Welcome to the Sunday Salon!
I posted four reviews instead of my usual two last week! That meant I had more time to read and my periods of relaxation are extending, a countdown to when I truly will be free to do as I please with the hours of the day!
I read four books by women writers, two mysteries and two fiction.
Blood Hina by California crime writer, Naomi Hirahara; A Twist of Orchids by Michelle Wan, who writes mysteries set in the Dordogne, France and a book of contemporary fiction, Half Life by Roopa Farooki of England and France, a book with a good story. 
Also reviewed a delightful historical fiction set in 19th century Italy, The Blind Contessa's New Machine by a talented young writer Carey Wallace, who is at work on five other books! She confesses this in her interview printed with the book review. I tried a poem shaped like a tree in Magpie Tales: Tomato Ornaments, inspired by a photo prompt of tomatoes ripening on the vine. Check it out!
Diane Meier's The Season of Second Chances: A Novel I am enjoying more than I thought I would. A 48-year-old professor of English Literature moves from a drab life at Columbia University in New York City to a life of friendship and promise in Amherst, Mass.
Right now, she is renovating an old, run-down Victorian house, turning it into the Apricot House with the help of handyman/interior decorator Teddy, a thirty-something who reminds her of the brother she lost many years ago.My first attempt at writing fiction - I started to write about a man living alone in the U.S., whose wife has died and whose children live elsewhere. I hope it will lead somewhere!
What did you read last week?
You certainly have had a busy week! I look forward to your thoughts on The Season of Second Chances. It's in my reading pile and it's slowly making its way up!
ReplyDeleteNow I'm going to catch up on your reviews for the week! I can't wait to read about Blood Hina!
Have a great week!
I will add to Second Chances to my wish list. It sounds like my kind of read.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your novel. I'm working this summer on mine. Most helpful piece of writing advice I've seen this summer? "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly."
That's a lot of reading!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the writing - I bet you'll love it :)
More time to read sounds heavenly! I am glad you are finding more time to relax finally.
ReplyDeleteI have a book by Naomi Hirahara on my TBR shelf that I've been meaning to get to.
Good luck with your writing!
Have a great week and happy reading!
Good luck to you with your first piece of fiction!
ReplyDeleteYou've had a very productive week! I have The Season of Second Chances here in the tbr pile... hope to get to it later in the summer. Enjoy your Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to read The Blind Contessa's New Machine! And good luck on the writing! Based on your reviews, I'm sure your own work will be splendid! I'm working on a few things off and on as well, and it can be both fun and challenging!
ReplyDeleteToo many books and not enought time. I read the Triangle this week by Katharine Weber. Interesting book.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Cozy In Texas
Sounds like you had good reading this week. I haven't read any of those books.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to hear about your writing!! Loving the Rose of Sharon in your header. My grandfather grew those and had them in every single color!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your reading!
I'm embarrassed to say only one book and it was an audio...lol.
ReplyDeleteTHE SEASON OF SECOND CHANCES looks so good. I've seen it in the bookstores & was tempted to pick it up- maybe I will! :-)
ReplyDeleteLove this site. My first time here. Love books, love to write stories, and love that you wrote a poem to honor tomatoes. Well done. I can just see them on a Christmas tree. Beautiful. Then we could enjoy them year round.
ReplyDeleteBlessings! Barb Visit me sometime...
www.barbwhitti.blogspot.com
Writing: the ups and downs