August 31, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
I brought my warm fuzzy blanket to the movie theater a couple of days ago. My dear friend Caroline had asked me to join her for a matinee showing of “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” and I happily accepted. Caroline bought popcorn and cokes for us, and we settled in. She was fine without a blanket on an August afternoon – and as a bonus, didn’t …
August 25, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
“My favorite words about the meaning of life come from a commencement speech Tim Minchin gave a few years back – ‘Don’t go looking for it. Searching for meaning is like searching for a rhyme scheme in a cookbook: you won’t find it and you’ll bugger up your soufflé,’” said Maria Browning, new Editor of Chapter16.org, Tennessee’s online literary journal. One would hate to bugger …
August 18, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
Irish author Sally Rooney tells a provocative story about young lovers in her award-winning new novel, Normal People. Marianne is an odd duck in high school, but she and star athlete Connell develop an unusual friendship in spite of their differences. It’s a little weird that his mother is her mother’s housekeeper. It’s complicated that Connell is popular, and Marianne is not. How will their friendship play …
June 9, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
Happy summer, Bacon friends! On my Top 3 list for June, you’ll find one book to make you laugh, one book to make you think, and one book that will make you glad your sister isn’t a serial killer.
May 22, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
My friend Todd Jones stops in at Bacon today to recommend a novel that is part Downton Abbey, part psychological thriller, deliciously dread-inducing, big-question-asking, AND set in Bora Bora… anyone need a summer read? Bonus: it’s now in paperback!
May 5, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
I take a lot of comfort in my yard, where the wildflowers and weeds bloom as cheerfully as the iris, where the peonies dream of storybook weddings and love.
March 10, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
Spring grows and stretches and yearns. It imagines the hot green summer ahead – and rushes to meet it. Yet winter still holds its hand. Today’s post features five reads perfect for the season – books of yearning, imagination, curiosity, joy and sometimes despair.
February 10, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: You Know You Want This
I found myself in the cold embrace of Middletown, Delaware this week – but also hot under the collar. It’s rare for me to dislike a book so much. You Know You Want This, says Kristen Roupenian. But maybe you don’t.
February 3, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: The Man in the Sharkskin Suit
Wonders are all around us – as are grievous ills – harms – and losses. It’s hard to figure out even my small corner of the world and how to be a good person in it. Reading helps. Also talking to friends. I’m delighted for Sara Bhatia to return to Bacon today and share some of the things she saw and read and thought …
January 25, 2019
by jenniferpuryear
How will you be remembered? High school student Charlie Mahanes stops in at Bacon today to remember his grandfather – and talk about his own current fundraising effort. (Of course I’ve also asked him a few questions about what he’s reading…)