This family memoir was hard to put down. I have the privilege to know George through work. His story of cancer survival and the tragedy of losing his 30 something son to stage 4 colon cancer is intense. But it was approachable and written so honestly. I went through a lot of tissues. I hope many who read it are inspired to ask more questions of their health care providers. The book raises awareness of early onset cancers.

Sweet story about finding joy in hard circumstances with lovely imagery of the Welsh countryside. Not as complete of a story as my all time favorite St. John, Treasures of the Snow, but nonetheless a lovely spring read.

Clear why this is a classic. Slow burn that accelerates to a sprint-paced marathon finish. Wonderfully combines action with philosophy and the consequences of so-called “advances.”

Reading Fallada after Zweig was an interesting juxtaposition of perspectives on the same time period. One raw and jagged, the other ephemeral and transcendent. The German resisters were not successful. The Nazis were taken down by outside forces. Rarely do you get to hear the story of those who failed in their pursuit. Here‘s your chance.

Zweig‘s memoir is a wonderfully intimate account of life before and during the world wars. His viewpoint as an artist and writer during that time gave me a new perspective. His stories will stay with me. His vivid descriptions took me there with him. Recommend for those interested in this time period.

Amazing how much could be said about circadian rhythms, and how much they affect our lives. Lots of great tips on how to improve your sleep, and the science behind it. A few: exercise before eating, consume most of your calories early, get exposed to first light to become more of a morning person, take your medicine at the appropriate time. Good Sleep is so important!

It‘s hard to pin this book down. It tries to be drama but fits better in fantasy. It tries to be history but reads more like modern day propaganda. It is full of caricatures not characters. It attempts at humor. The plot was fascinating but the book is a dud for me due to its lack of restraint and nuance.

Silly me - I grew up with the Shirley Temple classic and only recently learned it was a book! Burnett in her typical style shows the reader how to find the magic in the ordinary. The movie was so loosely based on this retelling of Job, having stripped out all of its many layers of meaning. Excellent, excellent.

As I prep for baby boy‘s arrival, I found this method for sleep training very enlightening and encouraging; not that it‘s a sure fire plan but that I can at least have a plan vs being in reactionary mode only. Curious if anyone has any thoughts or experience with this approach to sleep training?

I found this book among my mother‘s library and picked it up because my own amaryllis just finished its annual bloom. It‘s a haunting story of love lost in this life but still around, things that can‘t be explained, and not forgetting to look around at what you do have. Powerful message and memorable vision of the sea.

One of few books I‘ve been able to get through via audiobook! The young Mrs De Winter was clearly young, and a few times that was tiresome. But the descriptions of Manderley, the gardens, the rooms, put you in a time and place. The suspense was well foreshadowed and then revealed. Now to watch the Hitchcock version! I‘m also curious if anyone knows about the Brazilian author who claims that Du Maurier plagiarized for this book.

#chunksterchallenge2022
This book was such great fun. So many hilarious, raucous scenes with the Musketeers. And Milady - what a villain! She was terrifying. The final 200 pages I couldn‘t put down and read straight through. Onto War and Peace!

After the Long Winter, it was lovely to read about life in town. I love how they make so much of what to us contemporary folk looks like so little. These books help ground me and make me grateful for the daily blessings I have to know so little of what was so normal to them.

Wonderful bedtime book to start the year. I purchased a copy while in York last year. I loved the story of Andrew the best as it was so unexpected.

12/28/86 - a day chosen at random and a book written about the events that happened on this ordinary day. My one addendum is it was selection of events that happened on this day, not a comprehensive view of the day. It was a mix of great writing, observation, and a little philosophy at the end. Turns out no day is ordinary. The stories will appeal most to fans of true crime. I couldn‘t put it down and it made me think a lot. #jolabokaflodswap

Such an amazingly apropos pick for #jolabokaflodswap @Chrissyreadit ! Thank you so much for this thoughtful gift and the delicious chocolate. I‘m already enjoying both by the fire. Thank you, @MaleficentBookDragon again for organizing! Merry Christmas to all my Litsy friends!

My #jolabokaflodswap has arrived! Thank you!

My #jolabokaflodswap is in the mail and heading to you @Catsandbooks ! @MaleficentBookDragon thank you for organizing!

Unfortunately I couldn‘t stay hooked to this series. I love Asimov in general but I think I‘m not the target audience for this series. Maybe one day I‘ll pick it up again!

Started the Foundation trilogy and I found it helped to learn it was initially a set of short stories and that Asimov wrote these to make some money when he was only 21 (!!). Asimov imagines what it would have been like for the fall of the Roman Empire to have been predicted, what would people have done.

It must be so hard to write a memoir, especially of a life that‘s so foreign to most of your readers. Elena grew up in the 60s-70s of Soviet Russia and writes of her memories. I found her relationship with her mother the most poignant, and the most Russian. :) no happy endings here, at least not American style. But the happiest ending for a Russian leaving when she did - hope.

So much has been said about this book that it‘s hard to add much. I didn‘t know about this book as a kid (why?!) but I could see how it would foster a love of reading. I teared up at the end, it came together so quickly but so powerfully. I will be continuing the series!

I wasn‘t terribly impressed with this one. Very uneven character developments, a lot of dead ends and false leads. I didn‘t understand the game aspect since few of the characters shared their clues, and those who did failed to win.

It could have been twice as long and I wouldn‘t have tired. What a riveting adventure from the first page to the last. I wish I had read it sooner! Thank you @Amiable and others for inspiring me via the chunksterchallenge! Those posts motivated me to dig into it and I‘m so glad I did.

