Almost bailed on this one as the three sisters who narrate this book think only about themselves every minute. However I stuck with it and it got better and better as we learn the back story of their parents and what it was like growing up in this family. The main theme here is water and lots of it in constantly raining London, where houses are built to withstand the heavy rainfall. I liked it but it‘s not for everyone. @sarahbarnes

Couldn‘t put down this story of a Philly cop looking for her drug addict sister while multiple murders of prostitutes are occurring. Lots of suspects as the bodies pile up. Can the cop protect herself and her young son? Liz Moore can really write and I‘ve enjoyed her three books that I‘ve read.

1.Once a year paczkis. Mine are fresh peach, fresh strawberry and lemon crème.
2.Drove up to Lake Geneva for the amazing orange duck at Mars.
3.Lung doctor said I had the healthiest sounding lungs he‘d heard all week and not to come back for a year.
4.One queen bee.
5.Breakfast with two best friends at IHOP where we went so I could get their stuffed French toast, but it‘s gone! BOO! And I should‘ve taken a pic ⬇️

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

I‘ve seen 74 academy award winners. My husband and my children are all movie nuts! I‘ve even seen Wings, the first best picture winner, because I took a class with Roger Ebert on Academy Award winners and he showed it. At the end of the class he said he‘d never teach this class again because the winners had absolutely nothing in common!

Thinking about The French Connection as Gene Hackman just passed away at 95.
I loved Ordinary People and ⬇️

A fictional story about Colleen Moore, an actress in the early 1900s, who sponsored an incredible fairy castle dollhouse at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I saw this dollhouse on many trips to the museum, as every year there was a field trip from school, and my parents took us kids there at least a couple of times a year. I loved it and probably still would if I got there again. Maybe it would still make me feel like a princess! ⬇️

1. Continuing my quest for the best French toast, pumpkin roll with cream cheese and spiced apples has pulled into the lead.
2. Today is hubbys big birthday and I ordered this watercolor of the place we met.
3. The Gorge on Apple TV is lots of fun.
4. Finished really tough jigsaw puzzle, as the pieces fit at odd angles and the colors were washed out.
5. Drove out to an old time chicken restaurant on the old Route 66.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

A YA novel about Joel, a high school kid who has lost his best friend and lives in a world of text messages that he writes but doesn‘t send. Hundreds of text messages. This kid feels so much and it‘s all bottled up inside. I like the way he‘s always swearing at people, but then goes back and explains what he really said which did not include those swear words. An uplifting message lies in wait at the end.

I loved this book. Section 1 is about Anna and David and their new neighbor. Section 2 is about Florence and Henry who lived in the very same apartment 50 years earlier. And section 3 returns to the original characters. I felt immersed in the world of the Paris neighborhood that they live in, the building, the constant of the scaffolding as the building is refaced, their relationships and loves. Read the rest in the comments below! ⬇️

This story of 4 year old Margaret losing her best friend grabs you AND DOES NOT LET YOU GO! She‘s unforgettable and when, at age 16, she sits down to try to figure it all out you still don‘t see where she is going with this. Couldn‘t wait to wake up this morning and finish it. Still thinking about it hours later and very happy to have you guys to recommend these books that would not have been on my radar. 🩷

@Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB

This is one of those books where you really feel you know the main character. Everything she says and every decision she makes rings true as the story alternates between her life in California with her teenage daughter and how her life led up to this point. I was rooting for her every chapter throughout the whole book. Terrific writing style, highly recommend.

@BarbaraBB @AmyG

These are all pictures from the India Blooms orchid show at the Botanic Gardens. My daughter and I go every year and the theme is always something unique and fun. That‘s a peacock in the middle and lower left is an orchid that smells like chocolate! It‘s a magical respite from the cold and snow. A full day of joy!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone. Let‘s have love in our hearts all day ❤️🌹💝

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

One half hour to read this one, a highly entertaining story about an immigrant needing to pass a test to keep him and his family in the UK. Published in 2019, it feels extremely relevant today, and thought provoking for sure. Any more info would give the plot away which has a big, big twist.

