tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16426477579231533692024-03-13T06:04:50.325-04:00bookchickdiBlogging about books and Broadway in the Big Apple. Email me at laruediane2000@yahoo.com with comments and suggestions.(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.comBlogger1654125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-26184751755419212962024-03-12T06:00:00.007-04:002024-03-12T06:00:00.141-04:00Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray<div><b>Becoming Madam Secretary</b> by Stephanie Dray</div><div>Published by Berkley <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677606/becoming-madam-secretary-by-stephanie-dray/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9780593437056</span></b></a></div><div>Hardcover, $29, 528 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbz09wLme5iHJG4zCO5QHbKYhBnmJmMeygQc2lC6lfEAJdr7kY-_-XA8z9rnN8grLROvlwR-iMNLErVCNKoYuEBwNVN6LzT7xpZ3ip1yeNpw8G9z1UU2HtmUzqic-B_-YFvvIGixQ0OUJd0hpnD1BrLKK4fqFFjrJSpLpBACv5qNtuOn0WG-h1K5NEMY/s450/madam%20secretary.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbz09wLme5iHJG4zCO5QHbKYhBnmJmMeygQc2lC6lfEAJdr7kY-_-XA8z9rnN8grLROvlwR-iMNLErVCNKoYuEBwNVN6LzT7xpZ3ip1yeNpw8G9z1UU2HtmUzqic-B_-YFvvIGixQ0OUJd0hpnD1BrLKK4fqFFjrJSpLpBACv5qNtuOn0WG-h1K5NEMY/s320/madam%20secretary.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction is that I learn more about historical figures I knew little about. Stephanie Dray's newest novel, <b>Becoming</b> <b>Madam Secretary</b>, shares the story of the life of Frances Perkins, best known as Franklin Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor following the Great Depression.</div><div><br /></div><div>The novel opens in 1933 with the recently elected President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt summoning Frances Perkins and offering her the job as Secretary of Labor in his cabinet. Perkins would be the first woman in history to serve as a cabinet member, but that doesn't seem to persuade her to take on the role.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perkins had prepared a list of things that she wants to accomplish if she took the job, including eliminating child labor, limiting working hours, instituting a federal minimum wage, and creating what would become Social Security. If she thought this would discourage Roosevelt, she was mistaken. He agrees to back her and she is stuck taking the job.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book then goes back in time and we see Perkins' start, first as a graduate student in economics studying child malnutrition in Hells Kitchen in New York City. Her dedication, work ethic, and success captures the attention of others in the social work field, and she is asked to become a lobbyist with the New York Consumers League.</div><div><br /></div><div>Through her lobbying efforts Perkins becomes acquainted with politicians like future governors of New York Al Smith and Franklin Roosevelt, and they recognize her talents and put them to good use. But being a woman in a man's world back then required a high wire act that Perkins managed to walk.</div><div><br /></div><div>Frances also captures the attention of writer Sinclair Lewis, whose attempts to woo her are comical if unsuccessful. She does marry a man who appreciates that Frances has a career doing important work, but their union has troubled times ahead.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found myself totally immersed in the life of Frances Perkins and I could not put <b>Becoming Madam Secretary</b> down. I found it reminiscent of Allison Pataki's <b>The Magnificent Marjorie Post</b>; both books highlighted women who accomplished so much in a time when women weren't expected to do much more than run a household. </div><div><br /></div><div>Frances Perkins saw a need to fix major problems in this country at a most challenging time, and she was the woman for the job. <b>Becoming Madam Secretary </b>is an appropriate and excellent read for Women's History Month. I highly recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Penguin Random House for providing a copy for an honest review.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-22482403601117260842024-03-05T06:00:00.002-05:002024-03-05T06:00:00.131-05:00Hypnotized By Love by Sariah Wilson<div><b>Hypnotized By Love </b>by Sraiah Wilson</div><div>Published by Montlake <a href="https://www.sariahwilson.com/"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9781662514227</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $16.99, 283 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7slJgXWykIUJlQ7tscReAekvP0aiNOUq7egU8E9tdawNvsYh1Esa6tJsD0enswPU0cEll9LMzwpj8F_KdsQqun71UGFVhyNy7XaHNpvLNcqUknokTA6H9G0ADDXWAn-1tDE68Q788CGg-OTjrEOI6fK8GEp5CnHBifnbkm_FHZGjzIJ-JiKAuu06lPI/s300/hypnotized%20by%20love.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="194" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7slJgXWykIUJlQ7tscReAekvP0aiNOUq7egU8E9tdawNvsYh1Esa6tJsD0enswPU0cEll9LMzwpj8F_KdsQqun71UGFVhyNy7XaHNpvLNcqUknokTA6H9G0ADDXWAn-1tDE68Q788CGg-OTjrEOI6fK8GEp5CnHBifnbkm_FHZGjzIJ-JiKAuu06lPI/s1600/hypnotized%20by%20love.webp" width="194" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sariah Wilson's latest rom-com <b>Hypnotized by Love </b>has a protagonist with a unique occupation- Savannah Sinclair practices hypnosis therapy. People come to Savannah for help with anxiety, sleep issues, and more.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the story opens, Savannah has been censured by the Florida Board of Professional Hypnotists. When a patient came to her office, Savannah felt that something was not quite right and offered to refer him to another hypnotist. This man pursued Savannah romantically and when she demurred, he went online and left bad reviews and eventually filed a complaint stating that she was pursuing him romantically.</div><div><br /></div><div>This hurt Savannah's business and her confidence. Her twin sister Sierra, an ER nurse, and their friend Bridget are doing their best to cheer Savannah up at a restaurant when in walks Mason Beckett, the guy who broke Savannah's heart in high school and who spread rumors about her that left her devastated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mason is a successful writer, and his parents and Savannah's have been best friends forever. The two families spent all their time together. He is the last person Savannah wants to see today.</div><div><br /></div><div>It turns out that Mason is writing a magazine piece about hypnotherapy and he booked an appointment with Savannah under a different name. Savannah wants nothing to do with Mason, but when his mom asks her to see him as a favor, she relents. She will see him once, but when their session is interrupted before Savannah can bring him out of his trance by a fire in the building, a problem ensues.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mason turns on the charm, but Savannah wants nothing to do with him romantically, and after the censure incident, has to be very careful not to be seen as anything but professional with Mason. But this is a rom-com, so we know that things will turn romantic.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hypnotized By Love</b> is a quick and enjoyable read, and I loved the clever banter between Savannah and Mason and Savannah and her twin sister Sierra. There are a lot of humorous quips that had me laughing. I found the hypnosis angle intriguing and different. Sariah Wilson manages to make the usual rom-com tropes refreshing with her witty writing and characters. <b>Hypnotized By Love </b>was a perfect plane read.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Sariah Wilson's Tour. The rest of her stops are here:</i></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; outline: none !important;"><h3 style="color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 16px; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-small; outline: none !important;">Instagram features:</span></h3><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, February 19<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aneedleinmybookstack/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@aneedleinmybookstack</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, February 20<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/suzylew_bookreview/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@suzylew_bookreview</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, February 21<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrsboomreads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@mrsboomreads</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, February 23<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/purrfectpages/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@purrfectpages</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, February 23<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/megsbookclub/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@megsbookclub</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, February 24<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wordnerdbookworm/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@wordnerdbookworm</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Sunday, February 25<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/everlasting.bookworm/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@everlasting.bookworm</a><br style="outline: none !important;" /></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Mond</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">ay, February 26<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/subakka.bookstuff/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@subakka.bookstuff</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tues</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">day, February 27<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookapotamus/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bookapotamus</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wed</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">nesday, February 28<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/andrea.c.lowry.reads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@andrea.c.lowry.reads</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wed</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">nesday, February 28<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thealylifestyle/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@thealylifestyle</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thurs</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">day, February 29<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/poisedpen/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@poisedpen</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Frida</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">y, March 1<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nsiabblog/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@nsiabblog</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, March 4<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coffee.break.book.reviews/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@coffee.break.book.reviews</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, March 4<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/angelas.book.shelf/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@angelas.book.shelf</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tue</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">sday, March 5<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/suethebookie/?hl=en" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@suethebookie</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, March 6<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookstasamm/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bookstasamm</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, March 7<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/a_book_read_in_jersey/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@a_book_read_in_jersey</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, March 8<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cozy.coffee.reads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@cozy.coffee.reads</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, March 8<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookish.bai/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@bookish.bai</span></a></p><h3 style="color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 16px; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><span style="background-color: inherit; font-size: x-small; outline: none !important;">TIKTOK features:</span></span></h3><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, February 26<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bethanys_books" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bethanys_books</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, February 26<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@whatkarinareads" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@whatkarinareads</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, February 27<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lalalifebookclub" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@lalalifebookclub</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, February 28<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thealylifestyle" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@thealylifestyle</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, February 29<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@welovebigbooks?lang=en" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@welovebigbooks</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, March 1<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@xoamanda.lynn" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@xoamanda.lynn</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, March 1<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jessbeyondthepages" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@jessbeyondthepages</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, March 2<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</span>: </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@chill_jilland_read" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@chill_jilland_read</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Sunday, March 3<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span>: </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tialala001" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@tialala001</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">REVIEWS:</span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, February 17<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovemybooks2020/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@lovemybooks2020</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, February 19<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookqueenbee/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@bookqueenbee</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, February 20<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheplanstoread/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@sheplanstoread</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, February 21<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookish.heidi/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bookish.heidi</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, February 22<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/on_a_sandbar/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@on_a_sandbar</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, February 24<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookishlifeofkels/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bookishlifeofkels</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, February 26<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/books_old_and_new/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@books_old_and_new</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, February 26<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatkarinareads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@whatkarinareads</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, February 27<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/booksimperfectcondition/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@booksimperfectcondition</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, February 28<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/randi_reads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@randi_reads</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wed</span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">nesday, February 28<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dianas_books_cars_coffee/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@dianas_books_cars_coffee</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, February 28<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="http://abookishwayoflife.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">A Bookish Way of Life</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, February 29<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cheryl’s Book Nook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastreader/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@beastreader</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, March 1<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/temmathomas/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@temmathomas</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, March 2<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/chill_jilland_read/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@chill_jilland_read</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, March 4<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/shopcoffeekids/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@shopcoffeekids</span></a></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, March 5<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">BookChickDi</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, March 6<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><a href="https://pickagoodbook.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pick A Good Book</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pickagoodbook/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@pickagoodbook</a> </span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, March 7<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="http://readeatrepeat.net/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Read Eat Repeat</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, March 11<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">What is That Book About</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, March 13<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dana.loves.books/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@dana.loves.books</a></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, March 16<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.girl-who-reads.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Girl Who Reads</a></span></p><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-41351047275174043112024-03-04T06:00:00.001-05:002024-03-04T06:00:00.140-05:00Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley<div><b>Kilt Trip</b> by Alexandra Kiley</div><div>Published by Canary Street Press <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/kilt-trip-alexandra-kiley?variant=41070657044514" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9781335009296</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $18.99, 336 pages</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxqExQCh6QUAj3Yf02DKrIcaqNE7OK_vrYTAXAl0q7YX1thF8uA5qphO-_0ciWdklykoFHvmOgUUomUXAmAYFDb-IKjISZV2DoXZVTB4wn7nI54KCgYgHsqgJNFEZyc5ZgNtZideO0Mw0Ub6BQRXmIOHjfXgMJY1eQS6BtcQ9GWGA9mVoyxsTcd66jEQ/s525/kilt%20trip.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxqExQCh6QUAj3Yf02DKrIcaqNE7OK_vrYTAXAl0q7YX1thF8uA5qphO-_0ciWdklykoFHvmOgUUomUXAmAYFDb-IKjISZV2DoXZVTB4wn7nI54KCgYgHsqgJNFEZyc5ZgNtZideO0Mw0Ub6BQRXmIOHjfXgMJY1eQS6BtcQ9GWGA9mVoyxsTcd66jEQ/s320/kilt%20trip.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland a few years ago, and when the opportunity to review Alexandra Kiley's romance <b>Kilt Trip </b>popped up, I enthusiastically joined and I'm glad I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Addie Macrae has an interesting job- she is a travel consultant. She works for a small company that advises tour companies around the world, and helps them better utilize such things as social media to maximize profitability.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her newest assignment takes her to Edinburgh to help a family-run tour guide business. She begins by taking a tour incognito with the company . The tour guide is Logan Sutherland, whose father hired Addie's company. Looking quite ruggedly handsome in his kilt, Logan has a great personality in his role as a guide, but Addie is dismayed to discover that the tour leaves out the usual highlights that most people associate with Edinburgh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Logan is charming to Addie during the tour but when he discovers that she is the consultant that his father hired, he is not happy. He believes that his tours show people the more interesting sites in Scotland, not the ones that every other tour guide company visits. That makes their company unique, but unfortunately not profitable enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>Logan and Addie make a deal- Logan will take Addie on his favorite tour and Addie will take Logan on a tour she designs that hits all the touristy highlights people want to see. The winner gets to choose which tours the company will focus their efforts on.</div><div><br /></div><div>Addie confides in Logan that her mother's family is from Scotland. Since her mother passed away thirteen years ago, Addie has been adrift. Logan arranges for Addie to see all of the places that her mother loved in Scotland, and this moves Addie.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this enemies-to-lovers story, Addie and Logan overcome their animosity and give into their passion- and there is a lot of passion in this novel. <b>Kilt Trip</b> is a spicy read (the castle scene!), and there are enough bumps in the road to romance to keep things intriguing. Addie is torn between her growing attraction to Logan and her duty to her company and Logan's father to make their company profitable.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Kilt Trip</b> is a fast read, one that had me turning the pages to see if Addie and Logan can make their different lifestyles work together. The scenery may inspire readers to travel to Scotland to find their own kilt-clad tour guide and see all the sights. I recommend <b>Kilt Trip</b>, a terrific spring break beach read.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Winter 2024 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Oi4_dVmPxSLJDZmFsqNOJY0ObMtnotwJzftXhv7LwIlXT-2vacY5CBa4cdtFb2VPpOUrZLYTHvKjk2V6Xath00V7A8x7RXCpboQUmziNOUWp3NpBJv1ZzXusfWVaMBOON-URhwj8vzyTnc8PUIJ6y3SZoQfoKKo1_FWrIil1sw_jQAybVX46EBzOTS8/s1600/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Oi4_dVmPxSLJDZmFsqNOJY0ObMtnotwJzftXhv7LwIlXT-2vacY5CBa4cdtFb2VPpOUrZLYTHvKjk2V6Xath00V7A8x7RXCpboQUmziNOUWp3NpBJv1ZzXusfWVaMBOON-URhwj8vzyTnc8PUIJ6y3SZoQfoKKo1_FWrIil1sw_jQAybVX46EBzOTS8/w400-h100/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-1044721097226785012024-02-23T21:08:00.000-05:002024-02-23T21:08:17.339-05:00Friday 5ive- February 24, 2024<div>Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly-ish featuring five things that caught my attention this week.</div><div><br /></div><div>1) I attended a luncheon at the beautiful Sarasota Club featuring a discussion with the popular The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thethursdayauthors/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Thursday Authors</span></b></a> talking books and the friendship they formed over Zoom during the pandemic. Fiona Davis, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Amy Poeppel and Susie Orman Schnall were led in discussion by Lea DeCesare. They talked about their current books, how they got their starts (all were not published until the age of 40+), the importance of sitting your butts in the seat and just writing, their favorite writing spots, (Lynda writes at her kitchen table- how does she do that?) and so much more. The talk was interesting, inspiring and lots of fun. Many thanks to the Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae of Sarasota/Manatee who put this terrific program together. (And <a href="https://www.amypoeppel.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Amy Poeppel</span></b></a> is one of my go-to authors. I've read and loved all her books.