Readerbuzz

Books on My Fall 2026 To-Read List

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Some of these have already been published, some are just being published, and some are yet to be published.

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

A Planet Called Happy by Riley August

Kitten by Stacy Yu

You'll Love It Here by Natalie Sue

Man Overboard by Kathleen Rooney

The Bookshop Woman by Hanako Hanada (September 15)

The Butterfly Season by Lea Korsgaard (September 15)

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (September 15)

Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger (October 6)

The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick (October 6)

Partita by Barbara Kingsolver (October 6)

An Unlikely Visitor by Joanna Cannon (October 20)

Dead Batteries by Kate Maupin (October 27)

America Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the Hidden Wonders of the United States (November 10)

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

The Sunday Salon: Shorty September

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

It's wonderful that you are here at the Sunday Salon. Welcome!

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

Please add your link below, visit other bloggers, and comment on their posts.

We had a fabulous time visiting with our son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Lisa. We spent some time in Chicago where they live, and we also spent a few days in Traverse City, Michigan where Lisa worked when she was first out of college. The highs were in the 70s, and the temps dipped into the 50s at night. The weather was glorious and the company was more glorious.

What I Read Last Week:

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Novel)

What I'm Reading Now (for Shorty September):

In a Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor (Novel)

Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine They (Mystery)

Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (Novel)

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solhenitzen (Novel)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

Authors I've Met

The Sunday Salon: ♫ ♪ Chicago! Chicago! ♫ ♪

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser: Friday Book Snippets and Book Blogger Hop

SHORTY SEPTEMBER 8 / 12

Hometown Shorts (Local Author/Setting)

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (64 pages)

Hairy Shorts (Animal Character)

Wesley the Owl (244 pages)

Cargo Shorts (Helpful in a Pickle)

Jingo Django (184 pages)

Crochet Shorts (Independent Publisher)

Little Bird (96 pages)

Postal Shorts (Set in a Country You’re Likely to Have a Penpal In)

Emily of New Moon (224 pages)

Zip-Off Shorts (Nature Writing/Outdoors)

The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico (48 pages)

Elton John’s Wedding Shorts (Something Outrageous)

Trash! A Garbageman’s Story by Simon Paré-Poupart (192 pages)

Patchwork Shorts (Blend of Genres)

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel (242 pages)

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things.

Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

A new-to-me butterfly in Chicago:

Small White.

Good Thing #2:

We shopped in a store where

everything---ice cream, syrup, salsa, and more---

was made from cherries.

Traverse City is

the Cherry Capital of the World.

Good Thing #3:

We visited two bookstores in Traverse City,

including this one

in a former mental asylum.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser: Friday Book Snippets and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Friday Book Snippets is a weekly blogging event co-hosted by

Anne@HeadFullofBooks and Olivia at Bemused and Bookish.

Share two snippets (a sentence or short paragraph) from:

a. the book's beginning and

b. page 56 (or another page)

in the book you are currently reading.

No spoilers, please.

Join the fun every Friday.

When Caroline Meeber boarded the afternoon train for Chicago, her total outfit consisted of a small trunk, a cheap imitation alligator-skin satchel, a small lunch in a paper box, and a yellow leather snap purse, containing her ticket, a scrap of paper with her sister's address in Van Buren Street, and four dollars in money. It was in August, 1889. She was eighteen years of age, bright, timid, and full of the illusions of ignorance and youth. Whatever touch of regret at parting characterised her thoughts, it was certainly not for advantages now being given up. A gush of tears at her mother's farewell kiss, a touch in her throat when the cars clacked by the flour mill where her father worked by the day, a pathetic sigh as the familiar green environs of the village passed in review, and the threads which bound her so lightly to girlhood and home were irretrievably broken.

Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie, p. 1. Kindle Edition.

Carrie looked over the large bill of fare which the waiter handed her without really considering it. She was very hungry, and the things she saw there awakened her desires, but the high prices held her attention. "Half broiled spring chicken—seventy-five. Sirloin steak with mushrooms—one twenty-five." She had dimly heard of these things, but it seemed strange to be called to order from the list.

Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie, p. 56. Kindle Edition.

Today's Featured Book:

Sister Carrie

by Theodore Dreiser

Genre: Fiction

Published: 1900

Page Count: 464 pages

Summary:

When Carrie Meeber runs away to Chicago, she has nothing to rely on but her beauty and a fierce determination to improve her life. She escapes work in a factory by becoming the mistress of first one man and then a more successful one but ultimately leaves them behind for success and fame on the stage in New York.

Long hailed as one of the best novels of the twentieth century, Sister Carrie provides a panoramic view of the dynamic and relentless forces that still drive city life and American culture.

I brought three books set in Chicago along with me on my recent trip to visit my son and his wife. I think I have brought Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser along with me fifty times, and I've yet to read the whole things. This time I'm determined to finish.

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

If you could recommend one overlooked book, what would it be and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer

I'd recommend Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell. It's the story of a woman who is a homemaker of the 1940s, and each chapter is a page or so long, each one like a little Zen story.

Authors I've Met

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Margaret Atwood! Wow!

