Time to try: Swimming for Beginners (Nicola Gill)

#SwimmingforBeginners #NetGalley

Loretta lives a carefully controlled and planned life. She has a fiance with whom she shares a measured relationship. Surprises are not her thing. Loretta works hard, wants a promotion and is trying her best to fit in at work, even if this has her doing things that she does not enjoy. Loretta is traveling abroad to meet with a client when…she meets Phoebe at the airport and her life changes.

Readers get to know Loretta and Phoebe well. Their relationship will change both of them in ways that they were not expecting or prepared for.

Those who enjoy warmhearted stories with quirky protagonists, this novel is for you. The last heroine I enjoyed who reminded me of Loretta was in Lessons in Chemistry. Both of these women have their unique style and ways of living their lives.

I very much enjoyed this book and am delighted to recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 14 September 2023

Find out: What Wild Women Do

cover image What Wild Women Do

#WhatWildWomenDo #NetGalley

I enjoyed this author’s last book, Recipe for a Perfect Wife, so was eager to read her new novel. Here is a dual time line story that takes place in both the present day and the 1970s.

Get to know Edith (Eddie) in the past and Rowan in 2021. Each is trying to find their way in life. Eddie faced a horrific loss which led her to upend a socialite life by starting Camp Calloway. Eddie’s s hope was to offer a safe space for women…but what happened to her? Why and how did she disappear? Who was responsible?

In the present, Rowan wants to be a screenwriter but has felt stuck both in her work and relationship. She and her partner have looked for escape in the country but all does not go well between them. One day Rowan learns about Eddie’s camp from a couple she encounters. She then wants to know more about Eddie and her story. What will she discover? How will this impact her work, relationship and life? Read this one to find out.

This title will appeal to those who enjoy novels that illuminate women’s stories. Readers will find that over a period of years what these women want(ed) can have remarkable similarities.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group-Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 24 October 2023

Now out: I Must Be Dreaming

Four stars ****

Roz Chast has tackled many subjects with humor and a unique perspective. This time, she explores the world of dreams in a book that has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. It is deserved in my opinion.

The appearance of this book is striking and engaging. There are many graphics/illustrations and the text looks like handwriting.

Some of this book’s chapters include Recurring Dreams, Celebrity Dreams, Nightmares, Food Dreams and more. Many describe the author’s dreams. The book ends with a few additional sections including one on recommended reading.

Much of the book is personal and Chast is a great guide to her dreams and, by extension, asks the reader to consider theirs. She also imparts some information on dreams in general.

Pay attention to the cartoons. They are idiosyncratic. Some may make a reader chuckle.

This book will be enjoyed by those who like the quirky and by fans, new and old, of the author.

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

Now out: Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night

Five stars *****

This title is the fifth and latest Hercule Poirot novel to be penned by Sophie Hannah who has the approval of the Christie estate. This one is my favorite so far.

Hercule Poirot and companion Catchpool are thinking about what they will do for Christmas when their plans are upended by Catchpool’s mother. Cynthia, the mother, is a real presence in the novel and, at times, had me laughing out loud over her interactions with her son.

Cynthia convinces Poirot and Catchpool to visit a family whose house is falling into the sea and whose patriarch is dying. These family members, by and large, do not get along. There are two brothers married to two sisters, the brothers’ parents and the sisters’ parents, along with Vivienne and our duo. Note that the sisters’ parents are (ineffectually) acting as the home’s servants and this is not good for Poirot’s dinner plans or digestion.

The family patriarch wants to go to a hospital to die. His wife is against this plan as a prior patient (a man described as lovely and a postman) was murdered there. Said patriarch wants to work on the case and is realizing a life’s dream when he plans to collaborate with Poirot. He is aware that this could lead to his own murder. The story takes off from here. Note some of the interesting scenes; for example, find out how Catchpool learns a lot while decorating Christmas trees.

This title offers an excellent traditional mystery along with some eccentric characters in a Christmas run up. All of this makes Hercule Poirot’s Christmas a perfect holiday gift for a mystery reader.

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

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

Pub date: 24 October 2023

From the Publisher

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What makes it: The Fatal Folio (Elizabeth Penney)

This is the third book in a traditional mystery series. A few things that I like about it:

Books/bookstores, academic and literary matters

The English setting in Cambridge

The characters and a bit of romance

The mystery/murder itself and all of the suspects

This time, a newly discovered Gothic manuscript is part of the story. Who was the author? Is he a relative of Molly’s boyfriend?

When a murder occurs on Guy Fawkes night, a professor comes under suspicion. He had given the victim a bad grade and had been threatened by him. This professor is related to (the protagonist and amateur sleuth), Molly’s boyfriend. Is he guilty? There are certainly other suspects.

Readers will feel confident about the case being solved. The fun is in watching events unspool and spending time with the book’s cast of characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 24 October 2023