celebrating books & the literary lifestyle
These are the newest books I’ve recommended.
Reading the new Jodi Picoult novel was a unique experience because it is historical fiction set in the very recent past, New York City early 2020 when COVID hit.
Now you may be thinking “I am not ready to read a novel about COVID” and I can understand that but I would still ask you to consider because this novel offers some perspective that most of us didn’t have, and it’s also just a really good read.
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Because this author’s previous book is one of my favorite of all times, I had very high expectations for
See my previous posts on: A Gentleman in Moscow and his first book, Rules of Civility.
This new title refers to the first road to stretch across America. The intro pages included a map, which I always appreciate.
Continue readingI’m pausing my travel posts to tell you about the four books I read on vacation.
Previous Post: Mesa Verda National Park
Previous Post: Durango, Colorado
Due to the nature of the vacation, I brought three different types of books: 1) Library book – don’t want to take to pool, so this was mainly for passenger seat reading 2) Kindle version to read at night, to not keep lights on that bother others and 3) older paperbacks I can take to the pool.
I was able to read a lot in all of these circumstances, especially since we drove around 20 hours each direction. So I’m sharing four book recommendations (two are older books and two are newer releases):
Continue readingMy newest recommendation is WWII historical fiction set around a bookshop in London during the Blitz:
I wanted to tell you about two new books I especially enjoyed:
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Once again Kristin Hannah has written an engrossing book that takes us to a difficult place and time alongside a strong female character. This new book may actually be my favorite by her:
The initial setting is Texas during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. But when this environment truly becomes unsafe for her family, Elsa takes her kids to California looking for a better life. But so is everyone else! As refugees pour into California, their life is not much better there with the rough conditions, low wages, and prejudices against them.
Continue readingI raced through this new book set before and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake:
The location and topic were new to me within historical fiction. And I love San Francisco.
Continue readingI am making my way through my reading list for early 2021 and can already enthusiastically recommend this new historical fiction about the city of Savannah and the “Titanic of the South”:
by Patti CallahanIn a dual timeline, Callahan tells the story of the doomed steam ship Pulaski, which set sail from Savannah in 1838. Many of the city’s most prestigious families were on board to sail to Baltimore for the summer. But during the second night, a boiler exploded, and the ship sank. Many perished and those who did survive waited several days for rescue in the open sea or faced a harrowing journey in a lifeboat. Families were broken, assets (many took their gold, silver, china with them) were at the bottom of the ocean; this tragedy affected Savannah for years to come. But until reading this book, I knew nothing of this disaster!
The present day timeline follows Everly who is curating a museum’s exhibit on the disaster while recovering from her own personal tragedy.
Continue readingI will keep reading historical fiction about WWII as long as they keep pumping out books about it, even if all the titles start sounding the same!
My most recent read, however, was a pleasant change from novels set in Paris (not that there is anything wrong with being set in Paris I have enjoyed so many of those too!)
by Christopher Cosmos
Like many of you, I use literature for an escape but I only recently realized it can be comforting to “escape” to somewhere more terrifying that my/our current situation of COVID and politics.
Thrillers aren’t my primary genre but I do read them regularly including this recent favorite, and I have enjoyed Ruth Ware’s books before so decided to add this one to the top of my fall reading list.
by Ruth Ware© 2024 Leslie's Bookcase
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