In this next ‘installment’ of Winter Reads I feature two memoirs and one biography. These are all very differnt books, and each one has something to offer. Two of them will not be published until February so keep an eye out or preorder. Whiskey Tender: A Memoir, by Deborah Jackson Taffa will be available on February 27. Taffa was raised in Navajo territory in New
David Schaeffer, a retired attorney who moved here from Atlanta, is a Kiawah Island resident with a hit book! Schaeffer has written several books, actually, about hiking and mountain climbing. The new book, Letters from Sweeden, is a different kind of book with a very interesting background. Remember when people used to write letters? I do. My mother saved letters that I wrote to her
Now that January is here, we can focus more on reading! But what will we read? In the next few weeks, I will be featuring books that have come out at the very end of 2023 or early in 2024. Read some of these books now so that you will be able to offer suggestions for you book clubs when they choose new books in
The blog entry about our natural world was published BEFORE the turtle book showed up! We know turtles can move slowly, but they should have been worth my waiting for. Oh well, here it is–Of Time and Turtles Need I say more? Probably not because many of the blog readers are already crazy about turtles. Sy Montgomery is a well-known naturalist and a gifted writer
HarperCollinsPublishers recommends several books for self-improvement in the new year. After reading about these books, I have picked three that you might want to consder. njuta: The Swedish Art of Savoring the Moment by Niki Brantmark is a book that celebrates Swedish culture. The word ‘njuta’ means ‘enjoy’ or ‘delight in.’ This principal, as explained in the book, is a way to find happiness in
Those of us who live on Kiawah and in other scenic parts of the world know how much joy we derive from communing with nature. In my case, it’s the wildlife I love the most. This time of year, I look out onto the golf course and see, every morning, about 8 white ibis congregating on the bank of the pond and then pecking their
There were many books published in 2023 that are certainly worth reading but that we didn’t have time for. Of course we don’t have time to read all the good books. My friend Rebecca Peace has an Instagram spot called beckyonbooks. She lives in Saint Simons Island, Georgia. In her most recent post she says “If you have not read these books, don’t delay. Each
It has been years since I have looked through a copy of Parade Magazine. I used to read it every time I visited the beauty salon in Atlanta. I haven’t lived in Atlanta for fifteen years, so I guess I haven’t looked at a Parade Magazine since then. The magazine, while focusing mostly on sensational Hollywood stories, had some great ideas for books to give
This just in from Goodreads, books which were voted on by readers: Best Fiction Yellowface, R. F. Kuang Best Historical Fiction Weyward, Emily Hart The author tells the story of three women across five centuries. In the Southern Review of Books, May 17, 2023, Nicole Yurcaba writes that the book is one that “hums with endurance and carfully places a magnifying glass over the complexities
Susan Zurenda contacted me several months ago about her new book The Girl From the Red Rose Motel. I recently had a chance to read indepth reviews about the book, and I think it is one followers may want to buy or order, especially since so many of you have worked with students. Amber Wheeler Bacon, in the Southern Review of Books, September 8, 2023,
