Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. Since it marks the unofficial beginning of summer, I have changed the picture above to a picture of Franconia Notch. The ski slopes are Cannon Mountain. I have an aspiration of retiring up there. The weekend was busy - and included shopping for vanities for the bathroom, flooring and paint for my daughter's bedroom and shopping for a new suit and semi-formal dress for her. I've been doing a lot of walking and I have even gotten back to the gym!

• The best road trip books - On the Road is on my list for this summer.
• Why you wake up earlier as you get older.
• Billy Joel and his health condition.
• What is Valentina hot sauce and why is it so popular?  My son LOVES the black label version.
• This is terrifying, but maybe also the basis for a really good story.
• There's a new novel on motherhood.
• Great mystery books for elementary schoolers.
• The five busiest hiking trails in the United States.
• Susan Brownmiller has passed away.
• 7 historical novels that explore the dark side of the art world.
• Best politics books of 2025 - Orwell Award.
• fifteen books about Martha's Vineyard  - they take place there.
• High Protein desserts.
• How did Root Beer get it's name?
• 5 best thriller/mystery beach reads and 5 best nonfiction beach reads.
• Best historical fiction set in the 18th  century (Outlander, holla!).
• Ten nontraditional beach reads. I loved Sag Harbor!
• Trader Joe's is the most trusted brand in America.
• Most Popular Disney song by state.
• What Disney sidekick are you?
• 11 movies to watch this summer.
• Best books of summer, according to the LA Times. Full list is here.
• Bookish goods for summer reading.
• Mysteries and thrillers set in NYC. 
• Where was soccer invented?
• Road trip romances - I'm listening to an Emily Henry right now.
• 20 most beautiful libraries in the world.
• The real life shipwreck that may have inspired Goonies.
• 5 scary beach books
• Marcus Petersson, the creator of Minecraft, and his history.
• Three libraries with unique non book collections (including fur).
• Best books out in June,
• Ten best fantasy novels not set in medieval Europe.

REVIEW: Alive Day by Kate Fugett

 

This is one of my Book of the Month selections and I was happy that I got it, although my next read is definitely going to be a lighter one! 

Barely out of her teens, Kate Fugett married Clive, her high school sweetheart, on a complete whim. Did she believe she loved him? Yes, I think so. But she was also homeless, jobless and living in her car when she met him. Marriage to Clive provided a degree of security that she wasn't experiencing at the time that she married him. Clive was in the military so marriage meant that she could be put on to his health plan and have a place to live. Cleve was soon deployed for a second  time. He didn't come home in one piece - he came home with an injured leg, that soon was amputated. All of the tenuous stability that Fugett had managed to cobble together fell apart.  She became a wounded warrior's caregiver - something that the military convinced her was so essential, that she gave up caring for herself and her own needs. 

This was a powerful and impactful read that I could only take in small pieces - the great part of this memoir is that Fugett did break the chapters into short pieces.  She struggled to deal with PTSD, physical healing, opioids and addiction and worse.  She describes how she had to learn about paperwork and other things on the fly because she was so young and literally had no experience. It was emotional, vulnerable, illuminating and a necessary memoir about the state of the military and how it handles not only it's wounded warriors but the people closest to them that have to care for them. She is resilient and strong and I admire her.  

A must read and a definitely necessary addition to your library.  Brava!

REVEW: College Joe by Tom Perrotta

 

I got this book from my local library so it qualifies for the Library Love Challenge!  Fantastic!  

I've read Tom Perrotta books before and enjoyed them - he's most well known for Election (which was made into a movie with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon) and The Leftovers, which is now a series on HBO, but not as much for this novel, which came out in 2000.

Daniel, the main character, is a Junior at Yale University in 1982. It alternates its locations between Yale, in New Haven, CT and Daniel's working class town in New Jersey, where Danny goes for spring break. We follow Daniel as he attempts to navigate certain situations (some seriously and other comically), from romance, to work and danger. His romantic interests and their other relationships also complicate things, as does his father's work driving a lunch truck called the "Roach Coach."

