tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58958618702324772092024-03-12T19:46:15.391-05:00Better Late Than NeverBetter Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.comBlogger758125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-65835491771911721672024-03-02T21:37:00.005-06:002024-03-02T21:37:57.222-06:00Monthly Book Review: February 2024<p>I am over the moon that it's finally March! I am anxious to start seeds and dahlia/canna tubers over the next two weeks. This has been called the "lost winter" here in the Twin Cities - it was 60 degrees today and no snow in sight. Only one book for February - 18 hours. I will definitely be reading something shorter next.</p><p><i>P</i><i>achinko </i>by Min Jin Lee chronicles four generations of a Korean family in Japan. The story was rich (though extremely long), with themes of discrimination, perseverance and honor. The title of the book references a popular gambling game, similar to slot machines. It was very educationnal. I had no idea that Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and that Koreans living in Japan were treated as second class citizens. It was difficult to become a Japanese resident and Koreans had to register as "special permanent residents". They felt shame in abandoning their country and giving allegiance to their oppressors yet had no voting rights in South Korea.</p><p>TBR List:</p><div><div><div><ul><li><i>Flying Solo </i>by Linda Holmes</li><li><i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond </i>by Elizabeth George Speare</li><li><i>A Bakery in Paris</i> by Aimie K. Runyan</li><li><i>City of Girls </i>by Elizabeth Gilbert</li><li><i>Life Worth Living </i>by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins</li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields </li><li><i>Demon Copperhead </i>by Barbara Kingsolver</li><li><i>Lucy by the Sea</i> by Elizabeth Strout</li><li><i>The Rachel Incident</i> by Caroline O'Donoghue</li><li><i>The Paris Agent</i> by Kelly Rimmer</li><li><i>Outlive</i> by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-13011880711494298032024-02-01T20:25:00.021-06:002024-02-01T20:41:16.035-06:00Monthly Book Review: January 2024<p>Happy 2024!</p><p><i>Strange Weather in Tokyo</i> by Hiromi Kawakami was a sweet Audible exclusive to kick off the new year. Tsukiko is a single professional in her thirties who likes things the way she likes them and is fond of routine. One day, she meets a former teacher at the bar. He is significantly older, and she calls him Sensei partially out of respect and partially because she can't remember her name. What follows is a deepening friendship over sake and old-fashioned love story. I found the description of Japanese/Tokyo culture just as interesting as the budding relationship.</p><p>I have a love/hate relationship with <i>Hamnet </i>by Maggie O'Farrell. A sort of backstory to Shakespeare's <i>Hamlet.</i> Farrell's writing is beautiful and vivid - every inner thought and character nuance explored. It was a bit of a slog, yet worth it in the end - I thought about giving up at least twice but so glad I didn't. Absolutely loved the narration - that's what got me through the rough spots.</p><div><div><br /></div><div>TBR List<br /><div><ul><li><i>P</i><i>achinko </i>by Min Jin Lee</li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields </li><li><i>Malibu Rising</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>City of Girls </i>by Elizabeth Gilbert</li><li><i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond </i>by Elizabeth George Speare</li><li><i>Demon Copperhead </i>by Barbara Kingsolver</li><li><i>Lucy by the Sea</i> by Elizabeth Strout</li><li><i>The Rachel Incident</i> by Caroline O'Donoghue</li><li><i>The Paris Agent</i> by Kelly Rimmer</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-8578321164432753932024-01-01T15:22:00.003-06:002024-02-01T20:41:56.877-06:00 December 2023 + Year in Review<p>Two books to round out the year and both were excellent. </p><p><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi is the story of Sitara, a young girl orphaned by the Afghanistan communist coup in 1978. She is “saved” while the rest of her family is slaughtered. She lives a comfortable but anxious life, then thirty years later a chance meeting gives her an opportunity for accountability. My favorite part of the story follows how she is sheltered by an American diplomat and her mother, and how they are able to get her out of Afghanistan and become family.</p><p><i>Mary Jane</i> by Jessica Anya Blau was so good it ended up tied for 5th place in the year’s top 10. It's a coming-of-age story set in the 1970's. The title character is a 14 yo summer nanny for the daughter of a therapist who is treating a famous musician for drug addiction. The family is completely different from her own - no perfunctory rules, no judgments, no structure. Her eyes are opened and there’s no unseeing the racism, discrimination and other societal tensions surrounding her. The real star of the novel is the young daughter Izzy who acts and speaks with complete abandon, the way a child should. My favorite excerpt <i>“Until I met Jimmy, I hadn’t understood that people you love could do things you didn’t love. And still you could keep loving them.”</i></p><p><u>Year in Review</u></p><p>I read/listened to 30 books in 2023 and here are my top 10:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Carrie Soto Is Back</i></li><li><i>Remarkably Bright Creatures </i></li><li><i>The Midnight Library</i></li><li><i>Lessons in Chemistry </i></li><li><i>The Golden Couple</i></li><li><i>Mary Jane</i></li><li><i>The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion</i></li><li><i style="font-family: inherit;">One Night on the Island</i></li><li><i>Vacationland</i></li><li><i><i>Pineapple Street</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-42776341372004702612023-12-05T14:40:00.003-06:002023-12-05T14:40:59.140-06:00Monthly Book Review: November 2023<p>It's the most wonderful time of the year. Unless of course it's not ... I love Christmas but am keenly aware that for some it is a very difficult season. If you're reading this, I hope you have the love and support you need regardless of your current "spirit". </p><p>I started reading <i>Violeta</i> by Isabel Allende and Frances Riddle but just couldn't slog through it. I gave it about 4-5 hours then decided life's too short to read bland books. I loved Allende's <i>The Japanese Lover</i> (10/10) and liked <i>Long</i> <i>Petal</i> (7/10) so this was super disappointing.</p><div><i>The Golden Couple </i>by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was right up my alley. Avery Chambers is the anti-therapist. She's developed an unorthodox method for helping people overcome their issues in 10 sessions and she gets all up in their business to accomplish this. Enter the Bishop's, the "golden couple" who ostensibly need Avery's help to get past Marissa Bishop's infidelity. The story follows the couple's sessions, Avery's inner dialogue and backstory as well as Marissa's backstory. Nuanced and juicy with great characters and surprising twists. Definitely in the year's top 10!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Pineapple Street</i> by Jenny Jackson is about three women - Georgiana, the spoiled younger sister living off her trust fund; Darley, the older sister who didn't sign a prenup and is madly in love with her husband; Sasha, married to Georgiana and Darley's brother Cord and definitely not part of the 1%. The Stockton's are old money rich and the siblings' parents, especially mother Tilda are used to things being a certain way. The Stockton's are very close (though as the story unfolds, they don't really know each other) and Sasha very much feels like an outsider. All three women face their own challenges in their journeys to discover who they are and what wealth means to them. Very good, explored progressive ideas without getting too deep or preachy. I loved this excerpt from Sasha when describing her family as compared to her husband's ~</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"Her own family was a restaurant booth - you could always scoot over and make space for one more. Cord's family was a table with chairs and those chairs were bolted to the floor."</i></div></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I loaded up with Audible's recent 50% off sale so my <span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR list has gotten VERY long.