Oh Toni Morrison is so brilliant. That is all.

An important and inspiring memoir by the first black woman reporter at The Washington Post, but I had such a hard time reading this. I‘m glad I read it, but wish the writing style was a bit more approachable.

Such a beautiful, sweet, and sad book. It made me cry, so of course it‘s a winner! My only complaint is I wish we could see the main characters‘ artwork.

Oh man, this book made me feel like I was back in school. It made me think really hard, which made it harder to read, but also made me very envious of anyone who was able to be taught by Toni Morrison. She will be missed.

Though I did enjoy it, I‘m not sure it lived up to the hype for me. I enjoyed the push pull of loyalty to family and right and wrong, but I wish there was more than just allusion to a few of the action points.

Required reading for all white people!

Set in Bangalore and Kashmir, this was a very timely read given all the happenings there right now. I think this encompasses the helplessness many feel these days. Very good!

I heard an interview with the author and wanted to learn more about how to respectfully care for loved ones with Dementia-we are always trying to do the best for my grandmother who has it. Unfortunately, it seemed like most of this book was about the history of it and how expensive it is to decline in the US. I did appreciate the last 2-3 chapters, which were more focused on caregiving and a “good” death. I just wish there had been the main focus.

I was hoping this would grab be a little more but it was definitely an interesting read. I enjoyed the history of the library more than the investigation of the actual fire because there really wasn‘t one. Don‘t read this if you‘re expecting any type of true-crime.

A wonderful collection of poems from many of her books. Loved it!

I have never before read such a clear description of depression. I have family and friends who suffer from it and have always struggled to really understand what they were going through. I feel like I finally get it. This book is so beautiful and I thank Heather for going through this and sharing her journey with us.

I really enjoyed this. I love a story told from multiple perspectives, especially when there‘s a bit of a puzzle being solved.

A very sweet collection of essays about crafting. I enjoyed how much of herself she shared. I have similar familial ties with the origins of my crafting and was also very close to my grandparents, so I felt a lot of those essays deeply. A lovely, quick read.

Required reading for anyone who wants to try to help anti-racism.

It was a sweet story, but it‘s not my favorite that I‘ve read by her.

I was honestly annoyed through most of the first chapter, but then I loved it. I‘m not a mom, but I really enjoyed this. I laughed out loud often and also felt so sad for her. Such a great book!

So good. Very deserving of all the awards that it won.

I wasn‘t so sure when I started this because I have heard conflicting things about Transparent in the wake of #Metoo, but I appreciated how the whole book was a transformation and an admittance of getting a lot wrong. I like that she was honest about what she was trying to do and that she was still learning as she was figuring out the world for herself too.

Might be my new favorite last line “It was a fine cry - loud and long - but it had no bottom and it had no top, just circles and circles of sorrow.”

I really enjoyed this. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school my whole life, though different from the Christianity described here, still lent me plenty of shame and guilt around sex. I loved reading this viewpoint.

I saw this book on more than a few lists of books to read, so was excited when I saw it at the library, but I was really disappointed. It‘s fine, but not something I‘d recommend.

I read this in an effort to educate myself about race in America. I thought this was really insightful and helpful in explaining how changing some thought processes can make white people better allies. Would definitely recommend.

Every new book (and those I love to revisit) remind me how much I love Barbara Kingsolver. She writes so beautifully about humanity, relationships, and nature and how it is all intertwined. This was another wonderful novel she‘s gifted us.

I‘m honestly not sure how I feel about this book. How do you all feel about it? Maybe the point is that power corrupts? Anyone who has more strength becomes terrible?

Oh man, this book. If I didn‘t already love Michelle Obama with all my heart, this would have made that happen. She is so real and so down to earth. She made me laugh and made me cry and I miss her being the mother of our nation so, so much.

God it‘s like she‘s speaking right to me, begging me to embrace the swerve!

Very good. It took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked! Many truths here that apply to situations today.

Had to add in text from a previous page to get the full quote, but this stood out to me. How true is this? The same sad human frailty. These days we‘re just hating different types of people. When will we learn?

Oh man. I do badly wanted to like this book, but it‘s not good. I get that it‘s very unique in its telling, but it‘s so hard to follow. There are tangents in every section and it doesn‘t even seem to have a resolution. Makes everything seem quite pointless. Please prove me wrong, but I did not enjoy this.

Not my usual read, but inspiring nonetheless.

I‘ll give this extra points because it was very hard to put down, but the mystery was very predictable, so I don‘t think there‘s really anything new here. Good, but not unique.

As small as this is, it is jam packed. Almost more poetry than pose, these essays are very moving. Took me a while to read because they were all so full of meaning, but very good!

This whole poem, but also this line.... “Joy is not made to be a crumb.” Feels especially necessary to think about this these days.

This book made me fall in love with Ann Patchett‘s writing and I loved it just as much reading it again. I knew they were making a movie but didn‘t realize that I completely missed when it was in the theater, so I‘ll have to find it to rent!

Again, Mary Oliver speaks right to my heart with the perfect words. These three lines. So good. I worship her!

This stanza. Right here. I love Mary Oliver so much ❤️❤️

First, let‘s take a moment to appreciate this amazing cover. I kept running my hands over it, expecting to feel the thread. I love it so much. I‘ve followed Kate Davies for a very long time. I knit her owls sweater, one of my favorite items I‘ve made. And I remember the shock of reading when she had her stroke. This book talks about her life as a maker and coming back from that stroke to find a new normal. A great read!

Such a great book! A wonderful story told with letters about a group of people telling their occupation stories from the war to an author who wants to tell their story. Full of love and friendship and a community that tried very hard to take care of each other. It was hard to put down!

This was such a fun read. It explains the history behind each episode of season one and expands on what really happened.

So good! I especially love that this story is set is a perfect town and it shows how nothing is really perfect. No matter how much you try to force it to be. I can‘t wait for the show they are making of this - of only to see the amazing photos she writes about come to life.

This was a crazy read. It makes me sad that even after realizing how mentally ill her father was it took her so long to seek help herself, but I can‘t imagine how hard it must be to pull away from a whole family as abusive as hers.

The perspective here is so important. I think this might take a couple reads to fully sink in, but definitely a must read.

An interesting collection about 29 women who dares to break the rules. I liked that she covered their flaws as well and didn‘t just gloss over their lives.

Yes, the story is insane and needed to be told, but I really did not love the writing in this book. Sometimes it felt more like a list of the girls and their ailments than a telling of their lives. It probably could have been 100 pages shorter and still just as impactful.

I enjoyed this. The dynamics of sisters is represented well. Fighting, hurt feelings, yet still loving each other so deeply.

So good! I‘d never have thought that reading about a filibuster would make me misty, but this did! About finding hope where it seems like there‘s none there. So important right now.

This is one of the best books I‘ve read in a long time. It is written so beautifully and tells a story about a refugee family trying to find safety and each other again. Definitely read this!

“It used to make me wonder whether the most important things we see in God are really in each other.” This book is so amazing!

This one is definitely going on my “to buy” list. Tells the story of a bad ass woman who has changed this country for the better so many times.