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

The term guilty pleasure comes to mind when I think about Wife After Wife.  It is the sort of novel that I read both enjoying it and wondering if it was not the best use of my book time.

The story is an updated version of Henry VIII and his six wives.  It is clever in its concept and characters. Harry (Henry)is the head of a firm that publishes celebrity magazines.  He is wealthy, sexy and seemingly attractive to all of the women he meets and he meets many.

In talking about the wives and mistresses the characters are clearly identifiable.  I won’t go through them all but first wife Katie has trouble with pregnancies, faces miscarriages and her only child is Maria. All much like the historical first wife.   Katie tries but is depressed.  No surprise that Harry is attracted to others and they divorce.  In one of many clever twists, Katie moves to Wales and lives at a wellness retreat.

And so it goes with modern women and wives in Harry’s life.  They are well described and there are a number of enjoyable cultural references.

This book will not offer you deep food for thought.  It is escapism pure and simple.  If that appeals to you, you might give this title a try.

 

Adults will surely know where this story is heading but young children may not. This short picture book is illustrated in a bright and cheerful way; it is full of anthropomorphised animals and appealing scenes.
In the story, it is Harriet’s birthday. She is sad because no-one is acknowledging her special day, even though it is made clear that she is a kind and helpful friend. Harriet is grumpy and plans to have her own celebration when…
Young listeners will enjoy the ending to this book. For adults, there are some discussion questions and activities at the end so that they can extend the story with children.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short, beautifully illustrated book in which the illustrations playfully evoke nighttime.  This title is designed to help the littlest ones to fall asleep.  As I had a proof copy, unfortunately I could not hear the sounds but this is a sweet book even without them.

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

#HushLittleBearIsSleeping #NetGalley

The author of this title is truly a master baker. A biographical note that I saw indicated that she has made cakes for Queen Elizabeth and a number of celebrities.

The book contains recipes for cupcakes including Raising the Baa, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, Gin and Tonic Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and more. There are also recipes for loaf cakes, tray-bakes and meringues; included are Raspberry and White Chocolate Meringue Towers, Classic Chocolate Eclairs a Warming Ginger Loaf Cake and a Salted Caramel and Popcorn Layer Cake, among others. The book also include Layer Cakes; Lemon and Elder-flower Layer Cake or Strawberry Shortcake Floral Stacks anyone? Ow about Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. The Book ends with a number of Celebration Cakes including Hand-decorated Ester Biscuits, Halloween Mini Rolls, a Chocolate Biscuit Wreath cake and many more.

The photographs made me so hungry. They are gorgeous. The book has basic recipes and then ways to enhance them to make a showstopper. Either way, if you like to bake, take a look at this one.

One note: unfortunately for U.S. bakers the oven temps and measurements are British style and will need to be converted.

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

 

 

There are twelve books by Henning Mankell today.  Take a look for them in your online bookstore.  Also, Bury My Heart…this is something that I read in college and was impressed by.

Learning to manage difficult feelings can be quite challenging for young children.  This book offers some age appropriate help for kids roughly between the ages of five and ten.  Some of the chapters include Say Hello-and Goodbye-to Your Anger, Create Calm, Learn Self Control, Feel Great and more.

The author notes that this book is not appropriate for all kids, citing those who are having larger behavioral or mental health issues.  For many children however the activities in this book may be very helpful.  They are presented in an appealing fashion with many colorful illustrations.

I liked the way that the author spoke directly to her readers and her encouragement of doing these activities with a trusted adult.  I recommend this book for families and it may also be useful for schools and therapists.  You don’t have to wait for anger to become an issue; the activities in this book can help children to recognize and name their feelings and find ways to cope.

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

From the publisher: 

#AngerManagementSkillsforKids #NetGalley

A few comments:  Helen MacInness wrote thrillers of the Cold War.  I read many of these in the past and really enjoyed them.  Not sure if they hold up in the current day but worth a look.  I loved The End Of the Affair.  Dorothy Simpson writes good, British police procedurals.  Plus, a few other titles to look at including an earlier Jodi Picoult.  Happy March and happy reading!

Ancient Egyptian people were deeply influenced by their gods.  The gods helped them to make sense of things that they did not understand.  One well known example was finding an explanation for why the Nile flooded each year, a natural phenomenon upon which the population depended. 

This book tells the stories of over fifteen of the gods and goddesses.  They were the gods or goddesses of creation and war, the underworld, healing, mummification, love, music and celebration, knowledge and more. The end of the book includes a glossary, a “find out more” section and references while the beginning includes a map and timeline. 

Many children go through a phase of fascination with mummies and all things ancient Egyptian.  This title is a great way to capture and build upon that interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this beautifully illustrated boook in exchange for anhones review.

#GodsandGoddessesofAncientEgypt #NetGalley

A few of the many deities in the book:  Provided by the publisher.

Neith: Goddess of Creation and War As we have seen, the Egyptians told different stories explaining how the world began. In another version of creation, Nun again existed as nothingness. But this time, within Nun the goddess Neith stirred. Neith turned herself into a fish—then she turned herself into a cow. As the first living being, Neith took on many forms. As her first act, Neith created Egypt. She made the land out of joy. She separated the night from the day. Neith was worshipped in the earliest days of Egypt, when Upper and Lower Egypt were united by King Narmer. In those early days, the symbol for Neith—an oval with two legs on the top and two on the bottom—was thought by some to be a click beetle. But in later times, this shape was thought to be two arrows crossed over a shield. Neith would often wear this upon her head. Sometimes she wore the Red Crown of Lower Egypt instead. As the lady of arrows, she would hold a bow and arrows in her hand.	Isis: Goddess of Magic, Thrones, and Healing When Isis arrived at the palace of Byblos, the queen begged for the great goddess’s help. The young prince of Byblos was very ill, and the queen pleaded with Isis to save him. As a powerful healer, Isis agreed, but she also had her own motives—once she stepped inside the palace of Byblos, she realized that her husband’s body was trapped within the large wooden pillar there! Isis devoted herself to healing the young prince of Byblos, in the room with the pillar that held Osiris’s body inside. Day by day the prince slowly got better, but Isis wouldn’t let anyone else watch her work.	Horus: Child God of Healing and Falcon God of Kings Seth wanted to rule Egypt forever, but young Horus—the son of Isis and Osiris—stood in his way. Ra had chosen Horus to be the godly ruler of Egypt, which meant that as long as Horus was around, he was a threat to Seth’s authority. Isis knew that the jealous and ambitious Seth wanted Horus out of the picture. Fearing for her son, Isis hid Horus in the marshes, and the god Atum used his magic to protect the papyrus marshes and keep all other gods out. For years, Horus was safely hidden where Seth could never find him.

Lots of women’s fiction and an historical mystery set in New York City.  Enjoy.

This is a cute board book for toddlers about a person who is so important, mommy. What does she do all day? Lift the flaps to find out. Sometimes the answer will be a bit whimsical as when mommy has lots of laundry to do. With bright and appealing illustrations, this title should be enjoyed by the youngest book lovers.

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