Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of The Secret Service by Carol Leonnig

The other day my husband and I were listening to our favorite podcast, "Smartless," when suddenly my Libby library app took hold of the controls. My phone started playing my audio book, rather than the podcast. Jeff heard a few sentences and then said , "Is that Zero Fail by Carol Leonnig?" And I said "Yes, it is. Do you know the book?" And he said he knew about it, but he just didn't think a book about the Secret Service would be my kind of book. "There is no romance," he said. However, he was mistaken. This is exactly my kind of book because it was not only recommended by my friend Page, but also each page is filled with high drama. Leonnig's book chronicles the history of the Secret Service in America, from the Kennedy assassination through the Obama and Trump administrations. The Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author does a deep dive into the organization designed to protect our presidents. Leonnig has been covering the Secret Service for the Washington Post for more than 10 years. The organization was formed in 1865, In response to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but it became more of an elite squad after the death of President Kennedy. At its height, the Secret Service proudly thwarted the attempt on the life of Ronald Reagan. However, with time the reputation of the agency was plagued by a prostitution scandal, White House break-ins, a toxic work environment, and leadership issues. To capture the history and inner workings of the Secret Service, Leonnig interviewed former and current agents, making the narrative a book you cannot put down. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney

For the daughter of a comedy writer, I have a very particular sense of humor. I do not like anything too zany, silly, or slapstick, or raunchy. I like my comedy to stem from real-life-messy-but true situations, usually romantic ones taking place in an apartment or house with walls, sometimes children. This is why the Amazon series "Catastrophe" checked all of my comedy boxes. All four seasons were created, written by and starred the platonic team of Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney. After we flew through the first season, Delaney and Horgan were on my radar and I could not wait for another season. Somewhere along my binging, I heard that Delaney had a child who was sick. As a mother of children with disabilities, this made me pause. It is that weird pit-in-my stomach feeling that took me back to those early years with my girls. My husband, Bill, and I used to sit in the waiting rooms of doctor's offices with our babies, praying for everything to be normal when it was not. "A Heart That Works" is the moving memoir of how Delaney, and his wife, Leah, and three sons delt with the illness of their littlest member, Henry. While filming "Catastrophe" in London, where the show it set, baby Henry was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As they learned to navigate the move to London from Los Angeles, they also had to juggle the new diagnosis and Rob's emerging fame at the same time. Through the trials and tribulations of medical offices and hospital stays, Rob and his family found support in the kindness of the nurses, doctors and friends they encountered along the way. Rob does not hold back from sharing the gambit of his emotions, including frustration, anger and despair. A courageous memoir from start to finish, full of grace and self-awareness that is rare in a couple facing a struggle with such a young child. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Flight by Lynn Steger Strong

“Succession" started up this week, and this will be the fourth and final season. I have never seen a show that is more divisive. People either love it or hate it. I, for one, love it. My siblings and I often talk about which characters we might be. I think Kathleen is definitely a Shiv. For those who like "Succession," the novel "Flight" by Lynn Steger Strong would make a nice compliment. The book takes place in December, and signifies the first time siblings Henry, Kate and Martin have gotten together since their mother, Helen, died. The three siblings meet in upstate New York at Henry's house, along with their children, and spouses. The elephant in the room is what to do with their mother's Florida home that they all grew up in, and have now inherited. The three-day vacation chronicles not only the Christmas festivities but also the complicated family relationships, and views on money. Like "Succession," the tension among siblings is complicated when they must decide what to do with a single shared inheritance. When a crisis occurs in town, they must set aside their differences and work to help a young girl in need. I found the story, and its characters quite fascinating. I look forward to more books by Strong, and more episodes of "Succession," too. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage by Health Havrilesky

