Another good #BOTM pick! This tale about a murder trial weaves family secrets, Korean tradition, and unfulfilled promises of “a better life” - showing how even the tiniest happening can ripple out and affect so much more. A satisfying mystery (I wouldn‘t say “thriller”) and a quick read.

that feeling when you finish a book, 481 pages later. This book was a little slow to get into, but paid off beautifully in the end. A tale of life choices, secrets, and regrets that spans generations, and their effect on a family. Perception of history and “knowing” people unfolds across decades, as we see the heartbreaking effects choices can have on the lives of others, like a cascade of dominoes. Beautifully written with compelling characters.

enjoying this ARC of The Guest Book away from home. My husband and I never read together - I am so much more into leisurely reading than he is. But here we sit: reading together - far from home in a coffeehouse above Pike Place Market in Seattle. it‘s the little things.

I can‘t wait to dig into this #ARC of The Guest Book by Sarah Blake. Few things in life excite me as much as a winning a book. Trying to keep my #TBR pile from overwhelming me. I wish all days were “lay around and read” days.

This tale of family secrets and sisterly bonds that reach even beyond the grave was a good palate cleanser after reading my last two books. It wasn‘t nearly as profound as my other #BOTM pick (A Woman Is No Man), but it was a satisfying and well-paced mystery on this rainy, gloomy Saturday

I‘m not a huge fan of non-fiction writing but Nora‘s unfiltered story-telling made me laugh and cry almost equally in her essays about her love, life, and loss. We would totally be friends if we ever met in real life 😂

It took me a bit to get over this book - it was as beautifully written as it was heartbreaking. The characters are so well flushed out in this tale where women attempt to navigate their lives and change their fate when everything, and everyone, is against them. I can‘t wait to see what‘s next from Etaf Rum. What a strong woman writer.

AMAZING BOTM PICK! What a wild read - could not put this book down! Psychotherapist Theo is bound and determined to get convicted husband killer Alicia to talk. She hasn‘t spoken in the years since the murder. As the story unfolds at a very satisfying pace, the events surrounding the murder are slowly painted to create a very illuminating and thrilling picture in the end. #botm #cantstopwontstop

I couldn‘t put this thriller down - finished it in one day. A childhood friendship sheltering two very different characters from their realities devolves into a heinous crime. The fractured story that follows includes secrets spanning years, multiple identities, and deception. While at times a little predictable, I couldn‘t wait to see what the next page held. Solid, easy read thriller.

My first Book of the Month choice! A magical tale about families, promises, and cultural beliefs that sucked me in from the beginning. A number of characters and settings interchange seamlessly to create this story that examines family relationships, loss, and beliefs in Malaya. I couldn‘t put this one down.

Non-fiction is not my forte, and this book reminded me of that. However, the principles and research that Brené lays out in Rising Strong are invaluable. I see myself marinating on this book and possibly reading it again to see how I‘m applying her insight to my life.

“In fact, for most of us who rely on blaming and finding fault, the need for control is so strong that we‘d rather have something be our fault than succumb to the bumper-sticker wisdom of ‘shit happens.‘ If stuff just happens, how do I control that? Fault-finding fools us into believing that someone is always to blame, hence, controlling the outcome is possible. But blame is as corrosive as it is unproductive.” #somuchtruth

After a somewhat challenging week at work where I was placed in a situation that I wish I could have handled better and feeling defeated, I decided to pick this book up next. So far, so good. Especially loving this quote, as a perfectionist-to-a-fault: “Perfection is about the furthest thing in the world from badassery.” #preachtome

Although difficult at times to read due to the unsettling content, this book was a raw account of what happens during times of war and after. Clemantine‘s words painted a picture of a story that was troubling but also illuminating. Such a brave, well-spoken woman lifting the curtain on life as a refugee.

“And he lived in a time when the concept of medical sterilization was so unrecognized that the appearance of pus in an infected postoperative wound was ‘welcomed as harbinger of a successful surgical outcome.‘” my how far we‘ve come! 😷 struggling with this book but determined to make it through.

changing things up a bit - slow to start but the medical history is what‘s keeping me going.

when you pick up a book that reminds you why you love reading so much.

I hope this book is better than people gave it credit for. I've purposefully been avoiding it so I'm not disappointed. #crossingmyfingers #offworkwillread

"At moments, the weight of it all became palpable. It was in the air, the stress and misery. Normally, you breathed it in, without noticing it. But some days, like a humid muggy day, it had a suffocating weight of its own. Some days, this is how it felt when I was in the hospital: trapped in an endless jungle summer, wet with sweat, the rain of tears of the families of the dying pouring down."
-- when personal reading hits a little close to home.

A beautifully written blend of memoir and true crime, this book touches on family memories and how they change and evolve as a story is told. Facts aren't always facts - everything is seen through a different viewpoint. The author gives life to her own memories and gives life to a boy who met a tragic end and a killer with a difficult past.

Received the advance reading copy of this in the mail yesterday, and I can't put it down. Part one done - anxiously turning the pages through the memories and heartbreak to see what happens next.