The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Downtown Drugstore had a bell on the door that made a single tink sound when you opened it.

-- from The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, which I admit I haven't read, despite its enormous popularity. 

The Calamity Club sounds like the kind of "great yarn" novels I really enjoy. Over 650 or so pages, Stockett tells the story of three women whose "fates converge" in Oxford, Mississippi in 1933. It looks like a winning mix of historical fiction, Southern Gothic, Great Depression, women's friendships, grit, determination, and overcoming adversity. I can't wait to dive in!

(I got my copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. I'm not one for review copies because I don't like the guilt when I don't review it fast enough. But this looked too good to pass up. Fortunately, my copy arrived well after the May 5, 2026 launch date, so I don't have any guilt about reviewing it in June.)

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from The Calamity Club:

My sister's house was very white and very wide and very tall. Six fat columns supported a deep front porch with a dozen black rocking chairs on it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed.

Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. 

Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates--and Meg's--converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan for them to take control of their lives. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences.

You Can't Catch Us by Shannon McKenna Schmidt -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

You Can't Catch Us by Shannon McKenna Schmidt

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

An unexpected sight stopped travelers in their tracks at Union Station in Washington, DC, on October 4, 1964: a brightly bedecked, ninety-foot-long train car.

-- from You Can't Catch Us: Lady Bird Johnson's Trailblazing 1964 Campaign Train and the Women Who Rode with Her by Shannon McKenna Schmidt.

Shannon McKenna Schmidt's new book is the nonfiction story of Lady Bird Johnson's historic whistle stop tour through eight souther states in support of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson's election campaign in 1964. Abourd the "Lady Bird Special," the First Lady and her team of women supporters traveled from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans, making 47 stops in four days. 

See the Publisher's Description below for more details. And read about McKenna Schmidt's earlier book, The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back on this Book Beginnings post from 2023. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from You Can't Catch Us:

City police and federal agents staged a tight security operation in the area around the train station. Spectators were kept behind closely supervised lines.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

At a time when political candidates' wives were expected to be seen and not heard, Lady Bird Johnson made history as the first presidential spouse to take a leading role on the campaign trail. Her mission: to aid her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, in his reelection bid.
Proud of her southern heritage and of what her husband had done for civil rights, Lady Bird undertook an eight-state whistle-stop tour in October 1964, both to garner votes for Lyndon and to help ease the animosity that arose from the signing of the Civil Rights Act three months earlier.

Afterward by Brisol Vaudrin -- BOOK REVIEW

 

BOOK REVIEW

Afterward by Brisol Vaudrin

Imagine you’re fairly young, living in a cool city, with a tedious starter job, but plenty of good friends, a serious boyfriend, fun times, and big plans. What happens if tragedy strikes? How would you handle it? That’s the premise of Afterward, Bristol Vaudrin’s debut novel. Lauren is living the life she wanted when she comes home to her new apartment and a medical emergency that turns her plans on their head.

While we don’t know exactly what went wrong until the end, hints about the events of that day roll out early, when Lauren’s boyfriend Kyle is still in the hospital, and steadily build to the finale. We watch as Lauren navigates the situation, sometimes making good decisions, often foundering in indecision. Her next months are filled with trying to get back to normal, even if that involves avoiding work, ignoring her mother, bristling at Kyle’s mother, honing her passive-aggressive anger at Kyle, and more than a little day drinking. Would any of us do better under the same circumstances?

Vaudrin writes well, with a light touch, and her pacing is impeccable. I found myself routing for Lauren, laughing with her and brooding with her, even when I wanted to take her aside and shake her. She is an engaging modern heroine, right down to the final revealing, surprising, and satisfying ending. I highly recommend Afterward for anyone looking for fresh storytelling and entertaining literary fiction.

NOTES

Read my Book Beginnings on Friday Post about Afterward here for more information and teasers from Bristol Vaudrin's new book. 

