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

Well, we may all be stuck at home but we can travel the world while there by enjoying cuisines from many places.  If Italy is on your list of food capitals, take a look at this fantastic collection of 100 recipes.  I became quite hungry while reviewing this book!

This title is divided into sections including appetizers, soups and salads, risotto and polenta, sauces and pasta, pizza and bread, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, vegetables and dessert and drinks.  There are additional reference sections at the end of the book.

Just a few of the recipes include those for minestrone soup, risotto with porcini mushrooms, spaghetti alla carbonara, fried meatballs, tuna meatballs, Sicilian eggplant stew, and tiramisu.  The recipes are clear and generally have no more than seven steps, with some having even fewer. So, stretch you culinary range and enjoy some great food while stuck at home with these recipes that can be made by the average person.

Many thanks to Callisto for this lovely cookbook in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

From the publisher:

Log on to Amazon and you will see that there are nine books from around the world available for free to celebrate world book day.  Some of them look interesting.

I absolutely adore the poetry of Mary Oliver. It is simple yet deep; it is also profound and moving. I often start my day by reading a poem from this wonderful anthology.  It is an e book bargain at $1.99 today.  I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

“In “Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver” (Penguin), one of our most beloved writers offers both the best of her work and a spiritual road map of sorts. Spanning more than 50 years and featuring more than 200 poems, the collection shows Oliver, in the early years, turning away from grief and finding in nature a “vast, incredible gift.” Over time, as she carefully observes and records, Oliver extols the beauty and complexity around her and reminds us of the interconnectedness of living. She also asks important questions, such as “have you ever dared to be happy/ … have you ever dared to pray,” and “Tell me, what it is you plan to do/ with your one wild and precious life?” Those lines resonate as much today as when she first penned them decades ago. No matter where one starts reading, “Devotions” offers much to love, from Oliver’s exuberant dog poems to selections from the Pulitzer Prize-winning “American Primitive,” and “Dream Work,” one of her exceptional collections. Perhaps more important, the luminous writing provides respite from our crazy world and demonstrates how mindfulness can define and transform a life, moment by moment, poem by poem.” —The Washington Post

The title of this series is most apt when it comes to Greta who is truly a little person with a big dream; it is one that she fights for.  The incomparable Ms. Vegara Sanchez does a wonderful job of telling the story of this young eco activist.  Children will be inspired and, hopefully, will see that they can make a difference.

Young readers will learn that Greta had a relative long before her birth who worried about the environment  When this concern took hold in Greta, she could not let it go.  Readers find out that Greta had elective mutism and Aspergers.  Rather than seeing these as bad things, the author points out that these are the very things that have helped Greta to remain true to her resolve to do something about climate change.

The simple text is accompanied with brightly colored and appealing illustrations.  Together author and illustrator work together seamlessly in this excellent addition to the excellent series.

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

Pub Date 26 May 2020

#GretaThunberg #NetGalley

In the story, detectives Daisy and Basil are ready for a vacation.  They decide to go to the Poseidon Diving School for detectives with Ladybug.  However, Ladybug is bored and takes off…will he be found? Will our detectives be equal to the task?

This book is intricately and beautifully illustrated.  In it readers are encouraged to search for ladybug, someone sleeping, someone crying, five sea snakes and one stripy camouflaged cuttlefish and other items in each scene as they go from Seaweed Central Station to Octopus Gardens, the Museum, the Building Site and more. It is a fun journey.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.  This is easily one of the most gorgeous search and find books that I have ever seen.

Pub Date 19 May 2020

#LookforLadybuginOceanCity #NetGalley

Those who already know and love Anne Shirley will recognize her on the cover of this beautifully illustrated story.  Clearly the author knows and loves one of the world’s favorite red heads.

In this book, Anne uses her wonderful imagination to think of who she would be if she were not Anne with an E; maybe she would be a tightrope walker or a grand lady drinking tea or…so many choices.  Anne then imagines who she would not choose to be as, for example, someone following a recipe.  At the end of the story, our narrator concludes that she would like to be Anne of Green Gables.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be enjoyed by Anne lovers and those who value the places imagination can take one.

Pub Date 12 May 2020   

#IfICouldntBeAnne #NetGalley

Not too much so far today.  Hope one of these appeals to you.

What a clever concept this is!  Code breakers is one title in a series of puzzle books that uses material from Sherlock Holmes in an intriguing puzzle book format.  This one is full of cryptograms.  They are challenging and seem suitable for anyone from a middle school aged kid to an adult.  Get this book, get out your pencil, step away from the computer and solve!  They are a great distraction.

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

Pub Date 26 May 2020   

#SherlockHolmesPuzzlesCodeBreakers #NetGalley

Robyn Carr is a prolific writer of women’s fiction; to name just a few there she has written the Virgin River, Grace Valley and Thunder Point series. Her many fans will pretty much always read what she writes.
This title is a standalone. It tells the story of Justine (in her fifties) and Addie (in her thirties), sisters who, due to their age difference, were not especially close. Addie, for reasons that the book makes clear, left her degree program to care for her parents while married mother Justine went from success to success with the support of her house parent husband.

However, as we all know, novels often have an arc. Characters have experiences, struggle, grow, learn and, if they are lucky, find themselves in a better place. As Justine’s marriage implodes and Addie tries to figure out what to do with her life, what will happen? At the end of the novel, will the sisters be closer and happier? (Readers will hope so).

In following the Justine and Addie’s stories, Ms. Carr explores social issues including women who return to the workforce insecure after years away and men who face partner abuse. The author clearly wants her readers to know that there is help for those who suffer.

This book is an easy read that fans of the author will welcome. The small town setting is very appealing.

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

Mystery, women’s fiction and biography.  See my ealier review of the Martha Grimes book below.

The Knowledge:

Welcome back Richard Jury and Co!
After reading The Man with a Load of Mischief, I always looked for books in this series. Then, I moved away from them…not sure why, the books or me. But, I will tell you that I very much enjoyed The Knowledge. All of the trademarks are here; characters including Wiggins, Melrose Plant, Diane, etc. and of course the preternaturally smart, cunning and ingenious child(ren). On top of this there is Africa, Art, Astrophysics, the Stars and murder, all of which line up as perfectly as an eclipse. If you enjoy traditional British style (author is American) mysteries with a twist, read this novel!