THE THREE GRACES OF PEARL STREET by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins shares the intergenerational story of three women who carry the same name: Graziella. Graziella Valentini, ninety-six years old, is full of purpose as she directs life in her New York City neighborhood, at the church’s food pantry, and within her family. Her daughter Grace is a psychology professor and struggling with her own identity issues after a failed marriage. Granddaughter Ella is a brilliant scientist who lost her way at MIT and, with few options, returns to stay at her grandmother’s home on Pearl Street. At first, this novel was difficult to read due largely to the sadness, despair, and miscommunication experienced by the characters. But gradually, the three women begin to better understand themselves and each other, as told in chapters which alternate perspective. They strengthen a bond while learning new skills, whether it be cooking or using a computer. THE THREE GRACES OF PEARL STREET is a wonderful debut novel and received starred reviews from Booklist (“this comforting family tale is full of heart and humor”) and Library Journal (“With as many layers as Graziella's lasagna, this is a story that will satisfy readers for a long time.”). Readers intrigued by an Italian heritage may also want to look for Adriana Trigiani’s novels like The View from Lake Como; others seeking an intergenerational tale should look for Catherine Newman’s Sandwich or Randy Ribay’s Everything We Never Had.
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Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves
Monday, September 21, 2026
The Everywhere Millionaire by Owen Zidar & Eric Zwick
THE EVERYWHERE MILLIONAIRE by Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick explores “Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There” in a fascinating way. As one would expect from their credentials -- Zidar is a Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University and Zwick is the Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business – the authors rely on economic and government data to portray these American millionaires. Building on over a decade of study and research, they explore so many aspects (inheritance vs. self-made; type of industry; impact of the tax code; human capital associated with the owners) that are truly interesting and somewhat surprising. Just one example: "For every member of the Forbes 400, more than four thousand private business owners each have at least $10 million in net worth [together, more than thirteen times the wealth of that list].” Plus, “the average private business owner in the top 1 percent [of income] made 1.5 times as much as the average public company CEO.” These authors also personalize the data by sharing numerous anecdotes and stories of these individuals, particularly small business entrepreneurs who often experienced income mobility and fulfillment of the American Dream. One such example is Dick Portillo who founded the Chicago-based restaurant chain; another is Karen Bentlage who expanded her wealth through tanning salons and personal care. Both of these millionaires “give back” through donations of money and time, but the authors show that many others use their wealth to influence public policy in an ultimately self-serving manner, saying “We sometimes call them the Stealthy Wealthy because they fly under the radar. … We want to make the rich visible and correct misconceptions about who they really are.”
In addition to being reviewed and summarized by NPR’s Planet Money, THE EVERYWHERE MILLIONAIRE appears on the Next Big Idea Club’s must-read book list for September 2026. As Publishers Weekly says, “At turns inspiring and maddening, this is a vivid depiction of America’s millionaire class.” I, too, found this account to be very readable and would definitely recommend.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Pay Attention by David Pakamn
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer
ODE TO THE HALF-BROKEN by Suzanne Palmer (Hugo award-winning author) is a work of science fiction that will touch your heart. It is set in the near future after a major conflict between humans and mechs or machines. The main character is a sentient robot that has protected its solitude for roughly twenty years. An act of aggression causes it to start on a journey where it establishes relationships with machines, humans, and other life forms like a cyborg dog named Atticus. Sad and disturbing, but ultimately uplifting, ODE TO THE HALF-BROKEN received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly (“Palmer’s vision for how society might reshape itself after massive conflict is inventive, but where the tale truly shines is its captivating characters and the ways in which they’re willing to work together.”). Highly recommended for fans of Automatic Noodle, Klara and the Sun, and Monk and Robot.
Monday, September 14, 2026
The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright
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We are in the midst of migrating book reviews to this new blog. To see past reveiws and comments, please visit Book Talk ... A Conversation...
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HEART OF A STRANGER by Angela Buchdahl is certainly in contention for my favorite book of the year. That is a surprise because this is the ...
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MRS. ENDICOTT'S SPLENDID ADVENTURE is the latest historical fiction from Rhys Bowen ( In Farleigh Field ). She is a personal favorite a...
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EAT YOUR ICE CREAM by Ezekiel J. Emanuel offers “Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.” Emanuel, a bioethicist and professor at the...






