More end of the year recaps. This is the perfect time of year for a quick romance pick me up. I read 6 historical romances. I’d recommend 4 of them.
Lisa Kleypas is one of my go-tos. These two, Then Came You and Dreaming of You, are both fantastic regency romances. The second one was better, but both good.
The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews is the third book of four in the Belles of London series. I’ve enjoyed all of these books about four friends who met while horseback riding in London.
An English Bride in Scotland by Lynsay Sands was a sweet one about a Scottish laird taking an English bride and there’s some real danger to her life. This is the first if a series and I would like to read more.
End of the year list making is my favorite. It lets me reflect on the year and make some new goals for the future. Here are the 6 books I reread this year because I liked them so much the first time.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck shows how a mastery of spare prose can elicit strong emotions. First printed in 1937 and only 107 pages so it’s a quick way to add a classic to your reading.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafonis a historical thriller for book lovers. In 1945 Spain a boy is taken to the Cemetery for Lost Books and his life changed forever. “Books are mirrors- you only see in them what you already have inside you.” 487 pages
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Nonfiction. Corrie’s family used a secret room to hide Jews when the Nazis invaded Holland. She and her sister were in their 50s, their father in his 80s when they were discovered and sent to a concentration camp. The one thing that sustained her was her faith in God. A master class about forgiveness and loving your enemies. 269 pages.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende was my first introduction to magical realism. Set in Chile this story focused on the women around the monster Estaban . There was a focus in the last section on 1970s Chile when the ‘right’ overthrew the socialists by a coup, only to empower a dictator who ended democracy for the country. Hm. First published in 1982. 433 Pages.
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley is another magical realism book, but this one is has dual storylines. History, romance, danger, and the England setting make this a keeper. 364 pages
Better late than never? October reads minus two. 12 middle school fiction titles for Cybils, 1 fiction, 1 nonfiction. Some of these middle school titles are so good!
My one adult fiction book this month was perfect for the spooky season. Louise goes back to Charleston after her parents died and finds her relationship with her brother as rocky as ever and the house they grew up in full of the creepy puppets she remembered. But the longer she’s there more memories and secrets come to life.
Are puppets creepy? YES! Are they more creepy when they’re haunted? Again, YES!
Thich Nhat Hanh and I had the same birthday. Maybe that’s why his books connect with me so much. He was a Buddhist monk from the age of 16 and involved himself in engaged Buddhism to speak out against social issues. For his efforts to help end the war in Vietnam, where he was born and then exiled, Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
He wrote over 100 books, for me this is book 11 I think. His books on mindfulness will be an asset to anyone who reads them.
This book, No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life, focuses on how to look at death and even how to ease the passing of those you love. This has been a part of my morning reading the past few months and I finally finished it today. Powerful and thoughtful.
“We think of our body as our self or belonging to our self. We think of our body as me or mine. But if you look deeply, you see that your body is also the body of your ancestors, of your parents, of your children, and of their children.”
“If you live without awareness it is the same as being dead.”
Middle School Fiction for first round of Cybils reading.
My favorites
Rise of the Spider by Michael Spradlin. If there is ever the perfect book to read at the exact right time, this is one. This is the first of a series and should be read in middle school history classes everywhere.
How did Hitler rise to power? Who are the people that followed him and spread hate and violence? This tells the story of 11 year old Rolf whose brother joins the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, otherwise known as Hitler Youth. Hitler isn’t in power, yet, but he is collecting people more loyal to him than to their country. The next book is titled Threat of the Spider.
This book is only 138 pages and I have at least 12 pages marked with notes and tags. Read your history to avoid repeating it.
Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart. My notes have these descriptive words.. charmingly enchanting, found family, unconventional, quest, mature. This book is deals with grief head on since it focuses on finding a book where her mother wrote where she wanted to be scattered. I fell in love with all of these people and I think you will too. 278 pages.
The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy. A girl and her mother escape a cult, only the girl doesn’t realize that’s what it was and wants to go back. Heartbreakingly good.
The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson. My notes have these descriptive words…tries so hard, loss, so much beautiful energy, imagination, belief in traditions, hero. Lucy is sent to live on a tiny island with a family who mans the lighthouse. Grief is fresh, but it’s about learning to move on and fit it with new family. 172 pages
Carter Avery’s Tricky Fourth Grade Year by Rob Buyea. My notes have these descriptive words…ADHD, special teacher, first friendships, self advocacy, feeling left out. Carter and his sister live with their grandma and the parents died when they were young, so that’s not the focus, but it’s there. 344 pages
These others were really good too
The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie. Three friends try to go into an old fun house to find treasure. Sure to thrill any escape room enthusiast.
Painting the Game by Patricia MacLachlan. A sweet story of a young girl trying to become a baseball player just like her minor league pitching dad. It has a rural throwback feel with a big ending. 134 pages
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. Two storylines, one of Jakob who works at Bletchley to crack the Nazi’s Enigma cipher and one of his little sister Lizzie who believes her mother is still alive and is trying to stay off a boat to America so she can prove it. There was lots of adventure and mystery along with some legit wartime scariness. 392 pages.
The Misfits by Lisa Yee and Dan Santant. Kids with powers at a school being trained together in teams. If a kid likes superheroes, they’ll like this, the first of series.
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan. The story of young Safiyyah who loves the library and whose father is in charge of the Grand Mosque of Paris who joins the Nazi Resistance and saves hundreds of Jewish people. So much love for books in this one. 329 pages
Amil and the After by Veera Hiranandani. 1948 India after Amil’s family had to move from the new Pakistan to Bombay. Shows the hardship of moving to a new place.
Faker by Gordon Korman. His dad is a conman and his sister is his competition to become his number two. What happens when Trey finally wants to put down some roots? This was my first Gordon Korman and I’m not sure he’s for me.
Thich Nhat Hanh and I had the same birthday. Maybe that’s why his books connect with me so much. He was a buddhist monk from the age of 16 and involved himself in engaged Buddhism to speak out against social issues. For his efforts to help end the war in Vietnam, where he was born and then exiled, Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. When he died in 2022 at the age of 91 he had published over 100 titles.
According to my count I’ve read 11 of his books. I’m not buddhist. I grew up Christian and still identify as such, but so much of what Thich (or Thay) talks about is universal and rings true to me. I don’t agree with everything he writes, but I appreciate my continued education and the expansion of my mind as new thoughts and ideas take root.
His books in the order I liked them. If you are new to Thich Nhat Hanh or buddhism there’s no better place to start than at the top.
This is when mindfulness went mainstream in the US and this book was the introduction for many of us. I haven’t read it in years, so I don’t know how much of an impact it might have now that mindfulness is a common recommendation. BUT, if you want to really slow down and look at things in a new way this is the book for you.
This one talked a lot about anger and resentment that resonated with me.
“When you begin to see that your enemy is suffering, that is the beginning of insight. When you see in yourself the wish that the other person stop suffering, that is a sign of real love.”
“Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.”
“The roots of war are in the way we live our daily lives —the way we develop our industries, build up our society, and consume goods.”
Gage and I used this for homeschooling. Information about mindfulness, a picture book portion for kids to better explain, the ten movements themselves, and then a bio on Thich Nhat Hanh. We did the movements at the beginning of our school day for a month and still do them from time to time. The DVD was fantastic, even having Thich Nhat Hanh himself showing the movements.
This book, No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life, focuses on how to look at death and even how to ease the passing of those you love. This was a part of my morning reading for a few months. Powerful and thoughtful.
“We think of our body as our self or belonging to our self. We think of our body as me or mine. But if you look deeply, you see that your body is also the body of your ancestors, of your parents, of your children, and of their children.”
“If you live without awareness it is the same as being dead.”
This one was the more difficult of his books I’ve read. I learned about the specifics of Buddhism in this one and I’m confused on some points. Hanh studied Christianity and Jesus’s life and he equates much in the two religions. Some of these points I saw to be true and some I thought were a stretch, but I find it rare that people experience Jesus in the same way even as Christians so I can’t fault him in his thoughtful insights.
