Ruby Lennox has no intention of waiting to be noticed. She is the front and center, the axis in the familial wheel that is Kate Atkinson’s Behind the Scenes at the Museum. The novel begins with her announcing her own conception when her father drunkenly impregnates her mother. From this instant on we journey with Ruby through a family saga that sifts and shifts from the late ... Read More...
My 9 Favorite Books in 2024
As I started reviewing my reading year there was one stat that jumped off the chart at me. Of the 13 five-star books I read this year my favorite 9 were backlist (published before 2024). I’m sure publishing analysts could provide an easy explanation (fewer books published in an election year) or a psychologist something more detailed (possibly around escape and avoidance) but ... Read More...
September Reading Wrap-Up
Having binged the final two seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel this was the only possible graphic I could use for my September recap. Plus, it's been quite chilly and grey here. So many big book releases this month and I didn’t read most of them. I’m embracing the new normal of my reading—whatever keeps me turning the pages. In this case, it was lots of fantasy with a ... Read More...
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
I’m happy to start the week with a novel, Shrines of Gaiety, that left me thoroughly entertained. Nellie Coker is an iron-fisted matriarch running nightclubs in 1920s London and trying to groom at least some of her children to take over. After a short stint in prison, she returns home to find the vultures circling in the form of the police trying to shut her down and other ... Read More...
Thrilling Reading: Mini-Reviews
For ten months out of the year I complain about plot overload in my reviews, but when it comes to thrillers I'm a lot more forgiving. Especially when the times warrant over-the-top drama to drag my mind off reality, as was the case at the beginning of January. And if you’re tired of hearing me say that, I am damn well tired of having to say it. Hopefully, we’re on a better path ... Read More...
September Reading Wrap-Up
What a month! I read much less, but found some great, less publicized books that were exactly what I needed. Sadly, the end of the month has found me floundering as American politics have taken over. Despite knowing it would be difficult I felt I owed Dr. Ford the respect of listening to her testimony. It broke my heart and brought back a lot of very painful memories—as I’m ... Read More...
