An amazing debut. If you liked The Soul of an Octopus you will love this book. Octopuses are one of my favorite animals. This is a charming heart warming tale about an octopus, a lady, and the community they create a family from.

Another good installment of the series. My favorite couple yet, and they are already showing some hints of their romance in the show.

This was a really good sci fi novel. Quick read. Reminded me a little of Loki and Endgame.

I went to Target to get the teenager another pair of shoes since he grew out of the ones we got him 2 weeks ago already. And somehow these books just fell into the cart. But at the checkout they price matched the lowest online price so I saved money!

It was a good story, but very predictable and I figured it all out well before the ending. The amount of gaslighting made me want to put the book down. I have never had a desire to climb a mountain and this book gives me another reason not to.

Sometimes you just need to read a nice story and this is a nice story about a pig and his happy life. I loved the author‘s book about octopuses and look forward to reading more by her.

Book mail is the best mail

If you like The Handmaid‘s Tale, you will like this book. Set in a dystopian near future of the US women‘s rights have been stripped away to the point they must be housewives, and only speak 100 words a day. This was a scary with the current affairs going on.

Another great narrative nonfiction by the author. If you like a the Children‘s Blizzard by David Larkin you will like this book. It explains the science of what we know and don‘t know about hurricanes, what people knew and didn‘t know about hurricanes in 1900, and why there was no warning for the people to evacuate.

I can see what this book gets a lot of hype. It is very raw, like Jack London. Abrupt prose like Hemingway. Lots of trigger warnings and some scenes are extremely disturbing and hard to stomach. But it is masterfully done.

Finished the book of the month challenges. I forgot to pick my reward before checking out this month, but I will get it next month. It says pick your reward, but only was an option which are the genre magnets. Also if anyone is wondering what the bonus badge is it is read 24 books!

My reading buddy for the day. He is my “brother” aka my mother‘s dog. We are watching him for the day cause she has to work late. He is a basset hound/poodle rescue. This is his “spot”. Laying next to you on the recliner with his ball.

So many good ones this month. I also wanted The Hacienda, Take My Hand, and Marrying the Ketchups.

If you like No Exit you will like this thriller. The pacing bothered me at first. Kinda felt like bumper to bumper traffic. Eventful spooky cliff hangers, then brake hard to the happy past. However, all the twist at the end made everything make sense even the pacing. Would make a good movie.

When you have to run an errand by the book store…

If you like Lisa See, you will like this book. This was really good for a debut. The book follows three generations of a Chinese family and how the trauma of war can affect the generations to come.

Got take out from a Cuban restaurant. Top left is a Cuban sandwich and was a big hit with the adults. Middle is the National dish ropa vieja (pulled steak), yellow rice with chicken, and yucca fries. Everyone loved it. Top right is chicken fricassee and tostones (twice fried plantains). My kids ate all the chicken but we all found the tostones to be doughy and plain and couldn‘t taste the plantains. Plus empanadas and black beans. #foodandlit

This book will definitely sit with me for a while. Beautifully written. I would recommend reading it in a forest. I am glad the author is using her voice to bring attention to solutions of global warming. Humans definitely need to do better with our treatment of nature and try to increase biodiversity to save the planet.

Got the Mother‘s Day box from Reece Witherspoon book club. Book of my choice, coffee, coffee cup, chocolate, scarf, and skin care products.

We got our clue for Book of the Month. It looks like The Hacienda will be one of the picks.

I won this copy from Reece Witherspoon‘s book box. Every book she has picked,that I have read so far, has been good and this book was great. The history and culture of Cuba felt like a character and essential to the plot. #foodandlit @Texreader @Catsandbooks @Butterfinger

This was a great cozy mystery. I love this series. It is light and fluffy, but a solid mystery. Love the main character. A lot of intrigue at the nursing home.

Pretty standard cozy but I like this series. The sleuth did seem a little denser than normal. But there are a lot of egg references so I like reading the series around Easter.