I love Perrotta's ironic wit, his ascorbic style and his sarcasm, all of which are present in this novel. He is one of my favorite authors for this reason. However, this book is not one of my favorites.  I felt like I was reading about a more modern day Holden Caulfield and found myself wondering how many times a person could whine/make so many dumb mistakes/be such an a'hole before he figures it out.  It was a story that had been told already and wasn't original (granted Catcher in the Rye was written many moons ago, but still if you read this book, I don't think that you can help but make the comparison). The characters, however, are all gems.  You can't help but see them and hear them while you're reading about them.  They are quite memorable and very well developed. The book itself is short and a quick read.

Generally though, stick with some of Perrotta's other books. This one you can skp. 

Links I love

 

Last weekend, my son had his junior prom - which is crazy to think about.  Lots of goings on around here including a full bath remodel and remodeling/redecorating my daughter's room.  The moving parts are out of control but I did just have the final piece fall into place so now we're just looking to schedule! I am looking forward  to having a new bathroom and two concerts this summer: Keith Urban and Brad Paisley! I'm nearly done reading this book by Tom Perotta, an author I adore. The series adaptation of his book The Leftovers is on my list - currently watching Discovery of Witches and Paradise Lost. This list was helpful in assisting me to add new series.

• A rare willow tree is discovered.
• 5 books -2025 Pulitzer non fiction!
• Who is the girl in all the Wendy's stuff?
• Starbucks v. Dutch Brothers - who has the best rewards program?
  
• Aldi v. Walmart - who has better deal for groceries?
• New study shows how much protein you need to support your bones.
• What happens to your body when you feel homesick?
• Most popular burgers in each state.
• 5 mysteries set in hotels.
• Esquire names the best books of 2025, so far. The full list can be found here. 
• For those of you doing the summer reading challenge, here are some books featuring travel.
• This flavor pod looks interesting.
• What Starbucks drink has th e most protein?
• Quiz: can you name the greek god or goddess?
• Inside the effort to repair access to eroding maternal care in rural NH.
• George Wendt, who played Norm on Cheers, has died.
• McKitterick prize shortlist announced. Here is the official website.
• 6 mysteries set in international destinations.
• This blogger's take on top ten novels about travel.
• Heart Lamp wins International Booker Prize
• 80's kitchen trends that no one remembers
• Why McDonald's calls its shakes "milkshakes."
• Best Walmart frozen desserts.
• How to deal if you cry during every argument.
• Margaret Atwood on the Handmaid's Tale and her new memoir.
• Lilo and Stitch has a live action remake.
• 14 books for those traveling to Greece
• 17 books NPR critics are looking forward this summer.
• How Nespresso differs from drip coffee
• Most popular TV Genre in each state
• Round up of summer reading lists.
• Historical fiction set in America's various Chinatowns.
• How to stay safe outside this memorial day weekend - in NH.
• When are witches not witches.
• Chicago Tribune publishes a summer reading list that is AI generated and has fake books on it!
• Hot Sauces from around the world.
• Why espresso cups are so small.
• Father's day and graduation gift ideas
• Fastest drivers by state - not sure how NH is only 49.9

Don't forget to get $5.00 off your first order at Pangobooks by using the code found here and  to check out Book of the Month Club.

REVIEW: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

 

This is the third book in the All Soul's series by Deborah Harkness. With this book, Harkness attempts to close up a triptych of books that follow witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew Clairmont (along with a myriad of other memorable characters) in their quest to find an ancient text and change a centuries old law that prevents creatures from intermarrying. This book also focuses on Matthew's quest to find (and ultimately destroy) his evil son, Benjamin, who has been wreaking murderous havoc around the world. 

I was happy to finally finish this trilogy since I want to move on with the series on Netflix, but also because this book was about 150 pages too long.  It moved particularly slowly in parts and was more mundane then I expected a conclusory book to be. I loved Diana's parts of the novel, but found that the parts involving Benjamin and his tortuous antics were old, worn and stereotypical. There were parts that were funny - at one point, Harkness makes a joke about what vampire blood would do to the mosquito population that gave me pause for a chuckle and which was appreciated since a lot of the book felt very heavy. The secrets of the Book of Life, when  revealed, were pretty predictable. I wanted it to be something more sexy and crazy.