I was fortunate to get a review copy of Afterward. Have you read it? What did you think? Please leave a comment with a link to your review if you posted one. You can find more reviews online where books are sold and on Bristol’s website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (FROM HER WEBSITE)

Bristol was born in Alaska, and named after Bristol Bay, where her parents fished commercially. Later, she was raised in Southcentral Alaska, splitting time between her family’s off-the-grid homestead at Flat Horn Lake, and attending school in Anchorage.

She now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, dog, and way too many books.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden by Rosy Gee -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden by Rosy Gee

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book you feel like highlighting, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Little Twitchin is the kind of place where nothing much happens. A sleepy hamlet in Shropshire with an eclectic mix of residents.

-- from The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden by Rosy Gee.

Rosy Gee's new cosy mystery is set in the fictional English village of Little Twitchen. It gives strong Agatha Christie vibes and I am excited to read it! Pop down to the publisher's description below to read more about it. 

In addition to launching a new mystery series, Gee writes a blog on substack called Deadlines & Dead Bodies where she explores how to write crime fiction and what mystery books caught her fancy. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden:

As she headed up High Street in her Morris Minor Traveler, she spotted several police vans parked outside The Swan. Without checking her rear-view mirror or indicating, she swung a right into Mill Street so that she could try and see what was going on.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

In the quiet village of Little Twichen, nestled in the Shropshire countryside, life moves at a gentle pace, until the day Marsha Boden vanishes without a trace. Her husband returns from a fishing trip to an empty house... and waits two full days before reporting her missing.

As whispers ripple through the village, secrets start to surface. Marsha had been poking around a controversial new housing development and had stumbled upon something disturbing in a nearby Ludlow warehouse. Did she discover something alarming? And if so, who wanted her silenced?

When two more villagers die under suspicious circumstances, including the local GP, tension tightens like a noose. With no sign of Marsha’s body and a growing list of suspects, her close friends take matters into their own hands.

Driven by determination and dread, they uncover a web of corruption, deceit, and betrayal far darker than they imagined. But the biggest shock is yet to come…

Packed with suspense, red herrings, and a jaw-dropping twist you won't see coming, The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden is a masterfully written whodunit set in an idyllic English village where nothing, and no one, is quite as it seems.

If We Still Lived Where I was Born by Maria Giura -- BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

If We Still Lived Where I was Born by Maria Giura

I try to read poetry every morning, but I am no student of the genre. I don’t know what makes a poem a “good” poem or what I should look for in poetry to judge its merit. I feel a little intimidated by poetry. This all makes it difficult for me to review books of poems and I usually avoid doing so. But I thought Maria Giura’s memoir, Celibate, was fascinating and well-written, so I was willing to read and review her new poetry collection, If We till Lived Where I was Born.

I’m glad I did. Giura’s poems are accessible, evocative, and interesting. They read like little stories, mostly about her life with her extended Italian-American family. They are thoughtful in tone but never maudlin. The way they focus on everyday matters stirs up similar memories that make them easy to relate to. One called “December 8” I particularly liked and, since today is December 8, it is the perfect one to share:

Our mother always waited until
the Immaculate Conception,
before she decorated.

She pulled out
garland and lights
and the gold, antique fruit,

danced the Christmas tree
into its red-bowl stand.

She sprayed the windows
with snow
and belted
Christmas Card to You
with my sisters and me.

She tied the mistletoe
and spread the tablecloths,
hand made ornaments she hung with satin string.

Outside she wrapped lights
around both sides of our house,
fixed colored bulbs into the Holy Family
except for Jesus dim in His hay.

She baked and shopped, wrapped and cooked,
poured herself out.

In other homes, Christmas started
the day after Thanksgiving,
but we waited.

How could the Savior of the world be born
without his mother,

how could I have learned
to cherish my faith
without mine?

If We Still Lived Where I was Born is a collection of poems that can be appreciated and enjoyed by poetry connoisseurs and readers like me who shy away from poetry. I highly recommend Giura’s new book.

NOTE

I first "met" Maria in 2019 when she published Celibate, a memoir about falling in love with a Catholic priest. Read my review of Celibate here and my 2019 interview with Maria here.

