Month: May 2023

Book Review: Murder in Postscript

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

*I did this review for the May edition of Historical Novels Review, the Magazine of the Historical Novel Society.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

When one of her readers asks for advice following a suspected murder, Victorian countess Amelia Amesbury, who secretly pens the popular Lady Agony column, has no choice but to investigate in this first book in a charming new historical mystery series.

Amelia Amesbury—widow, mother, and countess—has a secret. Amelia writes for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners under the pen name Lady Agony. But when a lady’s maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered—and then ends up a victim herself—Amelia is determined to solve the case.

With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting. From London’s docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation—and her life—on the line.

BOOK REVIEW

This Victorian mystery is the first book in the A Lady of Letters mystery series. In London in 1860, Amelia Amesbury is a countess and widow, having lost her husband to illness after a short marriage. She also has a secret. She writes an advice column for a London paper under the name Lady Agony, doling out clever answers to readers’ questions about romance, family, fashion, and more. When she receives a note from a lady’s maid who believes her mistress has been murdered, it does not end there. Amelia soon finds out the maid has been killed as well. With the help of her best friend, and assisted by a handsome marquis with secrets of his own, Amelia begins to investigate both murders. All the while, she is still trying to keep her scandalous alter ego of Lady Agony a secret.

This is a fascinating, well-thought-out mystery that will keep you guessing. The fact that a countess is writing an advice column, which would open her up to scandal if it became public knowledge, is intriguing. Each chapter heading starts with a question to and answer from Lady Agony, which is a great touch and adds a bit of humor. The main characters are engaging and well written, especially the fun-loving favorite of high society, Kitty Hamsted, who is Amelia’s best friend and sometimes partner in investigating crime. During Amelia’s investigation, we get to see both sides of London society, from Kitty’s popular parties to a peek inside the life of a servant. This is a fun take on the cozy mystery genre, and it provides a unique premise that will delight readers. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this from Berkley via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Winters is the author of A Lady of Letters Historical Mystery series, coming from Berkley in 2023. A longtime reader of Victorian fiction and an author of two other mystery series, Mary decided to write a new book set in Victorian London after taking a trip to England. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip! Please visit her website here.

Mary’s Social Media:

Instagram | Facebook

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Apple Books | Google

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book

BonnieReadsAndWrites54 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week’s topic is the opposite of last week. Last week was: Top Ten Things That Make Me Want To Read A Book. This week’s topic is: Top Ten Things That Make Me NOT Want to Read a Book.

TOP TEN THINGS THAT MAKE ME NOT WANT TO READ A BOOK

  1. The “shirtless man” book cover. Put your shirt on, dude.
  2. Politics. Keep current politics away from my reading/reviewing. I want my reading and my blog to bring people together, not drive them apart.
  3. Horror. I just can’t handle it and it affects my dreams. I do like the paranormal genre (ghosts, werewolves, etc., as long as it’s not too bloody or scary).
  4. Romance as a primary genre. There has to be something else going on. Romance can’t be the primary genre. If there’s a mystery or a historical event or some time travel, then go ahead and throw in some romance.
  5. Too many sex scenes. To me, that means the author was short on plot, so they threw in a bunch of nipples and quivering loins. As I said in a review once, “If you’ve seen one nipple, you’ve seen them all.”
  6. Present tense. I know it’s popular right now, but I like my books old school. I have read a few books in spite of that and enjoyed some of them.
  7. Second person. Ah…The horrors. I’ve read exactly one book in second person. Never again.
  8. Setting a book in a particular place and then attacking the people who live there. I went on a rip-roaring 1-star review once when a traditionally published author spent a whole book attacking the people of the mountains of Kentucky, where her cozy mystery was set.
  9. Disguising a book as something it’s not. I can think of several books that I chose because of the cover and the blurb that turned out to be political books, which I do not read.
  10. The “F” word. Now I know that the “F” word can be used as a noun, verb, adjective, and dangling participle, but come on. There are other words out there. I think that using too many “F” words shows a lack of creativity. I’ll be hiding in the corner.

What are your reasons to NOT read a book?

Two mini reviews: Identity and The Tapestry of Grace

BonnieReadsAndWrites3 Comments

Below are mini-reviews of two very different books: Identity by Nora Roberts and The Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer. Identity is a thriller and The Tapestry of Grace is Christian Historical Fiction. Click on the covers for buy links and book descriptions on Amazon. Mini-reviews are just a slightly condensed version of the reviews I usually provide.