When I first met my husband Jeff, he said point blank: I don't want to ever get married again. I Iaughed, threw my long hair back with a giggle, and said right to his face: "Oh gawd no. I don't ever want to get married again, either." That was a lie. From the moment I first met Jeff, I knew he was my person, and I wanted to marry him. I just had to patiently wait another year - five times - for him to come to the same conclusion. "Foreverland" by Heather Havrilesky, is the story that details the anatomy of her marriage to a professor named Bill. Heather writes the "Ask Polly" advice column, and lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters. She met Bill when he first emailed her to praise her column. The two then met in person, fell in love, got married, and have now been together 17 years. The book chronicles the highs and lows of their marriage, and is brutally, sometimes painfully, honest. "Marriage is a spectacle and everyone is invited to watch," she writes. She criticizes her husband "phlegmy" throat, and refers to him like "A heap of laundry: smelly, inert, useless, almost sentient but not quite." Their differences don't seem to be deal breakers, even when the possibility of infidelity and health issues are brought into the mix. Havrilesky's deep dive into her own marriage is witty, sometimes heartbreaking, but always fascinating. Marriage is complicated. Marriage is hard. But when you find your person, as this author has, you don't want to suffer anywhere else. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

I am never going to swim to Alcatraz, because I am a devoted yoga girl. I am never going to play beer pong, because I like Chardonnay. And I'm not going to go vegan, because I do enjoy the occasional slice of crispy bacon. So there are some challenges I'm not going to accept. However, a few weeks ago my friend Janice said, "I want someone else to read the book Kindred so we can talk about it." Challenge accepted. I ordered this book up from my library and was so surprised it was nearly nearly 45 years old. Billed as one of the first science fiction books written by a black woman, who combines slave memoir, time travel and historical fiction into a story you won't want to miss. The tale begins in California in 1976, where Dana, who is black, is newly married to Kevin, who is white. She is in her house when suddenly, her body and mind, are blasted back to antebellum Maryland. She sees a young white boy drowning, and is able to save him, only to find herself staring into the barrel of a shot gun. Her journey back and forth between California in the 20th century, and Maryland in the 19th century, sends Dana and her husband on a perilous journey, exploring differences in race, gender and class. For those who say time travel books are not my jam, I dare you to read "Kindred" and not be on the edge of your seat. Thank you Janice for the book challenge. We did meet to talk about the tale, and we are now looking forward to seeing the new series based on the book now streaming on Hulu. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Duke of Deception: Memories of My Father by Geoffrey Wolff

One of the joys of TikTok is Ann Patchett and her fantastic book reviews. Patchett, author of such books as "Bel Canto" and "The Dutch House," also owns a bookstore in Nashville called Parnassus Books. From inside the delightful walls of her bookstore, she recommends books using the upbeat phrase, "If you have not read this book, it is new to you." One of her recent recommendations was "Duke of Deception" by Geoffrey Wolff. Many people might not know that Geoffrey is the old brother of Tobias Wolff, who wrote the 1989 bestseller "This Boy's Life," which was made into a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1950s, when Geoffrey was 12 years old, and Tobias was 5, their parents got divorced. In an unusual arrangement, Geoffrey went to live with his father, and Tobias stayed with his mother. Both living situations were disastrous, and l led the men to write two very sad memoirs. In this book, 1979's "Duke of Deception," Geoffrey grew up thinking his dad went to Yale and was a fighter pilot, and both turned out to be false. In fact, he was passed over for military service and was a professional con man, despite having gone to the University of Pennsylvania. In his quest to form a connection and bond with his father, Geoffrey is forced to come to grips with the criminal his dad became. Tragic and fascinating, the book is an excellent peek inside the anatomy of a family. A big shout out to the lovely Ann Patchett @parnassusbooksnashville on TikTok and @parnassusbooks on Intagram.  Keep those recommendations coming! To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Agatha Christie: An Exclusive Woman by Lucy Worsley

