Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer

For nearly 10 years I have worked at a hospice, where I talk to people about death every day. You might think it is a depressing job, and while it can be sad, it is not depressing. I find it interesting, talking to people and discussing the options for their loved ones' end of life care. So, when I stumbled across this book, "Some Bright Nowhere," it piqued my interest. Ann Packer, best-selling author of "The Dive from Clausen's Pier," has written a book about a woman who sees the end of her life playing out very differently than her husband and children do. In this, Eliot and his wife Claire were facing her death as the treatment for her cancer has ceased to be effective. That is how the book opens: All treatment options are done. They have been married for close to 40 years, and have raised two grown children. Most people in this situation would probably choose to die in their home, surrounded by family, comfortable. But Claire makes an unexpected choice: She wants to die away from her home, away from her family, surrounded by her supportive girlfriends. Claire's decision, instead of being met with respect, is met with sadness and confusion by Eliot. He feels banished and wounded. How this plays out brought up so many issues for me. Can we choose how to die and when? What is socially acceptable, and what is not? Do we have to consider other people's feelings or is death a unique, personal choice for all of us. I suspect most people who read this book are not going to like all of the characters. But I think that is not the point. The point is to look at marriage and death with a set of new eyes, and explore alternatives to traditional end of life options. "Some Bright Nowhere" is Packer's first book in nearly 10 years and I'm very glad to have her back writing complicated stories like this one. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Let's start 2026 with a wonderful book, "Heart The Lover" by Lily King. This novel is an exploration and remembrance of first love, a college love, a messy love that was bundled up in the safety net of academia, and the warmth of time spent at a university. Our narrator meets Sam and Yash senior year, in her 17th Century Literature class. Sam and Yash are best friends, and they are amused she is there on a golf scholarship. They nickname her Jordan, after the glamorous golfer in "The Great Gatsby." We don't find out her real name until the end of the book. They invite her back to the home they share, belonging to a professor on sabbatical at Oxford. The three of them match wits, flex their intellectual knowledge, and play cards. Jordan finds herself strangely attracted to both men, but strikes up a relationship with Sam. However, when senior year of college comes to an end, they all go their separate ways. Years later they are brought together again under trying circumstances, and the troika must untangle their feelings for each other, as adults with families. Many people have a lost love from college, and no doubt King writes from her own experience. What is so striking is how much she makes us care about Jordan, Sam, and Yash, as if they were our own friends from college. "Heart The Lover" is a beautiful way to welcome in 2026, as it stands before us with so much hope and promise. To buy this book on Amazon click here

"Mary Jane" by Jessica Anya Blau

In honor of Christmas, a gift: "Mary Jane" by Jessica Anya Blau. To become a member of a family, it does not necessarily have to be by birth. Sometimes you meet a group of people, and they become your chosen family. This is the magic of "Mary Jane" by Jessica Anya Blau. In 1970s Baltimore, a 14-year-old girl named Mary Jane gets a summer babysitting job for Izzy, the daughter of a local doctor. Shy and quiet, Mary Jane enjoys reading, cooking with her mother, and singing in the church choir. Soon, Mary Jane discovers this is not your ordinary run-of-the mill babysitting job. Dr. Cone is a psychiatrist with a rock star and his movie star wife who have moved in with the doctor's family while he helps the rock star get sober. Mrs. Cone is a non-traditional housewife who does not know her way around the kitchen. During the summer, Mary Jane teaches the family about laundry, cooking and cleaning, while they teach her about sex, drugs, rock and roll, and group therapy. This coming-of-age story is so charming, and I didn't want it to end. Within the walls of the Cone's home, Mary Jane becomes the confident and strong young woman that she was always meant to be. Set against the changing tide of the 1970s, this novel beautifully captures Mary Jane's chosen family and all the gifts they have to give her. To buy this book on Amazon click here

Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat with photographs by Aya Brackett

