Tag: literature

• Book Review: Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

  For my second book of the new year I chose the beautiful yet painful Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks, a book that details the death of her husband, the “love of her life,” in May of 2019. I remember reading about when Tony Horowitz died suddenly after collapsing on a sidewalk in Chevy…

  michardillo

  January 7, 2026

  books

  Australia, author, book-review, books, Chevy Chase, Delia Ephron, Flinders Island, Geraldine Brooks, grief, Horse, Left on Tenth, literature, Martha’s Vineyard, memoir, Memorial Days, mourning, nonfiction, novel, pain, Politics and Prose, Pulitzer Prize, reading, sorrow, Spying on the South, Tasmania, Tony Horwitz, writer, writing

• Book Review: More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

  I had a solid reading month in December, with three great (4-stars each) books, and my reading year of 2025 was overall fabulous, with FIFTEEN 5-star books of fiction! so naturally, I wanted to start 2026 with a very successful read. I looked through my list of TBR books in NetGalley and decided on More…

  michardillo

  January 5, 2026

  books

  Anna Quindlen, book-review, book-reviews, books, contemporary-fiction, fiction, literature, Louisa May Alcott, More Than Enough, NetGalley, novel, Random House, reading, teacher, teaching, writing

• Book Review: All My Bones by P. J. Nelson

  This is my second book by P. J. Nelson, also the second in the Old Juniper Bookshop mystery series. The first one, Booked for Murder (Minotaur Books, December 2024, 325 pages), was an enjoyable read, although I noted in my review a few things that I found odd, namely that it is a book about…

  michardillo

  January 2, 2026

  books

  All My Bones, author, book-review, book-reviews, Booked for Murder, books, bookshop, bookstore, cozy mystery, Fever Devilin series, fiction, Flap Tucker series, food, Kindle, literature, Minotaur Books, mystery, NetGalley, north Georgia, novel, Old Juniper Bookshop, P J Nelson, Phillip DePoy, reading, Safe in Their Graves, small town, writer

• My Top Ten of 2025 (and some honorable mentions)

  Last year, I documented my favorite reads of the year in an essay, My Top Ten of 2024, and it was difficult narrowing my list of 60 books read down to 10 favorites. This year, I had an equally tough time because I had a great reading year with a total of 70 books, and…

  michardillo

  December 30, 2025

  books

  A Happy Catastrophe, Atmosphere, book-review, books, Dear Miss Lake, Every Tom Dick and Harry, fiction, literature, Murder on the Marlow Belle, My Friends, novel, reading, The Christie Affair, The Correspondent, The Homemade God, The Impossible Fortune, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris, The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer, The Wedding People, The White Octopus Hotel, This is Not About Us, Through an Open Window, top ten, Virginia Evans, writer, writing

• Are you twins? Are you cousins?

  

  Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. In 2002 our family embarked upon a monumental adventure: we moved to a foreign country for two years for my husband’s job. I asked for a leave of absence from my longtime job as a commercial real estate paralegal, but…

  michardillo

  December 13, 2025

  Essay

  Catholic school, cousins, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2151, English, first career, international school, literature, paralegal, quadruplets, reading, retirement, second career, teaching, twins

• My November Reads

  FABULOUS month of reading! I enjoyed all of these books, but my two favorites were the two 5-star reads! And, The Correspondent may be my favorite book of 2025! I highly recommend you read it!

  michardillo

  December 12, 2025

  books

  Awake: A Memoir, books, Elinor Lipman, Every Tom Dick and Harry, Jen Hatmaker, Jennifer Breedlove, literature, Murder Will Out, novel, reading, Steven Rowley, The Correspondent, The Guncle Abroad, Virginia Evans

• Book Review: Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

  

  Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove (St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, February 17, 2026) is described by the publisher as a “lighter, modern gothic mystery,” and I think that is pretty accurate. I only recently discovered that I like a touch of magical realism mixed in with my mysteries, thanks to Evie Woods’ books, The…

  michardillo

  December 1, 2025

  books

  book-review, book-reviews, books, contemporary-fiction, crime fiction, debut novel, diverse characters, Downeast, Elizabeth Strout, Evie Woods, fiction, gothic, inclusive, Jennifer Breedlove, Kindle, LGBTQ+, literature, Little North Island Mysteries, Loyola University of Chicago, magical realism, Maine, Minotaur Books, murder mystery, music, musician, mystery, NetGalley, novel, organist, reading, St. Martin’s Press, The Gilded Age, The Lost Bookshop, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris, writing

• Book Review: Every Tom, Dick & Harry by Elinor Lipman

  I just finished my 64th book of the year, Every Tom, Dick & Harry (Harper, February 2025) by Elinor Lipman. First let me say right off the bat: I LOVED THIS BOOK. Elinor Lipman is one of my top favorite authors, and she sits amid some pretty prestigious company, with Elizabeth Strout, AJ Pearce, Ann…

  michardillo

  November 21, 2025

  books

  Agatha Christie, AJ Pearce, Ann Napolitano, book-review, books, Elinor Lipman, Elizabeth Strout, estate sale, Every Tom Dick & Harry, fiction, Harper, literature, My Latest Grievance, nonfiction, novel, reading, The Pursuit of Alice Thrift, The View From Penthouse B, writer, writing

• Book News: Newly published!

  

  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/784323/the-white-octopus-hotel-by-alexandra-bell/ See my book review here!

  michardillo

  November 16, 2025

  books

  book-review, books, dual timeline, fiction, historical fiction, literature, mystery, novel, Penguin Random, Random House, reading

• Book Review: Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

  

  Two years ago I read the first book in The Guncle series, and I absolutely loved it. I gave it 5 stars and wrote about it here. Last night I finished reading on my Kindle book 2 in the series, Guncle Abroad (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, May 2024) and while I loved revisiting Patrick, brother Greg,…

  michardillo

  November 13, 2025

  books

  Angelina’s, Austria, birthday, book-review, books, Coco Chanel, Europe, European travel, fiction, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, grief, hot chocolate, Kindle, Lake Como, literature, London, love, Milan, Mont Blanc, movie star, novel, Paris, Prada, reading, Steven Rowley, The Guncle, The Guncle Abroad, The Sound of Music, Venice, wedding