Seek a pirul tree and sit beneath immediately. Remove from ears and tongue, words. Fast from same.
Soak in a tub of seclusion. Rinse face with wind. In extreme cases, douse oneself with sky. Then, swab gently with clouds.
Dress in clean, pressed pajamas. Preferably white.
Hold close to the heart, chihuahuas. Kiss and be kissed by same.
Consume a cool glass of night. Read poetry that inspires poetry. Write until temperament returns to calm.
Place moonlight in a bowl. Sleep beside and dream of white flowers.
Sometimes, at the end of a long week, Cisneros’ advice strikes me as exactly right. This one came via the good folks at Knopf; you can hear Cisneros read the poem on their Tumblr page.
Most mornings, after journaling and breakfast, I pull on my running clothes and head out the door to spend a few miles pumping my legs and getting some fresh air. I don’t always have music playing at home, but I almost always listen to it on my morning runs. My “custom” Spotify mixes swing between the genres I love most: nineties country, mellow jazz, soulful singer-songwriters and Broadway show tunes. And I have to say, lately the mixes have been killing it.
My folk mixes are crammed full of my longtime faves, like the Indigo Girls and the Wailin’ Jennys, and newer-to-me discoveries like Birds of Chicago and Abigail Lapell. My Broadway mixes have been heavy on the & Juliet pop tunes since I saw it in NYC, but they also include doses of Hamilton, Amelie, Come From Away, The Fantasticks and other musicals I love. And you’ve heard me rhapsodize about my love for nineties country: Martina, Faith, Shania, Reba, Jo Dee, and (forever and always) George Strait.
It’s a pleasure when the mix turns up song after song I love, as my feet pound down the familiar paths of the parks or harborwalk or greenway. A good mix – especially one I don’t have to fiddle with – delights me every single time. (I’m convinced it helps me run faster, too.) Good music is so happy-making.
March has been up and down, as always – varied weather, great music at ZUMIX and a few local adventures. As the month wraps up, here’s what I have been reading:
Drew Leclair Gets a Clue, Katryn Bury True crime nerd Drew Leclair prides herself on solving local mysteries (even when her zeal gets ahead of her social skills). But when her mom skips town with the school counselor and a new cyberbully at Drew’s school goes on the attack, Drew has her hands full. I loved this sweet middle-grade mystery with a likable protagonist – first in a new series.
Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden, Camille T. Dungy Dungy has spent years tending and diversifying her garden in Ft. Collins, Colorado – a primarily white community. She writes in beautiful, powerful prose about native plants, community, belonging, parenting (especially during the pandemic), and the ways Black people have contributed (or been prevented from contributing) to gardens in this country. Absolutely fantastic – thoughtful and lovely and incisive. To review for Shelf Awareness (out May 2).
A Courage Undimmed, Stephanie Graves Winter, 1941: Olive Bright has her hands full managing her courier pigeons, her irascible father and her sort-of-real (but is it?) relationship/cover story with Captain Jamie Aldridge. When a seance in the village results in a death, Olive (of course) does some sleuthing. A delightful third mystery in a really fun WWII series.
What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World, Dorothy Lazard Lazard, a longtime Oakland librarian and public historian, tells the story of her childhood in St. Louis, San Francisco and later Oakland: her big, chaotic, loving family; her hunger to learn and find her place in the world; and the challenges and joys of being a young Black woman in the 1970s. Such a compelling slice of American life. To review for Shelf Awareness (out May 16).
The Birchbark House, Louise Erdrich I have such respect for Erdrich’s adult novels, and picked up this middle-grade novel at Verbatim. It follows Omakayas, a young Ojibwe girl, and her family through a cycle of seasons: foraging, fishing, tanning hides, picking berries, wrestling with the presence of white people (and their diseases). It’s sweet, funny and fascinating (with some real heartbreak in the winter chapter). First in a series and so enjoyable.
Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion, K. Tempest Bradford Budding scientist Ruby captures a huge red bug in her yard – but after it escapes (!) and weird things start happening around the neighborhood, she and her friends investigate. I flew through this fresh, smart, funny middle-grade novel (though the bugs did gross me out) and loved Ruby and her crew.
March is flying by – we’ve finally had a few sunny days, plus lots of great books. Here’s what I have been reading:
Playing It Safe, Ashley Weaver I love Weaver’s smart mysteries (see above), and this third Electra McDonnell adventure was well done. Ellie heads to Sunderland on an assignment for the enigmatic Major Ramsey; once there, she gets to know a few locals, witnesses at least one death, and does a bit of good old-fashioned safecracking. To review for Shelf Awareness (out May 9).
Kiki’s Delivery Service, Eiko Kadono When she turns 13, young witch Kiki must find a place to live on her own for a year. With her black cat, Jiji, Kiki flies to the mid-size city of Koriko, where she makes a few friends and opens the titular delivery service. I loved this gentle, fun middle-grade story, though I haven’t seen the classic anime. (Unrelated, but still fun: my nephews call me Kiki.)
An Unexpected Peril, Deanna Raybourn I’ve been loving the Veronica Speedwell series, and this sixth one – involving a lady mountain climber who died under mysterious circumstances – was so much fun. Veronica ends up impersonating a princess while trying to solve a murder, and wrestling with her own complicated feelings about Britain’s royalty. Highly entertaining.
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, Elle Cosimano After several run-ins with the Russian mob, single mom Finlay Donovan just wants to finish her next novel and figure out her feelings for cop Nick Anthony. But when Finlay and her nanny/partner in crime, Veronica, attend a citizens’ police academy, things get complicated real fast. I love this zany, fast-paced mystery series – it is, as a friend said recently, pure chaos but so much fun.
Dear Mrs. Bird, A.J. Pearce As the Blitz pounds London, aspiring journalist Emmeline Lake lands a job typing letters for a women’s magazine. Mrs. Bird, the titular advice columnist, won’t answer anything Unpleasant or Racy, so Emmy takes matters into her own hands. I read this book in 2018 and recently found it at a library sale for $2 (!). I loved it just as much this time around – warm, witty and entertaining. I want to be friends with Emmy, and I especially enjoyed her colleagues at the magazine and the fire station where she volunteers.
The Late Mrs. Willoughby, Claudia Gray Juliet Tilney is thrilled to be invited to visit Colonel and Mrs. Brandon in Devonshire. Jonathan Darcy is less thrilled to be visiting Mr. Willoughby, but they are both pleased to be in each other’s company again. When Willoughby’s wife is poisoned – quite dramatically – at a dinner, Jonathan and Juliet join forces to find the killer. A delightful follow-up to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, featuring lots of Austen characters (notably the whole Dashwood/Ferrars clan), and a fun mystery. To review for Shelf Awareness (out May 16).
We’re halfway through March (how??) and I’ve been blazing through some great books. Here’s what I have been reading:
The Violin Conspiracy, Brendan Slocumb Violin prodigy Ray McMillian is catapulted to fame when his grandmother’s violin (passed down from her formerly enslaved grandfather) turns out to be a Stradivarius. When the violin is stolen on the eve of a major competition, Ray tries to find the thief – but everyone’s got a motive. I raced through this insightful, compelling novel exploring race, complicated family dynamics and the inner workings of the classical music world. Just fantastic.
Life and Other Love Songs, Anissa Gray Gray’s second novel follows a Black family – Deborah and Oz Armstead and their daughter, Trinity – from the 1960s in Detroit (when Deborah and Oz meet) to the 1980s, when Oz disappears one day. A powerful exploration of family, loss and loyalty, guilt and love, and how to move forward. (I also loved Gray’s debut, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls.) To review for Shelf Awareness (out April 11).