</span><div><div><ul><li><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi</li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields </li><li><i>Malibu Rising</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>Pachinko </i>by Min Jin Lee</li><li><i>Mary Jane</i> by Jessica Anya Blau</li><li><i>Strange Weather in Tokyo</i> by Hiromi Kawakami</li><li><i>Hamnet </i>by Maggie O'Farrell</li><li><i>City of Girls </i>by Elizabeth Gilbert</li><li><i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond </i>by Elizabeth George Speare</li><li><i>Demon Copperhead </i>by Barbara Kingsolver</li><li><i>Lucy by the Sea</i> by Elizabeth Strout</li><li>The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue</li></ul></div></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-55797332636361381062023-11-03T11:22:00.005-05:002023-11-05T21:03:14.539-06:00Monthly Book Review: October 2023<p>As predicted, there was no September book review. We took a two-week road trip from MN / WI to the Blue Ridge Parkway starting in NC and driving north. We toured the Biltmore Estate, the National D-Day Museum, Appomattox Court House and Monticello. We fit a lot in and stayed in a new place almost every night. It exposed differing travel preferences between my husband and I so suffice to say we will not likely undertake that ambitious of a trip again. My main takeaway is that the Parkway is a must-see - I loved the mountains, exposure to new places and people, and general comradery amongst fellow road trippers.</p><i>Lessons in Chemistry </i>by Bonnie Garmus definitely lived up to the hype. I wanted to be sure and read this before the Apple TV limited series came out and I finished just in the nick of time. Elizabeth Zott is a science geek lacking social skills (so probably on the spectrum) living in a midcentury male-dominated profession (let's face it, the world was male-dominated in the midcentury). She's no-nonsense, ambitious and curious - my favorite type of person! The story is quirky, funny and educational. Elizabeth grows up with a lack of love, boundaries and structure, she eventually finds a like-minded genius scientist and a dog named six-thirty with whom she can settle down in their unconventional version of normal. Then life throws some curveballs, and she ends up with a TV cooking show because of the complex and nutritious school lunches she makes for her daughter. The banter between Elizabeth and Walter, the other single parent at her daughter's school who happens to run a TV station, caused numerous laugh-out-loud moments. The TV series veers a bit from the book but so far very enjoyable.<span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"> </span><div><div><div><br /><div>I was excited to read <i>Mexican Gothic </i>by Silvia Moreno-Garcia while on my recent Mexican vacation. The premise is an independent socialite from Mexico City, Noemie, is dispensed by her father to see if her cousin, Catalina, is being taken advantage of financially by her new husband's family. Noemie finds Catalina in a web of odd family dynamics and a house with wallpaper that moves. Sadly, it was like wading through sludge - I wanted to like it and stuck through to the end, but honestly it was a huge waste of time. The narration was bland, the characters lacked depth and the story line was convoluted and drawn out. Maybe the upcoming Hulu limited series will be better than the book.<br /><div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><i>Violeta</i> by Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle</li><li><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi</li><li><i>The Golden Couple </i>by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen </li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields </li><li><i>Malibu Rising</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>Pachinko </i>by Min Jin Lee</li><li><i>Mary Jane</i> by Jessica Anya Blau</li><li><i>Pineapple Street</i> by Jenny Jackson</li><li><i>Strange Weather in Tokyo</i> by Hiromi Kawakami</li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-58332161047594745612023-09-12T15:33:00.120-05:002023-09-13T20:10:59.669-05:00Monthly Book Review: August 2023<p>Another four books AND a radio program - reading badass! Summer is effectively over and currently on a two-week roadtrip to North Carolina & Virginia so I think the streak is likely over.</p><div><div><i>T</i><i>he Lions of Fifth Avenue </i>by Fiona Davis is a historical fictional novel that tackles women’s societal roles in 1913 and 1983. Sadie is the granddaughter of the Lyons who once lived in the New York Public Library (the lions from the title is a play on this and reference to the famed figures in front of the Library). Laura Lyons is a dutiful wife and mother who longs for so much more. Sadie doesn’t know much about Laura other than what she published - Laura mysteriously left her family and moved to London as a relative recluse. Their stories intersect when Sadie is a curator at the Library and books start to go missing; ironically the same thing occurred in 1913. A good, not great read. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Counterfeit</i> by Kirstin Chen was super entertaining. The story toggles between Ava Wong and her one-time college roommate Winnie. Ava is being interrogated about her relationship with Winnie and how she got caught up in a Chinese counterfeit purse ring. Winnie is narrating her side of the story. Who to believe? Is one, the other or both just as fake as their bags? Good or bad, I did buy counterfeit bags 20 yrs ago - and may have done so recently but not intentionally, but it was nowhere near the scale two were operating on.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Neverwhere</i> by Neil Gaiman was a BBC Radio show with an all-star cast (Benedict Cumberbatch, Natalie Dormer and James McAvoy to name a few). This fantasy story follows Richard and Door in London Below to determine who killed Door’s father and who has hired hunters to find them. Loved this - great escape and excellent narration. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Guest </i>by Emma Cline was on a lot of summer reading lists. It follows Alex, a young grifter, and her late summer escapades across Long Island. I really disliked it - total waste of time and I should have quit it but kept thinking it would get better. Spoiler: it didn’t, at least not for me. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>T</i><i>he Nature of Fragile Things</i> by Susan Meissner is set with a backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Sophie is an Irish immigrant and “mail order” bride with a tragic past. She marries Martin, a widower who is supposedly a traveling insurance risk assessor, and grows to love his young daughter, Kat. One day before the earthquake Sophie receives a call from pregnant Belinda Bigelow and learns she may not really be married and Martin may not be who he says he is. The women’s lives are in danger as Martin may be responsible for murder, fraud and bigamy. The story follows Sophie’s quest for the truth - for her as well as for Kat. I loved the generosity of the women involved and the satisfying ending. </div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi</li><li><i>The Golden Couple </i>by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen </li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields </li><li><i>Malibu Rising</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>Lessons in Chemistry by </i>Bonnie Garmus</li><li><i>Pachinko </i>by Min Jin Lee</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-13151282404391966732023-08-01T20:06:00.004-05:002023-08-01T20:06:50.812-05:00Monthly Book Review: July 2023<p>Four books again this month - on a roll!</p><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Hello Beautiful </i>by Ann Napolitano is by the same author who wrote <i>Dear Edward. </i>They have similar themes - finding oneself among tragedy and "family" being what and who you make of it, not just what you were born into. A very layered story of William, born in a family where he isn't seen or loved, but basketball becomes the touchstone for all his future relationships. He moves from Boston to Chicago for college and finds a place in the Padavano family of strong women and a warm and unmotivated father. All four sisters impact his life and he theirs profoundly. But nothing is a straight line. Not as good as<i> Edward</i>, but definitely satisfying.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Vanishing Half </i>by Brit Bennett is about identical twin sisters, Desiree and Stella, from a small town in Louisiana. All members of the town are light-skinned black, so light they could pass as white. The sisters move to New Orleans where Stella vanishes one day. Years later, Desiree returns to her hometown with her daughter, Jude, who is so dark it causes a stir. Eventually Jude ventures out on her own to California, where one night she sees a woman who looks exactly like her mother. It couldn't be, could it?! And this woman's daughter is definitely white. A tale of becoming comfortable in your own skin. Literally. This showed a lot of promise, but it never resolved the sisters' break up nor deep connection between the two families I longed for. It was so-so.