Captivated Reader
My blog is about the books I'm reading, the independent bookstores I visit, the author and book events I attend, and any bookish related things I come across in the months and years to come!
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Top Ten Tuesday - Books with Handwriting on the Cover
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
The following ten books all have handwriting on their covers. Six of these books I have read. The other four books are ones I want to read.
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows
2. Room by Emma Donoghue
3. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
4. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
5. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
6. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
7. The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
8. Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
9. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
10. Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust by Loretta Lynn
Have you read any of the above books?
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Ann Patchett's New Book, Whistler Sounds Good!
On the Today Show, Jenna & Sheinelle talk with Ann Patchett about the inspiration behind her new novel, Whistler.
The above video clip is a quick watch. Enjoy!!
Thursday, June 4, 2026
Rip Marjane Satrapi -1969-2026
I'm saddened to learned that Marjane Satrapi has died!! She was my age! I read and enjoyed Persepolis I & Persepolis II and Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi. All three books were good reads.
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews
Graduating into the long maw of an American recession, Sneha is one of the fortunate ones. She’s moved to Milwaukee for an entry-level corporate job that, grueling as it may be, is the key that unlocks every door: she can pick up the tab at dinner with her new friend Tig, get her college buddy Thom hired alongside her, and send money to her parents back in India. She begins dating women—soon developing a burning crush on Marina, a beguiling and beautiful dancer who always seems just out of reach.
But before long, trouble arrives. Painful secrets rear their heads; jobs go off the rails; evictions loom. Sneha struggles to be truly close and open with anybody, even as her friendships deepen, even as she throws herself headlong into a dizzying romance with Marina. It’s then that Tig begins to draw up a radical solution to their problems, hoping to save them all.
A beautiful and capacious novel rendered in singular, unforgettable prose, All This Could Be Different is a wise, tender, and riveting group portrait of young people forging love and community amidst struggle, and a moving story of one immigrant’s journey to make her home in the world.
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Happy Ending For Planet Books Indie Bookstore in Signal Hill!
I'm thrilled to learn that after 30 years in business, Planet Books in Signal Hill, California is still thriving after a major move to a new location.







