Archives - Weekly Update

I think the spring weather coming and going (it’s 70 degrees, now it’s 30, now it’s 65 and now there are snow flurries) has been making me a bit crazy. So when I saw an advance copy of THE LIFEGUARDS by Amanda Eyre Ward on my shelf, I decided to move right ahead to summer! I loved Amanda's previous book, THE JETSETTERS, and once again I plunged (pun intended) right into the story. The setting is Austin, Texas. One night, three moms are hanging out together as they are wont to do, sipping margaritas and catching up on life. Their three sons are lifeguards; the moms feel they have raised them well, and life is good. But then the boys come home on their bicycles late one night with haunted looks on their faces. What happened? Were they involved? Suddenly, this very cozy group is looking to be anything but. And everyone has their own point of view.

As I write this, we have devoured corned beef to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I know it is not true Irish food, but we enjoy it the one time of year that we make it! We tried two new kinds of Irish soda bread, and I did not like either. Next year, I am going to try my friend’s recipe for her mom’s BEST Irish soda bread! And we need to remember to make TWO corned beefs since the best part is sandwiches on rye bread. We have no leftovers!

Two years ago today was our last day in our New York office. There are times when it feels like a lifetime ago, and others when it feels like 20 minutes. We quickly set up workstations at home, and thanks to our really amazing team, we did not miss a beat. We built a studio for taping “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews in our dining room, setting up industrial lighting on a ladder and mike equipment. We downloaded Zoom, and we interviewed Harlan Coben our first week home.

I am thoroughly enjoying THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by Brendan Slocumb. The protagonist plays the violin and shares the challenges of being Black in the concert world. He is playing a violin that was stashed in his grandmother's attic. Now it's been found to be a prized Stradivarius, and its ownership is being questioned. When his great-great grandfather took possession of it, he was a slave. And now, right before the biggest competition of his life, the violin is stolen. Our last office was across from Carnegie Hall, and there were a number of instrument repair shops in the neighborhood, so it is interesting to read more background on being a concert player and the care and tuning of instruments. I am interviewing Brendan next week, and I want to know lots more about his career as a musician, as well as being a writer.