CTL Weekly 08.30
What are you up to this holiday weekend? In case you’ve got some downtime and are looking for a great, end-of-summer read I wanted to tell you about the best book I’ve read this summer, and maybe all year.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore opens with thirteen-year-old Barbara missing from her summer camp in 1975. Soon we learn that the camp is owned by Barbara’s well-to-do family and her brother went missing from their nearby home over a decade before. What follows in alternating chapters is the search to find Barbara, the mystery surrounding her brother’s disappearance, and the intertwined secrets and stories of the family, camp workers, and residents of the nearby town.
The book is 496 pages but the story moves so quickly that I read it in a weekend (although one where I was under the weather so I had a lot of time). I liked it so much that I quickly added Long Bright River by the same author to my TBR list.
I’d love to know: what’s been your favorite book of the summer?
Here’s more of what I saved to share with you:
This week’s tour is a twofer: an antique store owner’s flat in Hudson, NY plus the shop below it.
Sarah Lyon wrote an article about shopping estate sales and reached out to some bloggers, including yours truly, for our tips. Thanks for including me, Sarah!
Have you watched Capote vs. the Swans? (I haven’t, should I?) Here’s a look at the sets of the Swans’ homes.
Apple pie in a sheet pan. Love this idea!
The designers at House & Garden share how they arrange the books on their bookshelves. There are some controversial takes here!
Seven great Oktoberfest celebrations (only one is in Germany).
A 1990s kitchen gets a very stylish (and achievable) update.
Is it too early for this? 50 classic movies to watch in the fall. And by classics, we’re talking about the 90’s. A great list.
There were a bunch of new book releases this week that I took note of:
Did your kids read and love Frindle? After 28 years there is a sequel, The Frindle Files, that has a technology angle. (A sad note: this book was published posthumously and will be Andrew Clements’ last. You can read a bit about that here.) I don’t remember if I read Frindle – my kids probably read it to themselves – but I’m reading this one for some fun and the nostalgia.
If you’re familiar with Ed Burns’ movies like The Brothers McMullen (Tom and I still quote this movie) and She’s the One, then you won’t be surprised that his debut novel A Kid From Marlboro Road is about a kid from an Irish Catholic family on working class Long Island with a brother and an emotionally unavailable father. I’m looking forward to this one!
Jodi Picoult’s novels always generate so much discussion (so good for book clubs!) and her newest, By Any Other Name will surely be no exception.
I read and loved William Kent Krueger’s wonderful novel Ordinary Grace but wasn’t aware that in addition to his standalone books, he has a series of mystery novels about a small-town Minnesota sheriff named Cork O’Connor. Spirit Crossing is the latest in that series.
The latest in another mystery series, Daniel Silva’s A Death in Cornwall. I’ve read several of these and they are definitely entertaining. In this one, our art restorer/spy is asked to help solve the murder of an Oxford professor.
And one Amazon book deal I wanted to share:
Pearce Oysters is a family drama set in Louisiana in the wake of the BP oil spill. I’ve been curious about this book ever since its beautiful cover caught my eye so I was quick to grab this Kindle deal.
P.S. Where in the world are you and three ways I’m doing home right now.
I loved Liz Moore’s book, The Unseen World, a coming-of-age story that takes place in the early days of artificial intelligence. Topeka and Olathe, Kansas get a mention as the author’s grandparents lived in Topeka. There is a riddle told by a character which really puzzled me (pun not intended), so I contacted the author. Apparently, the answer to the riddle is incorrect; at least in early editions of the book, but it was not caught by the author or her editor. I don’t know if it was changed in other additions. Just FYI for future readers who pay close attention as it haunted me for days.
How interesting, Cindy! I’m so glad to know about this book.