Tag: book reviews

March Reads (in May!)

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Better late than never! I read 12 books. Six fiction, 2 aduly nonfiction, 3 nonfiction picture books, 1 kids nonfiction.

5 Star Reads

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Historical fiction loosely based on a short period of time in the life of midwife Martha Ballard. It starts with a birth and a dead body found in the frozen Kennebec River in 1780s Maine. It’s a bit mystery, a bit history lesson, a bit pre-constitution court drama, and a whole lot of a woman’s role in the world at the time.

I loved it and that was before the Author’s Note at the end! I loved learning about the process and the real Martha Ballard, midwife to the births of 1000 children.

The Private World of Katharine Hepburn. I’ve always loved Katharine Hepburn. She was spunky, smart, and no-nonsense. Some of her movies are among my favorites and I loved her ability to be her own person in a world that didn’t even want women to wear pants! This oversize coffee table books is gorgeous and a must for fans. The pictures are very much focused on her later years, but I loved it. Call Me Kate on Netflix is a must watch for fans too. She was a fascinating woman who knew her own mind. She was a movie star who still considered Connecticut her home.

There Are Moms Way Worse Than You by Glenn Boozan and Pricillia Witte. This book is SO MUCH FUN! Not only is it great for moms to read and feel better about their parenting skills, kids will love the bizarre facts. All kids think poop is funny, did you know a koahla mom will feed her kids poop? And the sexton beetle will raise her babes in a decomposing mouse, so how badly can you really be doing? Loved it.

4 Star Reads

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. What would’ve happened if Hillary had kept telling Bill no to marriage and found the courage to walk away? From her graduation speech at Wellesley to the White House, this is the story of what could have been. Would she have married someone else? Become a lawyer, professor, or Supreme Court Justice? Would Bill eventually redeem himself and win her back? What if, gasp, she had won?

I respect Hillary, was happy to vote for her, and am shocked/not shocked at how much this country as a whole is still afraid of intelligent, capable career women with ambition. So, I really liked the book. If you like politics and speculative novels this is for you. If you hate Hillary I’m confident that you will equally hate whatever portion of this book you can stomach to read.

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley. I love all of Susanna Kearsley’s books, but this is a favorite. Set in 1619 Scotland King James has tasked Andrew Logan to find Sir David Moray and bring him back to the king to answer for the death of the prince. I LOVED the group making their way to the king while trying to escape from groups with competing interests.

There’s history, love in all its forms, second site, betrayal, respect, loyalty, and revenge. It’s fun and left me feeling satisfied for the futures of the characters. The author’s note at the end tells what is based on truth (quite a bit) and what was made up in the mind of a gifted storyteller.

When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey. I’ll read any historical romance Johanna Lindsey has written, but the silliness of the blurb had me laughing. “…AlanaFarmer learns the shocking secret of her heritage. Can it be true? Is she really the lost princess of the European kingdom of Lubinia?”

So, I wasn’t expecting much, but it was a PERFECT vacay read. Alana was easy to like. Christoph easy to like if you like alpha men that fit the times. The story had a few mysteries happening with a sinister feel and Alana’s abduction as an infant took an interesting turn. Loved it. There was love, history, mystery, and palace intrigue.

Firsts: Women Who Are Changing the World. When this was published in 2017 all of the women were still living. It was the mix of women, ranging from Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam War Wall in DC, to Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State. I loved the short essay by each woman and the photos. There were women and girls who each dared to do something never done before by a woman.

Two Friends by Dean Robbins, Sean Qualls, Selina Alko. Who knew Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglas, two heavyweights in changing hearts and minds, met and were friendly? I liked this quick introduction for kids in a picture book for kids.

The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford, Elizabeth Zunon. Lena’s parents left her alone with her grandmother in Brooklyn for a bit before her mother took her in the road with her. Her mother taught her what she knew and before long Lena was performing on stage and signing a studio contract with MGM, the first for a black actress.

