Parenting is hard. There’s no way to explain that. I love my little one. But it is harder than you think it will be, even if you know it will be hard in advance. Which is part of the reason that having some good solid books behind you – especially ones that will actually tell you that you are still a good parent even when it feels like you’ve lost every battle that day – is so very important. Top of my list for go-to parenting advice is Dr. Becky. If you are not already […]
Upcoming Book Releases
New to the Bookshop page is a list of upcoming releases – including the Louise Penny! I was going through and realizing that a lot of my favorite authors have books coming out soon. Yes, that does mean a lot of romance novels – but you should know that if you’ve been following my page. On the list on the page I have included their expected release date and have organized them by that date. ALSO: If you’ve been following my Instagram, Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn was my September Book of […]
Coming in November: A World of Curiosities
Looking forward to November? I definitely am. And not just because of Thanksgiving, and fall, and the onset of winter on the heels of fall, but because Louise Penny’s new book will be coming out. I had set a goal for myself this year to read every single one of Louise Penny’s books. I got hooked on the first one and just could not put them down. By June 13th, I had finished my goal. Well, September 1st is tomorrow, but if you similarly have some catching up to do on Armand Gamache’s adventures and […]
Returning from Maternity Leave
So I am back at my computer, finally with a quiet moment without a baby on my lap, to add a few tweaks to my blog and to catch you all up on what I’ve been reading since my last post. That is one of the nice things about maternity leave – lots of time to either sit and listen to a book, or read it on an e-reader. (No physical books for me at the moment, sadly. I don’t have enough hands.) That being said, while I started A Promised Land by Barack Obama […]
November BOTM
In a twist of fate – particularly after last month’s Book of the Month post – this past weekend was warm. Like, unseasonably warm for November. This was excellent for our tour program at work (since we’re somewhat reliant on outdoor tours in these COVID days). But still, completely unexpected. That didn’t stop me from choosing a book for my November Book of the Month that the judge reviewed as being “a hug in book form”. And if you follow me on Instagram you already know which book that is. This Time Next Year by […]
October BOTM
Happy Fall! If you haven’t had the joy of pulling out a sweater, brewing a cup of tea, or order a pumpkin spice latte yet – no worries! It is here! I have been watching the colors changing at my office and on our yearly fall camping trips! September is such a weird month because it always feels like the weather can’t quite make up its mind. Should it let go of summer? No, not yet… Maybe? No, definitely time to be chilly. Except for when remembering what chilly is and decide that no, summer […]
Author Review: Anne McCaffrey
I have a dozen books that I started reading sitting on my shelf. All books that I really want to read. But this isolation thing (which I am in day 46 of) has made it difficult to finish anything new. So what have I been doing? Re-reading every Anne McCaffrey book in my possession. It started with my husband and I ordering books from Bookshop and realizing that my favorite Anne McCaffrey book was available. The moment The Skies of Pern was in my holding, I picked it up and didn’t put it down. Tai […]
Baking and Books
I have been anxiously awaiting Julie Jones’ newest book, The Pastry School. In part because I’m now in love with her pie crust recipe, in part because the custard in her custard tart is actually really good and I had never made custard from scratch before, but also because she makes her pies look amazing! It officially came out in the United States earlier this week, and as soon as I logged into Bookshop, I discovered that it was on backorder. I checked again today – I officially have a copy coming my way! Not […]
Book of the Month: April Pick
They’re here, they’re here – TWO DAYS EARLY! (By the time this post publishes, it will be April 3rd and therefore no longer early. But since I’m ahead of the game here, I’m still two days early.) Five Book of the Month picks to choose from as usual, and yet I was so torn I almost picked THREE! Caught between the 1920s, World War II, and romance, I ended up going with The Paris Hours by Alex George. A bit of romance, a bit of Paris, a bit of 1920s Paris society, I couldn’t resist. […]
Book Review: The Huntress
For the Armchair Detective Society this month, we chose The Huntress by Kate Quinn. We had loved The Alice Network so much that given the choice between The Huntress and branching out into some Dorothy Sayer books, we chose The Huntress. I would like to say that we all loved this one, but we ran into a hiccup. This month’s meeting had to be postponed due to COVID-19. So, in liu of my own review peppered with thoughts from the rest of the group, I present my lone review, while lifting a glass in solidarity […]