An Early October Sunday Salon

Hello friends, and happy fall! We're back from our 5-week stay in NYC and resettled at home in CT. I love this time of year. The leaves are changing, the nights are a little chilly, and the days have been gorgeous. Plus we now have a new granddaughter, Lucy!

The photo above was taken in NYC, obviously. The evening before the recent Nor'easter hit, the sky turned an otherworldly pink ahead of an exceptionally stunning sunset. I think nearly everyone in the city posted a photo. It was truly exceptional.

Recent reading//

Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker

My last summer book, I finished it just before fall officially arrived. This novel features three generations, multiple perspectives, and is set in a coastal Maine summer colony over the course of two weeks (with flashbacks)... all catnip for me! There were so many secrets, some outright lies, and a mystery that fueled momentum. I read the second half in a single sitting! Remember this one when you make your 2027 summer reading list.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Frog: And Other Essays by Anne Fadiman

Anne Fadiman is a favorite essayist. Her writing, of course, is excellent but her intelligence, and humor make these essays a pleasure to read. From the titular essay about a 16-year-old pet frog named Bunky who spent years in a zip lock bag in her freezer awaiting a proper burial, to a hilarious essay about Fadiman's archaic printer, and one about Ernest Shackleton's founding and editing The South Polar Times, I savored these essays. They weren't all standouts, of course, but I loved enough of them to purchase a copy for my shelves... and add her older collections to my rereading list. Nonfiction November is coming up!

The audio, narrated by the author, is outstanding. I found it available for immediate download from my library via hoopla.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

One I set aside//

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

This was disappointing. After loving The Death of the Heart earlier in the summer (my review), I ended up abandoning this one... bored at 20%. I read The House in Paris sometime around 2010 and, generously, rated it 3.5 stars. I was also surprised to discover that I read Bowen's The Hotel  in 2014 and liked it even less (my review). It's now safe to say that Elizabeth Bowen is hit or miss for me.

Current reading//

American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee

 I'm just over 20% in and loving this book!

 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The great slow read continues - 82%! Footnotes & Tangents recently announced their 2027 slow read schedule. A new War and Peace slow read group will be forming... just in case anyone is interested.

On the blog//

Introducing Lucy!

The week ahead//

We're planning to visit Lucy (and her parents) tomorrow. I'm making soup in the crockpot today so we can bring them lunch... soup weather is here! On Tuesday we head up to central NY to spend a few days with my parents. We also need to get started on our list of "winterizing" chores. It's that time of year again...

I hope your fall is off to a good start. What have you been reading lately?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

 

Introducing Lucy!

Our granddaughter is here! I'm happy to introduce Lucy Ann, born almost two week early on September 30, 2026. She weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing fine.

We were still in NYC when she was born but, as it turned out, Matt's parent's were visiting and stayed on a few extra days. We were back in CT on Saturday and finally met Lucy last Sunday. She is just adorable! 🩷

 

Summer Reading Wrap-Up

Fall is here. The meteorologist says it arrived at 8:05 PM on Tuesday, but for me autumn always begins with my first pumpkin spice latte! That happened last Saturday. So before I get too carried away with the colors and flavors of the season, l'll pause for a summer reading wrap-up. As you can see from the photo, I had the extra pleasure of late August and September reading on the rooftop of our NYC rental.

Here is the original list I posted in June, along with a note on how I fared with each title:

BOOK CLUB

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan  ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)

Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (my review)

AUSTEN IN AUGUST

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Shapard ✅  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley - In progress, 70%, now on the back burner 

The Other Bennett Sister  by Janice Hadlow ✖ - I wasn't in the mood for a retelling.

NEW RELEASE PRIORITIES

Whistler by Ann Patchett ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  (my review)

John of John by Douglas Stuart ✖ - I'm still on the library hold list

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer - DNF, 20%

Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (no review yet)

ONGOING GROUP READ

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy ✅ - 78%, still on schedule

I'm happy to have finished so many books on that original list. In addition I also read two early fall book club selections and several impulse reads. Those included:

Troika by Irena Smith  ⭐⭐⭐💫 (book club, my review)

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild ⭐⭐⭐💫  (book club, my review)

Murder takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman ⭐⭐⭐💫 (mystery, my review)

The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (classic, my review)

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes  ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (literary fiction, my review)

Kin by Tayari Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (literary fiction, my review)

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (classic, my review)

How was your summer reading? Did you stick to your original list?

A Sunday Salon from NYC

Hello, friends and happy Sunday from NYC! We've been here for a couple of weeks and have settled into a comfortable city routine. Baby Aaron is thriving, his parents are adjusting to their new lives, and we help out most days. I've also enjoyed exploring the neighborhood, spending some free time on our rooftop, and discovering new restaurants. This is the view from our apartment looking west to the Hudson River.

