I have loved reading and meeting authors for as long as I can remember! As an elementary teacher I integrated literature into every part of the core curriculum. Since my retirement, reading and flower gardening are my two favorite pastimes. I look forward to sharing my passion for reading by providing reviews of the books I've read. Perhaps you will join me as I explore new authors and genres!
Bookstore Visit #5-Books-A-Million-BAM! Lake Charles, Louisiana
After listening to a Friends and Fiction Facebook live interview with Amor Towles, I decided The Lincoln Highway would be my next book purchase! (Link is below) With so many wonderful reviews and comments from readers and weeks on the NYT’s Best Seller List, this was a “no brainer!” The Lincoln Highway is now on my “to be read and savored” table, waiting for the perfect nostalgic reading whim to strike! I enjoyed the stroll through BAM and a lovely coffee with my sister while on our “sister outing.” The Victoria Magazines were another early Valentine gift to myself. Between the teatime recipes in one and the article on Storied Libraries; well, I had to purchase both!
Camille recently left an award-winning real estate career in San Antonio to become a full-time writer. Along with her husband of 23 years, she home schooled their four children, two of which are off to college. She has a bucket list that is never-ending, and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She’s lived in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California, and spends enough time in Hawai’i to feel like a local. She’s traveled to four continents (so far), and met Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. She just about fainted when she had a chance to meet her musical idol, Paul McCartney, too. Camille studied political science in college, but found working on actual campaigns much more fun.
Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
UNTIL WE MEET by Camille Di Maio, Forever, 2022, $15.99, pb, 384pp, 978-1538738047 Published on February 1, 2022 in Historical Novels Review Magazine for Historical Novel Society
A Glen Miller playlist will put readers “In the Mood” for Until We Meet by Camille Di Maio. This World War II epistolary novel begins in September,1943 with three best friends “doing their bit” at the Brooklyn Naval Yard. Filling roles of the men gone to war are Dottie, Margaret, and Gladys, who learn to knit socks while listening to tunes on the radio. Meanwhile, three airmen in “The Screaming Eagles” of the 101st Airborne are bunking at the Brown’s farmhouse near Aldbourne, England. When William hasn’t received any letters from family, Margaret’s brother, John pleads with her to write to him. At this turning point in the novel, Margaret decides to write a note and slips it into a pair of socks for William. The plot now moves through the letters of Margaret and William.
Camille Di Maio creates great anticipation as bonds are formed through letters that take weeks to cross the ocean. Through the girls’ Naval Yard experiences and encouragement from Gladys to become involved in women’s causes, Di Maio captures the burgeoning interests of women in politics and business. As readers follow the three airmen from training in the U.S to England, themes of loyalty and family expectations are aptly explored as Virginian Tom Powel, only son in a military family, reminisces about his upbringing and decision to become an airman. The movements of the Screaming Eagles are reported through letters, including details of the Battle of Normandy, with foreshadowing of lives lost and the Eiffel Tower’s symbolism as a monument of human endurance. Di Maio’s forthright handling of grief, facing it and moving on, is empathetic and realistic. The touching analogy of “joy and sorrow like seats on a playground teeter-totter” is also perfect for Until We Meet.
Bookstore Visit #4-“Friends Book Shop” in Rosenberg Public Library, Galveston Island, Texas
Oldest Public Library in Continuous Operation in Texassince 1904at this site; The collection moved here from Galveston Public Library which opened in 1899
On our trip to Galveston for the Oak Ridge Boys concert we visited the Rosenberg Library, History Center & Museum. My mission was to support the Friends Book Shop inside this beautiful library. The Friends Book Shop has gently used and new books for purchase. The shop was well laid out and easy to find books by genre. The new books were separated in a lovey display with a good selection. I found two titles I wanted to read in 2021 but hadn’t gotten around to buying. This was a successful bookstore visit!
Rosenberg Library: Friends Book Shop Galveston Texas #4
I visited Dale LaFleur’s fabulous bookshop as part of the #22in22challenge for #Zibby Books and my role as an Ambassador. Also, to celebrate our 50th anniversary we are planning a special trip each month-well I am, Carl, not so much:) and Galveston is where we honeymooned back in 1972! The beautiful Flagship Hotel was destroyed in a hurricane and is now the Amusement Pier, along with a Bubba Gump’s Shrimp, merry-go-rounds and snow cones. And for the Historical Novel Society I’ve read Sarah Bird’s new novel The Last Dance on the Starlight Pier, publishing April 12, set in GALVESTON! That post will be coming in May after the magazine publishes May 1. We were quite busy scurrying around the Seawall and the city taking pictures of historical markers and sites from the book; of course we HAD to have drinks at the Galvez and eat at Guido’s. So, three excellent reasons to make the 5 hour drive. Here are a few other pictures of the Galveston Bookshop as it was featured in Galveston Monthly!
