Here we are, a new year and some great books to start the book review posts. I’m really going to aim to get these reviews up promptly this year. I’m so excited that I’m only in the middle of February, and I’m posting already. We will see how long it last before they start piling up on me again, though… fingers are crossed; I won’t let that happen.

The Spare by Prince Harry I had pre-ordered this book because even before I read it, I loved Prince Harry. I have loved him since he was a little boy, perhaps because I loved his Mom. When the car accident took her away from the boys, my heart broke for them…I was a young Mom and thought of how I would have felt if my children had all of a sudden had to live without me. So, of course, I wanted to read this. I had a healthy respect for the monarchy before reading Harry’s account of how life was for him and others inside the Palace, but after reading about how he and Meghan were treated and also others, my respect for them is pretty much gone. I don’t think I would survive when everything else in life came before my family and me. I do believe his account of his life…It is his story to tell. I also think whether you like him or you don’t, this is an essential read for anyone interested in history. I was sad when it ended, but I hope that someday we will know that he is o.k. and settled into his own family lovingly and peacefully. They are making a great start. Life is a fairytale; I would like to believe love always wins. 5 Stars for this intense memoir

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva My son always gives me a Christmas book right before Christmas to read while I’m getting ready for this most generous holiday. He also knows that Charles Dickens is my favorite author so how perfect that he gave me Mr. Dickens and his Carol. I had read this book when it came out in 2017, but with the new cover, I got tricked into thinking it was a new book. At any rate, I re-read it this time and enjoyed it so much more than the first time; right before or right after Christmas is the perfect time for this book. The Christmas season is alive and well, and I like the message of how Dickens might have struggled to get this book out for the deadline that he must meet before it is too late. The problem is Dickens is having a bit of writer’s block until he meets Eleanor Lovejoy, who might just be the muse he needs as the deadline and creditors close in on him. The old London neighborhoods were fun to be back in, also. I did really love this book, and it will come out every Christmas now for anyone who wants to glance through it. 5 Stars.

The Art of a Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl Late December and January is perfect for taking some time for yourself. For me, that means long afternoons, with a fire and tea reading until my eyes close. I think that is why I was attracted to the Art of the Wasted Day. Kind of like giving myself permission to rest and read after the busy season had passed. A spirited inquiry into the lost value of leisure and daydreaming. A way of restoring our natural balance, I guess. These were short stories, one about two eighteenth-century Irish ladies who ran off to live a life of “retirement” in rural Wales. Some I liked, so not so much. It was in part, Hampl’s own life winding through these stories, from childhood days lazing under a neighbor’s beechnut tree, to a fascination with monastic life, then to love and the loss of that, which forms this book’s thread of inquiry. The real job of being human Hampl finds, is getting lost in thought, something only leisure can provide. It was exciting and different with a mix of holding my attention, then I would be lost and bored for a while…I give it 3 stars but check it out. It might work for you.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan If it has the word Bookshop in the title I’m probably going to buy it. Then if it’s a Christmas Bookshop, I’m going to read it right away in December. This was such a fun, accessible book. All of Jenny Colgan's books are fun and easy but isn’t that just what we need sometimes…This was a great book about books, family, and Christmas. Carmen is laid off from her department store job and has little cash and few options. She is not excited about spending Christmas with her perfect sister, her perfect house, and her perfect children. And her sister isn’t crazy about Carmen coming either. Thus, begins the story of Carmen’s mother finding her a job helping out at a bookstore store where the owner needs help revitalizing her shabby bookstore. It gets exciting and enjoyable. I’m giving it 3.5 stars because I really did enjoy it. A great fun escape but not up to par with how I would rate a 4-star book. I do recommend it, though.

Hotel on the Corner or Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford I am late getting to this book, but I’m so happy I got here. It was a wonderful, well-written book. A love story, really. I like the way they describe it on the back of the book. “A wartime-era Chinese-Japanese variation on Romeo and Juliet. The final pages were worth lingering over and reading for a second time. If you haven’t already read this magical book, I highly recommend it. Don’t let it get away from you. 5 stars.

The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines This was a bit disappointing, although some of her life situations were a bit sad. It is true that we all have life stories that we should be writing down for future generations I felt that her advice at times was too simple, and her life, although different from mine, was a good life. Parents who loved her and provided for her, but still, she felt her own pain, just as we all do. I found, at times, it was redundant and slow. I like her and her love of family and how she grew an amazing business, but it also tells the story of how much is sacrificed for that. We are all different in our joys and struggles so read it if you would enjoy looking at the world with a different perspective of what life can be like. 3 stars

The Family Upstairs by Ruth Ware Switching it up a bit now…time to dig in and be scared. From the Amazon review, “Rich, dark, and intricately twisted, this enthralling whodunit mixes family saga with domestic noir to brilliantly chilling effect.” On her 25 birthday, Libby Jones finds the letter she has been waiting for all these years. She learns not only the identity of her birth parents but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames. But what she doesn’t know is that others were also waiting for this day as well. Her world is about to explode, and she takes us along for the ride. A good winter read. I gave it 3.5 stars.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett This was really good. A true story of a thief, a detective, and a world of Literary obsession. John Charles Gilkey was a book thief who would steal rare books from around the country. The books he stole were worth a fortune and when he would get caught, he would go to jail. When he got out, he would start stealing books again. He was obsessed with books. Equally obsessed was Ken Sanders, a self-appointed “bibliodick” driven to catch him. Along comes Allison Hoover Bartlett, a journalist, who finds this real-life adventure so absorbing that she decides to do the research to see how it all came down. It was fascinating from all of their perspectives, and I learned much about rare books' value. So it becomes a story of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages. And it’s all true. I gave this one 4 stars because it is so unique.

Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett I am an Ann Patchett junky so I like almost everything she writes; Truth and Beauty was no exception. It was a beautiful story of a friendship. Ann met Lucy Grealy in college, and they remained friends for all of Lucy’s life. Lucy also wrote a memoir called “Autobiography of a Face.” So they were extensively involved in writing. Lucy’s book was about her journey of having cancer of the face. Ann’s biography is about seeing her friend through her trials of fighting cancer and then dying. Ann gave up a lot to help her friend. It is truly an inspiring book about friendship in good and bad times and how we sometimes meet that challenge. It’s a tender story about loving a person we cannot save. 5 Stars.

The End…of my book review for late December and January. As I finish this review today, my view out my skylight window, which is over my desk, tells me that winter is here to stay for a while longer. It is grey and cloudy, and the trees that shade me in the summer are nothing but sticks in many forms. That view also tells me to keep the quilt close, the teapot warm, and the book pile going. I’ll see you back here in February with another book report and more news about the weather.