Want to Improve Yourself in 2024?

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

A poem and a book from two special people

Remember Amanda Gorman? She was the youngest presidential inaugural poet! Her inspiring rendition of “The Hill We Climb” charmed every single person that watched President Biden’s inauguration. Gorman has now written her second children’s book entitled Something, Someday. Caldecott Honor artist Christian Robinson illustrates the book, making it bright and cheery and full of hope. You might have a child on your Christmas list or

The Maid Returns!!

Nita Prose, author of The Maid, took on a new role when she wrote her debut novel. Her first job was, and still is, at Simon and Schuster in Canada as Editorial Director. Prose admits that being an editor gives her an advantage becasue she knows what publishers need to make a book a success. And quite a success The Maid was, winning many awards

Lee Smith is in a league of her own!

Actually Lee Smith is not in a league of her own, but she is among a handful of female literary authors that have won the respect of critics all over the country. Many times she is referred to as a premiere Southern Author, and that is true. A reviewer for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner wrote, “Lee Smith seems to have taken the torch flung from

Strong Women Revisited

When I published the post featuring books about strong women, I added a quiz. One blog reader answered all questions correctly! Congrats, Cathy Hill. Several readers sent in their favorite ‘strong woman’ character. Someone named the main character in Lessons in Chemistry. Fortunately, strong women are characters in many of the novels we read now–quite a change from fifty years ago. I have come across

Try one of these new books!

Although I haven’t had a chance to read any of these books yet, they are featured in every promotional publication I see. While the title of this entry is “Try one of these new books”, the fact is that they aren’t so new anymore. In fact, several of them have shown up on book club reading lists already. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James

History reads

George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy, by Sally Bedell Smith IF you aren’t tired of reading about ‘the royals’ in Great Britain, then you might enjoy George VI and Elizabeth. We all know the story. We’ve all seen The King’s Speech. We all know that Queen Elizabeth and her mother lived very long and eventful lives. BUT, do we know the

Just for fun!

You can read these books in the summer or ANYTIME. They are quaranteed to be fun! The Guest, Emma Cline — The author of The Girls continues to exhibit her literary skills in a story about a 22 year old girl who gets herself evicted from an older man’s home in the Hamptons and roams around–where? Read something the Washington Post calls “smoldering.” Pineapple Street,

Summer Suggestions

HarperCollins Publishers recently offered a list of books that would be ideal for summer reading. I have gone through this list and featured three totally differnt types of books. Hopefully at least one will appeal to you. Happy reading…… Pete and Alice in Maine, Caitlin Shetterly Very few people have fond memories of the pandemic days, however, this novel will interest readers because it is