich), Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Katushika Hokusai), The Starry Night (Vincent Van Gogh), and Guernica (Pablo Picasso). There are too many to list but all are engaging and worth a look.

There are works here that readers will recognize and look at anew and those that will be getting a first glance. In each case, it is terrific to read what Hodge has to say.

Highly recommended to art lover experienced and un. Note the many gorgeous reproductions as the pages turn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Now out: The National Parks Bucket List

Looking at this title left me with a deep appreciation for the National Parks system. Here is a delightful resource for anyone with plans to visit any of the parks.

An incredible amount of information is packed into this small book. In addition, there are prompts so that travelers can record their impressions and experiences in the parks that they visit.

Be sure to look at the travel tips. They are quite helpful as are the bucket list suggestions.

This title is organized by region. For each each park, there is a good amount to discover.

This journal is beautifully illustrated throughout. it would make a perfect gift for anybody with travel plans. Give this book to a child or teen and they will make use of it for many years.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A series ends: The Last Hope (Susan Elia Macneal)

#TheLastHope #NetGalley

As a reader, I have been on quite a journey with this author and her character Maggie Hope, sometimes known as Paige Kelly. This title is the last and eleventh in the series that began with Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Over the course of the novels, Maggie has taken on new jobs, new relationships, new challenges and also has experienced risks and loss. She feels like a friend to me and I will miss her. (or maybe I will just begin again with book one and keep going).

In many of these titles, real people intersect with the fictional ones in the story. This time, Coco Chanel is just one of those real people along with her German lover. Anyone who watched the Apple series on Chanel and Dior will recognize the way that she is portrayed here. How will her life intersect with Maggie’s this time? The two have history from an earlier book.

Maggie is tasked with going to Spain by none other than Kim Philby. People who know their history may have some idea about what this might mean. Maggie is told to assassinate a prominent German scientist to prevent his work on atomic bombs going forward. Will she do what is expected of her?

Just one person Maggie meets along the way is a famous bullfighter. There are people from the embassy and a rich and full cast of characters here.

In addition, there are developments in Maggie’s personal life in this story. No spoilers so no more to be said.

All in all, the author has ended the series in a most satisfying way. Nonetheless, I am sorry to say good-bye.

I recommend this title highly but note that readers may want to enjoy some of the earlier title first.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 May 2024