Lots of great kids' authors:

Jayson Reynolds. R. L. Stein Aaron Reynolds

Jacqueline Woodson. Kate DiCamillo Melissa Sweet

Rick Riordan

Mo Willems

Jon Klassen at my school!

Lots of wonderful adult authors:

Anne Lamott

Gretchen Rubin

Amy Krause Rosenthal Katherine Center

Jane Green

David Baldacci Mary Higgins Clark

Lots of authors I've met at Inprint in Houston:

Richard Powers Kiran Desai George Saunders

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi Salman Rushdie

My "twin," Janet Evanovich

The Sunday Salon: ♫ ♪ Chicago! Chicago! ♫ ♪

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

We are happy that you are here at the Sunday Salon. Welcome!

I encourage you to join in by adding your link below and then visit other bloggers and leave comments on their posts.

We are in Chicago, visiting our son, Ben,

and his wife, Lisa.

What I Read Last Week:

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel

(Nonfiction)

The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico (Fiction)

What I'm Reading Now:

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe (Fiction)

Passing by Nella Larson (Fiction)

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Fiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: My First Ukulele Class is Hard

Indie Bookshops Near Me

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe: Friday Book Snippets and Book Blogger Hop

SHORTY SEPTEMBER 6 / 12

Hometown Shorts (Local Author/Setting)

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (64 pages)

Hairy Shorts (Animal Character)

Wesley the Owl (244 pages)

Cargo Shorts (Helpful in a Pickle)

*Jingo Django (184 pages)

Crochet Shorts (Independent Publisher)

Little Bird (96 pages)

Elton John’s Wedding Shorts (Something Outrageous)

Trash! A Garbageman’s Story by Simon Paré-Poupart (192 pages)

Patchwork Shorts (Blend of Genres)

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel (242 pages)

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

A friend and I went to the

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge last week

after we were told there were lots of birds visiting.

There were!

We loved seeing this Wood Stork.

Good Thing #2:

This Yellow-crowned Night Heron

seemed to be enjoying the water.

Good Thing #3:

A new-to-me butterfly at the refuge:

White Peacock.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe: Friday Book Snippets and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Last Summer on State Street

by Toya Wolfe

Genre: Children's Fiction

Published: May 2, 2023

Page Count: 224 pages

Summary:

Felicia “Fe Fe” Stevens is living with her vigilantly loving mother and older teenaged brother, whom she adores, in building 4950 of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes. It’s the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is next in line to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She, with the devout Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin, form a tentative trio and, for a brief moment, carve out for themselves a simple life of Double Dutch and innocence. But when Fe Fe welcomes a mysterious new friend, Tonya, into their fold, the dynamics shift, upending the lives of all four girls.

As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of the four girls’ families. Fe Fe must make the painful decision of whom she can trust and whom she must let go. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer—just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed—Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left.

Friday Book Snippets is a weekly blogging event co-hosted by

Anne@HeadFullofBooks and Olivia at Bemused and Bookish.

Share two snippets (a sentence or short paragraph) from:

a. the book's beginning and

b. page 56 (or another page)

in the book you are currently reading.

No spoilers, please.

Join the fun every Friday.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY,

hosted by Reading is My Superpower!

It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and share the first line.

SNIPPET FROM THE BEGINNING / FIRST LINE FRIDAY

I'd known Precious forever, Stacia a year, and Tonya for just a minute. We were so different, but everybody loved them some double Dutch. Sometimes we made a tight-knit crew; other days we couldn't get along for nothing.

Wolfe, Toya.. Last Summer on State Street, p. 1.

SNIPPET FROM PAGE 56

"He at that age, Fe Fe. Everybody checking for him now. My brother left last year when he turned fifteen." I looked for a sadness, any crack at all in her hard shell, but she just reached for the ropes, motioning for us to start a game.

Wolfe, Toya.. Last Summer on State Street, p. 56.

I brought Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe along with me to Chicago for our visit with my son and daughter-in-law this week. It will be interesting to talk about this book with my daughter-in-law, Lisa, who was a teen living in Chicago in 1999.

How much do online reviews shape what you pick up next? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer).

I rely completely on other bloggers to help me decide what book to read next!

Indie Bookshops Near Me

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Last year I did the Houston Bookstore Crawl and visited twelve independent bookstores in the Houston area.

When I think of independent bookstores, I think first of Brazos Bookstore. It was created in 1974 by Karl Kilian who wanted to focus on personalized service, community engagement and passionate curation. The store prides itself on its support of writers and readers through long partnerships with Inprint!, the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, the Academy of American Poets, and the Annual Poet and Writer’s Ball. It's a small space, but it's packed with exceptional book offerings.

One of the largest and oldest mystery specialty bookstores in the US is Murder by the Book, originally established in 1980. There are over 25,000 books -- new & used, hardbacks & paperbacks, first editions, collectibles, gift items, and more. The store hosts more than 200 of the biggest mystery, crime, and fantasy authors for book signing events every year. In the past, Murder by the Book has hosted Dick Francis, P.D. James, Sue Grafton, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Patricia Cornwell, James Lee Burke, and Daniel Silva.

