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
Setting: The Appalachian Trail in Maine The Book: Heartwood, by Amity Gaige The author says that her story is patterned after a real person who went missing on the trail in the summer of 2013. Our fictional character is Valerie, a nurse who sets out to unwind from months of caring for patients with Covid. Her disappearance is the main feature of the book, but
The Art Spy by Michelle Young I cannot say enough about this book by Michelle Young about Rose Valland. I have tried to link an interview with Young, but my computer will not cooperate. If you have a chance, pull up one of her interviews and listen to Young talk about her book. She has done a tremendous amount of research on Valland, a French
No, “Twist and Tilt” is not a new song nor is it a new dance. The two words are titles of new, critcally acclaimed books that are worth considering, even if they aren’t the type of book you typically read. Twist, by Irish author Colum McCann, is an adventure book and a thriller. It is set mostly at sea where journalist Anthony Fennell is searching
In this ambitious post, I will write about four different books all set during World War II. Why aren’t authors and readers tired of World War II? If you have any ideas, please share them with me. I know that people my age grew up with stories about the war and the bravery of those who lived through it. One reason we are seeing more
Remember the book The Maid? In that book, Nita Prose introduces us to Molly Gray, a young woman who loves to clean but doesn’t have typical social skills. The term ‘neurodivergent’ seems to cover an array of symptoms that she has. In other words, Molly’s brain simply works differently from that of the majority of folks. So how does one deal with a person like
I have tried to read what reviewers label as ‘Beach Reads’, and many times these books just don’t do it for me. Not that I am a literary snob, because I have read and enjoyed many books that are simply entertaining. So, I am willing this sumer to try a few new suggestions that I have noticed in several publications. First of all, Elisabeth Egan,
To some, James Patterson is a household name. Their bookshelves are lined with books authored by him. Patterson was born in 1947. His first job was in advertising. When he wrote his first book in 1973, it was rejected by 31 publishers. The book The Thomas Berryman Number went on to win an Edgar Award! His best known book is Along Came a Spider, and
Of course they do and we all know it. It’s just that we may not hear so much about them right now. Below are a few I have been seeing in the publications I read: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson is not a new book, and it was published before Musk rose to his current level of fame. Isaacson spent two years with Musk, going
Several readers responded about their favorite authors, or at least authors whose books they routinely enjoy. Linda Dove said she was a true Backman fan, and Becky Peace wrote, Anne Tyler is a favorite. She has the amazing talent of writing about daily life and ordinary people so that we both understand others better and see ourselves clearer. And she does that with beautiful, concise
