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This book is delicious (which I do not believe I have ever used that word to describe a book before, but once I thought of it, I couldn‘t think of anything else because it‘s so true).
The fashion, the drama, the tension, it all combines to create a really fun, fast escape into Levenseller‘s world. It was a treat to read.
pickTelling the story of female Polish, Jewish resistance fighters during WWII, Batalion took on a daunting task. Women are historically left out of talks of war, and the sources she used spanned counties, languages, and time periods. She managed to weave a captivating story highlighting some of the women who fought for their people.
I mostly listening to the audiobook, so I had a little difficulty keeping the women straight in my head.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫I was anticipating this one based on so much hype & great reviews -& I was not disappointed! It was a great read. Olive was funny & ridiculous without being annoying, the fake dating is always a winner for me, & the issues shown of women in academia/STEM were presented well. I missed having the story from Adam‘s point of view, which I think is really my only complaint. Definitely one I recommend,& I‘ll be looking for more from Hazelwood!
pick*Book isn‘t in the Litsy database
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I don‘t normally post about children‘s books I read, but this is a great look at the complexity of adoption in language children can relate to. Hall is an adoptee, and I‘m grateful to have this book to help generate conversations & give my children words to process all they might feel about being adopted.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫I really enjoyed this Advent book! Spanning from November 24-January 7, the whole season of Advent through Epiphany is covered. Often as I was reading, I remarked on how refreshing it was to have to really use my brain to read an Advent book.
The poem “Black Rook in Rainy Weather” by Sylvia Plath was definitely a stand out entry for me, as was “The Holy Mother” by Romano Guardini.
I will definitely be reading this one again next year!
“What kind of maniac travels in time?”
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I went into this one assuming I wouldn‘t love it - I don‘t like Jane Eyre & I‘m generally not a huge fan of retellings. But, as usually happens, I‘m glad my book club chose this one that I wouldn‘t have picked on my own because I did end up having a great time reading it. It‘s a fast, twisty read, and I honestly can‘t say much without spoiling - but I will say, definitely worth checking out.
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This was a really fun addition to Adams‘ Bromance series - I enjoyed the “marriage of convenience” trope as it‘s one I don‘t usually read, and, as always, I enjoyed watching the “bros” subvert toxic masculinity in all their weird ways. Definitely a series I‘ll continue reading.
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I really enjoyed this quick romance novel, and was impressed with the amount of character development Grace was able to fit in along with some great laugh-out-loud one liners.
It was a great Christmas break read, & I‘ll probably check out more of her work in the future.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I don‘t read collections of poems often,but I wish I did, and hopefully this masterful collection will spur that in me. Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature,this small collection is haunting & transportive, and,as all good poems should do, even if I wasn‘t sure what was happening, I know what I was feeling &that is a feat. I actually read this last week but since it was a Christmas gift for my sister, I didn‘t post the review til now ;)
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I *loved* this book! I don‘t know if I‘ve ever laughed out loud so much while reading a book. Osman created such endearing, realistic, flawed, wonderful characters and a striking mystery with an ending I never saw coming (though I rarely do, so take that for what it‘s worth). The audiobook narrator was absolutely fantastic, so I highly recommend listening to it if you can. I laughed, cried, & gasped, so all in all, a perfect mystery.
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️Moore‘s first book details the 12 ways she found to be a “Shalom Sista,” and what that would look like in the real world. All her stories are good & she says things in an accessible way, but sometimes it‘s a little hard to follow.I also assumed, so perhaps this is on me, that this book would focus more exegetically on her Biblical findings when she studied Shalom in depth, and less on a prescribed way for us to live.
“Well, let‘s start with Elizabeth, shall we?”
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@ShyBookOwl
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️I think this one suffered from people praising it so highly that I went into it with very high expectations,&while I liked the story, it never hit the emotional climax for me that I was anticipating the whole time. It was interesting, if a little repetitive,&good food for thought, but not one I‘ll be joining in to overly sing its praises. Carey Mulligan, however, was a fantastic audiobook narrator, and I highly recommend listening to it.
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I was finally able to really dig into this one over the weekend, and I loved it! I don‘t know why more isn‘t being said about this series because it‘s so, so good. I honestly don‘t even know how to talk about it because I loved it so much.
If you enjoy reading fantasy - I highly recommend.
“Behind the battlements of the palace that had always been hers, Banu Manizheh e-Nahid gazed at her family‘s city”
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pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This series, the author‘s homage to the medieval Islamic world, is incredible. I loved this second part of the series & can‘t wait to see where book 3 takes us.
So much happened & changed & surprised in this one it‘s impossible for me to really review it without giving too much away. The multiple points of view added a lot to this one, and it was expertly constructed. Very, very good.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is the second time I‘ve read through Moore‘s book, and reading through it with a group was valuable. Having her voice in my head as she speaks with the Spirit has helped me live with grit and grace. Seeing the humanity & the image of God in others and telling better stories about people I don‘t understand is difficult work but has been an invaluable practice.If you are a Christian, this needs to be on your short list.
