The last Saturday of every April has become a bookish holiday of sorts. Independent bookstores all over the country will be having special events, parties, sales, celebrations. We’ve lost many independent bookstores over the last few years, but I’m happy to say that there are many, many out there that are hanging tough. …Read More

I am SUCH a procrastinator. This is not a surprise to anyone who knows me well. I get a big rush from plowing all my energy into things at the last minute. It’s intoxicating. I think I’m probably an amateur adrenalin junkie. You won’t find me on thrill rides at amusement parks, or jumping out …Read More

(Pics are all from Louise Penny’s website.) If you know my writing, it might surprise you that I go in for–devour, even– picturesque mysteries. When people visit our house for the first time, they seem disappointed not to find pitchforks and pole arms on the walls, Bowie knives on the kitchen island, or a guillotine …Read More

In high school I was never assigned the novels CATCH-22, CATCHER IN THE RYE, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, or LORD OF THE FLIES. So I never read them. I remember reading some Dostoevsky, THE GREAT GATSBY, a lot of Shakespeare,  and THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP. The program I was in was advanced–and it was …Read More