I’ve been a fan of espionage fiction FOREVER, but admit I haven’t read much espionage nonfiction—in fact, I sort of thought all the “good stuff” would never be approved for publication. So I was a bit ambivalent about Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA by Amaryllis Fox (which I received thanks to Knopf …
I’m one of the people who hasasked myself what I can possibly do to make sure the Trump Administration ENDS with the 2020 election. I’ve tried to find ideas for this goal in particular as well as general ideas for ways to improve my sadness and negativity – to give me hope! David Plouffe, most …
Having been diagnosed with IBS over 20 years ago, and having tried repeatedly to find out exactly what the best eating style was for me, I was very happy to receive a copy of Tara Rochford’s book The 14-Day Elimination Diet Plan from Callisto Media/Rockridge Press in exchange for my honest review. I can’t count …
The premise of Such a Fun Age attracted me: it sounded like it had a lot of potential to explore issues around white privilege, misogyny, racism, feminism, black fetishism, peer pressure…you get the idea. I figured it couldn’t do all that without turning into a polemic…surely the story would be lost? Seriously, it is Kiley …
It’s winter. It’s dark and cold (or at least as cold as it ever gets at the beach on the Central Coast of California). For a few weeks, I’ve been craving one of THOSE books: the kind that grab you early on and keep you reading until you finish. And, thanks to Harper Collins/William Morrow …
I have spent WAAAAY too many hours glued to the TV during the recent impeachment hearings, and one of my favorite commentators on this whole terrifying topic is Neal Katyal, a respected law professor with experience as Acting Solicitor of the United States, in addition to extensive experience at the Supreme Court. His insights are …
As a long-time fan of John Sandford’s books (all set in Minnesota, featuring Lucas Davenport, Virgil F*&^ing Flowers, and their related characters), I was happy to receive a copy of Bloody Genius (Virgil Flowers #12) from GP Putnam/NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. As was the case when I read Holy Ghost (#11 in the series), …
I’ve had a bit of news overload the past month or so, with hearings, debates, and lots of anxiety about the future of our country. So while I happily received an advance copy of Rachel Maddow’s latest book Blowout (from Crown Publishing and NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review, I admit I had a …
Teresa Driscoll spent years as a reporter writing about crime, and she brings that experience into her writing (The Promise, The Friend, I Am Watching You). Apparently, there are characters from her earlier books in her latest one, I Will Make You Pay, but I haven’t read those and didn’t feel like I was missing …
True confession: I haven’t yet read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, despite wanting to – just haven’t felt mentally or emotionally stable enough on any given day to get into it. And When I received it, I did not realize that Cilka’s Journey is a sequel, so my review is perhaps not fair…but here goes anyway. …
For fans of Isabel Allende, quality fiction in general, and historical fiction in particular, The Long Petal of the Sea (to be published in early 2020) is another stunning work by an amazing author. Allende’s books do what my favorites do: they teach while they entertain. A Long Petal of the Sea follows a young …
Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley, I was fortunate to receive a copy of Ann Patchett’s latest book, The Dutch House, in exchange for my honest review. I was a big fan of Bel Canto and Commonwealth, so my expectations were quite high going in… The story focuses on Maeve Conroy and her younger brother …
I’ve been a non-meat eater for over 30 years…but I sometimes eat fish–or as my friend put it, “oh, you’re a HYPOCRITE!” So I don’t exactly qualify as a vegetarian, let alone a vegan…but I aspire to eat healthy, so I was very happy to receive a copy of Nadine Hom’s Vegan Everything from The …
I’m not totally clear what an “emotion scientist” does, but have long been interested in the concept of “emotional intelligence” and Brene Brown’s shame-focused research. Dr. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is a professor in in the Child Study Center at Yale , and the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.Thanks to Celadon Books …
Nearly ten years ago I read Amy Waldman’s book The Submission, in which a Muslim woman submits a blind entry in a contest for a post-9/11 memorial, and the selection of her design sets off a complicated series of events. Ms. Waldman’s latest book, A Door in the Earth, revolves around an Afghan-American woman named …
I have a TBR list that is way too long, and Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs has been repeatedly sinking to the bottom of that list for way too long! I generally like the psychological suspense/woman in danger genre, so when Atria Books and NetGalley provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest …
An American Spy is the third in the series by Steinhauer featuring super spy Milo Weaver. Thanks to St. Martin’s/Minotaur Press, I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. I’m truly unclear why I wanted to try this third one…I read the first two, and in my review for the second one, I …
50 Hikes with Kids is another handy guide for anyone looking for guidance on finding great places to hike (a previous title in the series covered Washington and Oregon, this time the subject is California). Again, the title is being promoted as something designed for “…parents, educators, and caregivers that want to spark a love of …
I was looking for something good in the historical fiction genre so was happy to receive a copy of Singapore Sapphire, set in 1910 China in exchange for my honest review (thanks, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley). This is the first in a planned series by A.M. Stuart featuring Harriet Gordon and Inspector Robert Curran, and …
Thanks to RandomHouse/Ballantine and NetGalley for a copy of The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney in exchange for an honest review. I’m very fond of woman-in-danger psychological thrillers, so I was eager to read this book. For some reason, I kept having trouble getting into it, but it turned out to be a fun read. …