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Grah_-_EtDRsZx3aHhHpdjHC-qQZ-aqLm7GOH0SeF_t32PdbiB0e7nh8ylMTZpxN0Y1lVVv1X8Q8FXGl0OOT9EtHngbW4ggNDd_NJ1u2hJvsyfsqNp-PAWc2B3LfbLQow4AjtUwtGrOO5g-V1EastcVugvD5yDaY0_kvw96tbEoEV-KMHAgqc8rTDCc/s4032/IMG_2654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Grah_-_EtDRsZx3aHhHpdjHC-qQZ-aqLm7GOH0SeF_t32PdbiB0e7nh8ylMTZpxN0Y1lVVv1X8Q8FXGl0OOT9EtHngbW4ggNDd_NJ1u2hJvsyfsqNp-PAWc2B3LfbLQow4AjtUwtGrOO5g-V1EastcVugvD5yDaY0_kvw96tbEoEV-KMHAgqc8rTDCc/w400-h300/IMG_2654.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKWyMnIt7Ix9upHYV4vsGh3K5zPfuzy1N2N-K7Fc9ewVynx2hFSbxYunmNmZ9I3hCS8MtHTDAO6vpbtQIBUv6KOYCsHpNUvq6DtMyr6VoDSXI8qL903kqIDIy2FllCBA5nn1OLNCR-X5INUfoXlUtixCprHE6JdiA-RAMXH9r5Nv2By4vzSdlo0FdhEQ/s2661/IMG_2649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2278" data-original-width="2661" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKWyMnIt7Ix9upHYV4vsGh3K5zPfuzy1N2N-K7Fc9ewVynx2hFSbxYunmNmZ9I3hCS8MtHTDAO6vpbtQIBUv6KOYCsHpNUvq6DtMyr6VoDSXI8qL903kqIDIy2FllCBA5nn1OLNCR-X5INUfoXlUtixCprHE6JdiA-RAMXH9r5Nv2By4vzSdlo0FdhEQ/w400-h343/IMG_2649.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy Poeppel and Susie Orman Schnall signed copies of their books<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>2) I had the most delicious appetizer at Café L'Europe in St. Armands Circle in Sarasota. It was deviled eggs topped with caviar and it was amazing. I will definitely be back.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mg7wcF371PK90IjMN_d5fgEOgRLifdpyuU9QG2kFoZNsbPD9w5_Gr-QCLv6GkWCk7Evq70m6LB6I0vIBepqQemIrA7YdU6p2nQq_8cAXbWjU5TAG4XmRgY35rHlCk0s4dsxTR2rTJnI87J4Fb_k3du4zLJE4AQex_mpjwpXXViXbIs5LIIkKJEWC0Gw/s3775/IMG_2660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2643" data-original-width="3775" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mg7wcF371PK90IjMN_d5fgEOgRLifdpyuU9QG2kFoZNsbPD9w5_Gr-QCLv6GkWCk7Evq70m6LB6I0vIBepqQemIrA7YdU6p2nQq_8cAXbWjU5TAG4XmRgY35rHlCk0s4dsxTR2rTJnI87J4Fb_k3du4zLJE4AQex_mpjwpXXViXbIs5LIIkKJEWC0Gw/w400-h280/IMG_2660.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>3) What is the deal with this car parked on the Upper East Side? I don't know what it is trying to say. Any guesses? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExQDoyy8uLGk6wiiiWIOPd0bYpfOm7kSbsAPnpIwb9OkRZI2yU8IR5qVqmUpxnSmwc65cZEr49IP8TFxjwkitTDyk_47LNafdilD-Gm9dR1mwpO4mFG75-RtTECICFkT_OyhC5g2fuK6pP6_21LG9QbVWBSNDdklDEW0Hs9KYxf0dY8H54RX57SJYEfw/s4032/IMG_2418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExQDoyy8uLGk6wiiiWIOPd0bYpfOm7kSbsAPnpIwb9OkRZI2yU8IR5qVqmUpxnSmwc65cZEr49IP8TFxjwkitTDyk_47LNafdilD-Gm9dR1mwpO4mFG75-RtTECICFkT_OyhC5g2fuK6pP6_21LG9QbVWBSNDdklDEW0Hs9KYxf0dY8H54RX57SJYEfw/w400-h300/IMG_2418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br />4) I saw the play "<a href="https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2023-2024-season/doubt-a-parable/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoeGuBhCBARIsAGfKY7yR2LBORDIQO1TT5mCm4MBsfFtwJDOMgz7D526rzSTBVuQ7gYsimVQaAr-rEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Doubt- A Parable</span></b></a>" starring Liev Schreiber and Amy Ryan. I bought my tickets months ago when Tyne Daly was scheduled to play Sister Aloysius and I was so excited to see her back on Broadway as I have seen her in other shows and she is amazing. It was announced a few weeks ago that Tyne had to bow out for medical reasons and Amy Ryan was tapped to take over with just a few rehearsals. Amy's role is the biggest one in the show (Meryl Streep played the role in the movie). Amy Ryan was phenomenal, she hit it out of the park and should definitely get a Tony nomination for her performance. The show is set in the early 1960s at a Catholic school. Sister Alyosius suspects that a priest has been inappropriate with a young male student and she looks to a young nun, played so wonderfully by Zoe Kazan, to confirm her suspicions. Liev Schreiber plays the priest and this revival of John Patrick Shanley's 2004 play about doubt and convictions is timely and thought-provoking. Go see it if you can. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteH6jU9NyUqQoYvCdgEN2UQxG_hCf7r_TolTxzrf6x0Gn8wDGZOaIRB34HJa3xGme8mX5ig2jGpgNq2nZcXDcH-6RPC1sz6nHEX2JUQ6agUAamJLSCNpFF2Pzdx9ZD6dVwBNkCZ9EagGRp7oiusf31986TejKaBaWcbrGDcHre9vixyUco0BEwwogYws/s540/DOUBT_TodayTix_480x720_v5.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteH6jU9NyUqQoYvCdgEN2UQxG_hCf7r_TolTxzrf6x0Gn8wDGZOaIRB34HJa3xGme8mX5ig2jGpgNq2nZcXDcH-6RPC1sz6nHEX2JUQ6agUAamJLSCNpFF2Pzdx9ZD6dVwBNkCZ9EagGRp7oiusf31986TejKaBaWcbrGDcHre9vixyUco0BEwwogYws/w266-h400/DOUBT_TodayTix_480x720_v5.webp" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5) The New York Times ran a piece featuring Oscar-nominated actors in their "Secret Places". Paul Giamatti, nominated for Best Actor for his role in <i>The Holdovers</i>, which he is brilliant in, chose to be photographed in a used bookstore. As someone who runs a used bookstore in NYC (Paul lives in Brooklyn), I'd like to invite him to come see <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookcellarnyc/?hl=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">the Book Cellar</span></b></a>. Here is the piece from the NY Times website:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvIT8nd5-d7L8IXDHsCU99Tasc1NvxaP-CByF4f56p5eeN1ZuCfRWrvAwVYWSjWYu0QAwNZtZmkY_tbbsc9l7mdv-_g6IKajSOxLO4KOEkYBt588WetREosjK9PvjLnSoR0pnwp_PKnG1hYSEjoNpbKp2IZgvSy7sHsdUbiyRS3RHIFcFxzKfGmbnkt0/s851/IMG_2599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="851" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvIT8nd5-d7L8IXDHsCU99Tasc1NvxaP-CByF4f56p5eeN1ZuCfRWrvAwVYWSjWYu0QAwNZtZmkY_tbbsc9l7mdv-_g6IKajSOxLO4KOEkYBt588WetREosjK9PvjLnSoR0pnwp_PKnG1hYSEjoNpbKp2IZgvSy7sHsdUbiyRS3RHIFcFxzKfGmbnkt0/w400-h353/IMG_2599.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-Zu1-lVlZrUpvnAEsoB-gy_s3DOrMGgUw_P5WbcnO6sAaOu5l63LevI6KI44fORlYIJqAYaRokWeWdk7NFOACGWeHlwoQVy2amR0hdF2Qhpwolx37MtwLkQnLjeGpSE9Uhe7NLMvrOZvPiXrmHpri1-aGxxGisiWK3SLNNeuM94MmimJ6_hNns87Vu0/s1885/IMG_2597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1885" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-Zu1-lVlZrUpvnAEsoB-gy_s3DOrMGgUw_P5WbcnO6sAaOu5l63LevI6KI44fORlYIJqAYaRokWeWdk7NFOACGWeHlwoQVy2amR0hdF2Qhpwolx37MtwLkQnLjeGpSE9Uhe7NLMvrOZvPiXrmHpri1-aGxxGisiWK3SLNNeuM94MmimJ6_hNns87Vu0/w239-h400/IMG_2597.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Have a great week all, stay safe and healthy. Until next time.<div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" /></div>(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-90260924781549337632024-02-13T13:16:00.001-05:002024-02-13T13:16:13.378-05:00Three Terrific Books For Galentine's Day<div><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none;"><div style="outline: none;"><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><i>Reprinted from <a href="https://auburnpub.com/life-entertainment/la-rue-three-perfect-galentines-day-book-gift-ideas/article_43f49994-c6ab-11ee-a77c-af7f58422172.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>auburnpub.com</b></span></a></i></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Valentine’s Day is February 14th but have you heard of Galentine’s Day? Fans of TV’s <i>Parks &</i> <i>Recreation</i> will recognize it as a holiday made up by the main character Leslie Knope<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span>to celebrate her friends. It took off in the popular culture and now is celebrated by many people every year on February 13th.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">This month’s Book Report features some books that celebrate and honor female friendship and would be perfect gifts to give your best gal pals for Galentine’s Day.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Robyn Carr often writes about female friendships in her wonderful novels, and her latest is titled <b>The Friendship Club</b>. Marni hosts a popular cooking show on television filmed in her fantastic California kitchen (think Ina Garten). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8H5qwqvC4qA6QnPER7ihCuXMcvWxqNQkQ2piRz0fDr62rQejuiigf7ossHhWMjIwx8z4irxqoyR0oaOBIFdfwIUBHuC8_R0eKu4THhmQfnuv3aVtyqKIrKpfxAYLb-x4sPlV5jfa8GKDWraRgvU6yCW2V8dv-paM84KKOIxaKH-xyb_aek34oWSL5QM/s404/friendship%20club.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8H5qwqvC4qA6QnPER7ihCuXMcvWxqNQkQ2piRz0fDr62rQejuiigf7ossHhWMjIwx8z4irxqoyR0oaOBIFdfwIUBHuC8_R0eKu4THhmQfnuv3aVtyqKIrKpfxAYLb-x4sPlV5jfa8GKDWraRgvU6yCW2V8dv-paM84KKOIxaKH-xyb_aek34oWSL5QM/s320/friendship%20club.jpeg" width="211" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Ellen is the behind scenes person who does much of the creative cooking while Marni is the face of the show followed by millions. Marni is outgoing whereas Ellen is shy and has no interest in being in front of the camera.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Sophia is their young college intern who is just starting a relationship with a man who showers her with attention, perhaps too much attention? Marni’s daughter Bella is awaiting the birth of her first baby, and is uncomfortable at the end of her pregnancy.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">The four women bond together and help each other through the day-to-day of life. Marni and Ellen become concerned about Sophia’s boyfriend, fearing that he is trying to isolate Sophia.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">There is much to like about this story, and if you enjoy foodie fiction, your mouth may water at the descriptions of the food. It’s also nice to see that romance is not confined to young women, as Ellen and Marni are each delighted to find themselves in relationships with good men.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">In a more serious vein, Kristin Hannah’s <b>The Women</b> takes the reader to the Vietnam War in in 1965. Frankie McGrath decides to follow her brother to war when she enlists as a nurse in the U.S. Army.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rASNAe3uZkc2YGfxQl54OUPzI-Gj7-JTjIW-3qFRHBeg9HVKT2vUyh7ut3dto-8eq1GPJWV7w8ky2Xq03R9Gr5V6bI60hyphenhyphenRM1y6m67fMNEivLN5kXzosmUwIoa0c8A2Aq0xww6tq6_dxycbJ6eUIOIQY9v-KwRKiX_iheTUR-TuWpI41-fSnXYxDIAA/s500/the%20women.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rASNAe3uZkc2YGfxQl54OUPzI-Gj7-JTjIW-3qFRHBeg9HVKT2vUyh7ut3dto-8eq1GPJWV7w8ky2Xq03R9Gr5V6bI60hyphenhyphenRM1y6m67fMNEivLN5kXzosmUwIoa0c8A2Aq0xww6tq6_dxycbJ6eUIOIQY9v-KwRKiX_iheTUR-TuWpI41-fSnXYxDIAA/s320/the%20women.jpeg" width="213" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Frankie is just 20 years old and has led a sheltered life, so life in a war zone is a complete shock. Her two bunkmates- Barb, a young Black tough surgical nurse and Ethel, who plans on becoming a veterinarian when she returns home- take Frankie under their wing and the three become inseparable.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Hannah does a great job putting the reader in Frankie’s shoes, we can feel the unbearable heat, the soaking rains that pour into her living quarters, and the confusion of being under attack from enemy bombs. Frankie goes from not knowing much to becoming such an outstanding nurse whom doctors trust her to do procedures.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">We also see the burgeoning anti-war movement growing back home through letters from Frankie’s mother, a conservative woman who doesn’t understand what is happening in her own country.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">When Frankie comes back home, she is lost and severely depressed. People spit at her when she arrived back in the U.S., and her service to her country is downplayed and even challenged by her father. She is told time and time again that “Women weren’t in Vietnam”.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Ethel and Barb reach out to Frankie when she is at rock bottom and the three women live together for awhile knowing that not many people understand what they went through, and trying to process how to move forward.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><b>The Women</b> is an emotional rollercoaster, and if you were a fan of TV’s <i>China Beach</i> or <i>M*A*S*H</i>, this is a book you won’t want to miss.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">When I think of the perfect Galentine’s Day read, Amy Poeppel’s <b>The Sweet Spot </b>comes to mind. Melinda’s husband leaves her for a hot young successful entrepreneur, Olivia loses her job at the entrepreneur’s fancy store after an unfortunate customer experience with Melinda goes viral, and Lauren designs ceramic pieces for the fancy store while trying to raise her three young children with her husband and deal with her mother-in-law (Evelyn, my favorite character) who comes to stay.<span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jQPzmEvX5GYO0Ar8js6YjavPzpA5AUImv0Ian9cY2SlQYn_9x8AzRf_BtQ0JchJodMR6SfiIu9VSq_tjBIGkVYuHXS9kCBXGzYEVKgF-6EZ4Tv3W0BjWIH3KNoFtBt7TqRdm61k6zlf7wkt5dqgNhXM1exES625HReR2XQ4wILtFn8GcJTY-lmwnCY0/s2113/sweet%20spot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jQPzmEvX5GYO0Ar8js6YjavPzpA5AUImv0Ian9cY2SlQYn_9x8AzRf_BtQ0JchJodMR6SfiIu9VSq_tjBIGkVYuHXS9kCBXGzYEVKgF-6EZ4Tv3W0BjWIH3KNoFtBt7TqRdm61k6zlf7wkt5dqgNhXM1exES625HReR2XQ4wILtFn8GcJTY-lmwnCY0/s320/sweet%20spot.jpeg" width="212" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><span class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842Apple-converted-space" style="outline: none;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">How do these three women end up caring for a baby they are not related to? Well that is the question in this charming and delightful novel that is set in a fantastic New York City neighborhood that makes you feel like you’re sitting on the building stoop with these three women who form an unlikely friendship over a baby. <b>The Sweet Spot</b> will put a big smile on your face.</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Happy Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day to all!</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-friendship-club-robyn-carr?variant=41048540381218" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Friendship Club</span></b></a> by Robyn Carr- A-</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Published by MIRA</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Hardcover, $28.99, 336 pages</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250178633/the-women" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Women</span></b></a> by Kristin Hannah- A-</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Published by St. Martin’s Press</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Hardcover, $30, 471 pages</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sweet-Spot/Amy-Poeppel/9781982176457" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Sweet Spot</span></b></a> by Amy Poeppel- A</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Published by Emily Bestler Books</span></p><p class="yiv8570195483ydp6c595842p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Trade paperback, $17.99, 392 pages</span></p></div><br style="outline: none;" /></div><div style="font-size: 16px; outline: none;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /></div></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-8702172989505908402024-02-12T10:39:00.001-05:002024-02-12T10:39:30.599-05:00The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott<div><b>The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck</b> by Kylie Scott</div><div>Published by Graydon House <a href="https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781525804809_the-last-days-of-lilah-goodluck.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>ISBN 978152804809</b></span></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $18.99, 304 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpxBtSqUQKYTTh1fsa3ULsgFf0pHUw1L4RTxfk97FVckqRlxqOS2hssRE1-z_NQ6jwmRvvc7qXAPBSuY2q5c5Hva5NMdzJzgzqge7_ugaC_9jRZ2rMeybXtoltmzc_Dmbrsq0DzP5Z0JX8Y6XNyKaLtriKqc1x_zJlFtPQ2369t-8nfpfyJ57Oyg3gHM/s404/lilah%20goodluck.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="269" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpxBtSqUQKYTTh1fsa3ULsgFf0pHUw1L4RTxfk97FVckqRlxqOS2hssRE1-z_NQ6jwmRvvc7qXAPBSuY2q5c5Hva5NMdzJzgzqge7_ugaC_9jRZ2rMeybXtoltmzc_Dmbrsq0DzP5Z0JX8Y6XNyKaLtriKqc1x_zJlFtPQ2369t-8nfpfyJ57Oyg3gHM/s320/lilah%20goodluck.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>From the publisher:</i></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-981a4358-7fff-a57a-f691-190f8bf13530"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Red White and Royal Blue</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> meets </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Last Holiday</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> in this delight of a novel, about a woman who unexpectedly finds "fall in love with a prince" on her bucket list after a fortune teller tells her she only has a week to live. Ideal for fans of Sophie Cousens and Rebecca Serle.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Your boyfriend is cheating on you</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You will be passed over for the promotion</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5-8-12-24-39-43</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Your soulmate is a royal prince</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And your time is up a week from Monday</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When Lilah Goodluck saves the life of Good Witch Willow as they’re crossing a busy LA street, the last thing she expects is five unwanted predictions as a reward. Who gives someone the lotto numbers then tells them they’ve only got a week to live? And who believes in that nonsense anyway?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But when the first three predictions come true within twenty-four hours, Lilah’s disbelief turns to mild panic. She’s further horrified when she nearly runs a car off the road that belongs to Alistair Lennox, the illegitimate son of the English king.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: times; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Alistair is intrigued by her preposterous story, but Lilah is adamant about resisting the heat between her and the playboy prince. If he’s not her soulmate, then the last prediction can’t come true. But as the days count down, they become maybe friends…and then maybe more. Between the relentless paparazzi and his disapproving family, dating a sort-of prince isn’t easy, especially when you have death on your doorstep.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 11pt; margin-left: 18pt; margin-top: 11pt;"><br /></p><b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b></span></div><div><span><b><i> </i></b></span></div><div><span>Kylie Scott writes novels that have unique concepts, touched with a little bit of the unknown. Her last book, <b>End of Story </b>(my review <a href="https://bookchickdi.blogspot.com/2023/02/end-of-story-by-kylie-scott.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></b></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;">)</span>, told the story of Susie a young woman renovating a home she inherited from an aunt. She hires Lars, a handsome contractor who happens to be her ex-boyfriend's best friend. When they find a divorce decree hidden within a wall that has Lars and Susie's names on it and it is dated 10 years in the future- mayhem ensues.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><b>The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck's </b>concept is similarly unique, with a psychic giving Lilah five predictions, the craziest of which is that her soulmate is a royal prince, who Lilah then proceeds to meet when she almost runs his car off the road.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div>In order to avoid the last prediction- that her time is up a week from Monday, Lilah and the prince cannot fall in love. We all know what will happen, but the fun is in the journey. Alistair (the prince) intends to help Lilah with her own bucket list, which includes having the best sex of her life before her time here is done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lilah and Alistair are wonderful characters, but my favorite character is Alistair's mother. She is sassy and tough, but has a heart of gold when it comes to her son. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>If you're looking for a clever, fun, spicy romance novel for Valentine's Day, you can't go wrong with <b>The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Winter 2024 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBcHbtZEBUF6oG5NT1wjQPogQSCs_k3KJEBbvdC8bsyqy6k768Jqk4CLT7WrPpBtmbg7sAAsfkomdpbY6uDZPtwexLNE4seFH6xN6BQyb8kIjHaC_NjtrofZpKbF5mGKz8OXs3QpwRj4ckdZd8AoNT5qKo704bN2vvme6Xpk67k4WNazrfoituVh5BXc/s1600/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBcHbtZEBUF6oG5NT1wjQPogQSCs_k3KJEBbvdC8bsyqy6k768Jqk4CLT7WrPpBtmbg7sAAsfkomdpbY6uDZPtwexLNE4seFH6xN6BQyb8kIjHaC_NjtrofZpKbF5mGKz8OXs3QpwRj4ckdZd8AoNT5qKo704bN2vvme6Xpk67k4WNazrfoituVh5BXc/w400-h100/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-44300301750060022972024-02-11T17:20:00.002-05:002024-03-11T21:20:15.605-04:00The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman<div><b>The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West</b></div><div>Published by MIRA, <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-uncharted-flight-of-olivia-west-sara-ackerman?variant=41056493895714" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #1e00ff;">ISBN9780778369516</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $18.99, 384 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5prEbym5jjj1K3pPJqMRNTaQ-xWC1Dp1e6PLOmHj44FNFVWW1_HszYHGBZ_SRLEmwqrOUv8H4G14qpC2R3wur-6u9-Vylvv9m4-e6JveeweheiKD-bx75bw1EItmPW9ZWRnShIMYYjpLtos7bv4d1QJMnsRRmLZdWWigcUc4t_rGykPM7Zpvj8Agl27w/s525/flight%20of%20olivia%20west.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5prEbym5jjj1K3pPJqMRNTaQ-xWC1Dp1e6PLOmHj44FNFVWW1_HszYHGBZ_SRLEmwqrOUv8H4G14qpC2R3wur-6u9-Vylvv9m4-e6JveeweheiKD-bx75bw1EItmPW9ZWRnShIMYYjpLtos7bv4d1QJMnsRRmLZdWWigcUc4t_rGykPM7Zpvj8Agl27w/s320/flight%20of%20olivia%20west.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>From the publisher:</i></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-9a052a5c-7fff-b012-ddfc-7895e2561b76"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1927.</span><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Olivia ‘Livy’ Jones is a young and determined pilot with a love of adventure. She’s been bit by the flying bug and yearns to cross oceans and see the world, pioneering the way for other women pilots. When she learns of the Dole Air Race–organized immediately after Charles Lindbergh’s famous flight–a race to be the first to make the 2,400 mile Pacific crossing from the West coast to Hawaii, with a huge grand prize of $25,000–she sets her sights on qualifying. But it soon becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a last ditch effort to take part, Livy manages to be picked as a navigator for one of the pilots, before setting out on a harrowing journey that will change her life forever.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 6pt 0pt;"><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><div><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; outline: none;"><i style="outline: none;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt; outline: none;">1987. </span></i></b><span face="sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 10.5pt; outline: none;">Wren Summers is down to her last dime when she learns she has inherited a remote piece of land on the Big Island with nothing on it but a dilapidated barn and an overgrown mac nut grove. She plans on selling it and using the money to live on, but she is drawn in by the mysterious objects kept in the barn by her late great-uncle—clues to a tragic piece of aviation history lost to time. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Wren enlists the help of residents at a nearby retirement home to uncover Olivia’s story piece by piece. What she discovers is more earth-shattering, and closer to home, than she could have ever imagined.</span></span></div></span></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Last week there was a news story about the possible discovery of a plane submerged in the Pacific Ocean and there was speculation that it was the plane of Amelia Earhart, who was lost at sea in 1937 during her attempt to be the first woman to fly around the world, so it's a great time to read Sara Ackerman's novel <b>The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Frequently in dual timeline novels, one storyline is stronger than the other, but in this one, I was equally invested in both stories and both women. Livy Jones is an intelligent young woman who figures out a way to make into the boys' club of aviation by working hard and taking advantage of every opportunity to be around pilots and eventually convincing one pilot to let her fly with him. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the 1987 timeline, when Wren's life appears to be falling apart, she leaves her home and when she sees the dilapidated barn, pulls herself together and works to make a new home for herself. Ackerman paints such a vivid portrait of the barn, I felt like if I closed my eyes I could see it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both characters are well-drawn and I enjoyed following the progress that Livy made during her flight to Hawaii and Wren made restoring her great-uncle's plane. There's history, romance, some interesting Hawaiian culture, and a nice twist at the end that careful readers may be able to guess. I recommend it for fans of historical fiction featuring strong women.