Tag Archives: books

My Favorite Reads of 2025

Posted on by
Reply

These are my favorite reads of 2025. Most lists that you read or hear of deal only with books that were published in 2025. Since I’m not a professional blogger or book seller, only a few of these books were published this year.

I chose my top ten by going to the books I read each month and picking out my top ones of the month. Several months had two or three 5 star books though October had none. This gave me a total of 18 books to chose from. I admit, there were a couple of books I could hardly remember which made me question my 5 star rating of that book. But, I’m sure I enjoyed it at that time.

I will list these in no particular order.

  1. Empire of Gold S.A. Chakraborty. (The Daevabad Trilogy #3). (2020) The third and final volume in this fantasy series. Since this is the third in a series, I won’t say anything about the plot. Though a bit too much violence for me, I loved the characters and the different ways Chakraborty wove in the myths and legends of the middle eastern culture. She is a writer I will continue to read. Definitely not a stand-alone, so start with The City of Brass.

2. Broken Country Clare Leslie Hall. (2025) Historical fiction, dual timeline, suspense, love, betrayal, and murder. What else could you want in a book? A beautifully written story of Beth who is happily married to Frank, a farmer, though their life has been blighted by tragedy. When the man Beth loved as a teen-ager returns home with his young son, complications arise in their pastoral life. I loved this book from a writer who has previously only been published in the UK and Germany.

3. Something to Hide Elizabeth George (Inspector Lynley #21). (2022) I’ve been reading the books in this series since it started and have enjoyed most of them with a couple of exceptions. They’re long (usually over 500 pages) and filled with detail—both on the crimes and on the characters. Of course, it’s usually because of the characters’ growth, that one reads and sticks with a series, but that is not to say that one couldn’t read any of these as a stand-alone. So, if you haven’t read any of the Lynley books, this is a good one. When a police detective is attacked and soon dies from the attack, Lynley and his team are put on the case. Since she was a detective, what she was working on is of interest, but that doesn’t eliminate investigating those nearest and dearest to her. Once I got the characters straight, I was invested in this one from beginning to end.

4. The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy #2) Katherine Arden. (2017) I loved this story partly taken from Russian fairy tales. This is a sequel, so important to read The Bear and the Nightingale first to understand Vasilisa’s back story. What is she doing riding a magnificent horse on her own in the wilderness? When she shows up where her priest brother is living as a close aid to the prince, he is not pleased and they both pretend she is a boy to avoid embarrassment. When this “boy” leads them to some bandits who have been destroying villages, and proves to be both courageous and resourceful, the siblings become dangerously entangled in their lies.

5. Hello Beautiful Ann Napolitano. (2023) The four Padavano sisters act as a unit. Julia is the oldest and the leader, followed by Sylvie, the dreamer, then the twins Cecelia, an artist and Emeline, the care-taker. Julia meets William Waters at college and as their relationship develops, Julia takes him in hand, deciding his future for him and what she thinks will be best for the two of them. William is willing to follow until he becomes overwhelmed. I loved this book—the relationships, the family drama, and the heartbreak. 

6. Wrong Place, Wrong Time Gillian McAllister (2022) (audio—Lesley Sharp). Jen is up waiting for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to come home. While watching out her window, she sees him appear in the dark of midnight. But, before she can feel relief, she sees another man come up to Todd and, unbelievably, Todd stabs him. After Todd is arrested, and Jen finally gets to sleep, she wakes up the next morning wondering what happened and what she can do about it. She soon finds out that what she saw last night hasn’t happened—yet. It’s the day before. Can she find out what happened and stop it before it happens again? A different sort of time travel story, as Jen continues to go back in time, learning more about what led up to the events of that night.

7. The Wedding People Alison Espach. (2024) Phoebe Stone comes to the Cornwall Inn in Newport, R.I.–a place she always wanted to visit but preferably in more ideal circumstances as Phoebe’s life has hit bottom. When she arrives, she soon finds that a large wedding party is there for the week, but she decides not to let them ruin her plans. Then Phoebe meets the bride, Lila—young, rich, and entitled. Not the sort that Phoebe would normally make friends with. As they begin to confide in one another, Phoebe finds herself being pulled into this huge family event. I loved this book mostly because of the characters. Not that they were particularly lovable—they were both annoying and exasperating, but also funny and warm. I wanted to follow them to their next family event, but, alas, (and thankfully) this week will never be replicated.

