We had gorgeous weather here the last couple days – 80 and sunny today. That’s my temperature, and my weather. I would be happy with 75-80 all year. My nephew and my sister’s dog are complaining it’s too hot. Ha! I love every bit of it. I hope you’ve had weather you enjoy.
Kate DiCamillo’s latest children’s book, Orris and Timble: The Beginning, was released on Tuesday. I’m not going to review it today because it’s Thursday, but I am going to review it here. It’s a lovely story designed for 4-8, but it has a message. It also doesn’t hit you in the face with the message about a new relationship between a rat, Orris, and an owl, Timble. It’s the first in a trilogy, but it also stands alone. Carmen Mok’s illustrations are gorgeous.
I reviewed DiCamillo’s Ferris here recently. Her first book, Because of Winn-Dixie, came out in 2000, when I was still in Florida. It’s been challenged, but what children’s book hasn’t been lately? DiCamillo won the Newbery Award for The Tale of Despereaux, the story of a brave mouse.
I love Kate DiCamillo’s books, and I’ll wait patiently for the next one when the sequel to Orris and Timble: The Beginning comes out.
What about you? Weather? Books? What are you reading this week?
Our weather is very similar to yours, upper 70’s if not lower 80’s (haven’t paid close attention to be sure). And, like you, I consider that pretty much perfect weather.
I’m about two thirds of the way through Kaleidoscope by Dorothy Gilman. It’s her final novel and the only sequel she wrote out of her non-Mrs. Pollifax books. Like with the first one, The Clairvoyant Countess, this is just too episodic for my taste. I was hoping this would have a more coherent overall plot. But I’m still glad I’m reading it since I’ve decided it was time to read her stand alones. I’ve read the Mrs. Pollifax books multiple times over the years.
Yes, Mark, for me, that’s perfect.
I need to get back to the Bill Crider books. Like you, I’m going back and reading earlier ones. But, it’s ambitious for you to read the sequel when you didn’t care much for the first one.
Good morning all, from a sunny Deeside. Our top temperature today is supposed to be 54F, which is fine by me, though I know it wouldn’t be for you Lesa!
We seem to be having one day sunny, one day wet and miserable, on a permanent rotation at the moment. Yesterday was dark and rainy, on and off, all day. I was in town for a talk at the art gallery about ’50 Years of Peacock’ – Peacock Printmakers, which is a great resource in the city, open to all, with lots of workshop space and some fabulous equipment. There are only three or four such places in Scotland, so it’s wonderful that Aberdeen has one of them – the others are all further south.
This week Nancy and I walked at Hazlehead Park, which is another great resource in the city. It is huge, surrounded by woodlands, and also has a Pets’ Corner, a maze, and a very moving memorial to the 167 men who died when the oil platform Piper Alpha exploded and collapsed overnight in June 1988. Aberdeen is so closely linked to the oil and gas industry that the effect of this disaster was profound, and still felt today. Many families lost fathers, sons, partners and friends.
On a more cheerful note, the park also has an excellent cafe – always very busy, but we managed to find a table to have our coffee.
And meanwhile, I have been continuing my efforts to set up my own website…it’s slow progress but I feel I am finally getting somwhere.
Books – I finished Anthony Horowitz’s MAGPIE MURDERS, which I enjoyed. I think they did change certain things in the BBC adapatation, though it was still a good series. Horowitz is a clever writer, who can write complicated plots. This one contains a novel withing a novel; one is set in the 1950s, and the other one is set in the present day. The main character in the modern story is the editor of the author of the 1950s one. When she receives the proof of his latest novel, the last few chapters are missing. Then the author dies. She sets off on a quest to find the last chapters, and soon becomes embroiled in the possible murder of the author himself.
It all becomes quite meta, especially at the end when we are given a (fictitious!) interview between Horowitz and the murdered author. After this interview, JHorowitz – as interviewer – says that before meeting the author he thought they had a lot in common, but now he realises that they most certainly do not.
I found it fascinating. It’s long, but because Horowitz is a good writer, it’s very easy to read, with mercifully short chapters.
