I wasn‘t sure what to expect - I had never heard of Aimee Semple McPherson - but I‘m walking away stunned that 1) I had never heard of her, and 2) her life was bananas and I had never heard of her. This book is a biography, and at moments it‘s painfully written like a book report, but Sister Aimee‘s story is so fantastical that the writing doesn‘t need to be sensational.

This is a quick read that will leave you spinning. The author has the disability of the MC which adds to the frankness of the text. Not what I was expecting but it did not let me down. I‘ll be thinking about this book for a long while.

I don‘t like being scared so I steer clear of Stephen King‘s books but this memoir on writing was absolutely fantastic. He makes me want to write and read his books.

I picked this copy up used in a bookstore in Cambridge, MN.

I listened and I loved her voice - there was something purely comforting about it (perhaps because she‘s from the PNW?). Her childhood is heartbreaking. Her mother? Yikes. I‘m not familiar with her music, and I got confused by when she was coming out with albums (I didn‘t follow the timeline very well once she was in BC). But I don‘t think I would have stuck with it if I was reading it myself. Something didn‘t attach.

I picked this up for info on the Secret War after a friend told me her family fled Laos during the war (my friend is not Hmong but Mien - which, I can‘t find anything on to read). It‘s very informative & I‘m looking forward to Kao Kalia Yang‘s next book: The Song Poet. Giving it a so-so bc the writing felt a bit stiff. I‘m hoping that the author‘s voice is more evident in The Song Poet. Finished on a flt to MN which has a large Hmong community.

I read this in HS and just reread it - I only remembered some parts. Definitely couldn‘t have appreciated it in HS as I do now. This is worth a second pass if you read it when you were young.

Not my fave Steinbeck but I learned a lot and it was good.

This collection of short stories got me out of my reading slump! I loved all but one. The writing is amazing, the stories will stick with you. I don‘t know how this book didn‘t show up on my radar sooner - other than it was published in 2020 so maybe it had to compete too much with the pandemic? But even then, I stumbled upon it by chance. What luck. ✨

I don‘t know. I just don‘t know. I liked it more than Lizard but it‘s not in the same category as Kitchen or NP. The beginning was great and then it fizzled. But it wasn‘t bad. I‘m just at a loss for words.

I don‘t get the hype about this book at all. None of the characters are likable, there‘s no character growth, the sex feels gimmicky, but above all, it‘s boring. I forced myself to finish it in case I was missing anything, and I‘m unhappy to conclude that I wasn‘t. Ugh. I want my time back.

Also the author took some liberties with timing but then partially owned up to it in the notes so I forgive it but it was distracting as I read.

I will admit that I learned a lot from this book, and so for that reason I‘m grateful to have listened to it. But I found the trips and frivolous spending a bit much. She lightly touches on her privilege but then gushes about all of the things she‘s getting (mostly for free) that others can‘t even dream of. And when she says things like “people are dying” to get over a material disappointment, I feel her attitude is callous.

Obsessed. I feel like I need to reread this book again, immediately, because I sped through it because I loved it but I‘m sure I missed some things. It leaves you with a choked up feeling, one of pain and beauty. N.P. and Kitchen are masterpieces.

Not at all what I was expecting but it made me laugh, cringe, and think. It‘s due back at the library tomorrow so that motivated me to read it quickly, I‘m not sure if I would have stalled out midway through otherwise. Giving it a pick because the ending was worth it.

“Sometimes I think that's the trouble with the world: too many people in high places who are stone-cold dead."

62 years after this book is first published and I am in complete agreement.

I‘ve been waiting for this book from the library forever! I now know why. What a great read. I read Huck Finn when I was young and barely remember it (other than remembering I didn‘t care for it) so it was nice to approach this book with only loosely knowing the story. Percival Everett is an incredible storyteller. I love the ending.

I‘m going to start with what I didn‘t like: the translation was a bit sloppy in places, and that‘s it. I wish I had read this book before we went to Japan because there are a few dishes I want to try now (and places to see). The author‘s hard take on body-shaming, sexism, and double standards is worthy of applause, and accomplished while spinning an interesting tale.

This book was gifted to me by my favorite sister :)

I listened to the audiobook and she‘s so great - such a natural performer and so talented. Her story is stunning, sad, and beautiful. I‘m so grateful to her for sharing her life with us all. If you read the text, the audiobook is definitely worth a listen.

I picked this up on vacation without knowing a thing about it. I liked the author‘s writing style. I wanted to like it. But the story just didn‘t connect for me at all. I‘d give it a pan but I really did enjoy the writing, and I didn‘t feel like I was forcing myself to finish it. But I wouldn‘t recommend it. This copy is going to a neighborhood Free Library.

