Speaking of the desk, Zoe decided to perch there for a while yesterday.

You’ll notice she’s wearing the new red and black boots.

Of all my girls, Zoe most reminds me of me as a child. I had thick brown hair, bangs, big dark brown eyes, and I was a serious kid who worried a lot. My hair was long, which is the only difference.

I guess Zoe is my “mini me.”

Waving hello to all of you.

I finished Cloud Cuckoo Land  last night. Simply extraordinary. Anthony Doerr is an incredibly gifted writer. There’s no way I could summarize the plot here, as it’s complex, but suffice to say, it’s an ode to books and libraries and the human spirit, which spans generations, countries, space, and time. A book to savor and take your time reading for the sheer pleasure of it. I still can’t stop thinking about it. I spoke about nothing but that book to Don this morning during our coffee time on the sofa. I couldn’t stop!

I read a lot and, of course, you know I love mysteries. But if I had to sum up the most powerful and extraordinary books (and I’m talking new  books) that I have read in the past 10 years, I would list these:

All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles
Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell
Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr

And I have Towles’ newest, The Lincoln Highway, here in the den.

But first I’ll read Julia Dahl’s newest mystery, The Missing Hours, which I purchased at the Mysterious Bookshop when I was in NYC. I reviewed Dahl’s first three books and was an immediate fan. (She lives in Brooklyn, by the way.)

Which leads me to my favorite question for you (one I’ve neglected for too long.)

What are you reading?

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.