The book is spare in its descriptions and words on the page yet overflowing with philosophical musings on marriage, friendship, the role of art in the world.
I found the little book to be captivating, as if I were in the narrator's mind, and yet also in my own mind remembering how I have often pondered similar philosophical questions.
Unusual and excellent. A slim novel that painted such vivid pictures and made me think. … [Read more...] about Indelicacy
Coe offers such a fresh, and, at times, cheeky perspective on our beloved George Washington. She’s clever, witty, and smart and the first female biographer to add her take on the man, and what a welcome addition she is.
Coe paints a more realistic portrayal of Washington, the icon, while still paying homage to his accomplishments and legacy. And in a much shorter version! What I loved most is how she brings to light a much more realistic depiction of the women in his life, starting with his … [Read more...] about You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
Dan Heath didn’t know he was literally writing a book for our time. Here’s the first sentence I highlighted in the book: “Downstream actions react to problems once they’ve occurred. Upstream efforts aim to prevent those problems from happening.”
How many ways can we apply that prescient piece of advice during the Covid-19 pandemic?
In his informative and captivating book, Dan Heath explores the tendency people have in life and in business to get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out … [Read more...] about Upstream
Lydia Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. Lydia unknowingly befriends the jefe of the newest drug cartel when he begins to frequent her bookstore. They discover that they share a love of many of the same books and develop an intense friendship. But after her husband publishes an article about this man’s drug cartel, catastrophe and horror strike, forcing Lydia and her … [Read more...] about American Dirt
Weingarten is a long-form story writer for the Washington Post. I fell in love with his writing in this collection of his best work. I was enthralled by the final chapter where Weingarten enlists the help of Joshua Bell, one of the finest violinists in the world, to pose as a street musician in a busy subway station in D.C.
Weingarten wonders if people can recognize genius out of context and if people will make time for beauty.
Loved this book! … [Read more...] about The Fiddler in the Subway
A Promised Land
Obama's A Promised Land sold almost 890,000 copies on its first day, beating out his wife's opening day sales. But will it last? I'm just starting to read it. What a man!
From the jacket cover: Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grass-roots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African … [Read more...] about A Promised Land
Whale Day
One of my absolute favorite poets. Poignant, relatable, and makes you laugh. Check out the poem "Cremation." … [Read more...] about Whale Day
The Other Bennet Sister (Plus more of Madge’s Picks)
When Jen asked, “What are you reading this summer, Mom?” I hesitated before saying, “Well, I just read Janice Hadlow’s THE OTHER BENNET SISTER.” She picked right up on that hesitation—“Didn’t you like it?” Actually I did like it, but did I like it because I’ve read SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, EMMA and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE so many times? Hadlow has some of Austen’s sensibility—and her treatment of Mary Bennet is quite good. She develops Mary from the embarrassed piano player we see in P and P to … [Read more...] about The Other Bennet Sister (Plus more of Madge’s Picks)
The Biggest Bluff
I am so taken with this book that I just ordered one copy for each person in my immediate and extended family and am inviting them to a book discussion.
The author Maria Konnikova had never even played poker when she decided to enlist the help of one of the world’s premiere poker players, Erik Seidel, to teach her the art of the game.
A Harvard PhD in psychology, Maria had a stretch of personal bad luck, and her reflections on the role of chance in life had led to her interest in poker—in … [Read more...] about The Biggest Bluff