I did love the action of the ending - which I won't give away here and I hope to see more of Gallowglass, one of the main characters in future novels. I liked that Diana came into her own power (finally!) in this book.  It was too long coming. 

I'd suggest that you read this book, if only to provide yourself with closure to a series that has taken time to wade through, but I think it's perhaps the weakest of the three books featuring Diana and Matthew. 

Links I love

I hope that everyone had a good weekend and a nice mother's day last week. I've been doing a lot of walking - given my oral surgery this is really all I'm limited to.  One day I even hit 16,000 steps!  Lots of things are percolating here, including a potential bathroom remodel. My allergies have been going insane though.

•  What espresso drink at a Dunks or Starbucks is best?
• Women need two times more iron than men do.
• New Disney mugs released on Amazon.
• The bad coffee shop etiquette that annoys Starbucks baristas.
• A bridge along the AT has been deemed unsafe.
• The NY Times best books of the year so far.
• British Book of the year winners. You can find the lists, including shortlists, here.
• These books might be good for a summer reading challenge.
• The new librarian of Congress is a former defense attorney.
• 15 books about summer romance. 
• Cottage cheese vs. greek yogurt - which has more protein?
• Madonna is getting a biopic on Netflix. I'm currently watching Discovery of Witches and Gone Girls (about LISK).
• Menendez brothers are resentenced.
• A fun (and easy) summer reading challenge for adults.
• Historical fiction that explores motherhood.
• The Best five nonfiction books: Women's Prize 2025.
• Summer bucket lists and other self care ideas.
• What happened when Fentanyl was legalized in Portland, OR.
• Oprah's 114th book pick.
• Accessories that scream that you're reading.
• 15 books with summer vibes.
• 8 Bath and bodyworks scents that are missed.
• Murdaugh Court clerk arrested on perjury charges.
• There and back with Wally Lamb -he has a new book out!
• Rushdie's attacker gets prison time.
• Not gonna lie, this list was nostalgic.

Get $5.00 off your first order on Pangobooks by using the code here. Try out Book of the Month! These are links that I get credits for. 

REVIEW The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

 

This book checks off two challenges and two of the spots on my summer reading challenge scorecard:  there is a beach on the cover and it takes place on Nantucket, a summer destination! Look at me!

In this novel (which is Number 2 in the Nantucket series), Hilderbrand sets her exploration of friendship, love and loyalty on the island of Nantucket. The novel opens with the death of married couple Tess and Greg Macavoy, leaving behind their two children and their closest friends, all of whom are trying to figure out how the couple died. As the novel moves forward, it reveals drug addiction, mental health issues, secrets, indiscretions and infidelity amongst the friends and also how they deal with it.

This was a compulsively readable book and kept me hooked from the beginning. Hilderbrand deftly and expertly developed her characters using mainly flashback while her characters are experiencing tragic loss in the present. I couldn't help but be drawn into the lives and emotions of the characters. It did, sometimes, feel like one character was getting way too much attention, but all in all, loved this novel.  It's compulsive and easy pacing makes it a good, interesting beach read. 

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week.  Last weekend, I got both a pedicure and a massage, both of which were much needed. 

1. Stories of the old man before he fell off.
2. Warren Buffett is retiring.
3. Tips on getting the most from deep reading. 
4. What your favorite literary genre says about you.
5. If you like Nespresso pods, here is an article about how much you can expect to spend each month.
6. Why is it called extra virgin olive oil.
7. Long novels, if that's what you like. 
8. Popular period dramas and where to find them for streaming. 
9. Where does the expression put your foot in your mouth come from?
10. Met gala looks.
11. 2025 Pulitzer prize winners.
12. Last minute mothers' day gifts for readers.
13. 10 diverse magical books to read that aren't Harry Potter.
14. This looks good.
15. Ten most popular mother's day activities.
16. Ten facts about Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run.
17. New Disney Starbucks mug and new Disney Legos.
18. Magic Kingdom is selling alcohol now?
19. Best adaptations to stream right now.
20. First American pope.
21. Amazon's clash with independent bookstores.
22. The best books to give grads.
23. Novels about real life women.
24. A graphic novel about how ginseng, China and America are linked.
25. 20 most beautiful bookstores from around the world.
26. Justice Souter has passed away.
27. Best historical fiction of 2025 (so far).
28. This looks good.
29. WHen my brain finally broke.
30. Every state's favorite ficitional moms.

