⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This has been on my tbr since it came out and I finally read it 😅 It was a little slow toward the middle but by about 70% I couldn‘t put it down. I really enjoyed the tension the author created, and how realistically I felt he played on people‘s distrust of each other and even racism. I would not recommend this to people who have to understand what‘s happening - there is no resolution and a lot is unexplained. I‘m weirdly ok with that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 This was excellent. Gripping at times and also often relatable and human. Each essay jumps around in time, but I think it‘s so well done in that way. The only sad thing is she doesn‘t read the audio herself - which I usually prefer for a memoir - but the narrator did a great job.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. Probably barely a pick for me. I liked a lot about this speculative fiction featuring a mother who made a poor decision while her daughter was in her care. I felt it dragged a bit about halfway through and I became less engaged. Overall a super interesting premise that was well developed. I wanted to love it, not just like it. I‘ll be interested in what she writes next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I actually really enjoyed this book. It‘s written from the perspective of a socially awkward middle aged woman, and murders are happening in her small town. Kind of a slow burn mystery, but it‘s really more about the character herself. I recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Such an interesting memoir about the author‘s psychosis just a few months after her son was born. I felt it was so brave of her to be so forthcoming in sharing her story - I‘m sure some may judge for her for it. I recommend to anyone interested!!

This is excellent - an eye opening account of the author‘s wrongful conviction and imprisonment on death row. It‘s heartbreaking but also hopeful. I recommend reading Just Mercy first - it would help you appreciate this more I think. Highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first time reading Ruth Ware, and I‘m interested in how her other books compare. I definitely enjoyed this one. I thought I had it figured out but then didn‘t. A fun thriller set on a college campus with interesting characters. I recommend if you‘re looking for a good thriller!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a good true crime/memoir. She tied her own experiences together with how it affected her work as a private investigator. I found parts fascinating, and others were slightly slow. I also enjoyed the vignettes about other related topics - I thought they helped provide context. Overall an interesting read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 I had a hard time getting into this book. I think I struggle with novellas because they give me so little time to get my bearings, and that‘s how I felt with this one. Parts were so powerful. I just feel like I‘d have to read it 3-5 times for it to really click.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 I just loved this book. It‘s slow paced but sweet and charming. Funny too. It‘s a feel good novel with some depth to it - just what I needed right now. Her style of writing reminds me a bit of Laurie Colwin. I‘m interested in reading more from her!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is full of information and teaches you to think for yourself when it comes to pregnancy and birth decisions. There‘s also a lot of fact without judgement. I think it‘s invaluable and I‘m going to recommend it now to all of my pregnant friends and those who are thinking about getting pregnant. HIGHLY recommend!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a powerful memoir and I‘m glad I read it. I thought it was going to be more about her relationship with her father, but it was really a lot about her relationship with her mother. I wish she‘d dug into her relationship with her father more, but it‘s her story to tell so I really shouldn‘t judge! I recommend to anyone interested!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book! I found it super absorbing and fast paced. The story was really intriguing. It‘s one of my husband‘s favorite books and now I see why. I‘m interested in reading more Blake Crouch!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I related to a lot of what the author said about what it‘s like being an introvert - especially because I‘m a “shintrovert” (shy introvert) myself. The beginning was especially funny. After telling some of the stories to my husband he asked if she did all of it TO write a book about it. After that, I couldn‘t stop wondering that for the rest of the book. 🤔 I still enjoyed most of the book though. I recommend to anyone curious.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I don‘t know anything about Jennette McCurdy, but I still found this memoir to be heartbreaking with a good dose of humor. She challenges the idea that moms are always wonderful beings - and it‘s something I don‘t see often. Her delivery is dry and pretty direct. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I found this book challenging and excellent. I went in almost blind and I‘m glad I did. The author treats the reader with intelligence, which I love. The vision the author had for this book is unique and so, so effective. I HIGHLY recommend that everyone read it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m on a roll with great books this month! This one is important, and is based around actual history. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love Stanley Tucci and this was absolutely delightful to listen to on audio. It‘s all about food and how it relates to different aspects of his life from childhood until now. I loved it and highly recommend it. Even listening to him read recipes was entertaining. (I‘m considering buying a physical copy for said recipes.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read an ebook version of this novella. I liked the concept of this story but it was pretty confusing most of the time. I had to keep flipping back and rereading to get my bearings. I do think it‘s well written and I was interested enough that I wanted to keep reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is absolutely excellent. Smith visits different sites that pertain to the history of slavery in the US. I appreciated how he included his own personal perspectives, as well as the perspectives of the many people he interviewed. He approaches and discusses these encounters with compassion, regardless of their worldview. I think it‘s a must read - particularly for Americans, but also for anyone who is interested.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 This was my first Geraldine Brooks novel and I was pretty blown away. I read this because she‘ll be at the National Book Festival (so excited!!). The topic didn‘t sound too interesting - the description is rather vague. I was so pleasantly surprised and I‘m very interested in reading something else from her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved the beginning of this book but it started to drag about halfway through. It picked up a bit at the end but for me that wasn‘t enough to make it a pick. I really liked the concept but feel it could‘ve been cut down by about 100 pages. I do recommend her book We‘re All Completely Beside Ourselves - it‘s very good. Don‘t read descriptions before reading that though - it‘s so much better that way. Trust me!

