The Invoice Jonas Karlsson Hogarth How do you measure happiness? By the number of friends you have? Or the prestige of your job? Maybe you’re happy if others think highly of you or praise you. Maybe happiness is related to the neighborhood you can afford or the make and model of your car. Smart people …
A picture is worth a thousand words–and I freely admit choosing my books (at least in part) by their covers. Some publishers’ services like NetGalley even ask members to give book covers a thumbs up … or down. I’m drawn to book covers that don’t illustrate the book’s plot, but rather paint an impressionistic portrait …
The Trouble With Goats and Sheep (NetGalley) Joanna Cannon Scribner Mrs. Creasy has gone missing and the entire estate is abuzz. Especially the residents of the Avenue. Mrs. Creasy was friend (confidant, even) to all–and knew the secrets that lived behind closed doors. She knew the secrets of number 8 and number 12 and even …
Vinegar Girl (NetGalley) Anne Tyler Hogarth/Crown Publishing I’m not one for modern novels that piggy back on a great work of literature. Chances are I’ve already read the classic, so the broad strokes of the contemporary retelling seem forced. And I tend to nitpick, as well: “Well, that didn’t happen in The Great Classic” or “Famous …
Lily and the Octopus (NetGalley) Steven Rowley Simon & Schuster I! LOVE! DOGS! I! WANT! TO! READ! I thought when I saw the cover of Lily and the Octopus with its cute little dachshund. The blurb said it was magic, that reading it would be an unforgettable ride, and compared the novel to The Life of Pi,. Was I in …
So far this summer I’ve read a couple books that are out of my comfort zone–and I’ve not been disappointed. I guess it’s a good lesson in being open to new experiences. Read on and maybe you’ll be tempted to try something completely different yourself (cue the music!) … Glass Shatters (NetGalley) Michelle Meyers She Writes …
Amy Snow Tracey Rees Simon & Schuster Life just seems to move at a slower pace in the summer. Afternoons are hot and humid, the evenings languid. We spend a lot of time on the deck and not so much time in front of the television. It’s a time when we try to break free from …
Everyone Brave Is Forgiven (NetGalley)Chris CleaveSimon & Schuster I read Chris Cleave’s Little Bee for book club just about five years ago. And I liked it–with a few reservations. I liked this new novel of his–which also received a great deal of hype–with the same uncertainty. London, 1939. Mary North, a Pimlico blueblood, signs up to help …
She clutched Richie’s hand, held on, it seemed, for dear life. She pleaded. He tried to smooth her still fingers, then patted them reassuringly. “You ARE home, Momo.” “No–I’ve got to go home. Now. Help me, honey–where did they put my clothes? Trudy needs me.” So he lugged her suitcase from the top shelf …
My Mrs. Brown (Edelweiss DRC) William Norwich Simon & Schuster Mrs. Brown is something of an anachronism. In a world that is all social media, selfies, and reality shows, she is a genteel widow who avoids excess at all cost. At sixty-six she has no bucket list and instead works at a small beauty salon …
This is my symphony 