I‘m so happy DH continued the All Souls series! Matthew and Diana are back and this book revolves around Diana‘s higher power, her father‘s family (the Proctor‘s) and where the twins stand with their powers. I loved all the new Proctor characters, the ghosts, the Salem stories etc! This book made a blah week so much better! *I had to use my Bodleian Library bookmark for this one 😀

This was recommended to me by a colleague and though I do enjoy weird books from time to time, I just couldn‘t get into this one. It was like Beauty and the beast but the beast was a worm like monster disguised as a human who falls in love with a human whose awful family is hunting the monster. It just wasn‘t for me.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction romance story between news reporter Nick and newspaper owner‘s son Andy. The story did a great job of depicting NYC in the 1950‘s for gay couples.

This is a slow burn of a read. I loved the story and the characters and this was probably the best ending to a book I‘ve ever read. *I took my kindle on a backpacking trip in Wyoming and my son snapped a picture of me reading by the water ❤️

This was an interesting concept for a book. It made me think about life and living and it has some great discussion topics for a book club. My big question is what happens with life insurance after the strings are released? If you have a short one, can you sign up for insurance knowing you don‘t have long to live and how does insurance companies respond. That‘s my big question.

I really enjoyed this story! I could see some inspiration from The Stand, HP‘s the phoenix, Fahrenheit 451 etc. Basically a mushroom spore sickens people and causes them to burn up so the world is in the midst of an apocalypse. A group of sick people find themselves at a summer camp turned commune of sorts but when a division occurs, survival is amped up. I loved that Martha Quinn keeps their hopes up 😂

I finished this one last week for book club but forgot to take a picture and write a review! Overall, this was a great read. The author researched and interviewed her Jewish family heritage, shared pictures, but published it as fiction. There were a few odd parts where a story either started or ended abruptly, but I learned some things and enjoyed the strong female role models that were highlighted.

This one caught my attention for the first half as I was curious and intrigued as to where the story was going, until it began to drag, only to finish with an underwhelming ending. It‘s a weird one, but after reading Bunny, I knew I was in for something strange.

I adored Curtis‘s stories of growing up Chinese in Detroit in the 70‘s and 80‘s. He shares stories about being one of 6 kids, helping out in his family‘s Chinese restaurant and his coming to terms with being gay. Just delightful. Also, Chin reads his memoir which is an added bonus.

A.J Jacobs is a delight to read. I loved his Year of Living Biblically and was thrilled he wrote about the Constitution. It made me chuckle and it made me think. My book club chose this as our November read and I plan to do a reread with a physical copy the next go round and maybe even bake an election cake to share 😊The audio I just finished was read by Jacobs.

My NYT Best 100 Books of the Century reads. There are quite a few on the list I have no interest in. 😂 The tagged book is my favorite.

I adored this story. Three generations of Vietnamese women whose stories intertwine; telling the tales of immigration, relationships, motherhood, regrets, secrets, love, loss, healing and moving forward. I loved that the Banyan House tied them together and I enjoyed hearing Minh‘s voice after her death.

This one was an okay read for me. I felt it didn‘t really stand out and a few parts just kinda skipped ahead leaving a bit of a hole in the story, unless my mind wandered, which very well could have been the case. 😂
The grandmother‘s story just kinda felt there. Ava made so many terrible decisions. Cass is an ass but I had all the feels for poor Toussant stuck in the middle at a young age trying to process life.

It‘s been a slow start this year but I finally got my kayak on the water and enjoyed a lovely sunset paddle for dinner with some friends ❤️

1960‘s. This is the story of a couple that flees America to seek asylum in Ghana. It quickly turns into a cat & mouse chase, love triangle, crime story. This wasn‘t a favorite but crime stories aren‘t usually my jam.

I really loved everything about this story. I loved Julia and her fiery personality. There are a lot of big coming of age topics topped off by being the child of undocumented immigrants that occur throughout and seeing Julia learn and grow from them was great. I think a lot of high schoolers can take a lot away from this one.

