Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives

by Gretchen Rubin

#SecretsofAdulthood #NetGalley

Gretchen Rubin has been offering her wisdom to readers over the course of many books. She began with The Happiness Project and most recently Life in Five Senses, with several others in between.

This title is a bit different from some of Rubin’s others in that it consists of a series of aphorisms-dictionary definition is “a pithy observation that contains a general truth.” Rubin compiled these for herself and her family. She now shares them with her readers.

This is a title that can be dipped in and out of. It is divided into sections including Cultivating Ourselves, Facing the Perplexities of Relationships, Making Things Happen, Confronting Life’s Dilemmas, and more. Each of sections has a number of entries as for example, Comfort, Responsibility and, Getting It Wrong.

This book could make a nice graduation gift for someone. Those who are not of school age may also find wisdom here. For myself, I think that aphorisms were not quite enough. I wish that there had been more commentary. However, that was not the author’s intention. She was looking for short, meaningful things to guide others.

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

Self-Help

176 pages

Pub date: 01 April 2025

Note: Gretchen Rubin is interviewed in the May edition of Psychologies magazine.

An earlier title by the author:

An e book bargain-Life in Five Senses

#BookPeople #NetGalley

Imagine a small village. It has a very traditional bookshop that has been in one family for generations. It prides itself on being serious and is run by a Darcy like owner.

Imagine that a new bookshop opens and that it is right across the street. It is run by an Elizabeth Bennett like young woman. She stocks all of the genre books that a reader might dream about. She also offers many types of meetings and activities.

Imagine also that there is going to be a book event that these two may need to both embrace. And…imagine sparks flying in what is justifiably described as a “spicy” romance title.

Add to all of this, a collection of love notes from the traditionalist’s great grandfather and a mystery woman. They refer to each other as H and C-Wuthering Heights anyone? They add some intrigue to the plot.

Mix all of thesetogether to find an enjoyable read that will appeal to its intended audience. There may not be suspense but there most definitely is fun in these pages.

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

Pub date: 28 January2925

An e book bargain

Colm Toibin is a beautiful writer. I adored his novel, Brooklyn, and there are other titles by him that I would like to read. The Shortest Day by this favorite author is a short story and one that seems appropriate for this time of year with the solstice approaching.

The Shortest Day is a gorgeous story written by a master. I was immersed in its world so quickly. The tale is about an archaeologist who is researching a site, Newgrange, that brings to mind a sacred site like Stonehenge. He is a man of reason and proofs. Readers observe him, his wife and his personality.

Within Newgrange are the spirits of those from a time almost before time. These spirits have personalities, vanities, tempers and other qualities of humans. They await a special light that comes only once each year on the shortest day. This light sustains them in times ahead. The spirits do NOT want an archaeologist to visit at this sacred time.

From this set up, what happens? I highly encourage you to read this short story to find out. I was engrossed in this tale while I was told a story by a most competent, capable and intriguing master.

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

A Novel

by Satoshi Yagisawa

 #MoreDaysattheMorisakiBookshop #NetGalley

Anyone who read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will, I am sure, be delighted to spend “More Days” there. Here is everything that made the first novel charming-the narrator and her family, a number of quirky characters, the neighborhood filled with bookshops, and, of course the books.

Those who have not read the first book will be easily brought up to date though they may well want to seek out the earlier title. Both books are short and quick reads even as readers may wish they were longer.

This is a book for bibliophiles, lovers of Japan and those who like unique and quirky stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 02 July 2024

From the Publisher

The first book:

I would like to spend some: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (by Satsoshi Yagisawa)

This novel has received a good deal of attention, including being selected for Reese Witherspoon’s book club.  It is the story of Laurie and Jack, their friends and families.  It is a story of a romance that may or may not go to a happy ending.  It is definitely one in which the course of true love “never did  run smooth.”  If you enjoy light, romantic fiction you might want to join the many who have read this title.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley.  The opinions are my own.#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick “Get ready to be swept up in a whirlwind romance. It absolutely charmed me.” —Reese Witherspoon

“Josie Silver writes with a warmth so palpable her characters sneak their way into your heart and stay for a long time.”—Jill Santopolo, New York Times-bestselling author of The Light We Lost #OneDayInDecember #NetGalley

Close to Death is a take on an AgathaChristie style mystery with the additional spin of this author”s cleverness. It is the latest in the series that features Detective Hawthorne and, yes, the character Anthony Horowitz.

This time the structure of the book is a bit different. Hawthorne, who gives Horowitz case material for his novels, is revealing a past puzzler. Some of the novel is a take on those events and other parts involve the perspectives of the two protagonists.