I love a deep dive into any writer’s life, but when I heard about this book I had to run. Dubbed as the definitive biography of one of the worlds' best known mystery writers, “Agatha Christie” by Lucy Worsley, is based on personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen before. Worsley guides us from Christie’s childhood in Southwest England, with her parents and two siblings, and into her marriage to a handsome pilot named Archie. While he was away at war, she worked in a hospital  pharmacy, where she kept lists of poisons in a notebook. A promising research job for any aspiring writer. Shortly after the birth of her daughter Rosalind, she was able to secure a publisher for her first book. Her marriage to Archie did not last long, as he left her for another woman. Shortly after she found out about her husband’s lover, Christie disappeared for 11 days. Despite her disappearance and the mystery that still surrounds it, she was able to marry again and move on with her life. She would go on to write  66 detective novels, 14 short story collections, and the world’s longest-running mystery play, “The Mousetrap.”  I loved learning more about her life, and hope to one day read “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” which is supposed to be her finest mystery. She was a trend-setter not only for her writing, but for carving out a fantastic career at a time when women were discouraged from doing so.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

When I was in junior high school, we had a wood-paneled station wagon and the seating went like this: Mom was always in the driver's seat, and dad was always riding shotgun, reading a TV script for work. Kathleen and Scott sat in the middle seat together, each with a window. I sat in the way, way back facing out. Every road trip, that was the seating chart. Every time we would head out the driveway, my mom would say "Don't read back there, Lori. You will get car sick." And every single time I would ignore her because the greatest thing to do was read a whole book, sometimes in one day, in the way, way back. The type of books I would read in one day were books just like "After I do" by Taylor Jenkins Reid. More famous for her books "Daisy Jones and the Six," and "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," this book is just as much a page turner. The story follows a married couple, Lauren and Ryan, who decide to break up in an unconventional way. They simply decide to take a year off from a marriage that is not working for either one of them. The separation comes with one rule: They cannot contact each other for any reason. During their year apart, they are able to turn the focus inward upon themselves, and explore what brings them personal joy and happiness when they are apart. Anyone who has been married knows that there are good days, bad days and even terrible days in any marriage. And in this story, Lauren and Ryan must discover whether it is better to live apart or together. This is a compelling read for anyone traveling in the way, way back or planning a beach vacation soon. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

I want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Sehee

My mom and I were big fans of the TV series "In Treatment." My friend Leah and I binge-watched the Showtime series "Couples Therapy" last year, and we are clamoring for another season. Jeff and I recently started watching the Apple series "Shrinking," and we cannot get enough of it. This is all to say I'm a big fan of following real, or fictional, people into their therapists' offices. I love people who are able to do the hard work, and find the light in the darkness. "I want to Die but I want to Eat Tteokbokki" by Baek Sehee was a best seller in South Korea. This intimate therapy memoir chronicles the relationship of a young woman and her therapist when she struggles with what she thinks is a little, "depression?" The author is a successful social media director at a publishing house when she seeks treatment for her anxiety and self-doubt. She finds herself exhausted and overwhelmed, and unable to hold down a meaningful relationship. At her lowest moments of despair, she finds happiness by eating her favorite snack: a hot, spicy rice cake, or tteokpokki. During the 12-week period when she meets with her therapist, the author tries to draw a road map that will take her away from pain, and towards happiness. Subtle and poignant, Sehee's book is a small gem, and comforting read for anyone who has ever felt unsure and unsettled. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

101 Essays that will Change the way You Think by Brianna Wiest

The other day I read that Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon were reading this book out loud, before bed. I do not know if this is true or not, but of course I had to run to read this book. "101 Essays that will Change the way You think" by Brianna Wiest is the most loved, and the   hated book spoken about on Tik Tok this year. Those who love it say it is the best self-help book they have ever read. They use words like "transformative" and "life altering." Those who hate the book take the author to task for being too young to write it (she was in her mid -20s, and is now 30), and also say the book suffers from being too repetitious, and fluffy. After listening to the audio book, I think that I fall somewhere in the middle. There are some real gems like this sentiment: Self-care is often a very unbeautiful thing - like sweating through a workout, or cutting off communications with a toxic friend. And I liked tips such as - keep a folder on your phone with happy moments that you can turn too when you are feeling sad. There are also lists of topics on success and encouragement. For example, 20 signs you are doing better than you think you are covers such basics as - you paid your bills, you have a job, you can buy a bus ticket, and you have one or two close friends. There are also blueprints for how to move deeper, including a section on subconscious behaviors that are keeping you from having the life you want. I think, depending on what age you are, this book gives back what you put into it. Wiest professes, you owe nothing to your younger self, but you do owe something to the adult you are today. Who can argue with that? There are dozens of young women holding this book on Tik Tok, literally weeping over their favorite book-marked pages. I wouldn't go that far, but I do smile when I open the new folder on my phone containing my happy moments to lift my spirits. Gratitude. Happiness. Fulfillment. Success. These things are not easy to obtain, and if Wiest's book helps even one person move forward with a happier, lighter heart, then I'm all for that. The only way to see if this book speaks to you is to check it out. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

