TCL’s #CCSpin 43 #BookReview – Scout-ing for Justice.

Book Review for “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Summary: "'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man charged with the … Continue reading TCL’s #CCSpin 43 #BookReview – Scout-ing for Justice. →

TCL’s #TopTenTuesday – Freebie: Delicious! – March 3, 2026.

The topic for my first #TTT for 2026 is: Genre Freebie! According to Jana's website: "Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and … Continue reading TCL’s #TopTenTuesday – Freebie: Delicious! – March 3, 2026. →

The Art of Rebellion and/or Conforming.

Book Review for “The Dream Life of Sukhanov” by Olga Grushin. Summary: "At fifty-six, Anatoly Sukhanov has everything a man could want. Nearly twenty-five years ago, he traded his precarious existence as a brilliant underground artist for the perks and comforts of a high-ranking Soviet apparatchik. Once he created art; now he censors it. His … Continue reading The Art of Rebellion and/or Conforming. →

A 17th Century Modern Woman.

Book Review for “Anneke Jans in the New World” by Sandra Freels. Summary: "It’s 1630, and Anneke Jans has just arrived in the fledgling colony of New Netherland with her husband, Roelof, and their two young daughters to create a new life for herself and her family. One of very few women in the colony, … Continue reading A 17th Century Modern Woman. →

TCL’s #TopTenTuesday – December 30, 2025 – My Favorite Books of the Year.

2025 was the Year of: Too FEW 5/5 Starred Books! This past year I finished reading 69 books, which means I surpassed my goal of 68 by one book, out of which 45 were published during 2025 (yes, I only include new releases in this list). That high number usually means I'm spoiled for choice … Continue reading TCL’s #TopTenTuesday – December 30, 2025 – My Favorite Books of the Year. →

Verbal and Literal Bombs.

Book Review for “Table Two” by Marjorie Wilenski. Summary: "Marjorie Wilenski’s only novel, as biting and funny as Barbara Pym at her crankiest, follows an office of women translators at the fictional Ministry of Foreign Intelligence in London as they bicker, manoeuvre, and shift allegiances just before and then in the thick of the London … Continue reading Verbal and Literal Bombs. →

TCL’s #TopTenTuesday – Thanks A Lot! – November 25, 2025.

The topic for my fifth #TTT for 2025 is: Thanksgiving/Thanks Freebie! According to Jana's website: "Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and … Continue reading TCL’s #TopTenTuesday – Thanks A Lot! – November 25, 2025. →

Serving Up the Healing Words.

Book Review for “Soyangri Book Kitchen” by Kim Jee-hye, (Shanna Tan - Translator). Summary: "With good books, good food and companionship, the Book Kitchen fills people's tired souls. Yoojin, who grew up in Seoul, opened the Book Kitchen by chance in Soyangri, a village two hours from Seoul by car. The Book Kitchen functions as … Continue reading Serving Up the Healing Words. →

Mum(my)s The Word!

Book Review for “The Golden Child” by Penelope Fitzgerald. Summary: "Penelope Fitzgerald's novel, The Golden Child, combines a deft comedy of manners with a classic mystery set in London's most refined institution—the museum. When the glittering treasure of ancient Garamantia, the golden child, is delivered to the museum, a web of intrigue tightens around its … Continue reading Mum(my)s The Word! →

Gone too soon.

Book Review for “Forever, Interrupted” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Summary: "Elsie Porter is an average twenty-something and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the … Continue reading Gone too soon. →