The Sunday Salon: July 19, 2026

Hello, friends. We're well into the back half of July and summer seems to be flying. We had a good week, despite a few days of very warm temperatures and a few more of smoke-filled air. Early in the week we enjoyed an evening concert on the town green, but were mostly indoors after that. Last night's storms ushered in cooler, cleaner air today along with a nice breeze - perfect for a walk and then maybe sunset at the beach!

Recent reading//

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes

I'm glad I gave this quiet, introspective novel (which reads more like a memoir) a second chance. Barnes, now 80 and with health concerns, says this is his final novel. He opens with a discussion of memory that's sprinkled with Proustian references, but initially I just wasn't feeling it. A month or so later I tried the audio, which Barnes narrates himself, and was enchanted! 

Barnes goes on to talk about his illness, and grief following the loss of his wife and later his dog Jimmie, but there's also a parallel story about a rekindled romance between two old friends. He continues to weave in aspects of the initial memory essay throughout the book, and I loved his self-deprecating sense of humor. 

I've been a fan of Barnes for years, but have only read a couple of his novels and essay collections. My favorite is The Sense of an Ending, which won the Booker Prize in 2011, and I also enjoyed his essay collection, The Pedant in the Kitchen. The Only Story is waiting on my shelf.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Current reading//

Kin by Tayari Jones

Read/listen combination - so good! 70%

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The yearlong chapter-a-day slow read continues...

On the blog//

Mid-Year Reading Questionnaire

The week ahead//

Wednesday is my birthday! I'm planning to browse the bookstore in the afternoon, have dinner at a favorite restaurant and then, if the rain holds off, go to a concert on the town green. Thursday I'm looking forward to a mani/pedi, then we're off to NYC for the weekend. Fingers crossed it isn't oppressively hot!

How was your week? What are you reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Mid-Year Reading Questionnaire

I never got around to posting mid-year reading reflections this year, but I've seen this reading questionnaire circulating online and thought I'd do that instead. Let me know if you decide to play along!

1. Best book so far in 2026?  Whistler by Ann Patchett

2. Favorite Sequel of the 1st half of 2026?  The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 8 by Beth Brower

3. A new release that you are excited for but haven’t read yet?  Kin by Tayari Jones 

4. Most anticipated release of the second half of 2026?  The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw

5. Biggest (reading) disappointment so far?  Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer (set aside at 20%, probably a case of bad timing)

6. Biggest (reading) surprise so far? The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen

7. Who is your favorite new-to-you or debut author this year?  Allegra Goodman (This is Not About Us)

8. Your favorite character so far this year?  Eddie Triplett (Whistler)

9. A book that made you cry?  none so far this year

10. A book that made you happy?  Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

11. What is the most beautiful book cover you have bought this year?   Whistler by Ann Patchett

12. What book(s) do you want to read by the end of the year?   Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the annotated edition this time

 

The Sunday Salon: An Update At Last!

Hello, friends. Has it really been nearly a month? Life has gotten a bit crazy lately. We've either been away or had guests for the past five weekends, but now we have two weeks at home before we're on the road again.

The big news is that we are going to be grandparents - twice! Two of our daughters are expecting their first babies. Our NYC daughter is due September 5 and our CT daughter is due October 12. In addition, the NYC couple has decided to move to CT and have been spending more time with us as they begin their search for a house. 

We've also spent a good amount of time in central NY lately. My father had a mild heart attack at the end of June. He is fine now and back home, but we were happy to provide a little extra support when it was needed.

Recent reading//

Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy

This new release is the July selection at Modern Mrs. Darcy book club and I was lucky to get a library copy right away. It's a messy, complicated family drama which features a love triangle involving two sisters at its core. Set primarily in Brooklyn and Manhattan, none of the characters were particularly likable, but I kept turning the pages anyway. The novel was more interesting than enjoyable and I cringed as several characters repeatedly made bad decisions. And what an ending - I literally gasped at the final page! The discussion forums are already buzzing and I'm looking forward to the live author chat later in the month.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Current reading//

Departures by Julian Barnes

I've been a fan of Julian Barnes for years. Now, at 80, he is calling this his final novel. I'm over halfway through, but it sure feels more like a memoir to me.... and it's so good!

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The year-long slow read continues. Now wonder people still read this novel... it's got everything!

On the blog//

Three Overdue Reviews:

  - The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen

  - Whistler by Ann Patchett

  - Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

In the kitchen//

Despite not being at home much lately, I have tried a few recipes worth mentioning. First is a Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake from Taste of Home. I am NOT a fan of cottage cheese, but have made this at least three times and it's delicious! The 8x8 size is a plus when it's just the three of us.

Another recent discovery is this Asian Chicken Chopped Salad from Skinnytaste. It's been hot lately and I've been craving lighter dinners. My husband generally isn't a fan of dinner salads, but even he really liked this one. You could also serve it in lettuce wraps or over rice.