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Midnight Library </i>Matt Haig was recommended by my bestie and will definitely be in my top 10 for the year (if not top 5). "The only way to live is to learn". Nora Seed is a woman who cannot catch a break - she's lost her mom, her main job, her side job, and her cat. What next?! Nora is stuck between worlds and in the Midnight Library she can check out lives unlived - try out who she would have been had she made different choices along the way. Who hasn't imagined "what if?". The audiobook narrator is actress Carey Mulligan and I could listen to her narrate a cereal box. A MUST read, especially anyone who feels that the world would be better off without them in it. A++</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Well Met </i>by Jen DeLuca is a bit trite and predictable. I thought I might need a palette cleanser, but it was a bit too soapy for me. It also turned rated R in a nanosecond - I'm not a prude, but it happened three-quarters of the way through and seemed unnecessary by that point. Likely a decent beach read. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><i>The Lions of Fifth Avenue </i>by Fiona Davis</li><li><i>Counterfeit</i> by Kirstin Chen</li><li><i>The Nature of Fragile Things</i> by Susan Meissner</li><li><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi</li><li><i>Neverwhere</i> by Neil Gaiman</li><li><i>The Golden Couple </i>by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen </li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields </li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-60171624603194840802023-06-30T21:43:00.120-05:002023-06-30T22:56:44.707-05:00Monthly Book Review: June 2023<p>Four books this month!! and quite a variety. In order of most to least favorite - </p><div><div><i style="font-family: inherit;">One Night on the Island </i><span>by Josie Silver is about finding one</span>self where you least expect it. Cleo is a London dating columnist (think <i>Sex and the City</i>) sent by her editor to a remote island to self-partner (a term coined by Emma Watson). Cleo sees one other passenger on the boat taking her to the island. Turns out both Mack and Cleo are on Salvation Island for solitude yet stuck in the same lodge due to a reservation mix-up. Amidst the tension, they find a way to tolerate each other. Cleo finds warmth and belonging amongst the islanders. Mack starts to come to terms with the fact that life is not turning out how he designed. Warm, romantic and fun. Loved - A++</div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit;">Thank You for Listening</i><span> by Julia Whelan is the latest book by one of my favorite audiobook narrators. The story follows Sewanee (or "Swan" for short), a former actress who is now an audiobook narrator. There's a lot going on here, but it all works.</span> A freak accident caused her to lose one eye and the related guilt/shame impacts all her decisions.<span> She has a </span>close relationship with her grandmother for whom she feels protective and responsible, especially since her father is a bit of a flake, She has a one-night stand with a charming Scotsman that she can't forget. She's given an amazing opportunity to narrate a romance book with the #1 male romance narrator, Brock - a genre she started out in but now hates. The anonymous banter between Swan and Brock is witty and sexy. The behind-the-scenes peek at the audiobook industry is fascinating. The only thing that felt a bit forced was the best friend relationship. A+</div><div><br /></div><div><span><i>The Last Train to Key West</i> by Chanel Cleeton follows three women in 193</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Three stories in one about Helen, a heavily pregnant local waitress, Elizabeth, a New York socialite whose family lost everything, and Mirta, a Cuban newly wed to a man with a reputation in New York and Florida. The Labor Day hurricane of 1935 (the strongest to ever hit the United States) is the ticking timebomb that drives the intersection between the women</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. This was an easy, good read.</span></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit;">Search</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Michelle Huneven was recommended by a church friend. This is about a search committee at a Universalist Unitarian Church in California. According to Wikipedia, UUs " assert no creed, but instead are united by their shared search for spiritual growth". <i>Search</i> details the long, intense process of searching for a new minister and the snarkiness that accompanies a diverse panel of stakeholders with their own failings and biases.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't love the </span>interspersion<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of food (main character is a restaurant reviewer) - fell flat for me, like she was trying too hard - I don't recall a single dish. I did love the back-and-forth amongst characters regarding what they were looking for in a minister and why, as well as the main character's introspection about her own biases. </span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><i>Hello Beautiful </i>by Ann Napolitano</li><li><i>The Vanishing Half </i>by Brit Bennett</li><li><i>Well Met </i>by Jen DeLuca</li><li><i>Fifth Avenue </i>by Fiona Davis</li><li><i>Counterfeit</i> by Kirstin Chen</li><li><i>The Nature of Fragile Things</i> by Susan Meissner</li><li><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi</li><li><i>Neverwhere</i> by Neil Gaiman</li><li><i>Maud Martha </i>by Gwendolyn Brooks</li><li><i>The Golden Couple </i>by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen </li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High</i> by MJ Fields <br /></li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-48887479021409097092023-06-04T20:46:00.002-05:002023-06-04T20:46:10.010-05:00Monthly Book Review: May 2023<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">May was not my best reading month - two books that were <i>meh</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">All Adults Here </i><span>by Emma Straub seemed promising, especially with a quirky beginning, but it just didn't jell for me. Astrid witnesses a terrible accident one morning - a school bus kills someone she doesn't particularly like on the way to the hair salon. Turns out there was an incident years prior with one of her sons that biased Astrid against the woman. With her death, Astrid starts thinking about what kind of parent she's been and her own legacy. I was looking forward to more depth on unpacking this as well as parenting adult children (something I've found challenging myself). However, there are so many characters - Astrid's partner, her daughter who is about to be an unwed mother, two sons, one of which is an actor with a 13 yo daughter with her own incident so sent packing to Astrid's, daughters-in-law, the daughter's former high school flame and a rekindled female relationship. And reflections on Astrid's first husband who died. That's a lot of relationships to manage and it all gets watered down for me. I may have been looking for too much so perhaps a good light read if that's what you expect.</span></span></p><p>I was really looking forward to <i>In Five Years</i> by Rebecca Serle. Serle wrote <i>One Italian Summer</i>, one of my top 10 reads of 2022. Like <i>Adults</i>, this starts out promising - a story of friendship and fate. Dannie is a high-power NYC attorney with a plan and timetable for everything ... career, marriage, family. Bella, Dannie's childhood best friend, is more laid-back, glamorous and artsy. One night Dannie has a dream so vivid and clear that is five years in the future, but she doesn't recognize the apartment or the guy in her life; she just knows that she's happy. She revisits the dream several times but is unable to recreate the magic. Fast forward four years when she meets THE guy - and it's Bella's new boyfriend. I expected it to get juicy from there ... unfortunately it does not. Another potential light summer read; I guess I'm looking for deep thoughts and nuanced perspectives in my books.</p><p>Thanks to a couple of Audible sales I've loaded up my to-be-read list - better get cracking!