Christmas Cheer!

Book Christmas Tree

I’m writing today to send Christmas cheer to all my readers.  I’m so grateful for every one of you.  You make ME a better reader!

What am I taking to read on our cruise? I’ve just begun

All Adults Here

ALL ADULTS HERE by Emma Straub. Comes out in the spring. And, I have a review copy of THE GIRL IN WHITE GLOVES. I will be doing a giveaway of this one in a couple months. Stay tuned and watch for it. I also have several upcoming novels loaded on my ipad.  See novel above. So, I am set.

I’m wishing you each receive at least one wonderful book as a gift. And I hope you are surrounded by friends and family.

I spent some time at our new house today. I have many bookcases and am trying to figure out where each one will go. It’s not as easy as I thought. But I can’t wait to see all my books on their shelves. The kitties are getting antsy. They are not fans of moving. In fact, they all hate it. But we are taking precautions to make sure they transition with as little stress as possible.

The next time you hear from me will be from the new house in the New Year. So, Merry and Happy!

 

 

Shop Small Business Saturday at Copperfish Books

Copperfish Books

Come in and shop local at Copperfish Books. This is by far my favorite day of the year at the store. This is one of the reasons I work at an Independent Bookstore. We’ll be serving champagne mimosas and treats. We have gifts to give way. Look at this great coupon you’ll  want to take advantage of.

Great Coupon

 

We have unique and bookish gift items for everyone on your list.

Bookish stuff

This is a great time to get started on your holiday purchases. And to have fun. We know how to have fun!

Edison

I’m looking forward to showing off my favorite books of the seasons.

I have a book for everyone.  All of us have our favorites to talk about. But we have much more than books. We even have sox. Literary sox; great stocking stuffers, pardon the pun:)

literary candles

Small business Saturday is the perfect way to support local businesses and get your personal recommendations for gift-gifting. We have convenient parking located directly behind our store. You’ll find us on the corner of U.S. 41 North and West Marion Ave. Hope to see you tomorrow. Oh, and by the way, there are other unique gift shops right next door.

 

Capiz boxes & ornaments

Party Coasters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Mother’s Day

To all my wonderful reading mom’s I send out a heartfelt Happy Mother’s Day! I wish you a day filled with love and visits and good food, and some quiet time to read a great book.

Reading Woman at the beach.

I found this photo on the internet and think it shows a perfect day at the beach surrounded by books. How cool is this!

I’m thinking of you mom’s who will be pampered and celebrated today. I’m also thinking of those mom’s who might be away from their kids and grandkids.  In this modern day of social media many of you may feel lucky to receive a text, or a Facebook  posting.  I know that has become the norm, however, I think a real call or visit if at all possible is most important…

My mother passed away at the age of 89 almost five years ago.  I never missed Mother’s day.  The few times I was away from home, I called.  Happy Mother’s Day mom.

Mom celebrating.

Many of you are big readers. So I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a great book. I know I have a few on my radar and will be relaxing on the lanai with my kitties and several books. We are hoping to enjoy the first swim of the summer in the pool. It’s ready, and so are we. Cheers!

 

Happy New Year 2019 Dear Readers

I just wanted to take a minute to let you know what I’m up to. I’m hitting the ground running this new year.  Am preparing paperwork agendas for book lectures for this month.  And since I’m reading six months ahead  it’s challenging to post reviews. Most of the amazing books I’m reading right now can not be reviewed until closer to their pub dates. Bummer! However, for those of you who will be attending my lectures this season, you are in for some real treats.  Even though I will not be reviewing these books yet, I will be discussing them at your talks. You will get a heads’ up on the great upcoming titles.

Love and Ruin

I will be blogging about our events at Copperfish in the next few months. We have a vast and exciting lineup of splendid authors for you. Check out our website to see who’s coming. Sign up for priority seating for big names such as Paula McClain and Andres Dubus.

Gone So Long

You won’t want to miss out on our literary events of the year.

I am hoping to see most of you this season. I appreciate you reading my blog and commenting.  You are the reason I am reading so many books. I love hearing your feedback. And I wish you a great season filled with reading the BEST books.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Miss Mimi

Our Tiny

I was lucky to get Tiny and Miss Mimi to pose under the tree with books.

 

 

We’re so blessed to have family living nearby during the holidays. We will see both sons and their families.  Our Asheville family will be celebrating Christmas in their lovely mountain home with a thin layer of snow. They will be missed.

Book Guru

Just look at this amazing clay pot designed and made by my artist friend Karen. I just LOVE it. What a thoughtful gift. She is so talented.

Bonnie

I have to show you a picture of the newest addition to our extended family. Bonnie is a six-month old puppy who is making her home with my son and his family. Just look at that face.

With all the drama and trauma and heart ache going on all throughout the world, we are so grateful for the love of family and friends. I am so lucky to have a wonderful little job at Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda.  My blog is a joy and so are all the wonderful readers I’ve met over the years. I love visiting book clubs throughout the tri-county area and talking about books! I have a lot to be thankful for.

