The long-standing books on my nightstand
I used to be a book monogamist. When I picked up a novel, I read it to completion; and when I was done with that single story, I moved on to the next one. Before blogging, my “to be read” stack was...
View ArticleBook talk: ‘S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim’ by Cynthia Sass
Many of us struggle with our weight. I don’t know when being “chunky” first entered my realm of consciousness. Though I was a little heavy as a kid, I never worried about it; my family certainly didn’t...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Unfamiliar Fishes’ by Sarah Vowell
In my quest to add more non-fiction to my reading diet, I sometimes pick up a book that feels slight “out of character” for me — like this one, Unfamiliar Fishes, by an author who seems to appear often...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Apron Anxiety’ by Alyssa Shelasky
It’s rare that I finish a book with no clearcut reaction to it, but such is the case with Apron Anxiety, the latest in blog-turned-memoirs saturating the market. (Ignore the dig; I’m just jealous.) At...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Bossypants’ by Tina Fey
What’s more awesome than Tina Fey? Having Tina Fey ride around with you while you run errands. Listening to the writer, actress and comedian’s memoir of life in and out of the spotlight was a...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me’ by Lisa F. Cook
When Lisa joins her teacher husband in holy matrimony, they have a few blissful days before embarking on a whole new life — across an ocean. After Peter accepts a job in Nagoya, Japan, high maintenance...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.’ by Sam Wasson
Gearing up for my weekend in New York City, I wanted a themed cosmpolitan read — and Sam Wasson’s Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. seemed to fit the bill. Though the nuances of some references probably went over...
View ArticleBook review: ‘As Always, Jack’ by Emma Sweeney
Decades after her father’s plane goes down in the Atlantic, Emma Sweeney “meets” the pilot father she never knew through letters saved by her mother from the early days of their courtship. After her...
View ArticleMini book reviews: ‘We’re Just Like You…’ and ‘Black Heels To Tractor Wheels’
Two memoirs. And my thoughts on them, which aren’t quite as professional and fleshed-out as they might be in one of my “normal” reviews, so . . . it’s Tuesday, friends, and here you go: Rivenbark and...
View ArticleBook talk: ‘Harvest’ by Richard Horan
I’ve been interested in farming lately. Maybe it’s a symptom of feeling claustrophobic and stressed in my chaotic suburban life. There’s something soothing — very appealing — about being in the...
View ArticleBook review: ‘I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag’ by Jennifer Gilbert
Jennifer Gilbert was only 22 when she was violently, randomly attacked outside a friend’s apartment in New York City. In the wake of that physical and mental assault, Gilbert was forced to reconcile...
View ArticleBook review: ‘You Tell Your Dog First’ by Alison Pace
In a world of cat people and dog people, Alison Pace is firmly in the dog camp. Well, actually . . . that’s sort of underselling it. Pace, author of novels like Pug Hill and A Pug’s Tale, is a serious...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Paris, My Sweet’ by Amy Thomas
Writer and foodie Amy Thomas has a longstanding love affair with Paris. The macarons, the handsome men, the atmosphere . . . si belle. After she embarks on a week of sweets for fun, an opportunity to...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Bloom’ by Kelle Hampton
As Kelle Hampton and her husband prepare to welcome their second little girl, they have no idea that lovely Nella, new little sister to their beloved Lainey, will present more new challenges — and...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Have Mother, Will Travel’ by Claire and Mia Fontaine
Mia and Claire Fontaine, a mother-daughter duo who “found” each other again after years of physical and drug abuse threatened to separate them forever, have settled into a familiar — and unfamiliar —...
View ArticleExchanging vows with a bark: ‘Wedding Dogs’
After getting engaged, I was amazed by how many people asked one interesting question: was my dog going to walk with me down the aisle? For some dog lovers, the idea of tying the knot without their...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Paris In Love’ by Eloisa James
I love daydreaming about Paris. It’s one of my favorite pastimes, in fact. The people, the architecture, the desserts . . . all tantalizing. Intoxicating. Absorbing. If I had the funds and vacation...
View ArticleBook review: ‘The Tao of Martha’ by Jen Lancaster
There’s a trend in non-fiction these days: the stunt memoir. Or, as I like to call it, the gimmicky memoir. You’ve heard of some, I’m sure. Maybe you’ve read a few. But for the unfamiliar, the stunt...
View ArticleBook review: ‘Yes, Chef’ by Marcus Samuelsson
Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised American chef Marcus Samuelsson had anything but a conventional upbringing. After his African mother dies of tuberculosis following the 75-mile walk to a hospital that...
View ArticleBook review: ‘The International Bank of Bob’ by Bob Harris
Bob Harris knows exactly where he had his epiphany. On a writing assignment in Dubai, a location known for both its extreme wealth and rampant poverty, he was sipping a shockingly expensive cup of...
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