And, I’m now in Ohio! Mom and my sister, Christie, came down yesterday, and helped me unpack, just as they helped me pack last week. I appreciated every minute of their time, including their driving time. Now, though, they had just over two hours to get here instead of seven.
I appreciate all of you keeping the blog going while I was moving. Big thanks to Kevin Tipple (and, I promise I have more of his reviews to share soon), and Rosemary Kaye. Thank you to both of them. And, thank you to everyone who continued to read the blog and comment. Now that I’m back, I’ll be here to comment and share again.
Of course, I haven’t read anything lately. But, I know you have. So, I’m going to start fresh on a Thursday. What are you reading? I’ve missed you all. I hope you’re okay. Let me know what you’ve been doing, okay?
Lesa, it’s wonderful you will be closer to your family. What attracted you to the location you picked for your new home (feel free not to answer if it’s too personal)? I’m sure it must be a relief to have the actual relocation behind you, although I know you must have lots of unpacking and fixing up your new digs still to do. Welcome back to the blog!
The weather is finally settling down in my part of Northern California, with highs in the 80s, and some in a few days predicted to be in the 70s! Could fall really be coming? In other news, I survived another 1.5-day babysitting experience last weekend, including taking the children to school together, picking them up separately, and taking them to a soccer game Saturday morning. Unfortunately, we missed Autumn’s 8:00 game because I couldn’t get her pierced earrings out and she’s not allowed to wear them while playing. I found out later that I had tried to unscrew them (they are diamonds), and neither Autumn or her mother had told me that wasn’t they way then fastened (sigh). I’ll know better next time. Also got my updated Covid booster this week–hurray!
Here’s what I finished this week:
The September 2023 theme for the Casual Book Club, of which I am a member, was a book written in the year of my birth. Since I had a difficult time finding any adult books of that vintage that interested me, I decided to present one of my all-time favorite children’s books, published just a couple of years before my birth year. William Pene du Bois’ THE 21 BALLOONS is a work of speculative fiction or fantasy-adventure (take your pick) intended for middle grade readers that has stuck in my mind for many years as a delightful, whimsical, inventive story that led me to reread it several times. It’s the story of Professor William Waterman Sherman, who retires after 40 years of teaching arithmetic to San Francisco boys and commissions a huge hot air balloon with a wicker basket stocked with a year of food as his onboard home, allowing it to take him wherever the wind blows. But when the balloon meets with unexpected damage, Prof. Sherman has to land it on the tiny island of Krakatoa, where he is gobsmacked to discover a hidden civilization of 20 families (2 parents, 2 children) who eat together each day at a different restaurant housed in one of the families’ intriguing, futuristic homes. The scientists among them have also designed and installed some fabulous inventions in the homes, and everything is funded by the huge diamond mines on which the island is built. But the inhabitants are always ready to make a hasty retreat if and when the volcano tears Krakatoa apart. The story of his experiences that Prof. Sherman tells the Western American Explorers Club after his return to San Francisco comprises the largest portion of the book. The author was awarded the Newbery Medal for his most successful book (he illustrated it as well) the year after its publication. The inventions and the creative details of life on Krakatoa were what I found the most enchanting and the most memorable. Of course, the book is laughably dated, especially in the ways the author talks about technology and its future, but that’s part of its charm. I still have a copy of the (later) 1969 printing, with yellowed pages and delightful line drawings. I recommend it highly, and not just for children.
It’s time for rejoicing when Tracy Clark starts a new series with a fascinating new character. In HIDE, she introduces Chicago Detective Harriet Foster, who has suffered more than one deep, personal loss and returned to the job to find herself with a misogynistic, obnoxious partner. It’s all hands on deck to keep more red-haired young women from suffering brutal deaths from what looks like a possible serial killer. Bodie Morgan and his artistic twin sister, Amelia, are trying in different ways to get over unspeakable experiences in their childhood, but Bodie’s previous legal problems and recent time in a mental facility make him a person of interest. Clark excels at building nuanced characters and developing them before our eyes. Standouts include fellow detective Vera Li, and psychologist Dr. Mariana Silva, in addition to the twins and, of course, Harriet herself. Each is richly portrayed to the point where they jump off the page. The suspense is palpable, especially at the end, and it all adds up to a hair-raising and immersive experience for the reader. I have an ARC of the second in the series and look forward to delving into Harriet’s challenging life once again.
