The Wedding People: A Novel | 
pickThis book glued together my broken heart. It was definitely the right book at the right time. The storyline and FMC were just soo relatable. Each character had such a unique presence. This book is so relatable to real life. It had me hooked and was an incredible way to start the year. I‘m sure it‘ll be among my fave books of the year! Thank you soo much @LiteraryinPA for the amazing recommendation! #auldlangspine
pickI enjoyed this more than I expected to. Setting aside the somewhat frank discussions of suicide (bc that theme prevails throughout and if that‘s too much for you, maybe avoid this book) - the realistic portrayals of human vulnerability was really well done and heartfelt.
It reminded me a lot of The Midnight Library. I feel like if you liked this and haven‘t read that one, you should. 💖
pickI am still trying to decide what all I feel about this one. 💙🩷🤍
If, for whatever reason, you need a hug in book form today, I‘ve got you covered!
https://ifyoulovethatreadthis.substack.com/p/if-you-love-a-book-that-feels-like
pickMy favorite book of 2024! The audiobook was perfect. Great narrator. Great story. Lives up to the hype. 🩷🤍🩷
But we can‘t always be what we want every second. And that‘s okay. That‘s just life, you know? 💍💔
pickI liked this so much more than I expected! Despite the plot line, it‘s not at all cheesy or sappy even though it‘s such a heartwarming reading experience. I loved the dry humor throughout and the characters are fantastic. I honestly related to Lila‘s predicament so deeply, and was rooting for Phoebe the whole time. 🩵
Moving on to my in-person book club pick. We meet the first weekend in Feb. BOTM audio referral credit coming in clutch for me! 😅
It feels like everyone‘s reading this book right now. ☕️💅🏻
pickOh, the joys of families in enforced proximity for a celebration! All the ways they can provoke, irritate and misunderstand each other without being bad people, just people with different outlooks and personalities. I enjoyed the story. I would have enjoyed it even more if it had taken a less obvious direction towards the end. But at least it wasn‘t tied up in too neat a bow.
pickPhoebe's life takes a turn when she becomes part of Lila and Gary's wedding party. This story is about finding meaning in one's life, finding direction, finding friends, finding value in yourself, being true to yourself - so many things. The story went in the direction I assumed it would, but took an interesting road to get there. Overall a very good book.
Make a great day everyone ☃️
pickWhat a delightful read!
Phoebe incidentally becomes mixed up in a wedding party at a hotel in Rhode Island where she herself booked a room to end her life. However, meeting and talking to the wedding people who are so different from her is refreshing and makes her reflect on her life in a new way.
Without getting cheesy this story is addictive and filled with romance, humor, depth and sadness.
WHY is it in the play-in round of the #ToB25?!!
pickI enjoyed this novel much more than I had expected to. It's a good exploration of grief and depression that is also funny and uplifting. The characters, most of whom were initially unlikable, grew on me as the novel progressed.
#ToB25
#52bookclub25 (standalone novel)
#gottacatchemall (Oricorio: a book with dancing) @PuddleJumper
I have had so many library holds come in at once I don‘t know what to read first #thestruggleisreal I started this last night and I had no idea this was how it was going to begin 🤯 I want to stay in bed all weekend and read all my books ( the books in the background are my TBR shelf/piles and it is ridiculous)
pick24-27 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Phoebe checks in to a luxury hotel intending to kill herself but finds she is surrounded by people attending the wedding of a neurotic bride, Lila. Lila begs and bribes Phoebe to delay her suicide so as not to spoil her perfect wedding and an unlikely friendship begins.
Whilst the plot reads like a setup for a romcom, the writing delves deeper than expected, examining loneliness, expectations, and finding life‘s meaning
My hold on tagged book came in after 10 weeks - so started this during #HyggehourReadathon #hyggehour
Snow falling, fire going (forgot picture) - great way to end an evening.
Normally during this hour I am with a group of friends doing a “spiritual reset“ for the week ahead - snow left me home tonight, resetting on my own 😊
Thanks for hosting @Alldebooks @Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie
Make a great day everyone 📚
pickI really didn‘t know what I was getting into from the cover / blurb. This was a lot deeper, darker, and more reflective than I was expecting. I would never have bought it for my MIL for Christmas if I‘d had trigger warnings. Oops - we shall see how she likes it.
pickJust as delightful as many reviews promised! I‘m a bit of a curmudgeon at times, so the cover art and potential romance here made me wary. Then all the positive reviews and the inclusion of this on #ToB25 twisted my arm and I‘m so glad I gave it a shot. Authentic-feeling characters who experience grief but also joy find connection in unexpected moments and situations, during a wedding week in RI. Even if there was a tad bit of cheese, I loved it!
pickFinally had a chance to finish this after a hectic Christmas Eve/Christmas morning. I enjoyed this - I liked the fact that Espach takes what is essentially a rom-com/commercial fiction set up but treats it in a more contemplative way. I think appreciating Phoebe‘s “awakening” to her own power to decide, to act or influence others, is the crux of liking or disliking this. Without that some of the unrealistic elements would have put me off a little.
pickI really enjoyed this. I loved the characters, which initially seemed basic, but slowly became more interesting and complex. The main character‘s journey seemed authentic and I see why this has been so popular. Definitely recommend and this would be a great book club book. 5⭐️
bailedGuys! I got 39% of the way through and this book was so depressing I couldn‘t do it. Also, I didn‘t know where the plot was going so that made me not want to finish it.
pickPrelude to my Top 24 (or 25) post, I actually managed to finish a photo bracket and continue to agree with my choices. BUT! The real question is… will any of my current reads knock off Make Envy Disco 🪩?! I doubt it.
