Burning Bright

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring is set in late 18th century London, in the neighborhood where poet and artist William Blake lived. It tells the story of a family recently moved there from the countryside and working for the renowned Astley's Circus nearby.

Chevalier's historical fiction is always well written and well researched and takes the reader to another time and place which is what I loved about this book. However, I was hoping to learn more about William Blake and although he was a part of the story he was mostly on the sidelines. An interesting read, but not as good as Girl with a Pearl Earring.

The Lost Art of Gratitude

The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith is another book in his Isabel Dalhousie series. McCall Smith's books are always charming and witty and enjoyable while reading, a nice way to pass the time with a good cup of tea. This one was equally charming, but more forgettable than other books I've read of his.

Spark Joy

Spark Joy, an Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo is the companion to her earlier book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up:The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Marie Kondo is everywhere now with her own Netfilx special, so if you're not yet aware of these books, you probably will be soon.

This second book should be read and used only after reading the first book. If you are already on your own personal decluttering and tidying mission, this illustrated guide is wonderful tool for helping you organize everything. Life changing indeed! Highly recommended.

The Perfect Nanny

The baby is dead. This is the opening line of The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani, translated from the French. After having two young children, the mother decides to return to work and looks for a nanny for her kids. After seeing so many candidates that won't do, the seemingly perfect nanny arrives at their doorstep.

However, with an opening like that, the reader knows something terrible is going to happen and it is Slimani's writing and pacing that keeps us in thrall throughout the book. Well written, but also sad and disturbing; a portrait of what can happen when mental illness goes untreated and there is no one there to notice until it's too late. I wouldn't consider this a great novel or a great psychological thriller, it is just ok. However, it is one I won't soon forget.

Calypso

Calypso is the latest by David Sedaris. I love David Sedaris and am going to see him read later this month. However, this is probably my least favorite of his books. Deeply personal and quite heavy, with topics ranging from aging, to his sisters suicide, his relationship with his father, his mother's alcoholism, etc.  Although still very clever and witty, I found this collection somewhat depressing; nowhere near as laugh out loud funny as Me Talk Pretty One Day or some of his earlier books. I still think he's a great writer, I was just hoping to laugh a bit more.

The Clockmakers Daughter

The Clockmaker's Daughter is the new novel by Kate Morton. I love getting lost in her books. This time it is set at a house in the countryside in England on the banks of the Upper Thames. The novel follows all those who have lived in or passed through the house. There is a tragedy and a mystery at the heart of the book and one narrator who sees it all.

I love Morton's writing and even at 500 pages it ended too soon for me. I am always transported to another world and this time was no exception. Not my favorite of her novels, but still a worthwhile read. 

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is a beautiful novel about a socially awkward young woman who spends all her time alone when she is not working. As circumstances throw her into an unlikely friendship with a coworker, we see her inner world slowly open up in the most intimate, vulnerable and often hilarious ways.

A character reminiscent of Fredrik Backman's Ove and Britt-Marie, but wholly her own, it is impossible not to laugh out loud and fall in love with Eleanor Oliphant. .