This is a book that lived up to its hype. Educated has graced numerous bestseller lists, was a finalist for several awards, and made the rounds through endless book clubs and it’s easy to see why. Tara Westover’s memoir about her childhood as a Mormon survivalist would probably be gripping enough as its own story. But the second chapter of her life, in which the self-educated author attends both Cambridge and Harvard, is equally astounding. Continue reading
Book Review: Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
The author of Peace Like a River showcases his supreme storytelling skills in Virgil Wander, a novel about how a small town and its citizens try to stay relevant in the face of changing times. Continue reading
Book Review: Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
In Ghosted, thirty something Sarah Mackie is on vacation in her native England when she meets Eddie David. They have a passionate seven day affair that concludes with talk of love and being together permanently. But then Sarah never hears from Eddie. He ghosts her. And then Sarah proceeds to behave like a complete lunatic. Continue reading
Book Review: The Secret of Santa Vittoria by Robert Crichton
The Secret of Santa Vittoria takes place in a small village in the mountains of Italy during WWII. It is a brilliant commentary about human nature, relying on deadpan and sometimes dark humor to cover topics like love, honor, power, community dynamics and prejudices. Robert Crichton cleverly weaves a parable that pits Italian peasants against German soldiers in a cat and mouse game involving the wine that serves as the lifeblood of the little village. Continue reading
6 Books-to-Screen I Might Actually Watch in 2019
There are a bunch of movies and TV series being released in 2019 that are based on best-selling books. I’m not much of a movie person. For some reason, I can spend 4 hours reading a book, but after just an hour watching a movie, I start to get restless. But there are a handful of upcoming movies (and TV series) I think I can easily muster up the attention span to watch – three of them are based on books I’ve blogged about and three are based on books on my TBR list. Continue reading
Book Review: All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
All We Ever Wanted examines what happens when parents of teenagers are asleep at the wheel. It also contains some other rather tedious social commentary. Continue reading
Book Review: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly
Dark Sacred Night is the latest novel by bestselling author Michael Connelly. It pairs two of his police detective characters, Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard, to solve the cold case murder of 15-year-old Daisy Clayton. Continue reading
12 Months of Reading Goodness
Happy New Year, everyone!
Have you ever seen those reading lists “52 Categories of Books to Read this Year”? They are populated with categories like “Read a book that takes place in China” and “Read a book published in the 1800s”, and then the idea is to tick one category off each week of the year. They are fun to look at, but maybe a little too restrictive to follow. And a book a week is an ambitious pace. Continue reading
Book Review: The Library Book, by Susan Orlean
There is a lot to like about The Library Book. Author Susan Orlean chronicles the 1986 fire that devastated the Los Angeles Central Library, at the same time using it as a vehicle to explore the history of the library, the mission and future of libraries in general, and share her own poignant history and relationship with libraries. Continue reading
Book Review: Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell
In Then She Was Gone, Laurel Mack is a woman who is trying to put her life back together ten years after her teenage daughter, Ellie, disappeared. But just when things finally start to look up, clues from the past begin to surface. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 