Grand Galvez Hotel built in 1911Guido’s Seafood Flagship Hotel, Destroyed in 2008
“Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair is a beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder—and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century. St. Martin’s Press”
“Nina de Gramont lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband, the writer David Gessner. She teaches at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is almost always in the company of her two dogs, Missy and Isabelle. She’s the author of the acclaimed Meet Me at the River,Every Little Thing in the World, Gossip of the Starlings, The Last September, as well as The Distance from Me to You, which has recently been optioned for a movie. ”
The Grateful Reader- Dorothy Schwab
I’ve been travelling the last two weeks, visiting bookstores and reading all along the way. One of my stops was in Houston at the Blue Willow Book Shop, which I enjoyed immensely. The review I’m adding here is from the Blue Willow newsletter, Shelf Awareness-I love that name! As I was reading the newsletter today I came across Shahina Piyarali’s review of The Christie Affair. Since I’m still in the middle of the mystery, I though I’d share Shahina’s review with you. Enjoy!
“The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is an ingeniously plotted historical mystery in the style of an engrossing Agatha Christie thriller–except the character at the center of the mystery is the beloved lady novelist herself. Bringing to glorious life the more intimate roles Christie played, including as a mother, wife, loyal friend and passionate lover, de Gramont’s graceful novel will enthrall Christie fans of all persuasions.
The story is set in 1920s England, during the early days of Agatha’s rise to literary fame and the implosion of her marriage to Archie Christie. In real life, Agatha’s devastation over her husband’s demand for a divorce led her to flee her Berkshire home and disappear for 11 days; no one knows where she went, and she took that secret to her grave. Here, de Gramont (The Last September) offers a skillful reimagining of what transpired when Agatha vanished in the dead of night with her typewriter, setting off a media-driven scandal and a country-wide police manhunt. The result is a particularly gripping story, brilliantly embellished by the enigmatic narrator, Nan O’Dea, who also happens to be Archie’s mistress.
Although Agatha is at the heart of Nan’s narrative, The Christie Affair is a story of two women from vastly different backgrounds struggling to control their own destinies. An accomplished author, de Gramont takes a page from the great mystery writer herself and makes swift work of tying up loose ends as the story reaches its boiling point, leaving readers marvelously entertained and breathlessly connecting the dots. ” –Shahina Piyarali, reviewer
Discover: This gorgeously written mystery reimagines Agatha Christie’s real-life disappearance after the collapse of her marriage and the intriguing story of the woman responsible for the breakup.
Here’s a link to Shelf Awareness from Blue Willow Book Shop- Great interviews, book suggestions and recommendations. https://bluewillowbookshop.shelf-awareness.com/?issue=1017 My blog post from my Blue Willow visit was posted in late January.
I’ve followed this book shop for a few years now. Author Katherine Center’s hometown is Houston, so I’ve ordered her signed books from the Blue Willow. As part of the #22in22challenge, I planned a visit to Blue Willow on my way from Dallas to Galveston. (Those book store visits are coming soon!) Valerie and her wonderful staff welcomed me and showed me the layout of the store: From the left side, board books and children’s books, moving to middle grades & young adult in the middle, then adult fiction and nonfiction on the right. I had recently seen Adriana Trigiani’s interview with Mitch Albom on Adriana INk on FB and decided that would be my purchase at the Blue Willow. The books featured on the table are from local book clubs, which I loved seeing! So many I had read/reviewed, but a lot I hadn’t. As Katherine Center says, “READ FOR JOY!
Read all about Blue Willow and Valerie’s story of how the name came to be-Blue Willow- the Newbery Award Winner or the dishes? “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since Blue Willow first opened its doors. Our first storytime friends are coming home from college, and our American Girl Club girls have children of their own.
I’m reminded of a quote we have on our wall, hidden among the 750+ author signatures: “And so it goes”.
Yes, I DID! Inside the cozy shop. Local Book Club picks #1Local Book Club Picks #2Local Book Club Picks #3Local Book Club Picks #4https://adrianatrigiani.com/home/ Look for Adriana Trigiani Author on FB-Live interviews on Tuesday evenings!
Mitchell David Albom is an American author, journalist, and musician. His books have sold over 39 million copies worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports writing in his early career, he is perhaps best known for the inspirational stories and themes that weave through his books, plays, and films.
