I gave Black Woods Blue Sky 4 stars. The vivid descriptions of Alaska made me want to visit even more. I struggled with Birdie—her selfishness and poor mothering made her hard to like, though I see how those traits served the story. Arthur and the bear, on the other hand, were magnificent. The novel left me wondering if the mysteries and magic it portrays could truly exist in real life.

How to explain how much I loved this book? The author makes magic with words. His character development is outstanding—I especially loved Marion. His medical background shines through, making the surgical details fascinating. I also learned so much about Ethiopia. If I could give 100 stars, I would.

Believe it or not, I‘d never read The Secret Garden until now—and I loved it. This classic is full of gentle life lessons about nature, wellness, and friendship. The garden itself was described so vividly, I wished I could step right into it. The characters felt real, with both strengths and flaws. A magical, heartwarming read that left me smiling. I‘m excited to watch the movie.

I gave The Paper Palace 4 stars. The writing was strong, and the story—though rooted in everyday life—was compelling. I didn‘t like the main character; her choices felt selfish, and her betrayal of her family was hard to stomach. A painful past doesn‘t excuse hurting others. Still, the book kept me reading, and I found it moving in its own way.

Life, too, is like that. You live it forward, but understand it backward.

Finding Grace is a well-written and engaging debut novel. I really enjoyed it and was hooked from the first chapter, which ended on quite the cliffhanger. The characters felt real and well-developed—I felt like I truly got to know them. The male protagonist frustrated me more than a few times, especially with his lack of honesty in his new relationship. I kept waiting for him to come clean. Still, the story kept me invested all the way to the end.

The River is Waiting is beautifully written but deeply sad—so much so that I almost gave up after the first chapter. Life doesn‘t always have happy endings, and this book leans into that truth from beginning to end.Still,the characters & story were powerful and unforgettable.I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 only because the emotional weight was overwhelming at times. It‘s a heartbreaking but memorable read that‘ll stay with me for a long time

⭐️⭐️⭐️
We Used to Live Here is dark, eerie, and full of suspense. The story kept me hooked and guessing right up until the end. I loved the creepy atmosphere and unsettling vibe. However, it left a few too many questions unanswered for my taste. I don‘t want to spoil anything, but I finished still wondering about a lot. If you enjoy open-ended psychological thrillers, this one might be a good listen.

I give No Place Like Oz 3 stars. I love the original Wizard of Oz, so I was curious about this prequel. It definitely has a young adult feel, but the characters didn‘t quite work for me. I struggled with Dorothy being mean-spirited at times, especially toward her aunt and uncle. While the book puts a unique spin on the classic, it wasn‘t the kind of twist I personally enjoyed. Fans of darker retellings might appreciate it more than I did.

The Amalfi Coast setting was absolutely dreamy.I could almost taste the salt air.I loved learning about sea witches,something totally new to me,and the dual timelines were both engaging with a few twists I didnt see coming.That said,the story didn‘t fully hook me.It was missing that special spark or emotional pull I look for in a favorite read.Still,if you enjoy atmospheric,lightly magical stories with rich descriptions,this one‘s worth picking up

Well written, but not really my style. I found The Cuckoo‘s Calling on my bookshelf and decided to give it a shot—not realizing it was a mystery, which isn‘t usually my genre. Still, it kept me turning the pages, and I was surprised by the ending. It‘s the first in a series, but I probably won‘t continue. Just not my cup of tea.

I gave Coraline 3 stars. It was a very strange and surreal story—I found myself confused about what was happening through much of it. I read it as part of a book challenge, and while it wasn‘t my usual pick, I did enjoy the dark, creepy atmosphere. The eerie world and unsettling “other mother” were definitely memorable. Overall, it had some interesting moments, but the plot was hard to follow at times.

