In The House by the Lake, Thomas Harding chronicles the history of the summer lake house his Jewish great grandparents built near Berlin in the 1920s. He also weaves in one hundred years of German history and its impact on the house’s different residents, creating a fascinating story. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell, Narrated by Joanne Froggatt
The Night She Disappeared is a gripping suspense novel written by Lisa Jewell and expertly narrated by Joanne Froggatt (audio version). It’s one of those thrillers that will have you guessing until the end. Continue reading
Book Review: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
In Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez takes on some heavy topics, including obsessive, unrequited love; marital love and fidelity; and aging and death. Continue reading
15 Interesting Books Set in Germany

Germany makes a rich setting for both fiction and nonfiction. Many classic spy and war novels are set in Germany, and although this list is heavy with both genres, I also tried to include some other options. Continue reading
It’s Time to Shatter ALS!

Hello! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’ve been fighting and living with ALS for over eleven years. You’ll also be familiar with my annual appeal for donations to the ALS Association (ALSA). Continue reading
Book Review: Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports by John Branch
Sidecountry is a collection of some of John Branch’s favorite articles. Branch, a Pulitzer Prize winning sports journalist for the New York Times, treats his readers to “something different, something unexpected. They would never ask for it, because they wouldn’t know to ask.” Continue reading
Book Review: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
56 Days is an engrossing and well-constructed murder mystery set in Dublin, Ireland during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a real page-turner, with surprising plot twists throughout. Continue reading
Book Review: A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
A Dog’s Purpose is narrated by a Good Dog who is trying to figure out the meaning of his multiple reincarnations. It’s heartfelt and sweet, and will make you laugh and maybe cry, especially if you’re a dog lover. Continue reading
Book Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
In Cloud Cuckoo Land, author Anthony Doerr weaves a complex and inventive tale about the enduring impact a good story can have throughout the centuries. Strong themes of resilience, hope, and compassion make this novel enjoyable and memorable. Continue reading
Book Review: Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
In Flight of Dreams, author Ariel Lawhon takes full advantage of creative license to tell the story of the passengers and crew on the Hindenburg’s final, disastrous voyage as well as develop one possible (although farfetched) explanation for the explosion. Continue reading