June 8, 2026 CHAPEL OF LOVE

 

After many prayers and months of preparation--my daughter finally got married. The weather was glorious-thank God--as the rehearsal dinner and ceremony were outside. A little windy--but I'll take it. It was perfect.  From the officiant --Ali's life-long friend who was amazing--to the band-- the dance floor was jam packed all night--outstanding.  The food & venue--shout out to Haley Mansion--excellent service and food. And an atmosphere so full of love--it was simply divine. I'm so happy for the newlyweds.  The happy couple--my daughter especially-- truly enjoyed every minute too. She made sure that pictures were done in 45 minutes and that they arrived right on time for cocktail hour--signature drinks-- and a night they'll never forget. Cheers. Also managed to squeeze in a novel I think you might enjoy called The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard. Irene, the main character of this lovely novel, has had a tramatic childhood. After being shlepped around from one hippie band to another by her mom, Irene eventually moves in with her grandmother in New York after her mom tragically dies. Irene later faces other tragedies that force her to leave the country where she ends up in La Esperanza, somewhere in Central America, at a hotel called La Llorona, that is owned by Leila. After Leila's death, Irene unexpectantly becomes the owner of the hotel where she gets to work renovating, welcoming an array of guests and learning the Mayan culture.  She also meets a great cast of characters including Walter, Elmer, Maria, Luis and Mirabel, who become like family and help her accept the past, forgive and love again.

May 22, 2026 SWEET MAGNOLIA

Everyone knows that I'm obsessed with books and running but not sure if you know about my other passion. As an art history major/art minor AND art teacher I have to let you in on a little secret--I absolutely LOVE museums. Whenever I plan a trip--it's always around museums/culture/history AND famous book stores. One of my favorite little haunts in NYC is the Frick. Originally the home of Henry Clay Frick and his family, this incredible gilded age mansion opened to the public in 1935 as an art museum. It houses over 1,800 paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. The collection is absolutely amazing as is the history of the Frick family. AND most of the work at the museum was purchased by the Frick family while it was still their home. It blows my mind that these people lived with MASTERPIECES on their walls to gaze at whenever they wanted. The reason I bring up this incredible place is because I just finished a lovely novel set at the Frick called The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis. This historical thriller follows two story lines--that of Lillian Carter in 1919 and Veronica Weber in 1966. As the story unfolds, Lillian is an artist model/muse who has worked for many famous artists. One day after work, she finds herself running from the scene of a murder and ends up seeking refuge at the Frick, where the servants think she is a job applicant. Lillian ends up working for Miss Helen, daughter of Henry Frick, as her private secretary. It is in this position that Lillian becomes linked to a missing diamond and her story intertwines with events in 1966. In 1966, Veronica Weber is a model on a photo shoot for Vogue at the Frick. After a blizzard, she is stuck at the museum with an intern named Joshua where they find clues that might solve the mystery of the missing  diamond. I totally enjoyed this mystery and found the characters to be well developed and interesting. Find out all about the museum, its collection and the Fricks when you read this page turner. I totally recommend going to the museum before reading this novel because it will help bring this lovely story to life. Enjoy. 

May 10, 2026 MAMMA MIA

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. You deserve to be celebrated. It really is the hardest job in the world.  One thing that never changes when you are a mom--NO MATTER HOW OLD YOUR KIDS ARE--is the worrying. I still worry for their safety, health and overall happiness every day. I know I have ZERO control over these things BUT--I can't help myself. As much as I wanted them to grow up and do their thing--It's a catch 22. I  have no idea what they are doing--or where they are going from day to day. I recently found out that my youngest was in Montreal for a weekend and NEVER mentioned it. Crazy. I know that I just have to trust that they will be smarter than I was at their age. UGH. Now that's a low bar. And you wonder why I'm worried. HA. On to the books. I recently finished a historical novel based on the true story of Marguerite de la Rocque, a French noblewoman abandoned on a remote island called Isola by Allegra Goodman. As the story unfolds, Marguerite is an orphaned heiress who lives with her nurse, Damienne in France in the 16th century. Her guardian and cousin, Roberval, is in control of her fortune and future but after he loses her money, Marguerite and her nurse are forced to live in the tower of her castle. After moving in with her cousin, Marguerite and her nurse are then taken on a voyage of discovery to New France, where Marguerite has a secret affair with Auguste. After Roberval discovers this betrayal, he leaves his cousin, lover and her nurse on a remote island for two winters. Sound interesting? Find out what happens in this well-written book about survival, strength, love and redemption-when you read it for yourself. Enjoy. 

April 26, 2026 PERFECT

 

Perfect. That's the word my daughter used to describe her bridal shower last weekend. And that made it worth all the time and effort. When I decided to have her shower at our house--extreme action was necessary to get our house up to par. Rooms needed painting--aging furniture desperately needed replacing. Light fixtures dating back to the Civil War (JK) needed to be updated. Our house was a hot mess. Figured that it would cost  a good chunk of money to have the shower at a destination so why not spend that extra money on the house and have it here. AND IT REALLY WAS PERFECT. I love a home shower. Ours was intimate--cozy-- AND  the 15 bottles of Prosecco really added to the celebratory mood. Only 5 weeks until the nuptials. Praying for good weather. In the midst of all this craziness, I 'm still managing to read and recently finished the National Book Award winner from 2025, The True True Story of Raja The Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine. As this quirky story unfolds, Raja is a retired, gay teacher who lives in a tiny apartment in Beirut with his 85 year old domineering, over protective mother, Zalfa. It's definitely a love/hate relationship. One day, Raja gets a letter in the mail telling him that he has been awarded an all expense paid writing residency in Virginia and he is extremely flattered. The story then flips back and forth through time, as Raja remembers some of the decisions he has made because of his gullibility and the consequences of those choses. The story covers six decades that include war, a banking crisis, sexual violence, kidnapping and even the pandemic. Some of the stories are absurd, crazy and laugh-out-loud funny,  while others are more somber and heart wrenching, but they are all his true stories. This gem is also filled with outlandish characters including his cousin, Nahed, Aunt Yasmine, the neighborhood "godfather" Madame Taweel and many more. Find out if Raja takes another leap of faith and goes to Virginia when you read this well-written, one of a kind story. 

