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

The “other” Windsor Girl is Princess Margaret, known to many because of the successful tv series, The Crown.  This book is another way to gain perspective on Margaret, those around her and the times in which she lived. Readers will move through the sedate 40s right up to the 60s.

The narrative includes a mix of historical and fictional people and a wide variety of both royal homes and places where Margaret spent time. The most prominent of the fictional characters is Vera who becomes a lady in waiting to Margaret, thus giving her a fly on the wall perspective to royal life.  Her story is one of making choices after coming under the royal gaze.  Are the choices that she makes ones that she will regret?

The underpinning of the novel is the impact that being A princess but not THE princess had on Margaret who garnered less attention and found it difficult to establish a meaningful life.  She often wanted what she could not have and did not want what was there for her.

In my opinion, this novel started a bit slowly but  is worth staying with until the end.  The skill of the author is such that I kept hoping for Margaret to have the life she yearned for, especially in her relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, all while knowing what happened historically.

This book can provide a bit of escapism as we all are in our homes dreaming of having a more exciting life.  I rate it at four stars.

I love this book! It is a picture book about a girl who looks forward to bedtime stories with her dad each night. This favorite time is disrupted when dad gets a new job and is too busy and distracted for this ritual. Taking matters into her own hands, Shailey advertises for someone to read to her. Readers will chuckle as Shailey edits and modifies her help wanted ad based on the applicants. For a further sense of fun, the applicants are all characters from favorite children’s stories. Both adults and children should enjoy recognizing job seekers like Cinderella and Goldilocks. The end of the book is sweet as the best applicant, gets the job.

At the end of the book are amusing personal statements from a few of those seeking employment, including Robin Hood and Tinkerbell. There is also a caution to keep devices and distractions away from story time.

All in all, this was a delightful story with great illustrations. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pierre & Paul tells the story of two friends with imagination. Read the book and look at the illustrations to get a sense of the avalanches at hand. This is a simple, amusing story of two young boys that switches between English and French. There are contextual clues to help with the language that a child may not speak. The book provides a way to expose children to bilingual text. I especially liked the illustrations.

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

This is a very short but cute and effective book.  Toddlers will enjoy seeing the animals playing instruments as, for example, penguin plays the piano.  They can then press a button to hear the sound that the instrument makes.  This simply but cheerfully illustrated book is certain to be a hit with its young audience.

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

Alya and the Three Cats is a very sweet and appealing book.  The illustrator captures the look and feel of each of the cats, all of whom enjoy being treated like princes.  Myriam lovingly cares for Minouche, Pasha and Amir.  The cats love climbing on Myriam but…what is happening?  Myriam is getting larger.  Why does she leave one day and return with a pink basket and what is inside it?  Will there be enough love to go around?

Young children will enjoy this story, both to see the delightful illustrations and to understand a bit about bringing a baby into the home.  It could be a great gift for an older sibling.

I truly enjoyed this adorable title.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

A little mystery, a women’s fiction title and some classics.  The Bostonians is free.

The Secrets of Love Story Bridge is a warm-hearted tale of  flawed yet hopeful individuals who find one another and move forward in their lives.  The main character is Mitchell; he is a man with many regrets for how he lived his life with his partner Anita.  Now he is finding it difficult to move ahead without her.  A workaholic, Mitchell was often missing out on day to day life with Anita and their daughter, Poppy.

As the novel opens, Mitchell and nine-year-old Poppy form a tight (but somewhat rigid) twosome as Mitchell tries to control for all eventualities.  Mitchell tries to maintain his connection to Anita by writing letters that she will never read. He cannot get himself to read the last letter that Anita wrote to him.  Full of guilt, will Mitchell ever forgive himself?

Mitchell lives in Upchester, a town of many bridges.  One day he sees someone leave a love locket on the bridge and then go overboard.  He rescues this unknown young woman and this starts a period of change in his life.  Who went over?  What happened to her?  How will the private Mitchell cope with the ensuing publicity?

Mitchell was late to pick up Poppy on the bridge day so she was with a teacher, Liza.  The story of Liza and Mitchell will be the romance that you root for.  Readers will also learn about the connections between the woman on the bridge and the other characters in the novel.

This is a story of quirky characters who want what most of us want-a sense of connection and hope for the future.  In that sense, bridges that connect two places, form the perfect analogy for the novel.  During our current difficult times, this is a sweet book and may help readers to take a break from their worries.

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

#TheSecretsofLoveStoryBridge #NetGalley

Pub date:  April 28, 2020

Clarence’s Big Secret is based upon the life story of a real person. Clarence was a smart and BIG young boy. When he got to school, the teacher thought he was older than he was and asked him to do things that he had not yet learned. He fled school and never returned.

Clarence was clever and talented. He went on to have a very productive life while keeping his big secret. Find out what it was in this charming story which clearly shows that one is never too old to learn or overcome.

The illustrations feel a bit old fashioned but in a good way. They contribute to the story’s atmosphere.

This was a lovely read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Note:  When I first wrote this there it was the holiday season.  Now we have the virus to make us anxious.  So…a good time for this title.

The holiday season can be a time of great cheer and joy. For some though, it is a time of year when anxiety reaches its peak. While this book is not about the holidays, it is a very good resource on anxiety in general. The author is a practitioner of CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy. He sets out a way to understand and work with anxiety so that it does not rule one’s life. Dr. Minden has a three step plan which includes making “useful predictions, not anxious fictions”, taking action and accepting and redirecting. The author’s hope is that “these approaches will help you move from reactive to proactive, from emotional to logical, from avoidant to active and from judgmental to accepting.” Through keeping a notebook and following the strategies in this book, you may find that you can cope better.

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

#ShowYourAnxietyWhosBoss #NetGalley

A couple of mysteries and a classic by Hermann Hesse.