I’m now reading Rosamunde Pilcher’s WILD MOUNTAIN THYME. I really don’t know why I keep reading Pilcher – and this one is exceptionally awful, with a heroine whom you just want to shake, she is so wet and so defined by various men – including Oliver, an utterly selfish author who dumped her when she was 18 but reappears some years later when he needs someone to look after his 2 year old son – a child he has literally abducted from its grandparents, who have cared for him since his mother’s early death in a plane crash. Oliver has never seen this child till he turns up at the grandparents’ house when they are out, beguiles the au pair into leaving him alone with his son, then walks out with him and turns up on Victoria’s doorstep. You would think she would tell him to get lost, but no – she nto only lets him stay the night, but then agrees to run away with him to Scotland.
In case you think I have really lost the plot (!), I need to add that i am reading this because one of the prompts for the 52 Book Challenge 2024 is ‘a smelly book’, so I thought ‘wild thyme’ would count as a smell!
I am also reading WILD MARY, Patrick Marnham’s biography of the late novelist, Mary Wesley. Wesley didn’t have any real success as an author until she was in her 70s, then she churned out one bestseller after another – HARNESSING PEACOCKS, THE CAMOMILE LAWN, THE VACCILATIONS OF POPPY CAREW, and several more. She had what to us seems a very odd childhood, with a beloved Nanny whom her mother sacked when Mary was just 3 years old, then a succession of governesses (she once asked her mother why everygoverness left after 6 months – ‘because none of them liked you, darling.’
Her father was an officer in the army and away most of the time, her mother was cold and distant and freely admitted that she loved Mary’s older sister Susan better.
Many children of the British Raj rarely saw their parents, who often went off to India leaving them in the care of grandparents or staff, but Mary’s childhood does seem to have been exceptionally fractured and unhappy. She did love her grandmother, with whom she was left for some years, and who lived largely in Mayfair, central London. Both families appeared extremely wealthy, but it was the typical wealth of the failing aristocracy, ie much of it had been lost in gambling and unwise investments. These families thought their privileged lifestyle would go on for ever even if they lacked the funds to pay for it, simply because it was their birthright. After the First World War they struggled to face the inevitable change in their fortunes.
And that’s as far as I’ve got.
I’m also about to start the proof copy of a book that a new Edinburgh author has asked me to review. It’s THE ECHOES OF US by Emma Steele. I just hope it’s good, or that i can at least find something positive to say about it. But perhaps it’ll turn out to be a masterpiece!
On television I have just finished the second series of BLUE LIGHTS, and Jeff, I’m pleased to report that it’s excellent. Once again I was on the edge of my seat in the final episode. I’m so glad more series have already been commissioned. I’m also still watching RACE ACROSS THE WORLD – last night the contestants crossed Cambodia and reached Vietman. We learned more about the relationships between the teams; one is a mother and daughter, one a married couple in their 60s, one two friends, and one a brother and sister. They are all finding out more about one another – in three cases this is positive, but the mother and daughter are having serious issues.
This weekend should be one of our rare ones at home, with no events to attend either. I am hoping to have a really good go at my garden, which definitely needs some assistance. I have bought some geraniums and aubretia, but I need also to get some larger shrubs. I observe what it doing well in other people’s gardens when i am out walking – at the moment the pierises are spectacular, also the azaleas, and the cherry blossom is beautiful (I don’t have room for a tree.)
Anna gets the new kitten – whom she’s already named Herbie (Hancock) – on 11th May. By coincidence we will be in Leith on 12th and 13th, so we will meet him then.
Have a great week everyone,
Rosemary
Rosemary, we watched the last two episodes of BLUE LIGHTS on Monday, and Jackie was pretty upset about what happened to her favorite character. We’ll be looking forward to series two when it gets here, and thanks again for recommending it.
Oh I know Jeff – it was a bit of a shocker, wasn’t it? You would think the series was the work of Jed Mercurio, he likes doing things like that – but it isn’t.
Good morning, Rosemary! Even with those temperatures, sunshine makes such a difference to me. I love a sunny day, even if it’s cooler than I’d like.
My sister and I have given up our walks for a while. Ticks! She found ticks on her dog, and even one on herself after our latest walk. Sad. We were enjoying them.
Your summary of the Rosemary Pilcher book is funny. I wouldn’t care for those characters at all. As to Anthony Horowitz, I’ve liked some of his books that I read. And, I found his episodes of “Midsomer Murders” to be fascinating and complex.
Give Herbie a welcome hug for me!