If you are familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh then I think you will like it. His chapter on the peaceful heart made my own jump around in happiness! If you would like a beginner’s course on Buddhism then I think you will learn something here. I also think Christians will recognize the truth in much of what he says although I might start with one of his other books on mindfulness first.
What is it about Thich Nhat Hanh that speaks to me? So many things. I love his ability to embrace other religions. I love that I can immediately take his words and use them. I love the way he calms my spirit and provides insight. See? He’s my guy.
This particular book was about the four elements of true love in Buddhism. The first is maitri (love-kindness or benevolence). The second is karuna (compassion). The third is mudita (joy) and the fourth is upeksha (equanimity or freedom). It’s a focus on learning on how to love well and I’m already using his wisdom.
I think everyone has different authors or spiritual guides that speak to their heart. I know my love for him won’t be for everyone and that’s okay. He’s written a lot of books, many, like this one, aren’t long so you can give him a try without investing too much time. He may speak to you too.
How can you not like a guy who says that lazy days are important? And there is a tiny section on using snoring as a way to bring you in the here and now and sleep easily. I made sure to read this page to Jason since he has to put up with my snoring.
I am a worrier. I come by it honestly, a family tradition, but it is not conducive to living life fully. By focusing on my breath or even adding a few short meditations, I can come back into the present easily. This is important since worry is all about the unknown future and happiness can be found in the present moment. It takes practice and that’s why I love the format and length of this book. I can easily pick this up and turn to the pages I’ve marked for a peaceful moment.
This is a slight 125 page book on not only how to eat, but how to do so with the meaning. Mindfulness is about being present in all that you do, so by bringing that to your food, you can change your life for the better. This is not a diet book, but he does touch upon that we should only be putting the healthiest of foods in our body and that we should not be eating our worries, fear, or anger. I’ll leave you with a few quotes.
“Enjoy your meal. Stop thinking and be here fully, body and mind.” page 32
“With each meal, we make choices that help or harm the planet.” page 59
“We have negative mental habits that come up over and over again. One of the most significant negative habits we should be aware of is that of constantly allowing our mind to run off into the future. Perhaps we got this from our parents. Carried away by our worries, we’re unable to live fully and happily in the present. Deep down, we believe we can’t really be happy just yet—that we still have a few more boxes to be checked off before we can really enjoy life. We speculate, dream, strategize, and plan for these “conditions of happiness” we want to have in the future; and we continually chase after that future, even while we sleep. We may have fears about the future because we don’t know how it’s going to turn out, and these worries and anxieties keep us from enjoying being here now.”
“When we feel overwhelmed, confused, or unable to think clearly, we don’t perceive things as they are, and our words and actions can create suffering and separation for ourselves and others.”
It was a good, not remarkable, reading month. A total of 12 books, but half of those were kids.
4.5 Stars
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren I will be adding more Christina Lauren books to my TBR list. Fun and sexy with a bonafide hot multi millionaire as a fake husband. Sign me up (just don’t tell Jason). Did I totally buy the Cinderella-like transformation? No, but it was still fun.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center Charlie is a very successful screenwriter who has just written his first romcom. Emma is a Texas girl caring for her father round the clock while teaching writing classes at a local community college. They have something in common, their agent.
Emma goes to LA to help Charlie rewrite and ends up staying in his house. This brought a memory of By the Book that I read this summer that had an editor living with a writer to help write a book. I liked both books so this is a scenario that works for me. I didn’t always get Emma, but I really liked Charlie and the story hit all of the happily-ever-after requirements.
5th book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. (technically book #4)
What a fun ride this series is. Adventure, love, magic, lots of magic, death, battles, friendship, family, wings, winnowing, and a large cast of characters. This last one was from only two perspectives, Nesta and Cassian. I know after 751 pages I’m supposed to like Nesta, but I’m still not her biggest fan. I don’t dislike her but she’s got a lot of sharp edges that are willfully sharpened to slice. She did have a nice story progression in this one, but every few chapters she kept finding new miraculous powers and it seemed a bit much.