April 6, 2026 IMMIGRATION SONG

 

Back in the day, my grandmother went to the beauty parlor every Friday to have her hair "set".  This ritual  involved a professional shampoo, rollers, pins, a magical "hooded dryer" to "bake the set" and copious amounts of HEAVY DUTY HAIRSPRAY. Yup--that's all it took to have perfect hair for an entire week. And if it rained?? My grandmother must have had the market on plastic rain bonnets. One would magically appear on her head if there was even the threat of rain.  My other grandmother also had a very serious hairdo--the bee hive. It literally stood up on her head almost a foot. I bet that needed some serious hairspray. She wrapped the hive in at least a roll of toilet paper every night to keep that baby in place. I got to thinking about this last weekend while at the hairdresser. I'd had my hair washed, colored and blown out. It looked great.  Just wished it would last as long as the "set" did back in the day. Fond memories. Ma, the main character in Megha Majumdar's new book A Guardian and a Thief is not so fortunate.  Set in Kolkata, India, Ma, her father, Babu, and her two year old daughter, Misthi, have one week until they immigrate to the United States to join her husband in Michigan. Ma is the manager of a homeless shelter in the city--a city facing climate change and severe famine. People are desperate to feed their families and many face choices between life and death. Boomba is a twenty year old homeless man who came to Kolkata to save his own family. Instead, he is penniless and staying at the shelter. One day he follows Ma home from the shelter and later breaks into her house looking for food and inadvertently steals their passports. Don't want to say much more about the plot other than that I never would have guessed where it was going. This is a novel about morality, desperation and the choices we make for family. Pretty sure it was a finalist for The National Book Award in 2025. Enjoy.

March 22, 2026. KILLING IN THE NAME

As an employee of Papa Ginos at The New London Mall in 1984--I was a bit apprehensive when the Crystal Mall opened its doors. I worried that the mall would close and I'd be out of a job.  But--that didn't stop me from going to see what all the hype was about. I'll never forget my first trip. I literally lost my car. I had never been to a mall SO big. I didn't realize there were so many entrances and exits. I still laugh when I think about the hour I spent walking around the parking lot looking for my little blue car. I went to the Crystal Mall yesterday-- 42 years later--and what a shock. There are only a few stores open. Although the original New London Mall is gone--it's still a shopping center albeit without Papa Ginos.  No such luck for the Crystal Mall with Electric Boat taking over the entire space. Sad but times change. In other news, I just finished a book I think you might enjoy call Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. Buckeye is a lovely novel that spans 50 years--from 1920s-1970s. Set in Ohio, it follows the lives of two couples, Cal and Becky Jenkins and Felix and Margaret Salt. As the story unfolds, Cal is haunted because he can not serve in WWII as he was born with one leg longer than the other. After high school graduation, he dates and quickly marries Becky, a spiritual medium. The couple settle into life and quickly have a son named Skip. Margaret Salt is an orphan who hopes marriage will solve her problems. After her husband Felix deploys, he serves aboard a naval vessel for 4 years. When he finally comes home,  he is traumatized, but seems better after Margaret announces her pregnancy and they have a son named, Tom.  I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to ruin the story, but major themes include secrets, forgiveness, complexities in marriage and the impact of war. This well-written saga is filled with interesting, rich characters that will stick with you for a long time. It will also make you question why people never seem to learn that WAR SOLVE NOTHING. 

March 7, 2026. KOKOMO

Spent the last week in Aruba with friends. It's just what I needed to get  through the rest of this God- forsaken winter. Totally lucked out too--Missed the BLIZZARD OF 2026.  While New Englanders were shoveling out--I was relaxing drinking a pina colada--with a floater-- on Baby Beach. Sorry. Don't know about you but winters are getting tough for me. I can't stand the COLD-- AND THE WIND is unbearable. Don't remember it being like this when I was younger. Climate Change?  Looking forward to springing ahead this weekend--daylight savings and warmer weather. Cheers to making it through another winter. Read a few good books over vacation, but one I really enjoyed was called Heft by Liz Moore. Arthur Opp is an obese, former English teacher, who hasn't left his home in ten years. His only contact with people comes from couriers when they deliver food, groceries and other necessities. He spends most of his time thinking about Charlene Turner, a former student he met eighteen years earlier, when he was teaching night school in Manhattan. Arthur and Charlene became friends during the semester and briefly dated before Charlene called it off, however, they continued to correspond for several years until the letters finally stopped. It's now been 20 years since Arthur has heard from Charlene--who out of the blue calls him to ask him to tutor her son, Kel. Kel is a baseball prodigy trying to juggle school with taking care of his mother. This quirky story is told through alternating voices--Arthur and Kel--as both try to navigate loneliness, trauma, and ideas of family in this hopeful novel that I truly enjoyed. Don't want to say much more. Give it a try and let me know what you think.