Lion or lamb is the big question, both for the weather and March's reading. In Seattle we often had lion-like winds and cold temps but with the bright sunshine-y fun that feels as cute and welcome as lambs. In reading, I have to say if I look at the two to mean strength versus weakness then it was a lamb-y March. Only one new release made it to 4 stars while the others ... Read More...
January Reading Wrap-Up
It may be a new year, but my 2018 reading is starting off much like 2017—disappointing new releases and powerhouse backlist books. I bought Sarah’s Reading Tracker so am hoping to be able to quantify my reading missteps and make better choices. Until then, here’s what worked and didn’t work in January. I’m able and willing to read novels with multiple ... Read More...
We Were the Lucky Ones
According to Polish law, a person of Jewish heritage belongs not to Poland but to a Jewish nation. Just when I think I have read as much fiction about the Holocaust as I need to, when I’m sure there can’t be another permutation of the horror and struggle for survival, I’m proven wrong. This time it was the gentle nudging of my blogging friend, Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves, ... Read More...
5 Fall Thrillers: Mini-Reviews
As the fall weather settles in and Halloween approaches what better time to discuss thrillers? The kind of books that make you settle into a favorite chair with a hot drink while it’s grey and rainy outside. Given that new releases have been a bit flat this year, I’m mixing up my reviews with three backlist books that are guaranteed to keep you looking over your shoulder. Extra ... Read More...
A Column of Fire by Ken Follett
In the eyes of the church, the Bible was the most dangerous of all banned books...Priests said that ordinary people were unable to rightly interpret God's word, and needed guidance. Protestants said the Bible opened men's eyes to the errors of the priesthood. A Column of Fire is the third book in Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series and he goes big in this final ... Read More...
A Gentleman in Moscow
When he is thirty-three Count Alexander Rostov finds himself sentenced by the Bolsheviks to house arrest at the Metropol, a prestigious hotel in the theater district of Moscow. Initially, it doesn’t seem a particularly harsh sentence because he has already been living there in a posh suite for four years. But now, he may not leave and the suite is no more. Instead, he is ... Read More...
