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  • I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken

    I was sorting through my cookbooks, trying to whittle them down to a more reasonable collection, when I came across my mother’s old copy of I Hate to Cook Book. It’s been around as long as I can remember, first on my mother’s cookbook shelf and now mine. I sat down that evening to browse through it and found it delightfully snarky and fun.

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  • The Names by Florence Knapp

    I have to say this is a debut novel that actually deserves all the hype. I just finished reading The Names and found it unputadownable (and yes, I am going to stick with that word, thank you very much).

    The story opens with Cora who’s torn about which name to give her newborn son on his birth certificate. When she gets to the registry office, the story splits into three parts, following what their lives could’ve looked like had she named her son one of three names: Gordon (after her abusive husband), Bear (yes, like the animal), or Julian (classy, artistic).

    Each name leads to an entirely different life, not just for the newborn, but also for Cora, her daughter Maia, and a constellation of relationships which change and morph with every choice.

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  • Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams

    I read this beautiful novel when it first came out in 2015 (a gift from my sister) and somehow never kept any notes about it. I remember inhaling it in two or three evenings and putting it on my shelf as a definite keeper book. I also recall it was beautiful, romantic, and full of mystical symbolism – ahh the Irish.

    Then, the other night I watched the fairly recent film adaptation starring Pierce Brosnan, Helen Bonham Carter, and Gabriel Byrne (great cast right?)

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  • The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin

    I’ve been under the weather. A nasty, congestive cold with endless coughing which racks the lungs. So I needed a read that was light, yet entertaining — in order to get through what has turned into a couple of weeks. But, stop, enough complaining – and let me tell you about The Booklover’s Library.

    In Nottingham England, widow Emma Taylor desperately needs a job to support herself and her young daughter, Olivia. Legal restrictions prohibit married women, or even widows with children from most employment opportunities. Emma eventually persuades the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s library to take a chance on her.

    But first, let me do a Book Barmy digression here, okay?

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  • Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans

    Crooked Heart is unlike any novel I’ve read about WWII – it is both compelling, and at times, wickedly humorous. It doesn’t so much focus on the Blitz or the war itself, but on the people who have to get by in the mess and ruins. And what people these are! Unscrupulous, cheating the system, and finagling their way through the tough times.

    But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself…

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  • Book Barmy 2.0

    I had long played with the idea of a book blog, but knew nothing about how to go about it — but I did know it was going to be called ~~ Book Barmy.

    Then lo and behold, my beloved aunt was visiting and she offered to design this little blog for me. That was years ago, and while I still love the look and feel of this site, the technical aspects needed updating.

    My head spun when I learned it needed an updated PHP (what the heck it that?) — also it should be optimized for phone and tablet viewing, not just for computer.

    With my fingers crossed I contacted a classmate back East who has a wonderful web design company, and while she is trying to retire, she agreed to take on the Book Barmy update project. Thanks Ruth and Aimee!

    And so, here it is!

    Updated, improved ~~ but most importantly, a new and beautiful Book Barmy look. Check it out on whatever device you want.

    In other news, a friend was traveling in Wales and trying to figure out the signage – and place names.

    She told me they used the tested Book Barmy method to communicate to each other while using the trains and road signs. That made me so happy… You can see our method HERE.

  • The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

    This is the twentieth in Ms. Penny’s beloved Gamache series, and it doesn’t miss a beat.

    Picking up where The Grey Wolf left off, The Black Wolf is both chilling and prophetic installment in which Inspector Gamache realizes the domestic terror plot he risked everything to stop was only the beginning.

    (Note: The Black Wolf is a continuation of The Grey Wolf, so it’s important they be read in order.)

    Gamache, has retreated to the quiet refuge of Three Pines while he recovers from the injuries he sustained during the pursuit of the the Grey Wolf.

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  • Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

    I chose this short Christmas novella with the perfect cover during a cold and windy night over the holidays.

    Brief but breathtaking, Small Things Like These was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and is set in the days leading up to Christmas.

    Bill Furlong is living a quiet, simple life in Ireland. He’s a happy man and dotes on his wife and five daughters. They have enough to eat and aren’t living on credit. The town has known hard times, factories are closing, and people are being laid off. Mr. Furlong is making ends meet by delivering coal and firewood to the townspeople.

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  • Murder at the Manor Edited by Martin Edwards

    I’ve been dipping in and out of this short story collection for several months and it seemed like the perfect choice to continue during the busy holidays.

    (I have a big weakness for the cover art on most all the British Library Crime Series – just can’t resist.)

    From the blurb: The English country house is an iconic setting for some of the greatest British crime fiction. This new collection gathers together stories written over a span of about 65 years, during which British society, and life in country houses, was transformed out of all recognition. It includes fascinating and unfamiliar twists on the classic ‘closed circle’ plot, in which the assorted guests at a country house party become suspects when a crime is committed. In the more sinister tales featured here, a gloomy mansion set in lonely grounds offers an eerie backdrop for dark deeds.

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  • A No for the New Year

    We’re already half way through January and I’ve been missing, but for good reasons.

    We had a busy, fun-filled holiday with beloved friends coming to visit from near and far. It was a wonderful whirlwind, but I did remember to pause and look around to remember these moments with those I love.

    But now it’s a new year and so far, not so good. I’m sure many of you feel the same.

    I like this quote:

    I don’t need a New Year’s resolution. It’s the year’s turn to be better.

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