Happy Place by Emily Henry The six friends meet once a year in Maine for a week at the cottage, but this year will be the last since the cottage has been sold. Harriet and Wyn are there, pretending to still be engaged, even though they broke up six months ago.
There’s more than just a broken romance. Friends who are family can break your heart just as easily and a week spent nursing lies and resentment can cause fireworks.
I’ve now read all five Emily Henry books. The few that I haven’t loved as much (still loved though) have had something in the end that felt unfinished. This felt a little rushed with some issues that needed more attention in the end, but I will still read everything she writes because she’s just that good.
Giant Island by Jane Yolen and Doug Keith This is a sweet picture book. Isn’t the cover great?! Two siblings go with their grandpa and his dog to an island for fishing and exploring. They found out why it was called Giant Island. The pictures of the giant/island were so fun. And I loved the detail of the end pages. The ones in front showing the islands and the ones in back showing those same islands with their giants showing. Kids will love comparing the two.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. 4.25/5 stars, mystery, 477 pages, 2016
Alan Conway is a bestselling crime writer. His editor, Susan Ryeland, has worked with him for years, and she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. Alan’s traditional formula pays homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. It’s proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.
When Susan receives Alan’s latest manuscript, in which Atticus Pünd investigates a murder at Pye Hall, an English manor house, she has no reason to think it will be any different from the others. There will be dead bodies, a cast of intriguing suspects, and plenty of red herrings and clues. But the more Susan reads, the more she realizes that there’s another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript—one of ambition, jealousy, and greed—and that soon it will lead to murder. from Goodreads
It’s a gray, rainy day here, easy to cozy up for fall. Magpie Murders is a murder mystery wrapped in a murder mystery, perfect for the changing of the seasons. I’m told it’s also a miniseries on PBS Masterpiece.
Susan is a book editor and she’s just been given a book by her most famous author, only the last chapter is missing. When her author is also found dead she tries to track down the last chapter only to become convinced that her author, like the main detective in his novel, was also murdered.
I listened to this one and almost gave up on it because after the first hour I was still not invested with the myriad of characters. I’m glad I stuck with it because I ended up really liking both mysteries and moving between the two became easier the more I listened.
English mystery lovers will love it. I know there are more in this series about Susan Ryland, and I’m looking forward to checking them out.
This has been a very bookish week. It started with a Friends of the Library beard meeting. If you aren’t involved with your library Friends group (or they don’t have one) I encourage to check it out. We hosted our annual meeting event on Thursday night, a family poetry jam and it was so much fun.
On Wednesday I volunteered at the Cleveland Kids Book Bank with friends. A great nonprofit that takes used books in good condition and distributes them to the Cleveland area to schools or organizations that would like to send books home with kids who might not otherwise own books. We spent a few hours sorting.
I’ve been to library almost every day doing some prepping for our upcoming big fall book sale next week. After I get done with this post I’ll emailing all of the volunteers reminding them of their shifts. I have always loved library book sales and love coordinating these big ones. It takes a village for sure.
This week has been particularly bookish!
Posts you may have missed over the last few weeks…
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. 4.25/5 stars. romance, 352 pages, 2024
I will be adding more Christina Lauren books to my TBR list. Fun and sexy with a bonafide hot multi millionaire as a fake husband. Sign me up (just don’t tell Jason). Did I totally buy the Cinderella-like transformation? No, but it was still fun.
Happy Place by Emily Henry. 4/5 stars, romance, 400 pages, 2023
The six friends meet once a year in Maine for a week at the cottage, but this year will be the last since the cottage has been sold. Harriet and Wyn are there, pretending to still be engaged, even though they broke up six months ago.
There’s more than just a broken romance. Friends who are family can break your heart just as easily and a week spent nursing lies and resentment can cause fireworks.
I’ve now read all five Emily Henry books. The few that I haven’t loved as much (still loved though) have had something in the end that felt unfinished. This felt a little rushed with some issues that needed more attention in the end, but I will still read everything she writes because she’s just that good.