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION

In Maria Giura's If We Still Lived Where I Was Born, the narrator unlocks the meaning she's made of her childhood and heritage, spirituality and lost loves and draws the reader in to retrieve their own. The collection begins in the apartment above her parents' Brooklyn pastry shoppe where she imagines them still fighting, still making us, still together, then shifts to adulthood where she learns to stay still long enough to listen for the story, and then returns to childhood where her mother and aunts teach their kids to spread out their blankets and live. Moving between New York and Italy, between family and "stranger," these poems show longing and vulnerability, but also the thrill of being young and part of something larger than oneself, of making peace, and pursuing the path you were meant to. They brim with the people and places that have taught her the most and ring with pathos and celebration, from her immigrant father waiting for her on the corner . . . bread in his hand to the sister who pulled the music out of her, helped her make her own song. Beginning with a journey to a literal birth place and extending outward to many figurative places of self-discovery, this collection explores what lasts when all else passes away.

Afterward by Bristol Vaudrin -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

Afterward by Bristol Vaudrin

Thank you for joining me this week for Book Beginnings on Fridays where participants share the opening sentence (or two) from the book they are reading. You can also share from a book you want to feature, even if you are not reading it at the moment. 

MY BOOK BEGINNING

 Afterward, I broke open. I cried.

-- from Afterward by Bristol Vaudrin. 

Afterward is a new novel that explores the aftermath of tragedy. The exact tragedy is not revealed until the end, so we watch the protagonist deal with what happened and her boyfriend's subsequent hospitalization without really knowing just what happened. 

I admit, the cover gives offputting Charlie Kirk vibes. But Afterward gets nothing but 5-star reviews on amazon and is generating a lot of buzz. I was happy to accept a review copy and look forward to reading it. 

Read more about Afterward in the publisher's description, below, and on Bristol Vaudrin's website. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

Please add the link to your book beginning post in the linky box below. If you participate or share on social media, please use the hashtag #bookbeginnings so other people can find your post.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 asks participants to share a two-sentence teaser from their book of the week. If your book is an ebook or audiobook, pick a teaser from the 56% point. 

Anna at My Head is Full of Books hosts The Friday 56, a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please visit My Head is Full of Books to leave the link to your post. 

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from Afterward:

She was shocked at my news about Kyle. 

"Oh, honey, that's just awful! When did it happen?

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

Torn from her normal routines-coffee, sex, barhopping, and disc golf--she finds herself in an unfamiliar world of hospital visits and doctor's appointments, all while navigating an unexpected move to a new apartment and enduring the disapproval of her boyfriend's mother, as well as the gossip of her friends and coworkers. (Plus the suspicious looks of strangers, and the unbearable strain on her credit card...and did we mention the gossip of her friends and coworkers?) Along the way, she meets every obstacle with...well, not grace, exactly. In fact, pretty much the opposite of grace. Maybe more like bitchiness, truth be told. And all the while, the aftereffects of the tragedy cast a pall over everything she does--and threaten to destroy everything she has.

Bristol Vaudrin's fascinating debut novel is an engrossing and darkly comedic read with an unforgettable narrator/protagonist. Watching her struggles--real, imagined, and in-between--we too must choose between kindness and judgment, between condescension towards someone who simply doesn't have a clue, and empathy with a person struggling to deal with something we all must face: the desire to hold on to the things we enjoy when the world around us changes in ways we didn't expect.

A Map of Her Own by Dede Montgomery -- BOOK REVIEW

 

BOOK REVIEW

A Map of Her Own by Dede Montgomery

Dede Montgomery’s new book, A Map of Her Own, is historical fiction at its best. The novel offers a braided narrative, with one story set in 2024 and the other in 1912. Both take place in the Pacific Northwest and feature independent women finding their identity and purpose under challenging circumstances.

