It may have only lasted 10 minutes, but I loved every second of reading poolside today.

I‘d give this like 3 stars for several reasons. First, I love how it‘s fantasy based in reality for much the reason I love Murakami and I was hoping this book would take me there. Alas, it did not. Second, the love story that arose came literally out of nowhere. Like one minute there were two characters and the next they were basically married. What?!?! Third, it was way too long. Like it just kept rambling.

Amazing book. I identified with so mich that Glennon wrote about. As i get closer to 40 I am ebracing me and not what society expexts. Society forces us to believe we must fit into certain glasses, and Glennon uses that analogy to explain so much of what I feel I have become as an intelligent, courageous, devoted woman. I‘m not a mom or a boss or a wife. I am me and I am all these things inside.

Ugh. I usually enjoy National Book Award winners but this book was not for me. I had to push myself to get into, finally got there, then it switched to a new point in time and I hated that section, then the last section was a let down. Definitely would not recommend.

Island of the Sea Women you learn about the haenyo, aka sea women, that dive off the coast of Jeju Island, Korea, and the role these strong women play in Jeju (south of the tip of Korea and due west from southern Japan) and Korean history. See doesn't gloss over the atrocities of Japanese or American Colonialism during the 20th Century. You're sure to be haunted and learn about why there is such distrust of those colonizers.

I don‘t usually enjoy collections of essays, but this was very powerful; listening to it on an audio made it even more real. Several of the essays really hit me, and possibly because it was near the end, but possibly because it was just such a statement with what 2020 is, but the idea that our Black population could easily be eligible for refugee status WITHIN OUR OWN BORDERS really hit me. Highly recommend.

Except for the “tied up with a bow” ending, I really enjoyed the intrigue and mystery of this book. I loved the story of how Doctor Zhivago was published and was a part of history I didn‘t know prior.

“...remember that amazing Steinbeck quote? ‘And now they you don‘t have to be perfect, you can be good.‘ I‘ve kept it on my desk for years. I looked at it last night and thought: I‘m tired of being good. I‘m so tired.
“Let‘s change it to:
“And now that we don‘t have to be good, we can be free.”

I‘d give this like 3 stars for several reasons. First, I love how it‘s fantasy based in reality for much the reason I love Murakami and I was hoping this book would take me there. Alas, it did not. Second, the love story that arose came literally out of nowhere. Like one minute there were two characters and the next they were basically married. What?!?! Third, it was way too long. Like it just kept rambling.

Trying to read this while kids are telelearning is the most ironic thing ever.

What a magical book. The story telling and imagery painted by the author really sets you in the 1930s Midwest.

Page turning. Glad I grabbed this from #bookofthemonth

I would give this better than so-so but it wasn‘t a sure pick. There were so many characters I honestly couldn‘t keep them straight. It all eventually made sense, but grab a pen and notepad before you pick this one up.

Sitting on the porch reading at dusk is about the most content I‘ve been in a while.

Finally reading this 2019 pick and I‘m pretty excited. Almost as excited as I am to be sitting on my porch enjoying this weather while reading.

Who needs a pandemic when you can lost in a post-apocalyptic flood world?

Working on finishing my book means letting the kids build an awesome porch fort.

If you appreciated the information in Dopesick, Tightrope will do even more for you. With amazing writing and research by Pulitzer Prize winning authors, this book looks at the breakdown of social structure and support in the US. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to really make America great, not just preach it through cutting programs and funding that do the exact opposite.

Catching up on my #BOTM reading on vacation. So far so good.

Book club and Book of the Month reading time. I know there has been lots of press - bad and good - but I choose to make my own opinions.

Geography is everything and this book is fantastic so far, especially while snuggling with my dog and a hot cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday morning.

Trying to up my game in the kitchen so I can up it in life.

The only thing that would make this better was it work was actually closed!

I‘m not sure about your #Jolabokaflodswap friend, but mine was amazing! I haven‘t had time to update my Litsy over the past 24 hours due to craziness that is Christmas with little ones, but I sure loved my Hilliard‘s chocolate and new pages!!