IDENTITY AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

This is a very compelling thriller that was hard to put down. I connected with the characters immediately and the villain is oh, so very evil. I was kept enthralled throughout the whole book. The ups and downs of the main character were heartbreaking, but her resilience was inspiring. I loved the entire supporting cast.

The narrator of the audiobook, January LaVoy, did a fantastic job giving distinct personalities and voices to the characters she portrayed. I would seek out her work again.

This is a book for readers who enjoy strong women characters and I hope you pick it up.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

THE TAPESTRY OF GRACE BOOK REVIEW

This is a heartwarming Christian novel set in Alexandertol, Kansas, in 1895. Augusta Dyck, a widow and mother who is also the town’s teacher, becomes a part of a new Frauenverien, a group of women in the Mennonite church who band together to help provide for widows and orphans. Augusta immediately begins petitioning the group to help Konrad Rempel, a widower with twin boys. She can tell he needs someone to care for the boys while he is working as a blacksmith. Konrad, however, is reluctant to receive help. The group’s overbearing leader, Martina Krahn, suggests an apprenticeship for one of the twins with her husband, a wainwright. But she has ulterior motives, hoping a child will save her marriage and give her husband something that she cannot.

The town of Alexandertol is based on the German Mennonite communities that relocated to America after suffering religious persecution in Russia. The town’s cast of characters is well-written, and it is fun to follow their daily lives and see what life was like for them in 1895. There are many Christian messages in this book, including dealing with guilt, the rewards of helping others, having faith, and asking God for help. However, the greatest message is that God can take something bad and turn it into something wonderful. The reader is introduced to the history of the Frauenverien, which was an actual organization set up by German communities at that time to help those in need. With likable characters and a heartfelt message, this is a book that readers of Christian fiction will enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Sunday Post: Working Away

BonnieReadsAndWrites29 Comments

It’s been a long week as I was working overtime here, but now is a chance to rest. Doug is back home from working on the house in North Carolina for almost a month, and it’s good to have him back. He brought our three dachshunds home with him of course and the house here in Tennessee is beginning to feel normal again.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, and it’s time to recognize our loved ones who sacrificed everything. My Uncle, Wayne D. Jenkins, died in Vietnam in 1968. He was in the 1st Infantry Division, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, E Company. He was Killed in Action near Loc Ninh Sf Camp, South Vietnam, Binh Long province on September 12, 1968. He was four days away from his 21st birthday. His Find-A-Grave page is here. He’s buried in our family cemetery in Bryson City, NC. He is a hero and his sacrifice will always be remembered, every day of every year.

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

On Monday I reviewed Playing it Safe by Ashley Weaver

On Tuesday I participated in Top Ten Tuesday.

On Thursday I reviewed The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee.

On Friday I participated in Book Blogger Hop.

On Saturday I shared a link for Nguyen Trong Hien’s new translation of Village Teacher.

NEXT WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

I’ve got a lot of books to read for the August edition of Historial Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society. My next reviews are due June 15th, so I’m going to post some of the reviews I did for the May edition this week. I also have a couple of mini-reviews I’m going to share and I will be participating in Top Ten Tuesday and Book Blogger Hop.

BOOK HAUL

As I’m driving a lot more for work now, I have been requesting more audiobooks. I was approved for two last week. They are:

I also got a widget from St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for:

How was your week? I hope the next one is even better.

Indie Spotlight: Village Teacher Translation

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

Great news! Nguyen Trong Hien (or neihtn), author of Village Teacher and The Siege of An Loc, has translated Village Teacher into Vietnamese. It has recently been published on an internet site out of Los Angeles. The first installment can be found here: Village Teacher Translation and in the links section below.

Here is a reposting of my 5-star review of the English version of Village Teacher.

Village Teacher by Neihtn, who also writes as Nguyên Trong Hiên, is a well-written novel set in Vietnam in the late 19th or early 20th century while Vietnam was under French colonization. Teacher Tâm has traveled to the Imperial City of Hue to take the national examinations, challenging tests that help the country choose its leaders. He meets Giang, the daughter of a powerful Frenchman and a wealthy Vietnamese woman. The teacher becomes the student as Giang begins teaching him to write Vietnamese in Romanized script without using Chinese characters. Outside forces begin to intervene in Tâm’s life in many ways, and the reader is taken on a journey through Vietnamese history, language, and customs as the Village Teacher and those who love him fight for his life and his rights.

