Archives - Weekly Update

I have been working from home since March 12, 2020, and Tuesday was the FIRST day I thought, I should work outside. I have a table out there, and great places to sit and read and work, but I have just not done it.

And as I was sitting there, I was feeling guilty that I was not at my desk while I was doing the SAME THINGS that I would be doing INSIDE at my desk. I mean, I feel guilty going to the UPS store downtown to pick up the company mail! If I was still working in New York, I would not fret about leaving my office to pick up lunch or do an errand. But here at the house, I feel like I just roll from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. I keep saying that it’s all good things...just a lot of them!

This was one very brisk week --- the five days flew by.

Yesterday Tom and I went to an appointment together, and as we sat in the waiting room, I was busy answering emails. Tom had forgotten his book in the car, so I handed him an advance copy of Robert Dugoni's book that I was reading and had been enjoying, THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS. He was completely absorbed in it as quickly as I had been. So he sauntered off to read more of it last night as I continued to work on the couch. Luckily I have a finished copy upstairs, so I can pick up where I left off.

Joe Hartlaub has been our Senior Writer and our beloved mystery/thriller/crime book reviewer since 1997 (just one year after Bookreporter launched). After 24 years and over 3,000(!) reviews, Joe has decided to step away from his role while he is "still at the top of his game." He let us know about his decision in May as he wanted to make sure we had at least three months' notice, which we so appreciated. We will miss him dearly as he has been part of the heart and soul of Bookreporter for over two decades. But we are so happy for him as he turns the page on a brand-new chapter in his life. His plan is to have “no deadlines,” and after years of meeting deadlines with typically three or four reviews each week, we understand and respect this goal.