October 31, 2025. BIG BERTHA

Marsha. WHY??  I  NEVER liked my name. I've been told that I was named after my mother's best friend in high school. Why wasn't her name Sophie? I would have made a great Sophie. Seriously--I was called Marcia Brady a billion times back in the day. UGH. Let's FACE IT -there are just some names that need to go AWAY. One that's at the top of my list (besides Marsha) is Bertha. Other contenders include--AND THIS IS JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION-- Esther, Edith, Edna, Ethel, Olive, Hazel and Eloise. FYI the name Marsha was ONLY popular in the 1950s-1960s. NO ONE in their right mind would name their poor daughter that today--thankfully-- BUT according to  internet sources --all the other names that-- I THINK SHOULD BE PUT OUT TO PASTURE-- are ACTUALLY vintage names that are MAKING A COME BACK. OMG. I can't image GEN Z  going that retro. Good luck to GEN Beta--they'll all need therapy........The reason I'm thinking about names is because I just finished this great book called Names by Florence Knapp. This intriguing story is set in 1987 in England as Cora, the main character, makes her way to the town hall to register and name her newborn son. Her husband Gordon, a well-known doctor, expects her to name the baby after him to carry on the family tradition. Cora has reservations about naming her son after his father for fear that naming him Gordon will shape his destiny. Cora dreams instead of naming him Julian, a name of his own. Cora and Gordon's nine year old daughter has her own idea about her brother's name--she thinks he should be called Bear because he is cute and cuddly. The story then branches off in three different directions that  explore what would happen if the child was named Gordon, Julian and finally Bear.  Each life is totally different and begs the reader to think about fate, free-will, identity and how important a name really can be. There is so much to this book-- but I don't want to say anything else-- so you will have to read it for yourself to find out what happens. Enjoy.

October 9, 2025 SPACE ODDITY

A few years back--I wrote a blog about my eyebrows. I was wondering what happened to THEM as they seemed to be mysteriously disappearing. I was actually being FACETIOUS at the time BUT NOW-- I'M NOT. Seriously--I pretty much only have ONE EYEBROW. The other one seems to be spotty at best with gray hair trying to fill the void. I look ridiculous--and can't walk out the door without trying to fix this injustice brought upon ME with age. I've had to spend an obscene amount of money on brow pencils, powders, gels and tints to make my eyebrows "look natural"??? Not sure if I should go to the extreme--maybe try the Nano Brow or Brow Tattoo. This is A LOT FOR ME........On to something I can handle....Recently finished a book I really enjoyed by Taylor Jenkins Reid called Atmosphere. As the story unfolds, it's 1984, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the Navigator Space Shuttle has been damaged in space and it's Joan Goodwin from mission control, tasked with the duty to get them home safely. The story then flips back in time to 1980 as Joan Goodwin, a physicist and astronomer, applys and is accepted into the NASA program. While training to be an astronaut she forges friendships and more with other candidates including pilot Hank Redmon, scientist John Griffin, mission specialist Lydia Danes and Vanessa Ford, an aeronautical engineer. She also manages a hectic like that includes helping her sister Barbara raise her daughter, Frances. Although the book is fiction, it is inspired by a real historical event includng the experiences of the first class of women astronauts and the difficulties they faced. Find out whether Goodwin gets the Navigator and the astronauts home safely when you read this hard to put down book for yourself. Enjoy. 

September 13, 2025 BIG BROTHER

Just finished a book that made me consider something pretty scary--  McCarthyism 2025

1) Using fear to erode civil rights and freedoms

2) Using the media to help engineer and spread misinformation

3) Firing and using  public employees and government officials as scapegoats when they are not loyal

4) Labeling goverments officals and others as corrupt to erode public trust

5) Making outrageous claims against people deemed enemies

The book I'm referring to is called The Briarwood Club by Kate Quinn and it's historical fiction at its best. Grace March is a widow and the newest resident of Briarwood House, a boarding house strictly for women in Washington D. C. in the early 1950's. As the story unfolds, there has been a murder at Briarwood House and every resident is a suspect. The chapters then alternate between the women living in the house and their relationship with Grace in the months leading up to the murder. The housemates include Bea, a former women's softball champ, Fliss, a young mother from England, Reka, a refugee from Russia, Nora and Arlene. Although the women seemingly have nothing in common, Grace's weekly supper parties spark many friendships,  debates, and a sisterhood for women trying to make a living in an ever changingworld that includes McCarthyism, classism, racism and the red scare. I really enjoyed this novel and had a hard time putting it down. It is well written, with great character development and its a story that will stick with me for a long time. 

