Grief affects many people in unknown ways. I was a bit hesitant to read this as I remember not loving Normal People, but this was recommended by a friend with similar tastes in books. At first I found it a bit confusing, but the more I read the more engaging it became and I was truly invested in the characters. I especially enjoyed Ivan, Margaret and Sylvia, but came to empathize with Peter by the end.

Read this for book club and is not one I'd have chosen to read now given what's happening in our country's government - some terrifying similarities to where we may be headed with this Holocaust novel based on true events.

A fun read with a clever title!

Categorized as a romance novel, this is more about platonic love overshadowed by romantic relationships. Storyline had potential, but writing was just okay for me - more telling than showing which made characters seem surface level while trying to address deep issues.

A well-written literary novel about women, love, resilience and loss. Ruth, who was raised by a single mother and is one herself, feels like a failed mother to Eleanor who also becomes a single mother. Ruth ends up raising Eleanor's daughter Lily due to Eleanor's drug addiction. The title is clever in its double meaning.

Literary and historical fiction with well-written prose of unlikeable characters. I most enjoyed the shorter section told from the POV of Charlene's daughters.

This was a fun, quick thriller with a great twist at the end!

The power of human touch and what happens to people when it's not present. This is such a hopeful book about two young men in the care system who find each other and learn to love. Reminded me of a John Green novel.

While this is a short book, it was not a quick read in that it is dense. It reminded me of Ocean Vuong's writing.

Read this book for book club and think it will be a great one to discuss. It had many topics one can relate to in one's life - mental health, regret, small and large decisions that can affect/change the course of one's life and impact other's lives, the power of books. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read.

I thought this started a bit slow, but I loved the complexity and layers of the story especially the last third of the book. Nell is not unusual in her feelings of inadequacy, yet she overcomes her thoughts with love. I really enjoyed the character development of Delores who cared less and less what others thought of her as she got older. A great book about women.

The protagonist June is so self absorbed. This novel is as much about the publishing industry as it is about the addictive nature of social media. Well written - humorous and clever.

Before this I was unaware of divorce ranches in Reno where women could live for six months in order to file for a divorce. The plot was not predictable, but it didn't have much of a climax and sometimes felt repetitive.

A humorous novel about writing, race, trying to live above one's means with a protagonist, Jane, who makes poor choices so has to continually lie about them. Though the characters are not likable, there is likely something everyone can relate to - fear of homelessness, moving around frequently, art, teaching, parenting, raising neurodiverse kids, rejection.

I listened to the book narrated by the author. Given recent political events, this was a timely read about everyday people who made significant impacts in seemingly small acts. It leaves me hopeful that history will repeat itself.

Winner of the Booker Prize and a love letter to Earth. I enjoyed this quick read that somehow felt slow-paced.

I really wanted to like this book. The first chapter was captivating, but after that I found it so disjointed it was hard to follow. The writing was uninspiring to me and the frequent sex scenes seemed contrived.

Definitely one of the best books I've read this year. The plot veers into a completely different path than I could have predicted - amazing writing! Reminded me of Trust by Hernan Diaz. Their plots are dissimilar, but the way the story is woven together is so clever.

I really enjoyed this novel - a great setting of Cape Cod, well developed characters and the messiness of life. Rocky is menopausal and sandwiched between her adult children and aging parents. The story reminded me of others by Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout.

This is a humorous novel that had to grow on me. The premise is silly - a reality show of Americans set in Sweden with Swedish heritage. The characters are well developed, and I particularly enjoyed learning so much about the geography, culture and customs of Sweden and Swedes.

Anne Lamott never disappoints! Love her writing style, humor, honesty and vulnerability.

I enjoyed the first half about Rosie more than the second half about Helen. Every other chapter time shifts & I enjoyed the “now“ more than the “before“ chapters. Set in Sonoma Valley, it was fun to read about the descriptions of the vineyard. I would read more of the author's novels when I'm in the mood for historical fiction. The main character has synesthesia which reminded me of YA novel A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass.

Not my favorite Backman book as I didn't like the characters. It reminded me a bit of Turtles All the Way Down by John Green due to the anxiety of the flawed humans. The interconnected of the characters was interesting and it was funny at times.

I'm not sure how I missed reading this novel, having read all the others. After reading Tell Me Everything, I went back & read this. The characters development is a mark of the author's strong writing and this novel didn't disappoint. The Burgess siblings don't have great relationships & have drifted apart as adults. Yet they are connected to each other through their shared sad childhood, so when Susan's son Zach gets into trouble they reconnect.

There is much I liked about this novel. The setting of the English countryside, the quirky characters Michael and Marnie with their wry humor, baggage and hang ups, and the subtle humor. If you are an Anglophile, I think you'd enjoy this.

This is my first novel by this author and it was beautifully written. I will definitely read more of his novels!