I‘m surprised this book won a Newberry. It was an odd combinations of themes and while set in Paris, it didn‘t feel particularly French.

Good short read on sales tips. I like how he emphasizes sales is foremost an exercise in problem solving.

Strong female characters, who get stronger, in a fantastical world complete with monsters. The reader on my audiobook version had a slight Russian accent which was fun. The demon‘s voice was a little much. Overall, I found it a bit predictable but descriptive and atmospheric.

A book worth discussing more than reviewing. Sometimes the less I like a book the more I have to say about it.

The adventure continues. I don‘t think I‘ll ever forget that scene of the grasshoppers and the dream of financial freedom chomped away. I laughed and cried in the blizzard scenes and grateful my own woodshed is just off the porch!

At first I thought the details on the building of the house were tedious, but then seeing what they endured during their short year there made me appreciate their struggles. It may be a children‘s book but as an adult i found it powerful and convicting.

Excellent! So fast paced, not a wasted detail throughout. I wasn‘t aware of the hype before reading it which probably helped me enjoy it more. The language was cinematographic, which explains why it‘s been produced so many times! Great read for a relaxing weekend afternoon, relishing the last bits of winter.

A young boy and a young girl not-dealing with the loss of a parent. This was her second book and it reminded me of her Raymie Nightingale series. She explores some serious questions about life and living, not sure at what age one is truly ready to go there.

There is so much to say about this incredible book. Tuchman took you down to the battlefields alongside the generals and soldiers, and gave you a glimpse of what happened not just on the field but in their mind. I was left gutted and speechless and in tears.

I would start by suggesting a different title: “Vignettes of people who are in some way involved in the grocery business.” Lorr found a way in each story to focus only on the unseemly bits, but didn‘t get close to the miracle of grocery. For Lorr, if there is a speck of bad or greed or self-interest, it becomes entirely bad. There is no room for chiaroscuro. The book made me think, but mostly about what he got wrong so I can‘t rec and can‘t pan.

My brother wants to get a kindle - any recommendations? I prefer physical books so I don‘t know how to guide him. Thanks in advance for any leads!

This short novella follows 3 people who work at a place referred to as “the factory.” At times the book adumbrates the question of meaning in life, but only faintly. Then there is a thread discussing the animals at the factory that I would argue attempts to create a parallel to the humans. Great read, fun in ways as it zigzags time and narrators. Overall it feels unfinished.

Excellent. Dawson argues for a win-win style of negotiating where you get what you want only once the party has gotten what they‘ve wanted. Great tips for business and life.

We have so much to be thankful for. Reading about Laura and Rose and their journey to MO was a humbling way to spend Jan 1st. This short book (100pgs) is part diary of Laura‘s and part reminiscence from Rose. The scene about the $100 and starving family are especially touching.

A Stradivarius violin is renowned not only for its maker but also for the extended provenance of violinists who brought them to life in performances. Great read that packed a lot of history about the violin, Stradivari, and certain violinists in a short book. Learned quite a bit and jotted down a few recordings to seek out.

Apparently the first hundred pages are a test to prepare you for the rest of the book. This isn‘t your typical murder mystery in that it‘s a slow burn with quite a few rabbit trails. Will appeal more to those who enjoy the reading experience. Completed my trip to Italy as part of my #staycationintimeswap. Thanks @AmyG for my copy!

Hard to find something original to say about this classic. I wish in school we had been challenged to write a mystery — how tricky to lay out all the clues in a way that leaves them guessing, not too much and not too little.

Lovely to read now as I prepare my own garden for spring. So many motifs and themes to explore here, both as a child and an adult. Haunting to think how few years after this book was published Europe was plunged into the darkness of the First World War.

Overwhelmingly poignant. And somehow full of hope. The writing was very vivid, it really felt like I was there in Crosby, Maine.

Excellent biography of Wittgenstein and Popper. I learned so much about them both, their lives and philosophies. The title makes you think the premise is a bit more salacious than it turned out to be, but the story unraveled elegantly.

Greenberg challenges us to challenge the notion that our depression — and more broadly, feelings — are just a chemical imbalance. Instead he wants to reclaim all human experience as part of the human experience, the good, the bad, the ugly. Medicine holds so much promise, but less so here than we would hope. But hope we have nonetheless.

Absolutely excellent. Ryrie‘s short book explores the history of atheistic thought, and argues it was emotion before it was thought. In particular, anger (at the priestly authorities) and anxiety (about life‘s unanswerable questions). This book widened and deepened my thinking.

Chilling. I actually felt cold as I raced through the end last night. Very vivid character studies and sense of geography in this book. I loved learning about Kamchatka as I knew nothing beforehand. Reminded me a little of Miss Smilla. Overall, kept my attention as I finished it in 2 days! Thank you @AmyG for my copy!

Excellent book. I had no clue what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. It‘s more of a story rather than history of Constantinople ribboned with a father/son trip and real life. Fidler pulled off an entertaining and enlightening read. I hope to see the Ghost Empire some day for myself!

Thank you so much @AmyG for this wonderful swap! Love the books and very intrigued by the Irish choice. The coffee scoop is so lovely! Lots of great treats to take me to some lovely places I hope to see again soon. Thank you @Chrissyreadit for organizing another great swap! #staycationintimeswap

In the author‘s note to my edition, Baum insists that his children‘s story is unlike those of Andersen and Grimm, free of “heartaches and nightmares.” This comment amused me as getting picked up by a cyclone wouldn‘t be full of “wonderment” for me. Also reminded me of the many Ozs I‘ve met in my life, a good reminder in itself of the value of independence and independent thinking.