A Book of the Month Pick • Apple Books’ Best Books of January • January LibraryReads Hall of Fame
F I O N A D A V I S is the New York Times bestselling author of six historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including The Magnolia Palace, The Dollhouse, The Address, and The Lions of Fifth Avenue, which was a Good Morning America book club pick. Her novels have been chosen as “One Book, One Community” reads and her articles have appeared in publications like The Wall Street Journal and O the Oprah magazine.
She first came to New York as an actress, but fell in love with writing after getting a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and she’s based in New York City.
The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
The Magnolia Palace is a captivating mystery set in New York City at the stately mansion and family home of steel magnate, Henry Clay Frick. Filled with priceless art, Mr. Frick’s goal was to leave his home and art collection as a gift to the city. Like a knowledgeable docent on a guided tour, Fiona Davis opens readers eyes to the Gilded Age of “Vanderbuilding,” the art collector’s world, and the ache of being wealthy but not protected from human heartaches. The dual timeline involves Lillian Carter, a sculptors’ model known for her classic beauty in 1919 and Veronica Weber, a newly discovered 1966 London fashion model, naïve but with an excellent memory and observation skills. The Frick family with all their largesse are not immune to tragedy, sibling rivalry, and domineering, interfering parents. Fiona Davis seamlessly weaves the two timelines with both endearing and badly behaved characters, love triangles between staff and family, and the mystery of the famous Magnolia Diamond. To marry for security or follow a career are choices that keep Lillian and Veronica searching from one clue to another as they get closer and closer to solving the Frick family mystery. Fiona Davis layers her plot with the mastery of an Old-World painter. Readers will be quickly immersed and enthralled with The Magnolia Palace.
After finishing this novel, quite a while was spent reading, researching, and enjoying the photos of the Frick Collection. Somehow in all the excitement a catalog was ordered with 180 color plates of the artwork in the collection! An Instagram post will be coming as soon as the catalog arrives.
The Frick Collection https://www.frick.org/Helen Clay Frick Cover of The Frick Collection Catalog The Fragonard Room The Staircase with the Organ Knave
JP O’Connell has worked as an editor and writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines including Time Out, the Guardian, The Times and the Daily Telegraph. JP has also written several books including a novel, a celebration of letter-writing, a spice encyclopedia, and most recently an analysis of David Bowie’s favorite books and the ways they influenced his music. JP lives in London.
Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
In the summer of 1926, the newly opened Hotel Portofino on the Italian Riviera is being readied for guests by the owner, Bella Ainsworth. The hotel’s reputation, Bella’s marriage, and even more importantly son Lucian’s future is at stake. Author J.P. O’Connell has filled the upscale hotel with demanding, persnickety guests, conniving politicians, needy friends of Bella’s adult children, and even a Texan and his partner, a savvy black dancer. As guests arrive, the family and limited staff are stretched to fill roles but thank goodness for cook Betty and her son Billy that came from England with the Ainsworth family. As the summer unfolds, husband Cecil and Bella become further estranged and a mystery of diabolic twists and turns between “upstairs-downstairs” keeps the reader hanging on as picnics on the beach, large tea parties, and political intrigue fill the hotel’s daily agenda. O’Connell’s narrative flows from one idyllic scene to the next as guests, family, and locals are woven into life in the picturesque villa on the coast of Italy. Reading Hotel Portofino, already optioned for a series by PBS, is like flipping through slides on a reel; one delightful scene after another. Pour a cool drink, prop your feet up and take in the view from Hotel Portofino.
Streaming on BritBox January 27, PBS Masterpiece date not released
“My first novel, The Kennedy Debutante, came out in 2018, and my second in 2020: The Girl In White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly. My third, The Paris Bookseller, about trailblazing entrepreneur Sylvia Beach and the original Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, is coming in early 2022. I’ll also have another historical novel coming your way from Berkley in 2023, a fact that makes me feel incredibly lucky and grateful after spending so many years (and years!) writing and working on the craft.”
The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
“An English language bookshop in France?”
