Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


2.0 stars - this was on my TBR list as an option from another challenge, so I decided to give it a go this week. There were a few interesting chapters, mostly where she was talking about her time on the Gilmore Girls, but I ended up speed reading my way through the rest of the book. Humor, memoirs, comedy just aren't my thing, but it actually ended up fulfilling a Modern Mrs. Darcy prompt - 5. A book outside your (genre) comfort zone. That being said, this book has over 90K ratings on Goodreads, with a 3.97 average, so don't take my word for it, if humor's your thing, give this a try.



View all my reviews
Book 107 of 2020.

The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan

The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A solid 4 stars for this food related book by Sarah Vaughan. Taking place in England, this book is based on a contest, much like the popular Great British Bake Off, where home cooks come together on a series of weekends to produce delicious cakes, breads, biscuits, pastries, and pies, with the goal being named the next Mrs. Eaden, a cookbook author and scion of the Eaden grocery chain. The book goes behind the scenes to delve into the cooking life, family life and motivations of the five contestants. Jenny is an older women with three just grown daughters and a marriage that is on the rocks, Karen has two teenaged children and a secret past that haunts her. Mike is the only male contestant, a widower with two young children, Chloe, a single mother of a young daughter, and Vicki, a mother of a little boy, who is struggling to discover who she is and what she wants from her life. Each contestant has their own struggles, with most of them competing for a sense of validation. Chloe, however, has an added incentive, winning would help her provide a better life for her daughter. As the series progresses, friendships are formed, personalities are revealed, and a possible future romance is hinted at.
Running along side of this story line is the story of the actual Mrs. Eaden, her life and heartbreaks, and each chapter begins with a piece of advice from her original cookbook, The Art of Baking (1966).
A very satisfying read, especially recommend for people who like to bake, Anglophiles, and fans of baking/cooking competitions.
Book 105 in 2020.



View all my reviews

This Tender Land by William Kent Kreuger

I read this earlier in July - he's one of my favorite authors.
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another great book by William Kent Krueger. This one takes place during the Depression and tells the story of four orphans who run away from an abusive Indian boarding school and the choices and actions that take to protect one another, and ultimately to find a home.




View all my reviews

The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward

The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


2.5 stars generously rounded to 3. This book started so slow for me that I was seriously considering DNF'ing it. Around page 160 things started moving along. One thing that intrigued me was the main character's name - Charlotte Perkins. In 1892, the real Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote a famous short story titled "The Yellow Wall-Paper" and a yellow house was mentioned in this story. Also both Charlottes had difficult childhoods with absent fathers. But back to the current story.
Charlotte is a retired widow with three grown children from whow she feels estranged. Her best friend has just passed away and she is bereft, when she sees an ad for a "Become a Jetsetter" contest on tv one night. To win you have to tell the story of your greatest adventure. She sends her story off, and amazingly "wins" - with a little help from a friend. She decides to invite her children, hoping to reconnect with them. By the end of the cruise, she and her children have reconnected, secrets have been revealed and dealt with, and the family moves forward.
Pop Sugar Summer Challenge: A book with an item you'd find at the beach in the title



View all my reviews

Book 104 in 2020

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This makes an even dozen books that I've read by Elizabeth Berg, including books 2 and 3 in the series. Each book can stand alone, but it is nice to finally meet Truluv (Arthur Moses), his dead wife Nola, and Lucille, for the first time. The generosity of these people makes such a difference in the life of teenager, Maddy Harris, who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and needing the support and love of a family, just as she is about to graduate high school. Maddy lost her mother when she was an infant, and her father raises her himself, while struggling to come to terms with the loss of his beloved wife. An enjoyable book by one of my favorite authors.



View all my reviews

Book 103 in 2020.

Review of Bitter Brew

Bitter Brew by G.A. McKevett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


My first book by this author, and one of the better female investigator series I've read. Sadly, most authors seem to feel like they have to soften their (female) detectives, or make them ditzy, and although there was a degree of that, for the most part Savannah Reid is someone who can stand on her own two feet. That doesn't stop her from having a support team that includes her grandmother (quite a character, she is), her sister-in-law and her detective husband to help her, as needed.
In this book, she is investigating the mysterious deaths of two people who suffer from a genetic disease. The deaths were originally ruled suicides, but were they? Read the book to find out.
Pop Sugar summer reading prompt: A book with a summer drink or cocktail on the cover

Favorite books about bookshops and libraries

I just read a blog post listing the author's 20 favorite books about books and bookshops. So I had to look at my Goodreads list of 116 books about books and see which books I loved that didn't make the list. Sadly, when I was done (half an hour later), I saw that comments were closed. So I decided to put it here, instead.
My favorites that didn’t make the list are:
Eight Perfect Murders (Malcolm Kershaw #1) by Peter Swanson
My review: This is not a usual genre for me, but certainly elements that I love - books and bookstores, play a major part in it, so it was an easy choice to fulfill the Summer Reading Challenge for July week 4 - 4.
c. Read a book from one of the following lists: ☀️ Goodreads Employees Share Their Summer Reading Plans.
This book is full of twists and turns, not the least of which is the fact that it's the first book in a series! This is my first Peter Swanson book, I may read a few more to see what else he does.
Camino Island (Camino Island #1) by John Grisham
My review: Enjoyable vacation read about a small bookstore owner, a struggling young writer, a team of thieves that steal five Fitzgerald manuscripts from the Princeton Firestone Library, and the insurance team that are working against an impending deadline to recover them.
Mrs. Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters
Apparently, no review on this 5 star read.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #1) by Chris Grabenstein
My review: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because what's not to love about a book about children falling in love with a library? AtY challenge prompt for week 31. A children’s classic you’ve never read PSC - A book revolving around a puzzle or game - this was a Drake Library book.
Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference by Joanne Oppenheim
My review: A true story, told through primary sources (letters that Japanese American children sent to a librarian) of their lives during 1942-1944, when they were interred in concentration camps in the US. These families were in San Diego at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and sentiment against the Japanese was rampant. A single librarian, from the San Diego Public Library,undertook a campaign to ease their suffering by writing to them, sending them small gifts and providing them with books. She wrote articles to The Library Journal and Hornbook, speaking out against the treatment of these citizens.
This is a book I would recommend to public and academic libraries to own.
and The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger .
My review: I am tempted to buy this book, and if you know me at all, you know that as much as I love to read books, I do not feel compelled to own them (sorry, authors). This book spoke to me on a very personal level. One thing I would say though, is that it didn't come across to me so much as a graphic novel, as a grownup's picture book with words. If you love to read, love libraries and have 10 minutes to spare, be sure to pick this book up, and find yourself in a book. (Update: I actually DID buy this book!)
And finally, one that did make the list:
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore #1) by Robin Sloan
My review: Probably one of my top books this year. I LOVED this book, it had so many of my favorite things - books, mystery, friendship, the quest, and great references. For Aeddon - "we play the game in a circle. It's called Traitor...(p.70)", for Julie - "deputy director of the most obscure museum...called the California Museum of Knitting Arts and Embroidery Sciences" (p.245), and for everyone - who can resist a book who 4 parts are: The Bookstore, The Library, The Tower and Epilogue.

Maybe I'll go back some time and tell a little about each book, but for now...