From Napa With Love: Who To Know, Where To Go & What Not to Miss by Alexis Swanson Traina

My first husband and I had a lovely tradition. Each December or January we would drive to Napa and buy a case of Swanson Merlot. We would then share one bottle each month, on a special occasion, so the case lasted the whole year. Napa is a special place, and this tradition made us feel, ever so briefly, like Napa insiders. Last weekend, I went to Napa with Jeff, and I brought along this book: "From Napa with Love" by Alexis Swanson Traina. For many years, Traina served as the creative director of her family’s Swanson Vineyards. The winter months are a great time to visit Napa because the tourists have not arrived yet, the hotels are less expensive, and the restaurants have plenty of space. I took along Traina's beautiful book with us last weekend, and it felt like a treat to explore some of her recommendations. Her chapters include profiles, interviews and glamorous tips from some of Napa's notorious and elite, including designer Ken Fulk, Chef Thomas Keller, filmmaker Roman Coppola and her own husband, Trevor Traina. Whether it be sipping a class of pinot noir on the Napa Valley Wine Train, exploring Ox Bow market, enjoying a bowl of pasta at Bistro Don Giovanni's or soaking in a mud bath at Indian Springs, the pages of Traina’s book make any trip to Napa come alive. One of my favorite spots was the tiny, but jam-packed full of products Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company in St. Helena. Their whimsical, zebra-striped linguini is so unusual, and would be great for a dinner party. My only regret: I didn't make reservations ahead of time at Castello di Amorosa. Oh well, just another excuse to go back to Napa again soon, toting Traina's book, again. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Boys by Ron Howard & Clint Howard

My brother Scott's birthday was this weekend. I bought him a sporty yet business casual, dark olive puffer vest and this book "The Boys" by Ron Howard & Clint Howard. I recently read this book and loved it so much. But full disclosure: My brother and I have known Ron since the 1970s when he starred in our dad's television series, "Happy Days." In fact, the last time Ron saw our dad he said he was eager to pay his respects to "Mr. Marshall." Mr. Marshall? Ron had known our father for more than 42 years but he still called him Mr. Marshall? Do you know why? Respect and decency. Ron and Clint were raised to not only be actors, but also fine human beings. The credit goes most to their father Rance Howard. An actor himself, Rance trained his sons like Richard Williams trained Venus and Serena. Precision and excellence was essential. They weren't just going to be working actors, they were going to be stars. Rance taught them to be kind, thoughtful and hard working assets to any television set or movie. In the dual memoir, Ron and Clint take turns reflecting on their time on "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gentle Ben," "Happy Days" and "Star Trek." Their parents, Rance and Jean, moved to Los Angeles from the Midwest to pursue their own careers. But when the boys proved to have more potential, Rance and Jean gave up their careers to support the children. The family of four lived in Toluca Lake, the same village my siblings and I grew up in. The town is charming and unpretentious much like the Howard men themselves. Their grade school and high school experiences were far from typical, but the lessons their parents taught them helped both boys navigate their careers, despite their highs and lows. To meet Ron and Clint is to encounter a very rare breed of old school actor, and to read their memoir is like taking a charming ride down two delightful careers in television and film. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver

During the summer before my junior year of high school, I worked for a television casting agent named Bobby Hoffman. He was the kindest man, and his office was on the Paramount lot where he cast my dad's TV shows: "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy." On those hot summer afternoons when I worked for Bobby, my job was to organize the head shots and call the actors into Bobby's office to audition. As I pulled out each head shot from the pile, and then called the actor's name, I was worried sick for them. The pressure. The rejection. The shear chaos and uncertainty of it all. I was sure of one thing: I did not want to become an actor because it was too darn messy. "Managing Expectations" by Minnie Driver is the memoir of an actress who taught herself to lean into the mess, and make a very successful career for herself. Driver's autobiography strings together a series of charming, witty, and very-engaging essays. We start with her bohemian childhood, where she shuttled between her mother's house in England and her dad's residence in Barbados. Along with her siblings, she had to grow up fast, and learned to take care of herself when no one else would. Her big break came in the movie "Circle of Friends," and later the cult classic "Grosse Pointe Blank."  The role and real-life-romance she is best known for is opposite Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting." Although she and Damon eventually broke up, her part in the film earned her an Academy Award nomination. Despite growing praise for her work, the acting road ahead was not easy. She even gave up acting for a while to sell blue jeans in Uruguay, and also launched a successful singing career. Driver, however, has continued to survive in Hollywood by believing in herself, and taking care of her family. Some of the most heart-felt writing in the book are the pages about taking care of her dying mother, Gaynor Churchward, a model and fabric designer. Driver is now the single parent of a 14-year-old son, Henry. Together they live in Malibu with her partner filmmaker, Addison O'Dea. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Like A Rolling Stone by Jann S. Wenner

My library is making me move over from the Overdrive app to the Libby app and all hell has broken loose on my phone. I resisted at first, ignoring very aggressive notifications from Libby to come join her. But now the writing is on the wall, my beloved Overdrive, which I have used for nearly 10 years, is becoming obsolete, so I now must become a fan of Libby. The first book she offered me was "Like a Rolling Stone" the memoir of legendary magazine editor Jann S. Wenner. When the book arrived in the app, with a whopping 18 hours of listening time, I paused. Really? Do I really want to spend 18 hours with Wenner? I am here to say yes! After completing the narrative while doing my holiday laundry, I was sad to see my time with Wenner end. To spend time with him is to spend time with Bono, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Bette Midler, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. Not to mention the other luminaries he worked with like Annie Leibovitz, Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson. His memoir details not only his professional life as the voice of a generation, but also his personal life. One wife, one husband and six children later, he has a very rich, blended family life to be proud of. So when all is said and done, Wenner's book is outstanding, and my new partnership with Libby is off to a very promising start. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Rabbit by Patricia Williams with Jeannine Amber

I am now on TikTok. I don't post anything, but I am its new number one fan. TikTok makes Instragram and Facebook look static, like old news. TikTok brings me joy. My husband thinks I have lost my mind because I find the reels so entertaining. I joined because several friends, including Dr. Donald H. and Janice S., said it was "educational." I thought that was an interesting word to use about a social media app, but they were absolutely right. I have learned so many new things from TikTok, but more especially about books. A woman on TikTok posted a video and declared "Rabbit" by Patricia Williams was one of her all-time-top audio books. So, I had to make a b-line to download it from my library. Read by the author, "Rabbit" is a memoir about how Williams grew up poor, black and female in Atlanta during the height of the crack epidemic. Nicknamed Rabbit, she was raised by an alcoholic mother with four other children. In elementary school she began "dating" a married man eight years older than her, and she was pregnant by 13. By 15 years old, she was the mother of two children. Determined to support her kids, but only saddled with an 8th grade education, Rabbit started to successfully deal drugs on the street to support her young family. Despite time in prison, Rabbit finds a way out of her life of crime, and parlays her story into a career as a standup comedian. Yes, you read that correctly: a standup comedian. As she explains in the book, comedy and drug dealing have a lot in common. Both professions require you to be quick, work hard and give people what they want. Patricia Williams' story is nothing short of amazing, and so is she. If she ever comes to San Francisco to perform, I will be the first in line to buy a ticket. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Dilettante: True Tales of Excess, Triumph, and Disaster by Dana Brown

