The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ummm - still love the characters, but this one was odd. Gamache is lost...and so was this book. Peter Morrow has never been my favorite character, so I didn't miss him the past couple books. It was nice to see something more redeeming in him, but I think I started feeling a bit incredulous at the developments in this one. On to the next-- It will be better.

Happy reading--

(Book 114 - 2019)

Glass Houses

Glass Houses by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SO fascinating and well done. The scale of the crime started similarly to other stories and then ramped up to include international drug cartel drama. Brilliantly told and engaging. I love the conversation about what is actually a moral action and when the greater good must be fought for even at the expense of conscience. Loved it!

Happy reading--

(Book 115 - 2019)

A Great Reckoning

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 It might not seem very festive, but I read six Louise Penny's between the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This was the fourth of the sixth, and it was just as enthralling as the others. I liked seeing the new cadets and the foundational principles of the Surete at work. I loved the map details and the references to World War I and the lost sons of Canada. I also liked the full circle of Gamache's story as details of his childhood interplayed with his current experiences.

Happy reading and if you haven't read a Louise Penny yet, start!

(Book 113 - 2019)

The Nature of Beast

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was interesting tale to add to Penny's Gamache series. The "boy who cried wolf" cliche paired with the "nature of the beast" cliche were powerfully woven into a story where past sins were called into the forefront. So often we think that the past doesn't define us, but Penny plays with how the "sins of the fathers" still haunt us today. Plus I'm always up for historical references...this one includes Vietnam, Saddam Hussein, etc. Well told and gripping as always--

Happy reading-

(Book 112 - 2019)

How the Light Gets In

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a much needed return to what we love most about Penny's Gamache series. I do miss the straightforwardness of the stories from earlier in the series, but I think it's a tribute to Penny's trust in her readers that she's willing to break the mold and try new things. I especially loved imagining Christmas in Three Pines. Maybe next year? :)

Happy reading--

(Book 111 - 2019)

The Poet X

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautifully written and read. I love the fire in Elizabeth Acevedo's writing. She gives voice to the unseen in a poignant and raw way.

Happy reading--

(Book 110 -2019)

Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I've Loved)

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Compelling but convoluted. There were great sections, but I found myself just wanting to be finished at times. I read this because Kelly Corrigan was interviewed on Bowler's podcast, and they had a great conversation, but the book isn't a must read unless you read a high volume of books.....oh, but I do love the title.

Happy reading--

(Book 109 - 2019)

The Moment of Lift

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Towards the end of graduate school, I got in my head that I wanted to work for the Gates Foundation in Seattle. I set up a meeting with a contact, who at the time oversaw the global philanthropic efforts of the Foundation, and thought I could, at least, get an internship that eventually could turn into employment. While the contact was glad to offer career advice and look at my resume, he explained that there was no place for me at the Gates Foundation. They did not hire newbies. They hired the best of the best - people who were at least ten or fifteen years into their already distinguished careers. What stuck with me though were his comments about how if he didn't do his job well, people died. If he did do his job well, people still died, but at least there would be more that lived. The weight and magnitude of his and the Foundation's work hit me hard as I realized again how desperate so many people's lives were.

Fast forward nearly nine years and enter this amazing book. Gates' book caught me by surprise because she articulated so clearly how many ways there were to start improving lives around the globe. It is the people who do not seek power who are often the most qualified to lead. I'd vote for Melinda Gates for a high political office in a heartbeat. I still feel a bit at a loss for how to contribute to making the world better when the stakes are so high and the losses so great, but I feel more empowered than I did before. It's small things in and around each community that are a start towards lifting others and finding more humanity in each other. And as she so deftly describes, it is well worth the effort.

Happy reading and happy lifting--

(Book 108 - 2019)

The Beautiful Mystery

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am clearly a Louise Penny devotee, but this one was not my favorite. It was just Gamache and Beauvoir in a monastery...the whole time. The last few chapters were just as gripping as her other books, but this one was without the sense of place and community that makes Three Pines and this series what it is. I still think you need to read it for how it affects the coming books, but maybe power through at a 1.5 or 1.75 so you get through it a bit faster.