I‘m not a gamer, so I wasn‘t sure I‘d enjoy Ready Player One, but I was quickly pulled into the richly imagined world of the OASIS. Ernest Cline brings the virtual universe to life with vivid detail and fast-paced storytelling. The 80s pop culture references added fun depth even if you‘re not a tech expert. A surprisingly engaging read that kept me hooked from start to finish. I‘d definitely recommend it—even to non-gamers like me!

Certainly! Here‘s your revised review with the rating included, still under 550 characters:

I gave What Kind of Paradise 4 stars. Loosely based on the Unabomber, it makes you question which life is more dangerous—one lived in total isolation, free from technology, or one surrounded by AI advancing into every part of modern life. A smart, unsettling story that stays with you.

I loved this book. It felt like many powerful stories woven into one—touching on WWII, the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, and more. The settings, from the American South to Rome, were beautifully described. What stood out most was the deep character development; by the end, I felt like I truly knew them. A rich, emotional, and unforgettable read. 5 stars!

This is an excerpt from this book written in 1995. It refers to the Vietnam War—but it goes to show you, some things don‘t change:
“After the smoke had cleared, I promised myself I would never lose a friend over something as subjective and slippery as political belief.
‘I‘m an American,‘ I announced to all around me. ‘And I get to think anything I want to—and so do you, by God, so do you.‘”
Powerful words. Still just as true today

Ace: Marvel Spy by Jenni Walsh tells the incredible true story of a tennis star turned WWII spy. While the detailed play-by-plays of Wimbledon were a bit much for someone who‘s not into tennis, I was fascinated by her courageous spy work. It‘s amazing that this was based on a real person—her bravery and determination truly shine through.

Though I read it cover to cover, Lula Dean‘s Little Library of Banned Books exaggerated both sides politically, often painting conservatives unfairly. As someone who leans right, I didn‘t feel represented accurately. While it‘s not badly written, I can‘t recommend it due to the biased portrayal. ⭐⭐⭐

A beautiful, unforgettable story of love, loss, and fate. The Stationery Shop moved me deeply. The emotional depth, especially the grace shown by her husband, was powerful. His quiet strength and understanding left a lasting impression. A poignant, tender read—I‘ll carry it with me always. ★★★★★

Having lived in Charleston, I loved how South of Broad brought the city to life—from Market Street to Hurricane Hugo. The vivid landmarks made the story feel real. It‘s a powerful tale of deep friendships, personal tragedy, and the enduring spirit of the South. A moving, atmospheric read.

The Names is a bold, inventive novel structured around three possible lives of one protagonist—each shaped by a different name. It‘s thought-provoking and unlike anything I‘ve read, though often confusing. I‘m still unsure about the epilogue, but the originality made it worth the read.

Quick, engaging read—I couldn‘t wait to see how it ended. I suspected foul play, but was surprised and pleased by the uplifting resolution. Meissner weaves past and present well, though it didn‘t fully wow me. A satisfying story with a hopeful ending.

I gave The Griffin Sisters‘ Greatest Hits 4 stars. I really enjoyed the music industry setting, especially the reality TV show tryouts. The flashbacks to the sisters‘ 90s band felt authentic and reminded me of real groups from that era. A heartfelt, fun story about fame, family, and second chances.

I‘m not a mystery fan and have never read Agatha Christie, but The Queens of Crime completely won me over. I loved the clever idea of turning famous mystery writers into real-life sleuths. Following the clues with them was engaging and fun, even for someone unfamiliar with their work. A smart, imaginative blend of true crime and literary history. Definitely worth a read.

This was my first James Michener book.It will not be my last.All I can say is WOW!It was a very long read-over 1K pages,small font and barely any margins.It‘s one of the best books I‘ve ever read.I learned so much about the history of Hawaii,beginning at its birth during the ice ages.To me,the moral of this story is that it takes all kinds to build a strong community,and it‘s better to work together than to fight. Something we can all learn from

The setting of this novel is London during WW2. Much of the story centers around a bookshop, and the important role that it (and its owner) played during the war. While the story was good, it seemed similar to other books I‘ve read in this topic. I don‘t think that it‘ll be a book that I remember for years to come as I found it so-so.

