If you like Alice Hoffman…..

Simon & Schuster announces a discussion of Alice Hoffman’s new book The World That We Knew. Log into their Facebook page at 1:00, on Setembert 22, to take part in their virtual book club. The following is taken from the Simon and Schuster e-mail announcing the event: The World That We Knew By Alice Hoffman For fans of The Dovekeepers and The Golem and the Jinni On the brink

Sandcastle Book Club meets via Zoom

On Monday, September 7, almost thirty members of the Sandcastle Book Club met to discuss Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. Stephanie Auge kindly reported on the author and the book and wrote the following synopsis of the discussion: Following biographical information about the author, the following points were discussed: abandonment and betrayal of the main character Kya, her ability as a young child

Reader comment on Hamnet

Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell: Beautifully written, with clear and fluid prose, this book drew me in immediately to the story of Shakespeare’s family, particularly that of his son, Hamnet (an interchangeable name with Hamlet), and of his wife, Agnes (or Anne). Too many historical novelists provide a heavy dose of research without insight or creativity. That’s not the case with O’Farrell, a superb writer, who

Recent literary honors yield cash prizes

In the UK, the Women’s Prize is given annually for the best work of fiction written in English by a woman of any nationality.  This year’s Women’s Prize, worth $39,000, went to Irish born Maggie O’Farrell (pictured befow) for her book Hamnet.  Hamnet is about the life and death of William Shakespeare’s son Hamnet.  And yes, Hamlet and Hamnet have something in common.  The book

Conservancy Book Review 2

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Doug Tallamy A book review by Cindy Perry Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope is an easy to read book filled with practical advice, consistent with the Kiawah Conservancy’s mission to improve ecological health of Kiawah and its environs. Tallamy shares some historical information about how the United States transformed from its

A reader reviews a mystery series with an Asian flavor

Submitted by:  Lynn Morgenstern. 9/6/2020 For anyone who loves mysteries and wants to try something in the genre that is quite different from the typical British and American who-done-its, I recommend a dip into Colin Cotterill’s Dr. Siri Paiboun series. Cotterill’s investigator, Dr. Siri is in his 70’s and is a Paris-trained physician holding the title of National Coroner in Laos.  While I have only

Labor Day Contest

Question–When is Labor Day celebrated in other countries? Remember, submit your answer and it will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Mary Whyte’s Working South. When was the first Labor Day? (Information taken from Dictionary.com) The first Labor Day celebration took place in New York City on September 5, 1882. About 10,000 union workers marched in a parade to honor American workers,

Remember Ove?

The author of A Man Named Ove, Fredrick Backman, has written a new book and will be talking about it in several on-line conversations. Simon and Schuster announced these engagements, and I have listed links to the website if you are interested. Fredrik Backman Author Talk, Anxious People Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You

Books to look for in September (for those who love history and politics of the ‘good ole days’)

On August 27, 2020, the New York Times published a list of books to look for in September. The article was updated on Sepember 1. I have culled from that list several non-fiction books that seemed interesting, not only to me but possibly to those blog readers who like books that I might not be drawn to. Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre–Sonya is her ‘spy’