I will be publishing my list of this year’s favorite reads later this week. It is going to be hard to choose them.  The upcoming year is already promising to be a great one for reading. I am reading into June already. It’s just crazy.

I wish you a Merry Christmas! And I can’t thank you enough for following my blog. Cheers!

What is Maurice Reading Now? Far, Far Ahead….

The Last Year of the War

I have stacks of review copies of books coming out way into the New Year, many not until spring. I chose THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR by Susan Meissner from the top of my stack. How do I choose? Good question. The cover has to call me. Sometimes it’s the author’s name. The first chapter simply must jump right off the page. I don’t have time to fool around.

Look at the cover of this one. I think it’s good. And I love the author. Meissner had a winner last year with AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN. I remember many of my book clubs being intently interested in that one. Hoping this new one coming in March will be just as engaging. I will keep you posted.

WHAT DID I JUST FINISH?

The Secret of Clouds

Alyson Richman is one of my favorite authors. THE LOST WIFE and THE VELVET HOURS were both great.  I had high expectations for THE SECRET OF CLOUDS.  And they were met.  Since this book will not be available for sale until February 19, I will be posting my review closer to pub date. Those of you who have booked me to speak at your clubs will get an early review.

WHAT I’LL BE UP TO THESE NEXT WEEKS.

I don’t do speaking engagements during the month of December.  It does give me time to read and wade through the stacks. I am super busy mid -January straight on through end of season.

I am preparing a gift list for the holidays which I will post in stages according to genre.  I will also post Maurice’s Top Books for 2018. This year is going to be especially challenging since there are so many great ones!

I hope everyone enjoyed a Happy Thanksgiving with all the trimmings and family visits. We sure had a houseful. Even took the time to visit Disney World with my daughter and her two children.  Very busy. So many riding contraptions and strollers.  Disney is a petri dish of germs. Sadly, both kids were sick with a stomach virus. But have completely recovered.

The holidays are stressful. Families each have their own angst. So many blended families. So much pressure. I am taking a deep breath and pushing through. Since I always have something amazing to read, it’s a nice diversion. I hope you all have some great books in your TBR pile. I will keep you posted through the next few weeks about the best books to read right now.

Don’t forget to keep an open mind. You never know: a great book might just fall in!

 

Happy Mother’s Day!

I’m wishing all you mothers  out there an incredible day filled with love and family, and, well, something great to read! THE HIGH TIDE CLUB by Mary Kay Andrews will have you laughing and biting your fingernails trying to figure out who done it.

The High Tide Club

You may have noticed I’m reading a lot of lighter stuff right now. There’s a reason for this. I  have been reading some pretty heavy novels over the past several months. And, I’ll be reading more of the literary books I’ll be reviewing soon.  So, I’m giving myself permission to read some lighter novels just for the enjoyment of it. They’re all well-written. All by authors I love. All quick and easy.

Flowers & Bennett’s Donuts

My daughter-in-law Ana was at my door bright and very early this morning. She had in her hands a huge bouquet of colorful flowers and a specialty strawberry cheesecake doughnut from my favorite Donut Shop, Bennetts.

On Friday, I received the cutest little box in the snail mail.

Mother’s Day tea

Alicia was not able to be here today, but, she sent some cups of love via the post. We do love a good cup of tea. I love the photo on the top of the box. We were visiting Black Mountain over a year ago.  It reminded me that we’ll be going back to visit the new bookstore on the mountain later this summer.

Wyatt literally smelling the roses

My husband Jack is preparing broiled lobster tails and his famous stuffed portobello mushroom caps for dinner tonight.  And I get to choose the movie tonight.

I hope you all get to touch base with your children. It’s a great day for celebration! What on earth would we do without our mothers!

 

Christmas at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore Estate

Here we are visiting  a little cottage in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. The Biltmorehttp://www.biltmore.com/  is all decked out for Christmas right now. This is the best time to visit. Every fabulous room sports at least one  brilliantly decorated tree and there are more holiday lights and plants than you can shake a fist at.

We are accompanied by Emerson and Liam and their parents who so generously gave us  this experience for Christmas.

Biltmore With Grandkids

Even though the kids have been to the Biltmore on Christmas many times, they were still excited and enjoyed counting all the decorated trees: almost fifty.

The air on the day of our visit was crisp and quite chilly. But we were still able to sit outside and sip a hot apple cider and cocoa for the kids. The gift shops are filled with great stuff to remind you of your trip. There is even a bookbinding shop ….

I fell in love with the desk belonging to lady of the house.

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s desk.

I could easily replace my old desk with this much more charismatic one.  Don’t you think?

Fireplace

 

This bright and colorful fireplace lives in one of the guest rooms.  Look at the artwork. Lovely.

There are a lot of stairs.  Up and down and down and up. Worth every step. Very reminiscent of Downton Abbey. In fact, they had a Downton exhibit a year or so ago.

Giant Christmas tree

There was no way to get a photo of this entire tree.  It resides in the main dining room and is magnificent.

