individual readers send in a recommendation
Today, as I walked down Fort Johnson Road to Fort Johnson, I thought about the Larsen book I am trying to finish for a book club. I featured it on this blog in 2024 and expected to like it as I did other Larsen books I have read. Well, I’m having a hard time with it, as it turns out. Of course, I was not
When Louis Armstrong sings “What did I do to be so Black and Blue?”, he is evoking a color that holds various meanings to black people. The song was originally in a musical and was sung by a black woman bemoaning the fact that fairer skinned black women seem to get all the men. Of course, that is part of colorism. Certainly, the musical genre
Before we go on to the 2025 ‘Book World’, there are books that I missed featuring on the blog that I obviously should have featured. I know this because I’ve had people tell me, “Oh, I just read the best book!” and then proceed to tell me all about it. I love it when people do this, and I want to share a few of
Some people are extremely affected by the turning back of the clock every year. It makes them sad to not have more time during the day when the sun if shining. Maybe you are that way? Regardless, in the dark afternoons of winter, you might get a little ‘moody’ so here are some books that cater to whatever your mood might be—(taken from Goodreads Book
Marty Drake, a long time blog reader from Chattanooga, suggested The Plaza: The Secret Life of America’s Most Famous Hotel by Julie Satow. Any time my husband and I went to Manhatten, he would point out the hotel because his father always relished staying there while in the city for business. That was during the Mad Men days and generous expense accounts. The Plaza Hotel
The Librarian of Burned Books author, Brianna Labuskes, has written a new book entitled The Lost Book of Bonn. The new book is also about a librarian. The story begins when the Library of Congress sends Emmy Clarke to Germany to rescue literature that the Nazis had practically destroyed during World War II. Once in Germany and while going through discarded books, Clarke discovers a
From Becki McSwain–And in follow-up to Reading Around’s post on Jimmy Fallon’s bookclub, Annie Bot is a great read for those who wonder how we’ll be integrating robots with humans. It’s multi-layered and ethically thought-provoking. Word of caution: it’s very sexual. So if you find that offensive and you don’t want to skip over those parts, you might want to pass on this book. On
The first book a friend recommended is Absolution by Alice McDermott. I enjoyed the book but kept wondering what the “absolution” was, who the absolution was for. The book is set in Viet Nam in 1963. The main characters are American women whose husbands work in the country. My friend liked it because, “the writing style is lovely, the story takes place in my young
This photo was taken at the Morgan Library in New York City. Amazing amount of books, right? I didn’t get a picture of J. P. Morgan’s office, but I did go into the room and imagined Belle da Costa Greene standing in front of his desk. It must have been daunting for her at first. If you haven’t already, read The Personal Librarian, written by
Kristen Hannah’s The Women has been verified by people, whose judgement in books I trust, as a book worth reading! Yes, so now I plan to read it and possibly suggest it as a book for my book club next month. Above is a picture of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on The National Mall in Washington, D. C. It is the only memorial dedicated to
