(noun): a high degree of gratification or pleasure; extreme satisfaction Merriam Webster This year I’ve got my eye on delight. It seems like a perfect fit for where I am now. Happiness carries a little too much emotional weight for me, and joy is ever-present. It’s the extra-in-the-ordinary that gives me pleasure. So delight it …
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There’s a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen What I read I’ve made mention before of my love for all things Three Pines and Inspector Gamache, but Louise Penny’s ninth Gamache novel How the Light Gets In has got …
What I read There is nothing like a Kate Morton novel to get a reader lost in time and place. Her stories meander, taking twists and turns that never fail to keep me reading into the night. (It’s rather amusing that I still think this way, considering I’m retired. But a lifetime of ‘shoulds’ reels …
The Blue Kingfisher Erica Wright Polis Books (November 2018) I’ve written a number times over the past ten years on This Is My Symphony of my dislike for mysteries and whodunits. Then I read one and rationalize that this particular title is an aberration–an outlier–a fluke. Except in the past two years, I’ve managed to read at least several. …
Three Things About Elsie Joanna Cannon Scribner (2018) “Everyone’s life has a secret, somethings they never talk about. Everyone has words they keep to themselves. It’s what you do with your secret that really matters. Do you drag it behind you forever, like a difficult suitcase, or do you find someone to tell?” Joanna Cannon’s …
Anyone can write a book. Just tell yourself a story a pebble at a time. Stephen Mack Jones In most circles of friends there’s that One. You know, the one who tells great stories–and acts out all the parts. That friend who is self-effacing, no matter how successful they might be. The one who has a …
The Bad Daughter Joy Fielding Ballantine Books Every year I read at least one mystery just to keep myself open to the idea of reading whodunits and thrillers and all books mysterious. This year’s is Joy Fielding’s The Bad Daughter. (Of course I might also have chosen the book because of the title, so there’s that. Years …
Did you know … Alan Bradley started writing after he retired from a career in TV engineering and production. Bradley never planned on writing more than ten Flavia de Luce novels (*yikes*) because he can’t imagine her as a teenager. He has considered, however, Flavia at 70 looking back at her life. The author is … Canadian! …
The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place Alan Bradley Random House release date: January 30, 2018 It’s certainly no secret that I have a little crush on Flavia de Luce. How could I not? She’s brilliant, confident, beguiling, and misunderstood. (I’m pretty sure I’ve reviewed all of her books on this blog!)) I couldn’t have …
Girl Last Seen (NetGalley) Nina Laurin Grand Central Publishing/Hatchett Group Unbecoming Rebecca Scherm Penguin Two young women: Laine, a kidnap victim; and Julie, an accessory to a crime. Both are living under assumed names, supposedly for protection. Except, as both Girl Last Seen and Unbecoming demonstrate, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to run away from one’s past. The …
This is my symphony 