Browsing a bookshop not long ago, a bookseller raved about a newly released novel. She could not say enough good things about the book. So, I bought it. Well, despite her high praise and the hundreds of stellar reviews online, it was not the book for me…

A couple of weeks ago, I had some minor surgery. All is well, but I could not bend, stoop, lift, twist, or ride in a car while recuperating. The silver lining? These constraints gave me the perfect excuse to pull on my sweats, curl up on the couch, and read…

Thanks to an issue with my right eye, I struggle to read an actual book. As problems go, it’s a tiny one. It’s also solvable. I read newspapers and magazines on a tablet. For books, I rely on my trusty Kindle. With both devices, I can adjust the font size…

Welcome – almost – to fall in my part of the world! Recently, I chatted with a woman over lunch at a café. Our conversation steered to books. “I only read non-fiction,” she said to me. “I want a book that’s thought-provoking…

It is hot, hot, hot where most of us live. Pour a tall glass of lemonade. Retreat into the air conditioning or under a shady tree or to a porch with a swirling ceiling fan. And then disappear to Chicago or Fire Island or London or Africa…

According to research, our brains can’t concentrate on two things at once. When we’re cooking a meal or knitting a blanket or building a birdhouse, we can’t worry at the same time. When we’re immersed in a good book, we can’t also be fretting…

Thank goodness for books. It’s been a difficult past few weeks in my city. An armed woman stormed into a school, killing innocent children and teachers. Our community continues to cry, grieve, and rage for the lives of families and schoolkids changed forever…

The bad news? I’m still recovering from a nasty case of the flu. The silver lining? My malady gave me the perfect excuse to lay around and read! During my convalescence, I ripped through – and enjoyed – the following books…

As I stir chicken broth and garlic cloves into the simmering pot of bland-looking cauliflower, I smile and chuckle to myself. How will this concoction go over at the dinner table tonight?

As I looked over the Oscar nominations last week, I grimaced at a couple of the movies vying for Best Picture. But, I reminded myself, we all enjoy different sorts of films. And it’s the same with books. The novel one woman raves about may not be her walking…