August 26, 2025 HE'S GONE

 

He's gone. Yup--the baby left for college. It's the FIRST time in 31 years that we DON'T have kids at home.  It's troublingly quiet and very neat. Shoes aren't left astray in the kitchen--smelly uniforms no longer stink up the laundry room AND no one is calling from practice begging for dinner. Who would have thought I'd miss these daily rituals-- BUT I DO. Back in the day-I couldn't wait for the kids to grow up and get out so that we could have our lives back BUT the reality is that our KIDS became our life and now that they're gone we will have to reinvent ourselves to some extent. It's all good. No worries. Ali will be home this weekend to celebrate her birthday and SHE WILL leave her shoes in the kitchen and her laundry and her suitcase and coffee mug and the house will be a disaster again. Can't wait! Finished a lovely novel the other day called Small Pleasures by Claire Chambers. The main character of the story is Jean Swinney, a middle aged journalist who lives in London in the 1950's. She has a rather lonely life as she is tasked with taking care of her overdemanding mother when she is not at work. One day while at the office, a woman named Gretchen Tilbury writes a letter to the paper claiming that her 10 year old daughter, Margaret, is the result of a virgin birth. Being the only woman at the paper, Jean is tasked with investigating the matter. As Jean investigates and gets to know the Tilbury family, which also includes Gretchen's husband Howard, she feels drawn to the family and realizes how lonely her life has become. Don't want to say much more than that you will have to read this amazing story for yourself to find out if Gretchen's claim is true and realize that things are not always as they appear. Interestingly enough, this book is based on an actual claim of a woman in the 1950's who said she had a virgin birth which is called a parthenogenesis and other historical events in the book are true. I really enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. Let me know what you think. Enjoy. 

August 17, 2025 EVERYBODY HURTS

Priceless. A deep tissue massage. Who knew?? Yup-hurt my back a while back and tried nursing it back to health--stretching, pain killers, pain patches, creams. UGH.  What a waste of time....I know a massage is expensive BUT I should have bit the bullet 3 weeks ago. It was an incredible experience--one I need to partake in more often. Felt like a new person after my massage--so I decided to drive to Boston to see my daughter. BIG mistake. Traffic was ridiculous and the extended sitting reinjured my periformis. I am so sick of being injured. Is this really part of getting older??  Guess this calls for another visit to the spa. Only wish insurance covered the bill. Gonna have to get a better paying job at this rate. While resting my back this week, I read Fredrik Backman's novel Anxious People. Set in a small town near Stockholm, Sweden, a bank robber, desperate to keep custody of her children, attempts to rob a bank. After the robbery goes bad, the bank robber flees and tries to hide at an open house BUT ends up holding the potential buyers hostage. The hostages are quite a cast of characters with very different anxieties: Zara, is a bank mangager with a tragic past, Lennart is an actor desperate for a job, Estelle is a widow and my favorite --Roger and Anna-Lena, retirees who flip apartments in a desperate attempt to keep their marraige from getting stale. This story is a little bit of everything--funny, empathetic, insightful even though I thought it was a bit contrived as everyone seems connected by the end of the story. Find out what happens to all involved when you read this quirky book for yourself. Enjoy. 

August 6, 2025 YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT

Bromance-- since first grade. Joined at the hip--until tomorrow. Yup-Tim's first BFF is leaving for college. Weren't they just playing Monopoly in the family room?? Where did the time go???  It's a bittersweet time for sure. On the one hand--the excitement of College--BUT there's also the FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN--AND CHANGE. Tim's been so lucky with friends. He's literally had the same core group since first grade-A BAND OF BROTHERS. They'll have to say SO LONG for now--until Christmas--BUT the Bromance will continue because of their connection and  shared memories of the last thirteen years. Enjoy your first semester--can't wait to hear all about it. The main character, Hai,  in Ocean Vuong's new book The Emperor of Gladness isn't so lucky. As the novel unfolds, Hai, is a nineteen year old Vietnamese American living in East Gladness, Connecticut, debating his fate as he stands on a bridge ready to jump.  Luckily, an elderly woman named, Grazina, talks him down. Grazina takes Hai to her dilapitated house to discuss his near suicide and then Hai reluctantly becomes her caretaker.  Hai also starts working at Home Market, a casual restaurant, where he meets a cast of characters including the manager BJ-who wants to be a professional wrestler, Wayne, Russia, Maureen, and his cousin Sony. They form a camaraderie as they share many struggles while working at this dead end job. Hai and Grazina also form a bond that ultimately changes both of their lives. This is a quirky story about friendship, loneliness and addiction where the reader decides the fate of the characters. I enjoyed this book--especially the characters in the restaurant as I felt like I was back at Papa Ginos. 

July 28, 2025. ISLAND GIRL

 Just spent a lovely weekend on Block Island with the bookclub. Can't believe its been 20 years. When the bookclub started out,  we were just a random group of neighbors who got together every month to discuss books and make a little merry.  Heck--some of us didn't even know each other. Over the years, we've formed a bond that has helped each of us overcome lifes many challenges. It really does take a village.  I'm very thankful to these women-- together we are stronger--strong enough to weather any storm. Thanks for the memories and the support--when I needed it most--looking forward to the next 20 years. Finished Wally Lamb's new book The River is Waiting right before the trip so here's my reivew. As this tragic novel unfolds, Corby and Emily Ledbetter live in a fictional town in Connecticut with their two year old twins, Maisie and Niko. Emily is an elementary school teacher and Corby is a stay-at-home dad as he has been laid off from work. One morning the unthinkable happens--and their world is forever changed. Corby is later arrested and sentenced to time at Yates Correctional Center. Corby's struggles in prison are frightening. He witnesses unbearable acts from not only prisoners but also from the correctional officers assigned to keep them safe. The only thing that keeps him from insanity is the hope that Emily can forgive him. Find out why Corby is in prison and if Emily can forgive him when you read this heartbreaking novel for yourself. This is Wally Lamb at his best--even if it is tragic --and leaves me thinking--it's sad that "we" unintentionally hurt the ones we love them most.