In my quest to read mysteries out of my comfort zone and on the recommendation of Andi, I picked up Colin Cotterill’s “The Coroner’s Lunch”. This mystery is set in Laos the year after the end of a long civil war that resulted in a Soviet-backed communist government that is the backdrop for this mystery. One of the most refreshing aspects of
» Read moreOkay, most people have series that they anxiously await for new releases every year or so-right? Sometimes you are satisfied after you read the latest installment of the series and sometimes you are not. The longer the series runs, the harder I think it is for the author to sustain the intensity of the characters and storyline-at least that’s what my latest
» Read moreWhen We Were the Kennedys is a beautiful memoir from Monica Wood, lovingly told. This memoir opens with Wood’s father dying at 57 on his way to work at the Oxford paper mill, and eloquently shows how at age 9, her faith, family and friends helped her through her grief that first year after his death. What I love most about this
» Read moreI enjoyed every minute of this quirky, witty search for Bernadette. Here’s the story: Bernadette, a famous architect no longer practicing her craft, is wife to Elgin Brand, Microsoft wonder, and mother to 15-year-old Bree, also not too shabby. They have moved from their life in L.A. rather abruptly to Seattle, where Bree attends a cliquey private school. Bernadette is not
» Read moreFor fans of Edith Wharton, this book is for you. For fans of Downton Abbey, this book is for you. For fans of fictionalized biographies, like The Paris Wife, Loving Frank, Jackie by Josie, Twelve Rooms of the Nile (next in my to read pile), the The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields is for you. Fields recounts the love life
» Read moreIf you haven’t read any of Linda Castillo’s mystery/thrillers set in Amish country, you should start now. I will say, however, that you should not be deceived by the fact that these thrillers are set in Amish country, because they are fairly dark and not for the faint of heart. Gone Missing is the fourth book in the series which
» Read moreIn the middle of a divorce, having recently lost her mother to cancer, and with slim if any prospects for a career or good relationship, Cheryl Strayed decides to pull herself up by her boot straps and get her life together. (You can see why Oprah made Wild one of her book picks.) Some choose counseling, some choose ice cream; Strayed’s
» Read moreWhat a fabulous read! Liza Klaussmann’s debut novel tells the intriguing story of two cousins in Martha’s Vineyard post World War II — their marriages, children, relationships. There are five sections, each from a different point of view, and leaping back and forth in time. It is a clever technique for building suspense and revealing the plot as the author wants
» Read moreWere you a fan of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy? If so, there are many amazing Nordic mystery/thriller writers that are very popular in Europe and are relative undiscovered gems in the United States. After I finished reading the final Stieg Larsson, my sister-in-law suggested that I try Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman. I was hooked. Jo Nesbo’s main character Harry Hole is every bit
» Read moreJust finished Overseas by Beatriz Williams-a delicious escape read! I am going to call it a love story, because I don’t usually admit to reading the occasional romance, even when the library staff has read outside your favorite genre days. Kate Wilson, young investment banker on Wall Street, is out to save the life of Julian Laurence, superstar hedgie. Its
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