It’s true! Overstory is making a comeback. Four of my blog readers have contacted me to tell me they recently either read the book or they are in the midst of reading it. I just checked it out from the library. I have read the first story so far. Why? Because I need to do more ‘deep reading’ and I want to go on to
*about women You have no doubt heard about each of these three women, but you may not know much about who they really are. Maybe preconceived ideas about Kate Spade and questions such as “who’s Octavia Butler.” You may decide you want to get to know them better, and the following books will be a good starting point: Dawn Staley is almost a legend in
We will begin this section with the Sandcastle Book List for 2025-26 September 8: Last Twilight in Paris (Pam Jenoff) A necklace found in a second-hand shop leads the main character back to Paris to uncover a World War II mystery. October 13: The Briar’s Club (Kate Quinn) A group of women bond at a boarding house, each of them having their own secrets that
When rebutting David Brooks’ assertions about the state of the American novel, Ann Patchett, author and bookstore owner, pointed out many books that she thinks prove that the great American novel is NOT dead. Below is a list of some she mentioned. I have read James, Demon Copperhead and Trust. I would like to read Overstory. How many have you read, and what do you
While the title The Carpool Detectives sounds like a humorous set-up, this book by Chuck Hogan will not be humorous, but it will be a ‘fun’ read for those who like crime stories. Hogan is a seasoned author of true crime. Some may know him for his previous books: The Town and Devils in Exile. Normally, I do now like crime novels if they are
Rebecca Peace of beckyonbooks sent me a link to review Ann Patchett’s response to David Brooks’ column, which I pointed out in my last blog post. If you don’t want to click and read the entire short spot here, just know that she completely disagrees with Brooks and sites book after book that she thinks is important, edgy and certainly important and timely literature. In
I must say that I really like David Brooks. I watch him faithfully on the PBS Newshour. Today, I read his column in the New York Times and wanted to share it with my blog readers. Click on the below site: www.nytimes.com › literature-books-novelists What exactly is he saying? Does he always think things were better in the ‘good ole days’? Focusing in on Brooks’ disappointment
The last two books I have read involved missing persons. All The Colors of the Dark involves many missing people, including, for a time, the main character. Heartwood only has one missing person. The thing about both of these books is that I could not put them down. I had to read and read until I found out about the missing person. Don’t worry, I
I know, of course, that the Mississippi River is generally referred to as “old man river.” Even if it isn’t the longest river in North America, it is huge! I am partial, however, to the Tennessee River because I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee where ‘the river’ refers to the Tennessee. In fact, I was just there seeing friends and relatives and can attest to
The first book featured here is entitled HappyLand, by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. The genre of historical fiction is an ideal way to tell a story about an actual historical place or event with the added interest of some ‘made up’ elements. Happyland is set in a real place in North Carolina that was settled by freed slaves after the Civil War. We have the dual stories
