I’m seldom at a loss for words, but I recently finished a memoir that left me…???...!!! Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond follows Diamond from when she is a small child to when she is 30. In that time, she lives in an astonishing number of places, whether it’s countries or cities within states. Her name and identity changes each time. Chapters marking her age and location evoking ... Read More...
Summer Thrillers 2: Mini-Reviews
On Friday I reviewed two summer thrillers that didn’t come through for me, but I acknowledged I’m finicky these days. Thankfully, I’m back with two more high-octane summer novels that kept me reading until the last page. Hang on. I have to start my review of Falling with a big caveat: DO NOT read this book if you’re on a plane. Bill Hoffman is a long-time pilot ... Read More...
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
There are many types of satisfaction to be found in reading. One is the excitement of a new voice, a compelling story. But just as good (and sometimes better) is the quiet joy of opening a book and being immediately returned to a place and characters you already know. That’s the case with Alka Joshi’s The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. It’s the sequel to The Henna Artist, a novel I ... Read More...
What I’m Reading This Week
Good morning, dears. Anyone else feeling that the universe has gone into overdrive after being at standstill for COVID? I try to keep this all about books, but the past two weeks have pressed me hard. Normally, I’d have a review for you, but instead I’m going to get personal. Feel free to skip down to the book covers if you’re not in the mood and just want something ... Read More...
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Taylor Jenkins Reid it’s that she exerts a magnetic force on readers (I’m looking at you, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & the Six). Her latest, Malibu Rising, is no different, because, once again, she’s crafted a novel that once started needs to be finished without interruption. In this case it’s about the Riva ... Read More...
Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty
It was only a matter of time before the Ivy League college admissions scandal was memorialized in fiction. I was happy to see that the first responder is a favorite contemporary chronicler, Lauren Weisberger, of The Devil Wears Prada fame. She’s back with Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a world where entitled white ... Read More...