</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Last Train to Key West</i> by Chanel Cleeton</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>One Night on the Island </i>by Josie Silver</span></li><li><i style="font-family: inherit;">Thank You for Listening</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Julia Whelan</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Search</i> by Michelle Huneven</span></li><li><i>Hello Beautiful </i>by Ann Napolitano</li><li><i>The Vanishing Half </i>by Brit Bennett</li><li><i>Well Met </i>by Jen DeLuca</li><li><i>Fifth Avenue </i>by Fiona Davis</li><li><i>Counterfeit</i> by Kirstin Chen</li><li><i>The Nature of Fragile Things</i> by Susan Meissner</li><li><i>Sparks Like Stars</i> by Nadia Hashimi</li><li><i>Neverwhere</i> by Neil Gaiman</li><li><i>Maud Martha </i>by Gwendolyn Brooks</li><li><i>Blue Love: Blue Valley High - Senior Year</i> by MJ Fields</li></ul></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-42940621363851282172023-05-01T21:47:00.002-05:002023-12-30T19:22:15.169-06:00Monthly Book Review: April 2023<p>Happy May Day! I vaguely remember dancing around a maypole as a child, but not sure what it's all about so Wikipedia to the rescue -</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">May Day</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"> is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"> around halfway between the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_equinox" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #3366cc; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="March equinox">spring equinox</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;"> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_solstice" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #3366cc; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Summer solstice">summer solstice</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So there you have it, but let's reflect on April for this review. I read 2.5 books - .5 because I discovered a book started late last year but never finished as I was organizing my Audible account. Yay!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two books deal with memory, highlighting Alzheimer’s/dementia family members, and the third is billed as a mystery/thriller. Hmmm...</span></p><p><i>The Villa </i>by Rachel Hawkins is about best friends (more like frenemies) who vacation at an Italian villa with a legendary past. There was a murder in the 70's among a group of vacationing friends while two (or three) try to make an album. The stories bounce between the vacationing girlfriends and the 70's group consisting of two stepsisters, their mercurial musician (married) boyfriends and a drug dealing musician wannabe. I found this to be really predictable and trying too hard to be a Kate Morton story. There was a small twist I didn't see coming that was interesting, but not enough to redeem the entire book for me. And the end presents a did-she-or-didn't she scenario that I just didn't care enough to think it through. I give it a C.</p><p><i style="font-family: inherit;">Wish You Were Here</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Jodi Picoult was like two stories in one. The first half follows Diana, a</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> New Yorker who takes a trip to the Galapagos Islands just as the world is shutting down for COVID. There she is forced to relax and just be, and predictably she forges a relationship with a rough-around-the-edges local man and his angsty daughter. I really enjoyed this half ... the switch to the second half seemed like a record scratch. I was miffed at first, but like many of Picoult's books you're supposed to wrestle with the everyday dilemmas. I don't want to give to much away, but the second half has Diana questioning reality, reconciling with her past, and deciding if the plan she had for her future is relevant.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“…the reliability of memory and how it fails us … </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Japanese believe that it takes three generations to forget. Those who experience a trauma pass that along to their children and their grandchildren, and then the memory fades. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">To the survivors of a tragedy, that’s unthinkable. What’s the point of living through something terrible if you cannot convey the lessons you’ve learned? Since nothing will ever replace all you’ve lost, the only way to make meaning is to make sure no one else goes through what you did. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Memories are the safeguards we use to keep from making the same mistakes.”</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The found half-finished book is <i style="font-style: italic;">Vacationland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Meg Mitchell Moore. This was a slow burn and my favorite of the three. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Set in Owl’s Head, Maine</span></span></i></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">“You aren’t owed anything, not really. Because the universe doesn’t work like that, the universe doesn’t make everything even for us”.</p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><i style="font-family: inherit;">All Adults Here </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">by Emma Straub</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>One Night on the Island </i>by Josie Silver</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Last Train to Key West</i> by Chanel Cleeton</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Thank You for Listening</i> by Julia Whelan</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Search</i> by Michelle Huneven</span></li></ul></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-71097408758017302282023-04-02T19:14:00.000-05:002023-04-02T19:14:12.764-05:00Monthly Book Review: March 2023<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">March was an excellent reading month! My neighbor recommended <i>The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion</i> by Fannie Flagg and it was delightful. Sookie Simmons is a middle aged woman from coastal Alabama with a complicated relationship with her eccentric, over-the-top mother. She consternates over a registered letter - though lengthy, that whole bit had me hooked (nothing good comes by registered mail … it may be another lawsuit against her mother) then discovers she is related to the <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(30, 25, 21); color: #1e1915;">Jurdabralinski’s of Pulaski, Wisconsin. The alternating storylines of Sookie and other Point Clear, AL characters vs. WWII life for the </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(30, 25, 21); color: #1e1915;">Jurdabralinski’s provides the perfect yin-yang tension. I loved learning about</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(30, 25, 21); color: #1e1915; font-family: inherit;"> the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(30, 25, 21); color: #1e1915;">WASPs). Flagg also wrote </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(30, 25, 21); color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café </i>so that gives you good frame of reference for the delightful quirkiness this book celebrates.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Remarkably Bright Creatures </i>by Shelby Van Pelt will for sure be in my top 10 reads of the year. The story alternates between Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus in the Sowell Bay, WA aquarium, Tovah Sullivan, a widow who cleans at the aquarium, and Cameron Cassmore, a young man from Modesto, CA needing meaning and purpose. The intersection of their stories is clever and heartwarming. This is billed as a recommendation for those who loved <i>A Man Called Ove </i>and I completely agree with that comparison.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">TBR List</span></p><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Wish You Were Here</i> by Jodi Picoult</span></li><li><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Vacationland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Meg Mitchell Moore</span></span></i></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>All Adults Here </i>by Emma Straub</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>One Night on the Island </i>by Josie Silver</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Last Train to Key West</i> by Chanel Cleeton</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Villa </i>by Rachel Hawkins</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Thank You for Listening</i> by Julia Whelan</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</span></li></ul></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-11359015936733417952023-03-07T21:01:00.005-06:002023-03-08T15:07:53.005-06:00Monthly Book Review: February 2023<p>Late and only one book. A VERY long book at that. I was drawn to <i>The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post</i> by Allison Pataki because I loved her other books, <i>The Accidental Empress</i> about Sisi of Austria and <i>The Traitor's Wife</i> about Benedict Arnold's wife. This one completely missed the mark - not sure if it was Pataki's writing or the subject. I never fell in love with Marjorie - she just flitted from one privileged