Recently my friend Bob and I had dinner, and afterwards he sent me a link to a video on YouTube featuring the chef Samin Nosrat. I loved her first book “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,” so I didn't wait to see this video. It showed her visiting her favorite three spots in San Francisco: Lunette, Rintaro and La Taqueria. Each segment was as charming, delightful and sweet as the chef herself. So, when I saw she had a new book, I couldn’t wait to read it. “Good Things” is a more casual, less constructed book than her first one, but it is just as pleasing to the pallet as her original. In this book she not only shares more than 125 recipes, all of which she has tested with family and friends,bbut also offers more helpful kitchen tips. Some of her go-to recipes include custard pancakes, roast chicken with saffron and chili crisp, chewy focaccia, and her new spin on childhood yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Along with the recipes Nosrat shares advice on how to buy olive oil, when to splurge on salad dressing, and the value of kitchen appliances such as rice cookers. During Covid, Nosrat began having once-a-week dinner parties with friends, and it is clear that these dinner parties have unleashed her creativity inside and out. Her passion for cooking and feeding friends and family is infectious. She seems like just a gem of a human being. I can’t wait for her next dish, and her next book. To buy this book on Amazon click here

“Awake: A Memoir” by Jen Hatmaker

I have to be honest, before I read this book, I didn’t know who Jen Hatmaker was. She literally burst onto the main stage the way authors Glennon Doyle and Mel Robbins did. One day her book “Awake” was so popular everyone wanted her on their television chat show and podcast. Hatmaker’s memoir begins with a pivotal moment, the night she woke at 2:30 a.m. in bed with her husband and overheard him whisper to someone else on his cell phone, “I just can’t quit you.” Those five words would not only change her life forever, but also signal the end of her 26-year marriage. To make matters worse, she had built a reputation as a podcaster (host of “For the Love”) who helped other people embrace authenticity and build healthy relationships. She had written best-selling books sharing the keys to success for a long-term marriage. How could she get out of bed, face the shame and humiliation of her husband’s affair, and raise their five children alone?  How did she do it?  She did it with the support of her family, friends, and a religious community she once shared with her husband. She took it one day at a time. She decided to change her trajectory from “We” to “I” and started to put herself first, and put herself in charge. She had to learn things about insurance, health care bills, and car payments. But she did it and when she got confused, she asked for help. She is smart, funny, and most of all brave. This book is her story, but this book is also about any woman who wakes up one day feeling betrayed by her husband, and knows it is time to end the marriage. Inspiring is not an adjective strong enough to describe this book. More like triumphant and glorious. “Awake” is just a victorious makeover story. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

It Doesn't Have To Hurt by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Last summer, shortly after my husband and I returned from Sicily, my back and my right foot started to hurt. I was furious. How dare my body begin to fail after I had treated it to a wonderful summer visiting Croatia, Mexico, and Italy? The nerve of my ungrateful body. I decided to go to the doctor, and have an ultrasound, and it turned out that basically there was nothing wrong with me. My body was just tired after flying more then 60 hours around the world in trips so close together. Around the same time, this book "It Doesn't Have to Hurt" by Sanjay Gupta popped into my Libby library app. I was intrigued, because I still had body aches and pains on my mind. As a best selling author and neurosurgeon, Gupta has seen a lot of pain. He maintains that too often modern medicine tries to cure pain through medication or surgery. He maintains that a better way to treat chronic pain is through sleep, diet, nutrition, massage, and yes, even more exercise, such as yoga or walking. He goes on to talk about foam rollers, acupuncture, trigger point injections, meditation, and CBD. I found this book very inspiring and, in fact, some of his suggestions worked for me. Instead of sitting on a heating pad, I started doing more hot yoga classes and taking longer walks. The increased activity made my body hurt less. And I also started taking magnesium glycinate capsules, which helped me sleep more deeply, and improved my leg cramps. This is an excellent book for someone battling chronic pain, or temporary pain. Dr. Gupta knows his stuff. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Unexpected Journey by Emma Heming Willis