TILLY IN TECHNICOLOR is Mazey Eddings’ first foray into the YA genre, focusing on recent high school graduates Tilly and Oliver, who are both neurodivergent. Their chance meeting on an airplane is pretty disastrous, so of course they end up fellow interns for Tilly’s older sister’s fledgling nail lacquer business in Europe. Oliver is autistic, Tilly has ADHD and executive dysfunction, and both find it difficult to function in an overwhelming world and in the face of prejudice and misunderstanding. Tilly finds comfort and fulfillment in her blogposts, but her mother doesn’t consider writing a real job and wants her to continue her education. Oliver has created his own college major, involving color theory and design, but doesn’t know what to do with the increasing feelings he has for larger-than-life Tilly. As the reader gets schooled in the world of color and the different colors of neurodivergence, we are also entertained by fleshed-out characters that include several members of the supporting cast, most notably Tilly’s sister and her business partner. I enjoyed two of Eddings’ adult romances, and I was happy to discover this YA offering. I thought the story was tied up a bit too quickly and easily, but that is my only complaint about this uplifting novel.
Hi, Margie! Not too personal at all. I hadn’t decided where I wanted to retire. Arizona was always an option. Then, my sister, Linda, suggested coming home to Ohio, specifically the Columbus area. Linda and her husband went to college here, and never left. Not Ohio State. Ohio Dominican, and Linda went to Capital to law school.My youngest sister and her husband went to OSU.
Anyways, the more we talked, the more appealing it sounded.I love cities, everything to do, and the convenience. Linda helped me look at places, and I ended up only five miles from her. She and I love doing things together. Now, we can fly out of the same airport when we go to NYC. I went to Ireland with her and her husband. It’s a great location for me. And, so much closer to Mom and Christie. They made yesterday’s trip. We spent part of the morning and all afternoon together, and they turned around and went home after rush hour. Just that much closer to family.
I don’t mind answering at all.
I never read 21 Balloons. Sounds fascinating!
That sounds idyllic, Lesa! You and Linda are set up for more fun, companionship, and adventures, and your mother and Christie are within reach as well. Enjoy–you’ve earned it, and deserve it. I love being retired, and I know you will, too.
I know I’ll love it. You’re right. Linda and I are planning to be event buddies.
MARGIE: HIDE was one of my top reads of 2022. I also have an ARC for Harriet Foster #2 but am delaying my reading of it until closer to pub date. I enjoyed the Cass Raines PI series but am really liking Tracy’s new series. Police procedural are one of my go-to subgenres & a female lead is a plus for me.
Hi, Grace! I couldn’t agree more, although I don’t know whether I will be able to wait much longer to read the second in the series, Fall. I also read the Cass Raines books, and Harriet is a terrific protagonist. I’m a sucker for police procedurals as well.
Well, like I mentioned during the SD Bouchercon panel, I have 20-30 ARCs with Oct/Nov pub dates to keep me busy. But if I can, I would move FALL up in my schedule.
I love fall, Grace. Just not cold weather.
LESA: I think Margie & I were talking about a different fall. The title of Tracy Clark’s Harriet Foster book#2 is FALL, with a pub date of December 5.
I would love a warmer autumn/fall season but we can get snowy cold weather from late October/early November in Ottawa.
Margie! Thank you for mentioning THE 21 BALLOONS! I somehow missed this, but intend to grab it today. Sounds delightful!
I love everything written by Tracy Clark and enjoyed HIDE quite a lot. You will, I think, enjoy the second in the series as well.
Welcome back! Glad to hear you arrived safely and are making progress settling into your new digs.
I’m having computer issues. My friend thinks it’s a fried motherboard, but it is keeping me from accessing my reviews for the week, which I was planning to schedule later the day my computer died. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get access to them tomorrow and resume reviewing this coming week.
At the moment, I’m reading NINE LIVES AND ALIBIS, a Halloween entry in the Cat Cafe Mysteries by Cate Conte. I’m enjoying it. The set up seems to be taking a bit longer than it could, but I’m still having fun meeting the suspects and getting things set up. This will be the first of my October reviews. And the only non-ARC I’m reading in October. Crazy how some months get packed with new releases for me.
