This was a tough read. It made me very uncomfortable through some of it. Was it love or was it something else? You'll need to talk about this story when you finish it. I did the audio and the narrator was amazing.

This book isn't just about grief as I had expected, but about love. Love for her life before, during, and after her husband. Love for family. Love for food and how that can bind our souls even across culture and continents. This was beautifully written.

"Of all the countries of the world, we Americans have been the greatest destroyers of land of any race of people barbaric or civilized." Hugh Hammond Bennett

"Is it possible for a man to retain his humanity in an inhuman time, and if not, at least to regain that humanity after a war ends?"

This book had layer upon layer of family secrets, community secrets, race relations, betrayal... It was a hard story set in a hard time.

I was reluctant to try this based on reviews, but I found that I really enjoyed this book on audio. The narration was superb. The writing style pulled me in and held me on the roller coaster of the story. I love art and art history so that was a bonus. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Not good but not bad either. I didn't find any of the characters likeable or relatable. It was almost formulaic which made the big twist predictable.

This book was full of family secrets and skeletons in closets. I loved how characters and storylines that are seemingly unrelated come together in the end. A great read.

"Every wall of every room is lined with books: old books, new books, first editions, signed editions, twenty-third editions, stacked together on mismatched, improvised sets of shelves, in a glorious, healthy disregard for display."

I did the audio while my daughter read her copy for class. Good discussion ensued. Tim Robbins narration was excellent and really helped me like the book. How interesting that a book this old is still relevant to the times we live in. It's a make-you-think kind of book.

This was a tough read. It's fiction but also true life. But also a book of true family love even in hard times. Beautifully written. I think it would be great in audio.
*contains dog fighting

It just wasn't my style and I had a hard time following it.

Just finished the audio. I can see why this has mixed reviews. The stories seemed a little disjointed at first and I couldn't figure out how it all fit. But when it did the whole story came to life. I really enjoyed this and wasn't ready for it to end. A bonus was Joanne Froggatt narrating.

I'm revisiting an old favorite series. The audio version was so-so. The story held me to the end and reminded me why I liked the series. On to the next one!

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The circus history sparked my interest and I'm on the hunt for more. I would have liked more character development in the present time portion of the story. But all in all I liked it.

Not much secret or very historical here. If you put history in the title it should have some! The story seemed to basically repeat itself. I struggled to finish it.

I wasn't sure at first if I would like this book. But it got me. I laughed. I cringed. I cried. I truly enjoyed Eleanor's journey of self discovery. I hated that it ended...I needed more! I listened to the audio and the narrator was fantastic. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"It was an era of violence, greed, audacity, sentimentality, undirected exuberance, and an almost reverential attitude toward the ideal of personal freedom for those who already had it."

I reread One Thousand White Women before reading this. It touched on some prior characters but the stories were somewhat similar. It's still a very good read full of historical imagery.

This book made me sad. It's easy to turn a blind eye to addiction and think it will never happen to you or your loved ones. The personal stories hit home that it can happen. It does happen. And America needs to do more to not only prevent addiction, but to help people recover. This should be required reading.

Just started this. To say I'm shocked at some of the statistics is an understatement.

I fell for the hype surrounding this book. I thought it was just okay. It was a quick read but I thought it was predictable. Not really impressed.

Re-read this one. Just as good as the first time I read it.

I really enjoyed this book. I listened on audio and the narrator really added to the story by making each character unique. The story about the family dynamics spoke to me. I haven't watched the series yet but plan to do so.

This was a fascinating book. It really appealed to my inner Morbid Medical Nerd. It made me cringe, laugh, and maybe gag once. The chapter on lobotomies was my favorite. The narrator was great. I'll probably read this again.

I can't believe I haven't read this before now! It was ahead of it's time with regard to true crime novels. The story held me all the way through. It was interesting how much of the book was about the killers and their feelings (or non-feelings) and thoughts about what they did.

I can't wait to dig into this!

I was listening to the audio and just couldn't get into the story or the characters. I think if I had the physical book I'd have enjoyed it more. I've read many of his other books and loved them. I'll have to try again later.

I really enjoyed the movie and thought I would enjoy the book, but I had to give up. She annoyed me to no end. I tried...I really did.

I'm not sure that I have the proper words for this book. It's heartbreaking, uplifting, beautiful, and tragic all at once. I fell in love with the characters, then disliked them, then loved them again. I was in tears more than once. This is one that I need a while to recover from. It is not for the faint of heart.

"No one dies of grief. That's like dying of a broken heart. It doesn't happen. The will to live is stronger than grief. The world would be a lot emptier if people dropped dead like that."

Revisiting a favorite. I read this in 2007 or so and loved it so much that I gave a copy to my mom and grandma.

This book did not live up to the hype. The storyline and characters were shallow and frustrating. It did not live up to the comparison to Gone Girl.

I'm not usually into self-help type books but this caught my eye. There is nothing revolutionary in this as far as advice goes, but her writing style and her honesty pulled me in and made me feel like I was talking to a friend.

I just started the audiobook this week. I'm already hooked.

"Insensibly he formed the most delightful habit in the world, the habit of reading..."

I was reluctant to read this book because I didn't know how the author, being white, would handle the sensitive topic. It was a little cliche and predictable at times, but it also makes you think. I'm glad my book club picked it.

My friend had an opportunity to meet Diana Gabaldon recently and she brought me an awesome surprise!

Injustice after injustice after injustice after injustice. This book horrified me and made me so angry. What those boys were put through was shameful. And it was just one instance of too many at that time. The author's research was meticulous and well thought out. Everyone should read this and know about this chapter of our history.

1. California
2. The Pillars of the Earth
3. Outlander series
4. Thelma & Louise
5. Downton Abbey
6. Manchester Orchestra
7. Red
8. Historical fiction
9. Insurance
10. 4 cats - all rescues

#meetthelittens

This book was not at all whatI expected. My ancestors are from Kansas where the massacre occurred and I've heard all the stories and visited the site and museum many times. This book, although a fictionalized version, gave me a new perspective of John Brown the man and how he came to do the things he did.

"For even if we cannot know the ultimate consequences of our actions or inactions, we must nonetheless behave as if they do have ultimate consequences. No little thing in our lives is without meaning; never mind that we can never know it ourselves."

I didn't dislike the book, but I also didn't love it. The story itself is heartbreaking. It's shocking to think people can be so greedy and heartless. It's a sad chapter of history.

I had an hour to kill today. Might as well buy books!

Starting a new audio book.

This was a fascinating story. The author's research is so thorough and detailed, yet it kept my attention. I liked how he dove into their personal lives and how they became criminals. Their fierce loyalty to each other and their families (and some of their partners) is admirable. I found myself almost liking them.

"If you yourself are not a victim, you cannot claim to see the world as the victim does."

Sound motherly advice: "It might be a good idea to stop falling in love with felons."

I expected more from this book. It's mostly memoir with a bit of social commentary almost as an afterthought at the end of each chapters.