Kindred Stories is an independent bookstore located in Houston's historic Third Ward. Kindred Stories is a celebration of Black and other marginalized voices, and it seeks to create a community in which people "can unite over our shared love of these books; delve into the ways we see ourselves reflected in their stories; learn about new and upcoming Black writers, artists, creators, and changemakers; and find connection at a time when we need it more than ever."

Basket Books & Art is an independent bookstore inside the Montrose area of Houston. It specializes in literature, art, and thought. Owners Laura Hughes and Edwin Smalling say, "Our goal is to offer a unique context in which art and books can co-mingle in exciting ways, opening up alleyways of conversation. We aim to provide a space for creative and intellectual exchange through our inventory and programming, and to offer Houston’s diverse arts and intellectual communities something for the mind, a portal to the world of art, writing, and thought writ large.”

Then & Now Bookshop began life as a pop-up bookstore in Galveston. It was always Lori's dream to own a bookshop. After working for thirty years as a preschool teacher and librarian, Lori, with a nudge from her daughter did just that.

LIT Java Coffee & Books is a BIPOC, veteran, women owned, and online bookstore. LIT believes that books are powerful tools with the capability to bring people together, dispel misconceptions, and challenge thinking.

The bookstore operates according to what it calls Our 5 Cs:

1) Curated Literary Experiences

2) Community

3) Cultural Diversity

4) Connections

5) Conversations over LIT cups of Coffee!

If you are wondering, yes, that's Pear-Land, not Pearl-Land. When I was growing up in my little town of Alvin, Pearland was the closest town to us and it was a lot like us---maybe 5,000 people, predominantly rural, yet very progressive. And one of the farm crops was pears. Now---look out! Pearland has ballooned to almost 129,000 people, and it's delightfully diverse. I was very excited to try out this bookstore. Of all the indie bookstores in the Houston area, this one is actually the closest one to me. And it is not only a bookstore, but it's also a coffeeshop. Win, win.

You wouldn't know Blue Willow Bookshop was there if you weren't told about it. From the street it's just another tiny little space in a strip center. But don't let first appearances fool you. Blue Willow is all about books. And reading. And authors. And good writing. And especially books.

The Sunday Salon: My First Ukulele Class is Hard

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

We are happy you joined us at the Sunday Salon. Welcome!

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a spot to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on.

I encourage you to join in by adding your link below and then visiting other bloggers and leaving a comment on their posts.

What I Read Last Week:

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig (Fantasy)

Wished by Lissa Evans (Children's Fiction)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Nonfiction)

Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montogmery (Fiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Shorty September Starts Soon! (I Know, I Know, It's Short Notice)

All-Things French: Ten Books about the Best French Things

Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

SHORTY SEPTEMBER

Shorty September Update 2 / 12

Hometown Shorts (Local Author/Setting)

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (64 pages)

Elton John’s Wedding Shorts (Something Outrageous)

Trash! A Garbageman’s Story by Simon Paré-Poupart

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

I made focaccia bread.

Good Thing #2:

Okay, my first ukulele class was HARD!

But I have learned that I learn best

when a class is difficult.

Good Thing #3:

I agreed to serve on our library's friends board.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

The Art Thief:

A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession

by Michael Finkel

Genre: Nonfiction

Published: May 8, 2012

Page Count: 242 pages

Summary:

Stéphane Bréitwieser is the most prolific art thief of all time.

He pulled off more than 200 heists, often in crowded museums in broad daylight.

His girlfriend served as his accomplice.

His collection was worth an estimated $2 billion.

He never sold a piece, displaying his stolen art in his attic bedroom.

He felt like a king.

Until everything came to a shocking end.

In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, Michael Finkel gives us one of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of our times, a riveting story of art, theft, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

Approaching the museum, ready to hunt, Stéphane Bréitwieser clasps hands with his girlfriend, Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, and together they stroll to the front desk and say hello, a cute couple. Then they purchase two tickets with cash and walk in.

It's lunchtime, stealing time, on a busy Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium, in February 1997.

THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Anne of Head Full of Books. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky.

Maintaining his strict back-to-the-camera position, he stiffly shuffles a few steps to his left, sliding the work horizontally along the wall until he's out of range of the lens.

The Art Thief is our book club read for this month. We will be discussing it in two weeks. It also has only 242 pages, perfect for Shorty September.

Which book do you think deserves more love but flies under the radar? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer

Many of my favorite books fly under the radar. Have you read any of these books? I feel pretty sure that they are not commonly on people's lists of favorite books.

Working by Studs Terkel; Civility by Stephen L. Carter; My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim PotokT; Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli; I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen; The Common Good by Robert Reich; The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim; The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers; Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell.

All-Things French: Ten Books about the Best French Things

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Confessions of a French Baker

Introduction to French Poetry

A Very French Christmas

The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese

Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday Living

Anna and the French Kiss

Simple French Food

F is for France: A Curious Cabinet of French Wonders

A Breath of French Air

The French Art of Living Well

The Sunday Salon: Shorty September Starts Soon! (I Know, I Know, It's Short Notice)

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

Stillmeadow Daybook by Gladys Taber

I handed this off to a friend---I feel certain

she will love it as much as I did.

