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

The Huntress is by the author of the well-received The Alice Network.  I read and enjoyed The Gown.  The review is in my archive.

Literary fiction, short stories, historical fiction and a thriller.  Enjoy!

My favorite part of this book was definitely the illustrations. They are so vibrant and appealing and they complement the text well.

This is a book in the American Psychological Association series. Each title is designed to help young children to learn about and cope with issues that face them as they grow up. In this one, the story is about a young witch who keeps tattling on her peers. This causes the other children to dislike her. They cast a spell on Wanda to teach her a lesson. All ends well as Wanda learns the difference between telling due to danger to another and catching all childish misbehavior. At the end of the book there is a very helpful section for adults on how to help children to know when it is important to tell a grownup something and how to help children in coping. Reasons that a child might be the one who always tells are also explored.

The section for adults is well done. My quibble with this book was that the solution was for a group of children to “gang up” on another child. This may be true to what can happen but I felt that it gave a somewhat wrong message with how to cope with another child’s behavior, even if that behavior was troublesome.

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

The story of Mary Shelley is a complicated one for  young readers/listeners.  Mary’s mother died when she was eleven days old.  She had a wicked stepmother.  She fell in love and left home to be with a married poet.  And, oh yes, she wrote a horror story that conjured a scary future.

Somehow the author of this continuously excellent series, manages to make this all understandable.  She also acknowledges the talents of Mary’s parents and the circle of which Mary was a part.  As always, there is a helpful timeline at the end of the book.  Kudos to the author for doing all this in a short, illustrated book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.

#MaryShelley #NetGalley

 

This entry in the author’s long standing Gamache mystery series is truly outstanding.  It is one of the very, very best mysteries that I have read this year.

The plot involves the death of a woman who had been abused by her husband.  Does that mean that he was the murderer?  If yes, how to convict and, if not, who was it and why are central to the plot.

But…it is the way that Penny writes that makes this book so truly excellent.  She is philosophical and thoughtful, all the while enhancing, not taking away from the plot based action.  The book is full of references to Moby Dick whose relevance becomes apparent.  Many of the characters are chasing their own versions of that great whale and, as in the novel, they are distressed.

Penny has a true talent for making  her characters com to life.  This is true for the series regulars as well as those who fully inhabit this novel. The people are complex and within contain both much goodness and potential for wrongdoing, even if sometimes for what they feel are the right reasons.  In addition, the early chapters of the book about potential flooding made me feel the cold, the rain, the fear and the worry.

Penny herself states:

“These books are about community.  About love and belonging.  About the great gift of friendship.

How lucky I am to live in Three Pines.”

You, too, will be most lucky to visit Three Pines.  I give this one 6 stars out of five.  Really.

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A December 2018 Indie Next Pick
One of Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2018 Picks
BookPage Best of the Year 2018
A LibraryReads Pick for November 2018
A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Winner
Washington Post’s 10 Books to Read This November
One of PopSugar’s Best Fall Books to Curl Up With
One of Publishers Weekly Booksellers’ Favorite 25 Titles of the Year in 2018

 

I previously reviewed this excellent first entry in Ann Cleeves’s new series. See archive.

This book provides a concise and clear explanation of Social Security benefits.  It includes information on who is eligible, how benefits are calculated, where the money comes from, when it is best to apply, benefits for spouses and children and more.   To make things easy to understand, the author gives case examples in making her points.

Regular readers of my blog know that I spend a lot of time reading mysteries, fiction, children’s lit and many things that are not like this book.  Nonetheless, I rate this book highly for those who are contemplating applying for Social Security in the U.S.

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

#SocialSecurityIn30minutesVolume1retirementBenefits #NetGalley

A mix here.  I don’t read Thomas Harris’s novels but know that this was a big release for his fans.  I adore Colin Dexter and Inspector Morse.  The Carolotta Carlyle mysteries were enjoyed by me in the past.  The Summer I Met Jack is historical fiction about JFK.  The other two are a light mystery and a thriller.

This picture book has engaging illustrations that reflect the life and imagination of the child who lives in this apartment block. Children can look for the cat in many of the pictures; s/he is a charming addition to the story.

Lots of children live in houses while many. like our narrator, live in apartments. This little boy shows what fun it can be to have lots of neighbors, playgrounds and hallways to race in. There are also times when his parents think the apartment is too small and when he needs to use his imagination within the less than expansive space.

Our Big Little Place shows readers that a home is what one makes of it. If you live with those you love and who are attentive to you, whether you live in a mansion or an apartment, there is no place like home.

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

https://nyti.ms/30d7EiE