Mark, sorry you’re having computer issues. Since I was dependent on my phone for a week, I know how frustrating it can be.
It’s fun with all the new releases, isn’t it?
Glad that you’re getting settled in to your new place. We’re finally getting some fall temperatures here in NJ. Other than cleaning out spent vegetable plants and being overrun by tromboncino zucchini and peppers we haven’t been doing much. Fortunately, I dropped a zucchini off for one of the librarians and everyone else wanted to try the odd looking squash so I’ve had homes for the excess.
I read MY ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE by Jenna Levine. A starving artist in Chicago who’s being evicted from her apartment answers an add on Craigslist for a roommate wanted at a ridiculously cheap rent. What she doesn’t know is that her new roommate is a vampire who’s been in a coma for 100 years who needs help fitting in to modern life. There were a few funny bits but most of it was just OK.
Thank you, Sandy. Today is the first day it’s starting to feel a little normal. I’m still getting lost in my new place. I’ll get there.
Sorry the book was just okay. I need to actually read a book today!
LESA: Glad that you had help with your move from your sister & mom.
We have gone from summer heat to below-normal fall temperatures in a few days in Ottawa. Yesterday’s high was 64F and overnight lows were 37F, with advisories for patchy frost. I’m not ready to dig up my balcony garden yet but the weird weather continues.
A rare 5-star read for me was VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto (audiobook). This is a delightful cozy mystery with an unforgettable feisty & meddlesome elderly woman running a tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown. When murder comes a-calling with a strange man found dead in her shop, Vera worms her way into the various suspects’ lives & ends up affecting their lives in a positive way. FYI, I have visited San Francisco many times & enjoyed wandering through Chinatown & other SF neighborhoods described in the book.
I started listening THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #4), and it is a delightful listen, as usual. I am savoring my time with these delightful characters as I have heard that Osman’s next book will be a stand-alone.
And I am half-way done with THE LEGACY by Gail Bowen. This is book #22 featuring retired professor/amateur sleuth Joanne Shreve (nee Kilbourn). This book is more of a family-focused drama than usual but I have read this series for 30+ years and enjoy virtually travelling to Regina, SK, Canada setting,
Keep that weather, Grace. We’ve had gorgeous weather in the 70s, and don’t need colder weather traveling south.
I read an ARC of Osman’s book, and he did say he was putting a hold on his characters for now, and planning a new book. So, you’re right to savor it.
I believe Ohio is a good place to live. But having family nearby is great.
I’m half-way through reading THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS by Cleo Coyle and enjoying this cozy very much.
My historical family saga/mystery HEART OF WISDOM was just published by Level Best Books and I’m excited about that.
Congratulations on your book, Jacqueline! You should be excited. Quite an accomplishment.
Yes, it’s good to be home, and with family.
Welcome back Lesa! I’m glad the move went smoothly and you’re unpacked already.
I picked up several books at the library yesterday. Excited to get William Kent Krueger’s latest THE RIVER WE REMEMBER. But first I need to finish FRESH WATER FOR FLOWERS on Libby. I also saw the new Hercule Poirot movie A Haunting in Venice. Great fun with Tina Fey playing the successful writer character and Jude Hill is wonderful as Leopold Ferrier.
“You woke the bear from his sleep; you cannot cry when he tangos.
(Hercule Poirot)
That’s not an expression in any language. (Ariadne)”
And this week I read several interesting books:
TRESPASSES a 2022 novel based on the personal experiences of Louise Kennedy growing up near Belfast. Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a shattering novel about a young woman caught between allegiance to community and a dangerous passion. The novel was nominated for The Women’s Prize and predicted to put Kennedy in the rank of Irish masters.
Lee Smith’s SILVER ALERT was a quick read with short chapters. Not the road trip novel it was purported to be, but rather a tale of aging and second chances set in Florida.
Sarah Stewart Taylor’s fourth novel in the Maggie D’Arcy series A STOLEN CHILD finds Maggie in Dublin as a fledgling Guarda working Community Policing. A local woman is murdered, her child missing and D’Arcy is allowed to work with the detectives investigating. The suspense builds as the case unfolds and multiple avenues are investigated. It’s well worth it to read the entire series to enjoy the character development.
