The world is…rather a lot right now, isn’t it? Loud and tense and busy and hot and if you’re anything like me, you need a break. Not a big one. Just a little one. A chance to catch your breath, to escape somewhere quiet, even if only for a bit. A Psalm for the Wild-Built,…
Quentin Tarantino meets The Odd Couple in this searing, heartfelt, suspenseful book. Ike Randolph is a Black ex-con who has been playing it straight for 15 years. He runs his own landscaping business and has made a quiet, stable life for himself with his wife Mya outside of Richmond, Virginia. When his only child Isiah…
What would you do if you lost your home - the home where you raised your children, the source of your livelihood, and where you had lain roots for over twenty years? And in the same week you found yourself homeless and simultaneously without income, what if you also learned that the love of your…
If you love a novel that throws you a good curve ball, The Cover Wife by Dan Fesperman is an espionage thriller with a few red herrings and an interesting cast of characters. The CIA and the FBI are keeping secrets from their own agents, and each other. CIA agent Claire Saylor is a strong female protagonist…
I admit I am a bit of a chicken. I marvel at people who do scary things I never dream of doing. Bungie jumping. Going into space. Flying an airplane. It's amazing I'm the daughter of a man who trained pilots how to fly in World War II. The beauty of books is that you…
Reality shows are not, as they say, my cup of tea. Competition shows particularly are particularly stressful. I always feel so badly for the eliminated contestants, and if I wanted to feel terrible while watching TV, I would turn on the news. Inevitably, this is the point where someone recommends I watch The Great British…
When you think of gardening, what comes to mind? A new activity, brought on by Covid cabin fever? Something your mother or grandmother did? It's certainly not a necessity for most of us anymore. Growing food, like sewing clothes or building furniture, has become industrialized and commoditized in our modern society. The rise of big…
Who doesn’t love a good adventure story? Especially if it’s a story of man pushed to his ultimate physical and psychological limits. Even better is if the tale involves danger, heroics, intrigue, insanity, and betrayal; and what's best of all is if the story is true. A recently published book that fits the bill on…
Warning - Not for the Faint of Heart - This book contains some grisly stuff, including a monster that kills things and hangs them from trees by their entrails. Are you still interested? Near the Bone by Christina Henry is a riveting, suspenseful, creepy horror novel with an underdog protagonist. Christina Henry Twenty-something Mattie…
Every time I read a new book, I ask myself whether it will make the annual Staff Favorites booklets I put together at the end of the year. The newest gem I just finished will definitely make the cut. Early Morning Riser’s charming story is driven by its multiple quirky characters. The cheerful protagonist, Jane,…
