Random Connect Points:
Reba's Stories

 Delicious! If a book could be a gourmet experience, The Paris Novel would be a sumptuous six course meal full of enticing tastes, aromas and textures. The author, Ruth Reichl, comes by the food writing naturally as the former Gourmet magazine editor and New York Times food writer. She’s also written five memoirs, a novel and a cookbook. Food is central to the engaging story that follows Stella, the main character, from her life as a young girl in New York City to her your adult Paris adventure that changes the trajectory of her life. Ruth overlays her culinary expertise with yummy storytelling to serve up this novel that leaves the reader tasting, smelling and touching every delicious bite. We meet Stella as the young daughter of a wacky, irresponsible single mother living in New York City. Stella grows up a shy, awkward kid exposed to all manner of situations that children have no business experiencing. As an adult, Stella becomes a meticulous and respected editor, livi...

For anyone who hates social media – and Facebook in particular – you’ll get a real satisfaction from reading this book and all the awfulness surrounding the people and international corporate shenanigans that went on in the company’s early years. Sarah Wynn-Williams is a former Facebook employee who wrote this tell-all after she was fired from the company in 2016 after 16 years. Sarah was a key member of the international policy team that worked with other countries where Facebook operated or wanted to operate. She had a front-row seat (literally on private jets and inner circle conference rooms) to Mark Zuckerburg and his elite leadership circle. Sarah’s idealism about Facebook’s potential to create good change by connecting people and interests with others prompted her laser focused attempts to get hired in 2010. A former UN diplomat who hails from   New Zealand, Sarah believed her diplomatic skills could be applied for good at Facebook. The book chronicles her path from id...

 Our June Iceland adventure didn’t disappoint. ... and yes, I definitely look like a tourist coming off an overnight flight ... It delighted. It surprised. It rained. It exploded (geysers did anyway). It charmed. It never saw a sunset. It far exceeded expectations. We explored Iceland with four friends - Neil and Deb McLean and Jim and Frankie McLean -   on a Viking Cruise that left out of Reykjavik and circumnavigated the small island nation of 400,000 inhabitants. We made stops in six diverse ports where we saw gushing geysers, still volcanoes, exquisite natural beauty, magnificent waterfalls, engaging local guides, changing weather and delightful stories. This post includes a few rambling thoughts and fun facts from what I learned and enjoyed between the lines of the history, geography, food, scenery, weather, culture and geological wonders. 1. It’s true what they say… if you don’t like the weather wait 10 minutes. Most days were low 50s with mist/light rain. We did hav...

Each summer during my personal reading challenge, I try to include at least one book of poetry. This isn’t my usual reading genre, but I like to shake things up a bit. My favorite poet is the beloved Mary Oliver, a steadfast writer of words that uplift and enlighten. So, when I stumbled across an NPR interview with a young poet whose Instagram handle is “ MaryOliversDrunkCousin ,” I had to check her out. “A Bit Much” by Lyndsay Rush is described on the back cover as “a book of poetry for people who didn’t even know they liked poetry.” It’s a home run. During a bike ride back in September, I listened to NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly interview Lyndsay Rush. They had me laughing out loud in the first minute, and I pedaled on over to All Good Books to buy it immediately. For several months, I kept it in the car with me as a book I could grab on the fly when I had a few minutes while waiting for a meeting to start or the meter to run out. When it came time to make my summer reading list, I...

When traveling light, I still indulge in the luxury of carrying a hard copy book with me. For a recent vacation trip, I chose Cathy Rigg’s just-released “That Which Binds Us.” Cathy is a Columbia-based, first-time author with roots in the Virginia mountains. The book weaves a story around five beautifully written characters living through the horrors of the Civil War in southwest Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. I will admit that historical fiction isn’t usually my top reading genre choice. But between the fact I know Cathy and her talent, plus I’d just gotten my signed copy at her book launch party, I couldn’t wait to get started. From the first chapter (which Cathy read aloud at the book launch event), the writing kept me engaged with the characters’ individual narratives that she skillfully connects through their intersecting stories. What really brought this book alive for me is the dialects, the spoken cadence and the language that Cathy hones to perfection. Each chapter is...