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

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I loved this book.  It is funny and has great cartoonish illustrations.  Young reader sleuths will observe as hen panics over her missing egg.  What happened?

Hen and her friends, who are anthropomorphized, all react and have their ways of helping with the case.  The group is not having success so they call in the goat detective.  He has a few problems as he hilariously works to solve the case.  Readers should chuckle over what ensues.

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

#FarmCrimesCrackingtheCaseoftheMissingEgg #NetGalley

Pub date:  September 15, 2020

Many of us are feeling more contemplative as our world careens out of its usual orbit.  If you are a person who likes to center oneself through taking a thoughtful moment, this book is an excellent resource.  It is exactly as described, a series of short prayers upon which to reflect.  The entries come from many sources; to name just a few there are a Kenyan blessing, Jane Austen, William Penn, Peter and the Psalms.  Take a moment and then return to daily life with the help of this book.

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

H is for Hawk is a non-fiction title and a truly good read.  Helen Macdonald is grieving and, in her process, trains a goshawk.  The book has a lot in it about T H White as he also trained a hawk.  White is the author of one of my all time favorite books, The Once and Future King about Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot.  Readers can  immerse themselves in this one.  Highly recommended.

A Woman of Substance was one of the books that I just listed for romance titles.

Other titles are women’s fiction. Also two mysteries, both on the light side.

Enjoy.

I enjoyed looking at this and hope that you will too.  Lots of good titles for immersing yourself in other worlds.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford.  This is a long saga but an enjoyable one.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  Part of most girls reading at some point.  A wonderful story.

Who’s That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane

Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes.  In my TBR.  A group of British women on a ship to Australia to meet up with the men they marry after WWII.

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson

Resistance is Futile by Jenny T. Colgan.  I have read many light novels by this author as Jenny Colgan, without the T.  It is the same person.

The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. This is another long read and one that I loved.  I have read this book several times and find it so appealing.

It Started with a Secret by Jill Mansell.  I just read this one and reviewed it.  I think that it is one of the author’s best books.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Miss You by Kate Eberlen.  In my TBR stack.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Outlander by Diana Galbadon

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  I loved this book when I read it.  It really gets the reader to turn the pages.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.  This book was so popular when it first came out.  Forbidden love is at its heart.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer.  I have always wanted to read this.  Maybe now I will.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

So, what do you think?  How many have you read?  How many would you like to read?  What other books do you think belong on this list?

 

My earlier review…take out winter and note it is a good book for spring too.

I adored this book.  It has everything that an Anglophile could possibly want.  There are churches, books and searches.  There is romance between a Brit and an American.  There are mysteries and family connections. There are even arguments about print versus digital.   On your first cold night in the fall, imagine you are by the fire and enjoy this read!

  Do you enjoy women’s fiction?  Are you ready to be immersed in a long (464 page) book?  If you  might answer yes to these questions, this title could provide you with an escapist read.

The setting is Lake Tahoe, a beautiful and peaceful place with lots of water, places to walk and sports to enjoy.  There are three protagonists; Serenity, Reagan and Lorelei.

Serenity writes books about true crimes.  There is a true crime in her personal life that has changed everything for her.  Next is Reagan; she is an ambitious, successful advertising executive until one decision and one moment changes everything. She will be faced with some big decisions. Then there are Lorelei and her four year old daughter Lucy.  Lorelei grew up in foster care and knows nothing about her family.  She was happy in her marriage until…

What do these women have in common?  No spoiler as this comes out early in the novel; the three share a blood relationship discovered after they did testing with a DNA site.  How are they connected?  Who is their common biological relative?  Why has no-one ever discussed any of this with any of them>  You will need to get very close to the end of the book to find the answer.

Around this central plot there are many others involving the sisters’ families, their evolving relationship and their next door neighbors, all of whom have their own stories.  The strands intertwine and four narrators voice the story; these are the three sisters and Finn, one of the neighbors.

Overall, this was a book where the pages turned.  The characters are well established and each is very much their own person.  That said, I think that the novel might have been (even) better had it been shorter.  Sometimes sections replayed things that were already known to the reader.

This was the first novel that I have read by this author.  I would most likely read another of her books.

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

Pub date:  April 7, 2020

If you already practice mindfulness or meditation, you may find that it is helping you during these trying times.  If you would like to see if these practices can offer solace, this is a good time to investigate.  Whichever person you may be, I recommend taking a look at this title.

The author notes the long history of meditation and some of its more modern evolutions.  All are designed to facilitate regulating one’s mind and developing awareness.  They also place one firmly in the moment, rather than spending time in the past or future, which have either happened or we do not yet know.

There is a lot of information inside this book, all of it presented clearly.  The majority of the practices are for adults but a section on children is also included. .  The illustrations and photographs will help readers to see how to perform their meditation and work on their practice. Choose a practice that might work for you; one of my personal favorites was the chocolate bar meditation; another was one for washing dishes.

The author seems like an ideal guide for those exploring mindfulness.  She helps readers to think about why they want to practice, how they might practice and where.  Common obstacles are also given attention.  The importance of self-kindeness is emphasized.

All in all, I found this to be an excellent title.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read.  All opinions are my own.

#SecretsofMeditation #NetGalley