My Name is Lucy Barton (NetGalley) Elizabeth Strout Random House This thing we call ‘family’–those little rag tag bands of humans who make their way through life bumping into each other and bouncing off again, sometimes laughing, but often in tears–becomes more mysterious to me the older I get. Whenever I think I have family …
Readers of the Broken Wheel (NetGalley) Katarina Bivald Sourcebooks Landmark Katarina Bivald’s Readers of the Broken Wheel is a love letter to books I could have written myself. The reviews of this wonderful little nugget are plentiful, so I thought another wasn’t really necessary. There’s Sara, let go from her job in a book shop, …
The Bishop’s Wife Mette Ivie Harrison SOHO Crime I listened to this story a year ago and immediately added The Bishop’s Wife to my TBR list. This is writer Mette Ivie Harrison first mystery in a series featuring Linda Wallheim, Mormon wife and mother-turned-detective. Many of us know little about the Mormon faith because so many of their …
1.One of my earliest memories is walking with my mom down the hill from our third story apartment in an old turn-of-the-century clapboard house to the public library on the edge of downtown Kent, Ohio. I must have been only three–but I still remember (hazily, mind you!) participating in the circus themed summer reading program …
blogging ❤ Dr. Who ❤ pedi ❤ scholarship fund ❤ Jonas ❤ saints & sinners ❤ early mornings at work ❤ sanctuary ❤ black jelly bellies ❤ perfect pork loin ❤ burritos bowl ❤ 12 steps ❤ frosty mornings ❤ my resolve ❤ paint chips ❤ meadow garden dreams ❤ teacher teacher ❤ snow dust ❤ candle light & twinkles ❤ mischievous blue eyes ❤ brown Buddy eyes ❤ dentist courage ❤ red bows ❤ puffy down coat ❤ socks in bed ❤ my nest ❤ over & done with ❤ I couldn’t be happier ❤ stickers ❤ pearl ring ❤ miraculous medal ❤ hope chest ❤ steadfast & firm ❤ a place to belong ❤ angel ornament ❤ Christmas mass ❤ pastel farm❤ wooden star ❤ root beer ❤ fizzy …
The Wild Truth Carine McCandless HarperOne Like so many readers around the world, I was spellbound by Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild which told the story of Chris McCandless’s journey of self-discovery and untimely death in the Alaskan wilderness; Sean Penn’s film by the same name was a powerful cinematic version of Chris’s story. Each …
The Man In the Window Jon Cohen Amazon Encore Our first glimpse of Louis Malone is him sitting at the top of the stairs listening as his mother Gracie insists to the funeral director that her recently deceased husband Atlas be buried in his flannel workshirt, courduroys, and Hushpuppies. (The final score was Gracie: 1, …
Little Pretty Things Lori Rader-Day Seventh Street Books I don’t read mysteries. Never liked ’em. Except when I like them as here or here or even here. And of course there’s my beloved Flavia. So maybe I’d better rethink this mystery thing, right?! Lori Rader-Day’s Pretty Little Things is a pretty straightforward murder mystery from about page 40. …
The Beauty of What Remains (NetGalley) Susan Johnson Hadler She Writes Press Writer Susan Johnson Hadler’s father died in WWII when she was only three months old. Because he was killed in a mine explosion, there were no remains to inter and his wife was sent only his personal effects: socks, glasses, a sewing kit, a …
Call me crazy, but I wait until December to start my Christmas shopping. Who can even think about Christmas gifts in September when we haven’t yet had a flake of snow, or (even worse!) in July when thoughts should be turned to sun and sand? To really feel the spirit, I need the air brisk, …
This is my symphony 