This week's Friday Five fell into place after a thread of bookish themes emerged in my holiday break reading stack. I imagine one could make this case fifty times as long and never cover all the excellent books that delve into writerly themes but our nifty little Friday Five formula offers up a handy stopping place — lest we go on and on and on!

THE MAGICIAN: Despite it being one of our top sellers during the 2021 holiday season, I hadn't yet cracked the spine of this stunningly good piece of historical fiction. The lucky chance of booking Mr. Tóibín for an event changed that and I've been racing to finish as much of his backlist as possible. The Magician covers Wars One, Two, Cold, and everything in between as it chronicles the life of writer Thomas Mann and his family. Completely transportive, it sweeps the reader up in the action from page one and doesn't let go until the very end. While I enjoyed the historical touch points accompanied by detailed portrayals of Mann's homes and the events happening right outside his door, I was most taken with Tóibín's portrait of a writer: brain always turned out, spinning fiction from fact and the inevitable personal fallout that occurs. I highly recommend this and all of Mr. Tóibín's books to fans of historical fiction *and* those looking for a hugely satisfying read.

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE: I don't remember where I heard about this book but we didn't have it on our shelves early on (no worries, we've remedied that situation). A quick trip to the Darien Library rescued me from a world without this sweet story and I found myself completely and totally smitten. The book is filled with many likable elements for the reading set: it takes place in a library (check), exudes a deep reference for and love of books (check) and showcases an funkily inclusive, thoughtful community at a diner (check). The young girl at the center of the action emerges from an initially anxious and introverted existence as she learns that what makes us different, also makes us special. Perfect for the bookish kids in your life.

THE TENDER BAR: If you are living with even the slightest bit of an extremity poking out from under a rock, you might be familiar with this tale, regaled and reviled in equal parts by everyone from the haughtiest of literary critics to cashier at the corner bodega. If you're paying even the teensiest bit more attention, you might be aware that the spare heir didn't pen this expose entirely on his own. As the

famous-for-reasons-other-than-writing are wont to do, Harry went in search of a partner and the person he landed on is arguably one of the best at his craft. Now I, for one, have sold more than a few copies of The Tender Bar over the years and there was a slight uptick in interest when Ben Affleck stepped onto the scene and tried his hand at telling the tale. So after all the fuss around Penguin's biggest one-day seller I decided to finally dive in and read JR Moehringer's breathtakingly good memoir. It's great. Like really, really great. Moehringer's ability to capture voices — from the men who helped to raise him while throwing back tall boys at the bar, to his mother who never stopped being his number one fan — is stunning. An immensely readable memoir that clearly provided excellent training for helping others tell their stories, even the most ordinary of days, in a hugely compelling way.

WOMAN WITHOUT SHAME: Fine, you caught me. It inevitably happens in each edition of the Friday Five: that moment when my desire to include a particular piece requires that I hold my breath, dive deep into the text, and pray that I come up with something that fits the category. Surprisingly, more times that not, it works. As many of you know, I'm on a real poetry bender these days for no other reason than I *think* reading poetry makes me a better writer AND a better person. More on that in a different sort of post but for the purposes of bookish reads, let me say that Sandra Ciseneros deserves to be in just about any sort of highlighted list and that several of the poems in her latest collection helped inch her over the finish line. Many of the poems explore themes of being a female artist and along with that, a good dose of lines about books and writing. Below, you'll find I've done something maddening which is to include a single stanza from "Smith's Supermarket, Taos, New Mexico, at the Fifteen-Items-or-Less Checkout Line."

IN THE MARGINS: ON THE PLEASURES OF READING AND WRITING: Finally, a softball. Yes, it's a book about writing, reading, and the building blocks of making a book so it's a fitting finale for this week's bookish picks. Many of you are familiar with Elena Ferrante, the mysterious Italian author whose name is not actually Elena. Whatever you think of the discussion surrounding her mysterious identity, her Neapolitan quartet is undeniably a smash hit. You may also recognize the names of her books that now grace the Netflix screen. And while this handy set of essays won't offer up any clear clues as to her personage, the writerly reader will likely delight in getting a glimpse into the Ferrante's mind and learning more about her practice, motivations, and thoughts on craft.

*PRO TIP: Click the images to learn more +/or purchase a copy or two!

*PRO TIP: Click the images to learn more +/or purchase a copy or two!

—Kirkus, *starred review*