8. Playworld Adam Ross. (2025) In the fall of 1980, fourteen-year old Griffin Hurt lives in New York and goes to an elite prep school which he pays for with his acting career. When a 36-year old friend of his parents, Naomi, “falls in love with him”, Griffin says, “Like so many things that happened to me that year, it didn’t seem strange at the time.” Between the cover and this opening premise, I was reluctant to try this rather long book but heard many good things about it (including comparing it to The Goldfinch), so decided to check it out. Though several of the adults in Grifiin’s life made me cringe, his voice won me over. Griffin is a character that is easy to root for and one you want to follow. 

9. Slanting Towards the Sea Lidija Hilje. (2025) Ivona and Vlaho met as students in democratic Croatia. Now, they’re divorced and Vlaho has remarried with two children while Ivona has returned home to care for her father. Ivona has remained friends with Vlaho and is welcomed into his home by his now wife, Marina. When Ivona has to squash her father’s dreams of building a hotel and sell the land owned by their ancestors, a new man enters her life creating problems with her other relationships and revealing secrets long kept hidden. Even though I don’t normally care for love triangles, I admit I’ve read a few good ones lately. Though sadness is all through the book, I loved the writing and the characters and hope Hilje is writing something else.

10. Fresh Water for Flowers Valerie Perrin. (2018) (translated from the French). Violette Toussaint is the caretaker of a cemetery in Bourgogne. With her visitors, colleagues (three gravediggers, three groundskeepers, and a priest), and her pets, Violette seems content living here. But how she got here is a long story, full of sorrow and difficulties. The story goes back and forth from the present to the past, but it is not only Violette’s story that is told. We also learn of a couple that are now buried together, though the woman’s son had no idea who the man was and why his mother wanted to be buried with him. There is also the story of Violette’s husband and what part he played in the tragedy that defined their lives. Though sadness is woven throughout the book, I really loved the writing as well as the characters. Another book by Perrin is coming out next year (newly translated from the French), and I look forward to reading that as well.

I had a good reading year and hope you did too. What were some of your favorites?

My Ten Favorite Reads of 2024

Posted on by
Reply

I read over 150 books this year, and these were my favorites. Most lists of top reads are books published in the current year. None of these books happened to be published in 2024; this is just the year I read them. I don’t often read books when they first come out. I did read several books from 2024, but none of them made my particular list.

I read across many genres as this list will attest. All of these are ones I enjoyed enough to give five stars. If I enjoy a book all the way through (without a snooze fest in the middle) and am happy with the ending, I will generally give it 5 stars. I’m not necessarily grading the writing or questioning their research. These are just books that made me happy, that I would read again, and that I would gladly recommend to others–starting with you.

I had four books in the historical fiction category (one of those a historical mystery); one mystery; one fantasy; three contemporary or literary fiction; and one biography.

  1. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023). In Maine, 1789. Martha Ballard, a local midwife, is called in to examine a body found frozen in the ice. She recognizes the man has someone who has caused trouble to many in town, including being accused of rape. Martha knows everyone in town and is privy to most of their secrets. Over the next several months, she testifies as to the cause of death (though a new doctor from Harvard disagrees with her) as well as being a witness of another man accused of rape, a prominent judge. Ballard is based on a real midwife of that time who kept a diary that has been preserved. Lawhon does an excellent job of telling her story, making the time and place come alive. I read this with a book group and everyone loved it

2. Lonesome Dove Larry McMurty. (1985). I read this Pulitzer winner (fiction in 1986), beginning in January as a slow read throughout the year with an online group. McMurty is an awesome writer who knows how to create memorable characters. Former Texas Rangers, now running a ranch where they break and sell horses, decide to make a cattle drive to Montana where the grass is green and land abundant. At times hilarious and others heart-breaking, these wannabe cowboys are ones you will cheer for through all 858 pages.