This is such a beautiful historical love story. The author is an expert in Vietnamese history and I learned so much in this book. The struggles of Teacher Tâm are struggles that are being repeated even today as the wealthy and powerful try to hold down those of lesser means, especially the smart and talented. Over and over again we see in this book how some of the rich elite will use any means to try and destroy anyone who they believe threatens their total control. The love story is beautiful, and the reader gets a masterclass in Vietnamese history, language, and culture. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the history of Vietnam or anyone who just wants to read a well-written historical love story.

LINKS

VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

ENGLISH VERSION ON AMAZON

BEFORE YOU GO

Please share this far and wide so that we reach as many people as possible who speak Vietnamese and would be interested in the translation. Please also consider checking out the English version. It is fantastic, and Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it for free. Be sure and leave a review!

Thanks as always for your consideration and sharing of great Indie books.

Book Blogger Hop: Are You Reading more Ebooks?

BonnieReadsAndWrites30 Comments

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book-related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blogs.

submitted by Elizabeth @Silver’s Reviews

I’ve been reading mostly ebooks for a long time. That increased, of course, during COVID when fewer print books were sent out to bloggers. However, I have been asking to have print copies sent to me more lately because I’ve been trying to create Instagram reels, which by the way I’m not very good at 🙂

Another interesting fact: I have never been able to read print books in the car. I always get carsick. But I can read ebooks in the car without getting sick. I have no idea why.

How about you? Ebook or Print?

Book Review: The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee

BonnieReadsAndWrites16 Comments

I always say I don’t pick up too many WWII books anymore unless they have a unique take. Well, this one blew me out of the water. It is set in the Philippines during and after the Bataan Death March, which I don’t think I was ever taught about in history class. Just mesmerizing.

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise–until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history.

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive.

BOOK REVIEW

How do I do justice to this amazing book? I’m not sure I can, but I will try. I would say that mere words can’t express such deep emotions as those that are conveyed in this book, but that’s not true because Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee did just that, and then some.

The bond of four friends seems unbreakable, as we flash back and forth between Jimmy’s childhood and his service in World War II. Jimmy, Claire, Billy, and Hank grew up together. Only Claire is left behind as Jimmy, Billy, and Hank go off to war. Jimmy really enlisted because he is trying to forget his ex-girlfriend Claire, who has moved on. The three young men are stationed in the Philippines, and life is pretty uneventful until December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. It is not long before the Philippines is attacked too, and the three friends become prisoners of war.

Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee do a completely remarkable job of relating the torture, starvation, and psychological cruelty the Japanese inflicted on the American prisoners of war in the Philippines. This is a truthful, realistic, and bloody tale that the reader won’t soon forget. This is the first book I’ve read about the Bataan Death March, but I was transported there, and I could see Jimmy and his friends trudging along, starving, mad with thirst, and knowing that if they fell down they would never get up again.

When they arrive at a concentration camp, they stand out because of their strong bond, and the commander does something even more despicable that sends Jimmy and Hank on a desperate mission to save a life.

As we watch Jimmy trying to survive, we also flash back to his childhood, and Claire is a huge part of this story. The families of all three young men come alive as we watch them grow up, each with their own private struggles.

This book is full of pain, love, loss, misery, and hope. It is one I will not soon forget.

My rating for this is 5.5, because the one category where a book can score higher than five is “How did it make me feel?,” and that one is off the charts.

I received a free copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Marcus Brotherton is a New York Times bestselling author and coauthor dedicated to writing books that inspire heroics, promote empathy, and encourage noble living.

His commendations include the Christopher Award for literature “that affirms the highest values of the human spirit.”

SOCIAL MEDIA: INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels including THE LONG MARCH HOME (with New York Times bestselling author Marcus Brotherton) THE LINE BETWEEN, THE PROGENY, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, and ISCARIOT. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and been optioned for TV and film. She is the recipient of two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion, ECPA Book of the Year, and the Nebraska Book Award, and has finaled for numerous others including the Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award, the High Plains Book Award, a second Silver Falchion, and the Christy. When she’s not writing, Tosca loves binging television shows, looking for something good to eat, cooking when she can’t find it, traveling with her husband, and sleeping in.

You can find Tosca on social media or hanging around the snack table. To learn more, please visit toscalee.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA: INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google

Top Ten Tuesday: Things that make me instantly want to read a book.