Lesa, ticks are rife here too, much more so than when I last had a dog.
My friend Jayne has a very shaggy dog, and every time they return from a walk she checks Ruby from head to toe – then checks herself. She is super careful about not wearing open shoes, keeping herself covered up, etc, but she has still found ticks between her toes and around her midriff. And of course they can carry Lyme’s disease and all sorts of nasties.
I do recall finding the very occasional tick on our retrievers, but it was a rare event. Now they are absolutely everywhere.
I know. I feel bad for the dog, for my sister who loves to walk in the park, and for myself.
Darn ticks.
We had some very nice weather over the past week. The native shrubs and the chokecherries are in bloom, so its a lovely time of year. The winter storms with both snow and high winds left lots to clean up, but making progress. Although more rain and snow expected this weekend.
A few too many DNF books recently until I followed up on a recommendation. From 2023, THE BERRY PICKERS, a riveting story and an amazing debut novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time. It follows a family of Indigenous workers from Nova Scotia when four-year-old Ruthie goes missing from a berry field in Maine.
The fifth in the Nell Wood cozy mystery series, A TRACE OF HARES by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. The main character, a PhD environmentalist, is in Ireland for a friend’s wedding. The story has plenty of botany and local sites to give it a unique spin. Oh and a murder or three.
A bit of nonfiction THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PUBLIC BIRDS: Learning to Listen to the Birds Where We Live by Jack Gedney is absolutely charming. It features 15 common birds and mingles science and story in the world of close-to-home birdlife.
Wrapping up the week with THE MURDER OF MR. MA set in 1924 London. It’s an entertaining story with characters from traditional Chinese crime fiction. The historical aspects of London are well done, also touching on Chinese laborer groups in France during WW1. It also has an unusual twist on a tontine. I’m hoping for future adventures in this series.
Like you, MM, I”m hoping there are additional books in the SJ Rozan The Murder of Mr. Ma series. I saw an interview with her, and she said her co-writer is from the world of comics, and has no idea about character development, but he’s great at plots.
I’m so glad our snow is over for the year. Not my weather at all.
These all sound amazing! It would be super-neat if the bird book came in an audio version. I’ll have to check.
We’ve had nice weather here this week too, although it’s supposed to be chilly this weekend and then warm up again on Monday.
I read Claire Booth’s latest Hank Worth book HOME FIRES which Lesa previously reviewed. I enjoyed it, especially how the author let Sam, one of the secondary characters, play a more pivotal role in this book.
There’s just something about that Hank Worth series that I like, Sandy. Hank isn’t a character without problems of his own, and he did go off the track a little with this book, but I like him.
Our weather has been up and down – literally – as we get heat – 87 on Monday! – followed by cold (upper 50s coming Friday through Sunday). Today is supposed to be one of those warm days we both like, in the mid-to-upper 70s.
I have to say, I did not finish a single book this week, but there’s a reason for that – I am reading SIX books at once! Several are likely to finish at the same time. I know it’s nuts, but there are too many things I want to read, and whenever someone recommends a book that sounds good, I feel compelled to look for it.
Let’s start with short stories (as I do every day). I read 60 stories in April (after 70 in March), and have continued with three current collections:
Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe is an anthology that first came out in 1988. I got my copy from a late friend’s collection, which his wife nicely offered to friends of his after he died. The concept is, there is one story set in each year from 1935 to 1959, each featuring the private detective, by authors that include Max Allan Collins, Sara Paretsky, Edward D. Hoch, Ed Gorman, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Loren Estleman, John Lutz and Julie Smith, among others. It’s sad to see how many of these authors are no longer with us (Hoch, Gorman, Lutz, Kaminsky, from the above list), but the stories are all worth reading, and some are quite good. It ends with Chandler’s last Marlowe story, “The Pencil” (1959).
A friend has been recommending William Maxwell, the long-time editor at The New Yorker, for years, and I finally am reading his All the Days and Nights: The Collected Stories. Maxwell (1908-2000) suffered a huge loss at 10, when his mother died in the Spanish flu epidemic, and it colored his life and much of his later writing.
Charles Ardai, Death Comes Too Late. Ardai is the Founding Editor of Hard Case Crime, which has published some terrific books over the last 20 years, as well as a fine writer himself. This includes his Edgar-winning story, “The Home Front,” set during WWII.
