pick“All He Has Left” is a thrilling, quick read. I was intrigued by the premise: Jake Slater‘s wife dies in a hit-and-run accident, but a year later, another family member is murdered and another one is kidnapped, so was it really an “accident” after all? The pacing of this book is quick: it is full of action and devoid of slow parts that detract from the story. It was an easy and fun afternoon read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I was thinking tonight about how no one in the world has ever read the exact same list of books as you have. Your “read” pile is uniquely yours. It‘s the set of books that has specifically shaped you — only you. Your “read” pile is as unique as your fingerprint. It‘s a list of characters, titles, authors, and quotes that have built who you are. It‘s a beautiful thing, isn‘t it?
Oh this one might be the best first line ever:
“Sniff.”
😂😂😂
@ShyBookOwl
#firstlinefridays
so-soThere is no bigger fan of the library than I, and so I really wanted to love this book. But it was just missing … something. I did want to read on to discover who the thief was, but this book was missing the magic of so many books that take place in libraries.
1. Clare Mackintosh! I love her books. Really, I‘d love a meeting with her, Ruth Ware, and Lisa Jewell. The big three!
2. “Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman is my most recommended book of the past year.
3. Donuts! 🍩
#wondrouswednesday
pickPrior to this novel, I had never read a book by Cathryn Grant before. I was intrigued by the title, cover, and premise. A little “Rosemary‘s Baby,” a little “Gaslight,” and a lot of family dysfunction are the hallmarks of this suspenseful novel. I kept guessing and second guessing myself throughout: who was telling the truth? Did we have a reliable narrator? Who is sane and who isn‘t? Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
so-soYou have to decide if you‘re willing to suspend some belief to just read a story or not. I think if you know anything about the law, you should skip this one. I don‘t really (unless a true crime fan counts!), but there were a lot of things regarding the law school, courtroom, and legal processes that seemed a but farfetched, even to me. …
Full review at Goodreads (Anna Kraft).
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for the ARC!
pickThis is the sequel to Jewell‘s “The Family Upstairs.” I am sometimes wary of sequels, but this one definitely did not disappoint! This continues the stories of the Lamb and Thomsen children, who are still suffering the effects of their traumatic childhoods. This reveals how far they are willing to go to keep secrets buried. Make sure you read “The Family Upstairs” first!
Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher (and Lisa Jewell!) for the ARC!
Can Fredrik Backman do no wrong?!
I ADORE his books. I‘ve read “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She‘s Sorry,” “Britt-Marie was Here,” “Beartown,” “Us Against You,” “Anxious People,” and now “A Man Called Ove.” He just writes with such a lovely, funny, gut wrenching style. If you are just looking for a *good* book, get one of these.
My favorite is “Anxious People.”
I would have to say Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth from “Persuasion.” That letter he writes her — “I am half agony, half hope” — swoon!
Fun fact: at my wedding reception, instead of being numbered, my tables were labeled with the names of famous literary couples! So guests sat at the Elizabeth and Darcy table, the Scarlett and Rhett table, etc. ❤️
#funfriYAY
When I was a child, I read the Great Illustrated Classics (remember those?) version of “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” and I‘ve wanted to go to Iceland ever since!
#funfriYAY
“Patience is the answer to so many of life‘s questions.”
A couple weeks ago I read my first-ever book by this author, and now, reading the second, I noticed that this same line is in both books! I wonder if it‘s in all her books. Anyone know?
I judge books by their covers 100000%! I don‘t know how not to. Haha. When there are a million books at the library, sometimes covers are the easiest way to get drawn in. Or if I‘m reading a recommended books list, my eyes get drawn to covers of books that look intriguing. That‘s how I found my current read!
#funfriyay
pickYou know those books where you finish and you‘re just sad because you want to stay with the characters, the setting, the story? This was one of those for me! I stumbled upon it in my local library while looking for books by an author with same last name, and I am so glad I did! It was just lovely.
#funfriYAY is back! Last year was a tough one for me, and I had to let some things go, even my favorite things like Litsy! But now I‘m back!
There are a lot of great-looking books coming out this year, but a few I‘m really excited about are “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley, “The Book of Cold Cases” by Simone St. James, and “The Long Weekend” by Gilly MacMillan.
1. Just finished “Not a Happy Family” by Shari Lapena and about to start “The Wife Upstairs” by Rachel Hawkins.
2. Cold with a wintry mix. I live in metro Atlanta, and this is not common here.
3. Drink coffee and sit by the fire!
#weekendreads
“In alcohol‘s defense, I‘ve done some equally stupid things while completely sober.”
***
“Patience is the answer to so many of life‘s questions.”
***
“Silence cannot be misquoted.”
“Books always change as the person who reads them changes too.”
TRUTH.
pickI am not a foster parent, although I am incredibly interested in being so in the future and want to support friends who already are. Here‘s what I can tell you: even if you are not a foster parent, this book will teach you, convict you, and inspire you to better love everyone in your life, especially those who are hard to love. It‘ll make you a better human. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚I don‘t have a specific goal, just to always be reading and always be reading something I enjoy. Life‘s too short to read boring books!
🖊 I use a word of the year generator to discover my word of the year, and this year our family got “surrender.” Lots to think on!
📖 I‘m starting the year by reading “The Reading List,” and I love it so far! I love that I‘m starting the year by reading a book about books!
@MoonWitch94 #thoughtfulthursday
1. Not my favorite by Ruth Ware, but really, can she do anything wrong?!
2. A personal goal I have is to write more on my website and start an Instagram account to encourage mothers. A lot of the past year I spent pregnant and sick and just trying to survive, and now I feel a little more settled and energized.