</div><div><br /></div><div>I reviewed Sara Ackerman's previous book <b>Radar Girls </b><a href="https://bookchickdi.blogspot.com/2021/07/radar-girls-by-sara-ackerman.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b>.</a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Winter 2024 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_lE54n07DOqrI191pXtHE0VR9paerR2se9qVW8WUYx5Jgvlv37CdB3hlSF19YA58cxP0dmXXI6hxCqFJ66NAHronNZ_r84k956F4uDieyr4ZBdx22aeZBforeD9iDvZezt2DQdRGseLZgVyKCxneMOIJhD0zoeCVP60KlXTiE7IqKbgBWqhI8Rt6TAk/s1600/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_lE54n07DOqrI191pXtHE0VR9paerR2se9qVW8WUYx5Jgvlv37CdB3hlSF19YA58cxP0dmXXI6hxCqFJ66NAHronNZ_r84k956F4uDieyr4ZBdx22aeZBforeD9iDvZezt2DQdRGseLZgVyKCxneMOIJhD0zoeCVP60KlXTiE7IqKbgBWqhI8Rt6TAk/w400-h100/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-57966242785762930322024-02-02T20:18:00.000-05:002024-02-02T20:18:30.625-05:00Friday 5ive- February 2, 2024<div>Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly post featuring five things that caught my eye this week. Can you believe that it is February already? Where did January go?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1) Tuesday evening we went to <a href="https://thecuttingroomnyc.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">the Cutting Room</span></b></a> in midtown to hear Steven Maglio and his 12 piece orchestra. Steven Maglio sings mostly Sinatra songs and he plays a tight set of about an hour and fifteen minutes. There was a nice mix of the usual Sinatra classics and a few more obscure songs. We arrived at 6pm when the doors opened, enjoyed a Caesar salad and strip steak dinner and a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. It was a good-sized crowd by the time Maglio ook the stage after an opening act of comedy by Chris Monte. The whole night had a Rat Pack feeling and we really enjoyed it. I'd love to return to the Cutting Room to see more live entertainment. They have a lot of tribute bands (Fleetwood Mac, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and original music. I highly recommend it for a great NYC evening out. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGT-NuKQs5a8lb9T-FQQL7pknHMb_hQ6ZoM4voy7ephfAkdWTDCUrXGyLFrpFhMx29-Ksu_-P4E5m-2-1ILm6pVOIrm255w4lzhmmAWAAuU5sP2YolLbqFksmL-Tm5SjW3AErylT5IFmTU2-wKCRivUtyRImHxmwSvft4JV3ml-jsQLwJydmAwnS_aA0/s3555/IMG_2292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2367" data-original-width="3555" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGT-NuKQs5a8lb9T-FQQL7pknHMb_hQ6ZoM4voy7ephfAkdWTDCUrXGyLFrpFhMx29-Ksu_-P4E5m-2-1ILm6pVOIrm255w4lzhmmAWAAuU5sP2YolLbqFksmL-Tm5SjW3AErylT5IFmTU2-wKCRivUtyRImHxmwSvft4JV3ml-jsQLwJydmAwnS_aA0/w400-h266/IMG_2292.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2) We noticed that our neighbor across the way still has their Christmas tree up on February 2nd. I enjoyed our Christmas tree but I don't think I could have it up until February. What do you think?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWWNtj2Bg2Zdadk8Le0SXuHrO9zObvz5I83OH8gm9hibk32xO8MeA_qqZqd4oKQOzS-_YBpUCDZB9WtK1gUyDoMsyoprAd0J0062FMlaPD0sPc-gb6U-DR5-muv22rUscDssY3QPsi1VFt633JH1xS8gPXP4qURg4v_RjLdOjDqxjmdoSGZxFR2d2cuE/s2232/IMG_2345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="2079" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWWNtj2Bg2Zdadk8Le0SXuHrO9zObvz5I83OH8gm9hibk32xO8MeA_qqZqd4oKQOzS-_YBpUCDZB9WtK1gUyDoMsyoprAd0J0062FMlaPD0sPc-gb6U-DR5-muv22rUscDssY3QPsi1VFt633JH1xS8gPXP4qURg4v_RjLdOjDqxjmdoSGZxFR2d2cuE/w373-h400/IMG_2345.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>3) It was a week to watch documentaries. First we watched <i><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81620852" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">American Nightmare</span></b></a></i> on Netflix like everyone else in the country. It tells the story of a woman kidnapped from her boyfriend's home in the middle of the night in California. The cops zero in on the boyfriend immediately after he tells them a crazy story of how the kidnapping happened. After searching everywhere for her dead body, the woman turns up 400 miles away at her father's house where she says the kidnapper dropped her off. The cops brand the incident as a hoax perpetrated by the couple, similiar to the movie <i>Gone Girl </i>which was popular at that time.</div><div>But it wasn't a hoax, it was a horrible story and this couple's lives were destroyed first by the kidnapper and then by the police and media who hung onto the story like a dog with a bone. </div><div>A few years later, a female detective in another California town is investigating a sexual assault and she works hard to put the pieces together to solve her crime and the kidnapping from years ago. I wonder if anyone in the media apologized? (Nancy Grace). It's a riveting story and an example of how women who are victims of sexual assault are treated so poorly. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYaezyZygQ62TynrhHl0RTsj-01z-OgNQljyqfpIM3traGRl5tOQH05K_xHBlf9d2xfe7vYPbgISCMyOXA0ypn5xCZ-F0e0cVP7OVqTTVbMPLp0-d38EM_bpYIDucVmNGATHJlfbrKwoRQL7CUMqPQq2xw7kuUX4tDn5p7EYkNm6HCL43gLNlLHqQRFw/s630/american%20nightmare.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYaezyZygQ62TynrhHl0RTsj-01z-OgNQljyqfpIM3traGRl5tOQH05K_xHBlf9d2xfe7vYPbgISCMyOXA0ypn5xCZ-F0e0cVP7OVqTTVbMPLp0-d38EM_bpYIDucVmNGATHJlfbrKwoRQL7CUMqPQq2xw7kuUX4tDn5p7EYkNm6HCL43gLNlLHqQRFw/w286-h400/american%20nightmare.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> 4) The second documentary we watched was much happier. <i><a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/what-happens-in-greatest-night-in-pop" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Greatest Night in Pop</span></b></a> (</i>also on Netflix) gives a true behind the scenes look at the making of the 1985 song <i>We Are The World</i>, featuring 40 of the biggest names in music gathering together on one night to create a song whose proceeds went to famine relief in Ethiopia. Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wrote the song, and cassettes were sent to the hottest names in pop music inviting them to show up for one night to make the record in Los Angeles. They decided to do it the night of the American Music Awards when most of the performers would be there. Everyone was put in cars and driven from the awards ceremony to the recording studio. It was very hush-hush, they didn't want word to get out and fans to show up. </div><div>Bruce Springsteen flew in from his last concert on his Born in the USA tour in Buffalo to perform. (Fun fact- I was at that Buffalo concert and it was amazing.) They all sang the chorus, and then the musicians who had solo parts stayed to sing their parts. Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Daryl Hall, John Oates, Harry Belafonte, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, my favorite Bette Midler- it was an astonishing group and Quincy Jones had to herd them to get them all together to complete the recording in one night. If you remember the song, you'll love this documentary and if you're too young to remember, watch it anyway. It's fabulous. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhqjlvR9WPeTLyTuCdQQJR_sI6wb7SCWIu1isxjRSG16K2lhOZgDyRChgA4J2yCUSDjURRHMuJXw0lJWvOL4pOoKnXfC3IqpYzcZz0A89nlRTNhcyk9Fm-SBDSMBBKcC4kB3S7_tYw-6oqTP9Ds8IGEc9vENX-D1wt8rpzmEK1AyuvEUczjAYKEuDp5g/s760/we%20are%20the%20world.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="760" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhqjlvR9WPeTLyTuCdQQJR_sI6wb7SCWIu1isxjRSG16K2lhOZgDyRChgA4J2yCUSDjURRHMuJXw0lJWvOL4pOoKnXfC3IqpYzcZz0A89nlRTNhcyk9Fm-SBDSMBBKcC4kB3S7_tYw-6oqTP9Ds8IGEc9vENX-D1wt8rpzmEK1AyuvEUczjAYKEuDp5g/w400-h266/we%20are%20the%20world.webp" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5) Sticking with the theme of true stories, I read Lara Love Hardin's memoir <b><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Many-Lives-of-Mama-Love/Lara-Love-Hardin/9781982197667" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Many Lives of Mama Love.</span></a> </b> Lara was a surburban mom to four boys, Little League coach, and PTA mom whose descent in drug addiction led her to steal pills, cash, credit cards and more from neighbors and cars in the school parking lot and eventually to jail. She ends up in county lockup where she becomes Mama Love to the younger prison residents as she tries desperately to work within the system so she doesn't lose custody of her four year-old son. Her husband, who was also arrested with her, is bailed out by his wealthy mother, and somehow he ends up with a better deal than Lara. Lara ends up on probation for nine years until she can make restitution and the labrynth of red tape that she goes through to get out from under her legal case is confusing. It's an honest look at addiction, and if she doesn't always take responsibility for her actions, that too is a honest look at an addict. Eventually Lara ends up working at a literary agency where she ghostwrites books for Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dali Lama because someone believed in her and gave her a chance. This is an eye-opening book and she makes a point of how the system makes it difficult for people to get a second chance. (And her point about using the female prisoners as cheap labor to clean the county jail and sheriff's office is enlightening.) I highly recommend this book. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsHp6K47grKFD6kUENWrydN_GjZpufvjcGrYPblEckZurInLfmSV0be1sMG8_ufH66MI9HzkoVQal2qTy70HOj75tAF3BzOpAvMtdRrW0SQZu3pfY-_3GLqg_dEXxFTh3VQ9gWnyefj7BPjujrBLU5uQIH5fRqDLfA2F_QsY_yLMVgchleIryS2z8oA8/s400/the-many-lives-of-mama-love-9781982197667_lg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsHp6K47grKFD6kUENWrydN_GjZpufvjcGrYPblEckZurInLfmSV0be1sMG8_ufH66MI9HzkoVQal2qTy70HOj75tAF3BzOpAvMtdRrW0SQZu3pfY-_3GLqg_dEXxFTh3VQ9gWnyefj7BPjujrBLU5uQIH5fRqDLfA2F_QsY_yLMVgchleIryS2z8oA8/w264-h400/the-many-lives-of-mama-love-9781982197667_lg.jpeg" width="264" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you all have a safe and happy week. Until next time.</div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-24709163182062552372024-01-27T18:15:00.001-05:002024-01-27T18:21:46.097-05:00Friday 5ive- January 26, 2024<div>Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post featuring five things that caught my attention this week. </div><div><br /></div><div>1) It was a bookish week, with two events. It began with <a href="https://zibbymedia.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Zibby Media</span></b></a>'s New Year, New Chapter event at the Whitby Hotel on Saturday. There were over 40 authors speaking at several panels, including Rom-Coms, Your Deepest, Darkest (Thrillers), Advice for Debut Authors, and Don't Make Me Laugh among them. The great Anna Quindlen gave the keynote address (more on her later) and the discussions and authors were so interesting. I got to connect with authors I've met before, like Jane L. Rosen (whose upcoming June novel <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737089/seven-summer-weekends-by-jane-l-rosen/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Seven Summer Weekends</span></b> </a>is one I can't wait for) and Caroline Leavitt (her upcoming book <b><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/caroline-leavitt/days-of-wonder/9781643751283/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Days of Wonder</span></a> </b>is on several lists of 2024 Eagerly Anticipated Books). I also got to meet in person Nancy Johnson, whose debut novel <b><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-kindest-lie-nancy-johnson?variant=39337491693602" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Kindest Lie</span> </a></b>holds a place on my All-Time Favorites Shelf. That was such a delight! I met a few Instagram friends, and connected with some people I used to see at Book Expo (I miss that.). It was a great day and the turnout was so good I hope it encourages more bookish events in the future. Zibby Owens and her team did a wonderful job.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKY3WzfLOQHG-dFS1oN0kssp9DHHP3u60BwcPOmepy-nf9FnYBcFggOELSgXNcJ0haw_j8KTXzMnu2Q1baX_C10OFS9O4QPXuamZ7xiKAa7-89sFJh51lQzsQS2O35G4AdCjZCvPDPK2dNptamamBcDqcjbsRgxWruwbRSKw4BxZnTE5j8U_nmu09ObY/s4032/IMG_2093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKY3WzfLOQHG-dFS1oN0kssp9DHHP3u60BwcPOmepy-nf9FnYBcFggOELSgXNcJ0haw_j8KTXzMnu2Q1baX_C10OFS9O4QPXuamZ7xiKAa7-89sFJh51lQzsQS2O35G4AdCjZCvPDPK2dNptamamBcDqcjbsRgxWruwbRSKw4BxZnTE5j8U_nmu09ObY/w400-h300/IMG_2093.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The authors</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wQUnckZAQhOJg0YMP_AB3DmaXL1WN-wAwwFNBLXIzWQJYWtCGMTUNEjZkmvtrSWzcb6lbqiyAyeA7QdmqtDTwhb0memXI1nKfxIGiLbuxXtdpjLTeQ8nBoXwGGOwP8HSaLf87jToXHjp65asBt9cerH03HJb0jGUr78Rf68kVIPjiigB-QB-aueJui4/s3155/IMG_2108.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3155" data-original-width="2286" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wQUnckZAQhOJg0YMP_AB3DmaXL1WN-wAwwFNBLXIzWQJYWtCGMTUNEjZkmvtrSWzcb6lbqiyAyeA7QdmqtDTwhb0memXI1nKfxIGiLbuxXtdpjLTeQ8nBoXwGGOwP8HSaLf87jToXHjp65asBt9cerH03HJb0jGUr78Rf68kVIPjiigB-QB-aueJui4/w290-h400/IMG_2108.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting Nancy Johnson</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvmV8gYQLzHQr45N-GW9hQB_caStmQV6USpdKjrQnbgKapQoHX7ApTnZTi5qXyWe6vzb4a97mb7YRNBvvXdabUyvnkG_GDHQ7iLWUgpE09GW3nLLrWKha2ew859xBJIvWDR4kgAgH9S64Y96h3pWqjlXoziK46roe6Itj6hyphenhyphenbhzl67xUrpGsrY6iWIKU/s4032/IMG_2120.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvmV8gYQLzHQr45N-GW9hQB_caStmQV6USpdKjrQnbgKapQoHX7ApTnZTi5qXyWe6vzb4a97mb7YRNBvvXdabUyvnkG_GDHQ7iLWUgpE09GW3nLLrWKha2ew859xBJIvWDR4kgAgH9S64Y96h3pWqjlXoziK46roe6Itj6hyphenhyphenbhzl67xUrpGsrY6iWIKU/w300-h400/IMG_2120.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keynote speaker Anna Quindlen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br />2) On Tuesday evening, the Book Cellar Book Club gathered at the <a href="https://www.vanguard-nyc.com/location/ues/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Vanguard Wine Bar</span></b></a> to discuss Helene Hanff's classic book <b>84, Charing Cross Road</b>. The book consists of twenty years of letters written between Hanff, who lived in New York City, and the Marks & Co. Booksellers in London following WWII. Hanff was a freelance writer and literature lover who would order books from London to be sent to her. She struck up a friendly correspondence with the used book dealer and her letters were funny and a bit snarky at times. Eventually she got to know his family and others who worked at the bookstore, and she would arrange to have food and other items sent to them that were hard to find in post-war England. It's a lovely little book that restores your faith in humanity.</div><div>While on the way out, we ran into a group of women who were meeting for a book swap and we had a lovely chat with them. Apparently Vanguard Wine Bar is the literary salon of the Upper East Side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH-ieWPyA-2bTDWnx27iOW_zn2z7PW4HAFwZh066i7ZtNVHS9rYAN67IYSqirAcUcnKsLAaG_cBcO8imXmFgk2AybSk4MZkwm4R0S4fJRXEeNyp9DX4g9pY7YYpjsLdgOjXu3HFiipAWurD26BW0xpBgRV_yNvpXd3KAT6eoCh07awJN6oA0oAD-tcRs/s4032/IMG_2165.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH-ieWPyA-2bTDWnx27iOW_zn2z7PW4HAFwZh066i7ZtNVHS9rYAN67IYSqirAcUcnKsLAaG_cBcO8imXmFgk2AybSk4MZkwm4R0S4fJRXEeNyp9DX4g9pY7YYpjsLdgOjXu3HFiipAWurD26BW0xpBgRV_yNvpXd3KAT6eoCh07awJN6oA0oAD-tcRs/s320/IMG_2165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ecXpMEx8x6pGUXCwVbNEX6xibF1VKQeH_RVm5Pa-_XiC4lzU_alCowSDHNhyphenhyphenn_VJOy3wn2kFmChvT7Hr_fzBfJV6iNFj2WoqfTXcL03uEE_1xHKXhVPio5N6xJDOqaIwPTt1aL94cdOpETDYeLT2xI72DI5bRetk_r07XY8IfJsj4Y5tM_Ax_9NoScg/s4032/IMG_2169.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ecXpMEx8x6pGUXCwVbNEX6xibF1VKQeH_RVm5Pa-_XiC4lzU_alCowSDHNhyphenhyphenn_VJOy3wn2kFmChvT7Hr_fzBfJV6iNFj2WoqfTXcL03uEE_1xHKXhVPio5N6xJDOqaIwPTt1aL94cdOpETDYeLT2xI72DI5bRetk_r07XY8IfJsj4Y5tM_Ax_9NoScg/s320/IMG_2169.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new friends</td></tr></tbody></table><br />3) On Saturday evening, my husband and two of our friends went to see the fantastic Nick Fradiani portray Neil Diamond in <i><a href="https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/?_gl=1*18bjcac*_up*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiA8NKtBhBtEiwAq5aX2FvXSGklMtDSmopTQ6yq8JWTY6iNiCAVyyVrceu5OlxvWQBLFJGqWxoCaZcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A Beautiful Noise- the Neil Diamond Musical</span> </b></a></i>on Broadway. If you are a Neil Diamond fan this show is a must-see. The music will make you smile and dance in your seat, but please don't sing until the <i>Sweet Caroline</i> singalong at the end. Nick sang at the ArchCare gala in October and we went backstage after the show to congratulate him on an amazing performance. He graciously took a photo with us on stage. With so much bad news and chaos in the world, this show will leave you singing and smiling. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zq73CQK47jJltIzFcDfn3ugPeRab7IL5hj6oq106DsYwYHdOYRm55vxyi7lqcw1Qc35uefhXLY0b9Tkdi8uEBu6dsdU7R5UXnIqUQrlo3idBb9ufUO_6G54DCpiqdtMRA5lQNBsLdBTLRnWHJO2a2i8jxWSkFvaAj_izZYvEV-WYsI027xAx7sN_g00/s4032/IMG_4248.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zq73CQK47jJltIzFcDfn3ugPeRab7IL5hj6oq106DsYwYHdOYRm55vxyi7lqcw1Qc35uefhXLY0b9Tkdi8uEBu6dsdU7R5UXnIqUQrlo3idBb9ufUO_6G54DCpiqdtMRA5lQNBsLdBTLRnWHJO2a2i8jxWSkFvaAj_izZYvEV-WYsI027xAx7sN_g00/w400-h300/IMG_4248.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>4) Somone suggested we watch <i><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81447461" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Beef</span></b></a></i><span style="color: #0000ee;"> ,</span> a limited series on Netflix, and after it won several awards at the Golden Globes and Emmy Awards recently, we gave it a try. It is crazy good! Ali Wong and Steven Yeun play two people who have a road rage incident that spirals out of control. Both of them make one bad decision after the other that threatens their work, family, sanity and even their lives. Everyone involved deserves all the awards, especially Wong and Yeun who are just brilliant. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbqK-klnZGbV1zHUExgtBrn_oRuqltFdyorqmWZ5xvjX4GWxWGSPIu5_DCED2dxlviyYIG5Dx0G1xzQ_0wqKpZjgIWbNN7ZxTRs4se_0rihZ4aUYqm9SV0BwBas2Xg2XW2BS6tQALGzRi3A1MIvdBxXNfz01v6ajvysB5CUhyphenhyphenMjUYIyT2YXnIl9iVidw/s930/beef-930x620.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="930" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbqK-klnZGbV1zHUExgtBrn_oRuqltFdyorqmWZ5xvjX4GWxWGSPIu5_DCED2dxlviyYIG5Dx0G1xzQ_0wqKpZjgIWbNN7ZxTRs4se_0rihZ4aUYqm9SV0BwBas2Xg2XW2BS6tQALGzRi3A1MIvdBxXNfz01v6ajvysB5CUhyphenhyphenMjUYIyT2YXnIl9iVidw/w400-h266/beef-930x620.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>5) After hearing Anna Quindlen speak at New Year, New Chapter, I couldn't wait to dive into her upcoming novel, <b><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647406/after-annie-by-anna-quindlen/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">After Annie</span></a></b>, publishing in February. From the first sentence- "Annie Brown died right before dinner", I was hooked. Annie was a 37 year-old wife and mom to four young children who worked as a nurse aide in a nursing home. After she dies in their kitchen, her husband Bill, who owns his plumbing business, is lost and doesn't know what to do. Thirteen year-old daughter Ali becomes the caretaker to her dad and three younger brothers, and we see the story of what happens 'after Annie' through Ali, Bill, and Annie's lifelong best friend Annmarie's eyes. They bring Annie to life in this heartbreaking and emotional story. Annie was the glue that held the family together, and helped Annmarie through her addiction to pain killers. We watch these people as they grieve, which Quindlen likens to spring. "Grief was like spring, maybe. You thought you were getting out from under it and then it comes roaring back." <b>After Annie </b>is one of the most visceral novels about grief that I have read, and it will stay with me for a long time. I started reading it and five hours later I finished it because I could not put this book down. I give it my highest recommendation. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGE5jCPXsVxuf9TyJkZuJjE4hgXklMhWzkTd5k7BteDz8lCO6W3EVTt_KAXGB533t5jVS309AsgkMzebN3Pt3lHraCU6A8ST03sIk3k17g2xoZN_yLlOuMA5mAX8qZpmQgH6vR7ZHt49AcEtEZcDJPeJ-ucJlpWz5YU3oqmGT3qu4vWcWttQFXVxxZwJI/s450/after%20annie.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="296" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGE5jCPXsVxuf9TyJkZuJjE4hgXklMhWzkTd5k7BteDz8lCO6W3EVTt_KAXGB533t5jVS309AsgkMzebN3Pt3lHraCU6A8ST03sIk3k17g2xoZN_yLlOuMA5mAX8qZpmQgH6vR7ZHt49AcEtEZcDJPeJ-ucJlpWz5YU3oqmGT3qu4vWcWttQFXVxxZwJI/w263-h400/after%20annie.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /> I hope you have a safe, healthy week, Until next time.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" /><br />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-37170680407155683682024-01-24T06:00:00.007-05:002024-01-24T06:00:00.130-05:00The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan<div><b>The Missing Witness</b> by Allison Brennan</div><div>Published by MIRA <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-missing-witness-allison-brennan?variant=41055743344674" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9780778369653</span></b></a></div><div>Hardcover, $30, 416 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBj77fAq_2wXEdGGPOLkmdRJ8Rn3tehNzfw18oa8jtOauEF-pg05DHXW42ZAKwvik8jfvwjrEsiHLcz1H-PToaJZyNwHshXwlf_wyWxgiX6HKxSpzwHIU6YWDonOF7J1lm72w8yruMPtjAOcsaLXT-MzbFzYcnJWRsbzC41ejjt7NEt-9ozEUp0RxYlDw/s529/missing%20witness.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBj77fAq_2wXEdGGPOLkmdRJ8Rn3tehNzfw18oa8jtOauEF-pg05DHXW42ZAKwvik8jfvwjrEsiHLcz1H-PToaJZyNwHshXwlf_wyWxgiX6HKxSpzwHIU6YWDonOF7J1lm72w8yruMPtjAOcsaLXT-MzbFzYcnJWRsbzC41ejjt7NEt-9ozEUp0RxYlDw/s320/missing%20witness.webp" width="212" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I have always wanted to read one of Allison Brennan's novels so I jumped into the fifth book in her Quinn & Costa series, <b>The Missing Witness</b>. While it can be difficult to join an established series without having read the previous books, I was able to catch up, though it did take awhile to place all the characters relationships.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book begins with LAPD Detective Kara Quinn returning to Los Angeles to testify against a dangerous human trafficker she went undercover to catch. Kara Quinn has been on loan to the FBI in Washington DC where she works closely with Agent Matt Costa, and with whom she has a more than collegial relationship.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kara is eager to testify, and threats against her life by the trafficker's people have given her LAPD and FBI colleagues concerns about her safety. When the trafficker is shot and killed on his way into the courthouse, there is one witness to the killing- Amy, a civilian IT consultant who has been working undercover to get information on white collar financial crimes that may implicate people high up in the city government as well as the trafficker. </div><div><br /></div><div>Amy disappears following the killing, and there are questions as to whether she is a witness or the killer. Quinn and Costa and Quinn's former unit in the LAPD have to work together to find Amy and unravel the white crime syndicate that has now turned to murder to protect their secrets.</div><div><br /></div><div>Brennan does a good job explaining the complicated scheme that involves nonprofit organizations that have contracts with the city to build housing for unhoused people, and the web of deceit that has created millionaires out of people high up in the government and their family members.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are some truly tense scenes in this fast-paced novel, including a few shoot-outs, a rooftop chase, and Kara racing away on a motorcycle from killers on her trail. I was biting my nails on these scenes.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found it interesting how Brennan built her story around a real world problem, the homeless issue, and dealt with it from the perspective of people living in the middle of it. She clearly did her research on it. (<a href="https://murdershewrites.substack.com/p/the-story-behind-the-story-the-missing" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Here</span></b></a> is a link to an essay Allison Brennan wrote about this.)</div><div><br /></div><div>For people who have read the previous Quinn & Costa novels, they will no doubt enjoy seeing what their favorite characters have been up to in the interim, and there are a few surprises for them. After reading <b>The Missing Witness</b>, I will be looking the first four books in the series- Kara Quinn is a badass.