An interesting story about building the Panama Canal and the cost to human life and lives it affected. Complete with love, power, betrayal, friendship, poverty, wealth - a true reflection of the human experience.

A story about stories and love. Strout brings together all of her beloved characters from previous novels. I adored this book. The ending is perfect! My only hope is that this doesn't mean the author won't continue writing her amazing novels.

This was a challenging read in that it was dense and a painful storyline. War is always messy and so much loss, including not having a childhood as is the case of the main character. I learned a lot about Sri Lanka. For anyone who doesn't shy away from challenging historical fiction, this is a good one. Great writing.

An interesting read of historical fiction. There was a bit of repetitiveness with the guilt, but the plot seemed to closely mirror the real life of Hedy Lamarr. I enjoyed the second half of the book better than the first, perhaps due to Hedy's maturing. At the start of the novel she was only nineteen!

This is a beautifully written book about Khaled and his two Libyan friends Hosam and Mustafa. Khaled is exiled in London from Libya due to political unrest. The story spans around 40 years and goes all the way to the Arab Spring. Writing, reading and language are a significant part of this story too. Long listed for the 2024 Booker Prize. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed much about this sweet story with an overall theme of love, forgiveness & kindness, but the writing was repetitive - perhaps to reflect dementia in aging people, but it didn't work for me. I was also confused at the beginning. I mixed up characters thinking that Sadie & Hannah were Denise's daughters as I didn't realize the early chapters about the girls were flashbacks. While the premise was good, the format didn't work for me.

I enjoy memoirs and this one was no exception. Her portrayal of being a Jew during the Holocaust is raw and honest in that many of her feelings are typical for being a teenager. Equally impressive with her resilience was how much detail Gerda remembered. Highly recommend!

This was my first novel by this author. I didn't realize it was a followup to Brooklyn, but it was fine as a standalone book. I didn't love it though. The characters over multiple decades never said how they felt to people important to them. Perhaps this was a reflection of the times. On the upside, I was unsure how it would end so the plot made me want to keep reading.

Rowell's YA novel Eleanor and Park is one of my all-time faves. The downsides: At first I found Shiloh annoying. The other oddity was the level of language Juniper used. She's a young girl yet talks like a grandma. On the plus side, Rowell's characters are realistic in that they are messy rather than being a fairy tale. Shiloh did grow and develop as a character which was redeeming. Not a lasting life-altering book, but a sweet quick read. 3.5/5

I'm not sure why I've never read Louise Penny before (other than that mysteries aren't my first genre choice). However, this did not disappoint as the writing is so descriptive and the characters are intriguing. I plan to continue reading the series.

Zentner is one of my favorite YA authors and his first adult novel comes across equally as heartfelt. There is something so special about one's first love that a part of it stays with us no matter how many other loves we encounter later in life. If you're looking for a sweet romance with issues that reflect current culture, this may be for you.

A very slow read which felt like a slog. Not sure why I finished it as I never quite got invested in the characters as none were likable.

A quick read thriller which reminded me of many televised British mysteries. Not a novel with staying power, but a good way to spend a day too hot to be outside.

A psychological thriller with many references to folktales and operas. In spite of it starting slow and not liking most of the characters, it was a quick read that kept my attention.

This book got off to a slow start for me in Akorfa's section. Once I got to Selasi's section I was too invested to quit. However, I found the resolution a cliche. Even though the plot provided insight into Ghanian culture, I didn't love the novel.

If you enjoy the world of ballet or novels about messy family relationships and dreams, you may enjoy this book.

A psychological thriller with themes of Catholicism, racism and misogyny. Recommend for older teens and adults. The novel shifts between 1984 when the protagonist Justine is twelve and 2014. The scenes in the earlier timeframe seemed more fleshed out and I was left with questions about Justine as an adult.

An interesting read about North Korea with a clearly unreliable narrator. The plot wasn't always coherent, but compelling enough to want to finish it.

The retelling of Huck Finn told from the point of view of James. Excellent! This should be nominated for many book prizes and should be read far and wide (though sadly in many US states it would end up on a list of banned books).

Although this is fiction, it reads like an actual account. Set in Dublin, this shows that sexual assault is universal. Flawed characters, and a blurring of the truth. Told from the point of view of three characters. Well written!

A coming of age novel about the loss of a mother to not only the three girls in the family, but also to their father. The protagonist and her father become obsessed with her playing squash as a channel to dealing with their grief.

A very quick (though at times not easy) read about the war in Saravejo and one woman's determination to not only survive, but also make the lives of her family and friends better in a time of hell. Well written; I can see why it was longlisted for the Women's Prize in 2023.

If you enjoy UK history this is an enjoyable fictional read about a family put into the context of major events in England. I read this while on holiday in the UK which made it even more fun!

I heard Patric Gagne interviewed on a podcast so wanted to read her memoir which I found fascinating.