I’ve enjoyed those of Anne Lamott’s essays that I’ve read, and the publication of her new book and discussion here of her recent tour, finally got me to get one of her books from the library. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is a pretty self-explanatory title, and I’m enjoying it so far. I’m not sure how much help it would be to aspiring writers, but it’s good.
In our basement laundry room library, I noticed a copy of Edmund Morris’s Theodore Rex, about the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. That reminded me I had always been fascinated by Roosevelt, and I downloaded a copy of Morris’s Pulitzer Prize-winning first book on the man, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, covering his life from birth in 1858 (and oh, how different life was then!) to his assumption of the Presidency in 1901, on the death of William McKinley. Did you know that, even in the White House, Roosevelt read up to 500 books in a year? Wow. I sure didn’t. This will take a while, as I am just up to his (first) wedding day. Highly recommended.
Lastly (so far), there is a book that has been recommended here by Lesa and on another friend’s blog as well, James Patterson & Mark Eversmann’s The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: Their Stories are Better Than the Bestsellers. I love this book and I love their stories. Great stuff.
Jackie finished her Christine Feehan book and is reading the next in Kelley Armstrong’s time travel series, The Poisoner’s Ring.
Oh, how do I do it? I start in the morning (after reading newspapers and blogs online, and playing Wordle and about 10 other games) with the short stories, and in the afternoon will read some of each of the other books. One problem is, the Roosevelt book has very long chapters, so you need at least half an hour for each. The Patterson is the kind of addictive book where you keep wanting to read one more chapter, one more story. The Lamott is easy to dip into and the chapters are 10 pages or so each.
Oh, and yes, I also downloaded a mystery mentioned by Lesa, but will wait until I actually start reading it to mention what it is.
Have a good week.
Well, Jeff, you beat me. I’ve read three books at a time, but I never tried to do six!
I had no idea that Roosevelt read 500 books a year when he was in the White House! I can’t imagine reading that many, but with the work he had to do as well! My gosh!
You’re right about the Patterson and the Lamott. Both are easy to get through, but the Patterson is addicting. Even though the people are all librarians and booksellers, their stories are so different!
My brother-in-law does a lot of those word games, too. He and his mother are very competitive. That’s how he kicks off his mornings, as well.
I like the sound of the Philip Marlowe collection.
Happy reading to you and Jackie!
Jeff, you are amazing – and you watch TV too!
If I start to read in the early afternoon I can feel my eyes closing. I therefore read mostly early in the morning, or after dinner – I make myself read before watching TV.
This 52 Book Challenge has certainly increased my reading this year so far, but June is looking to be hectic, and August will be too busy to read much at all, then in September we are away to Islay for the jazz festival…..as everyone always says, how on earth did I ever find time to go to work? !
Lots of rain earlier this week here in Michigan, but we had sunshine yesterday and today. I have a large raspberry patch and I managed to get it all weeded yesterday, which is always a task I like to have behind me. Looking forward to rhubarb and asparagus, which should be ready within a week!
I read a fabulous book – not sure if it was recommended here? Published in 2017, Lost Luggage by Wendall Thomas. is about Cyd Redondo, a travel agent from New York. I loved, loved, loved this book! Laugh out loud funny. If you like the Stephanie Plum character in the Janet Evanovich series, then you will like Cyd Redondo in this series. Cyd works for her Uncle’s travel agency, Redondo Travel. Cyd and her mother live with Uncle Ray and his wife and a passel of boy cousins in New York. Cyd’s extended family make sure that she doesn’t roam too far from home. Cyd is determined to change all of that. If she can book enough people on a Tanzania trip, then she will win a free trip for herself. Escaping to an Atlantic City travel convention, she meets uber handsome “chiropractor” Roger Claymore (who turns out later to be a government wild life agent) and quickly falls under his spell. Back in New York, Roger shows up unexpectedly on Cyd’s doorstep, Cyd wins the trip to Tanzania, Roger becomes her plus one, and the two are off on an adventure that involves endangered species animal smuggling, saving Cyd’s senior travelers from imprisonment for criminal acts that they didn’t do, and staying alive as the smuggling ring tries to kill Cyd and Roger for foiling their plans. Lots of hijinks and adventure. AND its the first in a series, I was happy to discover. I had the next book already on order!