This is text heavy for a picture book, great for older elementary and adults. This was also very descriptive of the racism that she faced. Some of it was surprising, even knowing it happened. If you want your kid to know what racism looked like with specific examples, this is a good one. One example: she was kicked out of a diner when trying to get something to eat on tour and as she was made to leave, these same people were asking for her autograph.

Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity. This is perfect for girls, the neurodiverse, and all the people who love and respect them. Tweens will love it.

There are known and unknowns included. GOATs like Temple Grandin and newbies like Amanda Gorman. The most common conditions were autism and dyslexia, but here are a few of the others you’ll find, bipolar, schizoaffective disorder, OCD, ADHD, ADD, auditory processing disorder, Down syndrome, dyspraxia. And who knew Billie Eilish has Tourette’s syndrome?

It’s an empowering and inspirational book for girls (or boys) who are different.

3 Star Reads

Always by Sarah Jio. Ryan sees the man who stole her heart on the sidewalk outside of a fancy restaurant she was visiting with her fiance. He was a vagrant begging for money now but he had vanished from her life without a trace years earlier. I really had no idea where this was going and that made it an interesting read. I had a problem with the plausibility of one unlikely thing after another so that kind of took me out of loving it. I did like it and was happy with the ending, another implausibility.

2 Star Reads

Dallergut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee. This was magical, strange, and dreamy. It was also not my cup of tea. I do wonder if it would be a good one for book club discussions.

February Reads

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I read 12 books this month, bringing my total to 22 for the year. I’m disappointed that I didn’t get more read for Black History Month, with only four. I’m also not reading as much nonfiction as I wanted to this year with only 2 each month.

My favorite books were the Dear Martin and Dear Justyce by Nic Stone. I reviewed them here and here.

I finished the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French with

The Likeness. Book 2. Cassie from In the Woods has started dating a fellow detective and things are going well, but she can’t resist the call to the murder squad when an undercover case seems tailor made for her. There’s a murdered young woman who looks just like Cassie and Mackey convinces her to go and live with the clan-like circle of friends at their house and try to pass herself off as the dead girl. Yeah, it’s a little much, but just go with it. Cassie becomes a little too entrenched and too comfortable.

This wasn’t my favorite, mainly because of how much of a stretch it was, but it was still a fascinating look at a group or friends looking for family.

AND

The Trespasser. Book 6. Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway are back from the last book and the pressure in on. They are given a murder case and told it is a domestic slam dunk. But both are new and wary. When they dig a little deeper, it’s going to make them even less popular in the squad room. I thought one of the storylines at the very end was a fitting way to finish off the series without too much fanfare. I wish there were more!

My book club reads…

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. One day Lauren wakes up in her London area home with a husband who appeared out of her attic. When she sends him up again a different husband comes back down. This goes on for a while as she tries on different lives with different men. What makes her send one back and what if they refuse to go?

It’s a fun concept. I wish it had been a little deeper on some levels, but each new husband brought new excitement so I was never bored.

Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is a fun friends to lovers, second chance love story. Hazel’s newish best friend has a party and she finds out that her college crush is her BFs brother.

Hazel has one of those quirky, larger than life personalities and I loved her. I loved how she embraced who she is. As Josh and Hazel become friends and start to double date it’s the sweet, fun romance that I wanted. Don’t worry there was a little spice too!

Nonfiction

Book Nooks: Inspired Ideas for Cozy Reading Corners and Stylish Book Displays by Dina, Gilhuly, and Achilleos. A high quality coffee table book for book lovers! The photos are gorgeous and there are book lists from well known authors.

Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman’s Case for Equality and Respect by Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford. Miss Mary Hamilton was a school teacher and a Freedom Rider in the 1960s, given the nickname Red by Martin Luther King Jr. She was arrested many times but her refusal to not answer to Mary in court went all the way to the Supreme Court. Now, thanks to Miss Hamilton, you must be addressed with the respect of your title in the courtroom.

