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

I was drawn to this book’s appealing cover and its promise of interesting tales inside. Indeed, readers will enjoy eight stories about modern, bold young princesses along with beautiful illustrations. Plus, there is a magic mirror; all in all a fun read and a Guardian book of 2019.

The author draws readers in in the first short chapter of the book that is written in a familiar fairy tale style. In it, an enchantress is asked to be a godmother and realizes that she needs to figure out the best attributes for a princess. The answers she receives do not seem adequate so, with the help of a magic mirror, she goes on a quest to learn more and the stories begin…
In the first, a princess’s sister is ill. Though the palace is filled with knights, none are willing or brave enough to seek the witch who might provide a cure. So instead, a princess who needs to tie her glasses on with string, is the one to go on a quest. What will happen? Feminist adults will enjoy what does and the encouragement that is given to a girl to be strong and to believe.

So it goes from there for the rest of the tales until the final one in which a building project is successfully scuppered in order to save a garden. Throughout all of the stories the mirror is a constant as the reader learns about the qualities that a princess requires.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this fun and empowering take on the fairly tale in exchange for an honest review.

I reviewed the Lauren Willig title (see archive).  Pachinko is an historical novel that received excellent reviews.  Two Donna Leons with readers of this blog knowing that I highly recommend her mysteries and several other titles here that look interesting.  Happy reading.

The American Agent is the fifteenth title in the Maisie Dobbs series.  The first book was published in 2003 with protagonist, Maisie, having been a nurse during WWI.  The American Agent takes place in the Blitz during WWII. The perils that London faced remind me that, while facing Covid is our crisis, there have been many others that people have survived as well.

The Maisie Dobbs series is best approached in order as then readers are current with the events in Maisie’s life and those of the many recurrent characters.  For me, The American Agent felt a bit like it might be the last book in the series although I do hope that will not be the case.

In this entry, Maisie is tasked with figuring out who has killed an American female journalist and why.  In her personal life, Maisie’s best friend has been injured and Maisie’s much wished for adoption plan is not necessarily going to go according to plan.  In this latest novel there is also the possibility of a new relationship with Mark, an American with whom she has been working.  Around all this, Maisie solves her case.

I highly recommend this series and this title.  Have you read the Maise Dobbs series?  What do you think?

Editorial reviews:

“Excellent…. In Winspear’s capable hands, Maisie has evolved into a deeply sympathetic character. Readers will eagerly await her next outing.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“The London blitz is the backdrop to Winspear’s latest as the inimitable Maisie Dobbs investigates the death of Catherin Saxon, an intrepid American journalist determined to document wartime Britain’s hardships for the folks back home. An immersive tale of wartime grit and grief.” (Booklist)

“Everything in this series turns on the psychological traumas of war. That’s what gives Maisie’s sometimes prosaic cases their sturdy backbone and air of urgency—that and Maisie’s own dynamic character. Hang on to your helmet and carry on, girl.” (New York Times Book Review)

“Advances Maisie’s inspiring activities, highlights the bravery of an embattled people during the Second World War, and intimates that lessons from that period have yet to be learned.” (Kirkus)

poisonedpenbooks.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/bn-may-20.pdf

This title is a bilingual Spanish/English one.  The book opens with some text about how colors brighten the world before teaching about the names of some colors in both languages.  The illustrations are sweet, vibrant and engaging.  This book is a nice way to introduce a young child to another language.

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

Pub Date 26 May 2020

Helen Macdonald is the author of H is for Hawk.  I loved that title about which I said at the time:

I read this book a year or so ago but have been thinking about it again for two reasons; first, in England, they are making a television series with the author as she trains her second hawk and the other reason is that I have been thinking about how we mourn and acknowledge deaths of those we love. This book has so much in it; there is biography, the training of the hawk and a great deal about T H White who had a very difficult time with his own hawk. T H White wrote one of my all time favorite books, The Once and Future King, so I was fascinated to learn more about him. Sadly, he had a rather tragic life. This book is highly recommended for nature lovers, lovers of T H White and those looking for a meaningful memoir.

So, I was extremely excited to learn that a new book by this author was being published.  Ms. Maconald’s new title is a collection of essays.  Each entry is short and the book can be read in any order that a reader would like.

Helen Macdonald is an exquisite observer of the natural world who describes her subject as love for the wonders of the non-humans around us.  This book of essays is definitely one that I will dip into many times.  I recommend that you do the same.

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

Pub Date 25 Aug 2020   

#VesperFlights #NetGalley

Mystery/thriller, a title by D.H. Lawrence and the Edwards title which I thought was a good read.

In the preface to this title, the author comments on the vast numbers of women that she could have chosen to profile.  That, in itself, is such good news.  Still, she chose well and this book is an interesting collection of biographies divided into three sections-Innovators, Change Makers and Ceiling Breakers.  I was happy to see that I knew about some of these women already, including Murasaki, Ada Lovelace, Ida Wells and C. J. Walker.  Other women were new to me and I enjoyed learning about them.

My impression is that anyone from an older elementary school aged child to an adult might enjoy this book. Reading the short profiles of  each of these women may well encourage further learning and research.

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

From the publisher:

Ms. Sancez Vegara does a beautiful job telling the story of Jesse Owens.  While reading this book, young readers will learn about Owens’s many incredible athletic achievements while also learning about  the racism and hardships that he endured.  This entry is most highly recommended.  As always, the illustrations enhance the text.

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

Pub Date 02 Jun 2020

The Jojo Moyes book was the first one that I read by this popular author.  The Mapp books are classics of their type…plus a few other titles.  Do you see anything that interests you?