Glamorous Notions had some fascinating historical details, especially about the hidden recordings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the use of X-ray sheets for music. But overall, the plot didn‘t go anywhere and failed to keep me engaged. I found it more interesting in parts than as a whole.

I listened to this audiobook as part of the Goodreads 2025 52 Week Challenge.It‘s a fairy tale retold.The story is a very clever sci-fi version of Pinocchio.Most of the characters are robots who roam the earth after the humans have been eradicated.The author has a unique way of adding humor to this very serious topic. The banter between the robots is hilarious,especially between the robotic vacuum and the medical machine.This was a very good book

I love when I learn something new from a book, and I almost always do with historical fiction. In this novel, I learned of the important role that the Chinese played in France during WW1. The story gave a good perspective from both the Chinese and the French side. I did the audio version, and found the narrators very good. I read this book as part of the Goodreads 52 Week Challenge.

I‘ll start by saying that I‘ve always loved the story of the Wizard of Oz.Wicked strayed from the original story a bit, but not enough to bother me. This book strayed a bit too far away for my liking. I hardly recognized any of the original characters or storyline. Maybe that is what the author intended.There are many questions left unanswered, but there are two more books in this series. I may or may not read them.

I‘m not sure how to rate this book. It was one of the most complicated books I‘ve ever read. I learned way more about Sir Isaac Newton and Alchemy than I‘d care to. Although I normally love stories about ghosts and magic, I didn‘t love this one. I can‘t say that the book was bad, because it was obvious that amount of research the author put into it. It was just way too technical for me, footnotes and all.

I did the audio version of this book. I enjoyed Meryl Streep as the narrator. During this story, a mother tells of her past to her 3 daughters. Her past included a romance with an actor who later became famous. She met him while playing Emily on a play called “Our Town”. This author writes beautifully, like a poet. The morale of this story is family. I thought this book was very good, and I recommend it.

This story is going to stay with me a long time. It was educational, entertaining, suspenseful, and haunting. I learned a lot about the islands on the outer banks of Australia. I also learned a lot about botany and seed vaults. This was my Book of the Month club pick for March 2025. I‘ve read so many books I would never have otherwise heard about thanks to this book club. The end of this book was especially good. I couldn‘t put it down.

I had never heard of Winnie Ruth Judd or of the “Trunk Murders” before reading this book. The story was riveting! It‘s hard to believe what this woman did and nearly got away with. The story starts in 1931, when the protagonist arrives at the LA airport with trunks that contained dismembered bodies. It just got stranger from there. Im glad that this book is pick for a book club that I belong to, otherwise I may not have read it.

I seriously considered putting this book down after a few chapters. I‘ll be honest, I didn‘t like it at all at first. I‘m so glad I stuck with it. It went from bad and confusing to great very quickly. I love books that include magic. This story has a lot of that. It also has unforgettable characters. This is the first book in a series that I know I will continue. I‘m not a huge fan of the fantasy genre, but it didn‘t matter with this book.

This was definitely one of the best audiobooks I‘ve listened to.It never lost my interest. I have the pleasure of knowing this author and am in her bookclub. This is the third bookI‘ve read by her, and none of them have disappointed.I always learn something from her books. I enjoyed the in depth explanations of poisons and. Chemistry in this story. I encountered a surprise at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book.

Before reading this book, I had never heard of the explosion in the Halifax harbor. While I enjoy learning new things, I can‘t imagine what these people went through. Many of them lost their entire families, even their children. This book took us through the lives of two families who lost almost everything in the disaster. The main morale of this story is that family is everything.