And Thanks to those that suggested AUGUST SNOW (2017) by Stephen Mack Jones. The first book in a series featuring a very wealthy ex-cop in Detroit. It was easy to get caught up in the characters and action.. The fourth book is scheduled for this November.
Thank you, MM.
Tina Fey would be terrific in that role.
I’m glad you enjoyed August Snow. I love Stephen Mack Jones’ writing and characters.
Sarah Stewart Taylor is on my must-read list.
“You woke the bear from his sleep; you cannot cry when he tangos.
(Hercule Poirot)
I LOVE this!
Now you are home again in Ohio! Enjoy! I am reading Between a Book and a Hard Place by Denise Swanson. I read one cozy by her before that I loved. The main character has to lie to the police to protect her father who is out on parole! So far so good, no idea who the murderer is.
Also finished American Castle by Mary Shanklin. There are many ironic events in the history of that house that was originally commissioned by Marjorie Merriweather Post. It will not be destroyed by hurricanes, it only had minor damage in the worst hurricane in the area that drowned many people. Lady Bird Johnson was a friend of hers and tried to save but it sold later and finally ended up in Trump’s hands. The rich people in Palm Beach voted fiercely against making it a museum. They did not want the lowly public in the area.
So expensive to maintain, and her children like Dina Merrill never wanted the financial disaster of maintaining it. The most interesting part was the last chapter. It was good to finally read a non-fiction book again.
Lesa so happy to hear that retirement and the move are behind you. You have had a busy couple of months and I know you are more than ready to explore your new city and have some time to plan your next travel adventure!
We’ve had beautiful weather here in Williamsburg. Low 80s with much lower humidity. I hope it stay this way for the next month although that is highly unlikely. Oct can often feel coolish and damp in this part of VA.
I had a great weekend attending an author visit by Diane Gabaldon. She was in town doing research at the Yorktown battlefield for her work in progress. Thanks to a dear friend who works for the Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation I was able to attend a small reception on Friday night. Diane was so friendly and approachable and at her talk the next night she proved to be a very good speaker.
I read several book this week starting with THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger. I enjoyed it very much and read it almost in one sitting. It is a complex story where the setting and time in history are as important as the characters. It was also sadder than I anticipated.
Then, for a complete change of pace, I picked up AIRS ABOVE THE GROUND a book from the early 1960’s by Mary Stewart. I bought this ages ago at a community book sale and as I am recovering from surgery to reattach a hip tendon I needed something light. It was fun to read about the Lipazziner Stallions and I can now say I’ve read something by M Stewart.
Happy unpacking Lesa. We’re glad to have you back.
Thank you, Susan!
We had such a wonderful time at the Yorktown battlefield last year. My whole family enjoys history, so we spent the entire day, into dusk, following the trail.
Diana Gabaldon is so nice, and definitely a good speaker. I met her in Arizona. The Poisoned Pen is her home bookstore.
Thank you! It’s good to be back.
So glad your move to Columbus was a success, Lesa! It won’t be long before it feels like home.
Two books for me this week.
I loved The Coffee Shop of Curiosities. Ava moves from Ohio to Driftwood, Alabama after receiving a letter with a job opportunity. She lived a sheltered life due to medical issues and the boyfriend she just broke up with has tragically died. New beginnings in this small community are just what she needs to start her life anew. I loved the characters, the setting and the magical realism. I thought this was terrific.
My second book I enjoyed as well. The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Thomas Bryan. Four coeds from different socio-economic backgrounds during their first year at Radcliffe in the mid 1950’s. They meet bookshop owner, Alice and join her book discussions at her shop. I admit I enjoyed the chapters involving the books more than the goings on of the coeds’ lives. That was a tad predictable. Nothing really groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the read.
Another sunshine filled pleasant day in Cincinnati, a good day for lunch and a read on my courtyard.
Happy reading!
And, I plan to do the same later today, Sharon. My Mom told me to relax and read a book on my screened in patio today, and I’m going to do that. I’ll take these days all the time.
I like the sound of The Coffee Shop of Curiosities.
Glad you are getting settled in. Happy retirement! How is Josh doing? Hope he is having an easy transition.
