The Cafe by the Sea is the first of Colgan’s series set in Mure, an island off coast of Scotland. It is followed by Endless Beach, Christmas on the Island, and Christmas at the Island Hotel. (It is preceded by A Very Distant Shore, which I haven’t read yet.) Flora MacKenzie left Mure after her…… Continue reading The Cafe By the Sea by Jenny Colgan
Charles Duhigg’s Smarter Faster Better is an examination of both personal and corporate improvement. As in his previous book, The Power of Habit, Duhigg blends personal anecdotes with the research that explains why we do things the way we do- and how we can do it better. The chapters (Motivation, Teams, Focus, Goal Setting, Managing…… Continue reading Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg
One sign I am loving my current read is that I won’t shut up about it. Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary is one of those books. A man wakes up in a sterile, white lab. His robot attendants ask his name, but he doesn’t know. Who is he? Why is he there, alone? His memory…… Continue reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
This is the second book I’ve read by Jenny Colgan. She is the master of characters who are not living up to their potential. Polly and her partner Chris are watching their lives- their bankrupt business, their executive flat in Plymouth, and their relationship- unravel at the seams. Polly is left with no credit and…… Continue reading Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Newport’s earlier book Deep Work had a profound impact on how I think about my time, so I had high expectations for his Digital Minimalism. He begins the book with several studies about how structure of social media affects our brains and works to keep up from productivity and real relationships. The book has good…… Continue reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
I read 83 books (up from 70 in 2019) and started many more I abandoned partway through. I’m not sure if my high DNF rate was because I didn’t get to browse books first in the library/bookstore before I dove in, or because I frequently found it hard to settle down to read.
I stumbled across a Twitter recommendation for Kate Clayborn’s books and began with Love Lettering, the story of Meg Mackworth, an artist with a successful business of hand-lettering who makes a mistake that threatens her career. The story is so emotionally true. There are no shortcuts, no easy outs for her characters. People make real…… Continue reading Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
Have you read Pieces of Her? Apparently lots of people have, because it is or soon will adapted for Netflix. If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. The audiobook is excellent, too. It’s the story of a mother and daughter. The narrative, told from Andrea’s perspective, begins with a brutal attack in a diner. Andrea’s…… Continue reading Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
Do you like wine? My brother loves his wine and enjoys pairing wines with food. I prefer pairing books. (Books, wine and food might be even better.) Recently I read an old favorite simultaneously with a new favorite, and the juxtaposition illumined both for me. Bear with me here. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells…… Continue reading Americanah & Jane Eyre
What a stunning novel. I just discovered this book and feel like a night owl who just discovered sunrise. Hurston writes with an economy of description that leaves you with a good sense of a person even after the briefest description. We meet Janie as she’s coming back to her home after a time away,…… Continue reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
