Earlier this year I went to Mexico City for the first time and I was completely charmed, if not somewhat overwhelmed by this magnificent city. I’ve wanted to visit Mexico City for ages. I like art, museums, history and food, all of which Mexico City has in spades. And, of course, Frida Kahlo! Being able … More Discovering Mexico City Through Two Novels
A few years ago I read Andrew McCarthy’s memoir, “Brat: An ‘80’s Story,” and rather enjoyed it. I read it long before I knew McCarthy was working on the documentary Brats, which was released this past summer, June of 2024. Once I learned about the Brats documentary I decided to make a small reading project … More Brat Pack Reading Project: 3 Celebrity Memoirs
I need a vacation. Ideally, someplace warm and sunny. I’ll plan a trip soon. I’d like to put my toes in the sand! But for now, I’m going to lean into books for some short-term escapism. When I need a “virtual vacation” I read travel writing, stories of other’s adventures to boost my mood. I’ve … More Enjoy Your Stay. 3 Books About Hotels.
I discovered this new book, A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City, published just this month, August 2022, on another book lover’s blog. The book summary reads … “A waiter’s job is to deceive you. They want you to believe in a luxurious calm because on the other side of … More Laboring in the City of Light
I had to look up the definition of fen. A fen is a type of wetland. It’s similar to marshes, bogs and swamps. Not surprisingly, landscape plays a key role in many of the enchanting tales in this collection of short stories from Daisy Johnson. The stories in Fen are anchored in the ordinary and humdrum. … More Fen by Daisy Johnson
I Haven’t Stopped Thinking About This Book I read this novel in early January 2022, finishing it over a long, chilly weekend, settled in to the chair closest to the fireplace with my two cats, Jack and Louie, curled up next to me, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Honestly, I haven’t stopped … More I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins
I loved this book! Loved it. I feel like such a nerd, reading a book – cover-to-cover – about keeping a journal, but I don’t care because this book really, really helped me. Do you journal? If so, have you tried this method? Endless Lists I like writing things down. It makes be feel like … More The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll
I picked up this memoir in the summer of 2020 after listening to an interview with Natasha Trethewey on Fresh Air on NPR (you can find that interview here) and I read it over a long weekend away at the Oregon coast. Natasha Trethewey is a poet, her writing is beautiful and the elegant way … More Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey
Anna Wiener writes well. I enjoyed this memoir of her time working in the tech industry in the bay area because it is so well written. On the downside, it felt too long in spots and I was annoyed by her use of lists (key annoyance was including reference to sous vide, a water bath … More Uncanny Valley: A Memoir by Anna Wiener
My Rating 4/5 In Full Flight is a well-research book about the life of Anne Spoerry, a French woman who spent most of her life providing medical care in small villages and remote areas in Africa. This book was difficult read, its dense and can be slow going, but I’m so glad I stuck with … More In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement by John Heminway
While wandering the stacks in my local library I chanced upon the book My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci. It was set out on display and, as any cat lover would be, I was immediately drawn in by the title and intrigued with the book’s cover illustration. A cat in man’s clothes. Not surprisingly, My … More My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
My Rating – 4/5 Stars Deep down I knew where this story was going right from the start and even though I knew my heart would break, I read on. I read on because Willy Vlautin gifts you with these rich, rough around the edges characters, the type of folks that way too many of … More Don’t Skip Out on Me by Willy Vlautin
Completely bonkers and highly entertaining! I read most of this book in one sitting. It is very readable, with short, laugh out loud chapters, yet still very poignant. Oh Eleanor! Yeah, I get it, having your long-term boyfriend leave you, followed by a breast cancer diagnosis, then moving back home with your mom as a … More The Bus on Thursday by Shirley Barrett
About once a year I get suckerd into reading one of these books described as “an instant bestseller” and “a dazzling thriller” and each time I’m disappointed in myself for falling for the hype. This time I got drawn into the hype around The Last Flight by Julie Clark. “The Last Flight is thoroughly absorbing—not … More The Last Flight by Julie Clark
I was in college when “Exile in Guyville” was released. I listened to it all the time. Liz Phair basically wrote the soundtrack to my coming-of-age years. I saw her at the Warfield in San Francisco in 1998, which felt like a big deal at the time given her stage fright. There she was under … More Horror Stories A Memoir by Liz Phair
The Seventeenth Line 