5th book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. (technically book #4)
What a fun ride this series is. Adventure, love, magic, lots of magic, death, battles, friendship, family, wings, winnowing, and a large cast of characters. This last one was from only two perspectives, Nesta and Cassian. I know after 751 pages I’m supposed to like Nesta, but I’m still not her biggest fan 🤷🏻♀️ I don’t dislike her but she’s got a lot of sharp edges that are willfully sharpened to slice. She did have a nice story progression in this one, but every few chapters she kept finding new miraculous powers and it seemed a bit much.
On the Screen…
We watched the 6 episode miniseries on Netflix. The Perfect Couple was a frilly, fun whodunit. Great cast and a beautiful Nantucket setting.
We watched season 1 of The Boys on Amazon. What a crazy, messed up ride this show is! Superheroes among us, only idolized and accepted without a check on their powers.
Plans for the weekend
We’re headed to the Guardians baseball game this afternoon. The last time I attended a game they were still the Indians so I’m excited!
I read this book at the end of 2022 and was apparently so busy at the time that I didn’t write a review of any sort. On Goodreads I said, “Perfect book to end the year on a high note.” On Instagram I included it in a post of 5 star reads. I took my mom to see the movie last week and we both liked it. Yes, I know some about the controversies surrounded the film, but they didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all. I think it’s best knowing that while there is a love story there is also a more serious theme. I think it’s fantastic that young women have a story like this as a cautionary, yet hopeful, tale.
So, now you know that I liked them both. But which did I like better? Let’s find out!
I’ll try to keep it spoiler free but read at your own risk.
The Story/Plot
We begin with Lily ‘delivering’ her father’s eulogy. When she returns back to Boston she has a rooftop encounter with Ryle, a very attractive neurosurgeon. Lily opens up her own flower shop and, unaware of the connection, hires Ryle’s sister to work for her.
We also see flashbacks to her teen years in Maine. Her parents have a violent relationship. Lily befriends Atlas, a boy from school who’s been kicked out of his house.
So as the story moves forward I feel that they are both fairly true to each other. The book features Lily’s diaries written to Ellen DeGeneres as a way to move the story forward, the movie doesn’t. I think that was a missed opportunity to enrich the story.
Thumbs up – Book
The Visual
So, I loved seeing Lily’s flower shop come to life onscreen. But, spoiler alert, the hot neurosurgeon was also fun to see come to life onscreen. It was steamy in all the right places.
Thumbs up – Movie
Characters vs. Actors
I thought Blake Lively was a good Lily and Brandon Sklenar was a good Atlas. Isabela Ferrer was a fantastic young Lily. I thought Justin Baldoni shined as Ryle and Jenny Slate sparkled as Allysa.
Thumbs Up – Both/Neither. I’m calling it a draw
The Ending
Most movies muck things up by changing an ending too much. In this case there were a few details changed, but it mostly got it right. But I didn’t like them leaving out visitation issues near the end. It may be a small thing, but it still missed an opportunity to show the story more truthfully.
Thumbs Up – Book
And the winner is…the BOOK! This was a close call because I really liked them both.
Summer was a slow screen time. If not for me bring sick for a week in August, these numbers would be dismal. I watched 5 movies in July and 5 in August.
Streaming – We watched seasons 1 & 2 of Bosch: Legacy. We loved the Bosch series and enjoyed continuing on with these characters. Some police friends are back and he’s able to go even more off the rails as a private detective.
I loved…
Beverly Hill Cop: Axel F, 2024. Do I remember much of the plot? No. But as someone who grew up watching the originals I loved stepping back in time with Axel and friends. Nostalgia at its finest.
I liked…
Mr. Malcom’s List, 2022. If you like historical romances or Bridgerton, this is probably going to hit the spot for you. I thought it was a very well done movie about a man who has a list of the attributes he wants in a wife and a woman who didn’t meet the criteria.
