Now that summer has officially arrived, it’s time to start finding your perfect summer book! Beach reads, of course, tend to be everyone’s go-to selection this time of year. But while I am a fan of seasonally appropriate reading, sometimes it’s nice to mix things up – to try a title that’s a bit different…
Here is a thing the world cannot get enough of: British Historical Mysteries. Like my children’s appetite for dessert, readers are insatiable when it comes to murder served with a spot of tea and possibly a biscuit. (Lest you think I am being judgy, you should know that I am a fan of both sweets…
If you haven’t already heard, Elizabeth McCracken’s Bowlaway is one of the Buzzy Books Of Spring, for obvious reasons: tt’s been seventeen years since her last novel, and the premise of this new book – a family saga about a bowling alley – is a perfect fit for McCracken's offbeat but heartfelt type of storytelling.…
Though it pains me to admit it, I am not a fan of audiobooks: they take so much longer to get through than a print edition, they distract me from my driving, or I’m too distracted by other things (like driving, or my children, or cooking dinner) to pay attention to the story. But everyone…
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of literary retellings – classic stories reimagined. Sherlock Holmes is a particular favorite, though I won’t turn my nose up at Shakespeare or Jane Austen, either. That being said, the one genre I’m loath to explore is literary continuations. You know the kind: a (usually bestselling) author is…
According to my various social media feeds, Iceland does the holiday season right: it’s a national tradition to give people books on Christmas Eve, and then spend the rest of the night reading. Can you imagine anything more blissful? Especially if you are reading the books while wearing flannel jammies and drinking a large cup…
Everyone has authors they consider an autobuy -- authors who could write a guide to federal tax code and you'd still be eager to read it. Barbara Kingsolver (Small Wonder, The Poisonwood Bible) is one of mine, so I will admit that I came to her latest, Unsheltered, with a definite bias. The verdict, surprising…
It is almost impossible to write a proper review of Kate Atkinson’s Transcription without spoiling it. (Yes, it’s one of THOSE books.) (I’m sorry.) But it’s also impossible NOT to talk about it, because Transcription is, deservedly, one of the Big Books of Fall. Also, I want people to read it and then visit me…
Sometimes, I need to let a book marinate before passing judgment on it. A clever twisty thriller might, after a few days' consideration, sprout countless plotholes. Far more rare -- and more enjoyable -- are the times that a "it was pretty good, I guess," book transforms into “I can't stop thinking about this story!" Happily,…
I picked up Libby Page’s The Lido expecting a fast, cheerful read. The breezily illustrated cover suggested that I’d probably like it just fine, but forget about it after a few days. Delightfully, I was wrong. Yes, it’s a fast read. Yes, it’s cheerful (mostly). Yes, I had to look up how to pronounce lido.…