Happy reading!

ps. All the talk of Gregorian chant and how music development has happened over the centuries made me think of my music major roommates and all my friends who took Humanities 101 in college. Most people, like Beauvoir, were not too enamored with these early musical offerings.

(Book 107 - 2019)

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Some parts are a bit dramatic or too simplistic, but I liked the coincidences, the subtle book and entertainment references, the inclusion of trivia nights (something I loved to do in my 20's) and falling in love, the passion for books, and the honesty about loneliness, anxiety, and the need for family. This book is both lighthearted and honest. I didn't love it quite as much as Marisa de los Santos' Love Walked In, but it has a similar vibe along with the more recent Evvie Drake Starts Over. It also had Eleanor Oliphant vibes without the stress that Eleanor's story gave me. Something in this also reminded me of the Jimmy Stewart movie "Shop Around the Corner". I'm not sure why, but I think I need to go watch that now.

Happy reading and happy bookish living-

(Book 106 - 2019)

Home Work

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews Edwards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Julie Andrews is one of those people whose voice has been one of the soundtracks of my life. How often have we hummed, sung, or listened to one of the iconic songs from Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music? So, it was especially enchanting to have her talking in my earbuds for a few days about the Hollywood years of her career. This second memoir spans from the 1960s into the 1980s. While I am thrilled to have heard her read her book, I am sorry to have not had a hard copy in my hands so that I could have seen all the pictures she included in her book.

The reason I didn't rate the book higher is that the book dragged occasionally. I got tired of hearing about the ups and downs her husband had in his work and wished the writing style would vary a bit more from "this happened and then this happened and then this happened". I do think Julie Andrews is a delightful human being, and I cannot wait to put The Sound of Music on again soon.

Happy reading and happy singing-

(2019 - 105)

The Deal of a Lifetime - Round 3

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started a little early this year on my Christmas book reading and movie watching. I just needed a little bit of the magic a bit sooner, and I love Backman's way of describing the world and the people in it.

Happy reading and happy magical living--

(Book 104 - 2019)

Lift - Round 2

Lift by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes you just need more Kelly Corrigan in your life. I so appreciate her thoughts on life and motherhood. She's the best.

Happy reading-

(Book 103 - 2019)

Daisy Jones & The Six

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Daisy Jones & The Six is a really well written story with clever narrative style moving between all the members of the band, not to mention their managers, significant others, etc. That said, while I would give it four stars, I didn't actually enjoy reading it. Personally I struggle so much with the life stories of people who live riotously - partying endlessly, doing drugs, drinking away their days - and then expect us to feel sympathy for the hard situations they find themselves in....so with that in mind, you can see why I tired of the details of Daisy's escapades or the band members talking through their drug use. I just have no interest in it.

What I do have an interest in is the creative process and how great art - music included - gets made. Years ago I had a powerful discussion with a book group about whether great art can be created without maker of the art being messed up in some way. We were reading a fictional story involving Hemingway and never settled on an answer. The list of my very favorite writers and creators is replete with men and women who suffered tragedy, battled addiction, lived during extreme strife, and so on, and then used those issues to create masterful works. I don't have a set answer on whether it's necessary, but Daisy Jones & The Six is an interesting addition to that conversation.

Taylor Jenkins Reid can write very captivating characters, and I appreciated the nuance she gave to each relationship, especially Billy and his wife Camilla. The focus on her was refreshing. So, with all that said, this is a book that I think would be great for some readers and totally off the mark for others. The audio version is excellent with a full cast of characters to help organize all the many people that move in and out of the story. There's no doubt that a major studio will want to make this into a movie or miniseries soon.

Happy reading--

(Book 102 - 2019)

ps. Jenkins Reid wrote one of my very favorite books called "One True Loves" (*Loves is not a typo). I read it every summer.

The Alice Network

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me almost two years to finish this book. I started it in the midst of fertility treatments and all the pregnancy chatter and spy drama was too much. It's beyond ironic that I started it again two years later and finished it in the midst of another round of fertility treatments. I'm torn on what to give this book because parts of it were so clever, but other parts felt a little forced. Now having finished this one, Quinn's The Huntress doesn't seem quite as original. Both her books draw on very similar themes, but I still appreciated the chase, the camaraderie, and the characterization of Eve and her Scottish gentlemen. Ultimately, I was entertained, but The Huntress is better.