And finally, we've been grilling a lot of veggies. This easy marinade from Gimme Some Oven has added a tasty new twist ... I think it's the smoked paprika!

That's about it from here. At long last, I am anticipating a quiet week at home. Hopefully it will be cool enough to get back to my morning walks.

How have you been? What have you been reading lately?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Three Overdue Reviews

The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen

This was an "Ann Patchett made me read it" selection.  In a recent Friday instagram video, she somehow convinced me to pick up a 1938 novel by the celebrated Irish author Elizabeth Bowen. Bowen primarily wrote 'novels of manners' and is often compared to Henry James. How could I resist? I purchased  the ebook with kindle credits and found the audio edition, narrated by Pearl Hewitt, available on hoopla. 

The Death of the Heart is primarily a coming-of-age story. Following the death of her mother, 16-year-old Portia travels to London to live with her much older half-brother Thomas and his wife. Portia's long-dead father left Thomas's mother years ago and Portia was the child of his second marriage.

Initially the language felt stilted and dated, so it took some time to settle in. (The audio helped!) Once acclimated, I found the writing to be stunning - beautiful and insightful. Bowen writes about people, how they relate to one another, what is communicated and what's left unsaid - reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout's most recent novel. Her descriptive passages are wonderful, especially those of the sea.

"She felt it must be very late, past midnight: that point where the river of night flows underneath time, that point at which occurs the mysterious birth of tomorrow." 

"Some people are moulded by their admirations, others by their hostilities." 

"The heart may think it knows better: the senses know that absence blots people out."

"We desert those who desert us; we cannot afford to suffer; we must live how we can." 

"The sun, slanting moltenly in at the south windows, laid a dust nimbus over furs, and printed cheeks with the colours of stained glass." 

I read Bowen's The House in Paris about a decade ago. It didn't leave much of an impression, but I suspect The Death of the Heart will stick with me for some time. This novel probably won't appeal to most readers, but I'm glad to have rediscovered Elizabeth Bowen.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Whistler is exactly the kind of novel you'd expect from Ann Patchett and I loved every page! It opens when 50-something Daphne Fuller and her husband discover that an older gentleman is following them around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He turns out to be Eddie Triplett, who was briefly Daphne's stepfather when she was nine, but was abruptly divorced by her mother following a car accident. Daphne hadn't seen him since.

There's a reunion and a new relationship is forged. They share memories and reminiscences as Daphne pieces together part of her childhood. And all of it is overflowing with love and kindness. The cast of supporting characters is particularly memorable, too. The NYC setting delighted me - including the mention of several familiar locales, plus restaurants I've dined at multiple times. There was even a line about the impossibility of finding a parking place in Westport, CT that made me laugh out loud!

I rated this 4.5 stars at the time, but I'm upping it to 5 as a continue to think about it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

I don't read much romance, but this new release was the June selection at Modern Mrs. Darcy book club... and I loved it! The main character, Dolly Brick, is a teacher and single mom to a 13-year-old boy. She returns to her coastal RI hometown (which bears a striking resemblance to Newport) for the summer to help her father at the family business, Brick's Fish House, as he struggles to keep family home. The novel features a "fake dating" trope involving Dolly and the handsome son of the town's ultra-rich 'first family.'

Dolly and Stewart were both such believable characters and I couldn't get enough of them! I flew through this book two days and will seek out Monaghan's earlier novels the next time the romance mood strikes. This was a read/listen combination for me. Julia Whelan's narration was perfection.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫  

 

A Summer Reading Plan

Hello, friends. I've spend some time this past week thinking about my summer reading plans. I usually put together monthly TBR (to be read) lists but, since summer feels so short and is packed with activities, I've opted for a seasonal approach this year.

My plan includes book club selections, an Austen in August line-up, and new releases I'm excited about. Plus the yearlong slow read of War and Peace is still in progress. We hit the halfway mark today! 

BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy

AUSTEN IN AUGUST

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Shapard

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley

The Other Bennett Sister  by Janice Hadlow

NEW RELEASE PRIORITIES

Whistler by Ann Patchett

John of John by Douglas Stuart

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer

Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker

ONGOING GROUP READ

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Will I stick to the plan? Who knows, but I do enjoy making a list! I'll revisit this one after Labor Day and let you know how I did. Have you made a summer reading list?

 

On to June...

Hello, friends. As May winds down, my husband and I were talking about how long  this month has seemed! It's hard to believe we started it off in Florida... that seems like ages ago. We took several days to drive back to CT, and have visited my parents in central NY - twice. No wonder we're exhausted! 

We're done with travel for a while now, but this weekend has still been full of family. Our NYC daughter, son-in-law, and Winnie the Whippet are here for a long visit. My Pennsylvania brother and sister-in-law stopped for lunch yesterday on their way to Providence, and later today we'll see our CT daughter and her husband, too.  It will be the first time the seven of us been together since Christmas!