@Chelsea.Poole

I used to read a lot of detective novels like this one, but it‘s been a long time. Here‘s Detective Inspector Sean Duffy, taking his last full time case, searching for a 15 year old girl who has disappeared. This is the seventh book in this series, and he‘s quite the character: funny, smart, tenacious. Kept me guessing till the end. Northern Ireland will really miss him!

@EadieB

In this reimagined story, Huck Finn and Jim the slave hightail it out of Hannibal, Mo on a raft on the Mississippi River. Plenty of adventures for these two as the Civil War is beginning and every day is a fight just to stay alive. Between the perils inherent on floating down the river, and all the men out looking for an escaped slave, Huck and Jim must stay focused on finding Jim‘s family and the promise of a free state. Beautifully written.

1. Two amazing French toast breakfasts!
2. Finally saw the Puppet Bike. It was as funny and entertaining as it looks.
3. My haul of 13 puzzles from the Andersonville Puzzle Exchange, plus my daughter got 3. SO MUCH FUN!!!
4. Finally got my implanted tooth. I was getting a little tired of seeing that hole in my mouth.
5. Scored a pound of my favorite peppermint bark on sale for half off.

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

A lovely book about a death doula, a woman who helps ease the passing of one‘s life into the next. Clover has always lived her life as a loner, with her only friends being her grandpa and his friend who lives upstairs. Can she ever open herself up to new experiences, to living among the living and not just the dying? Very thought provoking and I am so happy I read it. Thanks so much @DebinHawaii

Happy to have my 8 months long journey to have an implanted tooth finally come to an end!
Excited about the jigsaw puzzle exchange tomorrow.
Recommending Paradise on Hulu. Also just started The Snow Girl on Netflix and liking it if you can watch kidnapped children.

#Chatterday2025. @AllDebooks

These three short books in a series, Water, Earth and Fire, are amazing. Totally different stories, with a common thread running through them, and they all lead somewhere so interesting. Couldn‘t put them down and can‘t wait for Air in May.

@AmyG

1. Dropped off 16 (!) puzzles at Andersonville Chamber of Commerce in advance of puzzle exchange on Sunday.
2. Started Paradise on Hulu. It‘s a gripper.
3. Monument Valley 3 is out, same beautiful design and music.
4. One Queen Bee and another Wordle in two!
5. Walked in botanic garden with two best friends followed by fancy lunch.

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

1/3 of the way in and I kept asking myself why am I reading a book about four sisters who do not at all seem real. Lots of people and Jenna loved this book, but I gave up. Maybe it was going to get better? If the characters can‘t come alive for me, I‘m just not interested. Farewell Blue Sisters.

These short books really pack a punch. There are three, Earth, Water and Fire and this is the second one I‘ve read. Famous footballer, Evan, and his teammate, Robbie, are accused of rape. Did they do it? And what has led him to this courtroom, awaiting the verdict? It‘s a gripper and I‘m very much looking forward to the third book.

Really liked Lenny, a nearly 40 year old fifth grade teacher who has had one tough life and a peculiar view on living her challenging life. She‘s got so much to overcome yet her bravery pulls her forward and continues to change her life. This is a story of hope and love and living your best life. Thanks for recommending, Char. I would never have found this book without you!

@thegreensofa @monalyisha #auldlangspine

1. Chef Ping mango shrimp.
2. Bundled up and walked in botanical garden with best friend and bought new air plant.
3. Started watching Prime Target on Apple TV.
4. Queen Bee twice on New York Times Spelling Bee.
5. Made delicious brisket recipe but forgot to take a picture!

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

An excellent short book about an Irish woman who goes to live on an island. Lots of secrets, lots of relationships, lots of personal growth and lots of love. A very satisfying read for so few pages. Very much looking forward to reading his other two: Fire and Earth.

