The kids gave Stu and I a StoryWorth subscription for Christmas this year. I’m excited, and a little intimidated, to get started. Maybe writing will sustain me after I retire next year. God I hope so!
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Two Women Walk Into A Bar
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Malibu Rising
What’s the hype about Taylor Jenkins Reid? Maybe I chose the wrong book to read first. Malibu Rising was just okay; it was a quick read, but I wasn’t wowed by the writing style, characters or plot. Meredith suggested Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Maybe I’ll try one of those next summer.
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Fairy Tale
Too long! If there is another world you get to by climbing down a spiral staircase in a backyard shed, I hope it’s more interesting than the one King has created.
Friday, August 4, 2023
Foster
Sparse writing that is nonetheless saturated with a profound depth of sentiment and insight, is the hallmark of Keegan’s writing style. The portrayal of a struggling family forced to surrender one of their children to live with relatives is powerful and moving subject matter. I empathized with the child who describes her circumstance this way, “I am in a spot where I can neither be what I always am nor turn into what I could be.”
Monday, July 31, 2023
The Only Woman in the Room
It’s difficult for me to be too critical though because I met the Marie Benedict at a speed-signing at Titcomb’s this summer, and she is gracious and lovely! Two friends of mine, Deb J and Brenda, loved this book, so clearly Benedict’s style is appealing in ways that other people appreciate.
I’ll be interested to compare the writing with that of The First Ladies, co-written by Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (who was also present at the signing and coauthored The Personal Librarian with Benedict). I bought that book but have lent it out to Brenda and Lisa while I slog my way through another solo-Benedict selection about Winston Churchill’s wife, Clementine.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
Demon Copperhead
The book shines a light on some thorny societal issues including poverty, foster care and children’s services, and substance abuse. This can sometimes feel preachy and heavy-handed, but by far what kept me reading was the characterization, especially the distinctive voice of the wise-beyond-his-years protagonist, Demon.
Saturday, May 20, 2023
The Road
Dangers, both environmental and human, lurk at every turn as the pair battles hunger, hopelessness, and despair. Wheeling a shopping cart containing their meager possessions and dwindling stores of food, they use a tattered map to make their way south in search of warmth on a ravaged, rainy planet.
This terrifying, bleak reality serves as a menacing backdrop to the tender moments between father and son who explore their feelings of compassion, determination, resignation, and grief.