Kerri Maher’s The Paris Bookseller is the story of American Sylvia Beach, expatriate living in Paris, who opened Shakespeare and Company in 1921. She subsequently published the Irish author, James Joyce’s Ulysses, though banned in the U.S. and Britain. This novel is especially for bibliophiles who will understand Sylvia’s sentiment to “help them find the exact book they were looking for, the volume they had no idea they needed but that might just change their lives.” This is what led Sylvia to open an English language bookshop and the courage to publish Joyce’s book in France. She wanted “to do something to rebel against the stodgy, censorious forces at work in America,” in the early 1920’s. Maher’s research includes details, accounts of the visits, and sentiments of many famous clientele, from Gertrude Stein to Ernest Hemingway. Readers will sense the angst and lack of confidence that Sylvia feels in her personal relationship with Adrienne Monnier and the extreme difficulty she has separating the feelings for her bookshop from the needy, sometimes annoying Joyce. What would Shakespeare and Company be without the famous author? Maher takes readers on the perilous journeys of finding love, being true to oneself, parental influence, the ins and outs of publishing, legal battles, and finance, all while maintaining sanity. Maher’s goal to “imagine the roller coaster ride of pride, joy, and anguish” is accomplished in The Paris Bookseller.
James Joyce (1882 – 1941) is one of Ireland’s most influential and celebrated writers. His most famous work is Ulysses (1922) which follows the movements of Leopold Bloom through a single day on June 16th, 1904. Ulysses is based on Homer’s The Odyssey. Some of Joyce’s other major works include the short story collection Dubliners (1914), and novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939) https://jamesjoyce.ie/
Sylvia Beach, an American, founded the first Shakespeare and Company in 1919.
Located in Paris at 12 rue de l’Odéon, the shop was half bookstore and half lending library. It attracted the great expat writers of the time—Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Eliot, Pound—including some of the century’s most compelling female voices: Djuna Barnes, Gertrude Stein, Janet Flanner, Kay Boyle, and Mina Loy. https://shakespeareandcompany.com/35/history/95/sylvia-beachs-shakespeare-and-company-1919-1941
MICHELLE MURIEL is the award-winning, bestselling author of the #1 historical fiction bestseller ESSIE’S ROSES, WESTLAND (Essie’s Roses 2), and WATER LILY DANCE.
The Grateful Reader Review: by Dorothy Schwab
Westland is a sweeping novel that returns the devoted readers of Michelle Muriel’s Essie’s Roses to Alabama, 1866, during the post-Civil War, Reconstruction Era. Reading Westland is like sitting on Miss Katie’s front porch watching a storm roll in-changes are coming; it’ll get bad, but there’s always hope and beauty in the clearing skies. After five years, protected from the war by Aunt Lil in London and Paris, sisters Evie and Essie Mae return “home” to honor the last wishes of Katie, the matriarch of Westland. Told through the rolling dialect of Delly, Katie’s trusted houseslave and confidant and alternating with memories recalled by Evie and Essie Mae, readers will anticipate the storm and aftermath of the Civil War. While hoping to find solace in uncovering secrets, seeking the true meaning of “home and family,” and finding forgiveness while attempting to save the plantation, breathe in “Westland– where its willows hold secrets until the night air sweeps through their leaves, scattering them in the wind and into our ears.”
So many elements of this novel give the reader pause to slow down and savor passages; so beautiful and lyrical they beg rereading. Michelle Muriel interlaces the language of flowers all through the narrative, along with symbolism in comparing life to a rose and who cultivates “us”? The fact that Essie Mae has cultivated a new rose on her own is yet another symbol or perspective on independence and freedom.
There are many breathtaking descriptions of Westland; this one through Evie’s eyes as she returns home provides readers with the imagery of “fall’s splendor.” “With every blink, through the peephole of the branches to the sky, the swirling leaves shifted in stained-glassed shapes as nature’s kaleidoscope.”
Characters are lovingly and sympathetically developed through heartwarming dialogue. Essie Mae and her escort Bedford reveal private thoughts and encouragement to “trust” while the soothing, lilting chatter between River and Evie unveils his wife, Polly’s collection of children’s stories and invented language; a favorite is “snickety pickety!” Houseslave, Delly, should have her own novel. Her wisdom and eloquent sayings are like homemade preserves-put up to be taken down and enjoyed later! Her quips are priceless and deserve to be collected: “Minds like beds, they never stay made up.” “The only good that comes from secrets, is when we go on and tell ‘em.” A personal favorite: “Child, sometimes it’s not the family we’re born into, it’s the family that finds us, the ones who save and care for us.” Delly is truly a Westland treasure.
Then there’s Katie and Evie’s love for freed slave, Bo, who’s chosen to remain at Westland. Love is reflected with such kindness and graciousness when Evie teaches him to read. Oh my, Essie Mae and readers are in for a treat from Bo and his insights on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility!
As Essie Mae arrives to join Evie, she sighs, “I take heart in knowing sometimes the end of a dream is the start of a new one.”
Dear readers, Westland is truly a dream come true.
The Grateful Reader 