The kind folks over at Penguin Group just sent me a new book to review: Song Yet Sung by James McBride, bestselling author of The Color of Water and Miracle at St. Anna.

Even though I am on a deadline this week to work on the local history book that I am writing, and have absolutely no free time to spare, I found myself (as I often do with any new book) opening the front cover to graze my hand over the thick pages and take a quick glance at the words and format of the book, peek at the cover page, and maybe read the first few paragraphs.  The next thing I knew, I had finished the first four chapters, the fire in the fireplace had gone out, and my girls were complaining of hunger because dinner was late.

Needless to say, the characters, the historical setting, and the author’s lyrical writing style sucked me right in.  You can expect a review of this book to be posted soon.