Fiction

Murder Road by Simone St. James. You’ve just gotten married and are driving to your honeymoon hotel when you see a girl on the side of the road at 3 am and decide to pick her up. What could go wrong? Answer: Quite a lot. This isn’t the only hitchhiker this road has seen and it only gets more sinister when they get to town.

I loved this couple. April had secrets, Eddie did too, and together they were broken people. I wouldn’t even mind reading another book about what they’re up to in the future.

It’s Simone St. James so you know there’s going to be some supernatural stuff happening. Not too much and not too little. Just enough to be spooky.

YA

Slay by Brittney Morris. Discussions about race wrapped up in a gaming story will surely appeal to older teens. Gage is reading this for school and I read it with him.

Picture Books

A Favorite Series- The Dublin Murder Squad

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The Dublin Murder Squad is a detective procedural set in Dublin, Ireland. I’m such a stickler for reading book in a series in the correct order. I read the first of the series and then just read them when they showed up at the library book sale. I loved all of the books individually, but it would have been so much better if I’d read them in order.

Give me a murder and some police squad drama both with that Irish accent and I’m sold. Some of the detectives show up in more than one book, which is why I recommend reading them in order since the timeline matters.

I haven’t read any of Tana’s standalones, but now that I’m done with this series I will be. There are only six of these and they are perfect for some binge reading.

In the Woods. Ryan narrates the book with humor and enough foreshadowing to keep you reading well past bedtime (at least it did for me).  He has his problems.  At the best of times he’s cool and fun, at the worst he’s a real piece of work who I wanted to pour a beer on.  He’s best friends with his partner, Cassie, and their brother-sister relationship was one to be envied, by their fellow detectives and the reader.  I loved Cassie.  Loved her more than Rob, especially by the end.

The old mystery of what happens to Rob as a child and the new case of who killed little Katy have a few pieces of connecting evidence and Rob is stuck in the middle of his own hell, one he stepped into willingly.  The mystery was very good, if not totally surprising.  I loved the characters and the history of the village.  French did an excellent job of making me feel right at home in Dublin.  Now I need to visit!

I really, really liked this one.  Yes, by the end I was fairly disgusted with Rob, but I am so looking forward to reading the next of this series.  I know that a lot of bloggers were upset by the loose ends but I was okay with it.  But that could have been because I was expecting it, who knows?

The Likeness. Cassie from In the Woods has started dating a fellow detective and things are going well, but she can’t resist the call to the murder squad when an undercover case seems tailor made for her. There’s a murdered young woman who looks just like Cassie and Mackey convinces her to go and live with the clan-like circle of friends at their house and try to pass herself off as the dead girl. Yeah, it’s a little much, but just go with it. Cassie becomes a little too entrenched and too comfortable.

This wasn’t my favorite, mainly because of how much of a stretch it was, but it was still a fascinating look at a group or friends looking for family.

Faithful Place. This was the third book in the Dublin Murder Squad series, but I’d only read the first and didn’t feel like I missed anything, even though the main character, Frank, first appeared in #2. The complex characters, historic Dublin setting, and slow build mystery, all made this a page-turner.

Frank, an undercover cop from a neighborhood who viewed him as a turncoat because of it, had never come to grips with the disappearance of his first love. He viewed his family as poison and went on to marry and have a daughter and kept them as far away from the madness as possible. But when his first love’s old suitcase is found, he must head back home and face the music.

So, so good. I loved Frank for all his flaws and getting to understand him in relation to where he grew up, which felt like a character of its own. The resolution was both real and heartbreaking. I love gritty thrillers like this. Highly recommend!

Broken Harbor. This story begins with a young family murdered in their home. Well there was one survivor, but it wasn’t either of the young kids. This was an especially hard one and when I finished it on Mother’s Day it felt especially wrong.