Happy reading and happy fall. Wishing for gray days soon, so we can curl up with blankets and books. 

100 Books

I didn't realized until today that I had read 100 books over the course of 2019. The idea of reading 100 books in a single year was not my original goal. I just decided in January that I am happiest when I am reading a lot of books and since I don't get as many chances for intellectual development as a stay-at-home mom, I thought I'd make reading a priority. A few months into the year I realized that I was going to be well past my original goal of 75 books. I didn't expect to hit 100 so early and so easily, but I have loved reading so many books. I only wish I got to talk to more people about them. Still what a fun literary year. Can't wait to see what the next two months holds for me. Happy reading--

Heating and Cooling

Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admire people who can pack entire life lessons or experiences into a few sentences or paragraphs. The micro-memoir is uncommon, but it is SO fun to read. While I still love Amy Krouse Rosenthal more, I loved stepping into Fennelly's thoughts and experiences and wish I could read portions of it aloud to Seth or my sisters. Unfortunately, I read most of it in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. Totally worth it though. If you're in a reading rut or need something you can pick up when you have five minutes, this is it.

Happy reading--

(Book 100 - 2019)

Evvie Drake Starts Over

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda  Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A recent widow. A washed up baseball player. Four seasons in a small Maine town. What's not to love? On some levels, this book is that straight forward, but really it's more than that. And I love books where adults are figuring out what they really want and then going for it...not to mention any book that mixes love and baseball gets my hearty stamp of approval.

Happy reading and happy falling in love--

(Book 99 - 2019)

As You Wish

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Totally fun and light-hearted look at one of the funniest and most quoted movies of all time. I think the audio version is a must since so many of the real actors share their own memories. Inconceivable that this movie almost didn't get made. Really loved all the random anecdotes.

Happy reading--

(Book 98 - 2019)

A Trick of the Light

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I was younger I thought it was ridiculous that people talked about rivalries and fights from decades before as though they were yesterday. Now almost twenty years out of high school, I realize that some experiences feel as though they were just a moment ago. Penny plays with that tension well in this installment of the Armand Gamache series. I found myself loving Jean Guy's story line even more in this book and wishing even more that Clara would divorce Peter...which is not the focal point of the story, but I keep wondering if I'm the only one who really dislikes Peter. Even in the first book he made me a bit uncomfortable to the point that I wondered if he was the murderer...and then I hoped he was the murderer in book four so he'd go away. Either way, I'm thrilled to have read another of Penny's books and am sad that I have to wait so long for the next one to come up on my library hold's list.

Happy reading and remember to let grudges go. After all, what would Armand Gamache do?

(Book 97 - 2019)

Bury Your Dead

Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was by far the most intricate of the Gamache series - multiple story lines working together to propel us forward as readers. I really liked the exchanges between Jean Guy Beauvoir and Armand Gamache as they battled their own memories and issues. Additionally, I loved the carryover from The Brutal Telling (the previous book in the series). That case being reopened was fascinating. Very powerfully told and so descriptive that I've added Quebec City to my travel bucket list.

Happy reading and on to the next--

(Book 96 - 2019)

Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't think I ever would have found this book on my own, but it kept showing up in friends' reviews and Anne Bogel of The Modern Mrs. Darcy mentioned it a couple times on her "What Should I Read Next" podcast.

Miller manages to focus on Circe as entirely her own story instead of just being a fixture of Odysseus' journey. To be honest, I have forgotten so many of the Greek myths since I haven't studied or taught them in ages, so many of the details were brand new to me. The writing is exquisite and Miller's ability to make Circe a relatable character surprised me over and over again. Circe's motivations, especially as a mother, are so compelling. Plus Greek myths are great stories to begin with....and occasionally when I hear Greek names referenced, the soundtrack to Hercules begins to play in my head. Who doesn't want that?

Happy reading and good luck staying out the way of the gods--

(Book 95 - 2019)

The Brutal Telling

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't know how Penny manages to keep writing better and better stories, but I was so lost in this story that I didn't want to stop reading. Armand Gamache is such a compelling character and his support characters only get more interesting as the series continues. Cannot wait for the next one!