Just received my #gettbr recommendations from book riot! I‘d never heard of any of them before so I‘m excited to give them a try!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was excellent. It made me really wish I‘d read it when I was younger but I‘m still glad I read it now. I very much recommend for high schoolers or even just out of high school - or anyone really!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was so good! It‘s not just about Ruhl‘s Bell‘s palsy, but also what it means to be able to smile in the first place. It‘s a story of loss and grief, and how she has processed it all. Highly recommend!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a good thriller. It‘s more about relationship drama, and was a nice break from my usual reads. It‘s a great beach/summer read if you want a distraction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this strange and somewhat gory book about a mixed race female vampire. It dragged for me just a little near the middle but it‘s well written and the rest was intriguing. It‘s definitely a slower read, and is almost a character study - just with a hungry vampire trying to reconcile her human side with her vampiric tendencies.
This was a #gettbr recommendation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 I got this book from a bookstore running group that sadly had to end in early 2020 due to covid. I finally read it! I enjoyed her story and her intentional gratitude, which is something I want to apply to everything, not just running. I was struck by her statements about the difference between being fit and being healthy. I recommend this for anyone who runs, even casually, or anyone who wants inspiration to practice more gratitude.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This isn‘t my usual genre, but I picked it up wanting a summery light escape read and this delivered. I enjoyed the humor and the characters. I‘d be interested in reading another of her books the next time I‘m feeling up for a light fast read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this book about a boy who‘s a “Terror” because he‘s born with a bird in his chest so he needs to keep it hidden. This was a good coming of age novel - it kind of gave me Perks of Being a Wallflower vibes but for me, this was better.
This was a #gettbr recommendation