Last summer, shortly after my husband and I returned from Sicily, my back and my right foot started to hurt. I was furious. How dare my body begin to fail after I had treated it to a wonderful summer visiting Croatia, Mexico, and Italy? The nerve of my ungrateful body. I decided to go to the doctor, and have an ultrasound, and it turned out that basically there was nothing wrong with me. My body was just tired after flying more then 60 hours around the world in trips so close together. Around the same time, this book "It Doesn't Have to Hurt" by Sanjay Gupta popped into my Libby library app. I was intrigued, because I still had body aches and pains on my mind. As a best selling author and neurosurgeon, Gupta has seen a lot of pain. He maintains that too often modern medicine tries to cure pain through medication or surgery. He maintains that a better way to treat chronic pain is through sleep, diet, nutrition, massage, and yes, even more exercise, such as yoga or walking. He goes on to talk about foam rollers, acupuncture, trigger point injections, meditation, and CBD. I found this book very inspiring and, in fact, some of his suggestions worked for me. Instead of sitting on a heating pad, I started doing more hot yoga classes and taking longer walks. The increased activity made my body hurt less. And I also started taking magnesium glycinate capsules, which helped me sleep more deeply, and improved my leg cramps. This is an excellent book for someone battling chronic pain, or temporary pain. Dr. Gupta knows his stuff. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, who are married in real life, are having a Renaissance in Hollywood right now. When they walk the red carpet together at premieres, the paparazzi go insane with joy, as do their happy fans.  When she recently appeared in an episode of his hit Netflix television show “Nobody Wants This,” the internet could not get enough of the cute Rabbi sharing the small screen with his real-life bride. In the episode, she wore a chic baby blue skirt and top that would have made Blair Waldorf proud. I am down for anything Brody and Meester, as I was, and still am, a big fan of “The O.C.” as well as “Gossip Girl.” So, when I heard that Meester was going to star opposite Jared Padalecki in Center’s book “The Bodyguard” for Netflix, I ran to read it. In “The Bodyguard,” he plays Jack Stapleton, a famous movie star with a middle-aged stalker who breeds corgis. Meester plays Hannah Brooks, bodyguard who works for the executive protection firm hired to keep Stapleton safe. When his mother reveals a cancer diagnosis, Stapleton must go back to Texas to care for her, and as his bodyguard, Brooks must go, too. Katherine Center is known for writing feel-good rom coms and this book has all of those boxes checked perfectly. Stapleton and Brooks come together under unusual circumstance but soon find out that despite their different backgrounds they have more in common then they think.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Cancer is Complicated by Clea Shearer

If your pantry is pristine, your sock drawer lined up perfectly, and your wardrobe organized in rainbow order, you know who Clea Shearer is. She one half of the Home Edit, owned by Reese Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine. Along with Joanna Teplin, they run the Home Edit organizing company, and star in the Netlflix series “Get Organized with the Home Edit.” As a person who finds organizing things relaxing, Clea and Joanna are my heroes. They are smart and witty, and ruthless when it comes to helping movie stars, as well as common people, declutter their homes. In March of 2022, after selling her company to Reese Witherspoon for a price tag estimated to be millions of dollars, Clea was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. “Cancer is Complicated” is her memoir about how her life changed after her diagnosis. Any breast cancer diagnosis hits hard, but for Clea, fighting cancer in the middle of Covid became even more complicated. At one point she had Covid, too, and had to get her radiation treatments in the middle of the night to help protect other cancer patients. She was supported by her husband, children, mother and Teplin, and she chronicles how she was able to get treatment, and learns a lot about cancer and herself in the process. One of the things she had to do was learn to slow down, which was a silver lining for her cancer. She had makes lists of helpful things for people to know about cancer, and how to support a loved one who has been diagnosed. I found her story not only well-written and thoughtful, but also provided me with helpful tips on how to support someone else during their cancer journey. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst

Marriage comes with highs and lows, but this is the true story of a marriage that was put to the ultimate test when a couple was lost at sea for 118 days. Based on the true 1973 story, of Maralyn and Maurice Bailey, "Marriage at Sea" follows the couple as they pursue their dream of living a life on the ocean. Married with no children, they sell their house, quit their jobs and set sail, ready for adventure. With Maurice as the quirky captain, and charming Maralyn as his loyal first mate, they have high hopes for their new life together. However, when a whale suddenly hits their boat while in the Pacific, their lives are threatened. They have to scramble into a rubber raft, grabbing as many provisions as they can, as they watch their beloved boat sink. Then begins a journey ahead as they struggle to survive, and hope to be rescued. Several times they are almost rescued, but they fail to catch the attention of boats in the distance. While surviving on fish and rainwater they catch, they begin to think all hope it lost. The journey not only puts their survival skills to the test, but also their relationship and nautical skills. Soon Maurice's power as captain of the raft is replaced by Maralyn. This fascinating and well written book has you on the edge of your seat with every wave. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Notes to John by Joan Didion

For 500 weeks in a row, every Friday, I have published a book review on social media. On the rare occasion I did not publish a review that I wrote, I did a video or interviewed a family member about a book they've enjoyed. I did not miss a week, even on occasion when I thought I was too overwhelmed, or sad, or busy to write a review. I just committed to doing it every single week. Was it hard? No. Did it bring me joy? Yes. Did I like when people commented on my posts, either in disagreement or agreement? Absolutely. Was it something I could do with my husband, Jeff? Yes. He is my proof-reader. So, as I celebrate my 500th review, I knew it had to be by Joan Didion, my favorite author. "Notes to John" was published posthumously, with some fans supporting the release and others questioning it. I'm not sure this was ever meant to be a book, but I am here to say while it is uncomfortable to read someone's diary, I treasured every line. In 1999, Didion began seeing a psychiatrist and she chronicled those sessions in her diary. They covered such topics as depression, anxiety, adoption, marriage, childhood and parenting. The sessions went on for more than a decade. What is so heartbreaking about this book, is that the reader knows that Didion would outlive not only her husband, John, but also her daughter Quintana. One can only imagine that this book was a primer for her books on grief that were to come: "The Year of Magical Thinking" (2005) and "Blue Nights" (2011). I stop for anything Didion. So, it was not a question of if I would read this book, but how quickly. I was only sad to see it end because I didn't want the conversation with her to stop. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

When my brother, sister and I, were little, we sat at our tiny kitchen table eating sugary cereal and watching cartoons. "The Jetsons" was one of our favorites cartoons because it showed a futuristic world filled with robots and self-driving vehicles. Well, the future is now and this is the first book I have read in which the main character is a self-driving car. "Culpability" by Bruce Holsinger, is a family drama set in Chesapeake Bay that begins when the Cassidy-Shaw family sets out on a journey, and their self-driving mini-van hits another car, killing two people. Their 17-year-old son, Charlie, is in the driver's seat, alongside his dad Noah, while mother Lorelei and daughters, Alice and Izzy, are in the backseat. The family dynamics and repercussions from the accident, unleash a series of secrets that could destroy the family's future. This is the first book I have read that tries to grapple with the moral and ethical impact of Artificial Intelligence on our ever day lives. Can human beings continue to live in a world where technology is smart than all of us? This remains to be seen but Holsinger certainly crafts a clever tale in which AI is not a supporting character, but the star of the show. To buy this book on Amazon click here

How To Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir by Molly Jong-Fast

Ever since the publication of “Mommy Dearest,” in 1978, the genre of a mother-daughter memoir has taken on a dark turn. More recently Jennette McCurdy's “I’m Glad My Mom Died” detailed the abuse and manipulation that her mother inflicted upon McCurdy when she was a young actress. Now Molly Jong-Fast has written a memoir about life with her own mother, best-selling author Eric Jong. It is difficult for anyone who is not in their 80s today to realize just how famous Erica Jong was when her book “The Fear of Flying” was published in 1973. She was rock star famous. She was movie star famous. She was as famous as an author could be. She is credited with ushering in the second wave of feminism with its bold portrayal of Isadora Wing, who expressed her own sexual desires at a time when women were not permitted to do that. It could not have been easy for Jong-Fast to be the only child of a woman who was literally everywhere. Jong was on television, on talk shows, in newspapers and magazines. But to her daughter, she was everywhere but home. After grappling to make sense of the relationship with her mother for most of her life, Jong-Fast is thrown a complete curveball; Her mother, this larger-than-life figure, begins to show signs of dementia. Jong-Fast has to find a way to take care of her mother, and thus their traditional roles are reversed. This is an honest and very moving book that sadly centers around an issue that so many people face when confronted with senility and Alzheimer's disease. When you parent begins to show signs of mental illness, do they stop being your parent? Does the relationship cease, or does it continue in a different and heartbreaking way? An excellent book about a very difficult topic.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

