Reading, Watching, & Listening

 

Welcome back to my blog!  I hope that this post finds you well.  

We are a little sad about our Horned Frogs, but oh well, there's always next year.

Here is a glance at our dream team.  We are finally taking our tree down today while our eager helper, Millie, will be playing with all of her friends at camp. Chowdah will be assuming his usual post as security detail.  And the Mister will be taking off the ornaments on the branches that are out of reach for me.  That covers about 75% of them.

It took us this long to take down the decorations because we hosted a chili night on Friday night and everything looks so boring when the trimmings are missing.

The Mister outdid himself, and it was a good time had by all.

Now it's time to fill you in on what has been keeping the Mister and me entertained lately.

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I loved the author's first book, Dear Edward.  I was very excited to receive an advance copy from NetGalley.  Napolitano hit it out of the ballpark with this engrossing emotional family saga.  It is centered around four closely-knit sisters whose mother was more interested in her garden than her children.  Their father was flawed and yet so endearing.  One sister married William, an emotionally starved man who was practically abandoned as a child. He is the reason that the sisters' circle is broken.  I loved every one of the characters in this novel.  They were so richly drawn that I felt like I could reach out and touch them. It was with sweet sorrow that I finished the last pages of this beautiful, heart-wrenching novel. Although it is only January, I venture to say that this book with be in my top 5 of 2023.  It comes out in March.

  Keep the hankies handy.

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When I read the rave reviews of this book, I was skeptical.  I don't always like books that are commercial successes. This is a story about an endearing woman in her 70s who works as a night cleaner in an aquarium.  Tova is so sweet to all the inhabitants and carries on conversations with them. Her most beloved creature is a giant octopus who is nearing the end of his lifespan named Marcellus. When she becomes injured, she trains a young man as her replacement, and they become fast friends.  Only Marcellus knows the key to their connection. 

This novel is not only charming, but it will warm your heart. 

  

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This is my first Ethan Joella book, and it won't be my last.  My buddy and Insta book reviewer extraordinaire, heyjudereads is a big fan of Joella's.  Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella are facing life's biggest challenges.  Chuck, who is retired, lost his beloved wife to cancer.   Kirsten's father was murdered at a gas station on his way home.  And lastly, Ella's estranged husband kidnapped their daughter, and no one will help her find the child.  All three characters are carrying grief in their hearts.  Coincidences bring them together, and their stories play out.  

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One night, three teenagers get into a car that is involved in a horrible car accident. Two of the teens survive.  This is the story of how people deal differently with grief and loss. And it also is a statement of how a single tragedy can affect so many lives. Although it was sometimes depressing, the characters and circumstances kept me reading.

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This was a daily deal on Audible.  It is the story of a small town in Pennsylvania that is the scene of a mass shooting at the community theater.  It is told by a gentleman who saved the day by stopping the shooter but lost his wife in the process.  He was a reluctant local hero.  He mentors the brother of the shooter, and they decide to write a play and perform it at the theater.  This book is well-written, and the narrator did an outstanding job, but it was just so darn sad.  

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Now I'm back to the genre of which I feel a lot more comfortable - domestic suspense.  Reading about unhappy rich people with a taste for murder is my jam. The main character in this book is a seasoned Senator's wife who turns out to be much more ambitious than her husband.

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I can't imagine that Matthew left anything unsaid in his tell-all memoir.  He lifted the curtain on the devastating effects of alcoholism. But I did enjoy it, and I was glad I read it.

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As you well know, we lost Barbara Walters last week.  I read her memoir in 2008, the year of its release.  To date, it was one of the best memoirs that I have ever read. The thing that I remember the most was that she strongly believed in writing notes to people.  Whether it be a thank you, well wishes, sympathy, or pleading for an interview, she chose to write a note.  

This book also is also released in an audible and is not read by the author.

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...a heartfelt novel about two offbeat and newly divorced sisters who move in together as adults.

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...a masterfully written thriller about deception where we least expect it and the danger of a lie tumbling out of control.

One of my favorite authors!

Released today.

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...plunges readers into a world of glamorous, charismatic young British debutantes and then turns that shiny world on its head.

Another favorite author of mine!

Yes!!!

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 ...an utterly propulsive story about the search for justice and the fault lines of power and influence in a seemingly idyllic town.

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This is the age of vice, where money, pleasure, and power are everything,
and the family ties that bind can also kill.

Sounds right up my alley.

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We loved it!

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This one is not bad if you don't mind listening to some 30-somethings whining and viewing Jesse Eisenberg's bare derriere.

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It took me a while to get into the fifth season, but I am enjoying it.  The Mister loves it.

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One of my favorite books - just an okay movie. 

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Not a bad thriller with a whiplash-worthy twist.

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My favorite egotistical designer is always entertaining.

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I love these two!!

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In this show, the egos are almost as big as the homes!

My favorite medical show is coming to an end, and I'm going to miss him it.

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Just watched the first episode, and it's better than ever!

I may even watch it a second time!

Linking up with:

I do DeClaire
Inspire Me Tuesday

The Happy Now Blog 

Lou Lou Girls