My mom, Barbara Marshall, was one of the earliest subscribers Vanity Fair Magazine when Conde Nast re-launched the pop culture magazine in 1983, following a successful run from 1913-1936. To this day, Vanity Fair is delivered to her Toluca Lake home where she reads it cover to cover. She is so loyal to the magazine I think they should give her an award for best subscriber. "Dilettante," written by former "Vanity Fair" deputy editor Dana Brown, is a book my mom would love. Brown was a 21-year-old college drop out playing in a punk rock band when he got a job as a barback at the popular 44 restaurant inside the Royalton Hotel, a well-known Conde Nast hangout. He then took on side jobs as a cater waiter at the home of then "Vanity Fair" editor Graydon Carter, where he threw star studded cultural salons. Carter saw potential in Brown that he didn't even see within himself. Carter hired him to be his assistant, inside the offices of "Vanity Fair." Thus began the exciting and exhilarating education of Brown from barback to deputy editor over the course of 24 years. This memoir is a love letter to Graydon Carter and his staff who not only support and entertained Brown, but also gave him a life and a career. From lavish lunches and Oscar parties to encounters with Anna Wintour, Lee Radziwill, Caitlyn Jenner and S.I. Newhouse, this is a coming-of-age story and the snapshot of long-running career in magazine publishing that we probably will never see again. The nostalgic flair of the prose makes you want to curl up with an old "Vanity Fair" and read some of the classic writing of legendary columnist Dominick Dunne and more. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos Ceo Tony Hsieh by Kristen Grind and Katherine Sayre

In November of 2020, I was in Darien, Connecticut for the Thanksgiving holiday staying with my sister-in-law, Jen, and her family. It was that weekend that I heard the news that in New London, Connecticut, just 90 minutes away, Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, had died of smoke inhalation while sleeping in a pool storage shed full of foam pool noodles and beach chairs. Apparently, he had gone to sleep in the shed after having a fight inside the main house with his girlfriend, Rachael Brown. No one knew how the fire had started, but rumors said Hsieh has a fascination with fire. Immediately, I had to find out more. He was only 46 years old. My research led me to this book, "Happy at Any Cost," which does a deep dive into the stunning rise and tragic fall of Hsieh. Written by "Wall Street Journal" reporters Kristen Grind and Katherine Sayre, the book follows the entrepreneur's quest for "happiness," a concept he often spoke about. At the on-line shoe retailer Zappos, he promoted a workplace where employees were treated like family, and hierarchies were replaced with inclusiveness and connectivity. His vision extended beyond the walls of his businesses and homes, as he poured millions of dollars into communities such as Las Vegas, Nevada, and Park City, Utah. To an outsider, he might have seemed like the ultimate rich boy/partier, often drinking alcohol at all hours of the day with employees. But Grind and Sayre reveal a troubled man plagued by addiction, mental illness and alienation. His friends tried to get him intro rehab many times, but his power and money were too strong for everyone around him to resist. His early death was tragic, but the story behind his death is a rare glimpse inside Silicon Valley success, and the high-tech business world that inspired Amazon and thousands of other online stores. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden

A young adult novel staring a teenage boy in a power wheelchair? Sign me up! My daughter, Lily, got her first power wheelchair when she was still in elementary school. At first, the sheer weight and size of the wheelchair scared me to pieces. However, with time, my fear softened into admiration as I saw how she skillfully learned to navigate even the most crowded city streets like Lewis Hamilton. "The First Thing About You" is the story of 15-year-old Harris who moves from California to New Jersey along with his parents and sporty older brother. The author, Chaz Hayden, like Harris, has spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy that makes his limbs weak. The move excites Harris because it will give him a chance to re-inevent himself with new friends, and a new classroom aide. To be his aide, his mother hires Miranda, a super-cool, young nursing student who also went to Harris' new high school. As they begin to work together on his school-work, Harris also befriends a smart classmate named Nory who cooks for her single dad, and a slightly nerdy sidekick named Zander. This book has all the markings of a well-written young adult novel, but boldly brings in the realities of managing a disability at a young age. Rather than being weak and afraid, Harris is brave and assertive. He is determined to make his teenage years as normal as possible, from the seat of his wheelchair. This is Hayden's debut novel. You can find out more about him on Youtube, or his instagram page @thechazhayden. And yes, I have already friended Chaz on instagram and told him how much I enjoyed his book. He said he hopes Lily likes it, too. Spoiler alert: Lily you are getting this book for Christmas! To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Ali's Well That Ends Well by Ali Wentworth

This week is about family, which can mean your biological family, but also your chosen family. This chosen family can be your friends, or people you choose to spend time with on a regular basis. Take for example, Leslie Jordan. I spent many mornings over the last three years waking up to his infectious phrase, "Hello, fellow hunker downers! How y'all doing?" When he died in late October in a car accident, he left behind a legion of fans who will miss him because he made us laugh. The good news, however, is that I have found another source of happiness on Instagram and her name is Ali Wentworth. She goes by @The realaliwentworth, and she is the mother of two young women, and the wife of Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos. Recently on their anniversary, she posted pretty pictures from their wedding more than 20 years ago, and then a series of them now trying to read a small-print menu with their reading glasses on. Actress, comedian and author, she seems to me to be an authentic, salt-of-the-earth person you would want to go to lunch with on a regular basis. She is not afraid to post pictures of herself without makeup, hair messy. Yes, she is friends with Brooke Shields and Mariska Hargitay, but she doesn't make a big deal about it. She posts goofy pictures of them, too. "Ali's Well That Ends Well," published in May of 2022, is series of vignettes that she wrote about her family's time during Covid. She turns her comedic eye and pen back on a lock-down that nobody ever expected. She binge-watches "Mad Men," eats chocolate cake and trash-talks her mean neighbor. We get to meet her husband (who wakes up at 2:30 am to go to work, after kissing everyone in the household), her two daughters and even an entertaining young man who moves in with them during the lockdown. Ali seems to be able to pinpoint the humor in just about any situation. This is definitely an asset to have in a book, and also a virtual friend. After reading her smart and witty essays, it is hard not to be upbeat, and that is something to treasure during Thanksgiving, or any time of year. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love by Carole Radziwill

My father died suddenly the summer of 2016, the same summer I started working at a hospice. I was running a grief camp for children who had lost a parent. My dad would call this bad writing. Too on the nose. Nobody would believe it.  How was my timing so off that these two events were happening the same summer? Well, unfortunately, we do not get to choose when to experience grief, rather it comes upon us like a giant tidal wave of uncomfortable, relentless emotion. Whenever I think of overwhelming grief, I come back to this beautifully written book, "What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love" by Carole Radziwill. Carole was married to Anthony Radziwill, the son of Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis’ sister Lee Radziwill. Carole was a journalist when she met, and later married Anthony, who was a television executive and filmmaker. She grew up middle class, while he was a member of the House of Radziwill, a Polish noble dynasty. Carole and her husband, who married in 1994, were extremely close with his first cousin John F Kennedy Jr., and his wife Carolyn Bessette. In July 1999, a small plane piloted by Kennedy, carrying Carolyn and her sister Laura, went down in the ocean. They were traveling to the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port to celebrate the wedding of his cousin Rory when the plane disappeared from the horizon. Three weeks later, Carole's husband Anthony died of cancer, after treatment for his disease failed. Such young people. Such unimaginable grief. Such horror. Carole’s life began as a fairy tale, but later plunged into a period of darkness and alienation. However, she did not crumble, but rather learned to manager her grief by writing about it. It is a testament to her skill as a writer and journalist that she was able to publish a book 17 years ago, and it has stayed with me ever since. To buy this book on Amazon click here.