3. Florence Adler Swims Forever Rachel Beanland. (2020) Though this book is full of sadness, I enjoyed reading about this family and what they did to handle their grief and protect their children. It’s 1934 and Esther and Joseph Adler have rented out their house to vacationers and are staying in their apartment over the bakery where they started their lives. Their daughter, Florence, is home from college and training to swim the English Channel. Fannie is pregnant and on bedrest because she lost her last baby. Joseph is trying to help an old friend emigrate from Nazi Germany and has already brought over her daughter. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed. P.S. I read her second book, The House is on Fire and it was excellent as well.

4. Sovereign C.J. Sansom. (2006) (Matthew Shardlake #3). The third in this historical mystery series takes place in the fall of 1541. Henry VIII has set out on a Progress to the North to force his rebellious subjects in York to submit to him, turning it into a public spectacle. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak have been sent ahead as part of the legal process of submitting petitions to the king. Shardlake has also been instructed by Archbishop Cranmer to look after a prisoner—one destined for the tower. He must make sure the prisoner stays alive to face the rack. Shardlake is unhappy with this task but has little choice. Shardlake soon finds himself investigating a murder and learning more than he wants to know about a conspiracy. Will he and Jack make it home alive? This is an excellent series in terms of historical events and people, constant suspense, and engaging characters. 5 stars. (Note: Sadly, Sansom died just two days before the Shardlake series premiered on Hulu/Disney).

5. The Twist of a Knife Anthony Horowitz (Hawthorne & Horowitz #4). (2022) In this fourth installment of the series, Horowitz tells Hawthorne he is not interested in writing any more books. He has a new play about to open, and all his concentration is on that. On opening night, a well-known (though not well-loved) critic shows up at the cast party and before the night is over, writes a scathing review of the play. When she is found dead the next morning, Anthony is arrested for her murder. Who can he call on but Hawthorne? As with the other books in the series, Horowitz (via Hawthorne) leads us through a slew of suspects who all have motives, yet there are twists and surprises at the end. 

6. The Winners Fredrik Backman (Beartown Trilogy #3). (2022). We return to Beartown where two years have passed since the event that shook up the town in the first book. Maya has gone away to college; Benji has been traveling around as if in a daze; Peter is working for his wife, Kira. The death of someone in the community brings the wanderers home and everyone back together; for a time. Backman has a way of bringing his characters to life so that you share their heartaches, frustrations, misunderstandings, hate, and love. At times, this one got a little long, but I certainly didn’t want to put it down.

7. The Cartographers Peng Shepherd (2022). Nell Young has always been fascinated with cartography and wants to do nothing else. Not so surprising since her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a well-known cartographer with a highly esteemed position with the New York Public Library. But, some years ago, Dr. Young fired his daughter from her job at the NYPL and made sure she would never work again in the field. Nell never learned why her father became so enraged over her finding of a cheap gas station highway map. And now, Dr. Young has been found dead in his office. When Nell finds the supposedly worthless map hidden in his desk, she has to investigate. What she finds leads her into danger and into a strange world where maps have secrets. I greatly enjoyed this fantasy where different worlds and secrets collide.

8. The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo (2019). Family drama in which four adult daughters–whose parents seem to have the perfect marriage—bring love, hate, jealousy, comedy, and drama to the table. The story goes back and forth in time from when Marilyn and David fell madly in love to the present day when an unexpected member of the family shows up–bringing tension, love, and forgiveness. The four daughters have different personalities and different goals, but their ties are strong. I loved the story itself as well as the way the family dynamics played out. 

9. Vacationland Meg Mitchell Moore (2022). A family drama set in Maine during the summer. Louisa comes to her parents’ home in Maine with her three children (who are just the best characters!) needing to finish her book and full of resentment over her husband’s seeming lack of commitment. Her father, a well-respected judge, is now suffering with Alzheimer’s, and her mother is trying to keep everything together. Kristie has also come to Maine following the death of her mother, trying to find answers concerning her past. Most family dramas seem to involve adult children, which is fine, but I greatly enjoyed hearing the voices of these three: Matty (age 12), Abigail (10), and Claire (7). Their wisdom, perspective, and charm added depth to the book and made even the darkest moments lighter.

10. Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Elisabeth’s Later Years Ellen Vaugn (2023). Though I’ve known that Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of Jim Elliot, a missionary killed in Ecuador, that’s pretty much all I knew about her. A shame since she was living and writing during my younger years. So, this book relates the second part of Elliot’s life. I did not read the first book, so that’s not necessary but I would like to go back and read it. Though Elliot went through many heartaches and faced discouragement and despair (including often not pleasing the “Christian crowd”), her faith remained strong and she constantly looked to the Lord for answers and direction. Unfortunately, she did not always make the best decisions and there was one that would cause her much grief. A good example of the impact Elisabeth had on others was given by Cornell Capa, a non-believing photographer who spent some time with Elisabeth and other “missionary widows.” In spite of his own unbelief, Cornell saw that Elisabeth’s faith was deep. “Then there’s you—and a million others—who are not satisfied with the trimmings. You are in the core. You know that He is there because you know He is there. You know that it seems God was NOT THERE when you wanted Him, yet you say you know He was there.”

Happy New Year! May 2025 be filled with many great reads!

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

Favorite Reads from August ’24

Posted on by
Reply

“The only ethical principle which has made science possible is that the truth shall be told all the time. If we do not penalize false statements made in error, we open up the way for false statements by intention. And a false statement of fact, made deliberately, is the most serious crime a scientist can commit.”
― Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night

Gaudy Night Dorothy Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey #12) From a mystery series written back in the 1930’s, we meet Harriet Vane, a graduate of Shrewsbury College, Oxford and now a popular mystery writer, going back to attend the annual Gaudy celebration after ten years. While there, Harriet receives a poison pen letter, but goes back home thinking little of it. When other malicious and vandalous acts occur, Harriet is asked to come back to help the professors find out who is behind them, wanting to avoid calling in the police. Though Harriet agrees, she feels in over her head and eventually asks her friend, Lord Peter Wimsey, for help. This mystery is told with an engaging with and through many philosophical conversations. Several in my book club found it too long and wordy, but others (including myself) enjoyed the entertaining dialogue and the chance to improve our vocabulary. 4 stars

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration Isabel Wilkerson (audio—Robin Miles). (non-fiction) From 1915-1970, an exodus of almost six million black people left the South for a better life in the northern and western parts of the U.S. Wilkerson chose three very different people from different decades to illustrate the whys and hows of this migration. Ida Mae Gladney left sharecropping in Mississippi in 1937 and moved to Chicago. George Starling left Florida in 1945 for Harlem. A medical doctor, Robert Foster, left Louisiana in 1953 for California. Their struggles and successes and the changes these moves brought for their families has been well documented by Wilkerson with personal interviews and research. I listened to this on audio and though it got a bit long, I enjoyed it overall. Very interesting look at an important part of U.S. history. 4 stars

Finding Margaret Fuller Allison Pataki. (historical fiction) In 1836, Margaret Fuller was invited by Ralph Waldo Emerson to come to his home and meet his friends who will become known as the Transcendentalists. Fuller becomes close friends with Emerson as well as Thoreau, and eventually Nathaniel Hawthorne. She also meets the Alcott family and enjoys the company of their three young daughters including Louisa May. Fuller forges her own path through her writings and begins to host a women-only literary salon. Horace Greeley hires her to write for his newspaper, and soon sends her to Europe where she becomes the first female foreign correspondent. Fuller falls in love with Italy and a particular Italian noble. A fascinating, though tragic, tale of a woman who made history in many ways yet is rarely heard of today. 4 stars

These Silent Woods Kimi Cunningham Grant. For eight years, Cooper has been living with his daughter, Finch, in total isolation in a cabin in the Appalachian woods. They do have one neighbor who knows Cooper’s secret, but Cooper doesn’t trust him and doesn’t appreciate the way Scotland keeps an obvious eye on the two of them.  Finch adores him, but since she knows only Scotland, Cooper, and the owner of the cabin, Jake, Finch’s approval doesn’t impress Cooper. Jake comes every year to bring them supplies, but one year he doesn’t show up. Cooper has some decisions to make. He knows he can’t stay there forever or keep Finch from the real world much longer. Though I was exasperated with Cooper and his decisions at times, overall, I enjoyed this one, especially the ending. 5 stars

