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Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

August 18, 2023

small mercies

He has no idea where it all comes from—the loyalty and the rage, the brotherhood and the suspicion, the benevolence and the hate. If you’re looking for refined forays into the more delicate human emotions in your reading than Dennis Lehane is probably not an author you read often or at all. He’s a bareknuckle bruiser who writes about a Boston unfamiliar to anyone whose ideas ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1970s, book clubs, historical fiction, New England, suspense

June Reading Recap

June 30, 2023

June

This June recap is a little special. Monday, July 3rd, is my mother’s 85th birthday and I want to give her the biggest shout-out I can because aside from being a wonderful mother, this blog, the podcast, my career as a librarian, none of it would have happened without her passion for books. She’s the lovely high schooler in the photo above and  my love of reading is one of the ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: historical fiction, suspense

Light Summer Reading

June 16, 2023

summer

Apparently, with Tuesday’s review I forgot it’s summer—the time for light, bright reading so I’m back today to fix that. Whether you’re traveling to a new destination for a long getaway or just lounging on the porch, it’s a vacation. And for summer, vacation reading shouldn’t be anything you have to work for. To that end, I have two novels that work well as the kind of easy ... Read More...

3 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, historical fiction, mini-reviews, women

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

June 9, 2023

lady

Lisa See’s depictions of the women of China and Southeast Asia have always been entertaining and educational reading so I was pleased to hear about her new novel, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. Set in 15th century China it’s the story of one of China’s first female doctors. Yunxian Tan is a little girl when, her mother dies at the age of 28. She is sent to live with her ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 15th century, book clubs, China, historical fiction, women

May Reading

May 31, 2023

may reading

  May is over? Are we sure? The last time I looked it was the 13th. Thankfully, all the gorgeous flowers and colors here were a distraction from what was another month of meh reading. It would seem I’m getting crankier as I age because I’ve already DNFed 13 books this year, almost as many as I did for all of 2022—and we’re only at the halfway point. I do have some bright ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, cultural, historical fiction, memoir, mini-reviews

Symphony of Secrets: A Novel

May 11, 2023

symphony

When Bern Hendricks is asked to authenticate a piece of music believed to written by his hero, famed 20th century composer, Frederic Delaney, it’s the chance of a lifetime. A scholar of his works and a new professor, it will be a triumph for Hendricks, both personally and professionally. But when he discovers documentation about a woman never acknowledged anywhere in Delaney’s ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: historical fiction, music, racism, social issues

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