In this world full of drones, self-driving cars and AI chats, let's shine the light on an old-fashioned book, "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans. The main character is Sybil Van Antwerp, who makes sense of the world by writing letters. She pens not emails nor text messages but real, snail mail letters to her friends, family and acquaintances. Some recipients are famous, such as Ann Patchett and Joan Didion, others are frenemies, such as the president of a university who refuses to let her audit a class. The letters give us a bird's eye view into Sybil's life, as well as a deep dive into a painful loss from her past. "The Correspondent" is a tribute to the power of the written word, and the connection that can occur between two people, even when they have never met. Charming, poignant, insightful and clever, this book opens up the life of Sybil Van Antwerp one letter at a time. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

I read this book a few years ago, on the most beautiful beach in Mo'orea, an island in the South Pacific. I even took a picture of the book on my lounge chair, so I would have a visual to include when I reviewed it. And I thought I did review it, but now I find no evidence that I ever wrote about it. Did I forget? Did I remember it wrong? What happened? Mystery, confusion and suspense are all at play in Colleen Hoover's book "Verity." Lowen Ashleigh takes the lead as a writer burdened with financial problems. As she struggles to make ends meet, she jumps at the chance to take a ghostwriting position for a famous author. Verity Crawford's husband Jeremy hires Lowen to complete the remaining books in his wife's series. His wife, it turns out, is injured and not able to complete the series on her own. Once inside the house, Lowen sees that the job is not as straightforward as it once seemed. The couple's daughter has died under mysterious circumstance. And then Lowen finds Verity's unfinished autobiography, which leads to more unanswered questions. Was she supposed to find the manuscript or not? And will it help her with her ghostwriting assignment or hinder it? Lowen must try to complete Verity's books, but at the same time try to figure out who in the house she can trust and who she cannot. She then finds herself falling for the most unlikely love interest: Verity's husband, Jeremy. If this sounds like a movie plot, you guessed correctly. Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson will star in the film version to be released in October 2026. Quick! Read it before the plot is revealed on the big screen. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Kate and Frida by Kim Fay

"Kate and Frida" is a new offering from the author of "Love & Saffron," a best seller that came out in 2022. Fay's new book again explores the theme of correspondence, friendship, books, and food. All four are high on my list of passions, so I knew this book was going to be a winner. "Kate and Frida" takes place in the 1990s, and is set in Seattle and Paris. Twenty-something Frida Rodriguez travels to Paris to become a war correspondent. But first she gets a job in a book store to pay her rent. This then leads to her friendship with Kate Fair, who works for a book store in Seattle. Kate dreams of being a writer, but is filled with self doubt and anxiety. The women begin to correspond about books then soon find their friendship turning into a genuine emotional support system. They not only listen to each other, but also lift each other up. Set in the days before the internet was common place, "Kate and Frida" is tribute to the art of real letter writing much like "84 Charring Cross Road" and "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." I still write letters too, by the way, as often as I can. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Every summer since 2009, Barak Obama releases a list of book recommendations. This summer "Audition" by Katie Kitamura was on his list. Oh, how I wish President Obama would come over to my apartment on Turk, have a glass of chardonnay and talk to me about this book. I read it. I enjoyed it. But I only think I understood about half of it. Basically "Audition" is a story told two ways. However, both of these stories could not have happened in the same lifetime. But I'm not sure which one happened, or which one is more meaningful. Like the Gwenyth Paltrow movie "Sliding Doors," the line between reality and fiction is significantly compromised and blurred by the author. We meet an actress and a younger man in a cafe. We are not sure if they are related or not, but she seems to be old enough to be his mother. But does she want to be his parent? Does he want her to be his mother? Are they telling the truth or is one of them lying? Is this just a play or a rehearsal? Thus begins the spider web of a book called "Audition." In lieu of being able to have a conversation with President Obama about this book, I encourage others to put your comments below.  What did you think?  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

