I love books I can’t put down. I hate books I can’t put down. I both love and hate books I cannot put down. They’re so great, and they keep me enthralled – but I wind up reading all day instead of doing all the things I’m supposed to do. I have great admiration for …
Book Review: Red Year by Jan Shapin
Rayna Prohme is a stranger in a strange land, but she hasn’t let that stop her passion. At thirty three years old, she and her husband are in China when she becomes the lover of Mikhail Borodin. Her husband is there covering the failing Chinese revolution, and she comes up with a plan to try …
Book Review: Sons and Soldiers by Bruce Henderson
World War II history has always been a fascinating subject for me – both because I think it’s important to look at the elements of fascism that were present in the war and because some of the most moving stories come from this period. It’s also a very sad and troubled time in world history. In Sons …
#MotivationMonday: Kick-Starting Your Week
It’s Monday! That means it’s time to get a good start on your week. Last week, we talked about motivators that get us moving on our goals. This week, we’re going to talk about great ways to kick-start your week to a good start. What sorts of things do you do to get ready for the …
Book Review: The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
I’m going to let y’all on a not so secret secret: I love superheroes. I am a big fan of Batman and of Wolverine. I think Spiderman is pretty awesome, and I’d love to borrow his spidey-powers for a little while. My favorite character is Rouge. I think it’s brilliant that touch is both her …
#Motivation Monday: What Gets You Moving?
I’m starting a new series of posts here on my blog: I want to talk about motivation and what helps us to feel motivated. I think it’s an important thing to discuss, and I also think that a lot of people conflate “motivation” with “inspiration.” What helps get me moving: One of the things that …
Book Review: My Glory Was I Had Such Friends Amy Silverstein
Almost seven years ago, I went through a traumatic experience. The first thing I did, as soon as my oldest and I were safe, was begin to reach out to my network of friends on the phone. I started calling people, because I felt that I could derive strength from my friends, and because I’d …
Book Review: News of the World by Paulette Jiles
What does it mean to be free? What happens when “saving” someone isn’t necessarily saving that person? Paulette Jiles explores these questions, beautifully, in her book, News of the World. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels and performs the newspaper for those who want to know what’s going on, but who cannot themselves read the news. This lifestyle …
Book Review: Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani
To leap, or not to leap: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of familial expectations and obligations, or to take arms and follow one’s own passions and dreams? In Kiss Carlo, Adriana Trigiani explores this question among others against a backdrop of a local Shakespeare theatre company. It’s …
Bean Box Subscription Review
*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on an affiliate link and making a purchase helps me to support my family at no additional cost to you. I received a 3-month subscription to Bean Box in exchange for my honest review of the product. It’s really not a secret that I have a strong coffee addiction. …






