"I Think I Need More Bookshelves" Is Probably Not a Smart Thing to Say to My Husband

But it's the truth!

The Garden of Small Beginnings

Other People's Houses

AND

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill 

ALL by Abbi Waxman

I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO INCLUDE NINA HILL!!!!
All of her books are terrific, but The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is by far the most hilarious
book I've read in ages.  Especially if you've had any experience living in Los Angeles.
Give her a try, but read Nina first and get ready to lol all over yourself and anyone sitting/standing/sleeping near you.

The Widow Clicquot by Tilar Mazzeo

"The story of a champagne empire and the woman who built it."
Tilar's words, not mine.  Interesting...would make a cool gift with a bottle of the Veuve.

The Peppermint Tea Chronicles by Alexander McCall Smith

Another gem by one of my favorites.  Sweet Bertie is also my favorite.

The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland

Will make you think twice before booking a cruise, especially with family.

Bad Day at the Vulture Club by Vaseem Khan

Give me a mystery in Mumbai any day.

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

This was a friend's recommendation, (thanks, Karen!), and what a find.
A story of rural Montana in 1909, a season of one-room schools, comets
and whistling housekeepers. Ivan Doig is a treasure.

Life with Jeeves and Leave It to Psmith by P. G. Wodehouse

Classics.  Read if you haven't.  Thank me later.

The Man in the White Linen Suit by David Handler

Love me some Stewart Hoag and his basset hound Lulu.  So will you!

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

Bad behavior in the 1980's publishing world. A good beach read:)

The Second-Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall Smith

Seriously, how can one man write so many good books?
It's not normal, but that's okay by me.

Book Math

Too many books read + not enough time to write =

A photo of the stack I've read and no real reviews.

However...

although I'd definitely recommend them all, read

Daisy Jones and the Six NOW.  Also, loved 

The Alice Network and Next Year in Havana.

That is all. 

TBC

Everything from A to...Y

A is for Alibi to Y is for Yesterday

by Sue Grafton

(With Kinsey and Me thrown in for good measure)

Beginning in 1982, with the last book published in 2017, Sue Grafton created a brilliant detective and a fantastic series. Reading all of the books in a short period of time and in order truly shines a light on her genius.  She died before Z, and I will miss her. 

I Will Remember You...

If I write it down.  

Just posting the books I've read lately so I can remember what I read!

Not a ton of commentary this round.

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

Just received in the mail Wednesday and finished last night.

Favorite author and character.

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

Another favorite!!  Love everything she's written.

Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

Another great read to keep us laughing:)

The Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

Inspector Gamache does it again.  

Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford

A classic English comedy...parts are still relevant today and parts no longer hold up, 

but still enjoyed  her prose.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

Oh my heart, I love Flavia and Alan Bradley.

The Very Principled Maggie Mayfield by Kathy Cooperman

A fun story set in my hometown by a local author:)

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer

Another moldy oldie...Rosemary Quiros, you would love this one!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Pure genius.  Everyone should read this book.  

Until next time...TBC

Just One More

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I knew nothing about the history between Korea and Japan, until now.  The story of three generations of Korean immigrants in Japan, history comes alive through her amazing characters.  Most of the people I know are far removed from this sort of struggle, which continues today.  It is fascinating and humbling, and I was very sad to come to the end of this book.  Read soon!!

Doing All the Things Before Christmas

Which includes cleaning off my desk.
Here are a few for you:

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Love this series, and Lethal White is the best yet.  Devour this,
or start at the beginning with Cuckoo's Calling, because the characters
get better with each book.  (Also, if you haven't heard, this is J K Rowling's pen name!)



A Sue Grafton Binge

She is the reason I love detective/mysteries so much.  We will never see a "Z is for...", but we can always start over at A is for Alibi.  I did just that, reading the first seven books in less than a week.  Then I had murder and kidnapping nightmares.  (For real!) The moral of the story is:  too much of a good thing is just that.  Will be reading the rest of the alphabet more leisurely:)



The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith

A gentle reminder that good will triumph over evil, even in politics.
My favorite of all his series, Smith never disappoints.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2019 to All!!! TBC

The Readymade Thief

The Readymade Thief by Augustus Rose

 An unlikely but likable heroine betrayed by family and friends, the creepy secret society pursuing her, and Marcel Duchamp's most famous piece of art (see below) all converge in a story that will keep you riveted until the last page. 

 The Readymade Thief is completely original from start to finish, and I highly recommend it.

The artwork is The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even by Marcel Duchamp.  It is a VERY abstract sculpture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I found it helpful to refer to a site the author recommended in his acknowledgements:

www.understandingduchamp.com

Scroll horizontally down the timeline to 1923 for an explanation and animation of the work.