I hope that everyone's weekend and mother's day was good.

REVIEW: Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

 

This is a work of non-fiction, the first by this author, in which Villavicencio documents the lives of undocumented Americans and the things that they experience as a result of their status. She highlights experiences based upon geographical location, including, but not limited to, Miami, Flint and Cleveland. She also reflects upon her own experiences as an undocumented youth on DACA and in a university setting. She also specifically reflects upon immigration and its impact on her relationship with her family and mental health. 

While the book definitely had some poignant and highly emotional moments, I thought that it was more genuine then say an influencer on social media - these are real people with real issues and real lives and it highlights the impact that policy has on them. Villavicencio managed to convey the lives of the people through her own lens while still respecting them and that same experience as one that was personal to them. This isn't necessarily an easy balance to strike. This book was also essential to beginning to convey an understanding of the daily lives of undocumented Americans because these aren't stories that are highlighted in the news. 

REVIEW: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

 

This book looked absolutely fascinating - I like mysteries and Egypt has fascinated me. Some of my favorite parts of any museum was seeing the mummies.  This book also was from the library so it covers one of my challenges.

This book focuses on NY - specifically the Metropolitan Museum of Art - and Egypt.  The timelines often alternate between the 1930's and the 1970's (during the height of the King Tut phase). It is both a mystery and historical fiction. We follow Charlotte (when she's 19 in the 30's) and in her 60's (in the 70's) and Annie (who is 20 in the 70's). When we first meet Charlotte, she's trying to find her way and she's been offered a position with a dig in Egypt. While there, she uncovers unknown history and falls in love. She also suffers an unimaginable tragedy (I don't want to tell - it's unfolded over a period of time!) that makes her vow to never be in a relationship again. Annie, in 1978, is also struggling. She works two jobs and is trying to support her mother. She's thrilled to land a job with Dianna Vreeland at the Met and to work on a very important exhibit for the Met Gala that year. In the 70's Charlotte is also working at the Met as an assistant curator in the Department of Egyptian Art. She's consumed by her research on Hathorkare, one of the few female Pharaohs that was dismissed by history as a usurper.   

On the evening of the gala, one of the museums pieces is stolen, as is Charlotte's research on Hathorkare. Annie and Charlotte team up to find both, and Charlotte tries to get to the bottom of things that occurred in her past, while she was in Egypt. I loved reading about Egypt in the 30's, less so NY (maybe because I grew up there in the 80's) and, while Annie is more energetic, I preferred learning and reading about Charlotte and her journey. We definitely got to know each character extremely well. I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints provided on how museums get art and whether that art is better suited to be in the country of origin - should that art from Egypt, for instance, be returned to Egypt for exhibition? 

This is a very vivid and fast paced novel, that held my attention.  I enjoyed the themes of family, feminism, and art. There's a lot to discuss about relationships as well.  Highly recommend. 

Links I love

I hope that everyone had a good week.  I saw my oral surgeon on Monday. He was very happy with my progress.  I hope I'm on the mend. I've been trying to get some walks in each day so that I can get the blood flowing. I'm going to start adding some yoga and maybe pilates to the rotation.   I hate not being able to run or go to spinning class.  I am also experiencing significant sinus issues in part due to allergies I believe.  I am starting a process with an ENT but may end up at my PCP next week if I don't get much relief. 

I'm excited about pedicures with my daughter and a massage this weekend.  I am also dorkily excited about going to Sam's Club - I'm such an adult. I'm listening to Kim Goldman's podcast, Confronting. Her first season is OJ (obviously) and her second is on Columbine. 