All the Bad Apples

All the Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly I read this book because of its cover, its title, and because none of my holds were available from the library. Plus the narrator is Irish. This book is a strange blend of magical realism and political activism alongside hundreds of year of fictional history being told to modern day characters trying to sort out where a girl has disappeared to. Sometimes I had no idea where this book was trying to go, but there was clever twist after twist to keep you engaged. The political views were a bit layered in a bit too strongly. I prefer to have the story speak for itself, but the author couldn't resist giving voice to her feelings through her characters over and over again. That said Fowley-Doyle's author's note at the end if very compelling, and I still really adored the main character Deena and her best friend Finn.

Happy reading and stay away from the banshees-

(Book 93 - 2019)

ps. Probably a 3.5, but as you know - no half stars.

The Age of Light

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I love reading about the American expats living in Paris during the 1920s and 30s, so reading about model turned photographer Lee Miller and the artist Man Ray seemed like a great set up for a book. But to paraphrase another review, this book was a romance pretending to be historical fiction. Way to much sex and drama without any substance. I'm only sorry I kept reading since I just kept assuming that we'd get to more concrete information about these artists whose work has stood the test of time. Instead I'm just annoyed that I wasted my time and should have just watched "Midnight in Paris" again. Man Ray makes a very quick appearance, and well - I just love that movie.

Happy reading, but maybe skip this one--

(Book 92 - 2019)

A Rule Against Murder

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love when a book has you so hooked that you can't possibly go to sleep until you've finished. It doesn't happen to me often that I give in to that feeling as a mom to a one-year-old, but I just had to know who the murderer was. Penny does such a good job at creating complex characters, so it's not immediately obvious who did what in each of her stories. My only complaint is that I would rather spend all my time in Three Pines during a Penny mystery and much of this book takes place at a resort. Still, can't help but move immediately along to the next one.

Happy reading!

(Book 91 - 2019)

The Royal We

The Royal We by Heather Cocks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is the equivalent of reading a People magazine. There are parts that are totally fun and engaging and parts where you roll your eyes a bit and think that you probably should be reading something more substantial. Sometimes though, you just need a bit of fluff, and though this book pre-dates the Meghan Markle story, it strangely feels ripped from the headlines in a few places.

Happy reading and no judging when I read the book version of eating whip cream straight from the can.

ps. It also probably a bit of the mark that I disliked the main character's sister so much that I thought she might be better off if they were estranged for a bit. Oops. :)

(Book 90 - 2019)

Searching for Sunday

Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is far from my usual type of read, but I read it for a book club and we had the most amazing discussion. Though there were parts that were hard to get through, Evans has so many brilliant passages all the way through. This book doesn't perfectly describe my faith experience because I was not raised Evangelical, but I understand what it means to be a follower of Christ and to at times feel disillusioned. I think this book could have been better edited because it meandered at times. Still the takeaways were incredible. My book has so many tabs sticking out of it, and that was me showing restraint at not having too many tabs on a single set of pages.

One lingering thought that I keep returning to is that having doubts is not the problem in our faith. It is what we do with those doubts that matters. Faith that is not lived is not really faith at all.

Happy reading and happy faithful living--

(Book 89 - 2019)

When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I cannot believe I didn't read this book while I was teaching so I could have recommended it to my students. This book has Dougherty Valley High School written all over it. I loved the duality of culture, parental expectation, and teenage longing that drove the arc of this book. It has great dual narratives of Dimple and Rishi and really believable character details for Indian teenagers growing up in the Bay Area. I thought over and over again of specific students and my class discussions of arranged marriages when we were reading Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This is a classic summer read to me with romance, hopes, and dreams all set against a San Francisco sky.

Happy reading--

(Book 88 - 2019)

With the Fire on High

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love books that give voice to characters rarely seen in fiction. Emoni Santiago is not your typical teenage protagonist, and she comes to life in a blur of spices, burdens to heavy for her young age, and high school swagger. True to most young adult fiction, the plot lines are pretty straightforward, but they are not tired. Acevedo tells her story well, and we root for Emoni, her abuela, and the whole culinary arts class all the way through.