This was such a great summer read and a debut novel to boot! The story is told from two points of view, Ruthie/Norma and her brother Joe, from a Mi‘kmaq family in Nova Scotia. During the summers, the family relocates to Maine for the blueberry picking season. When Ruthie is four, she is stolen and raised by an affluent couple. I loved how well I got to know both Norma and Joe and the writing is quite beautiful. This book needs more readers!

#WhatsNewWednesday I‘ve been feeling old at work lately; so many new, young staff now! During dinner my daughter told me my playlist sounds like Marshall‘s music! 😩

I also finished this audiobook on my drive. I was familiar with 4 of the 13 trials. The book makes its way through history. A little dry but informative. Many people seem to not care much for the final trial with Stormy Daniels but I liked hearing about how the topic of witches has evolved and how it‘s perceived on multiple sides/views of today‘s culture.

My daughter and I listened to this on a roadtrip. She had not read the first one and was still able to follow along just fine with a quick summery. Not sure I loved it as much as the original but it was still a delightful read.

My sister and I helped our nephew lay out some plans for his future to include registering for community college and money investments. We‘re all super excited. Fingers crossed he follows through now 🤞🏼#WhatsNewWednesday

This is excellent! I‘ve read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn multiple times as kid and need to do a reread now. I loved the story from Jim‘s POV and Everett‘s twist on his education. So, so good!

#WhatsNewWednesday I‘m late to the game this week! My daughter and I celebrated #21 with a NYC weekend getaway and were fortunate to see TWO books to musicals! 🎭

This is a beautifully written memoir! I started reading the physical copy and immediately picked up a cadence, not realizing at first that Sinclair is a poet. I was recommended the audio as she reads the words herself and I ended up switching back and forth because her words are brilliant and I loved both reading the words and listening. I learned a lot about the Rastafarian lifestyle and beliefs and look forward to my book discussion tonight!

My library branch partnered with the SCA and had a Renaissance Faire for our summer reading kickoff on Saturday. It was one of the best events we‘ve had and so much fun! I really do have a great job 😊
#WhatsNewWednesday

I really enjoy Orange‘s writing style and storytelling. This prequel/sequel ties in Orville‘s family lineage dating back to the late 1800‘s as we learn about each generation‘s story. We are then brought into the more present time as we learn about Orville and his family after the powwow. So much to think about after closing this book. ❤️

This book talks about America‘s low income & poverty housing in Milwaukee, WI. Desmond did such a thorough research, he moved into these housing areas to get to know both the tenants and landlords called ethnology (new vocabulary for me.) He shares stories of the people who have been or continue to get evicted from their homes; the how and the why and also the side of the landlords. It‘s really sad all around and reminds me how fortunate I am.

This is a reread after seeing the musical. My first read was the original when it was first published. This go round I picked up the graphic novel version which I preferred. The illustrations really added to the story and because the book was written in verse, I think all the wording was kept rather than simplified as is often the case with graphic novels?! ❤️
PS The musical was awesome!

Got a mini vacay in with the fam. We rode roller coasters, played mini golf, lounged poolside, fine dined and played games. We also met up w/ my daughter‘s childhood bestie for some shopping. Kid #1 is now on the road cross country for a year+ of adventures. My heart is full ❤️ #WhatsNewWednesday

Caught up with Jason Reynold‘s talk at the Olney Theatre from last night over my morning coffee while on vacay. I can‘t wait to see this show next weekend ❤️ ❤️❤️

I‘m not the intended reader for this one, but it takes place at Wellesley College and I wanted to get a glimpse into campus life from a recent grad. Dear Wendy is one of many instagram pages on campus. A second page, Dear Wanda, pops up causing some feuding. It‘s also about friendship and sexual identity. I did recommend it to a colleague starting a queer book club because, though kinda overdone, it opens a lot of positive LGBTQIA+ discussions.

