Did I meet my reading goal? Yes, I did!

Tiny Hot Dogs by Mary Giulani

This is a memoir by a Georgetown alumna who wanted to be a star and ended up as caterer to the stars instead. It’s a fun read that unexpectedly turns serious near the end, and it’s interspersed with some recipes that sound tasty!

High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley

I found this Georgetown book club selection very interesting. I also thought it was structured exceptionally well, with compelling stories to illustrate the points the author was making, that she kept circling back to and relating to one another. You would not think there was much to compare between Chicago gangs and Marin County politics and war in Columbia, but there is! And the very last part where liberal Jews and conservative Christians spend time hanging out together is gold. I could not stop reading it out loud to my husband.

Draw Near by Cameron Bellm

This is what I used for reflection/journaling during Lent and I absolutely loved it, especially the saints who were new to me.

The Leavers by Lisa Ko

This was another Georgetown selection, and I enjoyed it immensely even while parts of it broke my heart. It’s the story of an undocumented Chinese immigrant and her American-born son and their tragic separation, told from both of their points of view.

Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edogawa Rampo

Emily brought me this one from the library just because. The author loved detective stories and wanted to try his hand at creating a Japanese style of mystery story. Can you guess how he chose his pen name? Anyway, the stories are quite different from Western mysteries. But they are creepy! I enjoyed reading them.

Knoxville, Tennessee by Elena Irish Zimmerman

My big boys gave me this for Christmas–they saw it while shopping at the drug store and picked it up along with some similar ones that I will be reporting on later. They know I love Knoxville history! The whole book consists of old post cards with commentary on the pictures. A great number of the places depicted have since been destroyed, so this book is a real treasure.

And there you have it!  See more great reads right here!