Happy reading and happy cooking. Acevedo's descriptions of food have made me want to go cook something delicious--

ps. This book has has a similar feel to "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sanchez. I like "With the Fire" a bit more because the main premise of "Daughter" was less relatable and/or believable. Both are well written though.

(Book 87 - 2019)

My Oxford Year- Round Two

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I've only visited the U.K. a handful of times, sometimes I am homesick for England. Thankfully, there are books and movies to help transport me so I can pretend to be there. I revisited "My Oxford Year" during one of those bouts of homesickness, and it entirely fit the bill.

Happy reading and here's hoping I get to cross the pond again soon. Fall in London sounds perfectly dreamy....

(Book 86 - 2019)

I Was Anastasia

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The mystery surrounding the Romanov family has been fascinating to me since my high school World Civilization class. The thought that one of the crowned princesses of Russia would go missing and potentially survive has captivated the world for for over a century. Despite growing evidence that Anastasia couldn't have lived through the firing squad that destroyed her family, hope still lingers. Enter Ariel Lawhon constructing a brilliant dual narrative between Anastasia in Russia as a teenager and Anna in the United States and Europe as a much older adult fighting to prove that she is a Romanov. The whole way through the book I felt torn between logic and hope. Lawhon deftly wove historical details into her own fictionalized account of what indeed happened to the daughter of Czar Nicholas after the Bolsheviks took power.

I think that you need to like historical fiction to appreciate this book, but you do not need to know anything about the Russians. My fading memory of Russian Revolution actually made it more interesting to try and discern between fact and fiction. At times the moving timeline was a little tricky to follow, but as the dual narrative dates got closer together the tension was palpable. Lastly, the author's note at the end is essential.

Happy reading and happy dreaming--

(Book 85 - 2019)

Lost Roses

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked Kelly's first book, Lilac Girls, but I didn't love it. Somehow though the prequel description of Lost Roses captured my attention, and I fell again into the world of New York high society and the demise of Czarist Russia. I liked this book better than Lilac Girls - the story lines seemed more interesting and the characters' behavior less predictable. Motherhood has indeed changed my reading lens as I follow stories now and the ups and downs of Sophia's experiences with her son, Max, were intense to follow. As always, another book that takes place during the WWI era makes me wish I was still in a classroom teaching All Quiet on the Western Front. Once a teacher, always a teacher.

Lost Roses is probably a 3.5, but I rounded up because I was so captivated.

Happy reading and happy almost fall--

(Book 84 - 2019)

The Cruelest Month

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought I was hooked on Louise Penny after her first book, but this third one is even better. Perhaps not a full five star, but so captivating it earns the round up. I don't know how Penny manages to make a town where murders happy seem like a dream destination, but I'd book a ticket if it was real. Clever and introspective all the way through with added depth for our beloved Chief Inspector. Can't wait for the next one!

Happy reading and happy Three Pines dreaming--

ps. Her 15th installment to this series just came out this past week, so three down and twelve to go.

(Book 83 - 2019)

Save Me the Plums

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was perfectly delectable. Reichl is a gifted writer and her level of detail carries you right along through her memories. If we're honest, I didn't know she was the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. I just thought it was a foodie word choice in her title. Still there was no love lost learning about her experience in the food and magazine business. I appreciated her humanity as she talked about her husband and her son. I appreciated the context she provided as she detailed world events that were happening alongside her own experiences. I've always wanted to read one of her books and am so glad to have finally done it. Can't wait to read more and to perhaps try some of her recipes--

Happy reading and happy eating--

(Book 82 - 2019)

Warlight

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I stumbled on Warlight perusing library options because my holds weren't going to be available for a week or two. I liked the premise of post-WWII London and teenage kids being left behind while their parents move to Singapore for work. It was unconventional and Ondaatje's reputation is sound...but this book just wasn't great. The writing is well crafted, but the story delivery made events that should have been heart pounding feel like ordinary reflections on the past. The twists were underwhelming, and I just kept waiting for something to happen. Janet on NBC's The Good Place says, "Humans only live 80 years, and they spend so much of it just waiting for things to be over." Despite good writing, that's how Warlight felt. I just wanted it to be over.

