August News
Whew. Y’all. Little Miss Petty has been sent to the copy editor. Youngest child has been moved to college. Oldest child has started law school. I…am recovering from a nasty cold. Oh, Florida, why do you have to do me this way? I just had an awful cold back in May when we went to pick up youngest child. Not a fan.
The good news is a) I’m feeling better before tomorrow’s Book Club event at Birch Tree Books, and b) I’ve been catching up on my reading. I’ll remember to outline those below.
Also…Bittersweet Creek is now available on audio!!! Even better? I have some codes for both Bittersweet Creek and The Happy Hour Choir. I’m thinking giveaway. Reply to this email with the title you would prefer, and two lucky people will receive one of those two codes to listen to either Happy Hour or Bittersweet Creek.
Appearances
August 23rd—Book Club Discussion of Nobody’s Perfect—Birch Tree Bookstore in Dallas, GA 11:00-12:30 (If you want a Book Club Badge, here’s your chance)
September 20th—Workshop and Book Signing—Read it Again Bookstore in Suwanee, GA at 3:00. The topic is Novel 101: An AMA about Publishing
New Reads
Links are to my official rules. . .
Towards Zero—Agatha Christie—a solid entry from Dame Agatha. I think I only lack three of her mysteries.
We Solve Murders—Richard Osman—an utter delight
A Cup of Flour, a Pinch of Death—Valerie Burns—third in the series, but I’ll go back and catch up because this is the definition of cozy: a little town full of quirky people who just keep stumbling on murders.
The Portable Dorothy Parker—Penguin and I need to have a chat about what “portable” means. Yes, I did lug this bad boy to New York so I could read the works of Dorothy Parker while in the Algonquin Hotel, but this tome took up some space. Well deserved, though. Parker deserves more credit than she gets and far more credit than she ever gave herself.
The Summer Guests—Tess Gerritsen—I feel like now we’re cooking with gas with this series.
The Unwritten Rules of Magic—Harper Ross—PREORDER ALERT! This book doesn’t release until January 2026, but I got to read it. Listen. I read it in two days. Probably would’ve been one if the NyQuil hadn’t forced me to shut my eyes. It’s a magic typewriter, y’all. This book is for all of you who LOVE emotional resonance. I referred to F1 as serious Talladega Nights, and in some ways this book is a serious version of Nobody’s Perfect. If you’re drawn to stories about midlife women who are doing the absolute best they can, then I think you’ll love this one.
Fahrenheit 451—Ray Bradbury—whew. I have Parable of the Sower on my list for this year, but I don’t know if I can take it. Mind you, the book is excellent and also? Blessedly brief. But…burning books is hellish on about a thousand different levels. Even so, I would recommend this one along with Brave New World and 1984.
New Movies
I only have three to report because, well, I’ve been editing like a fiend.
Superman—On the whole I really enjoyed this one. For one thing, Superman is once again…good. David Corenswet is able to channel some of that Christopher Reeves energy. For another Rachel Brosnahan makes a great Lois Lane. Third, I loved Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Praise Jesus this is not Zac Snyder Superman, although I feel I need to defend Henry Cavill. It was the script not his performance that made that version of Superman not work for me, I will say…don’t think too much. I have some quibbles, and it’s best to eat your popcorn and just watch the movie.
The Fantastic Four—I loved this one. From story to acting performances, it’s an all-around great film, a more solid entry into the Marvel Universe than some past efforts. La Casa Kilpatrick is divided on Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, but I thought he did a great job as did Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman. Ebon Moss-Bachrach did quite a good ever-loving blue-eyed thing, and Joseph Quinn Killed it as Johnny even if I still have a soft spot for the Chris Evans version of The Human Torch. Here’s what you have to know about this one: it’s ultimately a story about a family. So, yes, there will be epic fights, but there will also be all of the big and little conflicts that arise in a family.
The Fall Guy—This was a rewatch for me, and I still like it. Gosling and Blunt have enough chemistry to overcome a movie that’s a little too long and sometimes can’t figure out exactly what it wants to be. Grab some popcorn and just watch those two do their thing along with the very capable Winston Duke and Hannah Waddingham.
Next up? I’m hoping The Naked Gun.
Hey, thanks for reading all the way to the end. In general, thanks for reading my books and for telling others about them. I appreciate your support more than you know. As a parting gift, I give you a picture from Dollywood. (And, yes, you should absolutely go to Dollywood. It. Was. Awesome.
Please do excuse my sweaty self, but also be sure to ask yourself frequently, “What would Dolly do?”