• The Wolf King reading series in order.
• Students at Pentagon schools sue Secretary of State over book bans.
• Hugo award finalists are announced.
• NaNoWriMo website to close.
• Nespresso pods ranked.
• Should we also be worried about Spaceship Earth?
• Photos from the Pope's funeral mass. Here's how Papal Conclaves work.
• How losing a poetry competition launched Ed St. Vincent Millay's career.
• 5 vintage drive thrus no one remembers anymore.
• Two simple ways to add spices to your coffee.
• The most iconic female detectives.
• Vegetarian taco fillings other than beans.
• When does menopause actually start.
• Historical fiction set in the US.
• Classic fiction written by women in 1925.
• Here's why you don't find brand names at Aldi.
•  It has been 50 years since the Vietnam war has ended. 11 ways to support Vietnam War veterans. Some iconic photos.
• Why are the Blue Ridge Mountains Blue?
• New perk for WDW hotel guests.
• mysteries set in a cabin or the woods.  This sounds terrifying to me.
• Romance and fantasy pop-up store in NYC!
• 17 mysterious time capsules
• Best books on the Vietnam war
• Ten best states for working moms.
• The movie "Rust," is finally in theaters.
• If you're like me and are going through it currently, here are some tips. 
• Coffee is linked with longevity benefits.
• 11 facts related to the Alien and Sedition acts.
• Trump orders ending funding for NPR - I LOVE NPR!
• Book covers cliches have maxed out. 
• I'm a big fan of Elena Ferrante - her books are getting a new cover.
• The cult of the wicker man.
• Are the Mass Market Paperbacks on the way out?
• 7 ways to find microseconds of self care when short on time.
• Ten best hikes in country
• Fatigued v tired, what's the difference?
• Update on Karen Read.

Please don't forget to check out Book of the Month and Pangobooks. These are referral links, so I do get some credit for them.

20 books of summer reading challenge

 

This also looks like a great challenge to read! Head over to Annabookbel for the rules!  I'm going to do this one too. :) 

There's even a helpful Bingo card for you!

Library Love Challenge

 

This challenge is definitely one that I can get behind - they know me by first name at my local library! The rules can be found here.  The summer semester of this challenge begins May 1 and runs to August 31 and you have to read at least 12 books from the local library. 

 

It took me way longer to finish this book then I wanted to - I attribute it to the absolute fatigue I had and how miserable I've been feeling since my oral surgery but at least now I've finished it.  This is the second book in the All Souls Trilogy and Diana and Matthew, a witch and vampire, have travelled back to Elizabethan England in their search for Ashmole 782. They are also there to hide from the Congregation (a governing group consisting of Witches,  Demons and Vampires), who seek to punish the couple and to hopefully find a witch (or witches) to help teach Diana about her abilities. Matthew's past and secrets, as well as Diana's status as a witch during the witch trials of the era are placing the couple in danger. 

Not only was this book hard to get through, but I felt moved very slowly at times and I felt like I was reading a gossip magazine about Elizabethan England as opposed to the story of Matthew and Diana. There is a lot of historical detail (kudos to Harkness for the research she did, which seems like a LOT), but I'm not sure how much of that detail was absolutely necessary to moving the story forward. I was happy to see them leave that era, if so only because I hoped the story would move more quickly. 

I did love the characters. We meet a number of new characters that are quite memorable and well written, including Matthew's Father Phillippe - I could hear and see him whenever he was written about.  This, to me, means that the author did a fantastic job writing and developing the character. The dialogue between characters is believable and lifelike. I also liked her development of a world where the real and fantasy are seamlessly interwoven. It's believable that this could have all been going on. 

I'd definitely suggest reading this book if your goals are like mine - to move on to book three and to also watch the series  on Amazon Prime.

*************

I do have a couple of shameless plugs:

• Book of the Month referral link.  If you like fiction, non fiction, whatever - BOOKS - I'd highly suggest going here.  Pretty good selection. I do get a credit for each referral.
• I sell used books on Pangobooks.  My link for $5.00 off your first order is here. I earn Pangobooks dollars to spend on books if you join.

