Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

Julia Keller has been a journalist and author of mystery/suspense titles. (I adore the rather gritty West Virginia set series). She has also earned a PhD. Now in this title, Keller is inviting readers to rethink their reactions to the word that is the title for this book. Is it always wrong to quit? Why were so many of us raised to believe this? Why do we think that quitting is a moral failing? (of course I don’t include harmful behaviors in this assessment). Are there times when quitting is the bravest or most right decision? Explore…

Spend time with Ms. Keller. Hear what she has to say on the subject both on a scientific and anecdotal basis, and then think about this for yourself. It will be worth your time.

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

This title was published in April 2023.

From the Publisher

#AFieldGuidetoBackyardBirdsofNorthAmerica #NetGalley

I can only identify a handful of birds; they are the most simple ones-robin, bluejay, cardinal, red tailed hawk, pigeon, and maybe a few more. I hear birds all the time though and sometimes seeone flying by. With this guide, I will be better able to identify what i see.

The book begins with an introduction and a helpful section called Bird Finder at a Glance. The latter showed me that I knew a bit more than I credited myself for and has pictures of many breeds. Following this is a section on Bird Life where there is information on everything from feathers, to nests, to songs, courtship and much more. The next section is titled Making the Most of Birding which is filled with good advice. Also included is a catalog of US backyard birds and even a logbook.

This comprehensive and well illustrated books will be welcomed by novices and even some experienced bird watchers. It is a good resource.

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

Pub date: 12 September 2023

#TimeWillTell #NetGalley

I was not familiar with poet, Peppernell, before reading this collection, so I had no idea what to expect. I hoped from the cover that there was some kind of magic inside.

What I did find within these pages was an author who felt honest in the feelings, struggles and emotions that make up the text. There were also additional illustrations to be found.

Anyone who has experienced emotions similar to the poet’s will, I think, feel understood in these pages. Dip into any sections that appeals; these include Reflecting, Repairing, Change, Awakening, Emerging, and Rebirth. It is a story of a journey.

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

Pub date: 01 August 2023

FOUR STARS ****

This book is very clever. It will interest kids and entice them. The photos are detailed and whether they represent a face or a behind will often be hard to know, leaving plenty of room for guesses. What I like about this title is that there is more to it than guessing. Kids will learn more about each featured photo in the detailed text. There is a lot of scientific information here.

Adults who want to intrigue an elementary school aged child with some science learning this summer, get this one. It is surprising, fun and educational.

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

Note that over 100 NetGalley reviewers so far have given this title a five star review.

From the Publisher

#DaysattheMorisakiBookshop #NetGalley

This book was so easy for me to love. It is short (under 200 pages) and a paean to what books, bookshops and reading can mean to people.

Two of the main characters are a twenty-something young woman who has been hurt in a relationship and has, as a result, left her job. She goes to stay with an uncle who has taken over the family used bookstore.

When Takako first arrives, she has no interest in reading but one night all that changes. Through her, readers discover the excitement and sweetness that happens when the world of books opens to a person.

The neighborhood where the bookshop is located is a real one. I would love to go there.

This book is filled with quotable moments. For example:

It was as if, without realizing it, I had opened a door I had never known existed…It was as if a love of reading had been sleeping somewhere deep inside me all this time, an then it suddenly sprang to life. ..And there was no danger Id run out of books…It made me feel like I had been wasting my life…

Anyone who loves books and/or books about books, read this one. You won’t be sorry.

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

Pub date: 04 July 2023

I’VE REVIEWED THIS.

INTERESTING FOR VICTORIAN FICTION AS IT HAS A JEWISH CHARACTER AS PROTAGONIST.

I LOVE HER NOVELS. A NEW ONE COMING OUT NEXT YEAR WITH THE CHARACTERS WHO WERE IN HER MOST RECENT NOVEL.

#PrincessDiana #NetGalley

I admit that I was curious to see how this excellent series would present Princess Diana, in particular in terms of what her dream was. I wondered i the focus would be on her humanitarian work as, of course, she had so many tragedies prior to her death.

Credit to the author; she presented Diana’s disappointments and struggles in a matter of fact way. For example, mention is made of her parents’ divorce and Diana’s own collapsing marriage. Diana’s bulimia is also noted in a simple way. All of this is counterbalanced by an emphasis on her kindness, her love of her sons, and the admiration that many had for her. The book does not make reference to her death.

I loved the illustrations in this book. They were very evocative.

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

Pub date: 05 September 2023

Jenny Colgan’s many fans will be delighted by her newest, standalone book. They will literally be in the skies as they spend time with pilot Morag. The descriptions of flights and landscape are a lovely part of the novel.

When the book opens, Morag has had a crisis. There was a most unfortunate incident while she was flying. Although Morag puts up a brave front, she is reeling and a bit frightened of returning to her job. One upside though was the potential for romance with Hayden, a man from HR whom she met in her follow up to the incident noted above. Is he the one or will someone else be?

As Morag is struggling so is her grandfather. He is one of a line of pilots in Morag’s family and he needs Morag’s help. As a result, Morag returns to northern Scotland where he has offered a wonderful flying service to the folks of the islands. The story picks up from there with a big event being an unexpected landing and time spent with a scientist on a very small island. Here is the potential someone else as noted above.

Ms. Colgan offers her readers a lovely story as is her habit. Recommended for summer reading lists and those who enjoy romance/women’s fiction.

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

FOUR STARS ****

Rereading: Changing Places by David Lodge review — a campus novel with a heart

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/358d30be-1ff8-11ee-a0e9-e23dc75d995a?shareToken=7a40f9871d627610e61c5297daf54b91