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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

Here is a palette cleanser to indulge in between literary fiction and thrillers, for tennis fans looking for a summer/beach read.  The Singles Game, by the author of The Devil Wears Prada,  is an insider’s behind the scenes ticket to the professional tennis world. The Singles Game features Charlotte “Charlie” Silver, an up and coming player injured at Wimbledon. She switches

  A note:  I am the literary fiction, inspiring memoir, occasional gentle mystery book barista.  Dark and twisty, full of suspense and a reasonable amount of gore, police procedural…that is the other book barista.  We both, however, like a good story… “We tell stories to strangers to ingratiate ourselves, stories to lovers to better adhere us skin to skin, stories

Heather Lende was recently asked to write a short essay on one piece of wisdom to live by.  For some of her friends, she thought, it would be an easy answer. For example, her friend from the public defender’s office had a very straight forward “Be nice to the dog and don’t do meth.”  Not so cut and dry for

 How do you come to terms with being the only survivor in a tragedy that took the lives of your entire family when you were only fourteen?  Esme Grace huddled in her top floor bedroom as the sounds of a gun’s blast echoes throughout her family’s old , isolated house house.  When it’s quiet again, her mother and siblings are

Be Frank With Me‘s BB “Mimi” Manning is an author reminiscent of JD Salinger or  Harper Lee.  She published one great book years ago that was read by everyone and continues to be read in schools.  After years of living a very private and reclusive life off those royalties, she falls victim to a Bernie Madoff style Ponzi scheme and loses

This was the last book that I read as I returned from my winter vacation with my family, so perhaps it is fitting that it is the first of the many books that I write about for Book Baristas.  I found this book to be beautifully written and very thoughtful.  Paul Kalanithi was, from a very young age, trying to

I love to walk into a historic building or a really old house, and think of who lived there.  What were they like?  Who did they love?  What is their story?  The Forgotten Room is the novel form of one of those curious visits, bringing to life the stories of three women: Olive, a housemaid in 1892, her daughter Lucy,

  Ree Drummond.  I met her through her Thanksgiving turkey techniques and have never once doubted the benefits of her influence on my cooking. One of the things I love about the library happens around 11:00 – 11:30 each day.  The desk staff stomachs start grumbling and we look forward to what we are making for dinner.  Between patrons (and

Love, love, loved this book!!! In 1959, Paul and his young family are transferred to Idaho Falls. We meet them on their two week plus hot car ride across the country.  You will feel hot and sweaty and grubby until they stop for a swim.  Then, you will feel refreshed, and be glad for the swim. When they arrive in