I admit, I'm partial to Kristin Hannah. I find her books entertaining (sometimes not so life changing), but definitely worth reading.  This book though - wow. The protagonist is Francis "Frankie" McGrath, who hails from a wealthy family in California. She decides to enlist in the armed services as a nurse during Vietnam, following her brother, and, in so doing, leaves a very sheltered life to served in a war ravaged country. After serving multiple deployments, Frankie is sent home where she finds different kinds of battles that she must face. Many arrived home wounded, both menta ..read more

  This eek was a big one weather wise with the eclipse and New England recovering from an April Nor'Easter.  Here are the stories! The SC Women's team upsets Iowa to win the NCAA Basketball title. 20 period dramas to see this month on Amazon. 5 Memoirs by women. One of the best male friendships on TV. What happens if you're late for a virtual queue at Disney. Most targeted books of 2023. 47 Unforgettable Modern Classics A guide to Stephen King. Interactive Dr. Who Map Top 25 bookish mother's day gifts. 12 best donut and  coffee pairings. In ..read more

  Happy Sunday!  Tomorrow is the eclipse - the kids have an excused absence to go watch. Will you be watching? The Tropicana is being demolished to make way for a ball park. Why Biblical women? Disney adults share what gets them icky about each other. Weird and wonderful sensations of viewing an eclipse. Revisiting the movies of 1999. 11 period dramas on Amazon. 7 reasons to not date a reader. 15 books about the Pacific NW. bizarre things found in luggage. What you need to know about the eclipse. Pen/Faulkner award announced. Mysteries about translato ..read more

  I hope everyone is having a good week! The top Kristen Hannah books. Dead butt (yes you read that correctly) syndrome is a thing. How to break phone dependence. How did jelly beans become Easter candy. Babar author has passed away. Lambda awards shortlist is here. For book recommendations, people are better than algorithms. The Great American Novels. Books about camping and hiking ..read more

  I loved Election - both the book and the movie (starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick) - and Tom Perrotta in general.  Tracy Flick is such a great character - so when I saw that there was a new book - a sequel - about Tracy, I was all over it!  This novel takes place approximately 20 years after the events of Election and Tracy is dealing with a life that she never anticipated having. After high school, Tracy went to Georgetown as an undergrad and was just beginning law school, also at Georgetown, when her mother gets very ill, causing Tracy to have to return to c ..read more

  Clara Johnson is a Black Woman living in DC during the time of Langston Hughes. She is something else - she was born with a caul and screaming and her ability to commune with spirits is attributed to her caul. In this novel, Penelope tells the story of Clara and her team as they attempt to save the Black community from spirits stealing their destinies. When we meet Clara, she has been brokering deals between people for six years already and is working as a typist at a local journal. She is offered a deal by a spirit that she calls the Empress - if she can get a hold of a special ring ..read more

  I hope that everyone had a good week, including St. Patrick's!! Is the most expensive hotel at WDW worth it? Patrick Warburton surprises people at Soarin. Would have loved it if this happened when we were there! Chris Bohjalian and lots of things, including his new book. Star Wars blue milk is coming Enjoy ..read more

  I was intrigued by the title, so I picked this up, not having known about Reid's previous book, which was long listed for various awards. This is a campus novel about the University of Arkansas, featuring Millie, a 24 year old Senior and RA. Millie is black and becomes particularly fond of a visiting (much older) white professor named Agatha, who has come to campus to interview students about weddings and getting married. When we meet everyone, Millie has arranged for the initial interviews and the story moves from there.  I found that this novel was more of a fly on the wall nov ..read more

  I got this book as one of my birthday presents.  It looked intriguing, but it was somewhat deceptive in its title. This book, as the title not so subtly suggests, is supposed to be about Edda Mussolini - the eldest child and eldest daughter of Benito Mussolini. She was, theoretically, one of the most powerful woman in Europe in the 1930's and early 40's.   Edda was born in 1910 to Rachele and Benito and, initially, had to deal with poverty, beatings and instability. Perhaps not surprisingly, her father was absent - he was often in hospitals or in jail for his fascist ac ..read more

  It was my birthday last weekend, so it was pretty low key for me, thankfully.  Here are some links! Enjoy. International Booker prize longlist announced. 5 mysteries set in Russia. Does time feel different since the Pandemic? Kate Middleton and the hubub around her photo. What is a flat white? I like them and cappuccinos - yum. 5 pieces of sleep advice to ignore. On Tana French's new novel - it's not Dublin Squad, but I'll take it. This is...interesting? Sucks?  Let me know what you think. Wendy Williams and her dementia - how sad. Beverly Hills Cop  ..read more