A Special Report for Book Lovers
Please know that I am an Affiliate Marketer on Amazon. This means my book reviews will include a link to the book on Amazon. If you purchase the book using my link, I will earn a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
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It’s the fifth Tuesday of the month, and time for my Newsletter for Book Lovers. Reading has been fun these last few weeks because a handful of writers I like have new books out and I have inhaled them. Usually, I only name five books in this report, but while I enjoyed the new books from these established writers, my favorite book of the quarter is by a new guy, Allen Levi. I will review his book too. You may have heard of it – Theo of Golden. Here are the other authors you will find in this newsletter:
- Tom Perrotta
- Ann Patchett
- Elizabeth Strout
- Anna Quindlen
- Rebecca Serle
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NOTE: Click below on the book’s title to get my review.
Click “Amazon” to get other readers’ reviews.
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Book title: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
Brief synopsis: A very refined eighty-six-year-old gentleman comes to Golden, Georgia. His name is Theo. Part of his mystique is that he never shares a last name, nor does he elaborate on his reason for being there.
One more thing to say: It seems that people either love or hate this book and I fall into the first camp.
Learn more about Theo of Golden on Amazon.
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Book title: Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta
Brief synopsis: The coming-of-age story of Jimmy Perrini in the summer of 1974. See how he handles the tragedy that befalls him.
One more thing to say: I wonder if we had a thirteen-year-old female who suffered the exact same tragedies (plural) as Jimmy, what her coming of age story would have looked like? This would be a great discussion question for book clubs.
Learn more about Ghost Town on Amazon.
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Book title: Whistler by Ann Patchett
Brief synopsis: Daphne is 53 when she bumps into Eddie Triplett. He was her stepfather – briefly – at age 9. It is 44 years since they have seen each other.
One more thing to say: The book has a horse on the cover even though the portion of the book with a horse, Whistler, is only five pages long. Why did the author put the horse on the cover?
Learn more about Whistler on Amazon.
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Book title: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Brief synopsis: This book is about a gentle, kind man who is loved by many, but maybe not always by his wife. At age 57, he recognizes all the good things about his life, but he is just feeling off. He even contemplates suicide for a while.
One more thing to say: I love Elizabeth Strout’s writing but I am finding her books difficult to read because I identify too much with her characters, which was exactly the case here.
Learn more about The Things We Never Say on Amazon.
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Book title: More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen
Brief synopsis: This is the story of Polly and her concerns in life: infertility, a father with dementia, an annoying mom, and a DNA test with odd results.
One more thing to say: A wonderful character in this book is Polly’s friend, Sarah. We can learn a lot from this gal. For instance, when Polly tells Sarah her problems, Sarah asks if Polly wants “ears or mouth,” someone to listen or someone to give advice.
Learn more about More Than Enough on Amazon.
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Book title: Once and Again by Rebecca Serle
Brief synopsis: Lauren and the women of her family receive a ticket at birth that allows them one do-over in life. Yep! They can turn back the hands of time.
One more thing to say: Clearly book club members will want to talk about what they would do over if they too had a magic ticket.
Learn more about Once and Again on Amazon.
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I’ve read many books by these authors and written reviews of some of them. Here are links to those reviews:
Ann Patchett:
Elizabeth Strout:
- Oh William!
- Olive, Again
- I did not write a review of this one, but it’s my favorite book by this author: Olive Kitteridge.
Anna Quindlen:
- After Annie
- I did not write a review of this one, but it’s my favorite book by this author: One True Thing.
Rebecca Serle:
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Did you know that I post about three dozen book reviews a year? If you would like to receive them as I write them, please join the Club. Click here to do so.
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If you like my writing, I hope you will check out my new book, Chai on Life. It contains 36 slice-of-life stories ranging in topics from belly fat to Billy Joel. It is available wherever books are sold and on Amazon. There is even a companion journal for you to write the stories of your life.
Chai on Life is available in 3 formats: Hard Back, Kindle, and AudioBook.
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And one last thing! Amazon has named me an Influencer (!!!!) and invited me to open a Storefront. You will find lots of my favorite things there including a listing of all my favorite books. Check it out!
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Thanks so much for reading this Newsletter.
Lorie
Love your book recommendations. Have read many of them, many are on the list. Currently reading Theo of Golden. Include me in the love it group… enjoying, don’t want it to end.
By the Way, recently read Chai on Life, it was the perfect book to enjoy on my deck. Bought a copy to give as a hostess gift when I recently visited my friend in Vermont. After flipping through the book she said “I know I’m going to love this!”.
Thanks for your feedback on the book recommendations. Glad we are of like mind regarding Theo! Can’t thank you enough for helping to spread the word about Chai on Life. Word of mouth advertising is a fabulous thing!!