If You Could Have Told Me by John Stamos

When John Stamos was on the soap opera "General Hospital" his dad still made him flip burgers and wait tables at the family's restaurant "The Yellow Jacket" in Orange County. It was only after throngs of teenage girls started stalking Stamos at the restaurant that his dad said he could stick to acting full time. This is how you raise a humble and hard working child. He had a dressing room with his name on it, and his dad made him flip burgers on his off time. Stamos is not only dedicated, but also does not take himself too seriously. When a reporter once asked how he stayed looking so young he said "I drank the blood of Rob Lowe." That's about the best answer on staying young in Hollywood that I have ever read. I would say that Stamos also stays so relevant because he spreads his parachute wide. In addition to the soap opera, he worked with the Olsen twins when they were babies on "Full House," starring as Uncle Jesse. He played Dr. Tony Gates on ER for 5 years, and co-starred with Jack Klugman in the series "You Again?" He has also been on Broadway and has been welcomed by the Beach Boy as an honorary member. He has had career highs and lows, and also suffered through a divorce. But married again with a young son, Stamos always seems to land on the right side of the street, with a smile on his face and a wink in his eye. This book is as likable as the man himself, and a super fun read.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Outer Chaos, Inner Calm by Anthony Abbagnano

I once took a trip to Israel where I road camel. It was my first camel ride, and I was quite nervous because it was shaped so differently than a horse. After I was on the camel for a few minutes, my friend’s husband Yehuda said, "Lori there is a big problem." And I called from my camel to his, "What’s the problem?" And he said, "You are not breathing. You need to breath to ride a camel." And he was absolutely correct. I do not breath correctly, and often I just hold my breath in fear, which is a really bad way to live. This book "Outer Chaos Inner Calm" by Anthony Abbagnano, I read with interest because it examines the theory that breath work can help you confront your fears, worries, childhood trauma, and feelings of powerlessness. He guides the readers on a series of exercises unlocking clues to the past and forging a new stronger path for the future. Be curious. Be present. Be committed. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and not drag you down. It is easy? No. But Abbagnano believes that discomfort leads to growth, and growth is ongoing. So if you are feeling stuck and need a road out, follow the lead of Abbagnano and learn to breath better.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

We Might Just Make It After All by Elyce Arons

I can remember coveting my first Kate Spade bag. It was the most gorgeous black on black messenger bag, and I saw it at Neiman Marcus. The year was 1993. It was around $200 and I actually squirreled away money so I would be able to pay for it in cash. In the 1990s if you carried a Kate Spade messenger bag, you were just downright cool. "We Might Make It After All" by Elyce Arons is the story about how that bag, and the Kate Spade company was formed. Elyce was Kate's best friend in college. Together with Kate's boyfriend Andy Spade, the three moved to New York after college where they came up with the idea to launch an affordable, yet chic, handbag company. The name was based on Kate Brosnahan's first name and Andy Spade's last name. He came up with the idea to put small name tag type labels on the front of the bags. Making the bags seemed to be easy, but the hard part was working trade shows and getting stores like Barney's and Neiman Marcus to carry them. Along with their other partners, Brosnahan and Arons hustled to get their bags into all the major stores. Eventually, years later, Neiman Marcus would buy 56 percent of the company and make Arons, Brosnahan and Spade millions. This is the story about how a small group of friends built an empire, and in the capable hands of Arons it is a fascinating read. To buy this book on Amazon click here.