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

Hurray! I've already read my Spin book,

and we watched the (very different) movie.

What I Read Last Week:

What I'm Reading Now:

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

A Book of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry

Jinjer put me onto Shorty September, and off I went. I love a fun challenge, and what kind of books do I love more than any others? Short ones!

Here's a little info about the month-long challenge: Shorty September is a month long booktube readathon to read short books. It was originally created by Bert and Sian at Pastorytime. And while they put a pause on their booktube channel for now, this is year six and Shorty September is being carried on by @gormodoheathers (Too Many Heathers), @roving_reader (Karen) and Marcella (@marcellainthemargins) all over on Booktube. Follow them on YouTube, make your own Shorty September videos, comment and be merry! Everyone is invited!

From the 1st to the 30th of September, we read “shorty” books all month. Shorties are maybe about 200 pages (or up to 250 pages) or less, it's also defined by some as any book you can read in a day. Whatever is short for you, you define your own shorty length! Read shorties throughout the month - and it's Shorty September, easy as that. You could just pick any "shorty" books. Read one short book, read through a a stack you’ve saved up (as I know many of us have!) or follow this year's prompts.

Okay, I'm not making a video and I don't really know what Booktube is, but I'm going to find a way to join in, even if it's in my own little blogging way. Here's a list I keep of One-Night Reads that you might find helpful.

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: The Joy of Blue Polka-Dotted Piggy Squeak Toys

Bookish Places I’ve Visited

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

One yearly challenge to go!

Summer challenges are complete!

Big books. A lot of people like to take on a big book for summer.

And fortunately for all of us who enjoy big books, Sue Jackson of Book by Book hosts a Big Book Summer Reading Challenge.

Here's a little about the challenge.

The idea behind this reading challenge is simple: Use the ease of summer to tackle a Big Book (400+ pages) or two or ... however many you want! You set your own goals. And if it is the start of winter where you live, then it's your Big Book Winter Challenge. Everyone is welcome to participate.

The Details:
Hey, it's summer, so we'll keep this low-key and easy!

Anything 400 pages or more qualifies as a big book.
The challenge runs from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend (May 22 this year) through Labor Day (September 7 this year).
Choose one or two or however many big books you want as your goal. Wait, did you get that? You only need to read 1 book with 400+ pages this summer to participate! (though you are welcome to read more, if you want).
No sign-ups are necessary! All readers are welcome to participate.

What kind of books "count"? All kinds! Middle-grade, YA, graphic novels, classics, all genres, all types--as long as they are at least 400 pages. Yes, e-books and audio books count, too--just check online for the number of pages in the print edition.

My reads (7):

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - 475 pages

The Wide, Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides - 408 pages

My Friends by Frederik Bachman - 448 pages

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor - 400 pages

Beyond Words by Carl Safina - 482 pages

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan - 464 pages

The Earth by Émile Zola - 512 pages

But maybe you are not a person who enjoys reading big books. Maybe you like to read in quantity over the summer. In that case...

When Cathy of 746 books announced in 2025 that she would not host 20 Books of Summer this year after ten successful years, Emma of Words and Peace and Annabel of AnnaBookBel both volunteered to take it on. This year, Annabel will run the challenge alone.

The 20 Books of Summer2026 (#20BOS26) challenge runs from Sunday June 1st to Sunday August 31st
The first rule of 20 Books is that there are no real rules, other than signing up for 10, 15, or 20 books and trying to read from your TBR.
Pick your list in advance, or nominate a bookcase to read from, or pick at whim from your TBR.
If you do pick a list, you can change it at any time – swap books in/out.
Don’t get panicked at not reaching your target.
Just enjoy a summer of great reading and make a bit of space on your shelves!

Annabel will have monthly summary posts where you can add progress reports and recommendations. The final one at the at the beginning of September will stay open for a while to catch all the last reviews.

If you’re planning to join in please do add your blog / planning post link to the Mr Linky here.

Here are my (planned, but subject to change) 20 Books of Summer:

20 / 20

*Lost Horizon by James Hilton.

*The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim

*Beyond Words by Carl Safina.

*The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss by Robert Mcfarlane.

*The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout.

*Make Life Happier by Mark Williamson.

*The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

*Autumn Journal by Louis MacNeice

*Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood

*The Earth by Émile Zola

*Candide by Voltaire

*Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson

*The War of the Buttons by Louis Pergaud

*A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

*My Friends by Frederik Bachman.

*The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

*The Lark and the Laurel by Barbara Willard

*The Shippers by Katherine Center.

*The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith

*Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

Blueberry French Toast

Good Thing #2:

The Mississippi Kite is

still hanging around.

Good Thing #3:

My first ukulele class

starts this week.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

The Midnight Train

by Matt Haig

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

Published: May 26, 2026

Page Count: 255 pages

Summary:

No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most.To see what kind of person you really were.

For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.

Before he gave it all away.

He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything... . .

NOTE: Gillion of Rose City Reader is retiring soon from hosting Book Beginnings on Friday. Please contact her if you are interested in hosting.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

As the water taxi sped across the lagoon, the two young honeymooners gazed ahead in awe.