Banquet Hall

I have long been saying I would eventually visit Biltmore.  But I really wanted to wait until I could see it all dressed up in its holiday dressing. And so this was truly a magical time.  The best part was sharing  it my husband and the grandkids and my daughter and her husband, Chris, who so graciously did all this on his birthday: Christmas Eve. Thank you so much for this generous gift. An experience we will always remember as one of those great days! Merry Christmas everyone!

Note: I am working on my review of THE LAST CASTLE by Denise Kiernan.  This amazing new non fiction book is all about the building of the Biltmore.

The Last Castle

Now that I have been inside this amazing and magical place, I can offer a much more comprehensive post. The generous publishing people at Touchstone provided me with a gorgeous finished copy of the book. Wonderful.

You can purchase your copy of THE LAST CASTLE by Denise Kiernan at Copperfish Books in Punta, Gorda, Florida.  We have copies available in-store or online. See you soon!

Favorite Christmas Book This year!

Christmas In London

A couple of years ago I started choosing a Christmas book to read close to the actual holiday.  I’m looking for just the right book. Needs to be light and well-written. I don’t want to read anything with a big message. Nothing that is sad or political. Has to be just right. Last year I got really lucky and found CHRISTMAS IN PARIS by Anita Hughes. It was available in a trade paperback which also appealed to me. I read it over the holidays and was totally wowed. I was actively searching for a new holiday book by her this year when I came upon CHRISTMAS IN LONDON. Lucky me!

Louisa Graham is working late at the bakery in NYC. She’s just pulled a tray of her amazing cinnamon buns from the oven when a young man  enters the store. She’s forgotten to put out the closed sign.  Little does she know how this little mistake is about to change her life forever.

We quickly move from NYC to London where Louisa is warmly ensconced in a fairy tale suite at Claridge’s .  She’s about to star in a cooking show filled with celebrity chefs. CHRISTMAS DINNER AT CLARIDGE’S  is a dream come true and Louisa is about to live that dream.

Filled with detailed descriptions of edible confections that will make your senses swoon. Filled with the sounds and sights of Christmas in one of the most famous and lovely cities in the world. I am here to tell you that you are going to want to eat the pages.  The goodies served in the famous dining rooms throughout the elegant hotels are simply to die for.  The scenes of holiday decorations will make you want to hop on the first plane to London and sign yourself into Claridge’s right now.  And, yes, I even want the bright sparkly white tree with the shiny blue balls covering it. I want it in my suite when I arrive.

Yes, there is romance in this story. And, yes, at times it’s a bit silly. But it did what I wanted it to do: transport me to a different world. One where decadent cookies covered in spun sugar are the norm. One where I find myself peeking in the amazing window of Harrod’s and seeing a Lamborghini and an Aston Martin filled with presents, wrapped in bows, and pulled by reindeer.  The holidays need some fantasy and this fun novel will give  you this in spades.

I posted this picture of me holding both books in Copperfish Books on Facebook yesterday. We sold almost all the books.  If you hurry I think there is one copy left of CHRISTMAS IN LONDON.

I will be having  a blast selling my favorite books at the store on Tuesday and Thursday of next week. Hope to see you there.

Merry Christmas! And I wish you all at least one great book for the holidays.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays To All!

Today I’m reflecting on Christmas Eves years ago when my children were small. There were some years when we didn’t have much money to spend on gifts. Actually, those are the holidays that turned out to be some of the best. I was remembering this morning how on Christmas Eve I used to take my daughter shopping. We would get up early and be gone all day. Lunch on this special day was always an event. And then more shopping, and finally the groceries.  Then I had to wrap everything… But we both look back and smile on those days. They were the best!

What am I reading this Christmas, you may ask? Well, I put down VICTORIA by Daisy Goodwin. But just until after the holiday. I am reading a little holiday paperback called CHRISTMAS IN PARIS by Anita Hughes. I’ve been looking at it for weeks now. Finally, bought it yesterday.  I love it! Perfect for right now when I do not want anything serious. And I am completely immersed in Paris in December…

This morning I did one of my favorite things: took myself to the Farmer’s Market here on the Cape. It may be the largest market of its kind anywhere around. Got myself a cup of fresh roasted coffee.  The vendors are local and friendly and have quality produce.  I enjoyed tossing out Merry Christmas’s to all.  Next week I’m hoping to have one of my sons come along. I know he’ll love it.

We had a big family gathering last month for Thanksgiving. It was a blessing. Hard to get everyone on the same page.  So Christmas dinner will be smaller. But, still, there will be nine of us around the table. Jack’s cooking a prime rib and I’m making a black forest cake.

Greandkids2016

Last night we watched THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS. OMG! You just have to watch it. Animation has come so far. These animals could jump right off the screen; that’s how realistic they are.  It was so funny. One of our cats, Kiki, actually watched the entire movie. We were almost as amazed watching her watching the movie as we were with the movie itself. Loved it.

Tonight we’re treating ourselves to a nice dinner out.

I do wish each of you a wonderful read this year. And hope you all have at least one good book under the tree.

Merry Christmas!