OMG believe the hype. This book is fantastic! One of the best love stories I‘ve read.

Snowy afternoon of holiday reading ahead.

Supposedly a throw-back to halcyon summer days spent on the shores of Lake MI, I found this cookbook disappointing and hard to connect with. I grew up in Southwest MIchigan and have spent many summers in a variety of lakeside vacation spots. Very few recipes included here offered familiarity to me. I found a few good ones to try, but the book, as a whole, didn‘t satisfy my “craving for home and vacation. Very few photos of the food as well.

Sarah Miller tells the familiar story of the Ingalls family‘s trek from Wisconsin to Kansas by covered wagon and the beginnings of their new life in Indian Territory through the eyes of Caroline, the soft-spoken wife and mother. True to the Little House books and tv series, the fictionalized account hits all the right notes. Fans of the childrens‘ book series will appreciate a return to the prairie, told from a new, but familiar viewpoint.

Simple but satisfying holiday story. Fans of Tamera Alexander will appreciate her honest storytelling and romantic theme. Delivers on Civil War-era atmosphere.

Honest and realistic look at the prosecution of Casey Anthony. For anyone unfamiliar with the details of the murder case, this narrative will shock and sicken you. Still entirely unbelievable that this woman got away with killing her child.

Leave Me was okay, but several parts seemed less than likely. I didn‘t really buy the cardiologist fraternizing with his patient, nor did I completely believe in a mother leaving her children, then missing them enough to write to them, but not mailing the letters. All in all? Maybe. But it‘s a stretch.

Though at times a little shocking, I found this book believable, entertaining and heartfelt. Tom Perrotta has a wonderful sense of humor and laid-back view of life and love.

Loving this contemporary novel I picked up at the library today. Perrotta gets it--women, men, moms, kids, life in 2017 . . . . One of the best books based in reality I've read in awhile. And darn funny!

Back to the classics! I've passed this one over for far too long. Very much enjoyed The Woman In White and remember an MSU prof intimating this was even better.

Booty from recent trip to Chicago-based Unabridged Bookstore. Taking a break from contemporary fiction for awhile.

The Book of Polly is really her late-in-life daughter Willow's coming-of-age story. Willow lives in constant fear of losing her older mother. When cancer strikes, she'll do anything to save her mother, including demanding a trip to Polly's hometown in Louisiana--one she left 50 years ago under mysterious circumstances and never returned--to visit a faith healer.

Dramatic story of a family struggling to get through hardships in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl era.

This book is SO good! Original, affecting and engrossing. Lodato's storytelling is so clear and honest I feel like it will stick with me for a long time. Don't miss an opportunity to pick this book up. Your heart will weep for Edgar, you'll likely feel anger, pity and loathing for almost everyone else, while unable to tear yourself away from their struggle with life's disappointments.

This book is gorgeous! Anyone interested in art or botanicals should check out this compendium's lovingly-created paintings, drawings, photos and simulations of familiar flowers and plants, by a variety of nature aficionados. Each artwork is accompanied by a brief description, making Plant a source of unique knowledge, as well as creativity, inspiration and beauty.

Loved The Chilbury Ladies' Choir! The story was charming and if a few plot twists were a bit cliched, others were surely surprising. I can't imagine a reader who wouldn't warm to Ryan's cast of imaginative characters, folksy setting and satisfying story.

Quick read for a lazy afternoon.

In the mood for a classic. Even with an English degree I'd never heard of this one . . . not sure where I stumbled across a photo that intrigued me . . . could it have been here, on Litsy? :)

I enjoyed The Homesman. It's a good old-fashioned western with a genuine surprise or two. I also appreciated the fact that Swarthout made me think about his characters motivations and development throughout the story.

The book was okay, but I didn't really like Lillian and never bonded with her. I intended to finish it anyway, but got bored and just gave up. There are only so many $ you want to ring up in fines on a so-so book.

Power outages are good for something. Finished this book by the fire, under a thick afghan, before nightfall. GREETINGS from MICHIGAN!
This is a fun rom-com about a humble young woman and the trials that ensue after she purchases a house that was the sight of former crime scenes. Lucky for her, she's got her hunky live-in co-worker to help her see things through.

7-day check-outs from my new favorite library hang.

Love tiny Franklin Library in suburban Detroit, MI. Still hand-stamping due dates by the warmth of a wood burning fire and offering readers an opportunity to leave personal comments inside book covers.

Thought I was in for a dramatic mystery about the death and disappearance of daughters, at their mother's hand. Turns out Idaho is less about them than everyone else in the story--including others I'm not sure are essential to the plotline. Even more distracting, Ruskovich throws every type of dramatic conflict into the book: murder, missing person, dementia, domestic violence, assault, tragic accident. It's kind of a mess, and it's too much.

Frankel's new book is a little bold, a little out there . . . definitely an engrossing read. Dealing with a transgender child in an increasingly complicated world seems like fresh ground for a mainstream novel. I appreciate the thought and care that went into telling Poppy's story in an honest and straight-forward way. Though the book is not based on Frankel's family, the author uses personal experience to write with convincing style.

"Rosie envied the dog, for whom it was socially acceptable to walk around whining ceaselessly when she was feeling anxious."

"You can tell anytime," Penn said, "but once people know, they can never unknow."
For such a short statement, it was astonishing how much of it proved untrue.

Library booty

I was trying to wait for my birthday, but the PBS series so enthralled me, I had to run out and buy this yesterday.

I liked the book but was a little disappointed. All the hype had me expecting a grand masterpiece I would treasure. Instead, I got a unique story with interesting characters, but since the Neapolitan culture is foreign to me, I was sometimes a bit confused and often left longing for more drama.

Found the local bookstore today.

I may be a little off season, but moving from one state to another has slowed my reading down this month. Heartwarming historical holiday read. I enjoyed learning more about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's life and the era in which he wrote. The modern-day story juxtaposition was also enjoyable, if a little stilted.

I love it! Civil War-era thriller! Military wife is jailed and accused of adultery and infanticide.