Wilbur squeezed Maggie's hand and leaned into her as they sat at the back of the small boat, the sun glittering on the water in front of them.

"I love you, Mr. Budd," she told him, her words as natural as breath.

"I love you too, Mrs. Budd."

Maggie laughed, softly, at how funny and official that sounded...

"We'll always be like this, won't we?" Maggie asked him.

He smiled reassuringly. "Of course. Why wouldn't we?"

Mr. Bagdale reached for the hip flask in his pocket. Took a swig. "Well, this boy is not a customer. He is a browser. That is why I got rid of the chairs, Mother. We don't want people just sitting there, reading..."

"Oh yes, wouldn't that be terrible," she said with a wheeze. "A bookshop with readers."

The Midnight Library was my favorite book of the year. Probably not the most literary. Probably not the most perfect. But the wisest book I read that year, a book can't help itself from helping everyone who reads it.

So I felt compelled to read The Midnight Train. I am certain that, like most sequels, it won't come close to being the book The Midnight Library was for me. Nevertheless, I can't resist reading it, a new book from an author who dares to write about mental health in genuine and healing ways.

What grabs you and keeps you hooked in a book? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

Fascinating characters!

Bookish Places I’ve Visited

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Anywhere I go---from New York City to Paris to Montana, from work to home---is a bookish place.

Left to right in a clockwise motion: Super Readers at the library's book fair; Doctor Buks in the library showing children how to take care of books; kids and me at the library; the Library Hotel in NYC; bloggers and me in NYC at Book Expo; our book club at my friend's bookstore, Rae's Reads; installation of a Little Free Library in a part of town with no access to books...later we put in a LFL in a town of 200 people with no library; my take from the library conference; my reading spot at home; Inprint with Salman Rushdie in Houston; my overflowing bookshelves at home.

The Sunday Salon: The Joy of Blue Polka-Dotted Piggy Squeak Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

What I Read Last Week:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

What I'm Reading Now:

Stillmeadow Daybook by Gladys Taber

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: A Classics Club Spin

SciFi and Fantasy and Other Book Series I Might Like to Read

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

We went to see The Odyssey.

Good Thing #2:

A Mississippi Kite in our backyard.

Good Thing #3:

I accidentally bought

two blue polka-dotted piggy

squeak toys for dogs,

and my husband is finding it quite amusing to

make the pigs grunt.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

The Day of the Triffids

by John Wyndham

Genre: Science Fiction/Horror

Published: December 1951

Page Count: 241 pages

Summary:

Bill Masen undergoes eye surgery and awakes the next morning in his hospital bed to find civilization collapsing. Wandering the city, he quickly realizes that surviving in this strange new world requires evading strangers and the seven-foot-tall plants known as triffids—plants that can walk and can kill a man with one quick lash of their poisonous stingers.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.

I felt that from the moment I woke. And yet, when I started functioning a little more smartly, I became doubtful. After all, the odds were that it was I who was wrong, and not everyone else—though I did not see how that could be. I went on waiting, tinged with doubt. But presently I had my first bit of objective evidence—a distant clock struck what sounded to me just like eight. I listened hard and suspiciously. Soon another clock began, on a hard, decisive note. In a leisurely fashion it gave an indisputable eight. Then I knew things were awry.

Wyndham, John. The Day of the Triffids, p. 1. Kindle Edition.

I said: “I wonder just how many of us have escaped and can still see? I’ve come across one other man, a child, and a baby; you’ve met none. It looks to me as if we are going to find out that sight is very rare indeed. Some of the others have evidently grasped already that their only chance of survival is to get hold of someone who can see. When they all understand that, the outlook’s going to be none too good.”

Wyndham, John. The Day of the Triffids, p. 56. Kindle Edition.

The Day of the Triffids is my Classics Club spin. I'm delighted that the spinner stopped on this book. Jinjer of The Intrepid Angeleno rave-reviewed it last November here and I could not resist buying a copy and then adding it to my latest Classics Club list.

The Day of the Triffids is not what I expected. I'm a scifi book and film person from childhood, and I thought this would be a standard scary-monsters-invading-earth sort of story. It's not; instead, it's scifi integrated skillfully into literary fiction.

I followed up my reading of the book with watching the film, and the movie, it turns out, is loosely based on the story---with a man who retains his sight while most everyone else goes blind; a world unable to cope with the sudden loss of vision; and plants that walk and kill humans.

Do you follow book trends and bestsellers, or do you prefer hunting down lesser-known titles? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

I am a person who loves to find little-known, beautifully written books. If you have titles of books you've loved that no one else has read, I'd love for you to share them with me.

SciFi and Fantasy and Other Book Series I Might Like to Read

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

When I first became a school librarian, I had to play catch up. And fast.

So I read the first book of every series. I wanted to be able to familiarize myself with the books my students were reading.

This has become a way of reading for me. I read book one. I don't read on.

The truth is that book two is a disappointment. The author carefully worked out book one. Perhaps she never even planned to write book two. Or she wrote book two as a bridge to the far-better book three.

But now I see that I've missed a lot of great books. I'm starting a list of book series I might like to read.

What would you recommend to me?

Here are a few that have been suggested so far:

Xanth by Piers Anthony. My aunt recommended this.