Not sure how or why this arrived on my doorstop but I‘m pretty pumped up. Perhaps it‘s #JolabokaflodSwap ?

Happy #JolabokaflodSwap eve! This package goes to the post office tomorrow to find a happy home for Christmas Eve. Thanks @MALEFICENTBOOKDRAGON for all your hard work to make my first Jolabokaflod happen!

A perfect evening snuggled up by the tree

It didn‘t matter how great a mother you tried to be; eventually every child walked off into the world alone.”

Enjoying a full yellow sun on this beautiful morning while indulging in a giant latte.

When speaking of Narragansett, one must indulge.

So addicted to this series. I only have 30 pages left and I don‘t know what I‘ll do after I‘m done!

Oh the irony that Charles Manson died as I am reading this book.

Poetry isn't really my thing but there are a few gems in here.

'Learning' a little #localhistory while I read. #readharder2017 #historicalfiction

That moment when your kid recites the start of the 5th book in his favorite series you preordered so it could be in his Easter basket. Yep...that's a great moment.

Because what woman doesn't have the strength of a dragon inside them? Nimona is a butt-kicking, shape-shifting lead female character that you can't help but love in spite of who she really is. I'm loving #graphicnovels right now so help me out...which should I read next??

What I liked about this book: the use of Shakespeare throughout; the raw emotion and reality the characters face; the sisterly bond.

What drove me nuts: who the heck was the narrator? It couldn't have been a sister, despite sounding like one, because each was spoken of in the third person. Maybe I'm the only one who was bothered by this but it made me bananas!

I enjoyed this book, but it's not about Mack's story, it's about helping people understand that God is in all of us in all ways. This is beyond Christianity or other religions, and it's about being good humans. If you want to be reminded of how God is always there, even in times when we think he's left us, check this book out. Believe the story if you want, or just use it to help yourself remember why we're all here.

Reasons to love eReaders...you find yourself child-free for an hour. Cue iPhone becoming a reading device while I pamper myself...

Can I say how much I loved this book? It's the kind of book that reminds me that no matter what you think is going on with someone, you never really know until you get to know them. Ove is grumpy, cantankerous and lonely, but he dies the most amazing things for people just because. If we could all just remember that sometimes I think we'd live in a better world. Get ready to laugh and cry...this book will do both.

I've decided I have a thing for Swedish authors.

A great debut novel filled with love and tragedy. At times I hated Margot, the lead character, and at times I sympathized cheered for her. This tale of the shacks of Jamaica and what life is really like for locals in the mid-1990s was quite eye opening in many ways.

Want to be inspired to run farther? Pick up this book. McDougall does a fantastic job of weaving an interesting story into a book full of facts about how we humans are really a race of runners. Now to sign up for that half marathon...

An amazing book with sadly too many things that still ring true today more than 75 years later. If you are interested in reading about race relations and want to see where we came from, pick up this classic and be ready to open your mind. #readharder2017

This well-worn copy is my husband's from high school. Somehow I've never read this classic. Thank you #readharderchallenge2017 for making that happen. This book is amazing so far. #readtheclassics

This #englishspringerspaniel is my perfect #readingbuddy

This was a fun Tom Clancy-esque Soviet crime novel. It had plenty of twists and turns to leave some excitement and keep you reading.

I give this a "pick" but only because if I didn't it would just seem wrong. It's such a sad and disturbing book, yet it also has so many deep thoughts. Ivan as a character seems almost unreal and beyond believable, yet you still want to read about his life in post-Soviet Belarus. Polina is much more believable and I think she is what keeps the story going. Don't read if you want an uplifting book, but do it if you liked the Fault in our Stars.

I expected this to be a sappy love story, which it wasn't. It was about a man who finds himself after the passing of his parents. Russo did a great job explaining the characters feelings and thoughts...so much so that I almost felt like I could understand my spouse's point of view a little better.

My 5 year old insisted I needed a better bookmark. He then proceeded to give me this awesome feather. #mcnewreads #booksfromsteinbeck