In the contemporary story, Celia is in Astoria, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia, looking for a new occupation when her job on a commercial crabbing boat ends abruptly. Celia enjoys the excitement, freedom, and natural beauty of working on a fishing boat, but not the low wages that require her to also work as a waitress to make ends meet. In the historical story, Emma works in for a paper mill in its paper bag factory in Camas, Washington, also on the Columbia River. Like Celia, Emma works in a male-dominated field that presents unique struggles to the few women working in it.

The two stories are connected by the Columbia River and the common experiences of both women. Montgomery skillfully weaves the two storylines together, offering insight into the working lives of her characters and women in general. The Pacific Northwest, with its beauty and difficulties, makes a memorable backdrop to the story.

If you like immersive novels with strong women characters and a strong sense of place, you will love A Map of Her Own. It is an excellent book club pick or holiday gift.

NOTES

Read teasers from A Map of Her Own here on this Book Beginnings post. I interviewed Dede when her Beyond the Ripples book came out. Read my interview here. You can also check out Dede's website for information anbout her and her writing. 

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

It's 2024 in Astoria, Oregon. Celia's return to another crabbing season is over before it begins when the boat captain suffers a heart attack, hastening her decision that this would have been her final season anyway. Now all she has to do is figure out what to do next. Simple. Right.

It's 1912 In Camas, Washington. Emma is proud of her job making paper bags at the Columbia River Paper Company, but resents her family's expectations for her to also take care of her younger siblings and help with the household chores after her shift is over.

Celia and Emma are both searching for their true selves in a world where women either give in to society's and family's expectations or have the courage to create their own destiny.

If We Still Lived Where I was Born by Maria Giura -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

If We Still Lived Where I was Born by Maria Giura

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

we'd be in the apartment above the pastry shoppe
where downstairs my father made cannoli and eclairs and rum baba

and my mother made trays of butter cookies and rang up customers
and balanced the books.

-- from the first, title poem in If We Still Lived Where I was Born by Maria Giura.

Maria Giura's new book of poetry, If We Still Lived Where I was Born, launches on November 4. Maria was kind enough to send me a review copy and I am greatly enjoying these engaging poems. 

I first "met" Maria in 2019 when she published Celibate, a memoir about falling in love with a Catholic priest. Read my review of Celibate here and my 2019 interview with Maria here. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

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This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from "In Praise of Silence" in If We Still Lived Where I was Born:

It used to terrify me
especially on three-day weekends.
Afraid God would speak,
that I would hear,
I'd drown Him out with plans, activity,
motion.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

In Maria Giura's If We Still Lived Where I was Born, the narrator unlocks the meaning she's made of her childhood and heritage, spirituality and lost loves and draws the reader in to retrieve their own. The collection begins in the apartment above her parents' Brooklyn pastry shoppe where she imagines them still fighting, still making us, still together, then shifts to adulthood where she learns to stay still long enough to listen for the story, and then returns to childhood where her mother and aunts teach their kids to spread out their blankets and live. Moving between New York and Italy, between family and "stranger," these poems show longing and vulnerability, but also the thrill of being young and part of something larger than oneself, of making peace, and pursuing the path you were meant to. They brim with the people and places that have taught her the most and ring with pathos and celebration, from her immigrant father waiting for her on the corner . . . bread in his hand to the sister who pulled the music out of her, helped her make her own song. Beginning with a journey to a literal birth place and extending outward to many figurative places of self-discovery, this collection explores what lasts when all else passes away.

A Map of Her Own by Dede Montgomery -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

A Map of Her Own by Dede Montgomery

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

 When she looked out to sea, Celia felt the past and future collide in a shock that excited and frightened her.

-- from A Map of Her Own by Dede Montgomery.

Mongomery's new novel is a braided story of two women in the Pacific Northwest. Celia's story takes place inAstoria, Oregon in 2024; Emma's in Camas, Washington in 1912. Both are stories of women finding their own identities despite despite others' expectations. 

