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One of the books my husband has enjoyed.

THREE BOOKS THAT GOT MY HUSBAND EXCITED TO READ AGAIN

November 24, 2018 /

When I met my husband 13+ years ago, he had a ton of books, including lots of Stephen King and other mysteries and thrillers, mostly paperback. Apparently he used to read a lot! But over the years I have known him he hasn’t read books too often, and more recently (like since I started this blog) he doesn’t seem to understand why I’m SO into reading. So I made it my goal to find books that would get him excited about reading again.

I succeeded by putting these three books in his hands:
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‘THE WINTERS’

November 21, 2018 /

An engaging “domestic thriller,” The Winters: A Novel certainly kept my attention for a few days.

I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense as I anxiously read up to the point when this love story went wrong.

And a reader knows it’s all going to “go wrong” as soon as a young woman who works in the Cayman Islands at a boat charter (honestly I can’t even remember her name; the book is from her point of view) meets Max, a wealthy politician who recently lost his wife in a dramatic accident.

This younger woman moves back with him to the East Coast and his mansion on a private island, and at this point the novel becomes extremely reminiscent the classic novel Rebecca and its Manderley both in scenery and plot details. This is not a retelling of Rebecca but there are many similarities and references.

‘A WELL BEHAVED WOMAN’ – A NOVEL OF THE VANDERBILTS

November 18, 2018 /

I’m happy to recommend the second book I finished reading off my winter reading list:

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler

After the civil war, Alva Smith and her family are left with nothing but their good reputation. During this same time, the Vanderbilts have made a fortune from shipping and railroads but are shut out of New York “society” despite their millions. So…a match is made between Alva and William Vanderbilt.

After their marriage, Alva successfully maneuvers society and finds her own passion for architecture. But as she learns, a place in society and all the money anyone could want (even more millions by this point) don’t equal happiness, and she must take more drastic measures…

Beautiful Jackson Square on a Saturday morning.

NEW ORLEANS WITH KIDS (AND MY HUSBAND’S GHOST PHOTO)

November 8, 2018 /

You’re taking your kids to New Orleans???

That is a question I got when I announced our fall travel plans.

Yes, yes we did, and it was awesome. There’s a ton of stuff to do in New Orleans as a family while still having good time as adults.

Of course it is a different experience than when I went there 4 times in my college era, but at this point in my life that is OK!! I would not likely take them in the spring closer to Mardi Gras.

NEW BOOKS TO READ THIS WINTER!

October 28, 2018 /

Twice a year I peruse the descriptions and publishers’ notes for new releases to find the books I’m most excited to read. If you have stumbled across my website, I hope we have some of the same tastes in books, and you will also find something in this list to read this winter.

While putting together this list, I realized I am becoming extremely particular about what I want to spend my time reading….when I finish a book I love, I want to pick up a book I’m going to love just as much; I don’t have time (who does??) to read bad books or books that are just not for me. So all of these books below offered me that hope.

Publishers notes are in block quotes. You can click on the titles or images to purchase from Amazon or just find out more before purchasing from your local bookseller or borrowing from your local library. (Even though I am obviously an Amazon affiliate I also support both these institutions).

I will update this post with new links as I read through this list like I did for my summer reading list. Or go straight to my favorite books of the summer.

Happy winter reading and please let me know which ones interest you and if you end up loving any of these books!

‘THE KENNEDY DUBUTANTE’

October 26, 2018 /

I enjoyed The Kennedy Debutante as much as any book this year!!

This novel focuses on the life of “Kick,” the daughter of Joe Kennedy Sr, American Ambassador to the Great Britain, and sister to Joe Jr., Jack, Bobby, etc. She was charismatic and beautiful, and she captivated London society in the late 1930s when the family was stationed abroad. The book begins as she and her sister Rosemary are “presented” to the King and Queen as debutantes. Another fun work of historical fiction I read this year covers this annual spectacle.

Why I haven't posted in a couple of weeks.

GILEAD

October 17, 2018 /

I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks because I have been reading a book that required a slower pace of reading, Gilead: A Novel that won the Pulitzer more than a decade ago. Thank you to my sister-in-law for handing this book to me a couple of weeks ago.

The lyrical novel reads as a letter from a dying 67-year-old minister, John Ames, to his young son. He reflects on his love for his family; he confronts his own perceived shortcomings and jealousies and moves towards forgiveness and acceptance.

‘CLOCK DANCE’ & ‘THIS IS US’ ON COMMUNITY

October 3, 2018 /

As I was finishing up Clock Dance: A Novel by Anne Tyler this week, I found complementary ideas about “community” while watching my favorite show, NBC’s This is Us.

This book starts by narrating the most defining moments in Willa’s life: As a young girl, her mother disappears; in college, she ponders a marriage proposal; and later she is a young widow. Fast forward some years, and she feels a bit lost while living in Phoenix with her new husband.

“Willa loved saguaros. She loved their dignity, their endurance. They were the only things in Arizona she felt a deep attachment to. The first time she saw one – a whole assemblage of them, actually, looming outside the airport last summer when she and Peter came to house hunt – it was like meeting some mythical race.”

I, too, loved the saguaros I saw in Phoenix area. I had never seen anything like them and couldn’t stop looking at them. Where the arm meets the base – this part looks so fragile and strong at the same time.

But as amazing as saguaros are, they don’t make up for personal connections. When she’s called across the country to a stranger’s aid, Willa begins to find a purpose as she becomes part of a slightly eccentric community.

OHIO – A NOVEL

September 25, 2018 /

I was oddly fascinated with Ohio by Stephen Markley, but I wouldn’t recommend it to all. It is heavy, disturbing, and obsessed with phantoms of “high school.” But I stayed up really late last night because I just had to finish it!

So I will tell you a bit about it, and you can decide for yourself whether it may be for you…

I did appreciate the narrative format, which I will also discuss in this post.

THE RED SPARROW TRILOGY!!!

September 19, 2018 /

I previously posted on how much I loved reading Red Sparrow.

Read my post on Red Sparrow here.

And after reading the next two books in this trilogy by Jason Matthews, I have to tell you more about this series; it has been one of my favorite reading experiences ever!! The final installment, The Kremlin’s Candidate: A Novel (The Red Sparrow Trilogy)was published earlier this year.

These Sparrow books are not my usual genre, and I hadn’t even planned to read them this summer, but they honestly have been my favorite books so far this year considering pure entertainment value.
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Leslie's Bookcase

Page 14 of 29

THREE BOOKS THAT GOT MY HUSBAND EXCITED TO READ AGAIN

‘THE WINTERS’

‘A WELL BEHAVED WOMAN’ – A NOVEL OF THE VANDERBILTS

NEW ORLEANS WITH KIDS (AND MY HUSBAND’S GHOST PHOTO)

NEW BOOKS TO READ THIS WINTER!

‘THE KENNEDY DUBUTANTE’

GILEAD

‘CLOCK DANCE’ & ‘THIS IS US’ ON COMMUNITY

OHIO – A NOVEL

THE RED SPARROW TRILOGY!!!

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