I finished the latest Pengergast book, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng. Constance has traveled back in time to NYC to attempt to rescue her brother and sister. Pendergast and D’agosta follow in an attempt to help. There is a second story line set in current times with Agent Coldmoon which involves the theft on Native American artifacts. It was a fun read, but ended with a cliff hanger.
That’s all of the reading I did as my daughter had her baby! We have a precious grandson to join our wonderful granddaughter! Mom and baby are well and due home tomorrow!
Congratulations, Jennifer! My sister just had the same experience – a grandson born to join their granddaughter. In fact, it was just last Friday, and they’re still visiting there. Everyone is well.
Ah, Josh. I had to put Josh to sleep a week ago. He went blind a couple months ago, and we were still going to move together. Then, last week, he lost the use of his hind legs. The vet said it was time, probably a tumor, and he was over sixteen. I miss him every day.
I am so sorry to hear about Josh. Losing a dear animal friend is so hard. Sending good thoughts your way.
Thank you, Susan.
I am so, so sorry.
Thank you, Jennifer. I guess it was the best timing for Josh since he was elderly. It didn’t make it easier.
Good morning all,
I’m so glad you’re now in your new home Lesa. Unpacking is always a chore, but at least you can take your time now. How nice of your mother and sister to help, especially when they had to drive so far to do so.
This week our temperatures have definitely fallen, and of course I am glad of that. Last Saturday we had a day out following some of the North East Open Studios trail. The work we saw was a bit mixed, but that is the nature of this event. Most important to me was a visit to my friend Drew, who was exhibiting his beautiful jewellery in his friend Jane’s shop in the small village of Maud. We had a great catch up and he is making me a new ring, which should be ready in a week or so.
One of the venues we visited was Delgatie Castle. I must admit I hadn’t even known this place existed until I saw it in the NEOS brochure, though it’s really not that far away. The art on show wasn’t that great, but I loved the castle, which dates from 1049 and is quite an eccentric place (not National Trust).
The last owner wrote guide cards to each room, and these have been left in place. They were full of strange stories, very un-PC about hunting (I’ll spare you the details of the poor rhinoceros he shot in Africa), but plenty of less contentious snippets as well. There’s a memorial garden to animals killed in war service, and there was a great tea room, where we had coffee and delicious scones. If you want to know more about it, this is the link: https://delgatiecastle.com/
On Sunday I was back down to Edinburgh again, and on Monday Anna and I went to the Queen’s Hall to see Noah Reid (aka Patrick from Schitts’ Creek) in concert with his band. It was a lovely evening, with good music (Reid plays piano as well as guitar) and lots of very entertaining chat; we enjoyed it.
Yesterday, back in Aberdeen, I attended two events in the Wayword Festival at the university.
The first was a session with two local drag queens, who talked about the drag night they run, and about the different forms of drag. One was a man who dresses as a woman, the other was a woman who dresses as a woman in drag. I had no idea that the woman/woman form of drag was even a thing, but Sleepy, as she is known, explained that she finds it immensely liberating to take on a completely different persona, wear clothes and make up that she would never wear in her day to day life, and ‘take up all the space in the room.’
They were both really delightful, very funny and friendly, and I learned a lot. A friend and I are planning to go along to one of these drag nights (as observers only….) as they are open to all.
The second session I went to was with the author Alan Warner (MORVERN CALLAR, THE SOPRANOS) and the musician and author Colin McIntrye (who performs and records as ‘The Mull Historical Society.) McIntyre grew up on the Isle of Mull, and is part of a huge local family. Warner grew up in Oban (the port on the mainland from which the Mull ferry leaves) and later lived on Mull, his mother coming from the Beauman family – ie the other ‘big’ family on the island. They have worked together before, but they were here to talk about Garner’s new novella Nothing Left To Fear From Hell (in which he reimagines the character of Bonnie Prince Charlie after Culloden), and McIntyre’s new album, In My Mind There’s a Room. He’s also writing a new novel about his Mull-based police detective Ivor Punch, WHEN THE NEEDLE DROPS.
