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

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The beautiful cover of this novel lets readers know who the protagonists are: Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. In the novel, they are surrounded by those in their lives including Onassis, JFK, RFK, Jackie’s sister Lee and many others. All are brought to life in this excellent historical fiction.
Jackie and Maria had more in common than Aristotle Onassis. According to the book, both had mothers they could not please and both faced terrible losses around pregnancies. In addition, each was involved with a charismatic man who did not believe in fidelity and who did believe in power.
The settings of the novel bring the story to life. Readers will be in many locations including DC, Paris, Greece, the Cape, Aristotle’s yacht and more. The story unfolds in these places in a dual narrative that features the world from both Maria and Jackie’s perspectives.
As in the best historical novels, the world of the characters is portrayed in such a way that I very much wanted the history that I already knew, to somehow magically be transformed for the sake of the people on whom the characters are based. Of course, it could not be.
I enjoyed this title and recommend it highly for those who enjoy historical fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute and funny story about a cat who wakes up with a cone. Jeremy is very, very unhappy about this until…Yes, there are many ways that the cone can be useful. It is useful enough that, for a moment, Jeremy misses the cone when it is removed.
Jeremy is very much like a young child; he likes to get into things and does not always consider the consequences. Still, he can be made so happy by the small things that to him are big.
This is an adorable story for cat lovers both old and young. The illustrations add to the reader’s experience and are very well done.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#ConeCat #NetGalley

The author of this deck for children begins by explaining what kindness is.  It is distinguished from “being nice.”  Kindness is described as having elements of compassion, empathy, courage and responsibility.  The deck of included cards is then divided to represent each of these qualities.  It is noted that some cards may be used more than once, some may be used right away, while others may require just the right time.

I think that these cards will work best with an adult’s encouragement and modeling.  The directions are very easy to follow yet I think that it will help children to know that adults also need to practice kindness.  Make it a game with a child you know.  You will both benefit.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

pub date:  September 22, 2020

#KindnessCardsforKids #NetGalley

Unfortunately, the arc of this book did not download properly.  Nonetheless, I think that this title can be recommended for the youngest readers.  I could see that the book has lovely photos of children and adults being kind and helpful to one another.  The text did not come through well in my copy.  It looks as if the text is straight forward and builds vocabulary.  There are suggestions for adults who are encouraging young readers included as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Have you been thinking that you would like to join the many who are practicing mindfulness?  Are you unsure about how to begin?  If yes, this book is a welcome resource that will get you started.

The book begins with a helpful introduction that explains what mindfulness is. This section of the book talks about elements of mindfulness such as non-judgment and patience, the types of mindfulness, a section of why meditation works, another on myths about meditation and more.

This title then includes 50 meditation exercises. Consider taking the time to do one each day.  Titles for some of the sessions include Sink into Sleep, Tend to Your Talk, Share the Goodness, Dig Doing the Dishes and more.  None takes too long and may well be worth your time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

#MindfulnessMeditationforBeginners #NetGalley

Lots of good choices here.  My favorites are the two by Ann Cleeves and The Art of Fielding.  Enjoy.

I may be one of very few people never to have read anything by Margaret Atwood.  I am so happy to now have had the chance to spend some time with her poems.

The poems are reflective and often moving.  One of my favorites was called Blackberries.  It is about fruit, growing older and generational connections.   Another elegiac poem called Blizzard is about the poet’s mother getting older and how hard it is to let go.

Ms. Atwood covers a wide range of topics in this collection.  It is definitely worth either reading straight through in order or dipping into.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date:  November 10, 2020

#Dearly #NetGalley