As far as reading goes, I finished a couple of books, am enjoying my current read, and continue to make progress on War and Peace.

Recent reading//

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is back with a new, stand-alone novel. This one is set in Massachusetts, rather than Maine, and features an entirely new cast of characters. Fifty-something Artie Dam is a popular high school history teacher. While appearing to be friendly and jovial, he inwardly harbors growing feelings of isolation and loneliness. After discovering a long-held family secret, Artie loses his precarious balance. Once again, Strout offers the reader a masterful portrayal of the human condition. She even includes an oblique reference to Olive Kitteridge, which I found delightful.

One notable surprise... this novel gets political in a way none of her previous books have. Given the current state of our country, it's not surprising these topics are on her mind. Strout never mentions the current president by name, but some readers may find it a bit heavy-handed. This is not my favorite Elizabeth Strout novel, but I still loved it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

Ready for some lighter entertainment, I turned to Laura Lippman's new cozy mystery. I'm hoping it the first in a series featuring 68-year-old Muriel Blossom, a former employee of Lippman's detective Tess Monaghan. Mrs. Blossom, a widow, has recently won the lottery and sets off an adventure -  her first trip abroad, followed by a cruise with her best friend. Instead she finds herself entangled in an art theft/fraud scheme, a potential romance, and an unexpected death or two. This read/listen combo was a lot of fun, and I particularly recommend the audio. 

⭐⭐⭐💫

Current reading//

The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen

Have you seen Ann Patchett's Friday videos on instagram? This was a recent New-to-You pick and I was "influenced" to pick up a 418-page 1938 novel by Irish author Elizabeth Bowen. It starts slowly,  took me a minute to adjust to the language and writing style, but now I don't want to put it down!  52%

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 

The yearlong slow read with Footnotes & Tangents continues. This week we hit the 600 page mark! I really like reading just one chapter per day and am not sure I could get through this tome any other way.

How was your week? What have you been reading?

 

It's Mid-May and We're Back in Connecticut!

Hello again, friends. We are finally back in Connecticut, but the photo above was taken earlier this month in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. We hadn't planned to stop, but a short travel day allowed for a spontaneous detour. This beautiful spot is at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. It's also the site of abolitionist John Brown's historic 1859 raid on the federal armory. We parked at the Harper's Ferry National Historic Park, and took a shuttle bus into the historic town.

We had time to explore the museums, shops, sip an afternoon coffee, and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Definitely the highlight of an otherwise uninspired few days of travel!

After a couple days of unpacking and laundry at home, our next stop was a surprise Mother's Day visit to central New York. I told Mom we' be arriving Monday, but our CT daughter scheduled my Mother's Day brunch on Saturday so we were able to pull off the surprise!

As far as reading goes, there hasn't been much of that this month.

Recent reading//

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

This proved to be exactly the right book at the right time for me. I needed a page-turning plot, an unexpected twist or two, plus interesting, well-developed characters. Sally Hepworth delivered on all three counts. Plus, I just loved 81-year-old Mabel!

Mabel is a curmudgeonly old woman who keeps to herself, but seems to know about everything that happens on her street. When she discovers the dead body of an elderly neighbor, rumors from her past resurface. So many people around her died during her childhood. Did she really kill them all?

The story is told in dual timelines by young Mabel and present-day Mabel. When I was nearing the halfway point, the audio edition narrated by Hannah Fredericksen and Jenny Seedsman became available. It definitely added to my overall enjoyment. 

This my second Sally Hepworth novel. (The Mother-in-Law was a solid 4-star read for me back in 2019 but, unfortunately, I never reviewed it here.) Now I'm officially a fan.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Current reading//

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The year-long slow read with Footnotes and Tangents  continues and, despite our travels, I've managed to keep up with the schedule.

Yesterday I read a particularly vivid and moving chapter in which the character Natasha danced a classic Russian folk dance. From our daily recap/newsletter, I learned that the chapter is so notable that it inspired the title of Orlando Figes 2002 classic Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia... a title which has been on my tbr list for years.

About to start//

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

I pre-ordered this in hardcover and plan to get started this afternoon.

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman 

I'm not a big mystery reader, but Lippman is a reliable choice when the mood strikes. This will be my evening/kindle read.

The week ahead//

I can't believe Memorial Day is a week away. We have several chores and appointments scheduled this week. The most important is a getting our SUV serviced. It's one of the big tune-ups they do every 30,000 miles... and we've certainly put on a lot of miles lately!

On Saturday we'll celebrate our son-in-law's birthday. Then we're considering another trip to central NY on Sunday. We'll have a traditional Memorial Day cookout and I'll get to see the siblings I missed last weekend. I know my parents will appreciate another visit!

How have you been lately? What are you reading?