Author Archives: Holli Duggan

Best known as Emily Gilmore, the mom from Dirty Dancing, or Sheila from A Chorus Line, Kelly (Carole) Bishop has been an icon in both Broadway and Hollywood for over sixty years.

Bishop tells stories of her early days as a ballet dancer, how she broke into Broadway then moved into acting, and the many ups and downs throughout her career (which includes a Tony award) and personal life. Her longtime friendship with Amy Sherman-Palladino (writer) led to additional roles on both Bunheads and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. She shares a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes from her time on Gilmore Girls and stories about her friendships with Lauren Graham and Edward Herrmann. However, these come later in the book. Her memoir is so much more than her role as Emily Gilmore – sharing her theatrical life, lessons from both of her marriages, love of animals, and marching for women’s rights.

Kelly narrates the audio version and it feels like friends chatting about old memories.

Bishop, Kelly. The Third Gilmore Girl. Gallery Books. 2024.

New York Public Library Digital Collections: Photos from A Chorus Line [1975]

With the last few days of heat warnings, a story about endless winter nights and frost-demons seemed like a good choice.

Told much like a fairy tale, the story centers on Vasilisa, who lives with her father, nurse, and siblings in a small village at the edge of a great frozen wilderness. The village exists somewhere between the influences of the “modern” religion and the “old” faith which honors the spirits of the house and surrounding forest, who have always offered protection. Most nights are spent around the hearth listening to stories, especially the one about the evil frost-demon lurking in the woods.

Vasilisa has always been a strong, rebellious child with dreams of adventure and no desire to marry or settle down. When her father decides it’s finally time to remarry (and hopefully find a positive role model), he brings home her new stepmother, Anna, from the city.

Fiercely devout and fighting against a terrifying curse, Anna forbids all practices related to the old spirits. A young priest follows shortly after, determined to prove himself by “saving” the village and returning to the city as a hero. As evil creatures grow closer and the village suffers, Vasilisa becomes a target due to her own strange gifts.

Defying those she loves most, she has to find the true cause and battle against the darkness to save them all.

The Winternight Trilogy:

• 1. The Bear and the Nightingale
• 2. The Girl in the Tower
• 3. The Winter of the Witch

Arden, Katherine. (2017). The Bear and the Nightingale. Del Rey.

“After a certain age, you can pretty much do whatever takes your fancy. No one tells you off, except for your doctors and your children.”

Cooper’s Chase is a lovely upscale retirement village in Kent. Elizabeth (spy), Joyce (nurse), Ibrahim (psychiatrist), and Ron (union boss) meet every Thursday to discuss cold/unsolved murders – taken from their friend Penny’s old case files.

Told through Joyce’s journal entries, the club finds renewed purpose as two “new” murders basically fall on their doorstep. These septuagenarian detectives must use their past experiences and connection to (unofficially) help PC Donna discover the truth – this is her first murder investigation after all. Who is the killer and how are these murders connected to Cooper’s Chase?

A cozy mystery – the story focuses on our quirky cast of characters, their relationships and life lessons without being too gory or violent with the murders. The writing is warm-hearted and humorous with plenty of suspense, twists, and gossip.

Series:

• The Thursday Murder Club #1
• The Man Who Died Twice #2
• The Bullet That Missed #3
• The Last Devil to Die #4

Osman, R. The Thursday Murder Club. Penguin. 2020.