For the album, McIntyre contacted various authors he admired and asked them to write about their favourite room, real, fictional or fantasy. Most of then responded, including Garner himself, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Jennifer Clement, Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay, James Robertson, Stephen Kelman, and Jacqueline Wilson. McIntyre then moulded their words into lyrics and recorded them with some other leading Scottish musicians. He performed a few of them for us yesterday. It was a great session, as was the other Wayword event we attended last weekend – Saltfishforty in concert. They are two guys from Orkney who play trad music but with a great deal of dry Orcadian banter thrown in.
So it’s been a busy week! Today I’ve been walking at Crathes Castle policies with my friend Jayne. It was ferociously windy but a good walk, with hardly anyone around now that the school term has started. Meanwhile David has done as ordered (!) and managed to book us tickets to see Barenaked Ladies in Glasgow next year. This group reminds me so much of the time we lived in Newfoundland and used to watch their videos on MTV as the snow fell outside. The one that accompanies We Were Lovers In A Dangerous Time is set in a slushy mall car park, just like the ones in which I seemed to spend a lot of my time that winter in St John’s.
Books!
I am enjoying Olivia Laing’s FUNNY WEATHER: ART IN AN EMERGENCY so much; she is a brilliant writer, and although I don’t agree with (or even understand) everything she says, she writes so well and is so well informed and thoughtful, that I am savouring every piece.
Laing’s interviews with the late Hilary Mantel, the artist Sarah Lucas and the author Ali Smith are particularly interesting, but she also writes about conceptual art, David Hockney, Georgia O’Keefe, Derek Jarman, our appalling immigrant detention centres, the practice of (consensually) sewing up mouths as a form of protest, alcoholic women writers, the Grenfell Tower fire, David Bowie, John Berger, Deborah Levy and so much more. This will, I am sure, be one of my books of the year.
I’m also reading TEA IS SO INTOXICATING by Mary Essex, one of the British Library Women Writers reprints. It was first published in 1950. I haven’t got far enough to judge it yet.
I haven’t seen much TV these past few days. I’m carrying on with the very light police drama HOPE STREET, set in a small coastal town in Northern Ireland, but I’ve now signed up for Disney so that I can watch the second series of BEAR. Anna wants us to go to see Kenneth Branagh’s new Agatha Christie adaptation A HAUNTING IN VENICE. The only review I’ve seen said ‘well at least it’s better than his DEATH ON THE NILE.’ It’s based on the novel HALLOWE’EN PARTY, though it apparently doesn’t follow that very closely.
We are having Charlie up here for the week from next Monday, so I’ve been stocking up on the cat biscuits. He has actually been a bit ill recently, not eating much at all, but yesterday he had a very thorough examination and full body scan at the vet and they could find nothing wrong at all, so they think whatever it was has now passed. He’s certainly just as lively as ever, it was his appetite that seemed to disappear.
Have a great week all!
Rosemary
Rosemary, Olivia Laing’s FUNNY WEATHER: ART IN AN EMERGENCY sounds fascinating, thank you!
I had a very good friend who did drag shows when we still lived in Atlanta. We would have just the best time attending his shows. Through him we got to know a few more of his queen friends, but like you, I had no idea that the woman/woman form of drag was even a thing! I love this !
Hi Rosemary! You lead such a full life in retirement. I’m hoping to do the same, but maybe not quite as non-stop as you seem to be. It sounds as if you enjoy every minute, though. And, you do have the quiet walks in between. I’m hoping to do the same. My development is so close to a metro park, and I’m hoping my sister, Linda, and I can walk there when she gets back home.
Oh, Charlie. Now that Josh is gone, you have to give me those occasional notes about Charlie. I’m going to miss having a cat. Now, is just not the right time for it.
Thank you for sending me those posts. Now, that I have Internet again, I’ll get them figured out!
SO happy you are now right where you are. I see days of happiness ahead of you. ❤
The book I read and loved to pieces recently was by a new to me author – Tia Williams. I’ll be gobbling up more by her. She appears to have quite a following, and rightly so.
Description of A LOVE SONG FOR RICKI WILDE from NetGalley –
“From the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is an epic love story one hundred years in the making…
Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing.
Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her.
When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers.
One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.”
If you enjoy a little magic in your reading, this might appeal to you. Ricki Wilde is a fun, lovable, artistic, free spirited character. I wish she lived next door. We learn a lot of fascinating Harlem history through her. And Miss Della is the older woman we should all be lucky enough to know.