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean Book 1) by Rebecca Yarros

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

If you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

The Sunday Salon: A Classics Club Spin

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! We're glad you're here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations there.

What I Read Last Week:

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage by Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World by Sarah Wilson

What I'm Reading Now:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt

The Classics Club has issued the announcement of the Classics Club’s 43rd CC Spin.

What is the Spin?

It’s easy. At your blog, before next Sunday, August 16, 2026, create a post that lists twenty books of your choice that remain “to be read” on your Classics Club list.

This is your Spin List.

You have to read one of these twenty books by the end of the spin period.

On Sunday, August 16, The Classics Club will post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by Sunday, October 4th, 2026.

Let's see who can make it the whole way and finish their spin book!

I have a lot of books to read on my latest Classics Club list. Let's see where the needle stops.

So here is my list. I picked the ten books from the list that I most want to read and listed them twice.

1, 11. A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym

2, 12. So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

3, 13. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

4, 14. Emily of the New Moon by L. M. Montgomery

5, 15. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

6, 16. Indian Summer by William Dean Howells

7, 17. Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton

8, 18. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

9, 19. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

10, 20. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym

Have you read any of these?

Do you recommend any of these?

And the spin lands on...

The Day of the Triffids!

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Two Wonderful Re-reads; Persian Food; Jury Duty; and a New Ukulele

Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

I experimented with some new

chocolate chip cookie recipes.

Good Thing #2:

Our book club read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency this month,

so I reread the book and watched the series in prep for leading

the discussion.

Good Thing #3:

I was delighted to see my first

Julia Heliconian butterfly

this week.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Genre: Science Fiction

Published: May 4, 2021

Page Count: 476 pages

Summary:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

"What's two plus two?"

Something about the question irritates me. I'm tired. I drift back to sleep.

A few minutes pass, then I hear it again.

"What's two plus two?"

The soft, feminine voice lacks emotion and the pronunciation is identical to the previous time she said it. It's a computer. A computer is hassling me. I'm even more irritated now.

"Lrmln," I say. I'm surprised. I meant to say "Leave me alone"---a completely reasonable response in my opinion---but I failed to speak.

"Incorrect," says the computer. "What's two plus two?"

The candidate pool wasn't deep. There just weren't many coma-resistant people out there who had "the right stuff" and were willing to go on a suicide mission.

When all of the copies at my library are requested from now until the end of next year, and even used copies are selling for full price, sometimes you have to look around in unlikely places. Happily, I was able to join a bookring at BookCrossing a few months ago, and this book arrived for me yesterday.

Yes, I've seen the movie. I liked it a lot.

Is there a book you keep coming back to, reading it more than once? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

I'm not sure how many times I've read and listened to and browsed through Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I've written posts about ZAMM and included ZAMM on lots of my lists over the years.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Quotes

Chataquas: Education and Uplift

Most Memorable Books I Was Forced to Read

Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't

Books I Loved Much More Than I Thought I Would

Books I Enjoyed That Are Outside My Comfort Zone

Thankful: Six Books That Changed My Life

Can Books Improve Your Happiness?

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Frenzy

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:22:37 +0000

We got together last week with an old friend who is a baker, too. Our conversation about our recent baking adventures rapidly turned ferociously competitive. Ali and I both want to make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie before we die, and we will do anything to win this title.

I reminded Ali of the time I came closest to bringing home that trophy. In 1990, I won second place in a cookie baking contest at my town's Wal-mart.

Since then, I've made hundreds of versions of chocolate chip cookies. Before we left Ali's house, I vowed to myself to renew my attempts to win the chocolate chip cookie championship.

Two cookie cookbooks and several batches of chocolate chip cookies later, I feel I have inched toward that goal.

I used Dorie's Cookies by Dorie Greenspan and Cookie Club: 80 Creative Cookies to Make, Swap, and Share by Mallory Oniki as my inspiration, my reference books.

First I tried a recipe from Oniki's chocolate chip cookie (CCC) section of the book.

Crunchy Edge, Soft Middle CCC

(Makes 8 Large Cookies)

1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, melted

1/2 cup (108 g) brown sugar

1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (162 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cups milk and/or dark chocolate chunks, plus extra for topping

Flaky salt, for topping

1. Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to mix until well combined, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined, about 1 minute.

3. Add the flour, kosher salt, and baking soda. Use a rubber spatula to mix until the flour is just incorporated, about 1 minute.

4. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until evenly distributed through the dough.

5. Use a large (4 tablespoon/2 ounce) cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls. Top each dough ball with one or two chunks of chocolate, gently pressing the chunks into the dough. Place all the dough balls onto a small baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper. Cover and transfer to the fridge to chill overnight (or at least 12 hours).

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place four dough balls onto each baking sheet, spaced equally apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

7. Top each cookie with a pinch of flaky salt. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

My modifications: I made twenty small cookies instead of eight large ones. I cut the baking time to ten minutes.

My assessment: Soft. Chocolate-y. A nice salty zing to face off with the sweetness of the cookie.

Here's one more that I tried from the Cookie Club cookbook.