Run Lola Run, 1998. We don’t watch many foreign films, but we both felt fancy one night and watched this time-bending German thriller. Think Groundhog Day with guns.
Harold and the Purple Crayon, 2024. Even though making one of my favorite children’s books into a live action movie didn’t sound great, I knew I had to see it. It was full of weird directions and not nearly enough fun scenes like the one in Ollie’s, but I liked it because I liked Zachary Levi as a grown up Harold.
The Other Zoey, 2023. For a cutesy young adult rom com I actually liked the twist in this one.
Find Me Falling, 2024. An exotic mature love story with Harry Connick Jr. Yes please!
These were fine…
A Family Affair, 2024. The cast was good, but didn’t feel a lot of love for the actual love story.
Despicable Me 4, 2024. Gage still likes seeing the new movies do we went. As with all of them, I’ve resigned myself to just going with it it since I’m going to be dragged to all of them. I’m a little more accepting of Gru since he’s become a family man.
I watched these so you don’t have to…
Space Cadet, 2024. Rex cons her way into the space program. I liked Emma Roberts, but the movie is just beyond ridiculous.
You May Not Kiss the Bride, 2011. A fake wedding forced by mobsters with mobster kidnappers. Mobsters are not my thing.
Fantasy Series 5*A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – It’s not very often that I love the second book in a series more than the first, but here it is. Thanks to @thepageburner I am unlikely to get anything done until I’ve burned through this series. I’m listening to the audios mostly because it’s the only way that I can get my fix and still keep our house running.
It’s pure escapism which is why I need it right now. And you might too! It’s fantasy. It’s fairies. It’s humans becoming fairies. It’s full of characters that you love. There’s romance. There are battles. There are powers and wings.
That’s all I can really say without spoiling anything. Anything I say about the second book can spoil the first. Don’t start unless you’ve got some time on your hands.
4.5*A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas – Book 3 in the A Court of Thorns & Roses series brings the whole gang together for the battle royale. Alliances, betrayals, magic, sacrifice, love, wings, witches, magic cauldrons, and rebirth all make this 699 pager a nice culmination.
This is not my usual fare and I’ve been thinking about what makes this such a good series for me, aside from the high adventure and intrigue. I think it’s because it’s a story of family. The one we’re born with and the one forged through love and trials. I love a good friends as family story.
4.25*A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas – After the mad rush of A Court of Mist & Fury, book 3.5 was a nice breather. I’m not sure it was completely necessary, but I’ll reserve judgement until I read the last one.
The whole gang is back in Velaris recovering from the effects of a brutal war. We hear from 5 different voices, Feyre, Rhysand, Cassian, Nesta, and Morrrigan. Nesta is in a bad place. Feyre wants to make the world a better place. Elain isn’t interested in Lucien. And Amren is doing…jigsaw puzzles. I look forward to the last book to see how everything pans out.
Fiction 5*Funny Story by Emily Henry – Daphne is a children’s librarian who is about to be married to the man who brought her to Michigan last year. But what happened at the bachelor party didn’t stay at the bachelor party and now she’s got a roommate with heartbreak as big as her own. When she lies to make her ex-fiancee jealous it sets off a chain of events that have her wondering if leaving Michigan is really what her heart wants after all.
Steamy, funny, and real. Don’t miss it.
4.5* Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera– Listen for the Lie is the story of Lucy. Lucy left her small Texas town for LA five years ago after everyone there became convinced that she had killed her best friend Savvy. When a popular true crime podcaster starts sniffing around that can only mean trouble.
I loved this fast paced thriller. Once I started it was hard to put down. Lucy is such an unreliable narrator, not just because sure she still claimed amnesia from the night, but because of the voices in her head. My favorite character of the book was her day drink grandmother who is turning 80 and convinces Lucy to come home.
A fantastic thriller, especially if you love podcasts or true crime.
3*The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine – Not gonna lie, this one left me feeling yucky. I really didn’t like spending time with these people. I did make it to the end and liked the twist, but can’t really say I liked the book. And why would there be a sequel? No thank you.
Stacy's Books 