Still as always, happy reading and happy Labor Day--

(Book 81 - 2019)

The Female Persuasion

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I started listening to this book because my other book holds weren't available yet through the library. I knew very little about it, and I think that was good because I might not have read it had I known more. It's a coming of age story. It's a love story. It's almost a hero's journey story. But all stories are in a very different fashion than most traditional versions. I didn't love it, but I cared to find out what happened to Greer and Corey.

I'm fascinated by the events and people that shape us most. So often we don't know when something or someone is going to change our trajectory. I had a college professor in my undergrad whose advice and example gave me permission to choose a career different than my parents wanted for. That career choice led me to people and experiences that profoundly shaped my life. Greer senses how important her mentor, Faith Frank, will be to her, but she can't articulate it or fully understand why. In the same sense, Corey's life experiences transform him in a way that young Corey never could have predicted and his fundamental shift feels authentic to how our society and younger "Millennial" are trending.

I wish I'd read this with a book club. It would make for great discussion.

Happy reading, and if possible, listening to this one. Rebecca Lowman is the narrator, and she is one of my very favorites.

(Book 79 - 2019)

Quidditch Through the Ages

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining and a bit silly. I may need to give the fringe Harry Potter texts a rest for a bit. Still enormously clever and surprising how detailed J.K. Rowling has been in creating her magical world.

Happy reading--

(Book 78 - 2019)

How to Walk Away

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book recommendations from people you don't usually talk books with can be tricky, and this book was a little over the top for me. "How to Walk Away" is formulaic and and a bit cheesy, but Anne Bogel said on her "What Should I Read Next?" podcast that Center likes for her characters to have happy endings. In a world where we need a few more romantic comedies and a few less dramas, I decided to stick with it. It didn't hurt that I pictured the main character, Maggie's Scottish physical therapist like Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Owen Hunt. I love Dr. Hunt, so that held my imagination along with surprise appearance my beloved Bruges made in the story. Actually now that I think about it, "How to Walk Away" is a lot like a Grey's episode - fraught with angst, love, disappointed hopes, random medical jargon, beautiful people, quirky best friends/siblings, and stolen moments.

Anyway - take it or leave it like that Halloween candy that's appearing in stores already. Sometimes it's not the greatest quality, but it really hits the spot.

Happy reading--

(Book 77 - 2019)

The Gown

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

England, historical fiction, the royals, Westminster Abbey, bits of WWII, improbable romance, exquisite details, mystery, triumph over tragedy...this book ticked so many of my boxes, and yet I'm having a hard time putting into words why I liked this book so much. The Gown touches on the ideas that we never fully know people's backstories, that being someone's friend can alter the course of their lives, and that tenacity alongside the little joys in life will ultimately win the day. I loved that this book was literally centered around Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth's wedding gown and the women who made it. Robson's details were so well crafted that I could visualize the workroom where the women sewed, the bridges as they walked to and from their various London destinations, and Westminster Abbey filled to the brim with guests all craning their necks for a glimpse of the infamous wedding gown. The book is so much more than sewing and a royal wedding, but I don't want to spoil any bit of it.

Happy reading and happy time traveling--

(Book 76 - 2019)

*Probably a 4 star read for a lot of other readers, but this was exactly my type of book.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is like visiting a bookish zoo, if it was possible to have a magical menagerie. It's short and well read by Eddie Redmayne who plays Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts films. I think you need to be a lover of those films or a lover of Harry Potter to enjoy this book.

Happy reading and happy summer--

ps. As a gift giver, it seems like a perfect gift for a 5th grade boy who enjoys Harry Potter and DK style books.

(Book 75 - 2019)

Tell Me Three Things

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love books that have any form of epistolary format. Obviously, letters are less common in contemporary fiction and instead the letters are in text and email form, but either way, I was all in for the mysterious texts and letters that "Tell Me Three Things" main character Jessie receives. The book was just a little uneven for me. There would be great moments and then things were too cliche. I think that Buxbaum has potential as a writer, so I'm open to reading other books she writes. I just wanted a little more than I got from this book even though the ending was what I'd hoped for.

How's that for a mixed review? I think teenage girls would really like this book. It's drama, angst, and love - content is a little much for younger readers though.