circumstance to another, albeit she seems to have been very charitable. Both Marjorie and Pataki think she’s a pretty big deal. Her early life was painstakingly detailed and the last 30 plus years were whizzed through. Here are the highlights —Marjorie Merriweather Post was the designer and original inhabitant of Mar-a-Lago, the now infamous home of Donald Trump. She was the only child of C.W. Post, inventor of Grape Nuts and other Post cereals. Her first husband was Ed Close (grandfather of actress Glenn Close through his second marriage) and her second husband was E.F. Hutton. With Hutton, Post became General Foods and acquired a number of brands, including Birds Eye Frozen Foods (at Marjorie's insistence), Maxwell House and Jello-O. Her third husband was Democrat diplomat Joseph Davies, and they acquired significant Russian art pieces while Joe was ambassador to the Soviet Union. She married and divorced a fourth time and had three daughters (actress Dina Merrill was the youngest). Sprinkle in a few references to the yacht Sea Cloud, one husband calling her "mumsy" and A LOT of famous names casually mentioned, and I've saved you 14 hours and 30 minutes. You're welcome. One thing I did appreciate was how business minded she was and that it was a shame she spent most of her life as the woman behind a man vs the CEO and president she should have been.</p><p>TBR List</p><div><ul><li><i><i>Vacationland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Meg Mitchell Moore</span></i></li><li><i>Wish You Were Here</i> by Jodi Picoult</li><li><i>All Adults Here </i>by Emma Straub</li><li><i>Remarkably Bright Creatures </i>by Shelby Van Pelt</li><li><i>The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion</i> by Fannie Flagg</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div><p><br /></p>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-48361730844262753922023-02-01T20:48:00.040-06:002023-02-09T11:31:17.695-06:00Monthly Book Review: January 2023<p>Three books this month and a bonus because it turns out I read two in December and forgot to review one of them. Classic “better late than never”.</p><p><i>The Good Widow</i> by Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke - What if you found out your husband died in Hawaii, but you thought he was on a business trip in Kansas? And he wasn’t alone. I’d obsessively try to find out out what happened. Not sure I’d go with the other party’s significant other though. This drew me in right away and had a twist I didn’t see coming. Not top 10 worthy but a good read.</p><p><i>The Magnolia Palace</i> by Fiona Davis - Based in NYC, it begins in the Gilded Age with a very young model for sculptures gracing buildings and mansions all over the city. The loss of her mother and a scandal leads Lillian to take refuge as a private secretary to the daughter of wealthy industrialist, Henry Clay Frick. Fast forward to 1966 where another model, Veronica, is stuck in the Frick mansion for a cold winter weekend with a young associate archivist. Veronica and Joshua follow a scavenger hunt laid out by Helen Frick 50 years prior. Here’s where it gets a bit sketchy for me - the scavenger hunt is somehow related to a diamond that went missing and Veronica is anxious to steal the diamond once found to secure a safe home for her impaired sister. Oh and there’s the mystery of Mr Frick’s death and Lillian’s potential involvement. Not as tidy as I would expect but a decent read.</p><p><i>Carrie Soto Is Back </i>by Taylor Jenkins Reid was REALLY good and definitely lived up to the hype. This is the read to beat the rest of the year. Carrie is the hard-ass, retired greatest tennis player of all time. Her record is about to be beat. Can she make a comeback and stave off the next generation? I love her inner dialogue, the progressive timeline with training and matches, and the wonderful relationship with her father and coach Javier, also a former tennis great. This is my sixth Reid book - <i>Daisy Jones & The Six </i>is a hotly anticipated movie - and by far my favorite. I think <i>Carrie</i> would make for a hot must-see weekly streaming series.</p><p><i>The Idea of You</i> by Robinne Lee - Solène is a thirty-nine year old mother taking her teenage daughter and friends to a boy band concert. What results is a steamy, complicated ride. “What if your teenager’s fantasy was your reality?” The audio book is read by the author and she has a very sultry voice. I hear this is being made into a movie with Anne Hathaway. </p><p>TBR List</p><div><ul><li><i>The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post</i> by Allison Pataki </li><li><i><i>Vacationland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Meg Mitchell Moore</span></i></li><li><i>Wish You Were Here</i> by Jodi Picoult</li><li><i>All Adults Here </i>by Emma Straub</li><li><i>Remarkably Bright Creatures </i>by Shelby Van Pelt</li><li><i>The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion</i> by Fannie Flagg</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-7634099705558723012023-01-01T16:09:00.002-06:002023-02-01T20:29:10.242-06:00Monthly Book Review: Nov/Dec 2022 + Year in Review<p>I went to create the December/year end post and discovered that I forgot to do a November post. Oops!</p><p>Only one book in November - <i>We Were the Lucky Ones</i> by Georgia Hunter, a true story about a Jewish family from Poland. Over 90% of Europe’s Jews were killed during WWII, but <i>Lucky Ones </i>chronicles the stories of the Kurc family who survived - parents Sol and Nechuma, their five children, Genek, Mila, Addy, Halina, their partners and Mila's young daughter, Felicia. I loved getting to know each one and what they had to do, where they had to go to survive and reunite - from Paris jazz clubs to Poland's ghettos, a Siberian gulag, and Rio de Janeiro. </p><p>Only one book in December as well - <i>A Woman of No Importance</i> by Sonia Purnell. This is the true story of American Virginia Hall who fiercely fought for France's independence via espionage and sabotage. It was a tough read - long and like listening to a Netflix documentary (albeit a good one), but I really wanted to know more about the woman who defied convention and the patriarchy (as well as a disability - she was an amputee) to become the most highly decorated female civilian of WWII.</p><p><u>Year in Review</u></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho12NjoLASUem8-pB2MIlMhJB0e42Nggca8L2_CvVuC0_LLUJt5RP2bUW0YFbLd5Veqiq1GNQ7cQfSOBTUmMyCA-eHvdw0-niRmgTFhYrJtE4yGdHaTLsc4MOdffTD1Fv60rVRt3oJ-HVAZfeF834R9nM7hWVJ776GXsbHTog3-3Ci988d-Tdq70Vc/s1200/My%20project-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho12NjoLASUem8-pB2MIlMhJB0e42Nggca8L2_CvVuC0_LLUJt5RP2bUW0YFbLd5Veqiq1GNQ7cQfSOBTUmMyCA-eHvdw0-niRmgTFhYrJtE4yGdHaTLsc4MOdffTD1Fv60rVRt3oJ-HVAZfeF834R9nM7hWVJ776GXsbHTog3-3Ci988d-Tdq70Vc/s320/My%20project-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I read/listened to 30 books in 2022 and here are my t<i>op 10:</i></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i style="font-style: italic;">The Lincoln Highway </i>by Amor Towles</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>The Last Think He Told Me</i> </span>by Laura Dave </li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>Ask Again, Yes</i> </span>by Mary Beth Keane</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>Castle of Water</i> </span>by Dane Huckelbridge</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>The Good House</i> </span>by Ann Leary</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>The Paris Apartment</i> </span>by Lucy Foley</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>The Hunting Party</i> </span>by Lucy Foley</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>Truths I Never Told You</i> </span>by Kelly Rimmer</li><li><i style="font-style: italic;">One Italian Summer</i> by Rebecca Serle</li><li><i style="font-style: italic;">Our Darkest Night</i><i> </i>by Jennifer Robson</li></ul><div>Would love to know what you thought of any of these and if any recommendations for 2023.</div><div>Happy New Year!</div><p></p>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-9863356747355687372022-11-01T13:29:00.149-05:002022-11-02T17:17:21.031-05:00Monthly Book Review: October 2022<div>We travel to Phoenix, Arizona at least three times a year to see kids & grandkids. You would think spending at least three hours on an airplane would be conducive to reading, but sleep is often the priority with early morning flights (looking at you 4am wake up alarm). So only one book this month, but it was a really good one. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>One Italian Summer </i>by Rebecca Serle is a love letter from a grieving daughter to her mother set in Positano, Italy. The audio version is read by Lauren Graham (aka Lorelai Gilmore) which I loved. She definitely embodies <i>One’s </i>Katy Silver, but it is so much fun to hear her recite a love of coffee and a few other quintessential Gilmore Girl references. I felt transported to Positano and surrounding areas (e.g., Capri) … the salty air, blue water, steep hills, fragrance of lemon, taste of fresh watermelon all enriched the story and made me want to add this region to the Italy trip I am planning for 2023 or 2024. Katy Silver finds herself alone, leaving her husband behind, in Positano taking the trip she had planned with her mother and best friend, Carol, who has just died. She is immediately befriended by the family running the Hotel Poseidon and another guest. Soon after she meets another American “runaway” and finds they have a great deal in common. The present and past collide and a startling discovery forces Katy to reckon with how present she has truly been (or not) in her life up to this point. As well as what matters most. Serle’s storytelling is playful and heartwarming - I will definitely be looking at her other titles. Solid A. </div><div><br /></div><div>TBR List<br /><div><ul><li><i>We Were the Lucky Ones </i>by Georgia Hunter</li><li><i><i>Vacationland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Meg Mitchell Moore</span></i></li><li><i>A Woman of No Importance</i> by Sonia Purnell</li><li><i>Wish You Were Here</i> by Jodi Picoult</li><li><i>The Magnolia Palace</i> by Fiona Davis</li><li><i>The Idea of You</i> by Robinne Lee</li><li><i>The Good Widow</i> by Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke </li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-26807175188847732242022-10-04T21:20:00.003-05:002022-10-04T21:20:18.982-05:00Monthly Book Review: September 2022<p><i>The Secret Life of Church Ladies</i> by Deesha Philyaw is scandalous and insightful. Each chapter features a distinct story, raw and vulnerable, from a black woman’s (or girl's) point of view. Some are sad ... a woman and her best friend rendezvous ever New Years Eve while the best friend laments not being married ... and others are mournful ... a grandmother reading her granddaughter's diary learning that the teenager has a crush on the pastor's wife. My favorite is a mistress’ rules for her suitors. </p><p>I chose <i>Our Darkest Night</i> by Jennifer Robson for two reasons - my favorite genre, WWII fiction, and author of one of my favorite books, <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/preview/5895861870232477209/6775790988274697940">The Gown</a></i>. Set in 1940's Italy, Nina and Nico, never having met before, must leave their lives for the countryside with Nico's family in order to keep Nina safe. Their lives are soon consumed by farm chores (Nina is a city girl), small town judgment, and Nazi persecution. The bonds Nina forges with Nico's family and Nico's insistence on helping others are a heartening balance against the terrors they all face.</p><div><div>TBR List<br /><div><ul><li><i><i>Vacationland</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by Meg Mitchell Moore</span></i></li><li><i>We Were the Lucky Ones </i>by Georgia Hunter</li><li><i>A Woman of No Importance</i> by Sonia Purnell</li><li><i>One Italian Summer </i>by Rebecca Serle</li><li><i>Wish You Were Here</i> by Jodi Picoult</li><li><i>The Magnolia Palace</i> by Fiona Davis</li><li><i>The Idea of You</i> by Robinne Lee</li><li><i>The Good Widow</i> by Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke </li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-49686145379598405602022-09-04T21:03:00.005-05:002023-04-14T10:24:57.709-05:00Monthly Book Review: August 2022<p>Oh September - you are still summer but everyone is already promoting their orange/brown outfits and pumpkin spice drinks. Settle down and give me dahlias, sunflowers and a pumpkin patch. Happy Labor Day!</p><p><i>Truths I Never Told You</i> by Kelly Rimmer - I loved Rimmer's <i style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">The Things We Cannot Say </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">(read February 2020). Like <i>Things, Truths </i>tackles tough subjects with agility - postpartum </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">depression, dementia, women's rights (or lack thereof in the 50s) -</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> and great character development. Beth Walsh is a new </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">mom struggling with the baby blues, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">the decline of her father's health and her siblings. Her own mother died young and Beth doesn't have many memories of her, but she begins to learn missing pieces she never knew while cleaning out her father's home. What does she really know? What does her father remember? The man described in the letters doesn't sound like the man she knows as her father at all. I loved this, but you have to have faith, slugging through all the details in the beginning to get the reward. B+</span></p><p><i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> by Alix E. Harrow reminded me a bit of <i>The Night Circus</i> by Erin Morgenstern (read June 2019 and still one of my absolute favorite books), though didn't quite rise to meet it. <i>January </i>is a person, a ward of a very wealthy collector, Mr. Locke, while her own father is globetrotting collecting valuable artifacts. One day she finds a story book in her room about two young people who find each other against all odds and about doors to fantastical worlds. The books entices her, pushing her to learn more. One day she also learns that she has the ability to open these doors and that others want to use her talents for their own purposes. That's when her adventure really begins. <i>January </i>is VERY long and takes a few turns I didn't find necessary, but I enjoyed the journey. B</p><p><i>The Last Think He Told Me</i> by Laura Dave will definitely be in my list of top reads at the end of the year. Imagine you're an independent woman, successful in your niche line of work, woodturning, and you fall in love with a smart, loving single father. You move across the country and set up residence on a floating home with this man and his daughter, a girl who barely tolerates you no matter how hard you try. Then you wake up one day and your husband is gone. Without a trace. You receive a note, "Protect her". This can only mean his daughter, the one who thinks you are beyond annoying. His company's CEO is arrested for fraud, but you don't think that's why he's disappeared. You start searching for answers and find so much more than you imagined. A story of love, faith and working with what you've got. A++. Reese Witherspoon's production company is making this into a limited series for Apple with Jennifer Garner. Will subscribe just for this (and Ted Lasso, duh).</p><div><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>We Were the Lucky Ones </i>by Georgia Hunter</li><li><i>The Secret Life of Church Ladies</i> by Deesha Philyaw</li><li><i>Vacationland</i> by Meg Mitchell Moore</li><li><i>Our Darkest Night</i> by Jennifer Robson</li><li><i>A Woman of Nor Importance</i> by Sonia Purnell</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-38831070594685896472022-07-31T21:10:00.003-05:002022-07-31T21:11:00.609-05:00Monthly Book Review: July 2022<p>Happy summer - savoring every moment and thrilled there's officially two months more.</p><i>One True Loves</i> is my fifth read by Taylor Jenkins Reid (<i>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, Maybe in Another Life, Evidence of the Affair)</i>. In <i>One</i>, Emma has lost the love of her life, improbable high school sweetheart, presumed dead when his helicopter goes missing over the Pacific. She tries to move on, redefining her vision for the future in work and love when her husband calls. What will she choose - the perfect past or promising future? I appreciate how each of Reid's books are truly unique and though somewhat predictable this was a light summer read.<div><br /><div><i>The Mountain and the Sea </i>by Kwame Dawes is a novella about Esther, a Jamaican woman grieving her husband and preparing for a hurricane, who discovers a naked man with amnesia in the road. Something stirs her to care for him as she prepares for the storm. A sweet story of rediscovering yourself when you list expect it and there are zero expectations. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>The Paris Apartment</i> is my third read by Lucy Foley (<i>The Guest List, The Hunting Party)</i> and I am hooked! Jess is escaping the UK to visit her journalist brother, Ben, in Paris. Jess arrives to find the apartment empty and Ben nowhere in sight. She tries to piece things together by talking to each of the apartment building's tenants. But each seems to have their own agenda and something is definitely off. Who are they and what do they know? Foley expertly weaves backstories with "current" events to create suspense and drama. Can't wait for her next one!