Oh, raspberries! I love raspberries, Mary.
Yes! I’ve read and reviewed the Cyd Redondo books here, and Wendall Thomas recently did one of the Sunday Spotlights. Then, she went on to win a Lefty Award for the most recent book. I’m glad you’re enjoying them!
Thanks for reminding me how I heard about the book!
Hello, all! This has been a better reading week for me. The NYTimes romance column reminded me that I liked Courtney Milan’s first book in the Wedgeford Trials series, which take place in the 1890s in a Chinese-settled town in the heart of England. The second, the Marquis Who Musn’t, had good main and secondary characters and a clever plot. At one level it is about how to live with or overcome the narratives and patterns set by our parents.
I also finished The Comfort of Crows: My Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl, a series of lovely observations on the natural world (which she is trying to help along by rewilding her Tennessee backyard) and our human lives. It was very good!
But the real stunner this week was North Woods by Daniel Mason. It is kind of the history of a house and an area over the centuries (starting with the Puritans) as seen through and told by the people (and sometimes creatures) that live there. I love the way the author includes so many kind of writing, like captivity narratives, lush 19th century letters, folk ballads, ghost stories, 20th century pulp fiction and more. You end up tied to the house, its occupants, and its landscape (western Massachusetts).
Oh, good, Trisha. I’m glad it was a better reading week.
I probably won’t read North Woods, but I love the way your summarize the various types of writing in it. That sounds like a wonderful way to put a book together.
Good morning! I forgot to post last night before bed so I’ll have to do so before my morning walk with the Walkie Talkies.
How children’s librarian Daphne met Peter five years ago is a funny story they like to tell. How she lost Peter is another story, but definitely not a funny one–at least for Daphne. It seems that Peter broke up with Daphne right before the wedding to be with his childhood friend, Petra, who in turn broke up with her quirky live-in boyfriend, Miles. With only a week to move out of Peter’s spacious house, Daphne has to temporarily move into Miles’ small apartment, beginning what could be a funny story for both of them . . . if only. Emily Henry continues her string of unique contemporary romances with FUNNY STORY, a book I devoured in a day. Miles is one of the most appealing male protagonists I have encountered. Not only is he beloved by pretty much everyone he meets, but he knows how to make a girlfriend feel special. We know that he and Daphne should ultimately be together, but we also know that there will be obstacles to overcome. Daphne has a loving mother, but her dad is another story. He has always been an unreliable father, raising his daughter’s expectations and then dashing them at every turn. Miles has no relationship with either of his parents, who have left both Miles and his younger sister feeling they might never be good enough. Besides the two appealing protagonists, the book is filled with memorable characters such as Daphne’s work friend Ashleigh and Miles’ mercurial sister Julia, and with the sometimes-surprising details that define each of the pair. I was delighted to experience the slow development of their romance along with them and was particularly happy that roadblocks due to mutual lack of communication were not emphasized nearly as much as in other romances. Yes, there are obstacles, but I never lost faith that Daphne and Miles could conquer them. Such a great reading experience! Emily Henry, please write faster!