My son finished his college classes! He‘s off to Wyoming for an internship and other adventures for the next 14 months or so. I‘ve been tasked as primary caregiver for Sir Wiggles, his banana ball python. I‘m learning. 😬 #WhatsNewWednesday

Hubby‘s favorite band is Rush. We had a couple of roadtrips together recently and listened to Geddy‘s book. He read it himself, which was nice. I enjoyed his stories and how close the band is/was with each other. It was a bit long but otherwise a good read. I enjoyed the stories of his earlier years best.

Brought my girl home after moving her out of her dorm, surgery, and her followup after an orbital floor fracture. I‘m happy to have her home for the summer. Fingers crossed her double vision clears up ❤️

This was a great young adult read about the case Juliana vs The United States. Twenty-one children got together from different parts of the country and sued the gov‘t over climate change. The lawsuit was filed in 2015 and, I believe, is still ongoing. Holding the government(s) accountable for their participation in global warming and hearing the children speak about their future and their expectations makes for a powerful read. ❤️

I enjoyed Hazelwood‘s vampire/werewolf world and appreciate the mystery she added. I‘ve read 1 of her 3 Love Hypothesis books and 1 of her 3 STEMinist novellas. If this one continues, I‘ll probably stick to just this one out of repetitiveness, even though it was a fun read.

I‘m fairly new to using a sewing machine, but thanks to some amazing coworkers, I‘m learning. Last week I made an up-cycled bag to carry my book and a few odds and ends for a trip this week. It‘s been so convenient and my new favorite thing! #WhatsNewWednesday

This is a heavy read. It‘s deep. It‘s complex. The characters, the issues, the world. It‘s scary because it‘s not far from current issues and the brink we are living with climate change and covid. I‘ll be thinking about this one for some time. There‘s so much to take in and absorb. It‘s interesting that Butler‘s ideas of the world in the 90‘s are not too far off from what we are living in ‘24. Exaggerated, but not by much.

I am so freaking excited about this debut musical! I purchased tickets for the end of the month. Eeek! 🤗

After listening to this book last week, my library copy hold came in. I like seeing the pictures after listening and after flipping through the physical copy, I kinda wish I read it rather than listened in this case 😂

This is kind of a fascinating true crime story of art thief Stephane Breitweiser. The amount of art he stole in less than a decade is unbelievable and he kept it all in the attic of his house. The audio was about 6 hours long and is my May book club‘s choice 😊

My son is planning a thru-hike next summer on this trail and I‘ve taken a few backpacking adventures on the Appalachian Trail so I enjoyed learning about the Pacific Crest Trail and search & rescue. My son is looking at National Park and/or Forest careers and possibly search & rescue so it was a great way to explore what a career like this would look like. My heart breaks for the families of the missing.

@DebinHawaii It‘s been a good week ❤️ The tagged book is my current audiobook. @Graciouswarriorprincess Share your positives! #5JoysFriday

This was an excellent haunted house story taking place during the Mexican Revolution. This definitely has Rebecca and Mexican Gothic vibes with a priest bringing me back to an all time favorite, The Thorn Birds, though a witch. What can I say, I was addicted.

Glad I took an extra “just in case” book with me on my travels. It‘ll come in handy with an unexpected extended stay.

This book was a hoot! I thoroughly enjoyed it but so curious to see how my bookclub will receive it. I‘ll think of this story on every future Ikea visit.

Glad I grabbed my book when I headed out for lunch because my kid landed herself in the ER and I‘ll be here for a few hours. 😬
I‘m grateful I‘m in town for her but sad she won‘t be able to perform in her musical this evening with a concussion

Hanging in Boston this week to watch my daughter perform as Veronica Sawyer in the Heather‘s musical. The live performance will be new to me. I also get to hang with my parents, hubby and some friends in the area ❤️ @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

I‘ve been wanting to read Louise Erdrich for a while now and I went into this blind. It took a bit to sort out who/what the story was about but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. Might be worth a reread in 10-20 years to relive 2019/2020. I currently have 2 books going with ghosts involved in the plot which is quite unusual for me 👻

This book, IMO, is perfect! 10/10. Definitely going to make an effort to read more of Everett‘s writing and I‘m going to try to watch American Fiction tonight. *It‘s not “new” just a newly purchased library copy 😉