The Agathas, Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson Alice Ogilvie got a lot of flak when she disappeared with no explanation (and then reappeared) last summer. But now Alice’s former best friend, Brooke, has also disappeared, and something’s not right. Alice (an Agatha Christie fan) teams up with her tutor, Iris, to solve the case. A fresh, funny mystery with serious Veronica Marsvibes: set in a ritzy California town, but also an exploration of whose stories do and do not get believed.
How to Be True, Daisy May Johnson Edie Berger and the girls from How to Be Brave end up in Paris on a school trip, staying with Edie’s cranky great-grandmother. But they quickly get drawn into a mystery involving a painting, a lost love and some wartime stories. A fun, zany story with more depth than Johnson’s first book.
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, Lizzie Shane Yes, I know it’s March. But I loved this sweet Christmas novel (from the author of Pride and Puppies). Ally Gilmore has landed in Pine Hollow, Vt., to help her grandparents and figure out her life. When a grumpy town councilman votes to cut funding for her family’s dog shelter, Ally springs into action to try and get all the dogs adopted. To her surprise, she finds herself falling for the councilman – and for Pine Hollow. A super fun, canine-filled romance.
The League of Gentlewomen Witches, India Holton Charlotte Pettifer has spent her life trying to be a dutiful witch, as the heir to the titular League’s power. But when their ancestor’s powerful amulet comes up for theft, she finds herself consorting with pirates (especially a handsome Irish one), taking unsupervised adventures (and other liberties) and even making friends. I loved this wild, funny, literary sequel to the Wisteria Society; so much fun. Can’t wait for book 3.
Emma of 83rd Street, Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding I adore both Austen’s original Emma and Clueless – and this novel is a charming modern twist on the former, with shades of the latter. Set on the Upper East Side, the novel follows Emma Woodhouse as she navigates grad school, makes (and tries to transform) a new friend, and struggles to figure out her feelings for her neighbor, George Knightley. Witty and fun; heads up for some seriously steamy scenes near the end. To review for Shelf Awareness (out May 23).
Sunshine Nails, Mai Nguyen Vietnamese immigrants Debbie and Phil Tran have spent two decades working to keep their Toronto nail salon afloat. But right after their daughter, Jessica, comes home from L.A. (smarting from setbacks in love and career), a hip new salon moves in across the street. Along with their son Dustin and their niece Thuy, the Trans try to fight the interlopers. But is taking down the other salon worth it if it destroys their family? A sharp, witty, warmhearted novel exploring small business ownership, immigrant family dynamics and the power of changing course. To review for Shelf Awareness (out July 4).
Everybody Come Alive: A Memoir in Essays, Marcie Alvis Walker Walker’s memoir explores her experience as a Black woman in America: the mingled love and racism she experienced in childhood, her mother’s mental illness, the challenges of navigating a white world as a dark-skinned Black woman, and her fierce love for her transgender child. I appreciate Walker’s truth-telling over on Instagram; this book goes deeper and broader. Reflective, spiritual, pull-no-punches. To review for Shelf Awareness (out May 30).
February was a strange month – short and long, sunny and snowy, plagued by the sniffles. But it ended with a batch of great books. Here’s what I have been reading:
Bloomsbury Girls, Natalie Jenner London, 1949: Bloomsbury Books is clinging to the past, but its female staff – whip-smart Vivien, quiet Evie and steady, reliable Grace – are poised to push it into the future. I loved this charming story of a bookshop full of varying (sometimes clashing) personalities, bookish (and other) secrets, and women willing to take major risks to change the bookshop and their lives. Just the thing for a cold, snowy week.
Same Time Next Summer, Annabel Monaghan Monaghan’s second novel follows Sam and Wyatt, neighbors on Long Island who fell in love as teenagers. After an eruption of a family secret and a bad breakup, Sam has convinced herself she’s moved on. But returning to the beach (with her fiance, Jack), she encounters Wyatt, and they have to reckon with their past and present selves. Funny, moving and real; I got a little frustrated with Sam but enjoyed this story. (I received an ARC; it’s out June 6.)