I'm currently reading The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis.  It's a much quicker and shorter book so I'll hopefully have a review in the next week. :) 

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week. I had multiple dental appointments this week, trying to get to the bottom of things.  I'm hoping to have a review for this book this week.

• Why we cry during arguments.
• Pope Francis has passed away.
• The value of interjections.
• The cleanest cities around the world.
• Best Disney Amazon finds.
• Incarcerated women in fiction.
• WW II novels that are worth your time.
• Ten best book gifts for high school and college grads.
• Top trending national parks for camping. I love the outdoors!
• The best novels by Spanish authors.
• 15 essential books for the resistance!

Check out Book of the Month Club (this is a referral link so I get a credit) and Pangobooks.

Links I love

 

I'm a little over one week post oral surgery.  I am having some other issues that means I'm going to the dentist on Monday.  UGGGGGG. Take care of your teeth. 

1. How to maximize your walks.
2. The best Dunks iced coffee combinations.
3. Ten best fantasy novels with romance component.
4. Eight things you might now know about Jurassic Park.
5. Why is Easter called Easter?
6. The worst state for job scams.
7. the 2025 women's fiction prize - top five picks.
8. A brief history of Coachella. I grew up with Lollapalooza so this was interesting. 
9. Butterfly migrations - in photos.
10. Five best mystery books of 2025, so far.

I have rejoined Book of the Month Club.  I highly recommend them - its a pretty affordable way to get books.  If you're interested, please use this referral link. I do get credit for that. 

Links I love

 

This week has been rough - I had oral surgery on Friday and am recovering. I'm hoping that it isn't too bad! If anyone has any soft food recipes, please hit me up in the comments. 

1. These three zodiac signs have the longest TBR lists.  Guilty as charged.
2. Why did Ronald McDonald disappear?
3. Ten best states for art.
4. 2025 Hugo award finalists
5. Most Americans want to read more but don't. 
6. This nutrient is more important to preventing osteoporosis?
7. Easter basket ideas for older kids.
8. Dire wolves are the first non extinct animals. Let's keep dinosaurs extinct.
9. Booker shortlist announced.
10. What you need to know about fluoride.
11. Top ten movies turning 50 this year: yay for Monty Python and Jaws!!
12. Movie theaters aren't just for movies.
13. AMC hiker tries to help people feel safer on the trails.
14. Espresso maker or coffee maker?
15. PEN award finalists
16. Five best travel books of 2025. The slow trains to Istanbul looks fascinating. 
17. This sounds divine.  Something to plan for.

I'm about halfway through Shadow of Night.  Given the plethora of free time I'm likely to have coming up, I might actually finish it sooner than later. 

REVIEW - The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

 

This debut novel is set in  the 2020's London. The UK Government has figured out a way to time travel. In this novel, it's now working towards whether people they bring from the past can survive the travel and live in the time that they have travelled to. Each "expat" is assigned to a person called a "bridge" who they will live with and attempt to learn how to live in the modern world with. Gore, a real Arctic explorer lost on a mission to find the Northwest Passage in the 1840s, is one of the expats and our narrator is his bridge.

I enjoyed reading this novel very much. It's a mashup between romance, science fiction, action and cultural commentary.  There are sometimes a lot of ideas that try to come out at once, but Bradley seems to manage to balance everything very well.  There is often a lot of comedy - the plague survivor from the 17th century loves selfies and The Simpsons, while the WWI Commander loves disco.  But there are other themes that are just as touching - Gore is very, very lonely and has tremendous survivor's guilt even as he manages to connect with his fellow expats. Bradley's strength seems to truly be in telling us about the  quirks and details of the expats and their bridges. 

I loved this novel and cannot wait to read it again to see what I've missed.  Definitely one to add to your library.

Links I love

 

This has been a very rainy week.  I really just want the sun back. I've been watching Downtown Abbey, still and it's lovely. I am reading The Ministry of Time and Shadow of Night. My partner and I have started Twin Peaks: the Return and I LOVE it so far.  I'm a huge Twin Peaks fangirl. 