See the Publisher's Description below for more details. If you like historical fiction about strong women, this one is for you! 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from A Map of Her Own:

The rescue diver was in the wheelhouse. it felt like hours, although perhaps only minutes, when the rescue basket with Ed, wrapped in his blanket, floated its way to the copter.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

It's 2024 in Astoria, Oregon. Celia's return to another crabbing season is over before it begins when the boat captain suffers a heart attack, hastening her decision that this would have been her final season anyway. Now all she has to do is figure out what to do next. Simple. Right.

It's 1912 In Camas, Washington. Emma is proud of her job making paper bags at the Columbia River Paper Company, but resents her family's expectations for her to also take care of her younger siblings and help with the household chores after her shift is over.

Celia and Emma are both searching for their true selves in a world where women either give in to society's and family's expectations or have the courage to create their own destiny. 

A Map of Her Own navigates the lives of two women separated by generations and brought together by their strong connection to the Columbia River.

The Austen Sisters by Dee Blankenship -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

The Austen Sisters by Dee Blankenship

Thank you for joining me this week for Book Beginnings on Fridays where participants share the opening sentence (or two) from the book they are reading. You can also share from a book you want to feature, even if you are not reading it at the moment. 

I am still cruisin' with my mom and sister, so pre-scheduled this post. Apologies if there are any problems! 

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The eldest of the five sisters, Elinor Austen, is possessed with all the qualities expected of an older sister. 

-- from the Prologue to The Austen Sisters by Dee Blankenship, subtitled "A Modern Day Tale of Pride, Persuasion, and Sensibilities."

Eleanor caught sight of the gate for her flight and let out a sigh of relief.

-- from Chapter 1, "Elinor."

I like the way The Austen Sisters starts. The first sentence of the Prologue sounds like something Jane Austen would have written, with old fashioned words. A modern translation might be, "The oldest of the five sisters, Elinor Austen has the typical personality of an older sister." Then the first sentence of Chapter 1 makes is very clear we are in modern times because she is at an airport. Cleverly done. 

2025 marks the sestercentennial* of Jane Austen's birth. I'm commemorating the event by rereading her six main novels in publication order, one every other month. I finished Emma (my favorite) in July and have only Northanger Abby and Persuasion left. 

I had intended to incorporate Austen fan fiction into my celebration, but am not really a fan of fan fiction. Then I saw The Austen Sisters and knew I had found an homage I wanted to read. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

Please add the link to your book beginning post in the linky box below. If you participate or share on social media, please use the hashtag #bookbeginnings so other people can find your post.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 asks participants to share a two-sentence teaser from their book of the week. If your book is an ebook or audiobook, pick a teaser from the 56% point. 

Anna at My Head is Full of Books hosts The Friday 56, a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please visit My Head is Full of Books to leave the link to your post. 

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from The Austen Sisters:

With an easy grin, Frank Churchill spoke up. "One of our buddies isn't feeling his best this morning, so we were hoping to charm one of you lovely ladies into joining us."

Frank Churchill is a flirtatious charmer in Emma. I like that the characters in The Austen Sisters have the names and mannerisms of the characters in Jane Austen's books. 

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

In this contemporary reimagining of Jane Austen’s beloved novels, five sisters, each embodying the spirit of Austen’s heroines, gather at the luxurious Mansfield Park Resort for their cousin Fanny’s wedding.

As the festivities unfold, tensions rise, misunderstandings abound, old flames reignite, and the sisters find themselves swept up in a whirlwind of romance that feels strangely familiar. After all, love, even in the modern day, still follows the timeless wisdom of Austen’s pen.

* Of all the potential words for a 250th anniversary -- semiquincentennial, sestercentennial, bicenquinquagenary, and bisesquicentennial -- sestercentennial is the only one I can possibly pronounce, so I'm sticking with it. I've also seen quarter millennium, but that just sounds wrong. 

The Elements by John Boyne -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

The Elements by John Boyne

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The first thing I do when I arrive on the island is change my name.

-- from The Elements by John Boyne. 

Well, that's a terrific opening sentence! Boyne knows how to spin a yarn. 