Spicy CCC

(Makes 12 Large Cookies)

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus extra for topping

1 1/2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chunks, plus extra for topping

Flaky salt, for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place the brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to mix until combined, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and mix until fluffy and lighter in color, about 1 minute.

4. Add the flours, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you'd like the cookies to be. Mix on low just until the flour is combined, about 30 seconds.

5. Add the chocolate chunks to the bowl. Mix until the chocolate chunks are even distributed through the dough.

6. Use a large (4-tbsp/2 oz) cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls. Place up to six dough balls onto each baking sheet, spaced equally apart. Top each dough ball with one or two chunks of chocolate, gently pressing the chunks into the dough.

7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges start to brown. Top each cookie with a pinch of flaky salt and a dash of extra cayenne pepper, if desired. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

My modifications: I had no whole wheat flour so I used all-purpose flour only. I did not have dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate, so I used milk chocolate chips.

My assessment: A soft, flat cookie. Sweet and salty, with a kick from the cayenne.

I'm ready for you, Ali!

Other attempts to make the world's best chocolate chip cookies:

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

How to Bake for Beginners: Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Chapter Book Club Picnic

Life is What You Bake It

Be a part of the friendly In My Kitchen (IMK) community by adding your post at Sherry's Pickings each month - everybody welcome! We'd love to have you visit. Tell us about your kitchen (and kitchen garden) happenings over the past month. Dishes you've cooked, preserves you've made, herbs and veg. in your garden, kitchen gadgets, and goings-on. And one curveball is welcome - whatever you fancy; no need to be kitchen-related. The link is open from the first of the month to midnight on the thirteenth of the month, every month.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Image-in-ing, Soul and Mind and So On, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

What was I reading on this day a year ago? Two years ago? Ten years ago?

2025. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. Not a surprise, since this book is 1,200 pages, and I was reading on it for most of the summer of 2025. I felt like I had to read this bio of the writer after reading James and then Huck Finn earlier in the summer.

2024. The Wedding People by Alison Espach. A good summertime read---silly, light, frivolous.

2023. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. Another book I chose to read because I thought it would be a light summer read, but it turned out to be thoughtful and a well-written book of historical fiction.

2022. How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith. I traveled with the author across my country to visit sites and events of significance to slavery, and I learned so much I'd never been taught in school. A must-read.

2021. The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman. A big book of summer at 710 pages about the start of World War I. I'd been meaning to read this book since I was in high school, and I was proud that I finally got around to it.

2020. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. I forgot how many kids' books I read in 2020. You remember that year, right? I walked to the library every day and turned in a couple of picture books and picked up a couple more, masked, all requested online.

2019. The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea by Mark Beauregard. This August was my month of All Things Moby Dick.

2018. The Annotated Persuasion by Jane Austen. The first summer I was retired. I finally decided to read Jane Austen, so I did Jane up big, reading all her books and watching movies made from each movie.

2017. Lassie-Come-Home by Eric Knight. I was a school librarian in 2017, and I decided to try to read all of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. As of today, I've read 806 of the books on the list.

2016. Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich. I always eagerly anticipated the publication of the next Stephanie Plum mystery, and this one was not an exception. My friend Lisa always bought the next book in the series each August and read it and then passed it on to me.

The Sunday Salon: Two Wonderful Re-reads; Persian Food; Jury Duty; and a New Ukulele

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! We're glad you joined us here.

I thought life would slow down in August, but it hasn't yet. I went to a Seed and Plant Exchange on Sunday, I had jury duty on Monday (the case was settled out of court, so yay!), we went to dinner at a Persian restaurant in Houston with old friends on Tuesday, we went with my dad to an appointment to see if he might be a candidate for an ultrasound procedure to reduce his hand tremors on Wednesday (he was!), I swam on Thursday, I went to a class on poet Wallace Stevens on Friday, and we did our butterfly count on Saturday.

I reread two wonderful books this week, one because a friend said it was her favorite book (Peace Like a River) and the other because I will be leading a book club discussion of it next week (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency).

What I Read Last Week:

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (Fiction)

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides (Nonfiction)

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor (Dark Fantasy)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Three Five-Star Books Completed

Beautiful Illustrated Books Set In or Near Paris

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

I bought a ukulele.

Good Thing #2:

Bastani (Persian ice cream).

We also tried koobideh kabobs and

tahdig (Persian crispy rice).

Good Thing #3:

I took a class on

taking photos for iNaturalist.

I'm thinking about getting a macro lens for my phone.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

The Wide Wide Sea:

Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

by Hampton Sides

Genre: History

Published: April 9, 2024

Page Count: 411 pages

Summary:

On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment?

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

It was the start of a very important year---1776---and James Cook had become a very important figure, a celebrity, a champion, a hero.

One day James Boswell (the Scottish lawyer and diariest) dropped by Cook's house on Mile End Road and had a pleasant visit, sipping tea in the garden, while a blackbird trilled a song. Boswell would recall, "It was curious to see Cook, a grave, steady man, and his wife, a decent plump Englishwoman, and think that he was preparing to sail around the world."

Do you see yourself more as an editor, a writer, or just a reader? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

Just a reader.