BonnieReadsAndWrites29 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I think this is going to be an easy list for me. Top Ten Things That Make Me Want To Read a Book:

  1. Church. The Bible of course.
  2. A Time Travel Theme.
  3. My Favorite Author Releases Her Next Book. Jodi Taylor, who also writes two different time travel series. Go figure.
  4. A Cup of Coffee
  5. An Overflowing TBR
  6. The Power Goes Out. No more computer or tv, and I instantly pick up a book. Hopefully my Kindle is charged.
  7. A brand new book comes in the mail and it’s so much more attractive than my other books because of its newness.
  8. Laying down in bed. That always makes me want to read, but I fall asleep quickly.
  9. Snow Days. I always read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  10. July. When it’s super hot outside, I always read a Christmas book so I’m reminded of trees and holly and cold, cold snow.

How about you? What makes you instantly want to read a book?

Book Review: Playing it Safe #AshleyWeaver #Minotaur #WWII

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

I did this review for the May edition of Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society.

Electra “Ellie” McDonnell, a former safecracker who is now working for the British government during World War II, is sent off on a mission by Intelligence to the port city of Sunderland. She is given an assumed identity and few instructions from her boss, Major Ramsey, and soon finds herself investigating a murder on her own. When she is finally joined by Major Ramsey, new concerns arise. Are the Germans counterfeiting IDs right under their noses?

This is the third book in the Electra McDonnell series, which just keeps getting better. I love that Ellie is from a family of former safecrackers, and her relatives show up or are alluded to throughout the book. Her Uncle Mick is the head of the family, and Ellie often recalls his lessons as she is breaking into a safe, a building, or a residence. Ellie uses her skills quite effectively, and it remains clear that criminals and spies have a lot in common. For example, Ellie says the following: “We hadn’t pulled a job of our own since getting involved with Major Ramsey, and I found that these dalliances with espionage were providing me with more than enough danger and excitement to quell my less legal impulses.”

There are plenty of twists and turns in this compelling mystery/thriller, and the plot is so clever that it will keep readers on their toes. The characters Ellie meets in Sunderland are well-written and quite intriguing. As Ellie turns her charms on friend and foe trying to find a killer, the reader is drawn in too. This series is both fun and thrilling, with just a touch of romance. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Minotaur Books via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley Weaver is the author of the Amory Ames Mysteries and the Electra McDonnell series. She is also the Technical Services Coordinator for the Allen Parish Libraries in Louisiana. Weaver has worked in libraries since she was 14; she was a page and then a clerk before obtaining her MLIS from Louisiana State University. She lives in Oakdale, Louisiana.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | GOOGLE

Indie Weekend: Lion Scream by Robbie Cheadle

BonnieReadsAndWrites24 Comments

Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors share their books with others. Marketing is a huge task for Indie authors, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. See below my review of Lion Scream, a wonderful book of poetry about African animals by Robbie Cheadle.

BOOK REVIEW

This book shares beautiful and sometimes sad poetry about African animals. It is also filled with facts about the treatment of some animals in the wild.  The plight of the rhino, hunted for its horn, is one of the saddest parts of the book.  The thought of a rhino weeping in pain after its horn has been cut off in the wild fills me with sadness.  So does the fact that rhinos kept in wildlife preserves have to have their horns surgically removed for their own safety.

There are many intriguing facts about elephants in this book, and the poem Elephant Scare describes an encounter with a bull elephant and reminds us of his power.  Content or Not is one of my favorite poems about elephants in this book.  While it’s describing the power of an elephant, the main questions are:  Does he know he is imprisoned, and does he care?  I’ve often wondered this at the zoo.  Do these animals long for their freedom every day or are they content with their immediate surroundings, created to mimic the real wild? 

Wallowing describes an elephant wallowing in water and describes pure joy in the moment of doing something instinctive and pleasurable.

The section on Lions is most fascinating, and my favorite poem in that section is Colours of Africa, about a lion attacking a herd of zebras.  It is so real I can see the Zebras panicking, watch the lion attack, and see the blood spraying off of their kill.  It came home to me while reading it that while it was brutal it was also a completely natural description of African animal life.

Lion Scream is not only filled with poems and facts about endangered African animals.  There are also links in the ebook to videos and articles relevant to the information provided.  There are parts that will infuriate you, but this book will also make you appreciate the power and beauty of all wild animals, especially endangered animals, and it may inspire you to help protect them from extinction.

I downloaded a copy of this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published thirteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.

FOLLOW ROBBIE ON TWITTER and GOODREADS

BUY LION SCREAM ON AMAZON

BEFORE YOU GO

*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books.  Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.

*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers.  A little bit of help from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!