I've only read one book by John Boyne, A Ladder to the Sky. It was a well-executed and gripping story, but it left me cold. It has the same casual amorality that bothers me about Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley books. I like an anti-hero who is a grumpy curmudgeon, like Jackson Lamb in the Slow Horses books, but not an anti-hero who is an unrepentant, unconvicted, murderer. 

That explains why I have not been quick to pick up another Boyne book. But he has so many! I need to give him another chance. I was happy, for that reason, to get an ARC of his new book, The Elements from Henry Holt & Company.  The Elements launches on September 9, 2025.

The Elements brings together the stories of four people -- a mother seeking a new life, a young man on trial for sexual assault, a surgeon hobbled by past trauma, and a father trying to connect with his teenage son. Interestingly, the four stories were published as four separate books, Water (2023), Earth (2024), Fire (2024), and Air (2025). The Elements is an omnibus edition containing all four. 

I much prefer the UK cover to the American cover above. This is the UK cover. What do you think?

 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from The Elements:

I kept busy with the trappings of being an affluent, middle-class woman in South Dublin. I arranged spa days with my friends, had regular appointments with my hairdresser, became -- for a time -- obsessed with Bikram yoga.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

In The Elements, acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne has created an epic saga that weaves together four interconnected narratives, each representing a different perspective on crime: the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator, and the victim.

The narrative follows a mother on the run from her past, a young soccer star facing a trial, a successful surgeon grappling with childhood trauma, and a father on a transformative journey with his son. Each is somehow connected to the next, and as the story unfolds, their lives intersect in unimaginable ways.

Boyne’s most ambitious work yet, The Elements is both an engrossing drama and a moving investigation of why and how we allow crime to occur.

Brilliant, Beautiful, Bipolar by Liz Casper -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

Brilliant, Beautiful, Bipolar: How Losing My Mind Saved My Soul by Liz Casper

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The first thing you should know is that I avoided writing this book for several years until I could get some distance and perspective regarding all I have been through, as chronicled in this book. 

-- from the Prologue to Brilliant, Beautiful, Bipolar by Liz Casper.

Liz Casper was a successful doctor, entrepreneur, and mother who's life turned upside down when she developed bipolar disorder in her 50s. Her new memoir tells the story of her struggle to live with and heal from her devastating diagnosis. She tells her story with charm and self-deprecating, often sarcastic, humor. I raced through it, needing to know how her story ends. 

See the Publisher's Description below for more details. If you like a real-life thriller, this one is for you! 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from Brilliant, Beautiful, Bipolar:

Steve Jobs was waiting for me [on my computer] and proceeded to show me my future: reality television show (starring Jerry and me, obviously), consumer products business, fashion brand, charitable foundation, and so forth. I was comforted knowing there was a master plan for me and didn't think to question the veracity of what I was seeing. 

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

Liz Casper is a former medical doctor, artis, and author from the Pacific Northwest. In her first book, BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL, BIPOLAR, Liz shares with us her personal journey before, during, and after her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The book, set in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, chronicles Liz’s experience both living with and healing from this devasting diagnosis.

As a former 4th generation physician, Liz cared for innumerable patients in her career with mental health diagnoses, but it wasn’t until she was diagnosed herself that she truly understood what the mental health patient actually experiences, both in their own lives, and in society in general. Through her captivating storytelling, Liz allows us a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of bipolar disorder and the experiences one has when living through this kind of illness. Always entertaining, and highly educational, BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL, BIPOLAR takes us on a rare voyage inside the mind of the manic, bipolar patient.

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

Thank you for joining me this week for Book Beginnings on Fridays where participants share the opening sentence (or two) from the book they are reading. You can also share from a book you want to feature, even if you are not reading it at the moment. 

MY BOOK BEGINNING

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.” Henry kept chanting the line out loud over the roar of the helicopter’s engine.

-- from Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan.

I loved the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, so was excited when my book club picked this for our next discussion. I'm now well into it and have been enjoying it, but not nearly as much as the CRA trilogy. Maybe the shine has worn off Kwan's style, or maybe this one is just a little too much. It's still a ton of fun, and I am very happy to be reading it, but it doesn't feel fresh and exciting like his first books.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

Please add the link to your book beginning post in the linky box below. If you participate or share on social media, please use the hashtag #bookbeginnings so other people can find your post.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 asks participants to share a two-sentence teaser from their book of the week. If your book is an ebook or audiobook, pick a teaser from the 56% point. 

Anna at My Head is Full of Books hosts The Friday 56, a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please visit My Head is Full of Books to leave the link to your post. 

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from Lies and Weddings:

Eden couldn’t fathom what the countess was referring to, but she knew the only appropriate response at this moment was to nod. She had been aware since a very young age that the countess didn’t consider the Tongs as equal to the Greshams —as the family doctor, Thomas Tong was barely a notch above the butler, and Eden merely a playmate for her children when it suited them.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel has a problem: the legendary Gresham Trust has been depleted by decades of profligate spending, and behind all the magazine covers and Instagram stories manors and yachts lies nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort, a veritable who’s-who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs, and seduce a woman with money.
. . . .
Can the once-great dukedom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist?

Tiny Vices by Linda Dahl -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

Tiny Vices by Linda Dahl

Thank you for joining me this week for Book Beginnings on Fridays where participants share the opening sentence (or two) from the book they are reading. You can also share from a book you want to feature, even if you are not reading it at the moment. 

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Spring break in Mexico at Rincón Bay began predictably enough.

-- from the prologue, "Sometime in the Spring of 1986," to Tiny Vices by Linda Dahl.

The call, the kind Kathy had learned to dread, came that morning when, for once, she had a chunk of time free to paint or just putter. 

-- from Chapter 1, "Spring 2016."

Tiny Vices is a family drama about four siblings facing middle age and all its challenges. The four decide to go on a beach vacation together, not appreciating how such a trip would stir up memories and their shared history. The book has drawn comparisons to Anne Tyler, the queen of the family drama and a favorite of mine, so I am all in for this one. 

Tiny Vices launches July 22 and is available for pre-order. I was lucky to get an early review copy and plan to read it right away. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING

Please add the link to your book beginning post in the linky box below. If you participate or share on social media, please use the hashtag #bookbeginnings so other people can find your post.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
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THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 asks participants to share a two-sentence teaser from their book of the week. If your book is an ebook or audiobook, pick a teaser from the 56% point. 

Anna at My Head is Full of Books hosts The Friday 56, a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please visit My Head is Full of Books to leave the link to your post. 

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from Tiny Vices:

Just two years apart, Carina and Kathy shared everything about each other growing up —until boys came into the picture. Kathy couldn't understand what she called Carina's “taste" in men and vice versa.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

The Talley siblings are planning a family beach vacation—all four of them together for the first time in years. They suspect it will be their last. And God knows they all need a vacation. But wait, is it really such a good idea? Corina, with her recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s, can hardly manage to get through a day without a debacle. Pete is a just-barely-walking catalog of medical calamities stemming from his longtime addictions. Becca is reeling from her teenage son’s latest misadventure. And then there is Kathy, the eldest. After firmly avoiding going back to Rincón Bay, the beach town just a few hours south of the Arizona–Mexico border that has haunted her since a college spring break trip three decades ago, she’s determined to go back and face her ghosts—though she might be better off facing the fact that her marriage is in serious trouble.

When the Talley siblings and their entourage (two spouses, added on at the last minute, and Corina’s Mexican housekeeper/caregiver) finally land in Rincón Bay, they all encounter unexpected consequences from the wounds inflicted by careless loving—but maybe, too, the seeds of healing and hope.

México: Exploring México’s Quality Wines and Phenomenal Cuisine by Michael C. Higgins -- BOOK REVIEW

 

BOOK REVIEW

Exploring Wine Regions -- México: Exploring México’s Quality Wines and Phenomenal Cuisine by Michael C. Higgins, PhD.