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVCedxFDEAlnMsY5-nsRjQhxYoMTLFXxgB9RVXXV1DVSttJv27R8owpTpBEF6_YRbMLjrIjmGZrKpRJZUQpc7WtjlGT5Vs_AFPw8c1vbFFbUBYslkwXAv_eKuhy1DK8YcJh0Q9ThC7aEFKvrdKkJyKy6j5ogC9MIKndQb367pfs-fyH6niWmwWMhR-MQ/s1600/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVCedxFDEAlnMsY5-nsRjQhxYoMTLFXxgB9RVXXV1DVSttJv27R8owpTpBEF6_YRbMLjrIjmGZrKpRJZUQpc7WtjlGT5Vs_AFPw8c1vbFFbUBYslkwXAv_eKuhy1DK8YcJh0Q9ThC7aEFKvrdKkJyKy6j5ogC9MIKndQb367pfs-fyH6niWmwWMhR-MQ/w400-h100/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-19541491336092446412024-01-23T06:00:00.006-05:002024-01-23T06:00:00.245-05:00The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr<div><b>The Friendship Club</b> by Robyn Carr</div><div>Published by MIRA <a href="https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780778311881_the-friendship-club.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9780778311881</span></b></a></div><div>Hardcover, $28.99, 336 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcj_80vQYzvfmbKFLi80H5Es5yIrPXmZ6H8-lRcGsMBuTYm7YISaSeuIbChTzXC8Noc6NJP-LGFhCni0xLryIBQi_8_UWnsLaypLz7-cEK30MfHVEW3_idfOXKko0DovJCoQUm32SB9goUbmjDA9cGVmsONQBAmDBFT4c17toQJU38bkHnnJrbF1AJW0/s404/friendship%20club.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcj_80vQYzvfmbKFLi80H5Es5yIrPXmZ6H8-lRcGsMBuTYm7YISaSeuIbChTzXC8Noc6NJP-LGFhCni0xLryIBQi_8_UWnsLaypLz7-cEK30MfHVEW3_idfOXKko0DovJCoQUm32SB9goUbmjDA9cGVmsONQBAmDBFT4c17toQJU38bkHnnJrbF1AJW0/s320/friendship%20club.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Nobody writes about female friendships better than Robyn Carr and her latest novel, <b>The Friendship Club, </b> is a perfect example.</div><div><br /></div><div>Marni hosts a successful cooking show on television. Like Ina Garten ( The Barefoot Contessa), the show is filmed in her own home, where she is ably assisted by Ellen, who has been with her for twenty years. Ellen is creative with food but has no desire to appear on camera, she is happy to leave that to Marni.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sophia is interning with Marni and hopes to have a career in broadcast journalism. Marni's daughter Bella is anxiously awaiting the birth of her first child with her husband Jason.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although Marni has very successful career, her love life could use some work. She was widowed at a young age and now is divorced from her second husband after she caught him cheating on her. Ellen was a longtime caregiver for her seriously ill husband and is wary about getting into a new relationship. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sophia is excited about a new man in her life, but soon discovers that he is possessive and potentially dangerous. Marni had experience with that with her first husband and begins to worry about Sophia. Bella has concerns about her own marriage as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the story progresses, Marni finds herself unexpectedly attracted to a new man in her life and Ellen's retired firefighter neighbor would like to start a romance with her. Marni jumps in with both feet and encourages Ellen not to let her past get in the way of a possible happy future.</div><div><br /></div><div>I liked that we see relationships at all stages and ages- young Sophia, Bella and her husband as they await the birth of a baby, and Marni and Ellen in the 60s opening up their hearts to new possibilities. </div><div><br /></div><div>Robyn Carr's characters are always so interesting, and seeing older women excited about new romance is enjoyable and refreshing to read. And no matter how long ago you went through a pregnancy, you can relate to Bella's situation. Carr's male characters are well drawn and realistic too.</div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoy foodie books, and reading about Marni and Ellen's recipes and Ellen's volunteer work feeding people fleeing wildfires was fascinating. <b>The Friendship Club</b> is a wonderful book to gift to your girlfriends on Galentine's Day, I highly recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Winter 2024 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAxN2VAV0UP9vZDIa6u6fol86-ow28jgfl-MMRUo46O3YK051_tE3pvy4L2QwvPh8houEae-R82gWmp2OhNT4iXWgaKEXl1vL0oA3Y9uwCDUmGXS-mmwyZ6XSPSAYAy0kBc-v7-tTW-lhimW35tiFdqbIF9sL7Q0N7dN2pkTF9CCiguafjzEyUheJYwQ/s1600/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAxN2VAV0UP9vZDIa6u6fol86-ow28jgfl-MMRUo46O3YK051_tE3pvy4L2QwvPh8houEae-R82gWmp2OhNT4iXWgaKEXl1vL0oA3Y9uwCDUmGXS-mmwyZ6XSPSAYAy0kBc-v7-tTW-lhimW35tiFdqbIF9sL7Q0N7dN2pkTF9CCiguafjzEyUheJYwQ/w400-h100/690-HTP-Banner---Winter-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-18491138710054173172024-01-19T17:57:00.000-05:002024-01-19T17:57:00.083-05:00Friday 5ive- January 19, 2024<div>Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly-ish post featuring five things that caught my attention this week. One of my 2024 resolutions is to be better about posting this weekly. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1) I thought I had missed my chance to see the Rockefeller Center tree this year, but I managed to get there on January 11th, two days before it came down. This year's tree was particularly beautiful, so full and bright, and there were no crowds of people on the night I was there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8cSwh9-u794-1q1d7taTpagmxf1UMKUAx-Zl4S_2Uoeyk0TCSg1ie3d-pyS_pUVE_V-dQjWEJrJ-Ft3gG4FtczZUhW8Q0k24VQaKHxFNDDiIRy05RhAkJeXbs4g1KB7or12hTq0TlYvh3lDiYHQs5fIT2gUmKXfaiF6mY-aByQesXmaLgPHIT2dpL5o/s4032/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8cSwh9-u794-1q1d7taTpagmxf1UMKUAx-Zl4S_2Uoeyk0TCSg1ie3d-pyS_pUVE_V-dQjWEJrJ-Ft3gG4FtczZUhW8Q0k24VQaKHxFNDDiIRy05RhAkJeXbs4g1KB7or12hTq0TlYvh3lDiYHQs5fIT2gUmKXfaiF6mY-aByQesXmaLgPHIT2dpL5o/w300-h400/IMG_1973.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2) The reason I got to see the tree was because I was on my way to see Broadway's <i><a href="https://daysofwineandrosesbroadway.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Days of Wine and Roses.</b></span></a> </i>They turned the 1962 classic movie starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick into a musical starring two of Broadway's best performers- Brian d'Arcy James and Kelli O'Hara. It tells the story of a public relations executive in the late 1950s who meets and falls in love with a secretary. Joe often has to wine and dine people in his business, and he shares his love of alcohol with the teetotaler Kirsten. Kirsten begins to enjoy alcohol as much as Joe, and that love of alcohol causes problems for both of them. Even the birth of their daughter can't stop them from drinking. It's an emotional, powerful, and sad story. James and O'Hara are in fine form, their musical voices dominate this moving show. It's not a feel-good story, and I was suprised that they turned this into a musical rather than a dramatic play. It's a limited run show, 16 weeks only so if you are in NYC soon I recommend this show for the outstanding performances.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTafGfCSAvtUtTvqjZRIyfwpALltAUUBCGi-YPfH4hKsQo0j4UTlR9ODBNdbvix5OVmHIfMXbuAkHDRi1GoleXoadCURbkOqMLpRWKBkVaXVhZviAT5JcaeQrVcXrlFVAoJbMyuDw4ZpiO7htrq6xX-krWw2NZXXCDT8Yuy2lWo7pkB_QHPB8GDbou8go/s4032/IMG_1974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTafGfCSAvtUtTvqjZRIyfwpALltAUUBCGi-YPfH4hKsQo0j4UTlR9ODBNdbvix5OVmHIfMXbuAkHDRi1GoleXoadCURbkOqMLpRWKBkVaXVhZviAT5JcaeQrVcXrlFVAoJbMyuDw4ZpiO7htrq6xX-krWw2NZXXCDT8Yuy2lWo7pkB_QHPB8GDbou8go/s320/IMG_1974.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3) We found a fantastic little Italian restaurant in our neighborhood called <a href="https://www.donnamargheritany.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Donna Margherita</span></b></a>. I pass by it frequently on my journeys, and from the outside it looks rather nondescript. Then I looked up reviews for them and they were glowing. Everyone praised their authenticity, the delicious food and the attentive staff. We visited on a recent night with three other people and we were wowed by the food. Most of us had the Sunday Sauce pasta with short ribs that had simmered for seven hours. It was fabulous. The place is small inside, but very cozy and they have an outdoor seating area when it warms up. It will be on regular rotation and if you come to visit us, we'll probably take you there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgac46buhyhdyOhiARAOGik0KTxAXDwrv1d4owxWKPuLHoExMyVKMqejeHnHXsyTx9T95eq9dYA5aNuB9oAMaMoA53vsqjWJQizWfQiKc7zv0iWCQ6KgXOaeovRl3UXdBEE-6GgN4wY7lLWblLrGC2vD98qWn6wTfDZzvrHVHXG5hsqhGs-I0EsO8DdOEg/s4032/IMG_1764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgac46buhyhdyOhiARAOGik0KTxAXDwrv1d4owxWKPuLHoExMyVKMqejeHnHXsyTx9T95eq9dYA5aNuB9oAMaMoA53vsqjWJQizWfQiKc7zv0iWCQ6KgXOaeovRl3UXdBEE-6GgN4wY7lLWblLrGC2vD98qWn6wTfDZzvrHVHXG5hsqhGs-I0EsO8DdOEg/w300-h400/IMG_1764.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4) If you watched any of the film awards ceremonies in the past few weeks, you have seen Paul Giamatti winning Best Actor for his pitch-perfect performance as a lonely, irascible, tough, unliked by everyone boarding school ancient history professor in the movie <i><a href="https://www.miramax.com/movie/The-Holdovers/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Holdovers</span></b></a></i>. We watched it on the Peacock streaming service and it was wonderful. Da'Vine Joy Randolph also won for her magnificent performance as Mary, the head of the cafeteria, a Black woman who recently lost her son in the Vietnam War. The movie, set in 1970 over the holiday weekend where everyone has gone home for the holiday but one student, the professor who draws Holdover Duty and Mary. The three end up forming an unlikely bond. It's a rare movie that both my husband and I like, but we really enjoyed this one and recommend it to everyone. If you liked the movie <i>Sideways</i> from back in the early 2000s, director Alexander Payne and Giamatti reunited from that one here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3ZciXxhq_BQ9oYXUHsIoPoWSbHDcp0SW1qU6aINICCGjz7hfa3Lb4PhPvlUgnuzPWIzNF5cct62kwWEDI5giw1cV-Tpx6X1lwUvOORpXV1l7EXDE8n5Jq8VXmJKrxXWZjGJCeLKXE9M0SZsjE8Tl6CAg32ZbbCwbl_TAZBFyYkXXoIRy20PICgpsb5w/s2304/holdovers_cropped_poster_KlxmZsE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="1551" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3ZciXxhq_BQ9oYXUHsIoPoWSbHDcp0SW1qU6aINICCGjz7hfa3Lb4PhPvlUgnuzPWIzNF5cct62kwWEDI5giw1cV-Tpx6X1lwUvOORpXV1l7EXDE8n5Jq8VXmJKrxXWZjGJCeLKXE9M0SZsjE8Tl6CAg32ZbbCwbl_TAZBFyYkXXoIRy20PICgpsb5w/w269-h400/holdovers_cropped_poster_KlxmZsE.png" width="269" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5) Speaking of the Vietnam War, I have two books with that setting for you this week. The first one is Tim O'Brien's classic war novel <b>The Things We Carried</b>, which is my January edition from my Banned Books gift my daughter-in-law gave me last year. I can't wait to read his powerful novel of men in war.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kristin Hannah's upcoming novel <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250178633/thewomen" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Women</span></b> </a>is also set during the Vietnam War. Frankie McGrath leaves her upper class home in Coronado, California to join her brother who left to fight in Vietnam. She becomes a nurse specifically to go to Vietnam and her eyes are opened to another world, one she couldn't have imagined. Frankie becomes friends with her roommates Ethel and Barb, and the although the three women couldn't be more different, they become lifelong friends. Hannah puts the reader right in Frankie's shoes as she quickly learns how to save the lives of young men blown apart in war. We also see the aftermath of Frankie's service, her return home where people spit on her, call her a baby killer and alternately disregard her service by saying "there were no women in Vietnam." I loved the TV show <i>China Beach</i>, and <b>The Women </b>mines that same territory as well as the TV show. I found one small plot point at the end a little disappointing, but <b>The Women</b> overall continues Hannah's streak of writing deeply moving historical fiction (<b>The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Four Winds). </b> I highly recommend it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOT9mshoIvKbTVucrVeCJ5nfGfKRglWbN_rhxpt77Ub8aNe5AHwsbcshtIrALMYt1fcvN5TIuRa8y1809iyiGjiPZRqLA2todSBoNRfkMo7Te5M7YkhipL-lhB_fP62GPgTEAWCIl9ZmAqBxTIUJ7KyV7QjY5BK7R2qdCjvDEn_z0YDhpcc-jpP-y43A/s4032/IMG_2087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOT9mshoIvKbTVucrVeCJ5nfGfKRglWbN_rhxpt77Ub8aNe5AHwsbcshtIrALMYt1fcvN5TIuRa8y1809iyiGjiPZRqLA2todSBoNRfkMo7Te5M7YkhipL-lhB_fP62GPgTEAWCIl9ZmAqBxTIUJ7KyV7QjY5BK7R2qdCjvDEn_z0YDhpcc-jpP-y43A/w400-h300/IMG_2087.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Welcome to 2024 where winter has finally come to NYC. Stay safe and warm everyone, until next time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-46021691706145450022024-01-15T10:29:00.002-05:002024-01-15T10:29:55.809-05:00Two great reads from 2023 begin my 2024.<div><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><i>Reprinted from <a href="https://auburnpub.com/life-entertainment/la-rue-two-2023-reads-worth-beginning-the-new-year-with/article_c6660fd4-b09e-11ee-8393-6b5b9f24e7a0.html"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">auburnpub.com</span></b></a></i></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Welcome to 2024 and a new year that means new beginnings. Many people make resolutions, and reading goals are a popular project for readers. Websites like Goodreads encourage people to set a goal for the number of books read, and you can find Reading Challenges with prompts for the different types of books to read- i.e.- Books Set in a Foreign Country, Books That Begin With a Different Letter of the Alphabet From A-Z, Books With A Flower on the Cover- you get the idea.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">That can be a fun project and a way to connect with other readers, as well as a way to expand your reading choices and get out of your comfort zone.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">I began 2024 with a goal to read one fiction and one nonfiction book from 2023 that was critically acclaimed. For the fiction book, I chose Amanda Peters <b>The Berry Pickers</b>. It tells the story of Ruthie, a four year-old Indigenous girl who disappears from a Maine orchard where her family works every harvest. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbqn5kdcpzP2cbh8Okj2b3i4iMu5dcDayR0a_6GmZDYwOw-UKiktBlucc7qhbjk9-umuEIY499som7RCip1b3va4wdroz-5Vylt-qUjCSWiyUdROytlJ3EXOZo-3D7__XpGP40Tut1-lONAyuaoJpxNfiEw-_v4aAUXEGTMdPkq3C7ZITySK9EPFLgG4/s450/berry%20pickers.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbqn5kdcpzP2cbh8Okj2b3i4iMu5dcDayR0a_6GmZDYwOw-UKiktBlucc7qhbjk9-umuEIY499som7RCip1b3va4wdroz-5Vylt-qUjCSWiyUdROytlJ3EXOZo-3D7__XpGP40Tut1-lONAyuaoJpxNfiEw-_v4aAUXEGTMdPkq3C7ZITySK9EPFLgG4/s320/berry%20pickers.jpeg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Ruthie was sitting on a rock <span style="outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">eating a sandwich </span></span>with her older brother and then she was gone. Her family- mother, father, three older brothers and one older sister- was distraught and searched for her for weeks with no success.</span></div><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">The family returns to their home on Nova Scotia but they are never the same. Her mother insists that Ruthie is alive somewhere. Her brother Joe, the last one to see her before she disappeared, spirals out of control feeling guilty that he left her alone.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">The family’s story is interspersed with the story of Norma, the only daughter of a couple who struggled for years trying to have a baby before Norma came along. Norma’s mother refuses to let Norma out of her sight except for school, and Norma comes to feel stifled by her lonely life.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><b>The Berry Pickers</b> is a beautifully written debut novel, with characters the reader cares deeply about. We feel their pain and sadness and although you know where the story is going, it is the journey that keeps you reading this wonderful book. I give it my highest recommendation. Fans of Jacqueline Mitchard’s <b>The Deep End of the Ocean</b> will like this one.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Rachel Maddow’s nonfiction <b>Prequel- An American Fight Against Fascism</b> takes the reader back to WWII. In the run-up to WWII, Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party decide that the key to winning the war in Europe is to keep the United States out of the war. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYc1qmR2oDSLnRb1cqLT0YWR8K56PWntwInsPcsA9mdl5paemWvMuXVQvSD3Qvl8N7Zbc66G9ByZpnVozGMi81t75KTFXsZVYIvBIHyoOETZou7pl4ktf8jLOgeLxm0iBWbRGce6Ca46zVIwl1uZW-8M1mTFnaTnNMJvLsI09iYDXusZDQn8EtI0oRQ8/s450/prequel.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYc1qmR2oDSLnRb1cqLT0YWR8K56PWntwInsPcsA9mdl5paemWvMuXVQvSD3Qvl8N7Zbc66G9ByZpnVozGMi81t75KTFXsZVYIvBIHyoOETZou7pl4ktf8jLOgeLxm0iBWbRGce6Ca46zVIwl1uZW-8M1mTFnaTnNMJvLsI09iYDXusZDQn8EtI0oRQ8/s320/prequel.jpeg" width="210" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Many Americans were reluctant to get involved another world war far from our shores, particularly wary after the loss of life in WWI. The Nazis used that reticence to their advantage, and they stoked the divisions in American life to accomplish their goal.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">The Germans used money to influence Congressmen, religious leaders, and other influential people to achieve their goal. The Nazi Party had many members in the United States, even filling Madison Square Garden with an event.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">(If you read Susan Elia MacNeal’s fascinating novel<a href="https://bookchickdi.blogspot.com/2022/10/two-books-featuring-strong-women-at.html"> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Mother Daughter Traitor Spy</b> </span></a>you will be familiar with the popularity of the the Nazi Party in Los Angeles at this time.)</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Maddow lays out in meticulously researched detail how the German government used antisemitic feelings in the United States to turn people against President Roosevelt and members of his government.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">One of the most interesting parts of the book shows how the Germans used the franking program to spread their propaganda to the American people. Congresspeople are allowed to send mail for free to their constituents, and everything that gets read into the Congressional Record (like speeches made on the House floor) is eligible to be mailed for free.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">The German government hired people to write speeches for certain Congresspeople who would then read those speeches verbatim, get them into the Congressional Record, and then mailed across the country. It was actually a direct mailing advertising company owner who figured out this scheme and blew the whistle on them.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><b>Prequel</b> reads like a fictional thriller yet it is reality. It’s got a suspiciously timed deadly plane crash, a trial that is part Marx Brothers movie, and an intrepid reporter who gets directly involved in the story. It resonates with current events and I’m not sure if that is frightening or reassuring.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">For podcast fans, Maddow’s podcast <a href="https://www.rachelmaddow.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra/" target="_blank"><i><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ultra</span></b></i></a> is the companion to <b>Prequel</b> and also very well done. I give <b>Prequel</b> my highest recommendation as well. History fans will love it.</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><a href="https://books.catapult.co/books/the-berry-pickers/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Berry Pickers</span></b></a> by Amanda Peters- A+</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Published by Catapult</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Hardcover, $27, 306 pages</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;"><b><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721028/prequel-by-rachel-maddow/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Prequel</span></a></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>by Rachel Maddow- A+</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Published by Crown</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: none;"><span style="font-size: small; outline: none;">Hardcover, $ 32, 382 pages</span></p><p class="yiv8315979578ydpc2000fb0p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; outline: none;"><br style="outline: none;" /></p></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-40929075305876053972024-01-05T14:43:00.000-05:002024-01-05T14:43:11.038-05:00The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski<div><b>The Weekend Retreat </b>by Tara Laskowski</div><div>Published by Graydon House <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-weekend-retreat-tara-laskowski?variant=41039784116258" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9781525811456</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $18.99, 352 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMripmhoVPe7cQID17UI7E0Q1zqeglxCxbrrXeTokio1oZzjNz5fXfPnrG3o22CB0OYgsGrpzvAG5Ke425cSEC4asKRti4ZOtMIJ0GnuCPKgVVbNJjmQ_ARFqmdD6AILk79CudeBcNk4oCZ-HpaBnZ-GGze7AQlM69m1NM-m2AIzmftc7Pi9YWeLnK6I/s525/weekend%20retreat.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMripmhoVPe7cQID17UI7E0Q1zqeglxCxbrrXeTokio1oZzjNz5fXfPnrG3o22CB0OYgsGrpzvAG5Ke425cSEC4asKRti4ZOtMIJ0GnuCPKgVVbNJjmQ_ARFqmdD6AILk79CudeBcNk4oCZ-HpaBnZ-GGze7AQlM69m1NM-m2AIzmftc7Pi9YWeLnK6I/s320/weekend%20retreat.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tara Laskowski's newest novel, <b>The Weekend Retreat</b>, appealed to me because of the setting of a family winery in the Finger Lakes region. (I grew up in the Finger Lakes region and I love a good winery.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The novel takes place during the wealthy Van Ness family's annual birthday celebration for Richard and his twin sister Harper, along with their spouses and younger brother Zach who is bringing along his new girlfriend whom no one has yet met.</div><div><br /></div><div>The recent death of the Van Ness matriarch looms large over the gathering. She was tough-bordering-on-emotionally abusive on all her children, especially her daughter Harper. Richard's wife Elle has taken over the reigns planning the perfect birthday weekend retreat, one that would please her mother-in-law.</div><div><br /></div><div>Things turn ugly as everyone turns on each other and someone on the outside of this heavily secured fortress has designs on getting revenge on the family- but why? Everyone has secrets they are hiding, secrets that can destroy the family. When a torrential rainstorm plunges the estate in darkness something deadly this way comes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Weekend Retreat </b>has a real <i>Succession</i> vibe as the characters are generally unlikeable rich people with a parent who treated them cruelly at times. (The rich- they're like us. Not really.) There are lots of twists, some you'll see coming, some that will take you by surprise. The book has been called "Succession meets Agatha Christie" and that is an apt description. It's a good book to read on a rainy weekend curled up under a blanket with a cold glass of Riesling.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2023 Blog Tour. </i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48hUbXo1sTdC1vIZVFN9f2PYMoUeeD8Qw0JhDGSys_cUSv_1fZPFaMiDttVZTOlvVTw2zmoE4xXtolAGb4sdi_XinBlbNVhNmNx45lZ3gie1vOpNfJw_08yNcFZwrYI_n5xXj1sEO2UJUU_HVwJ7nXaGhVbQkx2rUyCof5PCXW-yaJuPb4YHpETuEF7o/s1600/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48hUbXo1sTdC1vIZVFN9f2PYMoUeeD8Qw0JhDGSys_cUSv_1fZPFaMiDttVZTOlvVTw2zmoE4xXtolAGb4sdi_XinBlbNVhNmNx45lZ3gie1vOpNfJw_08yNcFZwrYI_n5xXj1sEO2UJUU_HVwJ7nXaGhVbQkx2rUyCof5PCXW-yaJuPb4YHpETuEF7o/w400-h100/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-65270868898178568072023-12-18T14:30:00.003-05:002023-12-18T14:30:52.681-05:00The Most Compelling Books of 2023<div><i>Reprinted from <a href="https://auburnpub.com/life-entertainment/la-rue-the-most-compelling-books-i-read-in-2023/article_91d44840-9a86-11ee-a3cc-1fbca323bb12.html"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">auburnpub.com</span></b></a></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">It’s the time of year for my annual list of the Most Compelling Books I read in 2023. These are books that I still think about long after I finish reading them, with characters I care about in fascinating storylines.</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Two of the books are current releases, first up is Alice McDermott’s novel </span><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374610494/absolution"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Absolution</span></b><span style="color: #1d2228;">.