Book #6 in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mysteries by Allison Montclair, MURDER AT THE WHITE PALACE, is a worthy addition to this absorbing historical mystery series, set in post-World War II London. Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge are the owners and proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau and pride themselves in making excellent matches, but they often get involved with crime investigations. Iris served in intelligence during the war, while Gwen lost her husband in the conflict and then the custody of her young son when she had to be institutionalized. Happily, this book begins as Gwen is no longer considered a “lunatic” by the government and looks forward to making a home for herself and her son away from her in-laws’ home. She has also finally acquired control over her inheritance from her wealthy husband, much to her relief. As they start scouting venues for a New Year’s Eve dance for their clients, Gwen is present when a dead body is found in a crumbling wall of a building owned by Iris’s gangster boyfriend, Archie Spelling. The story then morphs into a look at the London underworld from a historical perspective and in the late 1940s, with more mayhem ensuing. However, I was most impressed by Gwen’s evolving into the person she was meant to be, including dating several suitors, doing some snooker hustling, and becoming a bit more like Iris every day. Besides going through quite a bit of trauma, Iris has to decide whether she and Archie have a future together. I also loved the author’s detailed depiction of the dance at the end of the novel. Clearly, there is more than one cliffhanger that needs to be resolved so I trust there will be more adventures to come. (July)
In THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman, Augusta Stern’s story is told in alternating timelines–the 1920s in Brooklyn and 1987 in Florida. Her mother has died, and teenager Augusta is working part-time in her father’s pharmacy, looking forward to becoming a pharmacist herself. Little by little, as she furthers her education, her father allows her to work on more of the true pharmaceutical duties. But now that her great-aunt has come to live with them, she also finds herself intrigued by Esther’s abilities to help customers find cures for their ailments when traditional medicine is not working, Esther creates compounds and potions in a special mortar with mysterious engraved characters, not to mention her homemade chicken soup with its own special powers. Along the way, Augusta falls in love with the store’s delivery boy, Irving, but their romance is never fulfilled, and Irving moves away. Augusta ultimately takes over her father’s pharmacy, then works at a hospital until almost age 80, when she reluctantly retires and moves to a senior community in Florida. Unexpectedly reunited with Irving, she is surprised to discover he has changed quite a bit in the intervening years. Can Augusta and Irving pick up where they left off many decades ago, and does either really want to do so? I particularly enjoyed the chapters set in the early time period, especially the juxtaposition between traditional and nontraditional medicine. Augusta, Irving, and Esther are memorable, if not particularly engaging, characters. I didn’t find the relationship between Augusta and Irving especially convincing in the later chapters, but it is an interesting story. My favorite Loigman novel is The Matchmaker’s Gift, one of my favorite reads of 2022. (October)
Jessica Joyce was a new author to me, but based on my experience reading her upcoming book, THE EX VOWS, I will definitely be looking for her debut romance–You, With a View– and her future novels. I immediately became invested in Georgia, the female protagonist, and rooted for both Georgia and her ex-boyfriend, Eli, to somehow survive as they were thrown together as attendants in their friends’ wedding. And it wasn’t for just a day. They had to work together for a week to make the wedding a success in the face of disaster after unforeseen disaster. Both are truly damaged from their brutal breakup five years earlier and dubious about whether they can become friends or have any relationship at all, but they try to figure it out as their time is mostly occupied with wedding planning. I won’t give any details or spoilers—contemporary romance fans will have to read the book for themselves, .and I hope they will. Joyce is a real talent, her writing creative, sometimes hilarious, and often profoundly emotional. Her supporting characters are lovingly portrayed and memorable–especially the pair’s friends Adam and Jamie. The wedding is one of the most entertaining scenes in the book. But honestly, the last portion of the book, (even before the epilogue) is deeply, deeply romantic and almost wrecked me–there were tears. Highly recommended. (July)
Thanks for the heads up, Margie. I will put the Sparks and Bainbridge book on my watch list. The Ex Vows sounds very good too.
Margie, Thank you for writing before you left with the Walkie Talkies!
I loved Funny Story. Although I just read two mysteries for LJ, I think I need to read Jenn McKinlay’s new romcom (set in Ireland!) soon.
The Ex Vows does sound good.
I have put that Emily Henry on my wish list, thanks Margie. I saw that the one I had already bookmarked at the library, Happy Place, had very mixed reviews – did you like that one as well?
Rosemary, I enjoyed Happy Place, but Funny Story is one of my favorites of Emily Henry’s books. I hope you like it as much as I did.
It will be hot in Cincinnati today but rain on the way tomorrow. I hope to get to the nursery to buy plants to take advantage of the rain.
Two books for me. A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER by Jenny Bayliss was a lovely read. Three sisters each with a different mother are brought together when their father dies. He stipulates that they need to recreate the village’s winter solstice celebration that was discontinued many years ago to inherit. I enjoyed watching the sisters pull together and become a family.
DRINKER OF INK by Shannon Castleton was also very good. It was told as a narrative diary. Vivienne is a brilliant student at Stanford studying literature and culinary arts, but her heart is in New York where her family lives. Peter is the teacher in her advanced poetry seminar who she falls for. He is from Yugoslavia and is conflicted as to where his home is especially since the bulk of the story takes place in 1991 when the country was beginning to fall apart. This narrative is somewhat a coming-of-age storyline concerning Vivienne but by the end I could not put it down and found it rather wonderful.
Happy Reading!
