This Time Next Year

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I already had "This Time Next Year" on my radar when I was offered an advanced reader copy through G.P. Putnam & Sons publishing and NetGalley. Of course, I would appreciate a free copy. A British writer, a book timed around New Year's (I love seasonal reading), and a love story - what's not to be excited about? The premise of a birthday twin, a stolen name, and fate are clever and a fun twist on what can be a played out romantic genre. Cousens added lots of layered details to her characters and settings and made me wish over and over that I had a pie in the oven. My only complaint is that the main character Minnie sometimes came off as a little whiny or petulant. Overall though, the book is a really fun read, especially as it moves between current day and past New Year's holidays and a better way to experience New Year's Eve than actually going out.

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

ps. Reading Sophie Cousens is like reading a less sad Josie Silver (who you know I love) or a more substantive Sophie Kinsella. Also, this book would make a great movie. We can only hope it gets optioned soon.

Dearly

Dearly: New Poems by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't typically read collections of poetry, but Margaret Atwood is worth trying. There are poems in this collection that are amazing - five star for sure, but there are others that are just not my taste. Her commentary on the environment and on aging was thought provoking and haunting. I'd love to read more of this book again in print, so I could appreciate more of her structure and language. Atwood truly has an incredible gift for writing--

Keep Moving

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A perfect set of thoughts for wrapping up a strange and hard year. Smith compiled some short notes that she wrote to herself while in a tough season of her life, and so much of what she shares can be applied to 2020 or our own personal struggles. I appreciated her sentiments and myself making notes as I reflect on what I want 2021 to be like.

Happy reading and keep moving--

*This book would be great to gift someone who is going through a hard time or an unexpected life change.

Thoughts of note:
*Don't just be positive, do positive
*Keep moving
*Prepare for luck
*Let go of old narratives
*Commit to trying
*The power of yet
*The hopeful person will try

A Homemade Life

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a sucker for food memoirs - so much of our lives takes place in the kitchen preparing food or around a table eating and laughing with family and friends, so I was delighted to go along with Molly Wizenberg as she reflected on her food experiences over the years. I am new to her work though I know she's been a popular food blogger for a very long time. The only drawback to my constant reading of these food memoirs is that I never make the time to prepare the recipes they talk about. I may need to work on that.

Happy reading and happy cooking--

The Middle Place - Round Two

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was in a funk, and Kelly Corrigan was the remedy. I love her work so, so much.

Happy reading--

Greenlights

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ummmm - wow. I've never read anything like it. Borderline stream of consciousness at times with some of the most outlandish personal stories I've ever read. You don't doubt for a second that they're true, but you find yourself shaking your head over and over. I do appreciate his originality and voice - no ghost writer here, but as Charlie Sheen once said, some portions were like a "sober acid trip". This book makes me want to be a better journal writer. So much of what McConaughey included came from notes and diaries he's kept since he was fifteen.

Happy reading and here's to lots of greenlights in 2021--

When You Were Everything

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My friend Anna said I should read this, so I read it. Halfway through, I texted my three high school librarian friends and said it was a must for their libraries. All the way through, and I wish I was still teaching so I could recommend it to students. It's a book that features kids of colors as the protagonists. It covers friendship, divorce, disability, expectations, and so much more without being an issues book. Those topics are just woven in through the story. It also features a lot of fun Shakespeare references and a quality dating relationship that doesn't just build to sex. I like that Woodfolk validated the struggles so many teens deal with without oversimplifying or overdramatizing them. The overall book reads like a less lyrical Elizabeth Acevedo, who you know I love. Really well done-

One other thing to note is so few books discuss when friendships end - it's actually a common experience that we outgrow or end up parting ways, but it's rarely acknowledged in fiction. I appreciated that since so many teens (not to mention adults) go through it.

Happy reading--

ps. 4.5 stars