Now out: Mindfulness in Swimming

Four stars ****

This series common theme is that mindfulness can be a part of many every day activities. In this title, swimming is the subject while others have been about gardening, baking and knitting. I like the concept that mindfulness can be present in obvious places that are not always considered access points.

I was especially attracted to this title because I am intrigued by everything that I have read about wild swimming. Topics in this book include Taking the Plunge, The Solo Swim, Reflections from the Riverbank and more. There are also further reading suggestions and a number of websites included at the end of the book.

This title is a favorite of mine in this series. I valued the author’s personal reflections and the inspiration that was provided. So, get out your suit, start breathing and enjoy mindfulness in the water…or at least reading about it.

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

A collection: Psalms of Wonder

This gorgeous edition of some of the Psalms is perhaps directed toward kids (see the cover illustration) but, as an adult, I also liked it. This book is well designed and gorgeously illustrated. The entries are organized by type; these include songs of Love, Courage, Comfort,Joy, Protection and again, Love.

The book begins with a helpful introduction. Readers are reminded of how broadly the psalms are known, and in how many languages. They are advised that the psalms began as songs (to be sung in community) that gave voice to a wide range of emotions.

Familiar with the psalms already? Looking for an entry to them? Either way, this book can be enjoyed.

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

Pub date: 03 October 2023

Can you crack: The Twyford Code (by Janice Hallett)

Janice Hallett is one of the most inventive, original and distinctive (crime fiction) authors whom I have ever read. I loved her first book, The Appeal which was told entirely in documents. The Twyford Code is also a novel with its very own take on the genre.

The Twyford Code is told in a series of transcripts of voice recordings. They are made by a man, Steven “Smithy” Smith who has recently been released from prison. While there, Smithy learned to read and his life was forever changed.

Smithy has been thinking about a teacher from many years ago. Her name was Miss Isles and she taught the “slow” students, including the book’s narrator. Miss Isles may be very connected to what is called the Twyford Code. Twyford was an author of children’s books and many think that clues were embedded within them. Do these clues relate to WWII and gold or something else entirely? Smithy wants to find out mainly to know what happened to his teacher. This leads him to reconnect with old school friends and to go on an epic quest, partly helped by Lucy, a librarian.

The book takes a little while to attain full speed but it is worth it to keep going until the final pages. There are so many twists and turns. I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

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

This novel was published in January 2023.

From the Publisher

The Twyford Code
The Twyford Code
The Twyford Code
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The Twyford CodeThe Twyford CodeThe Twyford Code

Now out: The Minotaur Sampler-it’s free

I am a great fan of samplers; there is no better way to add to one’s reading list. In this title, there are excerpts from a number of upcoming mysteries that will intrigue readers. I look forward to reading just about every one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I have already begun reading A Traitor in Whitehall. It offers an involving read. Try out this title and the others that are included here, including one by Amy Chua (of Tiger Mother fame). Each sample is long enough to give a reader a good sense of the title. For each, there is a cover photo, description and a few chapters, while the end of the title includes the authors’ biographies.

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

Will it be the best: Beginning of Forever (by Catherine Bybee)

If a reader is drawn to this book’s cover, they will almost certainly enjoy the story that unfolds in these pages.

Time in Italy? Check.

Wine and wine making? Check

Good characters? Check

Romance? Check

Tensions and crisis? Check

It is all here for those who enjoy a bit of escapist fiction.

Note that this title is book 3 in a series. It can be read on its own.

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

Pub date: 27 June 2023

From the Publisher

A sommelier meets his match

What is it like to be: The Bookbinder (by Pip Williams)

#TheBookbinder #NetGalley

This absolutely gorgeous, WWI-set, historical fiction title is one to savor and read at a leisurely pace. At 448 pages in length, it is one that requires the reader’s time.

Oxford, England-right before war (WWI) breaks out. Two sisters (twins), Peggy and Maude, live on a narrowboat on a canal. They work at the Oxford University Press putting together the books that will one day be read. The job is tedious but, in compensation, Peggy takes home any books with faults, adding to an already large home library.

Maude has an undiagnosed condition that seems somewhat like what today would be called autism. She requires much supervision from Peggy as the story opens. Maude seems content to live in the moment while Peggy is aware of the academic life in Oxford and deeply wishes that she could be part of it.

Oxford-war has begun. A group of Belgian refugees come to work at the press; each has her own backstory. Much attention is given to Lotte, someone who bonds with Maude. Wounded soldiers also come to town and Peggy begins to read to them.

This is how the novel begins; it slowly entrances the reader who wants to spend time in this community and its wide range of characters. There are those who live on the water, those who work in publishing, Gwen (who has the life that Peggy seems to want), the Belgians and many others. Spending time with all of them is a wonderful experience.

Highly recommended to historical fiction readers. They will want to know how the lives of the characters unfold in friendship, family, work and love.

As an aside, those who are interested in how books were actually made in the days long before a digital world, will learn a great deal here. These details enhanced the reader’s ability to enter the characters’ worlds.

Note that the author has written one previous novel; readers may well want to look for that one as well.

Here is what Library Journal concluded in a starred review:

VERDICT Highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction about strong women, like the works of Kate Quinn, Beatriz Williams, and Laura Willig.

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

Pub date: 25 July 2023