"Never miss a good chance to shut up." —Will Rogers
Rae and I have taken the past week or so to test Will Rogers’ advice. You probably imagined our silence was merely blogging inefficiency. Can’t say that we blame ya…we’ve been flaggin’ in the face of full-time work. What’s a girl to do? We needed a longer vacay across the pond. London was thoroughly lovely—she invited us into half a dozen bookstores. Naturally, we did some homework. We girls snapped several pics of books we want to buy and purchased plenty of Penguin English Classics, among others, that made our suitcases weighty and wonderful. Feels selfish not to share a few with you here.
It’s no secret that I’ve been taking in WWII novels these days. While I’m currently listening to Benedict Cumberbatch’s captivating voice via audible, my next listen will definitely be The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan. Kiernan is worth his salt, which is underscored by the fact that he’s an award-winning author. His latest has been called “a dazzling novel of World War II—a shimmering tale of courage, determination, optimism and the resilience of the human spirit, set in Normandy village on the eve of D-day.” Reviewers have raved about this particular listen; needless to say, I’m all in.
I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy Lauren St. John’s novel The Snow Angel. It has been billed as a stunning Christmas classic, so it would be a timely read. I want to meet the girl from Nairobi. Seems to me, though I have yet to meet Makena, that she endures tragedy well by experiencing the healing power of nature. Some reviewers used the word magical to describe this book—sounds perfect for this time of year.
Perfect is an overused term, I know. But when English novelist Philip Pullman notes that Tom’s Midnight Garden is “a perfect book,” my attention immediately piqued. I added the book to my mounting pile and had to put it back for fear my bag would bulge. But I promised myself that I’d introduce Luke and Jonah to Tom and Hatty before the year is through. This Carnegie Medal winner is bound to please the boys. And their mother too. After all, I never miss a good chance to share an exquisite read or two.