This is my second book by Adam Haslett, both books filled with odd characters who live adjacent to other odd characters. It took me awhile to get into this story about a lawyer who works to get asylum for those who need it, and his mother who owns a wellness retreat for women. These two are drawn so perfectly, it‘s as though you know them. Can their relationship survive the secret they‘ve always carried? Highly provocative.

@Amor4Libros

A very good book about two sisters, their lives, their loves, their relationships with their parents. They‘re like night and day but they always manage to find each other. There were many ways this book could have ended, but I found the ending to be perfect. I would dedicate this book to all sisters everywhere.

This is one quirky book. The story is quirky, the two main characters, brother and sister, are quirky and the ending is too! I really enjoyed the weirdness of these two siblings, their family, their lives, all made for a highly enjoyable read.

@Amor4Libros

“I come back to the apartment and find the worst thing in the world.”

Almost bailed at the beginning of this fun and quirky book, but glad I stayed with it.

#FirstLineFridays. @ShyBookOwl

1. Wordle in 2 moves only happens occasionally for me!
2. Microwave exploded when I opened it, went poof and died. But got new one same day, installed the next. Crisis averted!
3. Fun mug from Alamo trip. That‘s a quote from Davy Crockett when he lost reelection in Tennessee.
4. Got measured for my new implanted tooth to be in place in 2 weeks, ending this horrible 8 month process.
5. Bitter cold but warmer today!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

This book is terrific! It tells the story of three siblings and the strange girl who enters their lives. Who is she and what is she doing in the midst of their lives? This is one of those books that makes you think, a feature I find to be few and far between. I did not see what was coming which made the story all the much better. Amazing character development and a twist. Highly recommend.

I‘ve checked this one out of the library twice and can‘t seem to get to it!

#49bdaygiveaway. @wanderinglynn

1. Read the top two. Can‘t wait to get to the rest of these!
2. Are these the most amazing looking lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes?? Couldn‘t finish half even sharing with a friend.
3. New nail dryer. Have wanted one of these since Covid started.
4. Started new 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle. Not looking at the picture which makes it super hard.
5. Watched the movie “The Critic”. Highly recommend.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Ok…this one is strange. The nameless narrator is on the run with $168,000 in cash and not much else. Who is he? What is he running from? Where is he going? It‘s a short book, but the answers appear close to the end. Hard to put down and a weird conclusion. I liked it though and I found its strangeness rather interesting.

Looks like everybody in the world loved this book but I thought it was just ok. Not much dialogue, but a well drawn picture of rural life in Indiana in the 1900s. Our narrator Zorrie has a tough life farming, but she thrives, handling life‘s disappointments so well and moving through her life in a thoughtful way. Only 161 pages but I found myself wishing something, anything, interesting would happen to her.

Really liked this story partially narrated by Marcellus, a giant octopus, and also told through the eyes of Tova, a cleaning lady at his aquarium, and Cameron, a down-on-his-luck guy who is slowly integrated into the story. I just read it‘s going to be a movie with Sally Field which should be awesome. Lots of brilliant observations by Marcellus keep the story moving.

@thegreensofa @monalyisha #auldlangspine

If you liked The Gods of the Woods, don‘t miss this one by the same author. We meet Ada as a young girl, home-schooled by her father and socially inept. As he begins his descent into Alzheimer‘s she is left to herself and must also come to terms with who her father really was. There‘s a mystery thread throughout the book that leads to a very satisfying ending. Terrific ending!

@EadieB I loved this one!

1. Last minute trip with son to Austin and San Antonio. So much fun even tho I fell down the steps of the Capitol and twisted my ankle.
2. Is this van too funny?
3. Davy Crockett at The Alamo. There‘s a whole museum of Alamo artifacts donated by Phil Collins.
4. Amazing tacos at Torchy‘s in Austin.
5. Even the Austin airport is so cool!

