Finding her Fingerings.

Book Review for “The Sound Between the Notes” by Barbara Linn Probst. Summary: "Susannah’s career as a pianist has been on hold for nearly sixteen years, ever since her son was born. An adoptee who’s never forgiven her birth mother for not putting her first, Susannah vowed to put her own child first, no matter … Continue reading Finding her Fingerings. →

Young American Male Overseas.

Book Review for “The Boys Next Door: A Novel of the Beatles” by Dan Greenberger. Summary: “Alan Levy is a college student who, in the fall of 1960, spends a semester abroad in Hamburg, Germany. There, he has the misfortune to rent a room next door to an up-and-coming rock and roll band from the … Continue reading Young American Male Overseas. →

Tempo of Progression.

Book Review for “Take Nothing with You” by Patrick Gale. According to the back of this book, “Eustace, an only child, is leading a strange existence in a houseful of elderly adults. His life changes dramatically with the arrival of Carla Gold, his cello teacher, who casts a heady spell over everyone, including his mother. … Continue reading Tempo of Progression. →

Sunsetting at Dawn

Book Review for “Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. By now, because of all the hype and publicity around this book (which I very uncharacteristically gave into), I’m sure most people already know that this novel is about a rock band from the 60s and 70s who had a huge success with … Continue reading Sunsetting at Dawn →

Guest Author Post & Free Giveaway for “Temptation Rag” by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

Temptation Rag: A Novel by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard. Publication Date: December 3, 2018 Belle Epoque Publishing eBook & Paperback; 308 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction From the author of The Beauty Doctor, Finalist for the 2018 Eric Hoffer Book Award, 2017 AZ Literary Awards, and a Medallion Honoree of the Book Readers Appreciation Group. Seventeen-year-old May … Continue reading Guest Author Post & Free Giveaway for “Temptation Rag” by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard →

Music and Silence

Book Review of "The Noise of Time" by Julian Barnes Barnes’ latest novel is a fictional documentation of the life of the Russian composer, Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich, who lived under both the Bolshevik and Communist regimes of the USSR, until his death in 1975. Shostakovich was at turns both adored and reviled by both his … Continue reading Music and Silence →

Capturing Children’s Imaginations with Mozart’s Golden Notes

Book Review for "The Case of the Haunted Swamp" by Cliff MacGillivray and Kelly Ward, illustrated by Phil Mendez. Legend has it that Mozart wrote his "Perfect Symphony" using gold ink. But as soon as the ink had dried, the notes magically came alive and flew right off the page, scattering themselves across the world. … Continue reading Capturing Children’s Imaginations with Mozart’s Golden Notes →

Get Jazzed with this Bolden Book

Book Review of "Coming through Slaughter" by Michael Ondaatje. The name Buddy Bolden probably means absolutely nothing to most readers. That is, unless you're a Jazz enthusiast and/or a music historian. In which case, you'll probably know that Bolden was a coronet player in New Orleans at the turn of the previous century. You'll also … Continue reading Get Jazzed with this Bolden Book →

Endings, Exists, Finishes and Finales: A Collection of Six Short Stories

Book Review of "Going Out in Style" by Daniel Kelley. In Daniel Kelley's collection of six short stories, he investigates things coming to an end from various perspectives. While often one thinks of finishing something as being sad, not all of these stories visit the darker sides of this, and that is one reason why … Continue reading Endings, Exists, Finishes and Finales: A Collection of Six Short Stories →

Beauty out of ugliness

Book Review of "The Butterfly and the Violin" by Kristy Cambron. Sera James has spent the last two years searching for the painting of a beautiful girl with her violin, which was painted in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. When she finds a reproduction in the home of William Hanover III, she decides - against … Continue reading Beauty out of ugliness →