August 26, 2025 – I can always tell it’s time to update the Cardie Reading List when I feel the universe nudging …
Earlier this summer, Contributing Cardie Nancy McGinn made a point of wholeheartedly recommending Theo of Golden, saying the novel, “Made me want to be a better person.” (Which is saying something as, for the record, I don’t know a better person!)
Next, I was sent a hardcover of The Correspondent from thoughtful Contributing Cardie Carrie Wolfgang, a former bookstore owner who knows her stuff. “A younger gal who would come into Novel Destination knows I love to write notes and send cards. She recently brought me this book and I’m sending a copy to you as it’s a delight for those of us who have spent a lifetime affixing stamps to our thoughts and best wishes.”
Week before last, Cardthartic’s joyful Art Curator Luda thought I could use a good laugh, so she gifted me a paperback reflecting her own lifelong love of chuckles. Luda shared that she’d first read Three Men in a Boat as a teen growing up in the USSR, and said she’s returned to it for many, many a laugh over the decades since. And, wow, it’s “Complete with Illustrations from the Original 1889 Edition.”
And yet again, I was reminded it’s time to ask you all for book recommendations after reading the Comments on last week’s Cardie Newsletter. The piece was about how funny words — notably, malapropisms — can be, and the Comments made it clear that this community could collectively come up with one hoot of a book. What clever storytellers we have in our midst!
In case you missed it, Cardie Karen Tappen shared, “This past Sunday, I was at Mass, where a nun in full habit gave a talk about her order’s mission. She began by asking, ‘Is anyone here constipated?’ and I wondered, ‘Is anyone going to admit to that?’ And then I realized she’d said ‘consecrated.’ I really chuckled to myself, and when I shared my misinterpretation with the speaker after Mass, she too laughed heartily!”
Cardie Nancee Rogers posted, “Let me set the scene … My dad had died a few months earlier and his box of ashes was carefully placed in my guest room along with a few belongings that created his ‘shrine.’ Being a collector of Blue Willow, I happened to be shopping on a favorite pottery company’s website one night when I noticed a special offer on a new little trinket box. To promote it, they’d written: ‘To Keep Some Small, Decedent Treasure!’ While I knew they must have meant ‘decadent,’ all I could envision was spooning some of Dad’s ashes in there! The thought made me chuckle then, as it does now as I write this, and I can see the smile on Dad’s face and the twinkle in his eye, too!”
Cardie Agnes Cardoni switched things up with her comment, “I have a spoonerism for you. (That’s when you transpose two words, like ‘mud puddle’ becoming ‘pud muddle.’) One morning last week, my husband and I were leaving quite early for the drive to his work. I meant to ask, “Please get my water bottle,” but I was still sleepy and it came out, ‘Please get my bater wottle.’ Now, of course, we both use that expression!”
To that, Contributing Cardie Jessica Swaim could not resist leaving the reply, “That made me laugh, Agnes. One good spoonerism deserves another: At after-school band practice back in the day, our high school orchestra teacher became so frustrated with the violin section that she went on a brief tirade, then tapped her baton on the music stand and barked, ‘From the top, second piddle fart!’ Everyone, including the dear lady herself, laughed so hard that, from there, she could only manage, ‘Class dismissed!’”
While humorous book recommendations are always welcome, you can see by this growing reading list that we are equal genre readers in this Cardie Community. So click and tell: What titles are you suggesting lately?!
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
August 26, 2025 – I can always tell it’s time to update the Cardie Reading List when I feel the universe nudging …
Earlier this summer, Contributing Cardie Nancy McGinn made a point of wholeheartedly recommending Theo of Golden, saying the novel, “Made me want to be a better person.” (Which is saying something as, for the record, I don’t know a better person!)
Next, I was sent a hardcover of The Correspondent from thoughtful Contributing Cardie Carrie Wolfgang, a former bookstore owner who knows her stuff. “A younger gal who would come into Novel Destination knows I love to write notes and send cards. She recently brought me this book and I’m sending a copy to you as it’s a delight for those of us who have spent a lifetime affixing stamps to our thoughts and best wishes.”
Week before last, Cardthartic’s joyful Art Curator Luda thought I could use a good laugh, so she gifted me a paperback reflecting her own lifelong love of chuckles. Luda shared that she’d first read Three Men in a Boat as a teen growing up in the USSR, and said she’s returned to it for many, many a laugh over the decades since. And, wow, it’s “Complete with Illustrations from the Original 1889 Edition.”