I've finished a couple of books and am still keeping up with the War and Peace reading schedule. This afternoon I'll walk to the massive Upper West Side Barnes and Noble... as soon as the rain lets up!

Recent reading//

Troika: Three Generations, Three Days, and a Very American Road Trip by Irena Smith

On the surface Troika is the story of a three-day road trip along the California coast, but it's actually much more. Irena Smith uses that trip with her mother and daughter as a vehicle (😉) to tell a larger story. She delves into her family history in Soviet Russia, their immigration to the US in the 1970s, plus her own life story. Along the way, she weaves in parallels with The Odyssey and discusses The White Lotus television series. I have not watched the show, but imagine these references contain spoilers. The memoir is well-written, creatively constructed, and I enjoyed listening to the author narrate her own story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild

I'd decided to skip this debut novel when it was published last year for two reasons. I don't like the cover - shallow, I know - and I wasn't up for a domestic page-turner centered around a tragedy and reproductive technology. Then MMD book club announced its October selection.

 Since it was immediately available on Libby, I decide to dive right in. It was indeed a page-turner and I enjoyed it more than expected. I won't say anything more about the plot, but there is certainly plenty to discuss with book club!

⭐⭐⭐⭐  (3.5 stars, rounded up)

Current reading//

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

I've been craving another Elizabeth Bowen novel since I finished The Death of the Heart a few month ago. Just started this coming-of-age story set in Ireland yesterday.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The epic year-long group read continues...

How was your week? What have you been reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

 

He's here!!

Happy September from NYC. Baby Aaron (named after my father-in-law) has arrived! He checked in a few days early on August 28th weighing just over 7 pounds. Mom and baby are fine, Dad is as proud as can be, and Winnie-the-Whippet, initially suspicious, seems happy with her expanded pack. Grandma and Grandpa can't stop smiling!

I'll get back to books in another week or two, but for now I'm preoccupied with this little guy. 😍

 

The Sunday Salon: August 23, 2026

August is winding down... I'm not even sure how that's possible. We had a nice long weekend visit with my parents last weekend, got to see our new grandniece again (she's two months old and changing so fast!) and spend some time with our kids. We went out to dinner with friends last week and I was even able to spend an afternoon reading in the sunroom on my zero-gravity lounger!

Recent reading//

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Shapard

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite novels. I'm not sure how many times I've read it, but it's always a delight. This year for Austen in August, I read an annotated edition slowly over three weeks with a group from Modern Mrs. Darcy. Shapard includes many historical facts and illustrations, plus he explains references Austen makes which she would have expected readers of that era to get. Naturally it takes longer to read these annotated editions (this one was 780 pages!) but I settled into a comfortable pattern of reading the notes after every chapter or two. This was my third Shapard-annotated Austen novel and I'm already planning to tackle another next summer.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Current reading//

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

I'm wrapping up Austen in August with a biography.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The great read-along continues... 900 pages/70% in and counting!

In the kitchen//

My sister sent me this Baked Pineapple Salmon recipe a couple of years ago, and maybe I've even shared it here before. Since it's easy, delicious, and looks really special on a serving platter (perfect for guests) it's become a favorite.  I made it again a couple of nights ago... increasing the oven temperature to 425 degrees and baking just a little longer.  It's always a winner!

Coming up soon//

We will head to NYC next Sunday to await the birth of our grandson. The current plan calls for our daughter to be induced on Monday 8/31. We were fortunate to find a short-term furnished rental just a block from their apartment and have made arrangements to stay for a month. We can help out as much as needed, plus my husband has always wanted to spend an extended period of time in the City. I've renewed my Met membership and look forward to frequent walks in Central Park! 

Today I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this relentless rain stops soon. One of our favorite local bands is playing in the final outdoor concert of the summer. 🤞🤞🤞

How was your week? What have you been reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Years of August Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. It's been a while since I played along, but this week's prompt was too interesting to skip! 

What did your last ten years of August reading look like? I chose one memorable August book from each of the last ten summers.

2025 - Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout

Last summer I became an Elizabeth Strout completist!

2024 - The Annotated Persuasion by Jane Austen, David Shapard

Another year of Austen in August

2023 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

When Ann Patchett publishes a new novel, I read it immediately!

2022 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

I loved this audio production and can still hear the voice of Marcellus!

2021 - The Street by Ann Petry

What a memorable experience it was to read this classic in the author's hometown!

2020 - Beach Read by Emily Henry

If ever there was a summer that called for light reading, 2020 was it!

2019 - The Leavers by Lisa Ko

I still think about this book and, sadly, it's still relevant.

2018 - The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

If it's summer, there must be a new Elin Hiderbrand novel!

2017 - My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul

Delightfully bookish memoir from the former editor of the NYTimes Book Review.

2016 - Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

Very funny... in a passive-aggressive kind of way!

This topic was suggested by Anne at Head Full of Books.

Find other Top Ten Tuesday posts here.