The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce #10) Alan Bradley. The tenth book in the Flavia de Luce series. If you haven’t met Flavia before, I suggest you go back and read the whole series. You won’t be disappointed. This one opens at the wedding of Flavia’s sister, Ophelia. A beautiful wedding in a small English town in the 1950’s. Beautiful until Ophelia cuts into her wedding cake and screams. Not being your average 12-year old, Flavia is intrigued rather than alarmed and quickly takes charge of the situation. With the help of Dogger, estate gardener and expert in many things, Flavia begins an investigation which, of course, will eventually include murder. 4 stars

I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons Peter S. Beagle. Dragon catcher/exterminator Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax (please just call him Robert) has inherited the job from his father but his dream is to become a prince’s valet. He’s actually rather fond of some dragons. When he is called in to clean up the very infested castle of the king (whose daughter is desperate to impress a prince), the job leads to him meeting the prince’s valet. The valet needs a favor; a big favor concerning a dragon. Can Robert use this to his advantage? I loved these characters, and the way they came together to face their challenges. 5 stars

Vacationland Meg Mitchell Moore. A family drama set in Maine during the summer. Louisa comes to her parents’ home in Maine with her three children (who are just the best characters!) needing to finish her book and full of resentment over her husband’s seeming lack of commitment. Her father, a well-respected judge, is now suffering with Alzheimer’s, and her mother is trying to keep everything together. Kristie has also come to Maine following the death of her mother, trying to find answers concerning her past. Most family dramas seem to involve adult children, which is fine, but I greatly enjoyed hearing the voices of these three: Matty (age 12), Abigail (10), and Claire (7). Their wisdom, perspective, and charm added depth to the book and made even the darkest moments lighter. 5 stars

Favorite Reads of July ’24

Posted on by
Reply

“As she reads these pages, something verging on magical happens, making her think for the very first time that books might be better than real life.” Clara Reads Proust Stephane Carlier

You may have thought by now that I didn’t finish any books in July, but, au contraire, I did complete quite a few books. Here are a few of them:

Poster Girls Meredith Ritchie. Historical fiction based on the Shell Assembly Plant which was built in Charlotte, NC during WWII. Maggie Slone has moved to Charlotte from Boston to be near her husband’s family while he is at war. Not wanting to totally depend on her in-laws, she gets a job at the plant though she does need her mother-in-law to help take care of her young twin daughters. Dropping off some books at the library, Maggie meets Kora Bell, whose husband is also in the war. Though Maggie is white and Kora, black, through their shared love of books, they become unlikely friends during the days of Jim Crow. Some interesting history about Charlotte that I was unaware of though I’ve lived her for over 30 years. Ritchie does a good job of showing the trials women went through during the war and what they did for themselves and their families as well as illustrating the racial tensions and misunderstandings that inevitably existed between neighbors and co-workers. 4 stars

Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food Ann Hood (essays). A group of essays centering around Hood’s life with food. Each comes with at least one recipe. Hood was raised in an Italian American family where her grandmother and mother were constantly cooking and keeping the family well-fed. Though she forged her own path, she never quite forgot her roots. No matter what life threw her, she always had cooking and sharing food to get through life’s toughest times. 4 stars

The Library Book Susan Orlean. (non-fiction) On April 29, 1986, a fire started in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was over, 400,000 books were gone and 700,000 were damaged. Though investigators spent much time and energy trying to discover the cause, over thirty years later, it is still unknown who or what started the fire. Besides covering the fire itself, Orlean tells of the history of this particular library, her own love of libraries, and some of the colorful characters that made up the Los Angeles Public Library. 4 stars



Same Time Next Summer Annabel Monaghan. Sam and her doctor fiancé, Jack, have come to her family’s beach house on Long Island. Sam is anxious to show this side of her family to Jack; their laid-back side. Jack doesn’t do laid-back, so is not as impressed as Sam would like. However, he’s willing to check out a wedding venue there since it means so much to Sam. Sam’s plans for a relaxing few days at her childhood beach are quickly ruined when she finds out Wyatt, the boy who broke her heart when she was 17, is also in town. Can Sam lay things to rest with Wyatt? On top of that, Sam might be getting fired from her job in Manhattan. And she can’t decide if that’s a bad thing or not. My second book by Monaghan and it did not disappoint. 4 stars