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

1. One more beautiful sunrise from my porch.
2. Saw the Bob Dylan movie. It was just ok, but the music and Timothee Chalamet are superb.
3. Daughter‘s folding menorah that she took on a trip, really made me smile.
4. Excited to read new book from jolabokaflodswap @Marmie7
5. In Austin Texas with son having a blast. Even the airport is really cool!!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Really liked this one, although it‘s not for everyone. I couldn‘t put this book down, reading about Evie and Richard on their honeymoon on a Greek island, one catastrophe after another. Nobody is who they seem and there are lots of teases that pay off at the end. It‘s quirky but in a good way.

@Ruthiella Thanks for recommending!

Thanks so much Annie for the Jolabokaflod swap! Have not read this book and it looks right up my alley. And who told you I love sea salt caramels? I‘ve been craving chocolate all week and was SO tempted to open your package. I waited so tonite‘s the night! Again, thanks for bringing extra joy to the holidays.

@Marmie7 @MaleficentBookDragon #jolabokaflodswap

Turned out I had read this one four years ago, but reread it as I didn‘t remember the story. Lots of layers here: Duchess and her brother Robin, trying to survive and take care of their mother. Chief Walker watching over them and trying to keep up his friendship with his best friend who went to prison at 15. Lots of trouble, lots of love, lots of twists. A good book all the way around.

1. Meeting son in Austin next weekend for spur of the moment trip.
2. Crazy car covered in Xmas lights!
3. Books to read, excited about the Chris Whitaker as I loved All the Colors of the Dark. Also looking forward to a book from my swap buddy, Char.
4. Really liked this Heath bar apple pie. Leaving last piece for the husband.
5. Got my Prolia shot for healthy bones!

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii @thegreensofa

Auto-buy: Susanna Clarke, Chris Whitaker, Valerie Perrin
Read more: Meg Howry, Julia Phillips, Shannon Bowring
First time: Rebecca Reilly, Barbara Kingsolver, Louise Penny

@ChaoticMissAdventures @Deblovestoread

This is an extremely hard book to read, giving you so much to think about page after page. Twin girls, Arc and Daffy, live with their drug addict mother and aunt, prostitutes as well. What kind of life do they have to look forward to, to hope for? Can they ever escape the life they‘re born into? Unforgettable this book is, with a gigantic twist at the end.

@Amor4Libros @AmyG

1. Fresh fruit salad every morning.
2. Just started the tagged book, but apparently the twin girls live with a drug addict mother and prostitute aunt, so I would say survival is their best trait.

@TheSpineView

Jolabokaflodswap is here! Thanks Annie Y!! Excited for the 24th🩷

#jolabokaflodswap. @MaleficentBookDragon @Marmie7

Read this in one day. A fast moving story about a brother and sister who are convinced their father was murdered, not suicide as the police have determined. Big twist! Interesting characters too.

1. Amazing sunrise from my front porch.
2. Inside of my Magic World book nook which I worked on all week. Such a fun change from jigsaw puzzles!
3. Lunch with daughter for her birthday included grilled cheese with 3 kinds of cheese, bacon and crispy onion bites.
4. Recipe for tagine reminded me of trip with my kiddos to Morocco last year.
5. Bitter cold didn‘t stop us from pizza Thursday at favorite pizza joint.

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii

I liked the characters in this book but I felt that 460 pages were way too many to tell this story. Star-crossed lovers and a couple of tragedies moved this book along, but a lot of it felt predictable including the ending. Took me forever to read it.

1. Me and the kiddos at the Lightscape show at the Botanic Gardens. It was SO COLD but beautiful.
2. Fun game daughter brought to Thanksgiving.
3. Birthday gift of Edward Gorey plate.
4. Favorite books reading list from @thegreensofa
5. Breakfast with two best friends. So much love!💕

#5JoysFriday. @DebinHawaii