Patience and Fortitude: Power, Real Estate, and the Fight to Save a Public Library, Scott Sherman I stumbled across this nonfiction account (fittingly) at Mercer Street Books in NYC. Sherman expands on his reporting in The Nation to detail how the New York Public Library’s trustees nearly gutted the historic 42nd Street building. I read with fascination (and sometimes horror). I love the NYPL, and Sherman deftly captures the competing interests (and characters) at play.
March: Book One, John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell My guy lent me the 3-book set of Congressman Lewis’ graphic memoirs. Book One (framed around President Obama’s inauguration) traces Lewis’ childhood and his student days, getting involved in activism and sit-ins and learning the principles of nonviolence from Dr. King. Powerful and engaging; I loved getting more context and details for events I’d heard of (and some I hadn’t). Can’t wait to keep going.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, India Holton Cecilia Bassingthwaite is anxious for the day when she’ll be a senior member of the titular society. (She’s also keen to avenge her mother’s death.) But the arrival of a handsome assassin, a mass kidnapping, her aunt’s harping about her health, and some highly inconvenient feelings make all that a bit difficult. A madcap romp set in Victorian England – lots of flying houses, literary references and absurdities. Really good fun.
Mrs. Tim Carries On, D.E. Stevenson I adore the adventures of Mrs. Tim (Hester) Christie – military wife, mother, confidant, keen observer of daily life as WWII begins in England. I picked up this used copy (for $4!) at the Bryn Mawr Bookstore, and have been reading it slowly at bedtime. Such a comfort, and a joy.
We made it, friends – the end of 2022 is nigh. As we wrap up the year and I recover from Christmas travel, here’s what I have been reading:
The Sweet Spot, Amy Poeppel I flew through Poeppel’s warm, witty, hilarious latest, which involves four different women (an artist, her buttoned-up mother, a divorcee bent on revenge and a young woman caught in the crossfire) taking care of a baby who belongs to none of them. I laughed out loud several times. Bonus: it’s set in my favorite tangle of streets in Greenwich Village. I also loved Poeppel’s Musical Chairs. To review for Shelf Awareness (out Jan. 31, 2023).
Inciting Joy: Essays, Ross Gay I adored Gay’sThe Book of Delights (and did a Q&A with him, itself a delight). This new collection explores joy as it’s intertwined with sorrow, grief and desire – and it’s fantastic. I love Gay’s rambling style (though the footnotes occasionally get out of control), and his warm, wise, human voice. So good.
Of Manners and Murder, Anastasia Hastings Violet Manville is astonished to discover her aunt Adelia is behind the popular Dear Miss Hermione column – and even more shocked to be handed the reins when Aunt Adelia leaves town. Soon Violet has a real mystery on her hands: the suspicious death of a young bride named Ivy. A fun British mystery with a spunky bluestocking heroine. To review for Shelf Awareness (out Jan. 31).
Healer and Witch, Nancy Werlin Sylvie, her mother and her grand-mere are revered as healers in their village. But when Grand-mere dies and Sylvie makes a terrible mistake, she sets out in search of help. A sweet, thoughtful middle-grade novel set in medieval France, with a few surprising twists and some insights about vocation and calling.
Love in the Time of Serial Killers, Alicia Thompson Phoebe has reluctantly moved to Florida for the summer to clear out her dad’s house and try to finish her dissertation on true crime. But she keeps getting distracted by the (literal) guy next door: is he really as nice as he seems, or is he a killer? A snarky, hilarious mystery with a great main character; I also adored Phoebe’s sweet golden-retriever younger brother.
The Mushroom Tree Mystery, Ovidia Yu The Allies have won the war in Europe, but things are still grim for Chen Su Lin and her compatriots in Singapore. When a young aide is found dead, Su Lin becomes a suspect – and between caring for a blind professor, supervising the houseboys, trying to decipher news of the atomic bomb and prove her innocence, she’s very busy. A gripping entry in this wonderful series.
