Book Chatter

Guess what! I’m still alive. I fell into a little bit of a reading slump, mostly because who can read in this circus show we are living in? Plus, I had a hard time getting my book club book and then once I got it, I didn’t give myself enough time to read it. That has never happened to me before. That totally threw me off.

I am reading a wonderful book right now though. The Last Ranger by Peter Heller. He’s always so good.

The Last Ranger book cover. By Peter Heller. Wolf in the wilderness.

I’ve been taking a lot of walks. Trying to get back to where I was pre-surgery. It’s going well. I have summer camp in July so I am gearing up for that. More stamina can only help with those sleepless nights, the all nighters, the extra sports competitions, the jumping around during worship, etc.

In other news, my work responsibilities have increased quite a bit. I’m learning so much but it’s bumped into my reading time. Lunches turn into working lunches or no lunch at all and much of my lunch time used to be used for reading. Can’t rely on that anymore but by the time bedtime hits, I curl up with my book only to crash from the day.

I will adjust.

How are you all doing?

They are arresting judges now. I knew they would come for them. Without judges preventing what is happening, we don’t have much to rely on. I still feel hopeful that we will rally soon, in some positive way. It needs to happen immediately.

I just wanted to let you know I was alive and will be back to a normal schedule soon.

Pinch Me book cover including the Italian countryside.

Pinch Me
By Barbara Boyle
She Writes Press, 9781647428327, Feb 2025, 216pp

The Short of It:

If you want to feel wonderful about the world again, pick this up. It’s a beautiful, feel-good memoir.

The Rest of It:

This book is wonderful. In its brief 216 pages, I lingered and made the recipes and scanned all the QR codes for photos. Yes, people! Delicious Italian food AND photo albums of the restoration process of this beautiful 300 year old farmhouse. Barn, really.

Barbara Boyle and her husband Kim visit a small Italian town for vacation and fall in love with the town, its people and the overall sense of place. So much so that when they return to their US home in San Francisco, they begin to dream about a possible home there. Could that work?

With the right realtor, a dedicated construction crew and lots of trips back and forth, they purchase what is essentially a barn and turn it into the most beautiful home, overlooking the hillsides and wildflowers and yes, grapevines too.

I am not a big RENO person. As soon as foundation talk enters the chat, I tune out but not in this case. Solving the foundation issues in a 300 year old relic, takes precision, care and creative solutions. I found this part to be fascinating. Also, how they started with the roof! I would never have even though to start with that when the walls are crumbling and held up by mud.

Construction aside, the relationships that this couple built there are admirable and the kindness of strangers, who eventually become neighbors was so comforting and sweet. I loved hearing about their interactions with the local businesses too. All of the delicious restaurants and pasta making experiences and the emphasis on fresh produce and simple ingredients.

Reading Pinch Me was a palate cleanser for my soul. Anyone in need of that needs to find a copy immediately. I will say this, there is a deeper topic introduced towards the end and also a COVID pandemic mention given how it affected that region. But, it was just what the doc ordered as far as escapism.

Highly recommend. It will be on my fave list at the end of the year. Would make a great gift too. I would include some photos of the house but I want you to get the book and scan those QR codes for the albums!

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Chatting with friends about books and life…