“He was a man who craved the catastrophe of experience.” - describing artist Rockwell Kent in Jane Urquhart’s 1997 novel The Underpainter

Done & dusted. Another entertaining 1000-piecer from Ravensburger North America. I love their puzzles

This essay by Mark Haber on digressions in fiction is just terrific: link.lithub.com/view/602ea73c1…

Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew. - Jack Gilbert

I loved Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, Craig Brown's vivid & vastly entertaining bio of Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, so I am totally chuffed to begin reading his newest bio: A Voyage Around the Queen.

Every time I reread Ross Thomas, I’m convinced that he’s the most cynical suspense novelist ever (books mostly pubbed 60s-80s). My faves are Briarpatch, Fools in Town Are On Our Side, & Chinaman’s Chance

Puce is such an unfortunate word

Beloved librarian returns to share recommendations Nancy Pearl Sno Isle Libraries Seattle Public Library southwhidbeyrecord.com/life/beloved-l…

Great column from ⁦Alexandra Petri⁩ in @WaPo. “It has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to endorse Harris for president.” washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/…

Oh, Raymond Carver -

This is the poem I’m currently memorizing : In my craft or sullen art poets.org/poem/my-craft-…

A little chuckle for a grey day

Two 2025 titles I’m really looking forward to reading:

I’ve always loved this poem

“Sparkling anxiety”

Amazing

I loved being on Twitter (since June, 20101!) until everything changed so much that I'm moving over to Bluesky; I hope some of my followers here will join me there - @nancybooklustpearl.bsky.social

I loved being on Twitter (since June, 20101!) until everything changed so much that I'm moving over to Bluesky; I hope some of my followers here will join me there - @nancybooklustpearl.bsky.social - for book recs and whatever.

So nice to be able to interview Leah. When I was chair of the Pulitzer fiction jury, she was one of the two other judges, along with another writer I just adore: Elizabeth McCracken

I so enjoyed talking to Donna Seaman about her bookish memoir, River of Books--it's the perfect read (and gift) for any dedicated reader -