Travel as a Political Act, Rick Steves I loved this thoughtful memoir by Steves – a guidebook author and TV personality – about how travel has shaped and expanded his worldview. He tackles drug policy, autocrats, poverty and other political issues, but also writes engagingly about simply encountering other humans. My favorite line: “Understanding people and their lives is what travel is about, no matter where you go.” Amen. Kantika, Elizabeth Graver I flew through this epic novel based on the life of Rebecca Cohen Baruch Levy (the author’s grandmother), a Sephardic Jew whose early 20th-century life takes her from Istanbul to Spain to Cuba and eventually to New York. Richly detailed, full of family drama and rich insights on womanhood and the complexities of love. So so good. To review for Shelf Awareness (out April 18, 2023).
Winter Solstice, Rosamunde Pilcher I adore this gentle novel set in Scotland at Christmastime, which follows five loosely connected people who end up spending the holiday together. It proves transformative for all of them. I loved revisiting it, as always.
We are (somehow) halfway through December, and the world feels twinkly and dark and (sometimes) chaotic. Here’s what I have been reading:
Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons, Jeremy Denk I spotted this book at Three Lives this summer, and snagged it at the library recently. Denk charts his journey from piano-nerd kid to classical pianist, via lots of lessons with idiosyncratic, brilliant teachers (and some personal growth). Writing about music can be hard to do, but Denk pulls it off. Entertaining, witty and wonderfully geeky.
Peril in Paris, Rhys Bowen Lady Georgiana Rannoch is thrilled to visit her dear friend Belinda in Paris. But once Georgie gets there, she becomes entangled in both a Chanel fashion show and a mysterious death – which leaves a police inspector convinced she’s a criminal. I love this fun historical mystery series and this was an entertaining entry.
What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest, ed. Susan Wittig Albert, Susan Hanson, Jan Epton Seale and Paula Stallings Yost I stumbled on this collection in an Airbnb in Amherst, and immediately got it from the library when I came home. It’s a stunning anthology of essays and poetry: incisive, moving female perspectives on how we interact with the land, what we take from and give to it, what we leave behind. I loved reading this slowly in the mornings.
Killers of a Certain Age, Deanna Raybourn Billie, Natalie, Helen and Mary Alice have spent 40 years working as assassins for the Museum, a secret extra-governmental organization. On their retirement cruise, someone targets them, and they work to find out why – and take out their would-be killers. A hilarious, incisive romp showcasing the skills (and ingenuity) of older women.
Maureen, Rachel Joyce I loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which follows a man taking a much-longer-than-planned walk that turns into a journey of self-discovery. 10 years later, this slim novel shares the perspective of Harold’s wife, Maureen. She makes a pilgrimage of her own – which doesn’t go quite as she expected. Lyrical, sad and moving. To review for Shelf Awareness (out Feb. 7, 2023).
Hijab Butch Blues, Lamya H I enjoyed this unusual memoir by a queer Muslim woman exploring all the intersections of her identities. A lot here about Muslim faith and practice; many familiar Bible stories retold as they appear in the Quran; and an honest examination of inner struggle. Heavy at times, and thoughtful. To review for Shelf Awareness (out Feb. 7, 2023).
The Holiday Switch, Tif Marcelo Lila Santos is ready to plunge into the Christmas season (and work all the hours at her local inn’s gift/book shop to save for college). She’s also an anonymous book blogger. When her boss’s nephew, Teddy, shows up to work the holiday season, the two of them clash – but gradually find themselves drawn to one another. A super fun YA holiday romance featuring Filipino-American characters; I also love Marcelo’s adult fiction.