Oh, and did I mention sexy . . .
I’m right where I belong now, Kaye. I do think I’ve been in the right spots in my life. Now is the time to return to Ohio.
You convinced me. I requested A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.
It’s good to be back on my blog, too.
There’s so much to moving! When you’re finally settled and relaxed, you’ll be so happy.
I just finished The Last Ranger by Peter Heller, a writer I really admire for his beautiful descriptions of nature and his respect for wild animals. This book is set in and around Yellowstone National Park, one of my favorite places.
Now I’m dipping into the new biography of Elon Musk, a weighty book that I probably should be reading on Kindle instead of hardcover.
Serious reading, Patricia.
You’re right. I’ll get to the contented stage eventually.
Yay, I am glad the move is behind you and went well! Last week I read GRAVE EXPECTATIONS by Alice Bell, which was very good. There were some funny parts but I found the protagonist’s situation too sad to really laugh much. I’d definitely read a sequel if there was one.
Tuesday I devoured IN CHARM’S WAY (Witches of Thistle Grove #4) by Lana Harper like a box of chocolates. I like how we see new & different characters develop and bump into old ones while learning more about how the mystical town works.
Right now, Trisha, I’d need the lighter book. I hope to be able to concentrate soon.
Glad to see you are in Columbus and have everything working. It must be interesting and fun getting settled in your new apartment.
This week we went to the annual Planned Parenthood book sale three times. I had hoped to show some restraint, but did not do well at that. My husband and son go too, and they bought a reasonable amount of books. Glen found some very interesting historical nonfiction books. Yesterday I even spent more than usual because Glen found a lovely copy of a book of short stories by Ross Macdonald that I knew I would enjoy. The sale goes through this weekend, and Sunday is half-price day. We will go again tomorrow and Sunday. I still haven’t looked through all the mystery books.
It has been very nice and cool here. It is usually hotter here in September and into October.
Books I read this week: THE PEOPLE ON PLATFORM 5 by Claire Pooley: This book is not my usual type of reading, contemporary fiction, often described as a “feel-good book”. It was definitely that, and I enjoyed it a lot. It is about people who share the same route to work on a train every work day but never speak. Until there is an event that brings them together, eventually. The central character is an older woman, 57, working for a magazine as an advice columnist, and a lesbian married to her partner Bea for many years. The remaining characters were of various ages. As MM Jones pointed out last week, the US title of this book is IONA IVERSON’S RULES FOR COMMUTING.
The other book I finished was TODAY A WOMAN WENT MAD IN THE SUPERMARKET, short stories by Hilma Wolitzer. I loved the stories. Most of the stories were written between 1966 and 1980, and one story was written in 2020, the same year the book was published. Forward was by Elizabeth Strout. Now I am reading I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith; about a third of the way into it.
Glen finished reading CITY OF SHARKS by Kelli Stanley, the fourth in a series. Miranda Corbie is the heroine; the setting is San Francisco in 1940. He liked it. Now he is reading THE CLASSICS RECLASSIFIED by Richard Armour. He found a better, easier to read copy at the book sale this year. He originally read the series back in the 60s or 70s.
Hi Tracy,
I always meant to read I Capture the Castle Maybe now I’ll find time. And, Iona Iverson is on my list.
I read all the Miranda Corbie books. Like Glen, I like that series.
Enjoy the booksale!
I’m glad the move went well. Thank goodness for family to help unpack.
You’re right, Bonnie. Thank goodness for family!
Lesa, I’m glad you’re getting all settled in and that the move is done. You’re already missed here!
I’m currently reading Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth, but am going on vacation next week and hope to get through Lonesome Dove which has been on my To Read list for quite some time!
I wish you all the best! ❤️
Good afternoon from NE Dallas where we do not ye know of this thing you speak of–fall. We are still hitting the low 90s every day. At least we have had some rain. Severe storms are happening again and so far we have missed the worst of it.
Glad you are safely moved, Lesa. Don’t think I did much of anything to help from here, but if I did, I am glad.
I finished THE LONGMIRE DEFENSE by Craig Johnson yesterday. Currently reading a Eve Dallas one, Treachery in Death, to get my head clear, and then will go back to the Posthumous Child/Inspector Mislan one. Longmire came in by eBook from the library so I had to shift reading.