• I'm always looking for easy recipes for the week.
• Does Collagen count as a protein?
• Ten best fantasy series of all times. 
• Notable non fiction of early 2025.
• 5 Hugo Award winners written by women.
• Do you know your Disney Couples?
• The best place to get a Dole Whip in WDW
• The best books of the century (so far!).
• Page turners to help you out of a slump

I hope that you guys have a good week! I p romise a review next  week!

Links I love

 

Spring break is coming here.  I'm thinking of bringing my kids out for an afternoon/evening and doing this, as well as spending the night. On Sunday, I'm doing this run. I did a half marathon a few weeks ago and I met my goals - under 2.5 hours and no injuries.  Here I am at the finish line!

I've been loving watching Downton Abbey - it's lovely and I wish that I had started watching it a long time ago. 

• The most popular book genre in each state.
• Novels based upon myth retellings.
• Pantry Staples from T rader Joe's.
• A guide to the Karen Read  trial. 
• Ten Vietnamese slang terms.

REVIEW - Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

 

This book was a bit of a slog to get through, not going to lie. I distinctly remember this Hurricane in live time - the pictures of people sitting on their roofs and the roof of the SuperDome being ripped off piece by piece. How we treated people and how unprepared we were were  also laid bare for the world to see. What was horrific was the story that Sherri Fink told about allegations of euthanasia in hospitals, notably Memorial Hospital. 

When the levees broke, things got bad at the hospital - it wasn't the storm so much as the flooding. The hospital lost its backup generators, which were located within the flood zone. AC and lighting and life support systems went out. Gunfire outside was heard and the parent company of the hospital wasn't very responsive to requests for help. Staffers began to believe that the most critical patients weren't going to survive at all. So two doctors - John Thiele and Anna Pou - injected patients with morphine and sedatives that rose to a lethal level.  Approximately one year later, they were charged with murder for their roles. Most of the public and the grand jury agreed that the parent company should be the ones held responsible, not the doctors, who many felt were left without a choice. 

I appreciated Fink's meticulous research - she obviously did her homework. But often, the names and actions were confusing to me and I had to keep jumping back and forth to remind myself who was who, doing what and when. It's easy to forget that this is only five days because the part of the book about the actual days seemed to drag - although that may have been the point. The book moved very, very slowly. I also wish that fink provided her own opinion about what had happened. Did one person or group of people get it right or not? 

Important read but not one I'm adding to my library.

Links I love

 

The first day of spring is here for us in the Northern Hemisphere!  

• 100 best Irish books of the 21st Century.
• 5 books becoming movies in 2025
• New Starbucks Disney mug dropping on March 31.
• What happens when there's a 14 year old professional athlete?
• Books by Kristin Hannah - I didn't  realize she had such a prolific backlist.  The Great Alone and  The Women are definitely my favorites.
• Martha Stewart has her 101st book.
• How to increase energy without caffeine.
• How to find a quality plant protein.
• 3 tips on falling asleep when you're stressed.
• John Denver almost went to space.
• Old Timey Easter traditions we don't see anymore.
• The ten most productive states in the USA.
• Gifts for readers of classic mystery books.
• 9 upcoming books for better living.
• The best biographies
• NPR's take on the new live action remake of Snow White.
• Winners of the National Book Critics Circle words are here.
• How to pick non fiction you'll like.
• Rise of romance bookstores.
• A young adult book tackles a tough topic - a parent's mental illness. 

Links I love

 

Today, I'm running this race - and hoping that I don't get hurt! It's beginning to feel a lot like spring here!

1. Non-collagen supplement helps with cognitive stuff AND skin.
2. Why does Aldi charge a quarter to use the carts?
3. Disney is changing the menu at Ohana!
4. The best selling historical fiction novels of all time.
5. Pulitzer prize winning novels.
6. The country that drinks more Guinness than Ireland.
7. How to make exercise easier.
8. Some perimenopause myths.
9. Nebula awards finalists are announced. 
10. Best Warhammer books.
11. 11 books by Irish authors that are worth reading.
12. This store is coming near to us. I was doing so w ell with no sugar.