Families can look glossy on the surface, but once you rub a bit of that shine off there’s usually something more interesting going on and in this case it was deadly. Bizarre revelations, old friends, and financial instability make the mystery of this family a tough one. This hasn’t been my favorite of the series, but they’re all so good that it didn’t need to be.

The Secret Place. You don’t need to read these books in order, but I’d recommend it if you can. My favorite of the series so far, Faithful Place, featured Detective Frank Mackey and he and his daughter make another appearance here. Stephen Moran is also back.

This one takes place at a boarding school for girls. A year after a boy from a neighboring school was murdered on school grounds the detectives have a new lead and it comes from inside the school. Oh, to be amongst all of that teen angst and those friendship circles again!

The book spans one day of investigation, but it goes into the past investigation and events in depth. I wasn’t crazy about it at first, boarding school stories are iffy for me, but it grew on me and Frank Mackey appeared at just the right time to reel me in for the somewaht surprising finish.

Tana French is such a talented writer! Both books had a paranormal element that mostly worked, even if I think it could have been avoided altogether in The Secret Place and been fine, or even better.

The Trespasser. Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway are back from the last book and the pressure in on. They are given a murder case and told it is a domestic slam dunk. But both are new and wary. When they dig a little deeper, it’s going to make them even less popular in the squad room. I thought one of the storylines at the very end was a fitting way to finish off the series without too much fanfare. I wish there were more!

Have you read this series?

The others on my Top 100 Book Series.

January Reads

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I’ve read 10 books this month. Four were mystery/thrillers, three romances, two non-fiction, and one fiction. Well on my way to my 100 goal for the year. Most amazingly, I’ve actually shared my thoughts about each of them here this month!

My favorite

This will not hit the same for everyone. I’ve read some of the issues people have had with it, BUT it did so much right! The disappearance of the father is what keeps this first person narrative moving along, but there are so many other things happening. Mia, the narrator, gives neurospicy vibes, which I love, but it’s her non-speaking younger brother with Angleman Syndrome that brings accurate representation to all kinds of families. There are studies about happiness and a biracial element too. You will be rooting for a happy ending for this family. my review here

Good Stuff

In my quest to read more current nonfiction this year, I picked this up at the library. It’s written by a woman diagnosed with autism as an adult and she shares some of the current thinking on the front lines of the neurodivergent. The numbers are abysmal. If you are neurodivergent your chance of having a job are so low it makes this mama want to cry. Also, the life expectancy is in the 30s. 30s! Something needs to change. my review here

This is the 4th and final book in a historical romance series set in London. The series revolves around three friends who bond over their love of riding. This last one, may have been my favorite because it was about two people finding comfort in each other. The hero was in a wheelchair and the heroine started going gray as a child so her desirability was low. A sweet romance. my review here

While the last romance was more about feelings, this one was a bit more on the physical attraction, enemies to lovers side. I had issues with some of it, but I really liked that this got messy and still managed a happily ever after. my review here

This was my first book of the year and it was a twisty fun thriller. A woman who lies for a living gets played. my review here

I love Anita Shreve and am working my way through her backlist. Her writing mesmerizes me 🙂 In this one a widow and a divorcee is staying with a family on Cape Cod to tutor the teen daughter. There are also two brothers, a caring father, and hateful mother. my review here

If you need a restart or a jolt to your daily life, this is a nice place to start. Meditation and mindfulness are the themes, but there are also studies and ways to look at the world and the people in it. Buddhism based, but good for anyone who wants to be more connected. my review here

These were okay

I didn’t realize this was the third in a series when I started it, but wish I had so I could have started with the first one. It was fine as a standalone, but probably would have been better if I’d read the first two. my review here

Kleypas is one of my favorite historical romance authors. This was the first book in the Wallflowers series, and as a first book it was fine. I didn’t particularly care that much for the heroine, but her other friends might prove more interesting. my review here

I didn’t care that much for it before the recent plane crash, but now it makes it almost impossible to talk about. A plane crashes into the ocean. You can read my review from a few weeks ago here.