I think everyone in Columbus went to the nurseries last week, Sharon. Our weather has been gorgeous, and people are out there planting. I live in an apartment complex, but landscapers have been here all week.
I don’t remember if I read A December to Remember, or not. I usually like Bayliss’ books, but I just can’t place that one. If I read it, that December didn’t linger with me.
Sharon, I liked A December to Remember as well, along with The Twelve Dates of Christmas and A Season for Second Chances, both by Jenny Bayliss.
Dark and Stormy weather and plenty of rain but I love it.
Finished Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander, enjoyed all the characters and highly recommend it to brighten your spirits.
Started A Fountain Filled With Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming. I love her blooks. She makes me feel safe! Great topics this time.
And, that’s exactly why I said, I hope you had weather you liked, Carol. Enjoy your dark and stormy!
I read The Littlest Library a while ago. It is one to brighten your spirits.
Good Morning all! Happy Thursday.
I will simply say “same” to Margie’s review of Emily Henry’s FUNNY STORY, which, I too, devoured in a day in one sitting. I’ve tried other Emily Henry novels since BEACH READ, which I loved, only to be disappointed, but the author hits it out of the park with this one.
And, at Lesa’s gentle urging, I read and adored Kate DiCamillo’s FERRIS. Thank you, Lesa.
Reading today’s entries, I am reminded how wide-ranging our reading tastes are and that not all books are written for the same audiences.
Good morning, Kaye! Isn’t it fun to see what others are reading, even if it isn’t a book that will suit us?
Loved both the books you mentioned. As I told Margie, I think I’m up for Jenn McKinlay’s latest now.
I love reading all the Thursday comments so much that I decided I should try to contribute sometimes, instead of just lurking in the background soaking up everyone’s thoughts and gleefully adding more books to my already-impossibly-long list. I commented for the first time last week but not till Friday so I’m going to have to up my game here.
The new neighbourhood we’ve moved to recently is in a high state of excitement because tomorrow, just a block away along the trail by the river, they will be filming a scene for the TV series Virgin River. Canadian series; don’t know if any of you have heard of it. Very popular here.
I’m not a fast reader at all but I did finish THE TWILIGHT GARDEN by Sarah Nisha Adams, author of The Reading List which I liked very much. I enjoyed The Twilight Garden too but not as much. It’s about the people that live in two houses which share a garden space. Told through alternating timelines, set about 50 years apart, we learn about the inhabitants of the two houses, other people in the village, and of course the garden which is like a supporting character in the story but one which ties it all together. For myself I preferred the timeline from the 70s to the one set around 2018 because the characters felt more defined to me. The book touches on issues like racism but never delves deeply, so the story has a gentler feel to it. If I gave it a star rating it would be 3 out of 5 for me.
And Margie, I agree that the Sparks and Bainbridge books are wonderful. I can’t wait to read the newest one. It’s not available here quite yet.
Lindy! I’m so glad you came back today. I know a number of readers didn’t get the chance to “meet” you last week. Thank you for deciding to comment.
Yes! I’ve never seen Virgin River, but recognized the title immediately. And, I know it’s by author Robyn Carr. That’s about all I know, but I can see why everyone is excited. I know when we saw a town taken over for a Hallmark Christmas movie, we were excited.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I think there are readers who change their times on Thursdays so they can read it a little later and catch more posts. I know my sisters and my best friend did. And, I think some of the people on the West Coast post on Wednesday night because I try to set it to post at midnight Eastern time, which means it’s just after 9 PM when it goes live on the West Coast.
Hello Lindy
I didn’t see your post last week – I always mean to come back and take a second look, but time just runs away with me.
I am in Scotland but I have seen Virgin River advertised many times on Netflix and thought it looked appealing. It’s always so exciting if something is filmed nearby, isn’t it? My son and his wife live in the Highlands, wherte Monarch of the Glen was filmed – many local people were extras in that.
I used to work in Edinburgh, and that is, unsurprisingly, used for a lot of filming, but up here in northern Scotland it’s much more of an event!
Twilight Garden sounds interesting, I will investigate Sarah Nisha Adams. Thanks for the heads up.
Loved Monarch of the Glen!
My son and his wife visited Edinburgh a few years ago; they had a great time there.
