Still Life - Round Two

Still Life by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't expect to reread this series, but here I am. Reading this book now knowing all the characters so well, I was more intrigued early on. This is not the best of her series, but a good foundation.

Happy reading--

What Kind of Woman - Round One and Two

What Kind of Woman: Poems by Kate Baer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I discovered Kate Baer's writing on Instagram this past year. Her writing and poetry is exceptional and speaks so strongly to the female experience. Her ability to express so much in so few words is fantastic and utterly accessible. You don't to be an English major to love her work, and I wish the Panera she writes in was close by so I could be her friend. She helped give voice to so much of what I was feeling during 2020. Also, so much of her poetry would go beautiful with reading Lexie and Lindsay Kite's "More Than a Body".

Read Kate's work. You will love it.

Happy reading and happy more fulfilled living--

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure when this book caught my eye - one part library recommendation, one part book club friend mentioning it. Either way, I read it expecting something a little bit different. The concept is good - that there are times that we need to rest and respect life's cyclical call for restorative periods. That description though doesn't describe it quite right either, so perhaps that's the issue.

So in short - some brilliant lines with a few too many random details. This book could be a good fit to give someone who is going through a hard season in their life.

Happy reading and here's hoping for a little less winter and a little more spring--
(I know that's the opposite of what the book calls for, but I want warmer weather and green leaves so badly!)

A Gentleman in Moscow - Round Two

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Still just as impressed by this beautiful book. There's rumors that Kenneth Brannah might make it into a movie or mini-series. I really hope that's true. I loved it just as much the second time.

Happy reading--

Mazie

Mazie by Melanie Crowder
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A small town girl trying to make it as a Broadway performer is like getting to read a story that is Thoroughly Modern Millie meets Smash. But, it's just not great. I persevered because the overall premise was so appealing, but I should have stopped the first time I cringed at the dialogue. This is like reading a book version of a Hallmark movie that uses anachronistic and trite expressions alongside some very problematic appearance related storylines (i.e. the need to lose weight, wear make up, etc, etc.). It's a no for me even though I love Broadway so much.

Happy reading and happy song belting--

If You Come Softly

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cannot believe this book was written in 1998 - it is so relevant and applicable to what is happening in our country right now. I wish I was still teaching so that I could add it to our reading list. It started a little slow for me, but in true Woodson fashion, had such a strong finish that I was left wishing I had read it so much sooner and wishing I could put it in the hands of readers, young and old. Woodson truly is a gifted writer. I love her.

Happy reading--

The Paris Library

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Paris Library is a World War II novel that tells a fictionalized tale of the real American Library in Paris. Just like female spies were all the vogue in fiction a couple years ago, novels about people who love books seem to be really in. This book is not revolutionary, but it's captivating from start to finish. I'm so impressed by the efforts people made to get books to soldiers, prisoners of war, and people who were no longer able to come to the library due to Nazi occupation. 

This is 3.5 star read rounded up.

Happy reading--