To me, the very best historical fiction succeeds in doing three things: It makes me learn, it makes me think, and it makes me feel. The House of Hawthorne, the newest release by Erika Robuck, not only hits these points, it gets the most golden gold star all over. The House of Hawthorne follows the … More The House of Hawthorne—and Why I Adore Erika Robuck
When it comes to Claire Cook’s books, I have this tendency to shut out the rest of the world from the minute I start page one, and I’m pretty much unable to do anything but read, read, read until I finish the last word. The voice, the characters and the plot are so engaging that … More Must Love Dogs: Bark and Roll Forever — A Summer Must-Read
Something happened to me last week. I fell madly, madly in love—the kind of love that you can’t stop thinking about, can’t stop talking about, and seriously can’t get enough of. The object of my affection? The Precious One, the new novel by bestselling author Marisa de los Santos. The Precious One tells the story … More The Precious One – One You Can’t Miss
Sometimes I can be really late to the party. That’s the only excuse I have for not reading any of JoJo Moyes’ books until now. Thankfully, I’ve rectified that with The Girl You Left Behind, and you can guarantee that I’ll be making up for lost time by reading everything else she’s ever written. The … More The Girl You Left Behind (And Why I’ve Got a Lot of Reading to Do)
When I picked up Beth Kendrick’s New Uses for Old Boyfriends, I was hoping for something fun, entertaining and heartfelt. What I found was exactly that, and so much more. New Uses for Old Boyfriends introduces us to Lila Alders, homecoming queen-turned-home shopping host-turned broke divorcee. (That last part wasn’t exactly part of her plan.) … More New Uses for Old Boyfriends: A True Delight
There is so much to love about Edith Wharton. She was a brilliant and prolific writer who captured old New York and sleepy New England better than anyone. She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. She dedicated herself to charity work during World War I, and the gorgeous Massachusetts home … More The Age of Innocence: A Classic for the Ages
Today marks what would have been Anne Bronte’s 195th birthday. To me, one of the great mysteries in life is the fact that Anne’s novels are not on as many required reading lists as Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, and I often find myself wondering why her characters are not discussed as much as Emily’s Heathcliff … More Required Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
As a reader, there’s nothing I love more than finding a set of characters I absolutely adore and learning that I don’t have to say goodbye to them thanks to a sequel. With the release of Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later, Claire Cook has gone the extra mile, giving us a third installment featuring the … More Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later
When I first read Confessions of a Shopaholic fourteen years ago, I instantly fell in love with Becky Bloomwood. She was two parts Lucille Ball, one part…well…me. I found a kindred spirit in the feisty heroine and completely understood the importance she placed on that Denny & George scarf. A decade and a half and seven … More Becky is Back: Shopaholic to the Stars
Obsessive reader that I am, I constantly find myself recommending books to people. Once in a while, a book comes along that I not only want to recommend, but that I want to boast about through a megaphone, handing out copies with a simple, “You’re welcome.” I don’t have a megaphone handy—plus that might be … More Never Too Late: A Must Read
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