“What shapes us is not always our achievements but our omissions. Not lies; simply the truths we don’t tell.” ― C.J. Tudor, The Chalk Man The creepy opening scene of The Chalk Man sucked me right into this book where I happily stayed until the last pages when all its secrets were finally revealed---and what…
“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast. To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.” From The Mourning Bride by William Congreve William Congreve’s proverb is put to the test in Rachel Joyce’s marvelous new book, The Music Shop. Her kind but peculiar protagonist Frank believes that the right tunes can be an…
Some books stay with you long after you’ve finished reading them. An American Marriage was one of those books for me. I read it with a lump in my throat, feeling deeply for the characters, all of whom are African American and caught in an impossible situation. Here’s the plot: Celestial and Roy are relative…
As we’ve discussed before, I do not like scary things. I do not like horror movies, zombies, vampires, werewolves, or monsters. I do not like haunted houses. I do not like fish, unless the fish in question is being served to me, preferably with some wasabi and pickled ginger. How, then, I ended up reading…
Looking for the perfect winter escape? How about a crazy good psychological thriller that isn’t violent but super creepy? The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn is a buzz worthy page turner filled with twist and turns that will keep you reading well into the night. Child psychologist Dr. Anna Fox, recently separated from…
I am convinced that oatmeal raisin cookies have magical healing powers. No matter what ill befalls me, a nice cup of tea and a plateful of freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies can be counted on to set things right, including headaches, fevers, and parenting-induced hypertension. While the medical community has yet to weigh in on…
Sometimes I end up reading books that are unexpectedly timely. Case in point: The Widows of Malabar Hill. I picked it up for the mystery, the exotic setting and the historical time period (India 1916-21), but I ended up really appreciating its relevance to current women's issues. Watching the Golden Globes on Sunday night, I was reminded of the strong, intelligent main…
At first I wanted to read this book because it's by Tom Hanks and he's one of my favorite actors. But I kept putting it off because it's short stories and I really don't read short stories. I try to be open-minded but short stories ask a lot of me. emotionally and psychologically. I invest…
This book left me speechless. At the same time, it made me feel a whole lot. I’m not sure I can find words to describe it, but I’ll try. I made a list of adjectives: sad, angry, profane, funny, shocking, relatable. Alexie is a genius with language, and I could feel his pain coming so…
It’s hard to imagine the Christmas season without Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future. My introduction to A Christmas Carol was when my Dad read it to me as a child and I’ve been a huge fan of it in all its iterations ever since. In the prologue of…