</div><div><div><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>Truths I Never Told You</i> by Kelly Rimmer</li><li><i>We Were the Lucky Ones </i>by Georgia Hunter</li><li><i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> by Alix E. Harrow</li><li><i>The Secret Life of Church Ladies</i> by Deesha Philyaw</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-35383594703467920342022-07-01T21:09:00.001-05:002022-07-08T08:37:56.855-05:00Monthly Book Review: June 2022I can't imagine that <i>Castle of Water</i> by Dane Huckelbridge won't be in my top 5 of the year. Barry, a New York banker, and Sophie, a French architect, are deserted on a tiny uninhabited island following a twist of fate. They could not be more different, but they must rely on each other to survive. I love how the author weaves in back stories. Basically 'Castaway' for two.<div><br /></div><div>I almost stopped reading <i>The No-Show </i>by Beth O'Leary. Something made me stick with it though and I'm glad I did. Joseph Carter stands up three women on Valentine's Day. Jane is escaping something by immersing herself in books and work at a charity thrift shop. Miranda is a tree surgeon and Siobhan is a life coach. Each of them think he's too good to be true and they may be right. <br /><div><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>One True Loves</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> by Alix E. Harrow</li><li><i>The Paris Apartment</i> by Lucy Foley</li><li><i>Musical Chairs</i> by Amy Poeppel</li><li><i>The Mountain and the Sea </i>by Kwame Dawes</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-9942990460134512232022-06-10T22:38:00.000-05:002022-06-10T22:38:04.883-05:00Monthly Book Review: May 2022<p>I had the best of intentions to post on June 1st. There was no reason I didn't other than not making it a priority and then we went to Phoenix/Tucson for a week so here we are. </p><p>I was ready for an English countryside "bodice ripper" and <i>The Beastly Earl</i> by Mia Vincy delivered. I'm so glad that <i>Bridgerton </i>has made these cool and I'd call this <i>Bridgerton </i>meets <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>. It was a bit predictable but delightful nonetheless. I was hooked when it began with Thea's three rules of mischief. Thea is on a mission of revenge against a former beau and is all-too-happy to help her sister in a rouse so that her sister can skip town to marry her true love (his family does not approve of her). But the joke is on Thea when she is caught in the Earl of Luxborough's own rouse and ends up marrying him while posing as her sister. But he knows who she truly is and wants a disposable wife so he can inherit his family's fortune. Oh what a tangled web.</p><i>Ask Again, Yes</i> by Mary Beth Keane reads like a modern Greek tragedy. Two cops in the 70's move next to one another in the suburbs and this sets their lives on a course neither could ever imagine. The Gleeson's are down-to-earth with loving parents and three girls. The Stanhope's - Brian, Anne and son Peter are just ... off. It's clear Anne Stanhope is not "regular", but no one knows how irregular until she snaps when Peter Stanhope and Kate Gleeson form a close bond. I love a story that delves into the flaws lurking in us all and <i>Ask Again </i>does not disappoint. Love, disappointment, forgiveness and happiness in the little things of everyday life.<div><br /></div><div>I almost stopped reading <i>Silver Sparrow</i> by Tayari Jones at least three times, but I hadn't read a novel by a black author in too long and wanted to stick with it. The opening line <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">“My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist” sets the tone. Dana is the secret daughter, fiercely devoted to her mother and cannot stop thinking about her father's "real" daughter. The first or two-thirds is from Dana's point of view and the last is from Chaurisse's. The ending left me a bit confused after feeling royally ticked by James' choice. </span></span><div><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>Castle of Water</i> by Dane Huckelbridge</li><li><i>One True Loves</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>The No-Show </i>by Beth O'Leary</li><li><i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> by Alix E. Harrow</li><li><i>The Paris Apartment</i> by Lucy Foley</li><li><i>Musical Chairs</i> by Amy Poeppel</li><li><i>The Mountain and the Sea </i>by Kwame Dawes</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-77175916303001049742022-05-03T10:21:00.001-05:002022-05-03T10:21:21.111-05:00Monthly Book Review: April 2022<div>I can't believe it's already May. Where I am it feels like late March - cold, dark and rainy. I am itching to get plants in the ground and take Lulu on long walks in the warmth of sunshine. As mentioned last month, I presumed I'd have read three books in April due to two 8 hour overseas flights, but sleep proved to be the better option than reading for both. More on our amazing European vacation in another post. </div><div><br /></div><i>Our Woman in Moscow </i>by Beatriz Williams is set during the Cold War following twin sisters who took very different paths at the start of WWII. Iris goes missing, in Russia, and Ruth is gently nudged by American intelligence to find her. I typically love Williams' books, but this is likely my least favorite. Iris' story was very thin - too much focus on her husband and cohort, likely intent was to underscore the prominence of men and gain an element of surprise, but it fell flat for me. <div><br /><i>The Good House</i> by Ann Leary was excellent, especially due to the fabulous narration of actress Mary Beth Hurt. Hildy Good is a raging alcoholic who doesn't think she's an alcoholic. The story follows Good's highs and cringe-worthy lows as a self-centered fixture of her small New England town.<div><p></p><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>A Beastly Kind of Earl </i>by Mia Vincy</li><li><i>This Must Be the Place</i> by Maggie O’Farrell</li><li><i>Silver Sparrow</i> by Tayari Jones</li><li><i>Ask Again, Yes</i> by Mary Beth Keane</li><li><i>One True Loves</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</li><li><i>Castle of Water</i> by Dane Huckelbridge</li><li><i>The No-Show </i>by Beth O'Leary</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li></ul></div></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-59352764555477714602022-04-04T11:41:00.004-05:002022-05-01T16:16:00.070-05:00Monthly Book Review: March 2022<div>It's my birthday month and it kicked off with a wonderful weekend of family, friends and food. I am really looking forward to a dedicated weekend with my BFF (first time in four years!) and fingers crossed our rescheduled family trip to Europe (Germany/Austria). This trip was canceled a week before we were scheduled to leave in 2020 due to COVID (borders shut down and all), but we're cautiously optimistic that it's going to happen this time - though I won't allow myself to get fully excited until we're officially through customs at our first destination. I know we'll have to show our vaccination cards constantly so have plastic sleeves for those. but it'ss super confusing about what's required for testing. Do we have to test to get on the plane or only for entry, if so how many hours in advance, is it x hours before departure or arrival, will we need to test again between countries, etc.? Looking forward to a couple of books with dedicated reading time during long flights as well. This month's reads were excellent.</div><div><br /></div><i>The Lincoln Highway </i>by Amor Towles - this is a must read if you loved <i>A Gentleman in Moscow</i> (which I did!). Towles writing you on the journey (literally in this case) of Emmett and Billy Watson from Nebraska. There are several other main characters germane to the story and I love how Towles weaves the between each characters version of the same events to connect all the dots. This is one of those stories where you don't want to give too much away because the journey is just as good as the destination. Great ending - left me wanting so much more. <div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Address Unknown </i>by Katherine Kressman Taylor was originally published in 1938 and unfortunately is just as relevant today as it was 84 years ago. A short story of two business partners originally from Germany with one of the partners returning to Germany and telling of the goings on there and the impressions abroad for a brief period between the two world wars. Of course Germany was left stinging after WWI which gave rise to the politics of the third Reich. The story is told through letters between the two partners. How each interprets their reality is a stark reminder of how fragile humanity and peace really is.