Avoiding painful truths.

Book Review for “Pardonable Lies” (Maisie Dobbs #3) by Jacqueline Winspear. Summary: "A deathbed plea from his wife leads Sir Cecil Lawton to seek the aid of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and investigator. As Maisie soon learns, Agnes Lawton never accepted that her aviator son was killed in the Great War, a torment that led her … Continue reading Avoiding painful truths. →

Arrivals and Departures.

Book Review for “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano. Summary: "William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it’s a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood … Continue reading Arrivals and Departures. →

The Lie Detector.

Book Review for “Only May” by Carol Lovekin. Summary: "Listen. The bee walks across my finger, slow as anything and I can see through the gauzy wing, to the detail of my skin. 'You aren’t looking in the right place.' If you look her in the eye and tell a lie, May Harper will see … Continue reading The Lie Detector. →

On the Prowl.

Book Review for “The Ghosts of Paris” by Tara Moss. Summary: "It's 1947. The world continues to grapple with the fallout of the Second World War, and former war reporter Billie Walker is finding her feet as an investigator. When a wealthy client hires Billie and her assistant Sam to track down her missing husband, … Continue reading On the Prowl. →

Wrapped up in Rules.

Book Review for “Bloomsbury Girls” by Natalie Jenner. Summary: "Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare book store that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, … Continue reading Wrapped up in Rules. →

#CCSpin 29 Review – Windows into Souls.

Book Review for “Giovanni's Room” by James Baldwin. Summary: “When David meets the sensual Giovanni in a bohemian bar, he is swept into a passionate love affair. But his girlfriend’s return to Paris destroys everything. Unable to admit to the truth, David pretends the liaison never happened – while Giovanni’s life descends into tragedy. United … Continue reading #CCSpin 29 Review – Windows into Souls. →

Shades of Cyrano.

Book Review for “Until We Meet” by Camille Di Maio. Summary: "Margaret Beck is proud of her work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard sewing stars onto the Stars and Stripes, but she yearns to contribute to the war effort more meaningfully. She's angling for a promotion to the mechanic section, but she doesn't want to … Continue reading Shades of Cyrano. →

Causley and Effect.

Book Review for “Mother's Boy” by Patrick Gale. Summary: "Laura, an impoverished Cornish girl, meets her husband when they are both in service in Teignmouth in 1916. They have a baby, Charles, but Laura's husband returns home from the trenches a damaged man, already ill with the tuberculosis that will soon leave her a widow. … Continue reading Causley and Effect. →

Which was Deeper?

Book Review for “The Second Cut” by Louise Welsh. Summary: "Auctioneer Rilke has been trying to stay out of trouble, keeping his life more or less respectable. Business has been slow at Bowery Auctions, so when an old friend, Jojo, gives Rilke a tip-off for a house clearance, life seems to be looking up. The … Continue reading Which was Deeper? →

American in Paris

Book Review for “The Paris Bookseller” by Kerri Maher. Summary: “When bookish young American Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris in 1919, she has no idea that she and her new bookstore will change the course of literature itself. Shakespeare and Company is more than a bookstore and lending … Continue reading American in Paris →