Beautiful Illustrated Books Set In or Near Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Yes, I know, I know, Paris in July is over---it's already August. But I really wanted to share my favorite illustrated books set in or near Paris this week, so I did.

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir by David Coggins (Memoir)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (A 544 Page Fiction Picture Book)

Dear Paris: The Paris Letters Collection by Janice MacLeod (Memoir)

Coco Chanel (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara (Biography Board Book)

Marlaguette by Gerda Muller (Fiction Picture Book)

Crêpes by Suzette by Monica Wellington (Fiction Picture Book)

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Fantasy)

Le Road Trip: A Traveler's Journal of Love and France by Vivian Swift (Travel)

750 Years in Paris by Vincent Mahé (History)

Bon Appetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland (Biography Picture Book)

Ooh-la-la: Max in Love by Maira Kalman (Fiction Picture Book)

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (Fiction Picture Book)

Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Björk (Fiction Picture Book)

The Sunday Salon: Three Five-Star Books Completed

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! I am happy you joined us at the Sunday Salon.

I did a little of everything this week. Drove to Dallas. Celebrated Lucy's happy birthday. Visited with my aunt and uncle. Came home. Swam. Visited with my sister. Got paperwork for my attempt to obtain Italian citizenship. Visited with my husband's cousin. Went to my writing group in Galveston. Had a picnic with my friend in Galveston. Ate blueberry pie and ice cream with my dad and his wife. Finished three five-star books: Candide and Zola's The Earth and Ann Patchett's Whistler. Wrapped up Paris in July.

What I Read Last Week:

The Earth by Émile Zola

Candide by Voltaire

Whistler by Ann Patchett

What I'm Reading Now:

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The Wide, Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides

I read eighteen books for Paris in July this year.

I didn't really have time to do much more this year than read.

The Earth by Émile Zola (Fiction)

Candide, or Optimism by Voltaire (Fiction in French)

Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson (Travel Memoir)

The Paris Bookshop for the Brokenhearted by Rebecca Raisin (Fiction)

My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh (Memoir)

The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham (Fiction)

My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh (Memoir)

The Shortest History of France by Colin Jones (History)

Toujours la France! by Janine Marsh (Memoir)

The War of the Buttons by Louis Pergaud (Children's Fiction)

Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry (Fiction)

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan (Fiction)

My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein: A Fiction by Deborah Levy (Fiction)

Quartet by Jean Rhys (Fiction)

Moveable Feasts: A Story of Paris in Twenty Meals by Chris Newens (Travel)

En Route: A Journey Through France in the Company of Great Writers by Peter Fiennes (Travel)

Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery by Apollonia Poilâne (Cookbook)

L'Enfance de Bécassine by Jacqueline Rivière (Children's Cartoon)

I visited to Paris via the Rick Steves' episode, Paris of the Parisians, coupled with the Daytripper's episode on Paris, Texas.

I practiced my French on Duolingo at least one time a day.

I made my first batch of sourdough bread based on a recipe from Poilâne. It was okay, but I think I'll try a different sourdough recipe next time.

And that's it. Thank you, Emma, from Words and Peace for hosting this wonderful event.

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Fun with Turtles, Snakes, and Alligators

Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read

Whistler by Ann Patchett: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

What do you wear to a dinosaur and snake birthday party?

There are not as many snake shirts out there as you might expect.

But Wal-Mart, I learned, has some pretty cool dino shirts

in the boys' department.

Good Thing #2:

My new reading chair.

Good Thing #3:

My Finch, Zip, visited Paris in July.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Whistler by Ann Patchett: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Whistler: A Novel

by Ann Patchett

Genre: Fiction

Published: June 2, 2026

Page Count: 300 pages

Summary:

When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.

Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

"Old guy," my husband said in a low voice, his lips touching my ear. "Near the exit sign."

"Stop it." The joke itself was as old as rocks.

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "I'm serious. He kept looking at you in the ticket line. Then he followed us through Medieval Art, and now he's just standing there. Do you see him? He looks at you whenever you're not looking."

I knew what Leda would say. She would say it was because childhood never leaves us. We seal the room up and cover it in sheetrock. We dry and sand and paint, but the pocket of history remains, and sooner or later someone always winds up tapping on the wall, commenting on the way it sounds strangely hollow in there, and then the whole thing comes tumbling down.

Just so you know---it's not a horse story as the cover might lead you to believe. No, it's a book that takes on love and secrets and childhoods and marriages and remarriages and stepparents and family and a car accident and healing and death, and, yes, there is a horse in the book and he plays an important role in the story but he isn't really even part of the story.

I wasn't expecting to love this story. I love this story. I love Daphne and her husband, Jonathan, and Daphne's sister, psychologist Leda, and Daphne and Leda's stepfather, Eddie, and even the horse. Whistler. Whistler the horse.

If you had to stick to one genre forever, which would you choose and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

This is tricky. Let's see...

I would pick nonfiction. I know I'm not in the majority here, but I am crazy about good nonfiction...

Or poetry. There's nothing that hits you in the gut like poetry...

I'm wild about picture books, too...

And literary fiction is great...

This is agony. Stop it. Don't make me choose.