Warm up with a good book.

The Spinach King by John Seabrook.

The story of a frozen food dynasty and how subsequent generations squandered the wealth. In the vein of Cheerful Money by Tad Friend, also a New Yorker writer. Astonishing how entitled old money can be. I really enjoyed this tale.

Ain't Nobody's Fool by Martha Ackmann

This book tells the business side of Parton. She has been savvy and she has been ill-advised at times. But she is tenacious and incredibly hard working.

She was not the bumpkin she is often portrayed as when she left home. This is also great as an Audible.

Canticle by Janet Edwards

Highly recommend this book to book groups and Bible study groups. A teenage girl in 1399 Bruges commits herself to a convent and then to seclusion. It is the time of Pope Boniface IX and the Catholic church is funded by paid indulgences, sales of fake relics, and oversees public beheadings for contrived religious infractions. But this is also the fever dream story of ultimate faith and fervent prayer. Excellent for discussion.

Also highly recommend Heloise and Abelard by James Burge and Matrix by Lauren Groff.

The Dentist by Tim Sullivan

Hard to beat a good English mystery. Solid plot, characters, writing, and perpetrator. Enjoy!

Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg

Theft, fraud, murder, deceit- all escapist entertainment for cold weather or a trip to warmer climes. Intricate plot with multiple characters and most likely headed to a streaming platform.

Bad Bad Girl by Gish Jen

A combination of a biography ( her mother born in Shanghai), memoir (Jen, born in NYC), and fiction as she had to fill in some of her mother's past in China. Wonderful writing and insightful story of how her mother's Chinese heritage affected her parenting.

I also enjoyed-

Homeschooled by Stefan Block

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven