The “old people embracing life” genre seems to be everywhere these days…or at least it is on my bookshelf! This is one of the best (so far) and I think is equally as good and endearing as Thursday Murder Club. It‘s about a senior citizens social club fighting against the closure of their community center in partnership with a day care center housed in the same community center. Wonderful characters and a great storyline! ❤️

Richard Osman is the first author that I‘ve loved so much that I need to read EVERY book he‘s written and this is yet another book of his that I loved! His witty, fast-paced style and likable characters with real humanness & depth continues, even with a new cast of characters for a new series. ❤️ Special shoutout to the cat named Trouble!

This was the first book I‘ve read by Christina Lauren and it won‘t be the last! I was drawn in by the story and the characters and finished it much quicker than expected because I couldn‘t put it down. I found myself processing the story for a day or two afterwards, which is the mark of a good book for me. For those who know more about Christina Lauren‘s books, which one should I read next?

I read this book because I saw Ann Patchett recommend it on social media. She was right! This is a story about a lonely old woman who meets a mouse that will leave you uplifted and inspired to treat everyone with kindness and dignity. 💟

This book is for everyone who loves to read, who loves to walk into a bookstore or library, and wants to feel inspired about reading. It‘s a fast read with dozens of stories contributed by various booksellers and librarians. Perfect for all book lovers. 📚❤️

This is the most charming story! The main character is Budo, the imaginary friend of Max, a young boy on the spectrum. Budo goes to great lengths to help Max and, in the process, embodies all the lessons about how to be a good human that we learned in elementary school. But this book deals with adult issues and shouldn‘t be viewed as a child‘s book. I found myself unable to put it down and cheering out loud as the story evolved. ❤️❤️❤️

This book will stay with me, I‘m sure. The book about a woman recounting the story of her life in her 20s to her three daughters who are in themselves in their 20s is masterfully written and beautifully narrated by Meryl Streep in the audio book. It‘s got me thinking about these characters and about my own life in my 20s…how things change and how that time of life influences what comes next. Thought provoking and so beautiful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a delightful book! It‘s based on the story of two very different sisters, Edith and Helen, and their extended families. It‘s all told with a background of the craft beer culture - you could say that beer itself is a character in the book too. I listened to the audio and especially loved the narrator‘s perfect Minnesota accent that was slightly different for each character.

I loved this book! Every character had substance and growth all in the context of a cross-country road trip. This one‘s on track to be my favorite book of the year. ❤️📖❤️

Katherine Center absolutely nails the rom-com with this book! I laughed out loud and cried and couldn‘t put it down. By definition, a rom-com is predictable but Katherine Center added twists that made this a next-level rom-com in my view. ❤️

If you haven‘t discovered this book yet, you should! It‘s a lovely story of loss and love that features the most endearing Giant Pacific Octopus named Marcellus. It‘s heart warming and beautifully written. ❤️🐙

What a beautiful book! The author moves the story along at just the right pace with poetic language that will make you want to go to Alaska. It tells the story of 90-something Keb Wistling, who is intentional about not dying before he‘s dead, and his grandson who is reinventing himself after a logging accident. The audio is particularly helpful since the book incorporates some phrases in the Tlingit language. ❤️ this book!

This book tells the life story of Eva Thorvald in a unique format - each chapter is from the perspective of a different character. The author created authentic characters…some more likeable than others. Very clever read. Loved it!

I ❤️ Liane Moriarty! This is the second of her books that I‘ve read and it‘s fantastic! Twists and turns, complex characters, and a story line that draws the reader in. This is one of those books that you can‘t put down until you‘re done!

If you‘ve just finished An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and you‘re wondering if you should read this sequel, the answer is YES. The author wraps the story up in a compelling, suspenseful and thought provoking way. (The audio also includes a conversation with the author not found elsewhere, by the way) And if you haven‘t read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing yet, start there. Both books are unique and worthwhile.

This is the loveliest book! When six year old Frankie‘s mother dies, he can‘t find adults to help him so he stows away on a ship in a logical-to-a-six-year-old way of getting to his dad. Frankie is the narrator for nearly all of the story, which makes it charming and compelling, but occasionally an adult narrator chimes in to help round out the details Frankie doesn‘t understand. I couldn‘t put this one down! 💙

This was a fascinating book! It‘s a family saga covering generations, starting in the future and working backwards in time then reversing course and finishing the stories of each character. This family, the Greenwoods, have all built their lives around trees, each in their own way. It‘s a very compelling story written in a unique format. The book is long but worth it. 🌳

This book is incredible! Such compelling characters and a story that leaves me wanting to use my own louding voice. I cannot recommend this highly enough - this book is magnificent. I read the book but a friend listened to the audio. She said the audio is exceptional and recommends that as well. 10/10. Amazing story!

This book wrapped me up in all the emotions while I was reading it…joy, anger, bewilderment, pride. I couldn‘t get it out of my mind and found myself cheering for the main character, Afi, who finds herself in an arranged marriage with a wealthy man, Elikem, whose family is hoping will dump his girlfriend when he marries Afi. The characters are developed beautifully and the story will definitely get you thinking! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! 10-year-old Sitara survives a 1978 military coup in the presidential palace in Afghanistan, and the book details her escape to America and her lifelong reckoning with survivor‘s guilt and grief. An encounter decades later with a palace guard spurs on a new chapter for her. Beautifully written. I couldn‘t stop reading and didn‘t want it to end.

Wow. I finished this book yesterday and am still thinking through the various layers of the story. This book is about the impact on a family when one member is found dead of dehydration & exposure to the elements on their property in the Australian outback. Thought provoking and beautifully written.

I debated reading this book and almost didn‘t because a book about a search for a rare beetle didn‘t grab me. But it‘s not about a beetle - it‘s a beautiful story about friendship. I‘m so glad I read it! Margery and Enid have stayed with me. The ending made me route for all women with a dream. Loved it!

What a beautiful story! Julia‘s father disappears, and a few years later she finds a love letter he wrote to a woman in Burma (Myanmar). She travels there to find him and meets a man who knows her father. I loved everything about this book...I felt transported out of America and into the Burmese way of life. The love story was so compelling. I hated for it to end!

WOW. This was a fascinating book! It‘s a page-turner as the author describes her experience defecting from North Korea and then helping her family do the same, but it‘s also an eye-opening look at the differences between the cultures of North Korea, South Korea and China. Absolutely worth reading! It‘s a strong statement for the value of all people and the importance of defending human rights.

This would be an excellent pick for a book club - definitely thought-provoking about what it means to fit in with society, particularly in Japanese culture, and whether it‘s worth sacrificing self to conform to the norms. This is a short book but it packs a punch. I listened to the audiobook and recommend that option as well.

This was a sweet book! 96-year-old Doris shares her life story and life lessons with her great-niece. The story moved along quickly and at times I couldn‘t put it down. Glad I read it. ❤️

Some authors have a lovely, poetic use of language but can‘t seem to move a story along. Others can write a compelling story but lack beauty in their words. This author does both very successfully. What a wonderful book!

I almost bailed on this book, but I‘m so glad I stuck with it! It felt formulaic and predictable at first, but then it surprised me. It was delightful and compelling. By the end I couldn‘t put it down and had to know how it ended. Lovely little book!

What a fascinating book! I read this with my book club and it sparked great conversations about the nature of prejudice, Cussy Mary‘s resilience and grit, and the power of books to transform people. Loved it!

For all the national park fans like me, or those who‘ve been to just one national park and loved it, or those who simply dream of going to national parks...this book is a must-read! Yes, he describes going to every park but it‘s not a travelogue. With chapter titles like Ice, Mystery, Trees, Forgiveness, Light and Food it‘s clear to see that he found a unique way to talk about parks. Truly a lovely book. 💚

This book was recommended by a librarian so I gave it a shot, besides the cheesy title. So glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Botswanan culture and really, really enjoyed meeting the main character, Precious Ramotswe. In fact, I saw a quote from the author that he didn‘t intend to make this a series but he came to love Precious so much that he had to continue her story. Agreed - delightful all around!

WOW! This book drew me in almost immediately and was so hard to put down! Complex characters. A wonderful examination of love in many forms. A compelling and even suspenseful story. Loved it! 💚

What a delightful concept! On Oona‘s 19th birthday, which happens to be New Years Day, she is suddenly transported to her 51st birthday in a bizarre time travel life that becomes her reality. She leaps to another year of her life every New Years Day, living her life in random order. This makes relationships complicated and also makes for an interesting book! You have to allow a little creative license for the time travel logistics but it‘s fun!

“We need to travel together, even in our differences.”
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This book is written for anyone who desires to connect with those who have a different opinion or perspective, which right now is probably all of us. It‘s a roadmap for how to appreciate each other. Each chapter is written by a different person, with both male & female, Black, Hispanic, Asian and white voices represented. This is 100% worth your time to read!

This is a YA book that shares an overview of the civil rights movement with special attention to the role of Martin Luther King Jr and the circumstances of his murder. If there‘s a teen in your life who doesn‘t know much about the history of the civil rights movement but should,this book is great. It has the right amount of detail for that audience and lots of photos to help the story come alive.

I really enjoyed this book! Not sure I‘ve read a book before with a nun for the main character, and Sister Evelyn was both tough as nails and refreshingly vulnerable. It reads like a thriller with an undercurrent of taking on serious social issues. This book does have triggers for sexual abuse. My copy has a book club guide at the end.

There‘s only one good thing about our libraries being closed...I‘m making a dent on my TBR pile! And finally, FINALLY I‘m reading this one.

I never thought I would love a murder mystery detective as much as I love Hercule Poirot, but Inspector Gamache has stolen my heart too! ❤️📚 Any other Gamache fans out there?

Elizabeth Strout is a great author...I love her choice of words and her style that seems both effortless and deep. This book is a quick read that tells Lucy‘s life story in a most efficient and compelling way. By sharing snippets (but the most important snippets) of Lucy‘s life, Elizabeth Strout communicates the essence of who Lucy is. It‘s fascinating how quickly yet thoroughly she paints a picture of Lucy Barton.

Oh my goodness I loved this book SO MUCH!! Pervasive through the entire book is a love of reading, writing and people who love reading and writing. The characters are beautifully written. The story draws the reader in. I‘m about to start re-reading it because I didn‘t want it to end. Currently debating how many copies to buy as Christmas gifts...

What a good book! It tells two parallel stories, one of a Chinese character in the late 1800‘s and the other of a modern day American character. The Chinese characters story was particularly compelling and well written. This was a big hit with our book club. Led to a great discussion! Recommended.

I loved the concept of this book...to mirror the characters and storyline of Pride and Prejudice into early 2000‘s Pakistan. It‘s amazing how well Jane Austen‘s themes could be updated for another century and adapted by another culture. This book was a study of humanity, of our cultural similarities, of how the human condition has the same basic victories and struggles no matter when or where you live. Loved it.

This was a good thriller, but it was also a bit predictable.

What a fun book! This non-fiction book describes the author‘s seven month trip around the world via a series of trains. She describes her observations of the cultures she visits and her adventures along the way. The majority of the book covers her time in Asia but she also went through Europe, Canada and the US. Great choice for anyone interested in travel, trains and/or international cultures.

So I‘m a bit obsessed with national parks...and therefore I loved this book! It gives a great behind-the-scenes perspective on the life of a park ranger and the wildlife in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors or who appreciates wildlife will find a kindred spirit in this author. 💚

What a surprise, the book is better than the movie! 🙂 I watched the Netflix version (which is also good) and then read the book. The book is written entirely in the format of letters between two people (multiple combinations of different people), which I really liked. It also has a significant character that the movie didn‘t have. The story is endearing and sweet and totally makes me want to visit Guernsey. Fantastic historical fiction.

Can I get an amen?

What a sweet book! It tells the true story of a journalist who interviews a series of people all 100 or older. Every chapter is another interview with another centenarian. It‘s a great reminder of the importance of relationships and it will make you want to hug a senior citizen. Loved it!

This book is a memoir by Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest living National Park Service Park ranger based at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Homefront National Historical Park in California. She became an interpretive park ranger in her 80‘s. Isn‘t this attitude just the best? Fascinating read about a fascinating woman.

LOVED this book!! I wasn‘t sure about it at first...slow start...but then it reached the point where I couldn‘t put it down because I HAD to know what happened. I cried, I gasped, my mind was blown. I‘ve been done with the book for three days now and I‘m still processing it. Definitely worth all the buzz.