Michael Higgins continues his winning streak with México, the fourth book in his Exploring Wine Regions series. México: Exploring México’s Quality Wines and Phenomenal Cuisine, follows his books on Bordeaux, Argentina, and California's Central Coast, matching their high quality and enticing content.

I know that I (and maybe most people) think of tequila and beer, not wine, when considering México’s alcoholic offerings. Higgins is out to change that perception with his insiders’ guide to México’s wineries, vineyards, and wine-related restaurants and accommodations. In a beautiful, coffee-table book format, Higgins provides all the information you need to explore México’s wine regions, enjoying incredible food, specialty lodging, and side adventures along the way.

Higgins concentrates on the three main wine regions in México – Valle de Guadalupe, Guanajuato, and Queretaro – and their sub-regions. He features wineries that are open to the public, make excellent wines, and offer tourism experiences beyond what he calls “step-up-to-the-bar-to-taste.” These experiences are primarily food-related (everyone has to eat and food and wine go together), from restaurants to food and wine parings to cooking classes, but extend to wine-making lessons, horseback riding, water sports, whale watching, shopping, museums, and more. Even teetotalers can appreciate the incredible descriptions of the food and luxury accommodations the book offers.

Like the other books in his series, Higgin’s México book is crammed with gorgeous photographs, tidbits, and asides, making it a perfect armchair travel book for any wine lover as well as an indispensable resource for planning a wine tour of the region. I can't imagine visiting México’s wine country without Higgins's book!


NOTES

You can read my review of Higgins's France and Argentina books here and his California book here. Go to the Exploring Wine Regions website for more information about this book, the series, and Michael Higgins.

 

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

Tourism in México is outstanding, we all know it. And the Méxican wine regions are no exception. Wine regions are always very beautiful places. Here, the mountains and valleys are ever so enchanting. The wineries are engaging, have lots of tourism activities available, and are especially inviting and friendly with their warm Méxican hospitality. Both connoisseurs and novices turn to this book series for insider information and inspiration. It is a must-have book for expanding your knowledge of México and its wines. With 340 full-color pages and over 600 photographic images, this fourth edition explores México's regions of Valle de Guadalupe (including Ensenada), Guanajuato (including San Miguel de Allende) and Querétaro (with its rich history).

From Tuscany with Love by Lauretta Avina -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

From Tuscany with Love by Lauretta Avina

Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

In the tapestry of my life, there exists a thread of duality, a delicate interplay between the old world and the new, the familiar and the foreign.

-- from From Tuscany with Love by Lauretta Avina. Memoir cookbooks are my favorite! Especially one highlighting Italian food. Yum! 

Lauretta Avina was born in Tuscany and emigrated to the USA when she was a child. Her father wanted to leave the relative poverty of Italy and memories of WWII behind, so moved his family to Gilroy, California in 1972.

In From Tuscany with Love, Avina discusses her childhood and family history in Italy and her challenges as a young immigrant in a time when Italians were still looked down on in America. Her stories are intwined with family recipes aimed at the home chef, as well as many photographs. The book isn't a slick production, but it is warmhearted and engaging. I love it and can't wait to try the recipes.   

See the Publisher's Description below for more details.  

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.

THE FRIDAY 56

The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.

Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.

MY FRIDAY 56

-- from From Tuscany with Love:

Like many other Italian towns during WWII, my hometown in Tuscany was occupied by the Germans. Today, various monuments in my small town and surrounding villages remember those innocent civilians who were murdered by the Nazi Germans.

FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

From Tuscany with Love is an emotional memoir capturing the heartfelt journey of a scared, little girl from the rolling hills of Lucca to the bustling life in America. Through evocative stories and cherished family recipes, the author pays tribute to the rich culture, love, and flavors that shaped her life. This memoir beautifully blends personal reflections on family, resilience, and the timeless traditions of Tuscan cuisine, offering readers a deeply personal and flavorful look at an immigrant's path to finding a home and a sense of belonging in a new world.