I visited New Orleans twice. I purchased find book on my second visit.I wish I‘d read it before I visited.It definitely makes me want to go back!This book is non-fiction, but it doesn‘t read as such.I felt glued to the pages and to the characters.I googled many locations and street addresses. I also googled the 9 individuals who were interviewed and was pleased to see that some are still in the city. I have to go back and visit Joanne‘s Kajun Pub

I love this author. I didn‘t love this book. I‘m not one for short stories, but I thought I‘d try it out. The first few stories were good. Then I got to then longest story at the end. It didn‘t interest me at all. I felt like I was watching an episode of Dragnet, monotone voice and all. (I did the audio version). This is the 3rd book I‘ve read Amor Towles. The first 2 were excellent. I hope he goes back to the writing style I‘m used to.

This book was quirky, but in a good way.As the author will tell you in his note at the end,it is a bit weird.I really fell for these characters,and deeply felt their feelings of sadness towards the end.This book reminded me a bit of ET. There‘s nothing like a lovable little space creature, or a”space princess”in this case. This is the second book I‘ve read by TJ Klune. I will be reading more. I recommend this book,it‘s an action packed love story

This book is a tough one to rate. So much hype! First off, fantasy is not my go-to genre. I felt that it was written for a younger audience (and it probably was). This doesn‘t mean it was badly written. It had way too many “fight” scenes, which don‘t interest me. I do like the concept of dragons. Other than that, I feel that this book was just so-so. I lost likely won‘t read the other books in the series.

I‘ve been wanting to read this book for a while. I like every book I‘ve read by this author so far. Ordinary Grace had some many life lessons in its pages, forgiveness being one of the biggest lessons. This novel was made of a mixture of genres. It was action packed, and it contained a mystery. This is one of the better books I‘ve read, so I gave it 5 ⭐️s. I highly recommend this book.

I did the audio version of this book. I like the way that this story was laid out. A student interviews a nursing home resident for a class project. The student didn‘t expect the what would come of that. The book turned very suspenseful. It seemed a bit drawn out towards the end. All in all, this was a good book.

This book started out slow. I began to doubt that I could stick with it. I‘m so glad that I didn‘t give up. What a read! I learned so much about the Assyrian Empire it seems unreal to me that these times existed at that some of the events described in the story really happened. It seems even more unreal that we‘re able to read about them all of these centuries later. This was a very good book! This young author is excellent.

This book is based on a popular podcast featuring Demi Moore.If you‘re offended by stories that contain soft porn, this book isn‘t for you because it sure did contain a lot of that. This book deals with many real life topics that affect marriage. I found it ironic how the protagonist‘s relationship with her husband took a complete 360 by the end of the book. I found the storyline to be so-so..

*spoiler alert• I did the audio version of this book. It was ok, but left me wanting more. More for the book, and more for the protagonist. I wanted her to her what she wanted. But, this book was written more for the reality of the times. I think my biggest issue is it‘s the same story many of us have heard time and time again. Nothing really happened to change things up. Life isn‘t fair, and this book portrays that well.

**spoiler alert** This book had a lot going on. Maybe too much? It was very convoluted, especially towards the end. The map at the beginning of the book gave it a fantasy feel, when it was in fact a thriller. The horrible deed that the protagonist did didn‘t seem believable for his character. It came out of nowhere. This book was a quick read, and it kept me interested until the end.

I had to re-read this book before I watch the movie. I had read it years ago, and remembered liking it. It was just as good as I remembered. It‘s a very intense, politically driven story. I think that parts of it can be interpreted differently, and it did leave me with a few questions. It wasn‘t until the very end that Dorothy and her crew appeared in the story. I do like the way that the loose ends seemed to come together at the end.

I liked The Ten Thousand Doors of January so much more than I liked this book. I did the audio version. I had a very hard time following it. I did like the setting, a creepy old house. I didn‘t care for any of the characters. I had a hard time understanding the relationship between Opal and Arthur. This book was just so-so.

This book is truly magical. It‘s set in Alaska, a place I long to visit. It‘s based on a children‘s book in which an older couple longed for a child that they could not have. Along came a magical snow child who could only survive in the cold. I love the description of the coat that Mabel made for the snow child in the version I read. I also loved the descriptions of the Alaska wilderness.I don‘t know that I could survive an Alaskan winter though