“Alizayd al Qahtani didn‘t make it a month with his caravan.”
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pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I loved the beginning of this fantasy series! Set in a Middle Eastern-esque setting, I loved the nods to the culture & Arabic - I spent a semester in university studying in Cairo. I did have some difficulty following some of the political maneuvering & names of different groups, but a lot of that could be from how on & off I had to read.Lots of interruptions leads to less comprehension. I think there are a lot of twists to come!
Thanksgiving Vacation #tbr stack 📚🦃🤗
#watchforthelight #thecityofbrass #thekingdomofcopper #theempireofgold
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is my favorite in this Ren Faire romance series so far. I love the fake dating trope, and I found April relatable as a main character. It was nice to see an older female protagonist who was, realistically, prickly & set in her ways.
Also it‘s always nice to learn the backstory of someone who always seems happy & self-confident, and, of course, it was fun to catch up with the other people we know from previous books in Willow Haven.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is probably, actually, a 5 star book, but McQuiston‘s Red, White, & Royal Blue was such an absolute favorite for me, I knew her second work would be hard pressed to live up to it.This one was funny & sweet, the found family was *chef‘s kiss*, &the diversity of sexuality, gender, & race was perfectly done.The “time traveling” aspect was weird, &though well explained, I never really fully bought into it. All in all-definitely recommend.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I don‘t often read books like this, but this one makes me want to! Finishing it at work was hilarious as multiple coworkers asked me if I was ok as the story wrapped up 😂 Ware crafts a lot of twists - some I guessed & some I did not - and I enjoyed the ride for sure! This is a book club book, and I‘m glad, as always, for the push to read different genres.Also, the audiobook was incredible. Highly recommend experiencing the book that way.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️It‘s hard to talk about this book as the story, characters, & setting felt so unique. The story itself never caught me as strongly as I thought it would, but I found myself thinking about the characters often when I wasn‘t reading, & I think their construction is where Chokshi shines. The ending had so much hope & heart - I think this will be one that the feeling stays with me even if the details fade. Beautifully written.
“Kahina sang to the boy as he slept.”
(Not a very exciting one, but really liking the book so far)
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pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked the plot & pacing a lot more in this book than I did the first book. The characters continue to be very fleshed out & intriguing, even tho some of their choices/reasons can be frustrating. And Chokshi continues to use her beautiful writing style to construct realistic, magical settings.
Definitely looking forward to book 3!
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I was a bit disappointed in the plot. I love a good heist, but for some reason this didn‘t draw me in until maybe the last 50 pages.
What did draw me in were her amazing characters & settings - the characters felt fully fleshed out very early in the book, and I was interested to continue reading just to see how they would grow.
I am excited to go into book 2 since this one had a strong ending!
“The matriarch of House Kore was running late for a dinner.”
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pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This book was supposed to be one I slowly listened to on the side as I focused on my book club book, but seeing as how I finished this one just 2 hours after the other, that‘s not how it worked out. Whelan drew me in with her easy storytelling & her perfect depictions of England, especially Oxford.The story took turns I wasn‘t expecting, but I liked it all the more for that. Whelan‘s reading of the audiobook was fantastic, too!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a book club pick, & honestly not one I would have chosen on my own, but - and this is why I love book clubs - I loved it. Harrow‘s writing is beautiful, & I found myself often wishing I owned the copy I was reading instead of it being a library book just so I could highlight her words. It was a slower read for me, so I was glad I gave myself time to really sink into it &enjoy it. Feminist suffragette witches? It‘s a yes from me.
“Next!”
The customs agent beckons the person in front of me and I approach the big red line, absently toeing the curling tape, resting my hand on the gleaming pipe railing.
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“There‘s no such thing as witches, but there used to be.”
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Well, I read this in a day & a half, so I think that tells you all you need to know.
I loved this one just as much on the re-read, and I think it‘s probably the perfect historical romance for me.
Also fun to see the beginnings of Lucie & Hattie‘s stories now that I know how they continue.
“Absolutely not. What an utterly harebrained idea, Annabelle.”
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pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I loved this book!
There was brooding, character development, slow burn with a big payoff, and Scotland. What more could I ask?I enjoyed Hattie‘s character & how she was such a foil to Lucian without seeming overly silly. &I loved how Dunmore chose to end the story - I didn‘t see it coming, but it was very satisfying. After being disappointed by book 2, this was a great read, and I‘ll still continue to read all Dunmore writes.
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This was an enjoyable, quick read about two teenagers at a turning point, a few days they spend together, and how they come together (at midnight 😏). If you‘re looking for a quick, Christmas/New Years read, this is a good one for that.
This was my September #bookspin book @TheAromaofBooks
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫This book is an emotional roller coaster, and at over 980 pages, it has a lot of opportunities for you to be to be stressed, sad, surprised, excited, etc.
Maas does an incredible job wrapping up so many story lines. There‘s *a lot* of fighting & feeling like all is lost, which gets a bit wearing. But overall it‘s a wonderful ending to a great series.
“He had been hunting for her since the moment she had been taken from him.”
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