</div><div><br /></div><div>I made a couple of attempts to get into <i>The Warmth of Ot</i><i>her Suns</i> by Isabel Wilkerson but just couldn't do it. A healthy dose of honesty and self-awareness caused me to return the audiobook (one of the features I love about Audible). I'm already a third of the way through <i>Our Woman in Moscow</i> so hoping that I get at least three books in this month. Bon Voyage!</div><div><p></p><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>Our Woman in Moscow </i>by Beatriz Williams</li><li><i>A Beastly Kind of Earl </i>by Mia Vincy</li><li><i>The Good House</i> by Ann Leary</li><li><i>This Must Be the Place</i> by Maggie O’Farrell</li><li><i>Silver Sparrow</i> by Tayari Jones</li><li><i>The Joy of X</i> by Steven Strogatz</li><li><i>Ask Again, Yes</i> by Mary Beth Keane</li></ul></div></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-37276737961450387812022-03-09T21:51:00.002-06:002022-03-09T21:51:52.932-06:00Monthly Book Review: February 2022<p>Ok, I've been putting this off. February's books were surprising and not in a good way. I don't recall where I picked up recommendations for either of these and I'll admit neither will in my top 5 for the year and will likely be at the very bottom. </p><p>I saw a warning that <i>Verity</i> by Colleen Hoover was disturbing, but didn't dig deeper because I like to be as unbiased as possible. The title character is a famous novelist who has become incapacitated. Her publisher and husband seek a ghostwriter to finish her successful series. Lowen, who is close to penniless and homeless, meets Verity's husband in a very unusual way and is made an offer she cannot refuse. Lowen goes to Verity's home to conduct research and finds a manuscript of Verity's - her own personal story of twists and plots. There were several cringeworthy moments where I physically recoiled in response to what I was hearing. This book was psychological manipulation and leaves you wondering what is truth vs. fiction.</p><p>I assumed <i>The Royals Next Door </i>by Karina Halle would be a chick lit book, but I wasn't prepared for the sex. Now I'm no prude, but it seemed rather gratuitous. Two royals, ala Harry and Meghan, abandon royal life for the peace and tranquility of a small Canadian town. Piper Evans and her mother happen to live in the cottage next door. Piper is a school teacher about to start her summer vacation when a run-in with the royals' lead protection officer leads to a predictable will they/won't them storyline. </p><p></p><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>The Lincoln Highway </i>by Amor Towles</li><li><i>The Warmth of Ot</i><i>her Suns</i> by Isabel Wilkerson</li><li><i>A Beastly Kind of Earl </i>by Mia Vincy</li><li><i>The Good House</i> by Ann Leary</li><li><i>This Must Be the Place</i> by Maggie O’Farrell</li><li><i>Our Woman in Moscow </i>by Beatriz Williams</li></ul></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-82935282352110514712022-02-02T21:06:00.002-06:002022-02-02T21:07:13.007-06:00Monthly Book Review: January 2022<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The beautiful one</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The golden couple </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The volatile one</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The new parents </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The quiet one </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The city boy</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">•The outsider</span></p><p><i>The Hunting Party</i> by Lucy Foley is a proper whodunnit. Friends from university and a couple significant others on their annual holiday. There is also the staff at the remote Scottish highlands getaway and a couple from Iceland. Which one of them is a murderer? It’s a slow burn … Foley navigates each of the character’s pasts and their relationships with one another. Who is presenting themselves as someone other than who they are? Or better yet, who isn’t? The tension is dialed up by alternating chapters between the days leading up to the murder and the day of. Solid A.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p><i>Sometimes staying alive is the only form of resistance you have.</i></p><p><i>Cilka's Journey</i> by Heather Morris is the companion book to <i>The Tatooist of Auschwitz </i>(read January 2021). The heartbreaking story of a woman freed from Auschwitz-Birkenau only to end up in a Siberian gulag, accused of being a Nazi sympathizer for impossible choices. Beautiful Cilka Klein is fated to be in situations that draw unwanted attention … some to her benefit and others most definitely not. Morris deftly weaves Cilka’s past - as a girl, in the concentration camp - with current circumstances to create a layered, complex character. I especially loved the family-of-choice amongst the women prisoners. Solid A.</p><p></p><p><u>TBR List</u></p><div><ul><li><i>Verity</i> by Colleen Hoover</li><li><i>The Warmth of Ot</i><i>her Suns</i> by Isabel Wilkerson</li><li><i>A Beastly Kind of Earl </i>by Mia Vincy</li><li><i>The Good House</i> by Ann Leary</li><li><i>The Royals Next Door </i>by Karina Halle</li><li><i>This Must Be the Place</i> by Maggie O’Farrell</li><li><i>Our Woman in Moscow </i>by Beatriz Williams</li><li><i>The Lincoln Highway </i>by Amor Towles</li></ul></div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895861870232477209.post-55232184976110858002021-12-26T20:15:00.000-06:002021-12-26T20:15:08.196-06:00Monthly Book Review: December 2021 + Year in Review<p>It was a busy year with work and on the home front. I started baking sourdough bread earlier this year and I now religiously bake two loaves each week (two different starters - Seymour and Harry). I've perfected a softer crust (adding ice cubes under parchment sling before lid on to create more steam), experimented with flours (bread, wheat and rye mix is my current fave) and searched methods of scoring for the perfect "ear" or interesting design.</p><p>Almost two years into a pandemic. No one would have thought it would last this long (ok someone probably did), but I think we're pivoting to figure out how to live WITH this virus. Hubby and I were vaxed in March/April, yet we still got COVID in September. It was surprisingly easy to get and though we only had a mild case (I lost my sense of taste and smell, hubby had more of a flu), we're not anxious to repeat as we don't know the long-term effects. I'm still dealing with shoulder joint pain, though 95% better than when it first started, that has no other explanation than COVID side effect.</p><p>In the spirit of living, we took a few trips in a variety of modes. We were in Arizona twice - my husband's adult sons have settled there with their families and we were blessed with two granddaughters this year. There were also side trips to Flagstaff and Vegas. We went camping twice - a long weekend two hours away in an Airstream and a week-long trip to WI/UP Michigan in a TAB (hello COVID). And we made it back to our home away from home in Puerto Vallarta Mexico for a week.</p><p>I started the only book I read in December while in Mexico - <i>The Girls in the Stilt House</i> by Kelly Mustian. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. A hundred years ago Ada and Mathilda form an uneasy and unlikely friendship out of circumstance and convenience in Mississippi. Ada is a lost soul who dreams of belonging - hard to do with an abusive father and an unexpected pregnancy. Matilda dreams of making a new life in the North with the promise of greater opportunity and independence; however, her knowledge of secrets and the killing Ada's father puts a hamper on those plans. The two teens face bias, racism and poverty, luck, kindness and mutual perseverance.</p><p>Following are my top 5 of the 21 books I read this year - they either stayed with me, giving mind something to continue chewing on, or simply delighted. How interesting that they're in the order I read them. </p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Anxious People*</i></span> by Fredrik Backman (February)</li><li><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The Lager Queen of Minnesota </i></span>by J. Ryan Stradal (June)</li><li><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Leaving Time </i></span>by Jodi Picoult (July)</li><li><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Our Italian Summe</i></span><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">r </i>by Jennifer Probst (August)</li><li><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The Henna Artist </i></span>by Alka Joshi (November)</li></ol></div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*<i>Anxious People </i>will debut as a Swedish Netflix series on Dec. 29th.</div>Better Late Than Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12196642959869184074noreply@blogger.com0