3. Good friends!
#wondrouswednesday
In the fall of 2020, I was getting things done: reading books, engaging with fellow readers on Litsy, doing lots of writing on my website. Then I got pregnant with my second child and was sick and then exhausted and then surviving. But now that my little guy is 6 months old, I finally feel just a little bit on top of things again, including my TBR pile and my writing plans. I‘m so happy to be back on Litsy! 📚❤️
“In life, Jane reflected, the most interesting things tend to happen when you are on your way to do something else.”
Reading a good book about murder that recommends other good books about murder … life doesn‘t get much better!
pickAfter reading “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” and just a couple chapters of “Young Jane Young,” I am convinced that Gabrielle Zevin writes characters better than pretty much anyone!
Thank you SO MUCH @JenlovesJT47 !!! I love the coloring book, candy, and bookmark, and I have been DYING to read “Crave” since a former student of mine told me about it a few weeks ago! I never buy books — strictly library — and I am like the millionth person on the hold list for this, so I am PUMPED!!! What a great surprise!
#allhallowsreadswap
Thank you so much @Sace for the card and this great bookmark! Can‘t wait to start using it when I begin my #LMPBC #Round10 #GroupG book this weekend! 😊
I got my #allhallowsreadswap package last night! Thank you so much, @JenlovesJT47 I can‘t wait to open it tomorrow! 🎃👻🍁
1. Watching football and giving out candy!
2. I don‘t really buy books, but I would say my auto-library check out list is Clare Mackintosh, Ruth Ware, and Tana French.
3. Definitely The Sun Down Motel!
#wondrouswednesday
It‘s impossible to pick just one, so my big three are
Anne Elliot
Ramona Quimby
Kristy Thomas
#funfriYAY
🎃 I always did as a child, but I haven‘t in years. Maybe it‘s time to change that because I always enjoyed it!
🧡🤍 This is our first year having both, and I like them together!
📖 I think all of Edgar Allan Poe‘s works are spooky!
#thoughtfulthursday
📚 I really just did not get what people saw in “Where the Crawdads Sing.”
🦁I‘d love to read “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” in an old-fashioned wardrobe!
🍫 DEFINITELY chocolate!
#wondrouswednesday
1. My grandmother made me several costumes, but I especially liked the princess dress she made me as well as the Raggedy Ann costume she made!
2. I loved The Candy Witch, and now I love sharing it with my son!
#Two4Tuesday
Week 4 of #TheMidnightSociety begins today! This week we‘re reading Richard Connell‘s unbelievable tale of terror — and my favorite short story — “The Most Dangerous Game.” Hope you‘ll join us at www.theannakraft.com!
1. Really enjoyed this one!
2. Psychological thriller for sure!
3. Would you believe I‘ve never read any of Stephen King‘s novels?! 😬
#SundayFunday
👩👧One of my favorite book moms is Marmee from Little Women. And incidentally, Marmee is the grandmother name my mom chose for herself when my first son was born last year! I also love Mrs. Quimby from the Ramona books and Mrs. Thomas from the Baby-sitters Club books.
#funfriYAY
📚 The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
✏️ Sinister
🍽 Leftover (me too, @MoonWitch94 !) applesauce pork loin from last night
#ThoughtfulThursday
1. I never played a sport; I was a dancer. But my favorite sport is college football, and my team is the West Virginia University Mountaineers. My great-grandparents loved them, my grandparents love them, my parents love them, I love them, and I‘m teaching my 14-month-old to love them too! 💛💙💛💙
2. We got some really great news this week, and for that I am very thankful!
#ThankfulThursday
The theme of #becarefulwhatyouwishfor is a universal one, and perhaps you have some examples from your own life that prove this to be true. I'm sure we can all also think of a few other stories we've read or seen that show what a disaster wishing can sometimes be.
.
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I‘m hosting a discussion on “The Monkey‘s Paw” at www.theannakraft.com today!
#themidnightsociety #spookystories #scarystories
pickThis is one of the best books I‘ve read in a while. Highly recommend if you‘re looking for an uplifting, beautifully written novel. I‘m dying to work at The Printed Letter Bookshop!
My favorite Halloween movies are Psycho 🔪 and It‘s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! 🎃 So similar, I know. 😂
#wondrouswednesday
🎃 Yes! We do both. We have some Halloween decorations we‘ll take down after Halloween, and some fall decorations we leave up through Thanksgiving.
📚 Also yes! I pull out several themed books and put them on a little table in the library. This year it‘s Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Best of Mystery, the novel Psycho, and the play Dial M for Murder.
Fun questions today!
#Two4Tuesday
“You know, the human race gets an awful lot of flak, but really, most of the time, people are just going around, being quietly, silently, utterly amazing.”
I thought this was so beautiful and SO TRUE. And we tend to forget it a lot of the time.
This package is going out today to my #AllHallowsReadSwap buddy! I hope you love what I chose, new friend! 🎃👻🧙
@MaleficentBookDragon
Clare Mackintosh just announced her new book! Man, I can‘t wait. I‘ve been a huge fan of hers since that masterpiece “I Let You Go.” Sooooooo excited!!!
Okay @robinb @CBee @Sace — Here are my choices for #LMPBC #round10 #groupg ... take two! 😂 I have endless mysteries I want to read, so if these don‘t look good, I‘ll keep going! 😊📚
@robinb @CBee @Sace — Check out these four, and let me know what you think! I went with two contemporary choices and two more classic ones. All four of these are on my TBR list, so I‘m happy with any! If you don‘t like any of these, I can come up with more! 📚
#LMPBC #Round10 #GroupG #mysteries
This is a good question for this book because it‘s three stories in one. One takes place in Brighton, England; another in Louisiana; and the third in Atlanta. I live outside Atlanta, so I‘ve been there, but I‘ve never been to Brighton or Louisiana, and I‘d love to see both!
#funfriYAY
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