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

Once there were two best friends, Isabel and Zoe. They had cubbies next to each other and wore their friendship bracelets. They did things for each other like tradng sandwiches when one had something that she did not like. But…sometimes they did things that got them into trouble and their friendship could be strained. Will they recover? Will a puppy help the process? Beginning chapter book readers may enjoy reading this title, the first in a projected series, to find out.
As a matter of taste, I did not love the illustrations in this book. I imagine that many may enjoy them though, especially if they like cartoon-like ones.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date 06 Oct 2020

Loads of fiction and the diary of a remarkable fiction author.

How did they become The Moonglow Sisters?  It was the name given to three young girls.  Orphaned, they went to live with their Grammy and got their nickname because these sisters spent a lot of time together.

Who are they as adults?  There is Shelley who has been embracing a lifestyle of yoga and gurus and who feels like a failure. Then there is Madison.  She is ultra successful with her own lifestyle tv show and past hurts and grudges.  The third of the sisters is Gia, a peacemaker and owner of a bespoke kite shop.

The plot:  When their grandmother becomes ill, the three sisters are together again.  They will be reminded of Madison’s broken wedding and will watch as another sister (unbeknownst to them) feign an engagement.  They will try to save their grandmother’s bed and breakfast and pray for her recovery.  The chapters will be held together with quilting terminology as they try to get along for long enough to complete the quilt.

Verdict:  This is an easy to read women’s fiction title.  I recommend it for those of you who would like a bit of escape, although not everything is fluffy in the world of these characters.

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

#TheMoonglowSisters #NetGalley

The riddles in this book are often quite challenging.  I think that even adults will find that they cannot solve them all.  Geared toward children 9 to 12,  this book contains many excellent puzzles to work out  Luckily, there is an answer key at the end, in case either adult or child is stumped.

Many thanks to Callisto, the publisher, for this fun book in exchange for an honest review.

From the publisher:

start Out Strong Are you a new riddler? No worries! Boost your skills with helpful solving strategies and warm-up riddles.

Riddle for Hours at a Time Stay focused and busy with a variety of word puzzles that are clever, amusing, and, most importantly, challenging!

Discover Classic Puzzles Fill up on fun facts about some of the world’s most famous riddles and see how things have changed over time.

This book is so brightly, inclusively and appealingly illustrated. It includes a number of words that reflect values, including those like listen, give, help, care and play. The concepts may be a bit abstract for the book’s intended audience but they are wonderful words to grow into.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date:  September 15, 2020

#BabysFirstKindWords #NetGalley

This book provides writers with many guidelines.  In chapters on everything from style (including capitalization, abbreviations, spelling and more), to those on Business, Health and Science, Digital Security,  and Religion among others, guidance and information are given that will help writers with their projects.

In addition to suggestions on grammar, punctuation, usage and more, this title also reflects changes in the language and provides information on the values of the AP.

This book is published biennially which keeps it current. For example, this edition talks about the use of gender neutral language.  There are also entries on the corona virus. If you are a word person, just browsing through the pages of this title is so interesting and instructive.   It is encyclopedic in its entries.

The book utilizes the knowledge of the staff of the AP.  It is a welcome tool that belongs in both academic and home libraries.

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

Pub Date 23 Jun 2020   

Many people grow up learning about Greek and Roman mythology but, of course, many cultures have their stories of heroes/heroines and gods/goddesses. This book compiles many of these stories that are Celtic in origin.
Children who read or have the stories read to them will spend time with giants, fairies, witches, selkies and more. The stories are well told and each ends with a short section of things to think about. The stories are divided into four topics including mischief makers and monstrous fakers, for love alone, landscapes in Celtic folklore and into the wide and wild world. Enjoy these exciting tales from Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This title is exactly as described; it provides an excellent and practical guide to exploring family history. Just a few of the many things that a reader can find out from this book include learning how to research land records, learning what can be found out from a “binding order” and ways to listen to the music of one’s cultural heritage. Each section of this book is short and practical. I think that this book will be useful to many and , most especially, to those who are just beginning their exploration.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pick for Resse Witherspoon’s book club.

Recently reviewed by me.  See the archive.

  If you’ve always wanted to read this, here is your chance.  All three books for $2.99.  I have always meant to read this series, maybe I will start now.

Happy reading!

This rhyming picture book tells the story of an open adoption.  As is often the case in children’s books, the characters are animal, not human.  Many feel that this provides a distance that is helpful to young children.

In the story, Sammy is going to meet his first family.  He has a good experience while there and knows that there are many who love him.

This book does many things very well.  I like that Sammy’s visit was a good one.  I also think that the author did a good job of letting Sammy know that his parents were there for any questions that he might have.  Further, the author nicely allows for a variety of feelings and notes that feelings can change from day to day.

A few quibbles…I might not have started the story by saying that Sammy was different.  While Sammy is a squirrel in the story and his parents are rabbits, I felt the way this was presented  could leave children feeling that Sammy was loved DESPITE being different.  I don’t think that this is the message that she meant to convey but an edit might have helped.

Also, the author did not in any real way show Sammy’s preparation for this meeting with his first family.  An extra page on his parents letting him know where they were going would have added to the book.

Nonetheless, this book could well become  part of a family’s adoption library.

Many thanks to the publisher, Callisto, for this title in exchange for an honest review.