Essays & Musings
What We’ve Been Thinking About
Thoughts on books, reading, culture, and the literary life.
Read any Romantasy lately?
February 19, 2024The two best selling fiction works at Amazon in 2023 were Fourth Wing and Iron Flame both of which are–and I so don’t love this mashup–romantasy. Also in the top…
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the ask@AAR: Do you care how you look? (I do!)
February 16, 2024I grew up in peak beauty tip times. Every magazine, newspaper, and friend’s older sister shared how to look better. Starting in junior high, my friends and I spent hours…
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A (personal) history of Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2024Today, in the U.S., hundreds of thousands of Valentine’s Day cards will be exchanged. Americans will spend close to thirty billion dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts. Close to 300 million…
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An interview with Susan Elizabeth Phillips
February 12, 2024There’s a new Chicago Stars book coming out which I, of course, had to read. I have always enjoyed the chance to chat with Susan, so when her team asked…
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the ask@AAR: What have you been reading lately?
February 9, 2024Goodreads tells me I’ve read eleven books thus far this year. They are: The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise Devil’s Kitchen…
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What do we think about Linda Howard?
February 7, 2024Yesterday’s Steals and Deals offered a twofer: Linda Howard’s Dream Man and After The Night, bound in one book. It was fascinating to read the reviews and the comments on…
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the ask@AAR: What song is YOU?
February 2, 2024Lately, Dr. Feelgood and I have been listening to a lot of music. I think it’s because he retired and we can’t TALK ALL THE TIME. When we want to…
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In which a headline from the Washington Posts irks me….
January 29, 2024Yesterday, I returned from trying on possible Mother of the Groom lehengas to read this crap headline from Washington Post: At 59, I needed a fancy gown. Should I go…
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the ask@AAR: Have you seen any of the Best Picture Nominees? What did you think?
January 26, 2024It’s Oscar time and, as usual, I have seen almost none of the nominees–currently I’ve only seen Barbie. The nominees are: American Fiction Anatomy of a Fall Barbie The Holdovers…
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Chatting with Kami Tei, Amazon Senior Editor, about the Top Romances of 2023
January 24, 2024I was interested in Amazon’s list of the top romances of 2023. (Of these, we’ve reviewed Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Happy Place, Hello Stranger, Love, Theoretically, Forget Me Not, The…
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the ask@AAR: Does anyone still love bad boys?
January 19, 2024AAR typically gets its review books from two places: Edelweiss and Netgalley. I love pursuing these lists. I see upcoming books that mystify me–The Ten Best Kentucky Derbys! How to…
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the ask@AAR: What were your top reads of 2023?
January 12, 2024You’ve seen ours–it’s your turn to share! What were your top reads of 2023? (And, if you’d like to see all our choices for Best of 2023 in one place,…
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