If you’re looking for a short story collection, Homeland and Other Stories is a good one. Kingsolver’s stories mostly focus on families and relationships, with a couple of them delving into social issues. She packs a lot into a short story. Continue reading
Book Review: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Mary Beth Keane’s debut novel, Ask Again, Yes, explores the effects that a violent incident has on two neighboring families, as well as the toll mental illness takes on spouses, children and the patient. The novel was okay but it was missing an engaging story line past the first 1/3 of the book. Continue reading
Book Review: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the tale of a band of communist guerrillas, led temporarily by American Robert Jordan, who have been tasked with blowing up a bridge during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. The writing style took some getting used to, but I ended up really liking it. Continue reading
Book Review: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Stephen King pulls back the curtain and lets us peer into his mind. Surprisingly, it isn’t full of creepy crawlies. In fact, On Writing is charming, insightful and full of practical advice. Not just for writers, it should appeal to anyone interested in how a master craftsman approaches the creative process. Continue reading
Book Review: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
I have had good luck recently with reading older books – not quite “classics” but noteworthy in their own time, still thoroughly enjoyable and without the long library hold times of recent releases (bonus!). One example is The Secret of Santa Vittoria, which I read and reviewed earlier this year. Angle of Repose is another example. This novel with a James Bondian title won the 1972 Pulitzer, and it’s no wonder – Wallace Stegner is a true word magician. The prose in this novel is gorgeous. Continue reading
Book Review: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie Dobbs is the first book in Jacqueline Winspear’s successful Maisie Dobbs mystery series. The series, which recently added book number 15, features a British female sleuth who solves mysteries in the 1920s/1930s. Although this first book had a few rough spots, it was interesting enough to make me want to read the next book in the series to see how things progress. Continue reading
Book Review: Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War is an account of the 1620 Mayflower voyage and the subsequent ~56 years of English settlements in the New England area of the United States. It includes details about the devastating war between colonists and some of the area’s native tribes known as King Philip’s War. History buffs should like this one. Continue reading
Book Review: Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service by Gary Sinise
Grateful American tells the remarkable evolution of Gary Sinise from a disillusioned teenager into someone who has devoted much of his adult life to serving veterans, active duty service members, and first responders. It’s a life story that easily could have turned out badly, but instead turned out triumphant. Continue reading
Did You Know Book Sculpting Is a Thing? Here Are Some Examples that Caught My Eye
I was recently doing some very important research on Pinterest (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), when I came across the concept of book sculpting. In book sculpting, artists use one or multiple books as their medium and carve, cut, fold and paint them to create unique pieces of art. I have to admit that the idea of carving up a book made me a bit squeamish at first, but I also recognize that this is a great way to recycle unwanted books. So, once my toes uncurled, I was able appreciate the beauty of many of these pieces. Continue reading
Book Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Silent Patient, currently flying high on the bestseller lists, is a psychological thriller that lives up to its hype. A clever, twisty plot and creepy psych ward atmosphere will certainly appeal to fans of this genre. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 