And yet again, I was reminded it’s time to ask you all for book recommendations after reading the Comments on last week’s Cardie Newsletter. The piece was about how funny words — notably, malapropisms — can be, and the Comments made it clear that this community could collectively come up with one hoot of a book. What clever storytellers we have in our midst!
In case you missed it, Cardie Karen Tappen shared, “This past Sunday, I was at Mass, where a nun in full habit gave a talk about her order’s mission. She began by asking, ‘Is anyone here constipated?’ and I wondered, ‘Is anyone going to admit to that?’ And then I realized she’d said ‘consecrated.’ I really chuckled to myself, and when I shared my misinterpretation with the speaker after Mass, she too laughed heartily!”
Cardie Nancee Rogers posted, “Let me set the scene … My dad had died a few months earlier and his box of ashes was carefully placed in my guest room along with a few belongings that created his ‘shrine.’ Being a collector of Blue Willow, I happened to be shopping on a favorite pottery company’s website one night when I noticed a special offer on a new little trinket box. To promote it, they’d written: ‘To Keep Some Small, Decedent Treasure!’ While I knew they must have meant ‘decadent,’ all I could envision was spooning some of Dad’s ashes in there! The thought made me chuckle then, as it does now as I write this, and I can see the smile on Dad’s face and the twinkle in his eye, too!”
Cardie Agnes Cardoni switched things up with her comment, “I have a spoonerism for you. (That’s when you transpose two words, like ‘mud puddle’ becoming ‘pud muddle.’) One morning last week, my husband and I were leaving quite early for the drive to his work. I meant to ask, “Please get my water bottle,” but I was still sleepy and it came out, ‘Please get my bater wottle.’ Now, of course, we both use that expression!”
To that, Contributing Cardie Jessica Swaim could not resist leaving the reply, “That made me laugh, Agnes. One good spoonerism deserves another: At after-school band practice back in the day, our high school orchestra teacher became so frustrated with the violin section that she went on a brief tirade, then tapped her baton on the music stand and barked, ‘From the top, second piddle fart!’ Everyone, including the dear lady herself, laughed so hard that, from there, she could only manage, ‘Class dismissed!’”
While humorous book recommendations are always welcome, you can see by this growing reading list that we are equal genre readers in this Cardie Community. So click and tell: What titles are you suggesting lately?!
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
“Decedent Treasure” — that one will stay with me!
The best book I’ve read recently is My Friends, by Frederik Backman — his characters are treasures — both decedent and alive! And the runner-up is The Briar Club by Kate Quinn, who has long been one of my favorite authors. She calls it her “Covid-book,” born of a need to share meals and time together with friends. Great historical fiction!
I love Fredrik Backman and read all of his books when they are released!
Leadership: In Turbulent Times By Doris Kearns Goodwin
Definitely second The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. And a lovely book with both words and pictures that cause deep contented sighs – Things to Look Forward to: 52 Large & Small Joys for Today and Every Day (Sophie Blackall).
I second Rosemary’s recommendation of My Friends by Backman, and for the nature/animal lovers among us, I offer Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, a very quiet memoir that I found deeply moving.
It’s not a new book but I recently read American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, it’s a gut wrenching portrayal of the journey for immigrants and it stayed with me long after I finished it. Then I came across a little gem of a book, Little Chapel on the River by Gwendolyn Bounds. An Irish couple (true story) come to America for a better life and wind up running a pub and general store on the banks of the Hudson River. I couldn’t get enough of the Irish family, their patrons and the NY city gal who can’t tear herself away from them. Last weekend I attended Bummer Camp at the Lions Camp in Rosholt, WI hosted by the author of said book Ann Garvin. It was a reader’s ideal weekend, we listened as authors read their books, had Q & A sessions, could enjoy the lake and all camp activities. I scored a bullseye in archery and just had a blast. Totally out of my comfort zone as I went by myself but everyone so kind and welcoming.
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick. Non-fiction about China basically kidnapping “extra” babies during the one child policy. This book is about twin girls, one stolen and adopted out to a U.S family. The other remained with her family in China. As teenagers, they were able to reconnect.