A close is a kind of dead end street. In this upscale one, a number of neighbors detest the newest family. The annoying, inconsiderate and very wealthy Kenworthy is murdered. The suspects include a GP, a retired barrister, two elderly former nuns, a chess grandmaster, a dentist and those around them. Whodunnit? Why? The pages turn as readers wait to fond out.

Last year I heard the author speak. He was very entertaining, just as he is in his writing. i think that he was enjoying himself here. The book offers a good read.

Note that, although this is part of a series, it can be read on its own.

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

Pub date: 16 April 2024

About the book:

From the publisher

The new cozy crime novel from the bestselling author of The Marlow Murder Club, soon to be a major TV series on PBS Masterpiece

Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night, so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had rented The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, to host an exclusive party for the society, but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And when Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him, it’s time for the Marlow Murder Club to leap into action.

Oliver was, by all accounts, a rather complicated fellow, with a reputation for bullying children during nativity play rehearsals, and he wasn’t short of enemies. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are convinced they’ll find his killer in no time. But things are not as they seem in the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, and this case is not so clear-cut after all. The gang will need to keep their wits about them to solve this case… otherwise a killer will walk free.

My thoughts:

I was absolutely delighted to spend time with the gang in this newest entry in the Marlow series. This, like the others, is a traditional mystery with good characters and an interesting plot. Readers will want to see if they can solve the case before the three amateurs and the police.

Anyone who has read others in the series, or who has seen the television adaptations, will I think be happy to pick this one up. It was enjoyable.

Those who are new to the residents of Marlow may want to read this too. They will then pick up all of the others, I think.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 16 September 2025

Others in the series:

Now out: Death Comes to Marlow

Would you join: The Marlow Murder Club

Beware: The Queen of Poisons (Robert Thorogood)

He wrote them:

Robert Thorogood

About the author

I’m the author of THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB books, set in my hometown of Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

The first book in the series has been made into a TV show and can be watched in the UK on the Freeview channel U&Drama and in the USA on PBS/Masterpiece. A second TV series is coming out in 2025 and is based on Death Comes to Marlow, but also includes some brand new murders as well.

Before all of this, I created DEATH IN PARADISE for the BBC and have also written four standalone Richard Poole murder mystery novels. I’m really proud of them, and if you like Death in Paradise, I hope you’ll love the books as well.

Imagine that your family sends you (alone) to the U.S. because of financial hardship in Ireland and you will need to support your relatives back home. Imagine that you are able to take on someone else’s identity to become the servant of Andrew Carnegie’s mother. Will you be found out? Will your position be secure? These are among the premises of this richly detailed historical novel. Relationships between upstairs and downstairs, specifically between Clara and Andrew Carnegie are a major part of this novel. Read it too to learn more about the business world and women’s roles in the post Civil War U.S. Overall, an enjoyable read.

This title is the third and last novel that Horowitz is writing about Atticus Pund and Susan Ryeland. It is a corker written by an author who, I think, is just the teeniest bit smug about his talent and expansive knowledge of publishing and other aspects of modern life.

Anyone who has not read The Magpie Murders can read this novel but there are definitely many aspects of that story that are revealed in this one. It may be best to read the series in order or at least catch up on events via the PBS series.

Susan Ryeland is back in England with her trusty MG. She is freelancing and hoping for a more permanent position as an editor when she is invited/lured into working with Eliot Crace. He is writing an entry in the Atticus Pund series, continuing what the original author (SPOILER! and murder victim) had begun.

As is true of others in the series, there is a story in the present (that has roots in the past) along with the manuscript of the new Pund novel. I love how authentic this looks with Horowitz making this look just like others that I have received from Harper Collins. It is quite clever.

It begins to appear that Eliot’s book may be a bit too closely related to his take on events in his family. Where will this lead? Nothing else here so that there will be no spoilers.

Suffice it to say that this read is immersive, long, filled with numerous characters and plots, clever and perhaps a modern classic.

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

Pub date: 13 May 2025

Mystery & Thriller

592 pages

From the Publisher

A Novel

by Elizabeth Strout

#TellMeEverything #NetGalley

Anyone who has read one book by Elizabeth Strout will surely read all of her others. I found this one to be a special treat because it brings together characters from earlier titles including (my favorite) Bob Burgess, Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton and others.

The prose is beautiful, the story is engaging and the visit to Crosby, Maine is most welcome. I was delighted to follow the challenges and relationships in this small community.

I find Strout to be such a wise author. This is definitely a book to add to a fiction lover’s TBR list.

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

Pub date: 10 September 2024