Category: Book Baristas

After reading a description of The Doll House describing this debut novel by Fiona Davis as a period piece about the famous Barbizon Hotel for women in New York, and the generations of women who lived there, I thought “YES!”  A debut novel and historical fiction, how can I resist?  I turned the last few pages last night and decided this was

Election season 2016, and the bookshelves are filled with books about Trump and Clinton, about grit and perseverance, about the state of affairs in Washington, the United States, the world.  Taking a break from reading about our current campaigns, though not the topic, I read Jennifer Close’s new novel, The Hopefuls.  Called a “lighter, funnier version of House of Cards,” and

There is no wondering what I thought of Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford.  I LOVED IT!  On vacation in an old house on an island with loads of wind swirling around me and a deliciously brewed cup of coffee, I put my feet up and cracked open this book, only to quickly fly across the Atlantic and  back in time

  The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown is the story of two women, Margie and Madeline, grandmother and granddaughter, and their journey to happiness and fulfillment, despite the family secrets they keep. We meet Madeline, who has devoted herself to being the trophy wife of the very critical Phillip.  She makes her annual visit to her also very critical mother,

Before I begin, a disclaimer:  I love Anne Tyler’s writing and read everything she writes as soon as it comes out, regardless of plot description and reviews.   How delighted I was when I discovered Vinegar Girl would be in my vacation reading bag!  How disappointed I was when I finished it in one day, almost in one sitting. In

We Could Be Beautiful…here is a compulsively readable and twisty novel about Catherine, Manhattan socialite with an outward appearance of having it all:  the posh digs, the creative art/card boutique, interesting friends…if that is what you consider “all.”  Catherine desperately wants a husband and family, and to find that missing piece to feel fulfilled. Enter William, suave and accomplished banker

Invincible Summer:  a debut novel by Alice Adams, and if I am judging a book by its cover, title and first chapter, perhaps also a delightful beach read.  After a few chapters, I thought, am I, just barely middle-aged, too old to read this narrative of the lives of 4 twenty-somethings as they graduate from college and figure out what

I look forward to a new Beatriz Williams book like I looked forward to my birthday when I was a child.  (well, to be honest, even now.)   I love them!  Williams has a way of teleporting me back in time, adding the glamour of an age, and telling a story I don’t want to end.  A Certain Age (another of

I recently indulged in a week in a cottage by the ocean, and read 5 excellent novels, one after another.  The ultimate luxury for a book lover!  One of those novels was Thomas Christopher Greene’s latest: If I Forget You.  I’ve not read Greene before (The Headmaster’s Wife) , but have watched him grow in popularity on bestseller and book