Vanderbilt: the Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

Buy this book on Amazon The fiascos of fortune in an American family. Journalist and author Anderson Cooper explores his ancestry from the 1800s to present day. In retelling the intriguing history of this American family, their fate and their fortune, from Cooper’s great great-great-grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt to his mother Gloria Vanderbilt, he interweaves the read more

Book Club Tidbits: 13th October, 2021

Need more book title ideas? This is what members in my book club read and recommended (or didn’t recommend) at our October 13th meeting.   The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran by Masid Alinejad (J.D. rave and recommend) An affecting memoir by an Iranian Journalist. The Woman in Black read more

How Lucky by Will Leitch

    How lucky we could be if we could see those around us.     Buy the book on Amazon “People are the real people they are when they are dying . . . to see them at the end – how they really are — is very lucky.” ~How Lucky by Will Leitch read more

Read, share, and care: book group tidbits.

    Talking book titles. I don’t mean audiobooks, but talking about books. What is better than reading books? Sharing them with others. For years I’ve been part of book clubs that discussed a book a month. It wasn’t until I attended a local library book discussion group that I discovered a new format. Everyone read more

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

  Dive in and buy the book on Amazon. A sea-faring tale filled with mystery and superstition. “You know what men are when there’s nobody ordering them to be better.” ― Stuart Turton, The Devil and the Dark Water It’s 1634. Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported on a spice ship to Amsterdam to read more

All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson

Find out about the lies – buy the book. Lies beautiful people tell. I read and enjoyed Peter Swanson’s 2021 title, Eight Perfect Murders. The threads from classic murder mystery plots were so delightful that, I was hoping for another intricately plotted novel. I opted for All the Beautiful Lies, but this title was not read more

The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett

  Be knotty. Buy the book. Miss Marple meets HRH, Queen Elizabeth “It pays to maintain an open mind.”  ~SJ Bennett. The Windsor Knot When one of the guests at Queen Elizabeth’s ninetieth birthday celebration is murdered at Windsor Palace, it threatens to become a political scandal involving Russia. But Her Majesty, and her private read more

Get ready for Jólabókafló∂ – the Christmas book flood

Flooding friends and family with books.   Are you looking for a fresh Christmas/holiday tradition that inspires quiet contemplation and maybe even conversation? How about indulging in the Icelandic custom of Jólabókafló∂.   WHAT IS Jólabókafló∂.? This Icelandic word, which is pronounced yola boka flod, can be translated to English as the ‘Christmas book flood.’This read more