Great book. Deserves the hype.

I liked the second book in the series even better than the first. I wish Dove Pond was a real place. There is a budding romance story, but the books are more about the female friendships in this small town. If you like Sweet Magnolias, you will like these books. The food descriptions in the books have triggered some cravings. I had some cinnamon muffins, blts, and this lemon meringue cake. Get your favorite cuppa ready before you start reading!

If you like Garden Spells you will like this book. Set in a small Southern town, similar to Stars Hollow, full of vivid characters. Glad it is going to be a series and I already ordered book 2. Love the magical realism. Book is charming as the cover. Light read, perfect to read on lovely spring day outside on a picnic blanket.

This book is hard to review. For half the book nothing made sense, then half way through there is a big reveal explanation that made things make sense, and then the ending made no sense. I thought it was me not understanding because I was sick while reading it, but reading other reviews I think it is the structure of the novel. I liked the concept, but I think some clues were revealed to easily and others too late. Still processing.

Fastest I have ever received BOTM. Love the bookmark. It is funny because it is true.

If you like Killers of the Flower Moon, you will like this book. This a true crime book about a family of serial killers in Kansas post civil war. It is narrative. I wanted to know more about some aspects, and spend less time on some others because I already knew the history.

Looks like we got a Book of the a month clue. This looks like Kaikeyi.

Got a turkey gyro for #foodandlit @Texreader @Butterfinger @Catsandbooks

I have been reading this book over the last few weeks since we read a The Princess Bride. Love hearing stories about how they made the movie.

Finished reading this one with my oldest. Never read it before but love the movie. Son loved it too.

Finished buddy reading this with my youngest for homeschool. It is a reread for me, but I love experiencing my kid‘s first time reading some of my favorites. It is like getting to read it for the first time again.

Wow this is a roller coaster ride. It is both fast paced and slow at the same time. It is too long, yet too short. You are figuring it out but you still have no idea what is going on. And you are left wondering if there is more to the story on the last page. It is atmospheric and unsettling. Excited to see the show.

This is a soft pick. I liked it and it is a stereotypical cozy mystery. I just have read other cozies I liked better. I figured out the “who dun it” as well. #19822022 @Librarybelle for 2014

This is a really good for a debut. I was expecting a Greek Myth retelling in the style of magical realism but it is high fantasy. #foodandlit @Catsandbooks @Butterfinger @Texreader

Breakfast of champions 😆

Hard to pick this month. Lots of thrillers and repeat authors.

Well written. Highly disturbing. #19822022 for 2003 @Librarybelle

Each chapter is about one woman that immigrated to the US and influenced our food culture. The chapters start decently with narratives on the life story of the women and why they wrote cookbooks. However, the rest of the chapter is bogged down with quotes about their competition cookbooks. So much competition that is clear that these woman did not singularly influence our cuisine and the specifics of their influence is lost. Needs better editing.

Solid thriller. I figured out most of the twists. This book felt like Room meets Dark Places meets No Exit.

We have our first clue from Book of the Month. This looks like The Paris Apartment cover.

Best book I have read this year so far. Well written and character driven. A storm kills all the able-bodied men from a small fishing village. The women left behind roll up their sleeves and do the “mens work” to feed themselves and their children. Then the witch hunters arrive… #19822022 2019 @Librarybelle

Read this Valentines Day cozy mystery yesterday. I like this series. It would be a good Hallmark Mystery movie series. The series is lighter and fluffier than most cozy mysteries but I like that, they are quick reads. Plus she has a pet crow!

And heart shaped pizza for round two.

Family tradition - eat heart shaped or red food all day. Round one is donuts.

I haven‘t been into a bookstore or library in two years! So me and the kids went a little crazy. Not pictured is the other Lego set my oldest took to build. Which one do I read first?

Another good one from the author. I am glad she is using her voice to show history that is not often taught in school.