By the way, the City of Dallas budget got approved yesterday and they plan on expanding library services back to being open six days a week at all branches. Has not happened since 2017. they are hiring at all branches, so Scott has applied for two different open positions. Fingers crossed that they interview and hire him.
KRT
Oh, Kevin. Fingers crossed for Scott.
And, that’s great that the library will be expanding hours again! Better than even just before COVID. I hope it all works out.
Glad the move went well.
Didn’t get up to much this week. The last couple of days, air quality has been pretty bad.
This week I read:
Too Many Bullets by Max Allan Collins; a great novel about the RFK assassination. Couldn’t be more timely. Just last week, an armed man impersonating a marshal tried to infiltrate an RFK Jr campaign event, but somehow, Biden won’t let him have secret service protection.
The Prosecutors by Gary Delsohn; a true crime type book about the life of prosecutors in Sacramento. I actually felt less sympathy toward them by the end of the book, despite the intentions of the author.
One Careless Moment by Dave HugelSchlaffer; A Canadian forest ranger gets involved fighting fires in the Rockies, and stumbles into murder. He spends most of the book getting beat up.
Ranchero by Stewart Edward White; An archaic novel of Old California. All true Californians have a hopeless nostalgia for Old California, but this one is no Zorro.
Window In The Dark by Frank O’Rourke; When the bank is a small Nebraska town is robbed, a local patroon refuses to give his alibi. The whole town reacts. The author is so busy trying to re-write Main Street or Babbit, he forgets there’s a mystery.
Well, you couldn’t get out because of the air quality, and your books didn’t seem that great this week either. I’m sorry, Glen, that it was just a so-so week. Hope next week is better, both for the air and the books.
Too Many Bullets was very good, but ever since I read it, I’ve been worried about a new wave of political assassinations.
OK, I’m late today. We went to see The Eagles Farewell Tour last night – opening act Steely Dan – at the UBS Arena near Belmont Park on Long Island. Good concert, if you’re a fan, as we are. (It was our eighth Eagles concert and our 16th Steely Dan.) We stayed overnight on Long Island as part of the extended Jackie’s Birthday celebration, and we got back before noon today.
That’s been pretty much it for activities. The weather has been delightfully cooler (low 70s) so far this week.
Books? Yes, OK. Jackie read T> J. Newman’s second, DROWNING< and liked it a lot. She is now reading another Christine Feehan book, SHADOW DANCE.
I read OTHER RESORT CITIES by Tod Goldberg (Lee's younger brother), the second of his collections I've read. I finally got my replacement copy of Edward D. Hoch's new Captain Leopold collection, which should have come in July. But then I discovered there was a much earlier collection of Leopold stories, called LEOPOLD'S WAY (1985), and was able to download a copy from the library and I am reading that one first. The first story was written in 1962. Leopold is a cop and these stories are police procedurals of one sort or another. Hoch is always worth reading.
I liked Jane Smiley's 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE NOVEL very much when I read it earlier this year, so now read her new collection of essays, THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER MOST: Reading, Writing, and the Exercise of Freedom. Very interesting again, as she covers some of the same authors as the previous book, but also writes about Nancy Mitford, Jessica Mitford, and St. Louis, where she grew up. Most impressive to me: I had no idea she is 6'2" tall.
I haven't had much reading time the last few days, but when I do I will finish 21 IMMORTALS by Rozlan Mohd Noor, about his Inspector Mislan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I better as I have several library books on the shelf still waiting.
Congratulations on finishing the move and hope you settle into the new place and area very quickly.
Thank you, Jeff. I’m meeting an author for coffee next week, and possibly a local bookstore owner. So, all is well in my book world.
The move is over. The unpacking is not. But, now that we’ve done the essentials, I can take my time with the rest.
I love to hear about the groups and concerts people go to see. Thanks for sharing! You and Rosemary have a lot in common.
Hey Lesa, I am glad you have finished with your moving and hoping you can get some good rest now. I am currently reading in print Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent. I am alternating between kindle and Libby audiobook for “The Last Devil to Die” by Richard Osmen (love these characters!)
Thanks, Katherine. Lots of unpacking, but the essentials are finished, so I can slow down. Whew!
I love Richard Osman’s characters, too.