BIG THANK YOU to @Catsandbooks for the bracket template.
pickI can see why this was a #GoodreadsChoiceWinner for the year! I couldn‘t stop listening to this one! The performance is great & all of these wedding people really came to life! When Phoebe leaves her suddenly empty MO home, she plans a nice last room service meal & that‘s it forever. But as the only non-invitee at the RI hotel for Gary & Lila‘s wedding, the bride won‘t let her lavish 6 day celebration be spoiled. The quick intimacy draws you in!
pickA surprisingly sweet dramedy about a depressed woman who finds a new outlook on life after accidentally getting entangled in a wedding.
Reflective ✨ Honesty ✨ Connection
pickThis was amazing! Hard to put down, great characters that were unique, compelling, and fully formed. The writing was tight, well paced, and smart. So good on #audio ! Highly recommend! #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickI started this while feeling a bit down and had to take a couple breaks before it really hooked me. It didn‘t start out as the light hearted read the cover suggests. A struggling woman checks into a hotel and becomes entangled in the wedding taking place on site. The interactions push her outside of her herself and her sadness but she also changes those she meets. Balancing both depth and humor this book was surprisingly delightful.
pickLoved it 🌟 and despite my last quote post, the narration is fine 🤗
#Nov2024 Book108 #ToB2025 #ToBLongList
This book is set in Newport RI and I am an avowed Newportophile. So when the narrator mispronounces a street name it is jarring! I have been jarred. 🤣
(FYI - Thames Street is not said like one says in London… it‘s (probably) sadly Americanized? The locals say the TH sound and it rhymes with “names”)
Pic of the view from the rooftop bar of the Vanderbilt Grace Hotel, and if you ever go, you‘ll love the elevator 📚
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Phoebe is figuratively in a bad place, yet literally in a gorgeous hotel overrun by a massive wedding. It is immediately assumed she‘s one of the “Wedding People.” Poignancy and hilarity ensue. A bit of seriousness; a bit of satire. Even the kind of awful characters were amusing. Another solid “Read With Jenna” pick!
So the other day, I was anticipating The Repeat Room would be on the long list and so I used 1 credit and then I found out it‘s not on the list so I was able to return it. Yay! (I find Jesse Ball a little bit perplexing.)
#ToB2025_LongList #Audiobook
pickVery similar to Backman‘s Ove, but from the POV of a middle aged woman. Phoebe is not as boring as she presents, she‘s very witty and very likeable . Heavy content, but many comedic moments that make it an easy read. Book #100 in 2024
pickFinished reading this before the election. I was trying to read an easy breezy novel and this fit the bill. A woman goes to a hotel to end her life and quickly becomes unexpectedly enmeshed in a week-long wedding party. This was funnier than I expected and had a great trajectory for the main character. A pleasant read with an abysmal cover.
pickThis came recommended by one of my book group members - and they were right, I loved it! This fancy Newport boutique hotel is both the scene where one woman plans on ending her life, and where another is holding her extravagant 6 day wedding celebration. They become unexpected confidants, and change each other‘s lives. #bookspinbingo #doublespin
Thank you so much Lisa!! I can‘t wait to read these! You are the sweetest ❤️🎉🎊🎈 I came home from vacation to so many awesome birthday surprises!!
#LitsyLove
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Been in a slump. Came across this while wandering Litsy for the first time in awhile and really liked it! Licking her wounds after her husband‘s affair and subsequent divorce (and a pandemic) Phoebe books a room at a fancy Newport hotel where she plans to kill herself. Instead she connects with a bride, gets folded into to her 6-day wedding extravaganza, and finds new, more honest ways to live, and things she wants to live for.
pickPhoebe arrives at a Rhode Island hotel after reaching rock bottom in her life, but a wedding is happening & she‘s swept up in the chaos. The level of crassness felt unnecessary at times, but I did love the honesty of the characters. They found how freeing it was to tell the truth & the liberation was exhilarating. The chemistry between 2 of the characters (no spoilers) was electric. I liked but didn‘t love it.
TW Infertility, suicide & infidelity
pickAt first I thought this was yet one more book about a neurotic woman, and I‘ve read a lot of those lately. But this was actually a story of discovery as Phoebe spends one week immersed in a wedding party of people she doesn‘t know in the slightest. Her life as she knew it, changes before her very eyes as she gets to know all these strangers. Very entertaining!