Thank you for sharing your book thoughts, Lindy! I appreciate what you said about The Twilight Garden, I think I was declined on NetGalley for it, and then when I started reading the reviews, I decided to pass on it. Too bad, because I also really liked The Reading List.
Lindy, my wife is a big fan of Virgin River, so I know she would have been excited. We live two blocks from the house they use as the family home in BLUE BLOODS, if you watch that, and occasionally they film outside there.
I’ll have to see if we have BLUE BLOODS here. It would be interesting to see the house.
I read a short story (for adults) by Kate DiCamillo at the Harper’s Magazine site and that was my introduction to her. I enjoyed that and looked into her books. I haven’t yet read any of her children’s books. I have a copy of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX that I plan to read and I am interested in others. Glen is interested in some of her books where she collaborated with Harry Bliss.
The weather here in the Santa Barbara area is still in the 60s; today it is overcast, but that is unusual.
I started reading THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by Amor Towles about 10 days ago. I don’t know why but I really can’t get into it. I haven’t given up on it because I want to know where it goes but it is nearly 600 pages. I think I have read 3/4 of the book.
Last night I finished WHAT WAS LOST by Catherine O’Flynn. It is a difficult book to describe. It is a mystery about a ten-year-old girl who goes missing, but not a traditional mystery. It is much more about how the lives of several people around her are affected. A good bit of it is set in a large mall in the UK; it starts in 1984, then later jumps ahead to 2003. I liked the book and how the story was told. Definitely not a feel good book, although the ending is somewhat optimistic.
Glen is continuing to read HOW THE COUNTRY HOUSE BECAME ENGLISH by Stephanie Barczewski. But he has also started another nonfiction book, MOSQUITO: THE ORIGINAL MULTI-ROLE COMBAT AIRCRAFT by Graham M. Simons. And he is enjoying reading it.
Hi Tracy,
I’ve heard of What Was Lost, but haven’t read it. I’m in the market for feel good books right now, but I like that the ending is somewhat optimistic.
Cloudy is okay, occasionally, but I enjoy the sunshine. I did even when I lived in Arizona, and it was usually sunny.
I’m always intrigued by Glen’s reading. It’s so different!
The weather here got up to the high 80’s for a while. People from the Bay Area were dying from the heat, but most of us Valley people were finally taking off our jackets. Now we have fairly high winds, which have my allergies out of whack. It’s supposed to rain this weekend, and even snow up in the mountains. A bit late for such weather, but not as unusual as meteorologists would have you believe.
This week I read:
Dying to Play Pickleball by Bill Yancey; A guy wants out of his life, including a bad marriage, and fakes his own death…or does he? Investigators try to find out. Pickleball comes in about halfway through the book. The whole book seems muddled, as there are several different investigators, none of whom are connected to one another. This is one of the few books that actually goes into the pross and cons of faking your death. (Not something I’d recommend, but you do you) The pickleball action wasn’t bad, either.
How Do Dinosaurs Learn To Read? by Jane Yolen; For the little kids book club. I was surprised it didn’t mention Hooked on Phonics.
Pelts by Phillip Scott Mayes; A horror western, where pioneers go into another dimension somehow. The giant trapdoor spiders were scary, but there were too many anachronisms for me.
Crossover by Michael Jan Friedman; A Star Trek Next Generation novel. I got a number of Star Trek novels in a trade, I may have come out on the short end of. Anyway, Spock is captured by Romulans. They don’t know who Spock is, somehow lacking photo recognition software we have today that could identify enemy Admirals. Picard and Co. are supposed to rescue him, but some of the originals come along. The only interesting parts are with the originals. At least Picard couldn’t figure out how to give up his ship this time.
Curious George Makes Pancakes; George goes to a pancake breakfast, and tries to help make pancakes. For the kids club again. All I could think is that George didn’t wash his hands.
Oh, Glen. Did you ask the little kids about washing their hands before making pancakes? I love that you’re reading along. I don’t know that your normal criticism works for these books, but it makes me laugh.
More pickleball in your book than in the one I reviewed recently!
I did talk about washing hands. They didn’t know that monkeys like to poop in their hands and fling it at anything ticking them off, either. After that, the discussion went off the rails about Curious George.
Glen, are you the right one to be leading this book group?
The kids seem to think so. Don’t get book discussions like that at school!
Well, I guess they wouldn’t, Glen.