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some of this book worked for me and some of it didn‘t. I enjoyed the humor and it was a distraction which was exactly what I wanted, but I found some of the details gross and not necessary to describe. I got pretty tired of it by about 2/3 through. At times the writing reminded me of My Year of Rest and Relaxation (I enjoyed that one more).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is a memoir about Casey‘s struggle to become a mother in the late 70s and early 80s when IVF was brand new. Though I didn‘t really identify with her desperation to have a child, I did appreciate her willingness to try something so new, and her openness about her fertility journey.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book! There were so many characters and timelines to follow but the author has a way of letting the reader know exactly where they are in each story. I thought the stories were brilliantly woven together and I enjoyed reading each part. I loved All the Light We Cannot See and I‘m so happy this was excellent also. Highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2. My sister-in-law read this when she went through a really tough time last year, and passed it along to me this year. Even though the book is about grief and the author‘s personal story of her cancer diagnosis, it‘s such a comfort to read. Plus I love her snarky humor. I highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book about girls/women growing up in Queens NY. It‘s written as a chorus of voices (reminded me of the Virgin Suicides) and it‘s very effective this way. I highly recommend and hope to pick up whatever she writes next!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2. I really liked the first short story and the novella at the end. The rest of the stories went over my head a little or weren‘t as compelling. The novella was great overall with great characters. It was a little slow in parts but that didn‘t take too much away from the poignancy of the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first Kevin Wilson book and it was really quirky and charming with surprising heart. I remember being about 60 pages in and wondering if I‘m supposed to like the main character. I‘m definitely interested in reading more of Wilson‘s books if they‘re anything like this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is not my typical read, but I picked it up on the suggestion of a bookseller at my local indie. I really enjoyed it! It‘s focus on sexism in the corporate world interested me. I‘d describe it as “brain candy” - kind of a lighter read, easy to breeze through, with just enough tough issues to keep me interested. I recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed this novel about a woman unsure of her choices in life. She questions almost everything in her life, but her relationship with and views of each of her parents were some of the most interesting parts to me. The writing is kind of stilted and detached but unexpectedly funny in places. I picked this up on a whim and I‘m glad I did!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I weirdly enjoyed this book about a mother who believes she‘s turning into dog. I‘m not a mother but found a lot of this relatable and/or echoing my anxieties over becoming a mother. I liked that it wasn‘t all focused on drudgery but had times of complete joy too. This was definitely surrealist and became more absurd as the book went on. I do recommend for people who like this sort of book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was the perfect weekend read - something that was engrossing and a fast read. A 25 year old guy wakes up to find that a terrible crime has occurred in the house. It‘s a bit dark and gory, but I don‘t want to say too much more because I think it‘s best to know very little ahead of time. I recommend for a medium paced thriller.
This was a #gettbr recommendation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This book is very good. The author has a way of describing so much using so few words at times. I‘m interested in her other books now!
My twin sister and I have a “book club” and this is the second book featuring twins we‘ve read together. It‘s interesting because sometimes I cringe, but I thought this was done well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a case of right book right time. It‘s a faith based book about anxiety and depression. The author felt like she was speaking directly to me. Highly recommend for those interested in something like this!

Unfortunately I just couldn‘t get into this book. I was so intrigued by the idea.. I read Beautiful Country (a memoir I HIGHLY recommend!!) recently and it had so much depth and reflection, but I didn‘t feel that here. It might just be me and the timing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This memoir was published in France in 1945 by Banine, about growing up in Azerbaijan. I can‘t remember the last time I learned so much about culture and history from a memoir. Some parts were a little slow and I didn‘t love her occasional “oh I forgot to mention..” which made it feel even more unedited. Though I felt she wrote with a sense of detachment I found a lot of her younger life experiences fascinating and I‘m glad I read this.

“To my mind, the definition of childhood is very simple: belief in stability and the goodness of the world. Take away that belief, and childhood comes to an end.”

What a time to be reading this memoir about the author‘s childhood, during which Russia invaded Azerbaijan, given the current invasion of Ukraine.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The prose is pretty matter of fact but effective. There‘s a lot here about modern women in society and motherhood. Not being a mother (or from Korea for that matter), I still identified pretty strongly with this book. The ending was perfect. I definitely recommend!

This was a #gettbr recommendation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This was a great thriller. Some twists and interesting characters.. I couldn‘t put it down and I highly recommend!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This is an important memoir and I‘m glad I listened to the audiobook. It‘s moving and brought me to tears a few times. Also a gorgeous cover. Highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed this! It was originally published in 1978 and republished last year. It‘s the story of two men who fall in love with two women, but really don‘t understand them. The characters were entertaining and surprisingly funny. A light read but not too fluffy. It was a nice break between heavier, more serious books. I highly recommend!