Highly recommended: Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook A Novel by Celia Rees-an e book bargain

I will start by saying that I highly recommend this title which is a story of Germany in the aftermath of WWII.  Set in several countries, including Britain, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, it is the story of the titular Edith Graham. As the novel opens,  Miss Graham is an educator living at home with her mother, a life that she finds somewhat dull and meaningless. When she is offered the opportunity to go to Germany to help with the re-establishment of educational facilities, she is really for the change and challenge. But…much more is in store for Edith.
Readers learn that, before the war,Edith was in love with a handsome, smart, German man named Kurt. Miss Graham also became close to his wife Elisabeth. What happened to this couple during WWII? How did they survive?  What did they do? What happened to them afterwards? Their story line forms a large part of the narrative.
Around Edith are various agents, each with their own, and sometimes overlapping, agendas. There are Dori, Vera and Adeline for the women, each of whom has been shaped by their wartime experiences. In addition, there are the men; they represent the U.S. and the British. What are their agendas? How will these intersect with those of the women?
There is espionage here and, after a slightly slow start, a book that had me turning the pages and connecting with the characters. In addition to an excellent plot, the book raises a number of issues: what was life like for the Germans as the Americans, Russians and British entered their defeated country? How do people survive when they have nothing, not even food? Do ends justify means? Who can be trusted? Can there be justice in a world that has been turned upside down?
As readers follow the story, each chapter begins with an entry from Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook. Readers will learn the significance of these menus as they become involved with the novel.
I have read many books of historical fiction about WWII. This one is a bit different in that it largely takes place after the war. It is a compelling read and one that I recommend most highly. I give it five stars, something I do not often do.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date:  July 7, 2020

#MissGrahamsColdWarCookbook #NetGalley

What does it take to be a: Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen-an e book bargain

#FifthAvenueGlamourGirl #NetGalley

Readers will be drawn to this book by its inviting cover. They will stay to read the story.

Estee Lauder became one of the best known women in the cosmetics industry. Now her name is attached to companies, charities, exhibits and more. Once, though, she was a woman trying to find her way.

As this story opens Estee is selling face creams and treatments out of a not very deluxe beauty parlor. Readers learn that she is the main support of her husband and young son, Leon. Estee is fortunate to have ambition and a strong belief in her self and her products. She will need those qualities.

At this salon, Estee meets a young woman who is down on her luck. Gloria has a father who committed the sorts of crimes that nowadays we would associate with someone like Madoff. Her difficulties and bad publicity cause Gloria to take on this new name. She also has to navigate so much more than she was raised to do in her life of wealth and elegance. Horrors! The first job of this formerly wealthy woman is as a shampoo girl.

This story about Estee is told through Gloria’s eyes. It is also the story of Gloria. Read along as these two women find their way in 20th century America.

This book is recommended to readers of both historical and women’s fiction. It is definitely worth a look to see how the real Estee and fictional Gloria are entwined and help one another.

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

Pub date: 25 April 2023

An e book bargain: ‘Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame,’ by Olivia Ford –

I just read this book. I enjoyed all of the baking aspects in the plot. Jennifer’s secret is one that has been used many times which was slightly disappointing. All in all, this was a good read though.

In “Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame,” Olivia Ford whips up a sweet confection about a septuagenarian cook with reality TV dreams.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/books/review/mrs-quinns-rise-to-fame-olivia-ford.html

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is an e book bargain

#GoodCompany #NetGalley

Good Company is an absorbing novel that follows four intertwined lives and the lives of those around them. The title refers to an acting company in which some of the protagonists are involved and, of course, also could refer to who enjoys spending time with whom.

Flora and Margot met when they were both starting their careers. They know a good deal about one another but there is also at least one big secret waiting to be revealed. Margot, for much of the novel, is a doctor on a long running tv series, while Flora has opted to spend more of her time doing voice overs so that she can spend more time with her precious daughter Ruby.

Flora is married to Julian an actor and one of the company managers. Margot is married to David. His medical career was upended and reinvented.

The novel covers a number of years and moves back and forth seamlessly. The story unfolds on both coasts and also in Europe for a bit.

As the blurbs for this book note, Julian’s wedding ring takes on a great deal of importance in the novel. Its history and whereabouts becomes a theme that involves the primary characters.

This novel offers a well told story and nuanced characters. The lives of the actors, their choices and stresses, feel authentic. I definitely recommend this title.

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

A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick

Kid’s Corner: Poems for Every Season by Bette Westera

#PoemsforEverySeason #NetGalley

To start: This book offers a visual delight. The illustrations (woodcuts) are just gorgeous throughout. I will return to this book often just to admire them.

The concept is rather brilliant too. This collection evokes the season and, at the same time, introduces kids to many different ways of composing poems, everything from the sonnet to a haiku and so much in between, including forms of poetry that were new to me. Helpfully, readers can find the poem’s style on the bottom of the pages. In addition, each style is described at the end of the book.

This title is listed as one for children but I think that there is much for adults to enjoy here as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 17 February 2025

About the book:

from the publisher

Description

“A remarkable collaboration.” —Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)

Poetry and the beauty of nature combine for this breathtaking celebration of the year.

In this stunning combination of wordcraft and woodcuts, readers meet the changing seasons with thirteen poems, all in different poetic structures, from award-winning Dutch author Bette Westera. Each season opens with a haiku, following with the season’s months and their poems. Readers will dance into March with a rondel for a newborn lamb, wave in the August wind with a five-line tanka for a summer sunflower, snuggle in for December with a limerick for all those who stayed home instead of going south…

Exquisite woodcut art from Henriette Boerendans, an artist making her US and UK debut, showcases the wonder of the natural world. Back matter offers further details about the poems’ structures—offering the perfect opportunity for young writers to write their own sonnet for February or quatrain for September. Translated from the Dutch by David Colmer.

Poetic types spotlighted:

Haiku

Rondel

Acrostic

Double dactyl

Pantoum

Elevenie

Tanka

Quatrain

Diamante

Rondelet

Limerick

Stacking Poem

Sonnet

Creating the book:

from Amazon

Bette Westera has written over fifty books for children, including Fast Cheetah, Slow Tortoise and the Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book Later, When I’m Big (both Eerdmans). She has also translated books by Dr. Seuss, Astrid Lindgren, and Julia Donaldson into the Dutch language. Bette lives in the Netherlands, where her books have received two Golden Pencil awards and six Silver Pencil honors. Visit her website at bettewestera.nl.

Henriette Boerendansis an Amsterdam-based printmaker and illustrator. Poems for All Seasons is her English-language debut. While walking in nature together one day, Bette and Henriette brainstormed new projects and came up with the idea for this book. Follow Henriette on Instagram @henriette.boerendans and visit her website at boerendans.com. 

David Colmer is an Australian writer and translator of Dutch and Flemish literature. He has translated over eighty books throughout his career, including I’ll Root for You, A Pond Full of Ink, and Fast Cheetah, Slow Tortoise (all Eerdmans). His work has been honored with many awards, including the PEN Translation Prize and the Dutch Foundation for Literature’s James Brockway Prize, which recognizes a translator’s body of Dutch-language poetry. David lives in Amsterdam.

From the Publisher:

A celebration of diverse poetic forms, as seen through the seasons.
"A remarkable collaboration." - Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)
Poetic types spotlighted include haiku, rondel, acrostic, quatrain, limerick, sonnet, and more.

“Boerendans’…work throughout is masterful. The book’s design is innovative, while the verse is thoughtful and immersive….A remarkable collaboration.”
―Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)