</span></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> Unlike most of McDermott’s books that are set in New York or Ireland, this one tracks an Irish-American newlywed woman as she follows her engineer husband to Saigon, Vietnam, at the beginning of the U.S. involvement in the war. The writing is gorgeous, and it reminded me of Barbara Kingsolver’s </span><b style="color: #1d2228;">The Poisonwood Bible</b><span style="color: #1d2228;">. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiUSxuDKYJe3f8b-TQgT1qTPV2K-mtIM2Se-e3KjyS5h9UsI3W9eGCPA7yECBcnK312_13d40ePJrMVRJXJ4DDn8abBcr6ab0erIQ9QkBvfNNVs4amnSQdBEkRxQ0Rqw1w-M4DPPxdXp33P-DcjXArWIQGLZjojOjF5PNdntfOn7jhVMgkFyTfsVYCiw/s400/absolution.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiUSxuDKYJe3f8b-TQgT1qTPV2K-mtIM2Se-e3KjyS5h9UsI3W9eGCPA7yECBcnK312_13d40ePJrMVRJXJ4DDn8abBcr6ab0erIQ9QkBvfNNVs4amnSQdBEkRxQ0Rqw1w-M4DPPxdXp33P-DcjXArWIQGLZjojOjF5PNdntfOn7jhVMgkFyTfsVYCiw/s320/absolution.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Lauren Grodstein’s historical fiction </span><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lauren-grodstein/we-must-not-think-of-ourselves/9781643752341/?lens=algonquin-books" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">We Must Not Think of Ourselves</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> also recently published. Adam is young widowed Jewish teacher living in Warsaw in 1940 when the Nazis have forced Jewish residents to leave their homes and move into ghettos. He ends up living with two other families in a small apartment, and we watch as their lives deteriorate daily. This powerful book resonates today as we see how people struggle to keep their humanity while they are being treated inhumanely. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_gscAH9IDkqN3obUfaCl_W4fXKBPz3mVTdFdhl9zGVKYDRtkKVKy2gPZwTeiNPjRzW_2HiYMMo0ZhoTiRPCe1YeP1NR1BqCxdXdqjTrE8zTMlC1qtFicS8ANlu7an9L8SA1s4r32wWJPnBASffJ4UYQIinmT2j1d_c24XUpryuRpJyxi9WYC4Yag3Ws/s1536/we%20must%20not%20think%20of%20ourselves.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1017" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_gscAH9IDkqN3obUfaCl_W4fXKBPz3mVTdFdhl9zGVKYDRtkKVKy2gPZwTeiNPjRzW_2HiYMMo0ZhoTiRPCe1YeP1NR1BqCxdXdqjTrE8zTMlC1qtFicS8ANlu7an9L8SA1s4r32wWJPnBASffJ4UYQIinmT2j1d_c24XUpryuRpJyxi9WYC4Yag3Ws/s320/we%20must%20not%20think%20of%20ourselves.webp" width="212" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Family stories are always a favorite and Tracey Lange’s </span><a href="https://celadonbooks.com/book/the-connellys-of-county-down/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Connellys of County Down</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> tells the story of the three adult Connelly siblings after their youngest sister is released from prison for a drug charge. She moves back in with her siblings and tries to rebuild her life as we see how what happened to her changed everyone’s life. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH522mEyS931fxj6kGgLrgNOSATlSzLA8baN2h7JjxBHbRmpUS6csMem6uugkBLsJmISKX5viz7GhsordYOxG40iizIsDEZ422DOZ26GH9BxMjDf9j7fLKcqlOVdHNDfSF_GcgMCNle0_VEu6BP6amFBYbUdIggN0yCkv1GgSJpJo1TDg1u3tGi0RYflo/s400/connellys%20of%20county%20down.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH522mEyS931fxj6kGgLrgNOSATlSzLA8baN2h7JjxBHbRmpUS6csMem6uugkBLsJmISKX5viz7GhsordYOxG40iizIsDEZ422DOZ26GH9BxMjDf9j7fLKcqlOVdHNDfSF_GcgMCNle0_VEu6BP6amFBYbUdIggN0yCkv1GgSJpJo1TDg1u3tGi0RYflo/s320/connellys%20of%20county%20down.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">J. Ryan Stradahl’s </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634353/saturday-night-at-the-lakeside-supper-club-by-j-ryan-stradal/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club</b></span></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> takes us to Minnesota as four generations of women of a family own and operate a popular supper club through the years. Some of them take to the business, others feel confined by it. The sense of place is so strong, you’ll want to go there to eat at the restaurant. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJgnPxguH90h7mjbn2ONpi2QlHko5WKvWLXW4NBl3YLbVZW83NWq1r5Eh1Oy90QlkofQsyuOJSPFNmdd3h_0snbq2l52iFGEyhJLH_uFASBzyjoAhqQwSxNANQMT5vTRtpq9M1bmt_IcZ9ezgi6AbGNLfA8au-HnGRM1YjXMIKXFUEHoUjiXE-TsEV2g/s450/lakeside%20supper%20club.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJgnPxguH90h7mjbn2ONpi2QlHko5WKvWLXW4NBl3YLbVZW83NWq1r5Eh1Oy90QlkofQsyuOJSPFNmdd3h_0snbq2l52iFGEyhJLH_uFASBzyjoAhqQwSxNANQMT5vTRtpq9M1bmt_IcZ9ezgi6AbGNLfA8au-HnGRM1YjXMIKXFUEHoUjiXE-TsEV2g/s320/lakeside%20supper%20club.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /></span></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Michiko Aoyama’s novel, </span><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/what-you-are-looking-for-is-in-the-library-michiko-aoyama?variant=41009475911714" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What You Are Looking For Is In The Library</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> is a translated Japanese novel that intersects the lives of a group of people who are each at a crossroads in their lives. When they meet a special librarian, she gives advice that helps them. This one restores your faith in humanity.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw7bFTlRyZDKmCF1UlQ2C4RdLVHuy6377FOj8qu0ploWvoBAJDtY80CxtbVUBF9Q8FRguLVHghgIgXenRK3AroVXb4NEBkYlxQlojNyYNBpDcP1uo4Hne6bzhwtDZuZpc96T9X782m9CahPrgDJr3okwOOaERdxvncaed6bpbMlHpFokR_ptAta6QIZk/s485/what%20you%20are%20looking%20for.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuw7bFTlRyZDKmCF1UlQ2C4RdLVHuy6377FOj8qu0ploWvoBAJDtY80CxtbVUBF9Q8FRguLVHghgIgXenRK3AroVXb4NEBkYlxQlojNyYNBpDcP1uo4Hne6bzhwtDZuZpc96T9X782m9CahPrgDJr3okwOOaERdxvncaed6bpbMlHpFokR_ptAta6QIZk/s320/what%20you%20are%20looking%20for.webp" width="231" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">We go to India for Parini Shroff’s terrific debut novel </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706934/the-bandit-queens-by-parini-shroff/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Bandit Queens</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;">. When a young woman in their village is falsely suspected of killing her no-good husband, other women secretly seek her assistance in taking care of their rotten husbands.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUVNvWHsEimPjLLLyAOydIXBgIp_RVTfTqPrKNkdHVG5y6uhrtSQzW4vl_xm9IJkXb_Hq7jo12GBRUcuqptUnfMX-mWA40DEX6Ch7SECGcSSHijWmVEiYMf3RlemHMSnbmI77ppTiZNYf3IVoSaym8bYnUI7TUIr3bEjYelLr5TqE51Am4Ky5XoPKKgc/s450/bandit%20queens.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUVNvWHsEimPjLLLyAOydIXBgIp_RVTfTqPrKNkdHVG5y6uhrtSQzW4vl_xm9IJkXb_Hq7jo12GBRUcuqptUnfMX-mWA40DEX6Ch7SECGcSSHijWmVEiYMf3RlemHMSnbmI77ppTiZNYf3IVoSaym8bYnUI7TUIr3bEjYelLr5TqE51Am4Ky5XoPKKgc/s320/bandit%20queens.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Jesse Q. Sutanto has written young adult books, romance novels, and now turns to mysteries with </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707475/vera-wongs-unsolicited-advice-for-murderers-by-jesse-q-sutanto/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;">. Vera is a 60 year-old widow owner of a tea shop in Chinatown. When she finds a dead body in her shop, she decides to investigate on her own since the police seem uninterested. Vera is a hoot, one of the best characters I’ve seen in a long time. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4fw6kPI8vrvnd-G84RRS8NULbzE8BAUjiUr8gXE3sfTldiAj0ycDO3iN-chc961Xl9MZLe1-rVwyelDZrBnl63Rcb1xJtJYWPWXRANwG64Tc0nkZy-GGxYAhwjAUELHE5_qoHyCd_2NaqslcqxCPNOaY0nh6u8FwbayFeADoI1d0MF1M-EvhnXBN9QU/s450/vera%20wong.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4fw6kPI8vrvnd-G84RRS8NULbzE8BAUjiUr8gXE3sfTldiAj0ycDO3iN-chc961Xl9MZLe1-rVwyelDZrBnl63Rcb1xJtJYWPWXRANwG64Tc0nkZy-GGxYAhwjAUELHE5_qoHyCd_2NaqslcqxCPNOaY0nh6u8FwbayFeADoI1d0MF1M-EvhnXBN9QU/s320/vera%20wong.jpeg" width="206" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Matthew Norman’s Baltimore-set novel </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709665/charm-city-rocks-by-matthew-norman/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Charm City Rocks</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> is about a music teacher whose teenage son thinks he’s helping dad by conning a rock star his dad had a crush on years ago to come to Baltimore in the hopes that sparks fly. It’s funny and sweet and you’ll want to visit Baltimore after reading this one. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCXHlFXpBVnta042Vtvgk4Ti_wppX90P5By2nPdh3kiMTA8zFj86pT7SygW27vG-GzcJyLTKaaQltiT2RyD9LxsbPfOLijYQ4KuC5pclgio2HU6X0Zl3aYU2GiYUh5YA-V3lPDZ2d13UZPww4SFIXFiVB6VM1xvQfbwodH3XIOhZBWO4Ksml8j4MLmTY/s450/charm%20city%20rocks.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCXHlFXpBVnta042Vtvgk4Ti_wppX90P5By2nPdh3kiMTA8zFj86pT7SygW27vG-GzcJyLTKaaQltiT2RyD9LxsbPfOLijYQ4KuC5pclgio2HU6X0Zl3aYU2GiYUh5YA-V3lPDZ2d13UZPww4SFIXFiVB6VM1xvQfbwodH3XIOhZBWO4Ksml8j4MLmTY/s320/charm%20city%20rocks.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Jane L. Rosen’s </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707157/on-fire-island-by-jane-l-rosen/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">On Fire Island</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> takes readers to that vacation community as a young widower struggles to deal with his grief with the help of an older widower neighbor and a teenage boy. The characters in this heartwarming story one are wonderful, especially Shep, the older neighbor. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8o5wPqMYQNuDYa-Mz4u_spmiv8U-k8o0m7vg3XsGjPoIVJ-yPqP4sdJXlgM5-Mh506nLAGBsJ4cXviOO-mI-WFRS2HcIn4lPO2exUXMFIfahCzmbsDSKNwTzQW31DtAZSHl3ZnNi1zt1R3sM3eqJA-nWLZdq03dli60qJGfX1HJ7cubvtQaXP1Rr5L8/s450/on%20fire%20island.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8o5wPqMYQNuDYa-Mz4u_spmiv8U-k8o0m7vg3XsGjPoIVJ-yPqP4sdJXlgM5-Mh506nLAGBsJ4cXviOO-mI-WFRS2HcIn4lPO2exUXMFIfahCzmbsDSKNwTzQW31DtAZSHl3ZnNi1zt1R3sM3eqJA-nWLZdq03dli60qJGfX1HJ7cubvtQaXP1Rr5L8/s320/on%20fire%20island.jpeg" width="206" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-leftover-woman-jean-kwok?variant=41004648071202" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Leftover Woman</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> by Jean Kwok deals with two women, one a young mother from China who travels to New York to search for the daughter she was told died at birth. Her story intersects with a wealthy executive who struggles with her publishing career and raising her young daughter. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNE9mkBYOMjLJLN2EQjIG3EXQNHWNL4TDbd8mdZl1jX6XP8UANiZDaR7wDU2rd7d3745kZXsvZzzOtPB9zanH_RXHFCrxGICp-uPKBTTyenrUNsN1q7WXrxKHhL-vLFxuRILe2_s02k2LGEe2oJ4gfUtjd00HTonvogVNluUrgIIwTxw0wBHTzn_Lw6Q/s3271/Leftover%20woman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3271" data-original-width="2334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNE9mkBYOMjLJLN2EQjIG3EXQNHWNL4TDbd8mdZl1jX6XP8UANiZDaR7wDU2rd7d3745kZXsvZzzOtPB9zanH_RXHFCrxGICp-uPKBTTyenrUNsN1q7WXrxKHhL-vLFxuRILe2_s02k2LGEe2oJ4gfUtjd00HTonvogVNluUrgIIwTxw0wBHTzn_Lw6Q/s320/Leftover%20woman.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">On the nonfiction front, Helen Ellis’s book of essays, </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/695824/kiss-me-in-the-coral-lounge-by-helen-ellis/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kiss Me In the Coral Lounge</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> recounts her loving marriage to her husband and how they survived the pandemic in a New York apartment. It’s hilarious and heartfelt, every married couple should read it.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtPF7FIogAFLrTJUfUVHYaSKt3bZ20nl4bXwgjSUeaHceMCg78ohBEBBdCXso8o_KWQsJiYaSHSXbnufCSqt3N3hHxe3gTc75opGXwj86WoVOrqTOEEzINwqCYISWp5BOo2LHSw9In9iP1SpQr36bveeLStnFfKxgOtxqFw5LxnOifmSUpK8u9Q0aiY0/s450/kiss%20me%20in%20coral%20lounge.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtPF7FIogAFLrTJUfUVHYaSKt3bZ20nl4bXwgjSUeaHceMCg78ohBEBBdCXso8o_KWQsJiYaSHSXbnufCSqt3N3hHxe3gTc75opGXwj86WoVOrqTOEEzINwqCYISWp5BOo2LHSw9In9iP1SpQr36bveeLStnFfKxgOtxqFw5LxnOifmSUpK8u9Q0aiY0/s320/kiss%20me%20in%20coral%20lounge.jpeg" width="217" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Maggie Smith’s memoir </span><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/You-Could-Make-This-Place-Beautiful/Maggie-Smith/9781982185855" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">You Could Make This Place Beautiful</span></b></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> is the flip side, describing how she dealt with her marriage falling apart and raising her young children during this time. Smith is a brilliant poet and each word hits emotionally. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #1d2228; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxuUjnE3GqLoPvYwqhL1EkaX80ZGERxN6JzK4sSU2bvh4otnrk0ZXvbXeq69nNiQyOqXQ6S8hyphenhyphenN7yVg6kB0zfe4XlTEjvqgP4jLvxljCHAyKSg43EZQUUJNyOCwxXzFXYrFIt2YCxjAk87e_L0ZYFxv5G3VEhdTCgh5tIXhLtS6Q_U0qOkgnh6bfkiLk/s400/you-could-make-this-place-beautiful-9781982185855_lg.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxuUjnE3GqLoPvYwqhL1EkaX80ZGERxN6JzK4sSU2bvh4otnrk0ZXvbXeq69nNiQyOqXQ6S8hyphenhyphenN7yVg6kB0zfe4XlTEjvqgP4jLvxljCHAyKSg43EZQUUJNyOCwxXzFXYrFIt2YCxjAk87e_L0ZYFxv5G3VEhdTCgh5tIXhLtS6Q_U0qOkgnh6bfkiLk/s320/you-could-make-this-place-beautiful-9781982185855_lg.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /></span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><span style="font-family: times;">Bonus pick- Ann Patchett's novel <span><b><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/tom-lake-ann-patchett?variant=40964175265826" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tom Lake</span></a></b>.</span> Lara recounts to her adult daughters the story of when she dated a famous actor while working in a summer theater years ago. Set during the pandemic, the writing is perfection and Patchett never hits a false note. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun5QAIgy-QSzqsALCk4zNAS9W0zOEHkejuoFvmBGOfFVRv3g6kSFQ35LWfyJ_ii8N5VSGqe3kQRJv6a5Eu-mHEdoKoqKMHRGCvmITWzyRo-sJ4892a8DY4irDIBGIcj11iX92p7_eh0niAss1Lah2Xpj1XH4b8HI_wlXJYnI-zjlYMXgL2GdSwcmLWvc/s529/tom%20lake.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun5QAIgy-QSzqsALCk4zNAS9W0zOEHkejuoFvmBGOfFVRv3g6kSFQ35LWfyJ_ii8N5VSGqe3kQRJv6a5Eu-mHEdoKoqKMHRGCvmITWzyRo-sJ4892a8DY4irDIBGIcj11iX92p7_eh0niAss1Lah2Xpj1XH4b8HI_wlXJYnI-zjlYMXgL2GdSwcmLWvc/s320/tom%20lake.webp" width="212" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; outline: none;" /></span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228;">Out of the 110 books I read this year, these are the 12 books that affected me the most. What did you read that you loved?</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: none;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; outline: none;" /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-26874718621099470592023-12-01T20:27:00.000-05:002023-12-01T20:27:28.725-05:00The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor<div><b>The Fiction Writer </b>by Jillian Cantor</div><div>Published by Park Row <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-fiction-writer-jillian-cantor?variant=41024389185570" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9780778334187</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $17.99, 304 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTas_VhxjBYXigmnY_gg2FQrp_Pny5ssgrl-MgVVjXYpj9TK_XmnQ57m_q7x9JyaOwNaXCQE0nHF6yOqYkX5WUZNgASnIsRXChRCCV9rpZvVSfyK7gj3z3LB_ddrkSPfdg5E1x3QpkXgit69wURz6JgMUYWaF4rEkLs6G-urdEIa6jO959ffZc_dKeyxA/s525/fiction%20writer.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTas_VhxjBYXigmnY_gg2FQrp_Pny5ssgrl-MgVVjXYpj9TK_XmnQ57m_q7x9JyaOwNaXCQE0nHF6yOqYkX5WUZNgASnIsRXChRCCV9rpZvVSfyK7gj3z3LB_ddrkSPfdg5E1x3QpkXgit69wURz6JgMUYWaF4rEkLs6G-urdEIa6jO959ffZc_dKeyxA/s320/fiction%20writer.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I am a big fan of novels that retell or reframe a classic- Ann Napolitano's <b>Hello Beautiful </b>(<i>Little Women</i>) and Curtis Sittenfeld's <b>Eligible </b>(<i>Pride & Prejudice</i>) are two of my favorites- so when I heard that Jillian Cantor's new novel <b>The Fiction Writer</b> paid homage to Daphne du Maurier's <b>Rebecca</b>, I was intrigued.</div><div><br /></div><div>Writer Olivia Fitzgerald is having a bad year. After the success of her first novel, her second novel (a retelling of Daphne du Maurier's <i>Rebecca)</i> doesn't sell well at all. Her live-in boyfriend moves out, and her editor is not excited about her next effort.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her editor says that billionaire and People's Sexiest Man Alive Ash Asherwood has requested that Olivia ghost-write a book with him about his grandmother and her relationship with Daphne du Maurier. The money is too good to turn down, so off Olivia goes to Malibu.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ash is a widower, his wife perished in a car accident (was it an accident?) and he is reclusive. His housekeeper seems to be very attached to him and is hostile to Olivia.</div><div><br /></div><div>While Olivia is becoming accustomed to life in Ash's beautiful ocean front home, Ash is pulling her more into his orbit. But when Olivia tries to get down to work discovering what exactly his grandmother and Daphne du Maurier's secret is, Ash becomes cagey and puts her off.</div><div><br /></div><div>Olivia decides to investigate on her own, and discovers that Ash has not been truthful with her. What is he hiding and what is his real purpose for bringing Olivia to Malibu? </div><div><br /></div><div>Fans of <b>Rebecca </b>will enjoy <b>The Fiction Writer</b> on a deeper level, and the controversy around Daphne du Maurier's novel (other people claimed that she stole their story) adds an interesting aspect to the story. Pairing a nice copy of <b>Rebecca </b>with <b>The Fiction Writer </b>would make a great gift for the classic literature lover on your holiday list.</div><div> </div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2023 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQHYT0uvWpesXQ893nA72wd_axr_4VLbFGpFJ6Qh_3gfPOQO7MaDE6a7dIaXcJjB9Pjn5WDMDnSMz9YJLxcv5lPdbUW6yLo3x-RbCZTb7ThNLwwHeD9zmvrapcbC9aMHrsduKVhWUAa3UCraIuuaRmW_3RuBHJpr58B4Q0mSTNC2b7qz3kyh1KGEExkU/s1600/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQHYT0uvWpesXQ893nA72wd_axr_4VLbFGpFJ6Qh_3gfPOQO7MaDE6a7dIaXcJjB9Pjn5WDMDnSMz9YJLxcv5lPdbUW6yLo3x-RbCZTb7ThNLwwHeD9zmvrapcbC9aMHrsduKVhWUAa3UCraIuuaRmW_3RuBHJpr58B4Q0mSTNC2b7qz3kyh1KGEExkU/w400-h100/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><img height="39" src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" width="96" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-66825028007377783522023-11-19T12:25:00.000-05:002023-11-19T12:25:04.239-05:00The 2023 Books Are Great Gifts Guide Is Here<div><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i>Reprinted from auburnpub.com:</i></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Thanksgiving Day is coming upon us and that means holiday gift shopping gets into full gear so it’s that time of year for the annual Books Make Great Gifts Guide. Books make great gifts- they always fit, are never the wrong color or size, and easy to wrap.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For your best friend whose television is tuned permanently to the Hallmark Channel this month, Sarah Morgan’s <b><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-book-club-hotel-sarah-morgan?variant=41003790270498" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Book Club Hotel</span></a></b> has a charming Vermont boutique hotel setting at Christmas, best friends, and a romance.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8hYdl2oDLIE_Gbj344rHMWbOx-6Zzy-8bvIGyCmua5ZgAdW3F3sNoPpTf__IoMMCJvccaKr-j1OTpzCdVSrPDqSv9AC9Dp3qiEBUkj7HQML9qaNGmxYQZoQbqJoAGeSOR-sHGQN7HdwuKW0CClhm0Hiejd0et2xoCpeIW2LN0grmbIIpwHIS64VwiZg/s3600/Book%20Club%20Hotel%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8hYdl2oDLIE_Gbj344rHMWbOx-6Zzy-8bvIGyCmua5ZgAdW3F3sNoPpTf__IoMMCJvccaKr-j1OTpzCdVSrPDqSv9AC9Dp3qiEBUkj7HQML9qaNGmxYQZoQbqJoAGeSOR-sHGQN7HdwuKW0CClhm0Hiejd0et2xoCpeIW2LN0grmbIIpwHIS64VwiZg/s320/Book%20Club%20Hotel%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Jenny Colgan’s <b><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-christmas-bookshop-jenny-colgan?variant=41073043210274" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Christmas Bookshop</span></a></b> is set in lovely Edinburgh, Scotland and centers on a young woman determined to save the bookshop where she is employed from being purchased and turned into a tacky tourist shop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITZXpdjlNFirb5I7W3vKvxtUmFyhS1F7QxodzADbdYQl-oCcWUh57DwFUEfSUcEK-IoY4d_L7-_kv1CA-xu1ZhLyPI8gYC_i4F9ZxRzsX9aOhAxnbZx3SJKrhcYx9W1ZOsNhcKBtWRY2YvcD-6KOwQJMgKkmGgsLrCODYaRE6QBbPurKfwCkauu8-yyE/s553/christmas%20bookshop.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITZXpdjlNFirb5I7W3vKvxtUmFyhS1F7QxodzADbdYQl-oCcWUh57DwFUEfSUcEK-IoY4d_L7-_kv1CA-xu1ZhLyPI8gYC_i4F9ZxRzsX9aOhAxnbZx3SJKrhcYx9W1ZOsNhcKBtWRY2YvcD-6KOwQJMgKkmGgsLrCODYaRE6QBbPurKfwCkauu8-yyE/s320/christmas%20bookshop.webp" width="203" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Mary Kay Andrews’ annual holiday book <b><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250285812/bright-lights-big-christmas?q=bright%20women" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bright Lights, Big City</span></a></b> takes place in New York City as a brother and sister come up from North Carolina to sell their family’s Christmas trees in Greenwich Village in New York City and save the family business. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb8EobjL6WwwUw1BZ81QOdoMNLTed-KljPydzOGW1dO8Ay8JYXkbMCjSyj417jzTSdHy-mFW0mTZlrg6TfVifqSZqWztsGtBOCzw-KmrIMlXhBIESf2yHGs-55NDxgAqv7dWyvjxof3SBTBFIzm4SVBgLWVeqbAo34cT3yqi1BQmvcXtYiCzacLkr4e0/s1391/bright%20lights%20big%20city.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnb8EobjL6WwwUw1BZ81QOdoMNLTed-KljPydzOGW1dO8Ay8JYXkbMCjSyj417jzTSdHy-mFW0mTZlrg6TfVifqSZqWztsGtBOCzw-KmrIMlXhBIESf2yHGs-55NDxgAqv7dWyvjxof3SBTBFIzm4SVBgLWVeqbAo34cT3yqi1BQmvcXtYiCzacLkr4e0/s320/bright%20lights%20big%20city.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For your sister who loves true crime podcasts and fictional mysteries and thrillers, Jessica Knoll’s novel <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bright-Young-Women/Jessica-Knoll/9781501153228" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bright Young Women</span></b> </a>tells the story of two women connected to the crimes of real life killer Ted Bundy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavK3eAzLY1pIlPR39ijYGqVKi-gdTIeuDsHjW6pPiVjgWGgUvmQ7qamKsu652-gKQk-T9EjwoBo_GD3EYI4iaRASTAj6Z8YUO3VWnBinmwdQg7y86M_4HsEKeeD7MTKxioH6uEXDLJS9Tr7BrfTj7NfaJ2VUNWxictD8JbGRtO2xSHJ9nSXeBqAXUfZg/s400/bright-young-women-9781501153228_lg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavK3eAzLY1pIlPR39ijYGqVKi-gdTIeuDsHjW6pPiVjgWGgUvmQ7qamKsu652-gKQk-T9EjwoBo_GD3EYI4iaRASTAj6Z8YUO3VWnBinmwdQg7y86M_4HsEKeeD7MTKxioH6uEXDLJS9Tr7BrfTj7NfaJ2VUNWxictD8JbGRtO2xSHJ9nSXeBqAXUfZg/s320/bright-young-women-9781501153228_lg.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Tess Gerritsen starts a terrific new thriller series with <a href="https://www.tessgerritsen.com/the-spy-coast" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Spy Coast</span>,</b></a> where a few retired CIA spies have settled in a small town in coastal Maine. When one of them is threatened by someone from her past, the spies bond together to save the day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONS8d52wsZdxlqXHRzI8F6my9s2WSkOxqg_IEyzTumv5DedTg24lgVi1eWMxvNvCnzo4EDQnrGIUXHIeLisI53msRErY_MkjHu9FigZxhPKJjVzayeph5a2NO5VOXgRfnbBDgPqF05koJ6LFrnz-BBNoXjJyIGafMfaAXOJ0mgUlHmEG2bENDjrG0xt0/s1732/The+Spy+Coast.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1732" data-original-width="1151" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONS8d52wsZdxlqXHRzI8F6my9s2WSkOxqg_IEyzTumv5DedTg24lgVi1eWMxvNvCnzo4EDQnrGIUXHIeLisI53msRErY_MkjHu9FigZxhPKJjVzayeph5a2NO5VOXgRfnbBDgPqF05koJ6LFrnz-BBNoXjJyIGafMfaAXOJ0mgUlHmEG2bENDjrG0xt0/s320/The+Spy+Coast.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For your aunt who likes to read historical fiction and recently binged the miniseries <b>All the Light</b> <b>We Cannot See</b>, Kelly Rimmer’s <b><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-paris-agent-kelly-rimmer?variant=40902082953250" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Paris Agent</span></a></b> is a tense novel about ordinary British women who become undercover spies in WWII France, and the price they pay to try and save the world. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaE7aIoRiMuhGaz2hn83vncV72W5uhb9uSEJu9OpS8jD_LGbyCUN-ZyGKfuB68ZseCYDY6netkqfWF__D8JTumKTlIkr6bIfKuKqXeUsfismz7uorGNnKfEn3K6Rv4hivP5fdRs41W2_BxtFNSlAnHOqIELg3b1MbNoszPdCriearKlcei3O-ohVqyhp0/s544/paris%20agent.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaE7aIoRiMuhGaz2hn83vncV72W5uhb9uSEJu9OpS8jD_LGbyCUN-ZyGKfuB68ZseCYDY6netkqfWF__D8JTumKTlIkr6bIfKuKqXeUsfismz7uorGNnKfEn3K6Rv4hivP5fdRs41W2_BxtFNSlAnHOqIELg3b1MbNoszPdCriearKlcei3O-ohVqyhp0/s320/paris%20agent.webp" width="206" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Turning to Nonfiction, for your uncle the history buff, David Grann, author of <b>Killers of the</b> <b>Flower Moon</b>, has a new book, <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/208563/the-wager-by-david-grann/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Wager</span></b></a> </span>about a shipwreck, mutiny, and murder in 1740. It’s gotten rave reviews. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHttJZJb8s7OlqKErCA3N-4qToeG8Z0TjkZzG9998AedQK32JQZiuSWNmjySiDc5W8HhQaQQP0jwhmJszruCLWQYmpAZ9g8AQqFYt7AMqW2efKS6zjmFm1tDXB9xyELH0OPyWPUaUjAO6m05AMUJNeY2mEkGogApuCY3OqxSskyrgHgxSI8MHUUDnWIkg/s450/wager.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHttJZJb8s7OlqKErCA3N-4qToeG8Z0TjkZzG9998AedQK32JQZiuSWNmjySiDc5W8HhQaQQP0jwhmJszruCLWQYmpAZ9g8AQqFYt7AMqW2efKS6zjmFm1tDXB9xyELH0OPyWPUaUjAO6m05AMUJNeY2mEkGogApuCY3OqxSskyrgHgxSI8MHUUDnWIkg/s320/wager.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Rachel Maddow’s new book <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721028/prequel-by-rachel-maddow/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Prequel</span></b></a> has been getting a lot of buzz. It tells the true tale of Nazis sympathizers who infiltrated power positions in Congress, media, and religion in the United States in the lead up to WWII. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1QqQMLp7ot5wHea0_aFYK2UGjCbTnYnGtwkSSi_nv0LLPSTxJGsSd93Ank-ppxrUkJUlk9i6fd3iqs-FnsyszGY-982njQZSPJ_whe6l8p4dt7pOPpLtDgd2YwY_SLfTFnHvce4qZ6ig7uW6YgvzjgV-gH-UbvugWtUUmEu2AMRtc5fDlOuoYlQ6Duk/s450/prequel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1QqQMLp7ot5wHea0_aFYK2UGjCbTnYnGtwkSSi_nv0LLPSTxJGsSd93Ank-ppxrUkJUlk9i6fd3iqs-FnsyszGY-982njQZSPJ_whe6l8p4dt7pOPpLtDgd2YwY_SLfTFnHvce4qZ6ig7uW6YgvzjgV-gH-UbvugWtUUmEu2AMRtc5fDlOuoYlQ6Duk/s320/prequel.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Moving up chronologically, Loren Grush’s <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Six/Loren-Grush/9781982172800" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Six</span></b></a> </span>is about the first six women in NASA’s space shuttle program in the 1960s and 1970s. This one is for your niece who read <b>Hidden Figures</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC9898BTRrTl1sazI2B6EfD3k_3xG6Clvxu4bkggRGwNpHbmtaFh-Wb2i0Ah9BRV96pJ6v4CbCvXKoOsEfE7ITNaMamwGRGXUvswou9dyHNWviQ1qSmVlBB195mmCoN91-JS9Pz4C4JLuimttv5YRksrdVkeBAazLDViv1VOaMkQhC51GLrAPixqE_Os/s400/the-six-9781982172800_lg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC9898BTRrTl1sazI2B6EfD3k_3xG6Clvxu4bkggRGwNpHbmtaFh-Wb2i0Ah9BRV96pJ6v4CbCvXKoOsEfE7ITNaMamwGRGXUvswou9dyHNWviQ1qSmVlBB195mmCoN91-JS9Pz4C4JLuimttv5YRksrdVkeBAazLDViv1VOaMkQhC51GLrAPixqE_Os/s320/the-six-9781982172800_lg.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Speaking of the 1970s, Henry Winkler’s fascinating memoir <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250888099/being-henry" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Being Henry</span></b></a> takes him from his childhood through his breakout role as the Fonz on the TV hit “Happy Days’ through his struggle with dyslexia to his Emmy-winning role on HBO’s “Barry’ and more. This one will be a great gift for so many people on your holiday list. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMaLJDnYj42QtBJyrpWJkQiO6wR5AikgXB47BhtEzjpky21LKVrIuCEqV0CShWYNyCavqtKCslinK1inb-XloVD4Onyvq6UzzX4ZBw75_tlySn6pvEA8zW1z210AJ5u5E6XKikG5MVb6-CDzFUkYPYXF5h1SRx-GC-_Lock9prXzNftnKRu8QEMBd9Y0/s1332/being%20henry.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMaLJDnYj42QtBJyrpWJkQiO6wR5AikgXB47BhtEzjpky21LKVrIuCEqV0CShWYNyCavqtKCslinK1inb-XloVD4Onyvq6UzzX4ZBw75_tlySn6pvEA8zW1z210AJ5u5E6XKikG5MVb6-CDzFUkYPYXF5h1SRx-GC-_Lock9prXzNftnKRu8QEMBd9Y0/s320/being%20henry.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“General Hospital” heartthrob, Uncle Jesse on “Full House” star, and perpetually youthful-looking John Stamos has a memoir out as well that will appeal to fans of his many years in popular culture titled <b><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250890979/if-you-would-have-told-me" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">If You Would Have Told Me</span>.</a> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghasDrvnK37DNOZ_lRY2iztsGmlRHuefh0aNHkjPWKkOEYfyybJR7pEmbuUPVX_6iNX6vlBfmuyMH2NSldXZUiwNi_QPEoqpY3lodItE1rE6XTufVnFBVhO6phG4vEjNwlsXN05AqfCf3BmPiAI81qF7YBqNuvHi1h4sWc9Xm1aweNQ9hxkksxu0DNCH4/s1368/john%20stamos.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghasDrvnK37DNOZ_lRY2iztsGmlRHuefh0aNHkjPWKkOEYfyybJR7pEmbuUPVX_6iNX6vlBfmuyMH2NSldXZUiwNi_QPEoqpY3lodItE1rE6XTufVnFBVhO6phG4vEjNwlsXN05AqfCf3BmPiAI81qF7YBqNuvHi1h4sWc9Xm1aweNQ9hxkksxu0DNCH4/s320/john%20stamos.jpeg" width="211" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For the person who loves to be creative in the kitchen, there are two good cookbooks out. <a href="https://natashaskitchen.com/cookbook/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Natasha’s Kitchen</span></b></a> by popular blogger Natasha Kravchuk has 100 “family-friendly and foolproof” recipes, including some from her native Ukraine.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KnEpIXoo9RGDr6M0pHyDa1PozNcZTOxvI09TxYD8lEAkG4HbV05PyzWaajMWB-BvuWrPlH08wWA8Whp9Fo5J9A1cf99h1Pfvpo9NHF8QlZi6Kn7kWznNC59JuD3hT5ArT8hDBbf91BAXMqI4TYbuQkxUomIaoMg_RSn9I22nGqi_0hodRf2BRqJkbDA/s1231/NatashasKitchen_3D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KnEpIXoo9RGDr6M0pHyDa1PozNcZTOxvI09TxYD8lEAkG4HbV05PyzWaajMWB-BvuWrPlH08wWA8Whp9Fo5J9A1cf99h1Pfvpo9NHF8QlZi6Kn7kWznNC59JuD3hT5ArT8hDBbf91BAXMqI4TYbuQkxUomIaoMg_RSn9I22nGqi_0hodRf2BRqJkbDA/s320/NatashasKitchen_3D.jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Molly Baz shares her motto <a href="https://natashaskitchen.com/cookbook/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">More is More</span></b></a> in her cookbook that is great for cooks of all skill levels. Molly believes in intuitive cooking not so much in exact measurements. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nR7TXrllX4tFzFVz3qHXdV64HKvI38FEUK9uXs8Hpd0PNCW_HbWIYY7HSjqQBDCLCjvGNnHRAWng9NnY8xJIZc_2tw8e3Jzx48bumBkwJ-BR1rZBNAjJLnT6CLfswqaNDzwMD_cAsGUvgb4AbyaSb_nYzvdY2mG9eiqFm4gjsiG8zBaC_IobhoJPmXQ/s450/more%20is%20more.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nR7TXrllX4tFzFVz3qHXdV64HKvI38FEUK9uXs8Hpd0PNCW_HbWIYY7HSjqQBDCLCjvGNnHRAWng9NnY8xJIZc_2tw8e3Jzx48bumBkwJ-BR1rZBNAjJLnT6CLfswqaNDzwMD_cAsGUvgb4AbyaSb_nYzvdY2mG9eiqFm4gjsiG8zBaC_IobhoJPmXQ/s320/more%20is%20more.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"> Fans of <b>The Games of Thrones </b>have their next read in Rebecca Yarros' two novels</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><b> <a href="https://www.entangledpublishing.com/books/fourth-wing" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Fourth Wing</span></a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.entangledpublishing.com/books/iron-flame" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Iron Flame</span></a></b>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y4xzrMXhv1C_cdb7AgVu-S08gsxe0QQ4uQQO9w-2vuQfusRstwhAR1SAj4NPcYQoFwdS_A7hk6jffSXhxA-P2ywssk1myFm0qz1tffXhDJAsCUKpp-giYhFbpi0KMidQdv8VuTJVw-QpUf-DabaHCp6ZIcJy_Y54akThcteGrTWFzoWxPxepS4lwLQw/s750/fourth%20wing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y4xzrMXhv1C_cdb7AgVu-S08gsxe0QQ4uQQO9w-2vuQfusRstwhAR1SAj4NPcYQoFwdS_A7hk6jffSXhxA-P2ywssk1myFm0qz1tffXhDJAsCUKpp-giYhFbpi0KMidQdv8VuTJVw-QpUf-DabaHCp6ZIcJy_Y54akThcteGrTWFzoWxPxepS4lwLQw/s320/fourth%20wing.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXODFzGBQKglxwdtldmsNFyWErb4kZuqBUesVXojtV6Gv_tug8D4MxiUknuEIyK81gqEQ0F8ten4o6lqhh7yoW5YUaaA1kTSI1detTj6w5MMYAKBm8uzc9hpMq_nGUVCzfSMK7j0B8I9J3zEhjgD6ZhVm0fyOPUn8AfGl81ggAFoc6vWx7AB4yEKFbP1s/s750/iron%20flame.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXODFzGBQKglxwdtldmsNFyWErb4kZuqBUesVXojtV6Gv_tug8D4MxiUknuEIyK81gqEQ0F8ten4o6lqhh7yoW5YUaaA1kTSI1detTj6w5MMYAKBm8uzc9hpMq_nGUVCzfSMK7j0B8I9J3zEhjgD6ZhVm0fyOPUn8AfGl81ggAFoc6vWx7AB4yEKFbP1s/s320/iron%20flame.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;">For Young Adults, Rebecca Ross’ <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250857439/divine-rivals" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Divine Rivals</span></b></a> is a popular fantasy one, the first book in her Letters of Enchantment series. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGEhA35XBqPLt9ph6h4VNwoGBRBkh5-6HwdgPHMbtMOc8d-fhaWof6AkOqWYr6lpN3fCvhboQi6Kzk51yxQqYEBzKLFmRf1bTPFNLt6ys4QFTHVpS4cWtSOsl0n6RzyK3B9JbI5HU_KR0TcuzAyy_Ng2q9jKkrvhDVW_ffRVdT_0ZoTlVuhVZOm7RxK4/s1368/divine%20rivals.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGEhA35XBqPLt9ph6h4VNwoGBRBkh5-6HwdgPHMbtMOc8d-fhaWof6AkOqWYr6lpN3fCvhboQi6Kzk51yxQqYEBzKLFmRf1bTPFNLt6ys4QFTHVpS4cWtSOsl0n6RzyK3B9JbI5HU_KR0TcuzAyy_Ng2q9jKkrvhDVW_ffRVdT_0ZoTlVuhVZOm7RxK4/s320/divine%20rivals.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Jenny Han’s <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Complete-Summer-I-Turned-Pretty-Trilogy-(Boxed-Set)/Jenny-Han/The-Summer-I-Turned-Pretty/9781665928014" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Summer I Turned Pretty</span></b></a> trilogy has been repackaged in a three-book set for those who love the Prime series it is based on. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxYE38FHzQUsMchvNz3_4gFDKv9INqh4Ld5Sug2SA4uWI8j2eI4MmGVrWteGisLtohzJkiN0rSssnbkKRsexvgvPGWyGM9MvqXhqPnEf2wlycOhZFy6EVqPTcM1MeYTQ0ukYooWlhyphenhyphen78WhZqw-vJAOtKbk6fhAEGuPw6MR33_OQgg0DGpEtP2Uokv_Rg/s400/the-complete-summer-i-turned-pretty-trilogy-9781665928014_lg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxYE38FHzQUsMchvNz3_4gFDKv9INqh4Ld5Sug2SA4uWI8j2eI4MmGVrWteGisLtohzJkiN0rSssnbkKRsexvgvPGWyGM9MvqXhqPnEf2wlycOhZFy6EVqPTcM1MeYTQ0ukYooWlhyphenhyphen78WhZqw-vJAOtKbk6fhAEGuPw6MR33_OQgg0DGpEtP2Uokv_Rg/s320/the-complete-summer-i-turned-pretty-trilogy-9781665928014_lg.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Middle grade readers are big fans of Rick Riordan’s series of novels, and his new one in the Olympians series is <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://rickriordan.com/book/the-chalice-of-the-gods/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Chalice of the Gods</span></b></a>.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0E-JDkSJ5FD0IRetHAmoZ6cMtgoKTV_RQhsLmliiOhy5BL6M7Sd5bvczs0C2HXjry0XbPlGTnVjzYBNx8zAaWIr-76whciASdctvv9FMmqG6Zjp6fIG-eqRLjPr8aaN7a5Iuvv4p6lALehkdBzqMz-5BNBTE3srbvV_F1RaUzTRtzD0yu0VtaAfHIVnQ/s1024/Chalice-of-the-Gods-cropped-822x1024.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="822" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0E-JDkSJ5FD0IRetHAmoZ6cMtgoKTV_RQhsLmliiOhy5BL6M7Sd5bvczs0C2HXjry0XbPlGTnVjzYBNx8zAaWIr-76whciASdctvv9FMmqG6Zjp6fIG-eqRLjPr8aaN7a5Iuvv4p6lALehkdBzqMz-5BNBTE3srbvV_F1RaUzTRtzD0yu0VtaAfHIVnQ/s320/Chalice-of-the-Gods-cropped-822x1024.png" width="257" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"></span>Christopher Paolini’s new addition to his popular Eragon series is <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723067/murtagh-by-christopher-paolini/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Murtagh</span></b></a>. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPwoYQtH8s4QNklCjjBqNRXA1DNtRvpVaR2OdyICTNitJXQKf_O9UZPonC0gwAKOz1qBVWJhwYyG1QJiYvw6ZJO09ijj68FXTi3zo7HK4L-Bl1u9HFX14Wsxj878zn4K_XcgmT3iLpih9yLNKof0J_KduvaAlKyFfhryZzWEUl8cqaSqG8pMxa3BvnQ0/s450/murtagh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPwoYQtH8s4QNklCjjBqNRXA1DNtRvpVaR2OdyICTNitJXQKf_O9UZPonC0gwAKOz1qBVWJhwYyG1QJiYvw6ZJO09ijj68FXTi3zo7HK4L-Bl1u9HFX14Wsxj878zn4K_XcgmT3iLpih9yLNKof0J_KduvaAlKyFfhryZzWEUl8cqaSqG8pMxa3BvnQ0/s320/murtagh.jpeg" width="218" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Other popular series for children are <a href="https://www.magictreehouse.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Magic Tree House</span></b></a> which has over 50 books in the series, the <b><span style="color: #0000ee;"><a href="https://wimpykid.com/" target="_blank">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</a> </span></b>series, and <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/197909-the-bad-guys" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Bad Guys</span></b></a> </span>series. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihu6vRPgqPEYxrdbF5WEs9cSHTpfwwp4Bhpzlfn27zAQQBuq6WpbPHuJmNZAK2B0c0OY3tW0Cti8lveYutfA5dtPGTpfl3pEd5gVrZrehk98PgfVo4oTKSW9Cmh0Pk2pROHPF4liPvmMMAV6iQ2H830MgEOR6N4BDKJXSNFqNUnrc-qLCeRZ7iI_7SVw/s450/magic%20tree%20house.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihu6vRPgqPEYxrdbF5WEs9cSHTpfwwp4Bhpzlfn27zAQQBuq6WpbPHuJmNZAK2B0c0OY3tW0Cti8lveYutfA5dtPGTpfl3pEd5gVrZrehk98PgfVo4oTKSW9Cmh0Pk2pROHPF4liPvmMMAV6iQ2H830MgEOR6N4BDKJXSNFqNUnrc-qLCeRZ7iI_7SVw/s320/magic%20tree%20house.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfC3xDTdiBJc9YRXW3u4BAe7w57MqBlLeHbpe_liVUBuFq5sOLj-VgdlsN7mKeT08pCARQ8qiDjUTdqCDLlW4t2J-n8pMk0X9LrP_aCbTECCFUdFyE_jsqHQb0FV_hnLjKorsbWY5S-HSUM4fwzmNcUZBcw-Li_Da5RaZpKzie05DZ2gNb8qTtRxRwZFI/s1800/wimpy%20kid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfC3xDTdiBJc9YRXW3u4BAe7w57MqBlLeHbpe_liVUBuFq5sOLj-VgdlsN7mKeT08pCARQ8qiDjUTdqCDLlW4t2J-n8pMk0X9LrP_aCbTECCFUdFyE_jsqHQb0FV_hnLjKorsbWY5S-HSUM4fwzmNcUZBcw-Li_Da5RaZpKzie05DZ2gNb8qTtRxRwZFI/s320/wimpy%20kid.png" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3vfwcZ6VgrYac78hS6_LPEBxq6EaPuTzkOz69TOii2YoYDrbn1JagqoAR5NacJaUAE11tmV2lx3agSrZ9inUiE7uedGEO45qVGr0b8wFQ6KXEz4WKzUsNXZ3QwLGaCL9ekQeUQ4i_LzHNxJqCLFoYykPBUQGyszV4UsUVSLiqJzFNwbdcQiHQVv02zY/s400/bad%20guys.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3vfwcZ6VgrYac78hS6_LPEBxq6EaPuTzkOz69TOii2YoYDrbn1JagqoAR5NacJaUAE11tmV2lx3agSrZ9inUiE7uedGEO45qVGr0b8wFQ6KXEz4WKzUsNXZ3QwLGaCL9ekQeUQ4i_LzHNxJqCLFoYykPBUQGyszV4UsUVSLiqJzFNwbdcQiHQVv02zY/s320/bad%20guys.jpeg" width="253" /></a></div><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Mo Willems has a new picture book for youngsters, <a href="https://mowillemsworkshop.com/catalog/books/product/don-t-let-the-pigeon-drive-the-sleigh" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh</span></b></a> and poet Amanda Gorman’s <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634481/something-someday-by-amanda-gorman-illustrated-by-christian-robinson/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Something, Someday</span></b></a> teaches about kindness. And you can’t go wrong with a <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.sandraboynton.com/sboynton/boyntonbooks.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sandra Boynton board book</span></b></a> f</span>or babies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZGUNmE9gDLTe4KutIa4_PlajyWeEjMckazhSaxfFvSrDiyvX_hpZa194p72UYHuMbN0TaqdQmoF8Zv0XYLzqYwUNXN4z5S0L_v50qgqlUJbY40gDiIMHvU3-WehPvSig0SUH6Ox609TST7CYIFwEwrVmYSa4Rz3YFNwNE3srlQrf65_a0mC3kTMPTsw/s760/Dont-Let-the-Pigeon-Drive-the-Sleigh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="760" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZGUNmE9gDLTe4KutIa4_PlajyWeEjMckazhSaxfFvSrDiyvX_hpZa194p72UYHuMbN0TaqdQmoF8Zv0XYLzqYwUNXN4z5S0L_v50qgqlUJbY40gDiIMHvU3-WehPvSig0SUH6Ox609TST7CYIFwEwrVmYSa4Rz3YFNwNE3srlQrf65_a0mC3kTMPTsw/s320/Dont-Let-the-Pigeon-Drive-the-Sleigh.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8T7afA4FDFLGA8DI9kAEKhugcubeFDvbZ_wvdKTeP-VHAIlWpA8c09TK0ssp33whJ2Ceca9yjJT-_Y7daOwunI-6hVK9rBjr1E66s5lVO4HZtg9rDzn7gJQ9VMM7lUxICA4SSbw8xcVbbVOJkAQLs-Obf46F0WbyaVNYVTCaC0W-yq1Q47mu3DawukoY/s450/something%20someday.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8T7afA4FDFLGA8DI9kAEKhugcubeFDvbZ_wvdKTeP-VHAIlWpA8c09TK0ssp33whJ2Ceca9yjJT-_Y7daOwunI-6hVK9rBjr1E66s5lVO4HZtg9rDzn7gJQ9VMM7lUxICA4SSbw8xcVbbVOJkAQLs-Obf46F0WbyaVNYVTCaC0W-yq1Q47mu3DawukoY/s320/something%20someday.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXymRBfskbtDe3ylYKB8LzX4tCTtpvQxveFccTAN2bO_6fQQ3YsVKBrdjd8A8itqfhqT3UlyL-LqZQBiDdjekNSPHEWqoEJomPvZ9htwQUVfkIWpmAUeHsEm8b9xcQIOm4SmrG2Zf9zIgK571aDDjg8yjjg8FptgcDfMJFGBX03cAT88G9X3GuIZDSuk/s260/ChristmasParade.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="260" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXymRBfskbtDe3ylYKB8LzX4tCTtpvQxveFccTAN2bO_6fQQ3YsVKBrdjd8A8itqfhqT3UlyL-LqZQBiDdjekNSPHEWqoEJomPvZ9htwQUVfkIWpmAUeHsEm8b9xcQIOm4SmrG2Zf9zIgK571aDDjg8yjjg8FptgcDfMJFGBX03cAT88G9X3GuIZDSuk/s1600/ChristmasParade.jpeg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Remember that you can support independent booksellers buy purchasing on <a href="http://bookshop.org."><b>bookshop.org.</b></a></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;">Happy Thanksgiving!</p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img height="39" src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" width="99" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-80814393626150268872023-11-10T21:04:00.000-05:002023-11-10T21:04:16.558-05:00Friday 5ive- November 10, 2023<div>Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly-ish post featuring five things that caught my attention this week.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1) Manhattan has its first Wegmans grocery store (there is a Wegmans in Brooklyn) and it is a stunner! The 6 train lets you out right across the street from the store so it is convienent for me to get there, although carrying groceries back can be a bit tricky. The layout is beautifully done, and they have so much product in the store. The prepared foods section has something for everyone in packaging for one, two, or more people. I picked up a chicken francese, potato au gratin, and broccoli for my dinner and it was delicious. They have a wing bar, a huge charcuterie section with packages of sliced meats of all kinds, and an amazing cheese section stocked with products from their own cheese cave, overseen by their own Cheese Cave Affineur (that is a new term for me). The edible Chocolate Tea Cup in the bakery is adorable. I will be making many more trips to Astor Place to visit Wegmans.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuIC1RtGe__lllCslNNPdudBEgGN6OpsGC_1TWI9bEia8C4-JflFUZVTgSXduQu84mcu8536vs9Sbudo8_i7Kmr_nQEexHqzRDGfJtV9Ky1XwjwG8u4UgVto_otAwlsEyE3IDJ8FSXNU2HIdYLOKSocbO6gPVnexg_TGJqfjncqE3n89y3DTXRLfXeYc/s4032/Wegmans%20tea%20cup.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuIC1RtGe__lllCslNNPdudBEgGN6OpsGC_1TWI9bEia8C4-JflFUZVTgSXduQu84mcu8536vs9Sbudo8_i7Kmr_nQEexHqzRDGfJtV9Ky1XwjwG8u4UgVto_otAwlsEyE3IDJ8FSXNU2HIdYLOKSocbO6gPVnexg_TGJqfjncqE3n89y3DTXRLfXeYc/s320/Wegmans%20tea%20cup.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Tea Cup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxH8AxFbTDZiADlEmKCY_TsuByqhWMkFdOTCBq0pP8cntPhpyEW8XWP6m6IJ0wKTIhiqNARCIGTXv4qJbHMBZGHFHRVviVVep_3_fz3U1g0mx-d1oXtzWZrIPTPVA29aUcS9WMzp-t0wuO1XWhk_JzJP9-ub0NOIS2rlBxN6rHV_kY3xW5RWbiwpgSBY/s1816/Wegmans%20cheese%20cave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="1816" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxH8AxFbTDZiADlEmKCY_TsuByqhWMkFdOTCBq0pP8cntPhpyEW8XWP6m6IJ0wKTIhiqNARCIGTXv4qJbHMBZGHFHRVviVVep_3_fz3U1g0mx-d1oXtzWZrIPTPVA29aUcS9WMzp-t0wuO1XWhk_JzJP9-ub0NOIS2rlBxN6rHV_kY3xW5RWbiwpgSBY/s320/Wegmans%20cheese%20cave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVLD0Q-BmXLAq1_I_4ZsqjVlWaRoMIS0gKOioM-8VKSFdUTPrayu7Hr980vCU1oesIQZ6_lRMTo2SUNe5g2NL3G4teUOuLSQdP3SVATcnOvBMZSrj4WKA1AzhUbywTgsQuAyytXB3ty7kAV3gNMQYXXrkRzuiehDgzyrI_a19rLuq6BFCMmXMJa6-hrY/s4032/Wegmans%20charcuterie%20.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVLD0Q-BmXLAq1_I_4ZsqjVlWaRoMIS0gKOioM-8VKSFdUTPrayu7Hr980vCU1oesIQZ6_lRMTo2SUNe5g2NL3G4teUOuLSQdP3SVATcnOvBMZSrj4WKA1AzhUbywTgsQuAyytXB3ty7kAV3gNMQYXXrkRzuiehDgzyrI_a19rLuq6BFCMmXMJa6-hrY/s320/Wegmans%20charcuterie%20.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charcuterie as far as the eye can see</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />2) The NYC Marathon was this past Sunday and it's always fun to go cheer on the runners. It's a real team building exercise for New Yorkers and something we sorely needed this year, everyone on the same side, encouraging the brave souls running through all five boroughs. I love all the clever signs, like this one below.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7Um3pomJ9UQUNg-AUw5WKZLHAeq0Cei9SVPP1WSN5i-6fGkzhsBxA-Idk_bCVLGVobdiWj03ezZ477ZeLUAFd5EaVKeq8wU-QnizgkvWTfjKhBlPT24JQ8vUrsMP_fswkT-TnncA0Fgs-8KaRpxW6W7Xt3LrQzDMfrUfQk7R_2Yp2HSHLqsf7Dx_Zyc/s985/Marathon%20pedro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7Um3pomJ9UQUNg-AUw5WKZLHAeq0Cei9SVPP1WSN5i-6fGkzhsBxA-Idk_bCVLGVobdiWj03ezZ477ZeLUAFd5EaVKeq8wU-QnizgkvWTfjKhBlPT24JQ8vUrsMP_fswkT-TnncA0Fgs-8KaRpxW6W7Xt3LrQzDMfrUfQk7R_2Yp2HSHLqsf7Dx_Zyc/s320/Marathon%20pedro.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcVo035B2v4AfdXb03Lp9eMufJm7GDuK4bDPU4DAqVR4YsXeav00EX_qlO1WKmL0410gRdRkOPnh1PT5PzOrX-QTY1CQ7Bk2JwHasrlLDYhnVMOm95Gqv-gPqUdBxU31ZY4eagYf7axkMOht1w9bQyqrQOtCMcFFK4fX1Ogej34bQpYZ6CptgFgcvWlI/s4032/Marathon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="4032" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcVo035B2v4AfdXb03Lp9eMufJm7GDuK4bDPU4DAqVR4YsXeav00EX_qlO1WKmL0410gRdRkOPnh1PT5PzOrX-QTY1CQ7Bk2JwHasrlLDYhnVMOm95Gqv-gPqUdBxU31ZY4eagYf7axkMOht1w9bQyqrQOtCMcFFK4fX1Ogej34bQpYZ6CptgFgcvWlI/s320/Marathon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3) I went to a live taping of Hillary Clinton's podcast <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-you-and-me-both-with-hill-71671764/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><i>You and Me Both</i> </span></b></a>at Symphony Space. Her guest was Broadway legend Patti LuPone and the conversation between this two iconic women was enlightening and intelligent. Amber Ruffin- comedian, author, actress, Broadway creative (she wrote the book for <i>Some Like It Hot </i>and the upcoming revival of <i>The Wiz</i>)-hosted and joined the ladies for a funny and interesting Q&A at the end. (Who knew Amber Ruffin and Hillary Clinton were such good friends? It makes sense though, they are both accomplished and funny people. They should auction off dinner with these two ladies for charity,) Once again it was great to be among a community of people joined together for an activity. We even got to hear Patti sing <i>Make Someone Happy. </i>They did. (And Patti's red shoes were to die for!)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRSzBP-d4ap52yZ33-ZaEBtRr097K3oCXRU_VkGDB6BhmdsTTyZU1Bhrz4AzMVO9LfNe3ubHHTjdgbmf6o09NRo9gPO5oseTWDgYDnK7guw2JdRO57AdqK5YsSwMAtmQiWaNfK7mszJzkNIAmT8aDT_J8UFfCf0UCSPvwNXfYifKpoedBA6YRiu6NPyg/s3993/Hillary%20symphony%20space.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="3993" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRSzBP-d4ap52yZ33-ZaEBtRr097K3oCXRU_VkGDB6BhmdsTTyZU1Bhrz4AzMVO9LfNe3ubHHTjdgbmf6o09NRo9gPO5oseTWDgYDnK7guw2JdRO57AdqK5YsSwMAtmQiWaNfK7mszJzkNIAmT8aDT_J8UFfCf0UCSPvwNXfYifKpoedBA6YRiu6NPyg/w400-h175/Hillary%20symphony%20space.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillary Clinton, Patti LuPone, Amber Ruffin</td></tr></tbody></table><br />4) I watched all four episodes of Netflix's <i><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81083008?source=35" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">All The Light We Cannot See,</span></b></a> </i>based on Anthony Doerr's novel of the same name. I read the book when it published in 2014, and I think they did a good job with the miniseries. It tells the story of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl in WWII who, along with her uncle and aunt, work for the French resistance using her uncle's radio to send secret coded messages to the Allies to help them defeat the Nazis. Even though I knew how the story ends, I was on the edge of my seat as director Shawn Levy rachets up the tension, especially as Marie is being stalked by a Nazi who wants something he believes she possesses. Aria Maria Loberti does a good job as Marie, as does Louis Hoffman as Werner, a reluctant Nazi soldier who has an unknowing connection to Marie. Hugh Laurie is fantastic as Uncle Etienne as well. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyelcGxURi7s8q2YyWJQrWcsrbviRP99eEU4Y9-yytFFwKnLLV74xIYKekt0WWuGXzWlfuV-e_X8KIsRQvkp5an7VftRvmHQMpHbGLT-Z4ehomZ-reuP-37Pk0jUHYZEViy26BK6ogTkO4rRxa7xMvlsFxbgYG43fpou9Pws2y03rbSwcJ3qkrR1pcjo/s1280/all-the-light-wide.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyelcGxURi7s8q2YyWJQrWcsrbviRP99eEU4Y9-yytFFwKnLLV74xIYKekt0WWuGXzWlfuV-e_X8KIsRQvkp5an7VftRvmHQMpHbGLT-Z4ehomZ-reuP-37Pk0jUHYZEViy26BK6ogTkO4rRxa7xMvlsFxbgYG43fpou9Pws2y03rbSwcJ3qkrR1pcjo/w400-h225/all-the-light-wide.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>5) I finally read Toni Morrison's Pulitzer prize-winning novel, <b><a href="http://Beloved.">Beloved.</a> </b>I can't believe I never read this incredible novel. It was my October Banned Book read gifted to me by my daughter-in-law, and it is a novel that everyone should read. Taking place shortly after the Civil War, former slave Sethe and her daughter Denver live in Ohio and are haunted by spirit of Sethe's dead baby Beloved. No one in town will associate with them for reasons that become apparent. Another former slave Paul shows up to stay with Sethe and Denver, and soon a young woman appears who shakes up things in the household. Sethe is traumatized by her life as a slave, and Morrison shows the reader the horrors and dangers of treating people as less than human. It is brutal and eye-opening, and heartbreaking. This book should not be banned, it should be required reading. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFXDaN-v6QsRk1yjl4pcLNuxQ3FGuLeb9stNuIr3U2hSCFPzonohkLb_R9H-cU9ltlU8q3jdRljqgyIqfnhnELIfNAfMr2tlwwNn3J6cjBWIfSQFq_AAClIzp4A1OvRfShNnLyNsUMfEKf5BHbJeCiv74R46UplHqo-h3LTgSUGE9nhVJAi47gZmNKA0/s450/beloved.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="302" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFXDaN-v6QsRk1yjl4pcLNuxQ3FGuLeb9stNuIr3U2hSCFPzonohkLb_R9H-cU9ltlU8q3jdRljqgyIqfnhnELIfNAfMr2tlwwNn3J6cjBWIfSQFq_AAClIzp4A1OvRfShNnLyNsUMfEKf5BHbJeCiv74R46UplHqo-h3LTgSUGE9nhVJAi47gZmNKA0/w269-h400/beloved.jpeg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div>Stay safe and healthy all, and we wish all of our veterans who sacrificed for our country a Happy Vaterans' Day tomorrow.<br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" /></div></div>(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-40801043432989830542023-11-03T17:52:00.000-04:002023-11-03T17:52:10.464-04:00A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña<div><b>A Dish Served Hot </b>by Natalie Caña</div><div>Published by MIRA <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-dish-best-served-hot-natalie-cana?variant=40900294180898" target="_blank"><b>ISBN 9780778333500</b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $18.99, 352 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTQ0GxiGcX7ockeH4eCfB6YVJyxJ1ksz4CipeCcZVFtzNetUzuVB3gUoxhnhm06LG5JqHWi900DJHEqbEeXbEognl93EQpWHNsh7Xb1HVmKr2hRV6jkEoVcsze-AbU7kCK3CyexWWigl3Egh2svONcbzkX4kFX6e8Zb-6f7LMTd5n3WBE3iB7wdXIl3w/s525/dish%20best%20served%20hot.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTQ0GxiGcX7ockeH4eCfB6YVJyxJ1ksz4CipeCcZVFtzNetUzuVB3gUoxhnhm06LG5JqHWi900DJHEqbEeXbEognl93EQpWHNsh7Xb1HVmKr2hRV6jkEoVcsze-AbU7kCK3CyexWWigl3Egh2svONcbzkX4kFX6e8Zb-6f7LMTd5n3WBE3iB7wdXIl3w/s320/dish%20best%20served%20hot.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I read and loved Natalie Caña's first novel in her Vega Family Love Story series <b>A Proposal They Can't Refuse</b>. I loved it so much, it earned a place on my Most Compelling Books of 2022. (see post <a href="https://bookchickdi.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-most-compelling-books-of-2022.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></b></a>.) Two grandfathers scheme to get their grandchildren to fall in love, which of course they do after much ado. The characters and story drew me in right away, and it was steamy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her second book in the Vega family series is <b>A Dish Best Served Hot</b>. Saint Vega is single dad raising his young four year-old daughter after the death of his wife. He discovers that his daughter's new teacher is Lola Leon, who was his high school love.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saint left to join the Marines and Lola moved away with her mother and the two never had closure to their budding relationship. Each believes the other was responsible for the ending of their relationship. </div><div><br /></div><div>Saint's grandfather and Lola's grandfather (who raised her) are "mortal enemies" who live in the same assisted living facility. The pranks they pull on each other may amuse each other but as they escalate, Saint and Lola are being called constantly to come to the facility to deal with the men. If they don't behave, they will be forced to move out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now Saint and Lola are being thrown together, sparks begin to fly again. Can they reignite what they had years ago? Lola's family is very different from Saint's- her father and brother are in prison, and Saint's family are very close, upstanding members of the Puertominican community of Humboldt Park outside Chicago.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lola volunteers for the community center that not only houses a school but also a shelter for LGBTQ+ youth, a cause close to Lola's heart. When Saint's family gets a construction contract from the company that bought the center's building and plans to kick the shelter out, Lola and her friends mobilize to stop the demolition. This puts Lola and Saint on opposite sides, until Saint offers to help the shelter find a new home.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A Dish Best Served Hot</b> takes on some timely social justice issues which elevates the book from the usual romance novel fare. Of course, Natalie Caña's steamy scene (or two) heats up enough to fog up your glasses as you read them. Characters from the previous Vega novel make some cameo appearances, but this book belongs to Saint and Lola, and once again Caña mixes the right blend of heart and heat to the delight of readers. I recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2023 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1tA7P-z6jg1LRMxJ4HWGhcpJjUZplgAS21_C51kQSF7Ho326zJij-QtZTdx0TdtxHzC_IkFQ87zCQGcLpj1XmV2XedI6OB7mOqaiP2_4pUrIMqZdgtux5MnCbRLN6QTDT4YjYPPHVqe8akyLBb92Gegteh6XUYrkf0_0kFg-VNdB2XaEfax1bTxLn-A/s1600/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1tA7P-z6jg1LRMxJ4HWGhcpJjUZplgAS21_C51kQSF7Ho326zJij-QtZTdx0TdtxHzC_IkFQ87zCQGcLpj1XmV2XedI6OB7mOqaiP2_4pUrIMqZdgtux5MnCbRLN6QTDT4YjYPPHVqe8akyLBb92Gegteh6XUYrkf0_0kFg-VNdB2XaEfax1bTxLn-A/w400-h100/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-53791975643863170792023-10-28T20:37:00.000-04:002023-10-28T20:37:21.277-04:00Friday 5ive- October 27, 2023<div><br /></div><div>Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly post featuring five things that caught my attention this week. Like the fact that as I write this, it is 75 degrees in NYC. It was a busy week, we were out everywhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>1) The ArchCare Gala was held this week and they raised over $2 million to care for the frail and vulnerable in the archdiocese of New York. It was a fantastic evening, with Good Day New York's Rosanna Scotto once again emceeing, and she had a terrific interview with New York Giants legend Eli Manning. Everyone was excited to meet and get a photo with Eli (who is very tall). Nick Fradiani, who now plays Neil Diamond in Broadway's <i><a href="https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/tickets/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4vKpBhCZARIsAOKHoWS_bgg4u4jIoVzZyIXnJEXMaRqvxvC3ExO4QuJhIStN0JTAW5psGasaAtu1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A Beautiful Noise- The Neil Diamond Musical,</span></b></a> </i>performed four songs-<i>America, I'm A Believer, I Am I Said, </i>and of course <i>Sweet Caroline.</i> We saw Nick in <i>A Beautiful Noise </i>earlier this year and he is phenomenal in the show. If you get the chance to come to NYC, definitely go see it. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PxHtOQn0gI5FqpURHI2bCZ-4HAEHJ9PE5SSuTVxuR9nDwvlQeVk_m5ZLTsAXHeGYw8Q-Sy1Xef-DKpLR_Jf2r9l7ftjaAKdNI86fr-YqXlaTJySYxINzd4GB34oaBgq7o-pubDMoPwU5Rgj21PsGWay1QnbxrlZwb_Xeu_OARBQ12STws3TY1NK4eUM/s3061/Archcare%20gala%20eli.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2041" data-original-width="3061" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PxHtOQn0gI5FqpURHI2bCZ-4HAEHJ9PE5SSuTVxuR9nDwvlQeVk_m5ZLTsAXHeGYw8Q-Sy1Xef-DKpLR_Jf2r9l7ftjaAKdNI86fr-YqXlaTJySYxINzd4GB34oaBgq7o-pubDMoPwU5Rgj21PsGWay1QnbxrlZwb_Xeu_OARBQ12STws3TY1NK4eUM/w400-h266/Archcare%20gala%20eli.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our team with Eli Manning</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYiagCCgED1fZgcEofgsBpXDCZm3msYlsstP2THxTE8vsCCDXsSU4OUu7bTqNZ_jFkP_T4gr2wC2Wzgat5_JT_q8iAr1PXAiUteBIMk4ObBnsif9chcXG6bx5GrvRAqUoGeGBnf9xjyNo6JWP-Wxp3qZr5XQ81aYWIh5JvjQ0E84TgMNKaK_BNGhIffE/s6720/ArchCAre%20gala%202023-%20di%20scott%20nick.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYiagCCgED1fZgcEofgsBpXDCZm3msYlsstP2THxTE8vsCCDXsSU4OUu7bTqNZ_jFkP_T4gr2wC2Wzgat5_JT_q8iAr1PXAiUteBIMk4ObBnsif9chcXG6bx5GrvRAqUoGeGBnf9xjyNo6JWP-Wxp3qZr5XQ81aYWIh5JvjQ0E84TgMNKaK_BNGhIffE/w400-h266/ArchCAre%20gala%202023-%20di%20scott%20nick.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Fradiani, my husband Scott and myself</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>You can see some of Rosanna's interview with Eli Manning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM9hoOCnu-A" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></b></a>.</div><div>You can see some of Nick's performance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfSjZjXQ-xk" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>2) We had dinner with two friends this week at <a href="https://sartianos.com/#home" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sartiano's</span></b></a> in the Mercer Hotel in New York and it was quite an experience. Apparently it is the hot spot, drawing lots of celebrities. It's a gorgeous restaurant, and the food was amazing. I had the Agnolotti, made with sweet corn, chanterelles, and pecorino cheese. It was the best pasta I've had outside of Italy. It's a special treat dinner, and I highly recommend it. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83ktW8RkOazy3PM5WAC3AWo3zVVYO-HvHCBz6mKX3ceI_EIzD-Ra3YKE2eVvK5I4JjEk5Q20bHt2Mi9oAzylJLgpWsIIZkqjEvr0p7rleoMJFubfddY0zll0SSsVmCRk7RcGfYvi0p6T-wEtJmE6wLvPB4KVrWJY2Gyj43zvXqnoOrE16lI6obCf2QrE/s1280/Sartianos-Opening-RUSH-6-s.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83ktW8RkOazy3PM5WAC3AWo3zVVYO-HvHCBz6mKX3ceI_EIzD-Ra3YKE2eVvK5I4JjEk5Q20bHt2Mi9oAzylJLgpWsIIZkqjEvr0p7rleoMJFubfddY0zll0SSsVmCRk7RcGfYvi0p6T-wEtJmE6wLvPB4KVrWJY2Gyj43zvXqnoOrE16lI6obCf2QrE/w400-h268/Sartianos-Opening-RUSH-6-s.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Sartiano's website<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>3) After dinner we attended a talk at the <a href="https://www.sheencenter.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sheen Center</span></b></a> featuring television producer Matt Williams reading from his memoir <b>Glimpses- A Comedy Writer's Take on Life, Love and All That Spiritual Stuff</b>. Williams, who co-created and produced <i>Roseanne</i> and <i>Home Improvement</i>, two of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s, also teaches at Columbia University, so he knows how to speak to an audience and keep us engaged. Author Adriana Trigiani came onstage after the reading to discuss Williams' book and career, and I found the talk so interesting. Williams' book talks about how throughout his life he has found glimpses of grace and goodness when he needed it most. In the scary world we find ourselves in, glimpses of grace and goodness are so important. I'm looking forward to reading <b><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Glimpses/Matt-Williams/9781637632499" target="_blank">Glimpses</a>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvQmoBwActqZZHeYvStwDOb_Vye8ODGauTwWkJPmhrl96LUSWKZZULEuDNhd1J7trgHjY0rOFTbwNmmHy8nuGhlHjcrgGvDlhxTxjY94wr3FnFhfG9E63kY-Wp66BxNxHTCznSPXoZfLqnPjxQ5_ziViK84SztMvCNjDV0zg1Q-lH7awBrPf49PGBRv0/s400/glimpses-9781637632499_lg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvQmoBwActqZZHeYvStwDOb_Vye8ODGauTwWkJPmhrl96LUSWKZZULEuDNhd1J7trgHjY0rOFTbwNmmHy8nuGhlHjcrgGvDlhxTxjY94wr3FnFhfG9E63kY-Wp66BxNxHTCznSPXoZfLqnPjxQ5_ziViK84SztMvCNjDV0zg1Q-lH7awBrPf49PGBRv0/w266-h400/glimpses-9781637632499_lg.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /></b><br /><br /></div><div>4) It was a week of bookish lunches. The first was with a new friend, Alexa Weijko, an editor at </div><div><a href="https://sohopress.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Soho Press</span></b></a>. I've seen Alexa on Zoom presentations with publishers speaking about their upcoming books, so I was excited to meet in person this week. We talked books we like, my work at the Book Cellar, and I learned all about the job an editor does (which I found fascinating). We're also from the same hometown of Auburn, New York, so we caught up on all things Auburn. I can't wait to hunker down with these terrific upcoming Soho Crime books, they're always intriguing reads.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AZfTkV2iT5s9bzvRPAkHju_mRvzEmyBx3COX32VT3Xomki1MEk-Ko7wakwb4nEG6Ozfl7X_Wv1AXqMu5GtrAGk-wtMC9ypW4yTWACJxqqsoyOvU0QvAzrque1nF7dJZwdq5rvrPLPIqyiVbk8ashsfKwgIwhU5MQUmP2Vi_Wgfb8J_kfxKd0MtcpXog/s3464/Soho%20crime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3021" data-original-width="3464" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AZfTkV2iT5s9bzvRPAkHju_mRvzEmyBx3COX32VT3Xomki1MEk-Ko7wakwb4nEG6Ozfl7X_Wv1AXqMu5GtrAGk-wtMC9ypW4yTWACJxqqsoyOvU0QvAzrque1nF7dJZwdq5rvrPLPIqyiVbk8ashsfKwgIwhU5MQUmP2Vi_Wgfb8J_kfxKd0MtcpXog/s320/Soho%20crime.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My second bookish lunch was catching up with two of my Book Cellar friends. We talked books we've recently read and loved and books we're looking forward to reading, as well as new restaurants and shops in the neighborhood. I even stopped into the recently opened Caroline's Donuts and picked up a few treats for me and one doggie treat for my son's dog Otto. Mmmm, donuts as Homer Simpson would say.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5) I read two good books this week. The first is Jean Kwok's <b><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-leftover-woman-jean-kwok?variant=41004648071202" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Leftover Woman</span></a></b>, the story of two women whose very different lives intersect in ways they couldn't imagine. Jasmine secretly leaves her home in China for New York City to look for the daughter she was told by husband had died at birth. Rebecca works in publishing and lives in a beautiful New York City home with her handsome and charismatic husband and young daughter they adopted from China. Jasmine deals with the challenges of being an impoverished immigrant while trying to find her daughter, while Rebecca's carefully manicured life is becoming unglued with problems in her marriage and her career in her father's legacy publishing house crumbling. Kwok masterfully manages to keep the story suspenseful while at the same time throwing a light on the intensely competitive publishing world, the invisibility of immigrants, and the repercussions of the one child policy in China. It's just brilliant. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx_K5HgX2ux0P9fRdndvdSafL1kCb01KeDMsevzTGwDsFSGkhaM8CRRDCXecFTDi6HlHwg3NRoApiO-rs6cH8-AJ5zq-5YpGZyMj-6KSi2XvdBkenoWsIUNjnq1GvkUYhAt3eS0Kv37ofRXSxLlLT-DP5QsLlzPUbO7QqOWM-_ud81eZFK6mI-GW_NdU/s3271/Leftover%20woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3271" data-original-width="2334" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEx_K5HgX2ux0P9fRdndvdSafL1kCb01KeDMsevzTGwDsFSGkhaM8CRRDCXecFTDi6HlHwg3NRoApiO-rs6cH8-AJ5zq-5YpGZyMj-6KSi2XvdBkenoWsIUNjnq1GvkUYhAt3eS0Kv37ofRXSxLlLT-DP5QsLlzPUbO7QqOWM-_ud81eZFK6mI-GW_NdU/w285-h400/Leftover%20woman.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /></div>The second book is Tess Gerritsen's thriller <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.tessgerritsen.com/the-spy-coast" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Spy Coast</span></a>.</span> </b>Maggie Bird, a retired CIA spy moves to a quiet coastal town in Maine where some of her former colleagues have already quietly settled incognito. When someone from Maggie's past comes looking for her, the team, who calls themselves The Martini Club, band together to find out who is after Maggie. They also have to deal with Jo, the new chief of police of this quiet town, who wonders what is the deal with this so-called Martini Club of older people who keep insinuating themselves in her investigation. It's a fast-paced story with terrific characters and I'm happy to see that this is billed as the first in the Martini Club series, I will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the series. Gerritsen got the idea for the book from the fact that she discovered the little town she lives in in Maine has a group of retired CIA agents living there. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpngznUQcueP5vmRfDoZ18ZsK0vuJ0nbmXExz0hDxMsQu7SvD6Er1B8c1ObU0C3YT9_5Z_wapqtkiqncdzvXoS4eSJts2amcLJKBNJxt25kHysKwbP8sPTn4YMkheiwe8pZSKlTP0_-KC9yLF0oPmM3urMZXT4NDFFXo1IAUEFfz3Cb4FUnfTdbbLs9E/s1732/The+Spy+Coast.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1732" data-original-width="1151" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpngznUQcueP5vmRfDoZ18ZsK0vuJ0nbmXExz0hDxMsQu7SvD6Er1B8c1ObU0C3YT9_5Z_wapqtkiqncdzvXoS4eSJts2amcLJKBNJxt25kHysKwbP8sPTn4YMkheiwe8pZSKlTP0_-KC9yLF0oPmM3urMZXT4NDFFXo1IAUEFfz3Cb4FUnfTdbbLs9E/w266-h400/The+Spy+Coast.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Stay safe and healthy all. Until next time.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img height="39" src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" width="97" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-19299421826594483522023-10-20T20:49:00.000-04:002023-10-20T20:49:09.894-04:00Friday 5ive- October 20, 2023<div>The Friday 5ive is back! I've been traveling recently and so have missed a lot of Fridays, I will try to do better. Now let's get to the important things, like when is this rain going to end? The last 20 of 21 weekends have seen rain on at least one of the weekend days and it is wreaking havoc in New York City. Here are five things that caught my attention this week:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1) On the local news this week, New York City "elected" an honorary Dog Mayor, and the winner by popular vote was a basset hound named Sally Long. Sally is the first female dog elected mayor of New York, it's too bad we've haven't elected a woman as the real mayor of New York City. We used to have a basset hound named Malcolm, and he would have made an excellent mayor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjPOF4-UfiD_PZ8RCFmsa9nniou7k9AC0oLIGKTT82cqunWUPDAzxuALRMISnQkhRMpFKrTPlViKzDUwhrZqejPQ7EIrmFXLzqM0ABm9LiVV115v-19YbNU7GWUJyFXvB_XGzlZ9ITBNDEJcWOYfaQ-iHzg6SVGKqkuU2N3eZY_Tl3QF0eQh2XodqQkI/s4032/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjPOF4-UfiD_PZ8RCFmsa9nniou7k9AC0oLIGKTT82cqunWUPDAzxuALRMISnQkhRMpFKrTPlViKzDUwhrZqejPQ7EIrmFXLzqM0ABm9LiVV115v-19YbNU7GWUJyFXvB_XGzlZ9ITBNDEJcWOYfaQ-iHzg6SVGKqkuU2N3eZY_Tl3QF0eQh2XodqQkI/s320/IMG_0157.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2) You never know what you'll see walking around New York City. We have a lot of new restaurants that recently opened, and in my neighborhood I saw a new Jello Shot store. That's right, if you find yourself strolling and think, "you know what I could really use right now- a Jello Shot", well here is your place, called Spoonable Spirits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtuN93F72P1vyfKe6e-CQij6j-UCMaw8IjZxqEEtMHjJDfnMtfMFSNflI71s6aFIlOLK9hPtaS28Kqd9ukIEXHyQOmYX-4CJxdT8s883SISRr5_uopBF75x-4ucZvy_ViCFCC2V1HzE_WEo6_rEQ2VcN434Wk-_wM67601JvVgkeMBJ2hJlfbhlkVKrk/s2323/IMG_0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="2323" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtuN93F72P1vyfKe6e-CQij6j-UCMaw8IjZxqEEtMHjJDfnMtfMFSNflI71s6aFIlOLK9hPtaS28Kqd9ukIEXHyQOmYX-4CJxdT8s883SISRr5_uopBF75x-4ucZvy_ViCFCC2V1HzE_WEo6_rEQ2VcN434Wk-_wM67601JvVgkeMBJ2hJlfbhlkVKrk/s320/IMG_0075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3) I love a good bookish podcast and one of my favorite authors, Adriana Trigiani, has a new one called "You Are What You Read". Adriana, who is one of the best interviewers in the business (her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AdrianaTrigiani" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Facebook Live</span> </b></a>shows featuring authors from all genres are wonderful), interviewed Sarah Jessica Parker on the premiere broadcast, and it was a fascinating discussion. I love hearing stories from Sarah's childhood and how her mother insisted that each of her children never leave the house without a book. I'm looking forward to the discussions with cookbook author Lidia Bastianich and Jacqueline Woodson. You can find it <a href="https://www.radio.net/podcast/you-are-what-you-read"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here.</span></b></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3vi7gLjibLjAwmK4X39KEoXEo1IFEoPPaxokqmuIWl9TJUDdydy6eJY3hf3a2BdBIDfJthG8hWFTq1BPWAYVxpipo0JuU5Iea59w8v9P0aJDHadAQioZWMYwCfjBo-ycFhmf14B9abpR4X_8pJ0Z2f24a_6mlCQUP3f0tlrcdrqtqN0np6hbp7jMm58/s300/you%20are%20what%20you%20read.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3vi7gLjibLjAwmK4X39KEoXEo1IFEoPPaxokqmuIWl9TJUDdydy6eJY3hf3a2BdBIDfJthG8hWFTq1BPWAYVxpipo0JuU5Iea59w8v9P0aJDHadAQioZWMYwCfjBo-ycFhmf14B9abpR4X_8pJ0Z2f24a_6mlCQUP3f0tlrcdrqtqN0np6hbp7jMm58/w400-h400/you%20are%20what%20you%20read.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">4)</span><span style="font-family: times;"> I watched the first three episodes of </span></span></span><span style="font-family: times;"><i style="color: #050505;">Lessons in Chemistry</i><span style="color: #050505;"> on Apple TV+ this week. Based on Bonnie Garmus' debut novel, Brie Larson is picture-perfect as chemist Elizabeth Zott who battles sexism in her 1950's workplace, and ends up hosting a hugely popular television show where she shares recipes and the science behind cooking. If you liked the book (it has been on the bestseller list for a long time), or if you enjoyed the Julia Child miniseries on Netflix, you'll want to watch </span><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13911628/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lessons in Chemistry</span></b></a><span style="color: #050505;">. </span></i><span style="color: #050505;">It's very well done. </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3H3hcEMoYd2yCx3tsHbBPY56UEutDjNTf-M0_RMnjNpN2NINmWmjMz_Uz6ufv_5y9ajwDNXePGwDndYN1aAfiWhy-hBxAsE1HGaoO8zEbuvZQmDarVzufoppoCsKLL6P7S1wpqOcgQ1tlNMGkrp90iA8b4_EgZHD9rsjhQOFdhLavu0coZE_TdZ6eD6E/s755/lessons%20in%20chemistry.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="503" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3H3hcEMoYd2yCx3tsHbBPY56UEutDjNTf-M0_RMnjNpN2NINmWmjMz_Uz6ufv_5y9ajwDNXePGwDndYN1aAfiWhy-hBxAsE1HGaoO8zEbuvZQmDarVzufoppoCsKLL6P7S1wpqOcgQ1tlNMGkrp90iA8b4_EgZHD9rsjhQOFdhLavu0coZE_TdZ6eD6E/w266-h400/lessons%20in%20chemistry.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;">5)</span><span><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;">While visiting Bookstore1 in Sarasota, I picked up a copy of Abraham Verghese's 700 page doorstopper of a novel, </span></span><span style="font-family: times;"><b><a href="https://www.abrahamverghese.org/the-covenant-of-water/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Covenant of Water.</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></b><span style="color: #050505;"> Set in the southern Indian coast from 1900-1977, we meet three generations of family who has lost members through drowning. We live alongside these characters, through good times (marriages, births) and bad times (monsoons, illness, untimely deaths). We also learn about the history of India during those years, something I knew little about. The characters propel this fascinating story- from a 12 year-old girl who is married off to a 40 year-old man and becomes the matriarch of an important family, to Digby, a Scottish doctor who ends up working at a leper community, to Elsie, a artist who wants desperately to be allowed to create her art, to Mariamma, who trains to become a doctor trying to discover why her family members die from drowning- all of their stories intersect until the surprising ending that had me gasping. It's a true commitment to read this novel, but so worth it. </span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnuXnEA2byG6dN7WhBOWISe_xd1V6fCPQAjvyj7SerORmM1wTIgPkMAIu9i1Tfp7sQJfap83OSB9YPhTI9pO-Jm1lBFQbhIqjFRLyyEO5dw8u-QxmAXkK9_9Dhivf0kuci6KUU3HIFsEWr4k0HkFySraP9n4UqZ7GmKwPcrdCijPT2qcvu6d1bHjykBg/s1024/Covenant-of-Water_HC_OBC_coverOnlyFINAL-682x1024.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="682" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnuXnEA2byG6dN7WhBOWISe_xd1V6fCPQAjvyj7SerORmM1wTIgPkMAIu9i1Tfp7sQJfap83OSB9YPhTI9pO-Jm1lBFQbhIqjFRLyyEO5dw8u-QxmAXkK9_9Dhivf0kuci6KUU3HIFsEWr4k0HkFySraP9n4UqZ7GmKwPcrdCijPT2qcvu6d1bHjykBg/w266-h400/Covenant-of-Water_HC_OBC_coverOnlyFINAL-682x1024.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I know the events of the past few weeks have been sad and horrifying, we should all pray for peace in this troubled world. Until next time.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-21755806881052735362023-10-09T06:00:00.001-04:002023-10-09T06:00:00.147-04:00The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm by Patricia Crisafulli<div><b>The Secrets of Still Water Chasm</b> by Patricia Crisafulli</div><div>Published by Woodhall Press <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Still-Waters-Chasm-Mystery/dp/1954907648/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3W1VVK4QIA9I7&keywords=the+secrets+of+still+waters+chasm&qid=1676833502&sprefix=the+secrets+of+still+waters+chasm%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9781954907645</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $19.95, 220 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzDDQ0lmf-q1XyJKh6s-3O4J_HVRu0kDRy9hUFqxxuqSIkLkcyF8JEXYO9NzZ_Nvr7IxGrUrGScXLltNKTBYeSWricedfqP9C11pAFZKqn-zpARo2Q-P1YN4iD9vbE0mAIdz68rx83FyflF6sVmJpvkA8Xl7CoBhxGK89f5quAZZjJLWPtGUBEi35c4I/s293/still%20water%20chasm.