REVIEW Blue Light

 

Bruna Lobato is a translator who began writing in English a few years ago - this is her first novel even though her English writing is everywhere: Guernica, The New Yorker to name a few. This novel is about a mother and daughter, whose names we don't learn, whose relationship is sustained over the daughter's first year in college over only Skype calls. The private college is in Vermont, which is very cold compared to where the daughter grew up in Natal, Brazil.  

Much of the novel is dialogue between daughter and mother and the things that they talk about are pretty par for the course related to college life - snow, parties, studying, homesickness, otherness and international students.  What was absolutely intriguing to me was the relationship between mother and daughter - the relationship is the main character - and how it changes from the start of the book to the end. There are definitely moments where the novel lags, but otherwise I found it charming, intimate and lovely. I wonder if the author relied upon her own experiences and journals in writing this first novel. The book's short length is relatively deceptive as the themes are complex and I would read this novel a second time to more fully appreciate the themes that are discussed. 

Well worth the read. 

Links I love

 

St. Patrick's is coming up next week but today is my birthday! If you would like to donate/buy me a coffee, please click here. My Amazon wishlist is here. Giftcards to Amazon are appreciated. There's also a wishlist here. In the meantime, we are running this event and going to dinner here.

1. The best  medieval fantasy novels.
2. Is being a bad sleeper genetic?
3. Why is coffee called A Cup of Joe?
4. Why some people wear orange and not green on St. Patrick's Day.
5. Who are the best villains in literature?
6. The new short stories written by Harper Lee.
7. The 2025 Libby winners
8. Surviving downhill skiing's rowdiest party.
9. How a measles outbreak overwhelmed a small town.
10. The Worst sugar free drinks on the Starbucks menu

Enjoy!

REVIEW: Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

 

This book was part of my TBR challenge for this year - 2 books down!!  I will not lie, I am a big Eric Larson fan, particularly since reading Devil in the White City, so any new book by him is going  to grab my attention.  This one, though, was surprisingly slow going for me. Larson's latest take on history takes on the period of time in between Lincoln's election and when Lincoln actually takes office and focuses not only on the election, but on the firing of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. This 400+ page book focuses on a very short few months, but is jam packed with information. 

I was  very impressed by the source material that Larson uses - he uses journals, diaries, letters and other first hand accounts to present us with a narrative about the months leading up to the fall of Fort Sumter. My favorite parts were not necessarily the military parts of the stories, which I found very dry, but the narratives about the society people and the politicians - Lincoln, seward and Jefferson Davis in particular.  I found that the book was very well written but very long. 

What the reader should be  aware of is that Larson is not shy about providing us with his own political view on things.  It is quite obvious that he is telling us the story through the lens of January 6, which is fine as long as you go into it knowing that and are able to read critically.

Definitely enjoyable, but not my fav Larson book!

Links I love

 

It's been so cold and snowy here the last few weeks. We seem to get walloped on Thursdays and Sundays. And the temps are downright frigid right now.  At least the days are getting longer though! I'm sorry that I missed last week. Things have been insanely busy.  I'm gearing up for this half in a few weeks so my weekend runs are pretty long now! 

• Oprah has announced her latest book club pick.
• If you're an introvert what kind are you?
• Maybe we'll go here next year.
• Ten most welcoming cities in the world.
• Quiz on obscure Disney facts.
• There is a lot of flu right now.
• Italian chain restaurants ranked worst to best.
• Why road signs are no longer written in all caps.
• I live in New England, I'm always looking to save money at Dunks.
• The best Disney essentials for under 9.00 on Amazon.
• What with egg prices, breakfast foods that have more protein than an egg is a timely find. I've been doing overnight oats with greek yogurt. Kefir is great too.
• 2025 Oscars guide
• 6 art and design books for your TBR  list.
• What is Vegan at your fav chain coffee shop?

Links I love

 

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope that everyone enjoyed the day and watching the Super Bowl.  

1. Ten Self Help books ranked.
2. The best books on being kind to yourself and others.
3. Murder in the Blue Mountains
4. Ten offbeat terms of endearment from history.
5. Margaret Atwood has a memoir!