Book Love & Coffee Mugs

  "Some people think surfing is a relationship with the sea," his mother said one day, when Byron was struggling in the water, "but surfing is really a relationship between you and yourself.  The sea is going to do what it wants." She winked.' Complex, moving, character-driven novel with love, laughter, pain and loss.  And of course, the history of the Black Cake! In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother's death and her hidden past—a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake.  We can't choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? 

Thank you to Renee at @itsbooktalk from last week's episode "You Heard it Here First: An Advanced Screening" on the pod.  Renee and Tina were discussing what advance reader copies they've enjoyed.  How thrilled was I when Renee mentioned this one to find I had it already queued up on my kindle!  Thank you @netgalley and @penguingroup Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer Pub date: April 26, 2022 Unpredictable story of Merit and Cole, married 12 years with two young boys and two careers.  The exhaustion, the short tempers, the lack of engagement with one another.  When Merit returns to work and finds her soul filled with architectural design and a boss who understands her, not just as a talented employee but as a valuable person the story becomes more intense.  I appreciated the fact that this women were in their 40's and 50's yet full of life, determining what's next, and taking time to appreciate what they enjoy.  Such a great follow up to Vladimir ...

  Vladimir by Julia May Jonas So many things drew me to this book, least of all the cover.  Likely why I chose to listen on audio instead as to not have to look at the cover each time I picked it up.  Yet I digress.   The setting of this novel is on a small, liberal arts college in upstate New York.  By connecting dots in my mind I found this my hometown, Saratoga Springs and the college my alma mater, Skidmore.  The author is a professor there and many descriptions in the book mirrored the area so well.  The Avenue of the Pines on the outskirts of the Spa State Park as a locale for many a walk to clear one's head.  The comfy alcove overlooking the campus in Schribner library for a quiet place to read and people watch!  And the charming downtown of Broadway which resembles a New England town.   So much familiarity I wasn't prepared for what came next. All the disdain.  Self-loathing.  Resulting in very few likable characters. ...

  Are winter reads different than summer reads?  Do you find you stash aside books that are seasonal and will connect with the weather outside?  I do.  I love a good summer read with beaches and heat you can feel through the pages.  I recall The Second Season by Christina Clancy that took place on Cape Code in the height of summer with beaches, parties, sand and romance.  The story also turned to fall when the tourists go home and the barrenness of the beach is a welcome respite for those who live there year round. There are also winter reads with their wide spines and deep-rooted stories.  Ones that span generations and move from continent to continent.  There are also those set in winter.  The Secrets We Kept was set in Russia and the deep cold that I felt in my bones as I read.  Having experienced wind that moves right through you in the mid-west and the northeast I could only imagine the cold being described. There are spring books a...

  Today I'm recreating my version of Oprah's "Books That Help Me Through" with a stack of my own version. These amazing books are each part of my growing stack of 'helpers'. Each came into my life at a different time and helped me through what I was going through at the time. Now is one of those times in our country, with our family and friends that we need to finish the year strong. Here's my stack: 10% Happier - Dan Harris Leaving the Enchanted Forest - Liana Beckett Learning to Breathe - Priscilla Warner Rising Strong - Brene Brown Real Happiness - Sharon Salzberg A Year by the Sea - Joan Anderson A Woman's Journey to God - Joan Borysenko Tell Me More - Kelly Corrigan I'm also in gratitude for my awesome new t-shirt from Jocelyn who makes the most amazing products. She designed my graphic and also a really great raising mental health awareness water bottle! She's fantastic. Please visit her Etsy shop Marked by Jo. There's a link on home ...

  What a breathtaking ghost story! What a fantastic storyline of 1960 Vermont and 2014 Vermont around the now defunct Idlewild Hall a girls' boarding school with stories of its own to tell. Simone St. James unfolds this story bits at at time ensuring anticipation and intrigue each step of the way. She combines past and current day timelines, female friendship, small town politics, a bit of a love story .. oh, and the ghost of Christmas past!

  Migrations was a beautiful song in the midst of chaos. The characters were relatable, flawed, adventurous and calm. The story centers around Franny Stone and her study of bird migration. Yet this story is so very much more. Her desire is to follow 'her birds' which lands her aboard a vessel in Antarctica. And the journey begins. Love, loss, forgiveness, strength, perseverance and nature play a part in this beautiful story! DESCRIPTION: Franny Stone has always been a wanderer. By following the ocean’s tides and the birds that soar above, she can forget the losses that have haunted her life. But when the wild she loves begins to disappear, Franny can no longer wander without a destination. She arrives in remote Greenland with one purpose: to find the world’s last flock of Arctic terns and follow them on their final migration.  She convinces Ennis Malone, captain of the Saghani, to take her onboard, winning over his eccentric crew with promises that the birds she is tracking wi...