Reading, Watching, & Listening

 

I hope that you had a good weekend.  Ours was busy and lots of fun.  We met the Adorables, AJ's parents, on Saturday for lunch.  It seemed like forever since we had seen them, and it was fun to catch up.  On Sunday, we took our favorite grandchild and her parents out to lunch.

Although we Facetime almost daily, it still surprises me how big Miss Lucy is getting.  

On Monday, I met my pal and partner in crime, Miss Deb, at the Kips Bay Showhouse for my weekly dose of eye candy.  I will share more photos later in The Friday Files.

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To say that I loved Like Mother, Like Mother would be an understatement. I absolutely adored this book. The storyline is creative, and a mystery remains the core of this well-told story. The characters are well-drawn, and it was hard for me to say goodbye to them, especially Grace, Ruth, Frances, and Joe. I'm hoping for a sequel.  

Comes out today!

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I was excited about this one because I loved The Stationery Shop. Kamali did not let me down. This is a beautiful story of a lasting, heartbreaking friendship that formed during turbulent times in Tehran and continued for many after.  

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I read White's first book, The Maid's Diary, and enjoyed it.  This novel revolves around Chloe, a socially awkward woman who takes care of her ailing mother.  Chloe meets Jemma and is immediately envious of her glamorous life.  Jemma is married to a handsome surgeon and has a gorgeous home.   Jemma begins her day with a swim as Chloe walks her dog every morning on the beach.  Everything is copasetic until it's not. 

Lots of twists and turns! 

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Nicola Kraus is the author of The Nanny Diaries, but this family-focused saga is nothing like it. One flaky sister, Bunny,  drops off her three kids at her responsible sister's house in the 1970's. She doesn't come back to reclaim the kids from Jayne for several years. Bunny takes the poor kids and something else of Jayne's, which is very close to her heart. The children are the victims of this incredibly dysfunctional family. This book pulled at my heartstrings. I enjoyed the characters as well as the writing.

This comes out in May.

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David and Marcie are a well-liked couple living in a small midwest town.  Marcie is a hard-hitting lawyer, while David owns a bar.  One day, David saves a drowning man, and his face is all over the media.  A day later, David goes missing.

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This heart-breaking book was written by Hunter Biden's ex-wife.  It is not a political piece, nor is it a tell-all.  It is a love story that begins with promise and ends in pieces as a result of alcoholism and drug addiction.  Anyone who has a family member battling this devastating disease will feel comfort knowing that they are not the only ones.

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The Mister and I are listening to this on our trips to Dallas and back.  Ina delivers a transparent account of her life and career and does not sugarcoat anything.

No pun intended.

Ina reads it on Audible, which is the cherry on top.

No pun intended.

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I can always count on Kiersten Modglin to deliver a solid, suspenseful story.  In The Hidden, Sophie wakes up in an all-white room with no accessories. As she begins to put the pieces together, she remembers having a date with someone new from a dating app.  She then discovers that all the doors are locked and there is no way out.  Her first visitor leaves her with more questions than answers. This is every mother's nightmare.

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 Claire has had an unfortunate childhood.  She was raised by an abusive mother, and now she is taking care of her.  Claire meets a wonderful guy, and they become engaged.  She decides to surprise him and bring him lunch to his office.  She is informed that he has not worked at the place for months.  She then calls him many times, but he never picks up.  After a few days, she realizes that she has been ghosted.  Claire and her friend from work do some detective work and find that her dream guy is engaged to someone else.  And that's when the fun begins.   

This comes out next March.

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Nikki has four kids and a semi-absent husband, and she lost her anchor woman job while on maternity leave.  She meets Ainsley, who is married to the heir to a candy company, has a staff of 4, and a gorgeous home.  They strike up a friendship at the children's school and immediately hit it off.  It turns out that Ainsley has a shady past, and the new coach at the school knew her back in her darkest days.  Ainsley's hubby is running for the Senate, and the coach threatens to disclose her past.  Nikki and Ainsley join forces to take the coach down.

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Nobody writes domestic suspense like Kimberly McCreight.  When Cleo arrives home for dinner, her mother, a successful lawyer, is nowhere to be found.  All that is left is a dinner cooking in the oven and a bloody shoe. This story unfolds quickly; with enough twists and turns to give you whiplash.  

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Fasten your seatbelts; you are in for a wild ride. Camilla, a book agent, is back at work for her first day after maternity leave.  She begins to worry about her husband when she can't get in touch with him all day.  The next thing she knows, the police arrive at her door and inform her that her husband is involved in a hostage situation. As she attempts to understand their words, they then inform her that he is the gunman. 

You'll have to wait until February to find out how this one ends.

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Have you read The Plot?

The sequel has finally arrived. Now that Anna got rid of her famous author husband, she at last is in the driver's seat. She has her published book in tow and is receiving lots of attention, which she craves. Life is wonderful in Annaland until she receives an excerpt of an unpublished book that she never thought she would see again.  This one is a slow burn.   

    Some November Picks  

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Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.

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The 6:20 Man returns, this time sent to the Pacific Northwest to aid in a complicated FBI case—and he’s about to come face-to-face with his nemesis, the girl on the train.  

One of the Mister's favorite authors.

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Where the Library Hides is Isabel Ibañez's stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!

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If you knew then what you know now, would you make the same choices? Imagine having a second chance with the one you never forgot.

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In her own words.

I would have named the book If I Could Turn Back Time. 

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Supreme Court candidates are being murdered—and only Alex Cross and John Sampson can take the case in The House of Cross. 

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“The most popular holiday tale since Tiny Tim” (Newsweek)—a new novel celebrating the life-changing power of the holiday spirit.

Great hostess gift!

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A foster mother must contend with the emotional turmoil of her new blended family in a heartfelt novel of hope and second chances.

Trailer

Seth is so talented.  LOL moments. Clean humor.  If you are so sensitive to the F-word, this show is not for you.

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