This Week – New

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It’s that time of year that I’ve made some goals, including being more mindful with reviewing book and being more active with my blogger friends.

As a family we made vison boards together yesterday, a first. This morning Jason was in his first pickleball tournament at the new club in town and he WON! Gage and I checked out a new church based on the recommendation of a friend. It was decidedly different, but not in a bad way. The jury is still out. We recorded the results of Gage’s science fair project which involved him counting and trying to sprout various fruit seeds. So no we have a lot of sprouts and he wants to grow them all, lol. That’s a project for later.

On the blog

My 2024 favorite books

My 2024 favorite movies and shows

My first book of the year

Books

I finished my first book of the year yesterday, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

and my second one this morning, Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas.

Movies

We had a fairly chill New Year’s, all of us had covid over Christmas so we’re just getting back on track, and we watched JAWS with Gage. After we were a bit into the movie, he said he wasn’t a fan because they were gaslighting everyone about sharks, lol. He made it to the end, but described it as mid.

Shows

Jason and I started season 3 of The Diplomat this week. That marriage is a train wreck I can’t look away from.

Plans for the weekend

I hope we don’t don’t do much of anything else today, but Gage’s last day of winter break and we’re meeting friends for the movies.

What are your plans for the rest of the day?

2024 Mysteries/Thrillers

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I read 18 mystery/thrillers this year.

I caught up with some of my favorite series. Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series is one of the best and the latest was excellent, yet again. I also love John Sandford’s Prey series and caught up by reading #30, 33&34. I read two more in Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad, so good.

I also went and heard one of my faves Harlan Coben talk and sign his latest book for me. They are always quick and twisty and this one had Myron and gang!

Three new to me authors, also write some of my favorites this year. Amy Tintera has been on many favorites lists this year with Listen for the Lie. If you like podcasts, check this one out. Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders is a miniseries. I haven’t watched it, but the book was good. And Karen McManus’s One of Us is Lying was a very fun YA closed room kind of murder mystery.

The rest were good too. I always love a good thriller! Any other thriller lovers? Any great series that I should jump into?

October Reads

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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! 

Fiction

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. 4/5 stars, Horror, 419 pages, 2023

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!

No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh. 4.5/5 stars, 208 pages, 2002

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.

September Reads

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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.

Finally Heard by Kelly Yang– late elementary/early middle school fiction about the downside of social media

Ava Lin Best Friend by Vicky Fang– elementary age book about the exuberant first grader Ava.

3.5-4 Stars

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

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.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz– review here.

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.

Greatest Inspirational Quotes by Dr Joe Tichio– I enjoyed reading a few of these quotes each morning. Old and new favorites.

Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan – elementary/middle school fiction about the residential schools that separated native families.

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon– elementary fiction told in verse, beginning of a new series

3 stars

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.

The Wish Library: The Vanishing Friend by Christine Evans– book 5 in this elementary fiction series about kids who found a series of libraries that grants wishes.

This Week – Books, books, and more books!

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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…

Book vs. Movie – It Ends With Us

August Reads

Movies and Shows – July/August

Books I’ve finished in 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.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas, 3.75/5 stars, fantasy, 757 pages, 2021

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!

What are you up to today?

Posting on the Sunday Salon.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

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The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston. 4.5 stars, Romance, 352 pages, 2023

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.

Clementine is publicist for a New York publishing company. James is a famous young chef. They’ve just met, haven’t they?

This took a few minutes for me to get in to since I thought I could see where it was going. And then it took a nice turn and I was hooked.

What happens when you meet in different times, 7 years apart. I loved this story of heartbreak and waiting, acknowledging that a person is never the same moment to moment. In love and life timing is everything. Romantic and sweet.

I listened to the audio and could have listened to him calling her Lemon all day long. Oh wait, I did that!

I did take off half a point for the somewhat slow start of the book.

Have you read it? Do you like time bending books?

I also loved her first book The Dead Romantics and gave it 5 stars last year.