I‘ve held off on reading The Dutch House bc for me, the anticipation of reading a new Ann Patchett book is almost as enjoyable as the book itself. But I finally reached my limits of anticipatory pleasure and read it. It had everything I hoped it would - a compelling narrative, lyrical, beautiful writing, rich characters. The only thing I don‘t like is that for the time being, there‘s no unread Ann Patchett book waiting for me on my shelves.

Summer is half over and there are still So. Many. Books. I want to read. Almost done with The Premonition, which, like all Michael Lewis books, is just so stinking good. In this particular case, it‘s wonderfulness is even more astounding, as it‘s pandemic-related, and books are where I usually turn to *escape* thinking about the pandemic. #somanybooks #summerreadingstacks

I enjoyed Overdue Life, but it suffered from my own high expectations from the outset, which I realize is entirely my own problem. I‘d been told if I liked Where‘d You Go, Bernadette?, I should read this one. I did…and found it was “not as:” not as funny, narratively creative, sharp (or smart), or layered. And it‘s kind of hard to beat Bernadette as a protagonist. But, had I read it as simply a fun summer read, it would‘ve suited me just fine.

Winchester‘s books are hit or miss with me, but this was a clear winner. He immerses you in each outpost he visits, so you feel like you‘re right there with him. I‘d never heard of most of the places he visits, far-flung, remote, and improbable travel destinations, for me at least. It was thrilling to feel as though I was discovering little pockets of the world, like pieces of a tabletop globe had peeled off and landed in my lap for closer study.

There aren‘t that many books that I can say made me feel immensely richer for having read them. Have A Little Faith was one of them. What a tender, heart uplifting little book.

Confession: I devour every single thing Carl Hiaasen writes, and am never disappointed. In addition to just enjoying their for their entertainment value, they particularly resonate with me as someone who was born and raise and continues to be embarrassed by her home state of Florida. I love them all, but for some reason, Skinny Dip is the one I‘ve reread the most. I want Mick Stranahan, Joey Perrone, and the incomparable Skink in my life!

As someone who has been fascinated by islands since childhood, and who harbors a not-so-secret desire to open a bookstore one day, this delightful book of a curmudgeony bookshop owner captured my heart. Highly recommend!

“Only do not forget, if I wake up crying,
It‘s only because in my dream I‘m a lost child,
Hunting through the leaves of the night for your hands.”

“There must be writers whose parents owned no books, and who were taken under the wing of a neighbor or teacher or librarian, but I have never met one….when I walk into an apartment with books on the shelves, books on the bedside tables, books on the floor, and books on the toilet tank, then I know what I would see if I opened the door that says PRIVATE-GROWNUPS KEEP OUT: a child sprawled on the bed, reading.”

“[M]anaging risks was an act of the imagination. And the human imagination is a poor tool for judging risk. “People are really good at responding to the crisis that just happened, as they naturally imagine that whatever just happened is most likely to happen again. They are less good at imagining a crisis before it happens, and taking action to prevent it.”