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="196" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzDDQ0lmf-q1XyJKh6s-3O4J_HVRu0kDRy9hUFqxxuqSIkLkcyF8JEXYO9NzZ_Nvr7IxGrUrGScXLltNKTBYeSWricedfqP9C11pAFZKqn-zpARo2Q-P1YN4iD9vbE0mAIdz68rx83FyflF6sVmJpvkA8Xl7CoBhxGK89f5quAZZjJLWPtGUBEi35c4I/s1600/still%20water%20chasm.webp" width="196" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Librarians these days have to deal with many challenges- budget cuts, crumbling buildings, people who want to ban books, governments passing laws that are unrealistic (and unconstitutional) among them. Ohnita Harbor librarian Gabriela Domenici has to deal with even more dangerous situations in Patricia Crisafulli's second book in her Ohnita Harbor Mysteries series, <b>The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>In the first book in the series, <b>The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor</b>, Gabriela discovered a dead body and was nearly killed by the head of the library board of directors as he tried to steal a valuable relic donated to the library.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the new book, Gabriela understandably suffers from anxiety from her near-death experience. When she and her boyfriend Daniel are out hiking a trail in the nearby Still Waters Chasm in the Adirondack Mountains, they come across some huge construction vehicles but no one around. It looks like the trucks may be drilling deep underground on the public land, but for what reason?</div><div><br /></div><div>On their way out of the park, they stumble upon a man and a woman and an overturned canoe. The woman is dead, and while they attempt CPR on the man, he appears dead as well. With foam coming out of their mouths, could they have eaten something poisonous?</div><div><br /></div><div>Gabriela and Daniel move around to try and get a cell phone signal and call the police. When the police arrive and Gabriela and Daniel take them to the bodies, the bodies and the kayak are gone. </div><div><br /></div><div>So now Gabriela is involved in another mystery. She also attempts to help Wendy, a young woman who inherited an antique drawing of what appears to be some type of early sail. The young woman wants to sell the antique to get away from an abusive boyfriend, and Gabriela, a research expert, promises to help her discover the worth of her drawing.</div><div><br /></div><div>She also befriends Lucinda, an herbalist with an expertise in plants and their healing properties. There are people in town who do not like Lucinda, they call her a witch and believe she poisons people.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daniel is unhappy that Gabriela is getting involved with people and situations that could be trouble for her. She is still fragile from her last experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crisafulli based Ohnita Harbor on the city of Oswego in Central New York, a place where I attended college, and anyone who lives in the area will recognize the castle library where Gabriela works. I like how she works in interesting topics- fracking, inventor Robert Fulton, library politics- that enlighten the reader.</div><div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed getting reacquainted with characters from the first book, like Gabriela's fiesty Italian mom Agnese and the staff of the library, but you need not have read the first book to enjoy this one. The mystery kept me turning the pages and I admit to holding my breath at the end. </div><div><br /></div><div>Crisafulli's <b>The Secrets of Still Water Chasm </b>is a fast-paced mystery that elevates the genre with great characters and a fascinating setting. I'm looking forward to a third book in the series.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Patricia Crisafulli's tour. The rest of tour can be found here:</i></div><div><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 16px; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><span style="background-color: inherit; font-size: x-small; outline: none !important;">Instagram features:</span></span></h3><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, September 5<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@nobookmark_noproblem</a></span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, September 6<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coffee.break.book.reviews/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@coffee.break.book.reviews</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, September 6<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spaceonthebookcase/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@spaceonthebookcase</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, September 7<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/more.books.yes.please/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@more.books.yes.please</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, September 8<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/literally_lit_in_miami/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@literally_lit_in_miami</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, September 9<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nurse_bookie/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@nurse_bookie</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Sunday, September 10<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/a_book_read_in_jersey/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@a_book_read_in_jersey</a></span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, September 11<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/readthisandsteep/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@readthisandsteep</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, September 12<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/dianas_books_cars_coffee/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@dianas_books_cars_coffee</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, September 13<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gallaghergirlreads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@gallaghergirlreads</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, September 14<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zelia.loves.books/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@zelia.loves.books</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, September 15<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookshelf_by_britt" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bookshelf_by_britt</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, September 16<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ink_drinker64/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@ink_drinker64</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Sunday, September 17<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diveintoagoodbook/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@diveintoagoodbook</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, September 18<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kelly_hunsaker_reads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@kelly_hunsaker_reads</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Tuesday, September 19<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nissa_the.bookworm/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@nissa_the.bookworm</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, September 20<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/books_n_yogapants/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@books_n_yogapants</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, September 20<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shook_sbooks/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@shook_sbooks</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, September 21<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/megsbookclub/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@megsbookclub</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, September 22<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookstasamm/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@bookstasamm</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Saturday, September 23<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristis_literary_corner/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@kristis_literary_corner</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"> </p><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 16px; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><span style="background-color: inherit; font-size: x-small; outline: none !important;">Reviews:</span></span></h3><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, September 25<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="http://strandupdate.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Stranded in Chaos</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, September 28th: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/donasbooks/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@donasbooks</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, September 28th: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/subakka.bookstuff/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@subakka.bookstuff</a> and <a href="https://subakkastuff.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Subakka.bookstuff</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, September 29<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Laura’s Reviews</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, October 2<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">nd: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/aimeedarsreads/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@aimeedarsreads</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, October 4<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paws.read.repeat/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@paws.read.repeat</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, October 6<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fashionablyfifty/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@fashionablyfifty</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, October 9<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bookchickdi</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, October 11<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th: </span><a href="http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kahakai Kitchen</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, October 12<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristens.reading.nook/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@kristens.reading.nook</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Sunday, October 15<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/literally_lit_in_miami/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@literally_lit_in_miami</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, October 16<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">What is That Book About</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Wednesday, October 18<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="http://www.girl-who-reads.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Girl Who Reads</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Thursday, October 19<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/always_reading1/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">@always_reading1</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Friday, October 20<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chicagobooklover/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@chicagobooklover</a> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 26px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: 700; outline: none !important;">Monday, October 23<span style="line-height: 0; outline: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span>: <a href="https://bookscookslooks.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; color: #1233d9; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Books Cooks Looks</a></span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-78393832360140869782023-10-03T06:00:00.001-04:002023-10-03T06:00:00.144-04:00The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar<div><b>The Roaring Days of Zora Lily</b> by Noelle Salazar</div><div>Published by MIRA <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-roaring-days-of-zora-lily-noelle-salazar?variant=41016586567714" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9780778305200 </span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $18.99, 416 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4D2P1PJdqkirQddRDSsPtNZAiMWrjWCASywi1ymFrZhvdCRo8GUnoj1BIyNBCBOzfB2gy42hVixGkyVJQJI4dI_mCLLLdKXKPSQfNIrgHQVcXjLVe1N-XqGoF6pyeKT8lBPOoZjQjb1f4a_kJsCPuOUcLXVAD9WRJYBhyEj7YlQrO_yWCXhihnqRYovs/s525/zora%20lily.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4D2P1PJdqkirQddRDSsPtNZAiMWrjWCASywi1ymFrZhvdCRo8GUnoj1BIyNBCBOzfB2gy42hVixGkyVJQJI4dI_mCLLLdKXKPSQfNIrgHQVcXjLVe1N-XqGoF6pyeKT8lBPOoZjQjb1f4a_kJsCPuOUcLXVAD9WRJYBhyEj7YlQrO_yWCXhihnqRYovs/s320/zora%20lily.webp" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Noelle Salazar's fascinating novel <b>The Roaring Days of Zora Lily </b>begins in 2023 with a curator at the Smithsonian Museum of American History's discovery while working on an exhibition of iconic movie costumes from 1920's through today. She finds a label underneath another label with the name of Zora Lily on it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Who is Zora Lily and why was her label hidden underneath the label of a famous costume designer? That takes the story back to the days of Prohibition and the 1920's. Zora Hough was a teenager from a poverty-stricken family in Seattle. Zora helped her mother support her family as seamstresses, repairing clothes for others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Zora's talents lay in designing and sewing beautiful dresses for wealthy women in Seattle. She spent all her time either in school or working to help her mother. Zora's best friend dances in a club downtown and convinces Zora to join her in some well-deserved fun at the clubs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Zora is introduced to a whole new world in the dance clubs, and catches the eye of a handsome and wealthy man, a man whom all the other women desire for themselves. The dicotomy of her life at home and her night life in the clubs is striking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Soon Zora's talents are put to use repairing the costumes for the dancers and when Zora's friends are drawn to the bright lights of Hollywood, Zora accompanies them and gets a job at a studio as a seamstress. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although Zora was led to believe that she would be designing clothes for the movies, in fact she spent all her time sewing and repairing other people's designs. She became frustrated and was set to return home for good when an opportunity arose for her to possibly realize her dreams.</div><div><br /></div><div>Noelle Salazar transports the reader to the 1920's era in <b>The Roaring Days of Zora Lily. </b>You can almost hear the music in the clubs, taste the fizzy drinks, and see the beautiful dancers moving. I also liked the Hollywood setting, meeting people like Greta Garbo. Zora being torn between her loyalty to her family and her own big dreams is something people can relate to as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fans of Karen White's jazz-era Wicked City trio of novels (<b>The Wicked City, The Wicked Redhead, The Wicked Widow)</b> and Adriana Trigiani's <b>All The Stars in the Heavens, (</b>a fictionalized account of actress Loretta Young's life) should put <b>The Roaring Days of Zora Lily</b> on their TBR list. I recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Fall 2023 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ527H3Jwt6DQKEj0dzNQT25jvHZcUhLMtbcHRDJ68NJ59kYX24ZE2AlcKc9eLJFgWwrSpnLHBK5GGBMmxnayvc2QjlataKK88WJkTP99zwmC8ohc_NFG1BkPo1k6pGdJm_CSoPA_SWSuX5w_O84otX4KTOELdPxCQ17vLzxpTIzIxDuh_6yAkABUZkg/s1600/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ527H3Jwt6DQKEj0dzNQT25jvHZcUhLMtbcHRDJ68NJ59kYX24ZE2AlcKc9eLJFgWwrSpnLHBK5GGBMmxnayvc2QjlataKK88WJkTP99zwmC8ohc_NFG1BkPo1k6pGdJm_CSoPA_SWSuX5w_O84otX4KTOELdPxCQ17vLzxpTIzIxDuh_6yAkABUZkg/w400-h100/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-68863122053451009852023-09-19T06:00:00.002-04:002023-10-13T20:47:45.169-04:00The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar<div><b>The Museum of Failures </b>by Thrity Umrigar</div><div>Published by Algonquin <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/thrity-umrigar/the-museum-of-failures/9781643753553/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9781643753553</span></b></a></div><div>Hardcover, $28, 368 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyOgqRjSnd3WPZQHfMSB-82GsDV8CEnHXHqwU7mN_Aac6o-2_JOZIS3xquFJyc0mpwpAtGKP3jFK42mm7718oyzJaWICJI0elv-Mj5UJdFSAU0Y8BgoIumULw5uQli1PdJ4VNeMuruIrhlrCbXpsu4kNdgEn3C3YZumc8lW486qAcYzrzWbBNyFz57wo/s3192/Umrigar_MuseumofFailures_9781643753553_hc_3D_HR_rgb.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3192" data-original-width="2964" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyOgqRjSnd3WPZQHfMSB-82GsDV8CEnHXHqwU7mN_Aac6o-2_JOZIS3xquFJyc0mpwpAtGKP3jFK42mm7718oyzJaWICJI0elv-Mj5UJdFSAU0Y8BgoIumULw5uQli1PdJ4VNeMuruIrhlrCbXpsu4kNdgEn3C3YZumc8lW486qAcYzrzWbBNyFz57wo/s320/Umrigar_MuseumofFailures_9781643753553_hc_3D_HR_rgb.png" width="297" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been a big fan of Thrity Umrigar's novels since I read <b>The World We Found</b> in 2012. (My review is <a href="https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/world-we-found-peers-into-distant-culture/article_77d5e318-6000-11e1-abc8-0019bb2963f4.html"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here.</span></b></a>) Her last novel, <b>Honor</b>, was powerful and heartbreaking, and her latest novel, <b>The Museum of Failures, </b> continues her streak of writing stories that touch our humanity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Remy is an Indian man who has traveled from his current home in Columbus, Ohio back to his hometown of Bombay (now called Mumbai). He has a successful career in advertising and a loving wife Kathy, a pediatric specialist. The one thing missing is a child.</div><div><br /></div><div>After trying unsuccessfully to have a baby of their own, Remy's childhood friend tells him that he knows a young Indian college student who is pregnant and wants to give up her baby to Remy and Kathy to adopt. So Remy travels back home to meet the young woman.</div><div><br /></div><div>While home, Remy discovers that his mother Shirin is not home as he thought, but rather she is in the hospital and very ill. Remy has always had a complicated relationship with his mother, he always found her to be harsh and uncaring towards him. He hasn't seen her since his father passed away three years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>He adored his late father Cyrus and while home, he keeps meeting people who share stories of his father's kindness and generosity. Remy misses his father deeply, a man who always treated him as if he were a prince.</div><div><br /></div><div>Remy resolves to bring his mother out of her illness and back home where she belongs. Seeing her so ill and alone saddens him. </div><div><br /></div><div>As Remy attempts to straighten out his mother's financial and health situation and move forward with adopting an Indian baby, he discovers a huge secret that his parents kept from him, one that will change everything he grew up believing. </div><div><br /></div><div> Remy has always thought of India as "a museum of failures, an exhibit hall filled with thwarted dreams and broken promises." His return home has brought up complications and feelings he did not anticipate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, Thrity Umrigar has written a magnificent story, bringing the reader into the lives of Remy and his family. Once back home, Remy is torn between his the life he loves in Ohio and the world he grew up in in Mumbai, his future and his past. I give it my highest recommendation.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Algonquin for putting me on Thrity Umrigar's tour.</i></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642647757923153369.post-1903303256640503992023-09-18T06:00:00.002-04:002023-09-18T06:00:00.143-04:00The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan<div><b>The Book Club Hotel</b> by Sarah Morgan</div><div>Published by Canary Street Press <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-book-club-hotel-sarah-morgan?variant=41003790270498" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ISBN 9781335005120</span></b></a></div><div>Trade paperback, $17.99, 368 pages</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiP4nKa-jxrUwxSF0Pc-lNcqYGiwFUGbFcgQ3dDKgTNU9z5YG80_HFKSliel2pUno5YPAv41NG3W1CB6Gy8OWSwr3fuGjoGS2qZv_v1D9-Mm3gGjdpo9iaJ99dOiG90_p4h1oSr4tLheU3u6CgvWUQ8eZzpQcBd7PpJzac4nlOjXOPr31hRPLJxpRlgg/s3600/Book%20Club%20Hotel%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiP4nKa-jxrUwxSF0Pc-lNcqYGiwFUGbFcgQ3dDKgTNU9z5YG80_HFKSliel2pUno5YPAv41NG3W1CB6Gy8OWSwr3fuGjoGS2qZv_v1D9-Mm3gGjdpo9iaJ99dOiG90_p4h1oSr4tLheU3u6CgvWUQ8eZzpQcBd7PpJzac4nlOjXOPr31hRPLJxpRlgg/s320/Book%20Club%20Hotel%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It's September now and even though it's still very warm in many places, you can cool off with a Christmas themed-book and Sarah Morgan's charming <b>The Book Club Hotel </b> is a great place to start.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hattie is a 28 year-old widowed mom of a five year-old daughter and owner of the Sugar Maple Inn in a small town in Vermont. Christmas season is upon her and while the inn is full, Hattie is feeling overwhelmed. Her head housekeeper gives her constant grief, and the celebrity chef her late husband hired has an ego and temper that makes the kitchen an unhappy place to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>Three 40-year old best friends- Erica, Anna and Claudia- are planning their annual Book Club Hotel week at the Maple Sugar Inn this year. Erica, a hard-charging workaholic consultant, chose the Maple Sugar Inn this year for their week, surprising Anna and Claudia, as she usually wants to stay at a big city hotel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anna is dreading becoming an empty-nester when her twin son and daughter head off to college next year. Claudia is blindsided by her live-in boyfriend of ten years when he leaves her for a younger woman, and then she loses her job as a chef.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sarah Morgan draws the reader right into these characters lives, we want to know more about them. Hattie is attracted to her handsome and kind neighbor Noah, who would love nothing more than to become Hattie's boyfriend. Anna needs to find a way to cope with her sad feelings, and Claudia's has to figure out where she goes from here. </div><div><br /></div><div>We gather that Erica is hiding the true the reason why she chose the Maple Sugar Inn, but readers should be able to figure it out before it is revealed (or her friends figure it out).</div><div><br /></div><div>Many readers will relate to the longtime friendship of the three women, how they care about each other and know each other so well. We can also relate to the stage of life they are in.</div><div><br /></div><div>The description of the Maple Sugar Inn sounds so charming that I wanted to immediately go online and book a holiday week. I especially want to spend time in Hattie's library, it sounds so cozy.</div><div><br /></div><div>My only criticism of this delightful novel is that since Sarah is a British author, she uses many words and phrases that Americans don't. While Hattie is British and would use words like range cooker for stove, advert for ad, and tv presenter for tv personality, Erica, Anna and Claudia are Americans and would not use those words. It can be a bit jarring.</div><div><br /></div><div>I loved <b>The Book Club Hotel</b>, and I plan on picking up more of Sarah Morgan's novels. It's a wonderful book club choice for the holiday season, and the descriptions of food had me nearly drooling. It would be fun to recreate some of the recipes for a book club meeting. I highly recommend <b>The Book Club Hotel</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2023 Blog Tours.</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlm9OVncgEXl-ADpu7FxzNNHK8yz3JIO0OgPIHxlpmA3tWY_isZCsY2gkc2qemkvrpSXeYChGpUrakD3UDYi1B8APjCWFofTdTixZoVZpXotB37oVkpkesRBaGM2Cy0hjC37VFst7ayfTlByMxtL3a2Hhl_ueqvwf1RW98UWvmxIu_w-IAM5nPQFZDvk/s1600/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlm9OVncgEXl-ADpu7FxzNNHK8yz3JIO0OgPIHxlpmA3tWY_isZCsY2gkc2qemkvrpSXeYChGpUrakD3UDYi1B8APjCWFofTdTixZoVZpXotB37oVkpkesRBaGM2Cy0hjC37VFst7ayfTlByMxtL3a2Hhl_ueqvwf1RW98UWvmxIu_w-IAM5nPQFZDvk/w400-h100/Copy%20of%20689-HTP-Banner---Fall-2023-for-Google-Form.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz17/bookchickdi/thirdsign.png" />(Diane) bookchickdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16640913682123489734noreply@blogger.com0