Happy reading and happy waffle eating--

(Book 74 - 2019)

When

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting, but nearly as applicable as James Clear's Atomic Habits or Laura Vanderkam's Off The Clock. This book felt more like a collection fascinating studies that loosely tie to timing. There aren't any real secrets. Pink does offer some suggestions but none are game changing. A rereading of one of the aforementioned books might be better. That said, managers or people who are facilitating teams might find this book more useful for their day-to-day work practices.

I still think the premise of this book is good. I'm just a bit underwhelmed.

Happy reading and happy timely living--

(Book 73 - 2019)

Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't think that I am the target audience for this book despite being a child of the 80s. My parents didn't allow us to have video games and the computer games I was allowed to own were limited to typing games (as in “learn how to type” practice drills), geography practice games, and Oregon Trail. This means that so many of the references Cline painstakingly included weren't all that meaningful, though the kids in Stranger Things do play a bunch of the games referenced. However, like Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, I felt that same ominous warning about the dangers of immersing ourselves in technology.

Cline’s story is clever and well told, albeit a little too detailed in some areas. This reading experience was completely unique.

Happy reading and happy tech-free living (I see the irony as I’m typing those very words).

(Book 72 - 2019)

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stumbled across Backman's "The Deal of a Lifetime" a couple Christmases ago. His writing about a father and son was so poignant that I was so excited to read his latest book about things that his son needs to know about life and soccer and how much Backman loves his wife. I loved it. I don't relate to all of it, but I relate to the idea of all the things Backman shares. Because of the transition to stay home with my son, I don't have much book money, but I'd love to own this one someday. I think I'd read it regularly and eventually write my own version for Hudson.

So good even if you're not in the stage of parenting young children, but probably not a five star if you don't have "new mom" goggles on.

Happy reading and happy parenting--

(Book 71 - 2019)

Wolfpack

WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Short and powerful message about why it's so important to lift those around us in our attempts to also be our best selves. We're so often pitted against each other in the quest to succeed, but the reality is that we only really succeed when we succeed together. Had I read a physical copy, I think I would have had a couple dozen tabs poking out of the book for all the great lines Wambach shares.

Happy reading and happy pack living--

(Book 70 - 2019)

Rich People Problems

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think I needed a bigger break between the second book in the trilogy and this one because this book was both completely engaging and completely frustrating. A larger gap between reads might have meant less eye rolling at the less likable characters. That said, Kwan did a good job rounding out this series. So many series have such a drop off in quality, and he managed to keep the story interesting. This is probably a 3.5, but you know Goodreads and the lack of half stars.

Happy reading and good luck settling back into normal life after imagining the flashy world of Tyersall Park.

(Book 69 - 2019)

One True Loves - Round Three

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've read this book three of the last four summers. Last year, I was just weeks from having a baby hence the gap year, but I think it's safe to say that this may become an "every summer" kind of book. I love how Reid captures settling into your adult self and the things that become our interest and passions that our younger selves would have thought silly. Ironically I think I've always been an adult at heart, but still loved falling into the world of Blair Books and this fantastically set up love triangle.

Happy reading--

(Book 68 - 2019)

ps. I liked the original cover much better.

A Fatal Grace

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Is it strange to love Three Pines if two murders have taken place around town? Penny's gift is her characterization, so two of Penny's books down, twelve to go. Also, for the record, I am picturing Kenneth Branagh as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Can't wait for the next Penny mystery to come available at the library--

Happy reading--

(Book 67 - 2019)

The Rules of Magic

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I stumbled on to this book when none of my library holds were coming up for a few days. I was surprised to care about the sisters in this story since magical realism isn't usually my thing. My only introduction to this book was the Practical Magic movie that I watched as a teenager, so it felt like a clean slate with Hoffman's prequel. It's interestingly told and has well set up ties between characters that appeared in a more subtle way than I expected. Not amazing, but captivating enough that I would gladly read more of Hoffman's writing.

Happy reading and magical living--

ps. I'd pay a great deal for the black soap mentioned in this book.

(Book 66 - 2019)

Gmorning, Gnight!

Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clever, succinct, inspirational. It would make a great graduation gift or little something for someone having a hard day. To say that Lin has a gift for words is akin to saying that Shakespeare was a decent writer. Definitely worth an hour (or less) of your time--

Happy reading and g'night!

(Book 65 - 2019)