The Joy of the Book Club
In my wayward youth, I belonged to a few book clubs. They varied tremendously and served different purposes throughout the years. In New York, my book club read the classics, and I found it an easy, low-stress way to make up for the gaps in my education.* During the...
MODERN GIRLS: Here, There, Everywhere
As of tomorrow, MODERN GIRLS has been out in the world for two weeks now, and I still don't know how to react to the compliments. This is what I say to people who gush over me and the book: "Aw, thank you! I really appreciate that. I'm so glad you read and enjoyed the...
It’s My Pub Day, and I’ll Cry If I Want To*
*But I really don't want to. Every few years, my synagogue has a women's seder. A seder is the special dinner we have at the holiday of Passover, in which we tell the story of the freeing of the Israelite slaves in ancient Egypt. A tradition in many communities has...
What Hath the UPS Man Wrought?
Yesterday afternoon, I saw that lovely brown truck pulling up to the house. Out came our delivery person, with two boxes in his hand. Could it be? I take them to the table. In three weeks, these beauties will grace bookstores. But for now, I'm simply relieved: This...
Vacation Mode
I downloaded no fewer than ten books on my Kindle, brought one advanced galley that I was super excited to read (and it did not disappoint!), and I escaped just in time the the Arctic Blast that was hitting the Northeast. This is what we left: And this is what we came...
Snow Days for the Intrepid
This is indeed a Thursday Thing, but given that we're all grown-ups (kids, get off the freakin' Internet!) and today is a Thursday, let's just all take this for granted, shall we? We had two snow days. And it was just fine. The first snow day, Friday, I was headed to...
Thursday’s Things: Book Stacks
The boy. And his books. My twelve-year-old is the one I have to strip search at night, because he'll hide his Kindle somewhere in his bed and try to read way after lights out. He's mastered the art of "ask for forgiveness, not permission" when it comes to downloading...
Thursday’s Things: An Ashtray. But a French One.
An ashtray? Who even smokes anymore? And those few folks who do still smoke, don't do it sitting inside, where an ashtray is there to catch that ever growing length of ash. No, today people smoke outside, hovering just beyond the posted limit ("No smoking within 50...
Thursday’s Thing: Goodnight, Gracie*
When I was a child, my parents split bedtime duties, although for a few years, when my mom was in college, my dad took on the tucking-in chore a bit more. I tended to prefer my father's routine, as my mother sang proper bedtime songs and told lovely stories, while my...
Thursday’s Things: The Kichel Edition
I don't know if you guys remember this post, the one in which I bemoan the lost family recipe of kichel. It was a treat my great-grandmother made that my mom adored. And I wanted to make it. Problem was, the recipe was nowhere to be found. My mom bought bakery goods...