My Life in France Julia Child (memoir). In the later years of her life, Julia Child shared her early life in France with her husband, Paul’s, nephew, giving us a close-up look of the woman who brought French cooking to America as well as being a forerunner of the now popular cooking shows. Child first came to France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, a diplomat for the U.S. Paul Child had lived in France and could speak French, but Julia could neither speak French nor knew anything about the country or culture. With her boundless enthusiasm, Julia began to get to know her new country by going to the marketplace and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu. The rest as they say, is history. I enjoyed hearing about Julia’s experiences in her own words as well as letters from family and friends. 4 stars

James Percival Everett (audio). A re-telling of Mark Twain’ s Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of the slave, Jim, who decides to run when he hears he is to be sold. The young Huck Finn decides to fake his death to escape his abusive father. Not knowing the other is running, they find each other on Jackson Island, and their flight from danger begins. Everett follows Twain’s story in many ways, but in this one, we see the intelligence of Jim and what he does to hide that from white men. A couple of other twists occur, making this a great one for book clubs. 4 stars

The Cartographers Peng Shepherd. Nell Young has always been fascinated with cartography and wants to do nothing else. Not so surprising since her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a well-known cartographer with a highly esteemed position with the New York Public Library. But, some years ago, Dr. Young fired his daughter from her job at the NYPL and made sure she would never work again in the field. Nell never learned why her father became so enraged over her finding of a cheap gas station highway map. And now, Dr. Young has been found dead in his office. When Nell finds the supposedly worthless map hidden in his desk, she has to investigate. What she finds leads her into danger and into a strange world where maps have secrets. I greatly enjoyed this fantasy where different worlds and secrets collide. 5 stars

Clara Reads Proust Stephane Carlier; translator-Polly MacKintosh (French). Clara is a hairdresser at Cindy Coiffure. Her job is okay for now, but she wonders if she couldn’t be doing more. When a customer leaves behind the first volume of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, Clara puts it away but when the customer never returns, she ends up picking it up and reading it. Clara becomes engrossed in a new world and suddenly cannot stop reading. How the book (and subsequent volumes) changes her life makes for a charming read. This is the only book by Carlier translated into English. I hope more of his books will be translated soon. 4 stars

What You Wish For Katherine Center (audio). Katherine Center is becoming one of my go-to authors when I want an entertaining romance, yet they are not shallow or fluffy. Just characters going through stuff and eventually finding love. In this one, Sam is a school librarian who is happy with her job. When the school announces the name of the new principal, Sam is not sure if she should be excited or dismayed. Duncan Carpenter is a name from her past, a fellow teacher from another school, an unrequited crush. But when Duncan shows up and begins immediately to establish new and more rigid rules, she wonders if her memory is faulty because this is not the fun and unpredictable Duncan she remembers. 4 stars

The End! Or, at least, the Beginning of the End

Posted on by
Reply

3blackobelisk-of-shalmaneseriii-tewkes

 

I just came to the end of my book. Not one I am reading–the one I am writing. And like so much of this book, it was kind of unexpected.

Ok, I have some rough spots and a couple of places I know I want to rewrite, but I actually came to the end. I was planning on another chapter. Actually, have it started and sort of have an outline for that final chapter. (In my mind, that is, which is where most of my outlines actually live).  So, I was working on finishing up this chapter, started adding a bit, then realized as I completed the chapter that I really could end the book here. I’ve long since conceded that it is going to take another book to tell the story I want to tell. Since I have (gasp) 113, 308 words, perhaps it is time to wrap this up. But, I have so much more to say! You think because you’re the author that you’re in control, but, no, not really.

I want to tell the story of Solomon–growing up in the court of King David. What was it like to know you were the chosen prince? When exactly did he know that? What did his brothers (and others) think of that?