It’s almost Thanksgiving, and we are deep in year-end giving projects at work, and my beloved Darwin’s closed its original location yesterday. It’s been a lot, to say the least. Meanwhile, here’s what I have been reading:
Absolutely Truly, Heather Vogel Frederick Truly Lovejoy is not thrilled about moving to tiny Pumpkin Falls, N.H., after her pilot dad loses an arm in Afghanistan. But she grows to love helping at her family’s bookstore, and even finds new friends and a mystery to solve. I love Frederick’s cheery middle-grade novels and I adore Truly – stubborn, brave, kind and obsessed with owls. A fun reread.
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre, Natasha Lester Orphaned at 13, Alix St. Pierre has spent her life trying to prove herself, and she spent World War II doing excellent work in intelligence. But she’s haunted by one failed mission. As she’s working in PR for Christian Dior in 1947, that mission and its characters resurface. A brilliant, propulsive, beautiful and heartbreaking novel about a woman faced with so many impossible choices. I loved it. To review for Shelf Awareness (out Jan. 10, 2023).
The Bullet That Missed, Richard Osman Osman’s septuagenarian sleuths are back – this time tangled up with a couple of gangsters as they try to solve the cold case of a TV anchor who disappeared years ago. Witty, wry and so British – I love this series.
Windfall: The Prairie Woman Who Lost Her Way and the Great-Granddaughter Who Found Her,Erika Bolstad Bolstad’s memoir takes us on her quest to learn more about her great-grandmother, Anna, a North Dakota homesteader who eventually was committed to an asylum. Curious about Anna’s story (and the possibility of money from mineral rights on Anna’s land), Bolstad takes multiple trips to the Dakotas, researching land laws, oilfield politics past and present and the treatment of women in Anna’s time. Thoughtful and thought-provoking; also familiar since I am from the oilfields of West Texas. To review for Shelf Awareness (out Jan. 17, 2023).
Yours Truly, Heather Vogel Frederick Truly Lovejoy is thrilled to have her cousin visiting for Spring Break. But when someone starts cutting the sap lines on her friends’ farm, it leads to a full-blown town feud, and Truly and her friends are on the case. They also find an old diary with some intriguing secrets. I loved most of this story (also a reread), except for Truly’s clashing with her younger sister – it felt realistic, but soured things a bit.
Thirty-nine. Almost 40. I’m still amazed by that reality, especially since I sometimes feel 17 or 22 or eight years old inside. But as I say often (quoting Madeleine L’Engle), I am every age I’ve ever been.
Thirty-nine is getting up and going for a run most mornings, even when I don’t feel like it, because I know I’ll be a better person the rest of the day. Thirty-nine does her best to hydrate, moisturize, make the bed, wash the dishes – all those acts of self-care that sometimes seem boring but are actually so important. Thirty-nine does a fair bit of yoga and walking, eats a ton of yogurt and granola, drinks black tea like it’s my job, indulges in a cider once a week or so.
Thirty-nine moves more cautiously, these days, after some serious shakeups the last few years. Thirty-nine does her best to lean into the present, to be here now, living with heart and commitment, while also realizing that things can change drastically at any moment. Thirty-nine loves her current life and is starting to dream about making some changes. Thirty-nine is grateful – as a teacher of mine once said – that not only have I survived through great upheaval, but I’ve thrived.
Thirty-nine has seen her life and world shift in ways she never imagined a few years back. Some of those changes she chose and orchestrated; some came out of nowhere and left her staggering, for a while. Thirty-nine is still healing, still grieving; learning to name and acknowledge the wounds that linger longer than we think they will, while also making space for new and vivid joys.
Thirty-nine still writes for Shelf Awareness, still texts a few stalwart friends nearly every day, still loves chai from Darwin’s and flowers from Brattle Square, still reads piles of books and still needs a dose of Texas once in a while. Thirty-nine is trying, always, to live with grace and courage and wisdom. Thirty-nine knows it’s important to be both brave and kind.
cakes, tea and dreams 