A critical curation of 100 essential artworks • Packed with links to further reading, listening and viewing to take your enjoyment to the next level

by Chloë Ashby

Pub Date 06 Apr 2021

I love the chapter titles in this book. Here are just a few: You Can’t Leave Your Hat On; Troubled Dreams; To the Barricades and Natural Wonders. There is wit here too, as, for example, the section with leaving one’s hat on is actually about nudes. There are ten chapters in all and 100 artworks discussed.

The author’s goal was to include both well and lesser known artists. She also wanted to cover a wide time period. Both the selections and commentary held my interest.

A feature of this book that I very much liked was about links. These include the topics “see this, visit this, read this, watch this, listen to this and like this? try these.” These greatly add to what readers can get from the book itself.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to know a bit more about history. It is very well done.

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

Cold Tuscan Stone and Two Days Gone are free!

by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Pub Date 06 Apr 2021

This latest entry in the excellent Little People/Big Dreams series for young children tells the story of Hans Christian Anderson. Appealing detailed illustrations accompany the text throughout.

Readers learns that young Hans grew up very poor. Still, the family had one book and this book was loved by Hans as it was full of exciting stories. The somewhat circuitous route by which Hans got from his family’s book to writing his own is told in this title. As usual with this series, there are additional facts about the book’s subject included at the end.

I like this title very much. Through it readers learn about an author with whom they may already be familiar. He truly was one of the most beloved writers of fairy tales.

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

Who can you believe or trust? The Suspect by Fiona Barton

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsFebruary 5, 2019

I recently posted a NYT Book Review’s review of this title.  In many ways, I agreed with it.

I had read The Child, this author’s second novel. and very much enjoyed it.  See my review of that one below.  I began this book with high expectations that were not quite realized.  Nonetheless, I found that I was constantly turning the pages of the short chapters until I got to the end.

The central story is about Rosie and Alex who travel to Thailand for their gap year.  The two are very different with Alex having a stronger moral compass.  Rosie wants to party while Alex wants to see and experience the country.  What happens to them and why forms the central mystery/suspense of the book. No spoilers here. Around them, there are other characters in Thailand and Rosie and Alex’s families at home in England.  The reader also spends time with a detective and reporter who were also in this author’s earlier novels.  Their relationships and backstories figure prominently in the narrative.  There is an overlap in that Kate is reporting but her son is also traveling in Thailand and a part of the story’s events.

This novel deals with tragedy and the impact of a difficult upbringing. I won’t say about whom or whose so as not to spoil the suspense.  Yet, despite this, I found that I did not care about the characters or story as much as I had hoped to.

I give this one a solid three stars.  If you read it, I would love to know what you think.

True Stories of Fantastic Felines

by Penelope Rich & Isabel Muñoz

Pub date: April 1, 2021

The cover of this book will undoubtedly appeal to young cat lovers as will the illustrations inside. They are adorable. Cat lovers will also enjoy browsing through the content of this title. Inside are short stories about many famous cats. The book is divided into categories including Cats Throughout History; Cats with Jobs; Extraordinary Cats; and Famous Cats. There are also sections on caring for cats and kittens and further reading suggestions. I enjoyed learning about Hemingway’s cats and Unsinkable Sam who survived the sinking of three warships during WWII. There are many additional entries here, all of which are fun to read.

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

The Windsor Knot

A Novel

by SJ Bennett

Narrated by Jane Copland

The Stills

A Novel

by Jess Montgomery

The Stills is Jess Montgomery’s third novel, following on the earlier titles, The Widows and The Hollows. I read and loved those two earlier books. The Stills continues the story of many of the characters. The books are probably best read in order as the backstory from the earlier novels is relevant. If read as a first experience with Ms. Montgomery, readers may well want to then go back to the earlier titles.

The author has so many strengths. One is her ability to carve out a time and place. Another is her careful building of the relationships between characters. The story’s setting is 1920s Bronwyn County, Ohio during the Prohibition years. This small community where Lily lives is so well portrayed. There are small farms, mines, charismatic churches, stills and speakeasys.

Lily became the Sheriff following on the events of the first novel. She is a widow who is devoted to her children, her mother and her half-sibling. The book opens with all of them, along with some additional guests, enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, the calm does not last.

One guest at dinner is Benjamin. Lily inches toward becoming closer to him over the course of the story. Another is Lily’s best friend Marvena. She puts Lily in what could be a compromising position in this title.

Other characters include a number of villains. Foremost among these are George Vogel and his henchmen. George is an unfeeling, hard man who has benefited from illegal acts. Will this be the book in which he finally gets stopped? George’s wife Fiona is a master manipulator who has a complex relationship with George. What will happen to her? To their relationship? Is Fiona as clever as she thinks she is?

And, of course, there are the stills, those sites for making moonshine. What events happen there? How will they radiate out to impact the community?

I was very delighted to receive an ARC of this title. I look forward (already) to finding out what comes next for the folks of Kinship.

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

A Novel

by Jennifer Saint

Pub date: May 4, 2021

I often wish that I remembered the Greek myths in more detail. I have spent time with Edith Hamilton and Stephen Fry but need to go back. So, I was not fully aware of who Ariadne was before I began this novel. At the start, I will say that I have seen some mixed reviews but I found this book to be interesting and engaging. Its’ main subject is the story of the titular character whose relative was the MInotaur.

Ariadne is a retelling of a well-known Greek story but from the woman’s point of view. It will be enjoyed by readers of other books including Circe.

Early in the novel, readers learn about Ariadne’s parents. They are Minos and Pasiphae. He was the ruler of Crete. She was the daughter of the sun god and is beautifully described in the beginning of the novel. What Minos did, how that affected Pasiphae and the circumstances of the Minotaur’s birth are told.

A number of stories of the Greek gods are dramatized. As readers may know, the gods are often like larger than life humans, full of passion, temper and more. They form the background of Ariadne’s world.

Others whom readers get to know include Theseus becomes involved with Ariadne. There are also Daedalus, Icarus and Phaedra. All of their stories led to an immersive read for me.

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