So, I started telling the story. And, along the way: Solomon’s brothers are fighting; Solomon wants his father to raise horses to drive chariots; Solomon’s mother seems to be the only one who really thinks he is special; and Solomon and two of his brothers take a trip to Egypt.

So, over 100,00 words and Solomon isn’t even king yet. But, he will be soon. I can’t wait to begin writing that story, but first–I need to work on my platform. Do any of you follow your favorite writers on facebook? Twitter? Why? What do you look for? Or what do you enjoy about what they do? I hope you will all stay with me as I begin to share more of what I’ve written and begin my search for an agent.

 

bibleplaces-sheep

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Posted on by
Reply

 

20161007_185518“A novel is not an allegory . . . It is the sensual experience of another world. If you don’t enter that world, hold your breath with the characters and become involved in their destiny, you won’t be able to empathize, and empathy is at the heart of the novel.” (p. 111)

From the subtitle: A Memoir in Books, this book would seem to be about someone’s life in books–and it is, but it is more. This is a book about a book club, about a country, a culture, about women, and about civil rights.

Azar Nafisi is a professor of literature and is passionate about teaching and sharing literature with her students. However, being a woman professor in Iran proves difficult when revolution begins in Iran with Islamic fundamentalists taking over the universities and “morality squads” are everywhere looking for anything that might be tainted by the West.

When Nafisi is eventually expelled for refusing to wear the veil on campus and in her classroom, she decides to invite seven young women to come to her home once a week to discuss literature. While recounting the story of the young women and the books they discuss, Nafisi also tells of Iran–its cultural and political upheavals and how these effect the lives of these women and their families.

The events in this book begins in the 70’s and goes through the 90’s. As a young person in the 70’s and 80’s, I had heard of some of these events as one hears the news about people far away. But I only vaguely knew where Iran is located and could not tell you the difference between that country and Iraq. So, for me, this was a history and a geography lesson, as well as a look into the lives of others who love literature.

“Banned Books Week” was recently celebrated? and the events in this book made real to me the idea of books being banned and one’s reading being carefully scrutinized. Sometimes with the “I read banned books” t-shirts, it seems we don’t take this possibility very seriously, but for many people it is very real and not ancient history. There are people in the world who are not free to read the books they might choose, so let’s never take for granted our opportunities to read. Read a book! For fun!

The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild

Posted on by
Reply

The Improbability of Love by Hannah Mary Rothschild
The Improbability of Love
by Hannah Mary Rothschild

Patricia Gilmer‘s review

Sep 29, 2016  ·  edit
really liked it

bookshelves: library-book

Read from September 23 to 29, 2016

 

A many layered tale about a painting that a young chef, Annie, buys on a whim from a junk shop in London. Though she is working for two art dealers, she has no real interest in art, but is soon persuaded to try and find out the origins of the painting.
Meanwhile, a powerful art dealer, who built his family business as a German Jew who survived WWII, begins to desperately seek for a painting he had given a lover who unexpectedly died. Though his daughter doesn’t understand why this painting is so important to her father, she begins to search for the painting and begins to uncover the history of the painting, as well as that of her father.
Suspense, a bit of romance, an array of interesting characters, and the history of an 18th century French artist all add up to make an entertaining tale.

Surprised by Oxford

Posted on by
Reply

2013-10-02 16.21.26“So faced with a thousand-year old institution, I learned to pick my battles. Rather than resist, for instance, the archaic book-ordering system in the Bodleian Library with technological mortification, I discovered the treasure in embracing its seeming quirkiness. Often, when the wrong book came up from the annals after my order, I found it to be right in some way after Oxford often works such.

After one particulary serendipitous day of research, I asked Robert, the usual morning porter on duty at the Bodleian Library, about the lack of any kind of sophisticated security system, especially in one of the world’s most famous libraries. The Bodleian was not a loaning library, though you were allowed to work freely amid priceless artifacts. Individual college libraries entrusted you to simply sign a book out and then return it when you were done.

‘It’s funny; Americans ask me about that all the time,’ Roberty said as he stirred his tea. ‘But then again, they’re not used to having u in honour,’ he said with a shrug.”

Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

Oxford 016