Their Way.

Book Review for “Strangers in the Night” by Heather Webb. Summary: "In the golden age of Hollywood, two of the brightest stars would define--and defy--an era... She was the small-town southern beauty transformed into a Hollywood love goddess. He was the legendary crooner whose voice transfixed the world. They were Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. … Continue reading Their Way. →

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. →

New Stories about Old People.

Book Review for “Old Babes in the Wood” Stories by Margaret Atwood. Summary: "The two intrepid sisters of the title story grapple with loss and memory on a perfect summer evening; "Impatient Griselda" explores alienation and miscommunication with a fresh twist on a folkloric classic; and "My Evil Mother" touches on the fantastical, examining a … Continue reading New Stories about Old People. →

… you’d be behind me.

Book Review for “Lucy by the Sea” by Elizabeth Strout. Summary: "As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it's just Lucy, William, and their … Continue reading … you’d be behind me. →

A Bottled Family.

Book Review for “Marrying the Ketchups” by Jennifer Close. Summary: "Here are the three things the Sullivan family knows to be true: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan's, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the … Continue reading A Bottled Family. →

Surfing the Sorrows.

Book Review for “Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational! Summary: "Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a … Continue reading Surfing the Sorrows. →

Frozen Dreams.

Book Review for “About Grace” by Anthony Doerr. Summary: "David Winkler begins life in Anchorage, Alaska, a quiet boy drawn to the volatility of weather and obsessed with snow. Sometimes he sees things before they happen—a man carrying a hatbox will be hit by a bus; Winkler will fall in love with a woman in … Continue reading Frozen Dreams. →

A Scottish James Garner?

Book Review for “The House by the Loch” by Kirsty Wark. Summary: “Walter MacMillan is bewitched by the clever, glamorous Jean Thompson and can't believe his luck when she agrees to marry him. Neither can she, for Walter represents a strong and steady and loving man who can perhaps quiet the demons inside her. Yet … Continue reading A Scottish James Garner? →

Journeys Without Maps.

Book Review for “Woman Enters Left” by Jessica Brockmole. Summary: “In the 1950s, movie star Louise Wilde is caught between an unfulfilling acting career and a shaky marriage when she receives an out-of-the-blue phone call: She has inherited the estate of Florence “Florrie” Daniels, a Hollywood screenwriter she barely recalls meeting. Among Florrie’s possessions are … Continue reading Journeys Without Maps. →

That should be plural …

Book Review for “The Queen’s Secret: A Novel of England's World War II Queen” by Karen Harper. This biographical, historical fiction novel is about the woman most of us knew as the “Queen Mother,” the woman who is the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, and who stood by her husband, King George VI after he … Continue reading That should be plural … →