I used to almost exclusively read true crime, which, makes me sick now, but knowing a gross amount about Ted Bundy added to this story for me. I appreciate the fresh perspective and focusing on the bright young women versus sensationalizing a serial killer. It‘s as close to true crime as I‘m willing to get these days.

This is a story about a postman that is dying and makes a deal with the devil to make one thing disappear from the world in order to live one extra day. I like the devil aspect and feel connected with the author‘s style of imagination. There was only one part about time that got a bit redundant, but the rest I enjoyed immensely.

Read this one because it‘s the most challenged book in the states. George shines a bright light on the lack of sex education for queer youth which underscores the absolute need for this book to be available in libraries. Hiding information from children and teens only puts them at risk.

This book reads like YA fiction, which isn‘t bad, but not what I have come to expect from translated Japanese. It‘s simple writing, but it is absolutely charming and I almost want a copy for myself just for the recipes.

Danny Trejo‘s life is unbelievable. I began listening to the audiobook but I couldn‘t get into rhythm w/ Danny‘s reading so I switched to text (obv bc the story was already gripping me). I‘m so glad I did. The book includes photos & you can still read it in Danny‘s voice in your head. This book will make you want to be a better person. It will fill you w/ gratitude & awe. He is humble & honest. He is a gift to this world. Put Trejo on your list.

It‘s no Kitchen but I don‘t regret reading it. I didn‘t connect with the short stories as I hoped I would but that could be because Kitchen left me with unreasonable expectations.

I love that she dedicated the American version to Kurt Cobain.

Jessica Simpson was honest and open, true to the book‘s title. I gave this book 3.5/5 stars on Fable, which is so-so for me. I can‘t say I would recommend the book unless to a real fan (which admittedly, I couldn‘t name a single song of hers before reading and I‘ve possibly already forgotten the names of her hits). I will say, I never liked John Mayer before, but now I have reason to dislike him. What a misogynistic kook.

This is a quick read and a great read. I bought two copies when I was only halfway finished - one for me and one for my best friend. I‘ll come back to this book time and time again.

Throughout this book I considered not finishing it. It was slow. Enjoyable enough to hang on but I doubt it will be memorable (if it turns out it is, I‘ll revise my rating). At times, more in the first half than the second, the cadence would completely mind fuck me and I‘d have to reread a sentence several times to understand it. I never truly understood why the cadence would change, but it was annoying to say the least.

I loved listening to Sinéad read her memoir. At times she giggled & it was the most heartwarming thing to hear. Before reading, I knew maybe one song & that her head was shaved. Now I‘m quite sad cos we lost such a beautiful soul & she won‘t be reading more audiobooks. At first I was shocked by how old she sounded, like a grandmother (she was!), & I wasn‘t sure if I could keep listening but 7 minutes in I was hooked. Her life, my god.

I picked this book up on the cheap at a secondhand bookstore with the intention of having a lightweight book that I wouldn‘t be sad to part with on vacation. I didn‘t read it quickly, so it made it home with me. The first 2/3 is slow, but I love Isabel Allende so it didn‘t bother me. It was actually nice to have a book on vacation that I didn‘t mind putting down. The last 1/3 was epic. Allende delivered. Not my fave by her but still a pick.

I appreciated Busy‘s honesty throughout the book. She wrote this pre-covid, pre-overturn of RvW, and pre-Trump‘s reelection. I would enjoy a second memoir from her with the last 7 years packed in.

Picked this copy up on the cheap at Rose City Reads and I‘m leaving it in an Airbnb in Tokyo ✨ Definitely not my usual genre but it was low stakes and enjoyable.

Not my fave dystopian novel but holy hell if it isn‘t good. There‘s so much in the book to unpack. The notion of not moving backwards, but keeping time frozen. The Thought Police. The disappearings.

My best friend gave me this book and it‘s pure gold. Breaks your heart straight up.

I listened to 4 hours, eighteen minutes and thirty-two seconds of so-called humble bragging and I could not for the life of me continue. This is the first celeb memoir audiobook that I am bailing on.

This book contains 2 stories: Kitchen & Moonlight Shadow. I loved them both. Yoshimoto writes about losing loved ones, that unbearable pain that consumes us, unlike anyone I‘ve ever read before. These stories are beautiful and melancholy and they make my chest tremble as I let it ache for all those I‘ve loved and lost. Contender for best 2025 read.

The writing in this book was so original. It‘s a quick read, but the stories are going to stay with me for a long time. I‘m looking forward to reading more by Julie Otsuka.

I read 50% but the story circled around Greenwood and never got there. Maybe the second half of the book is what I wanted, but I couldn‘t get myself to pick it back up again after 2 months.

I will say that the first half was mind-blowing and included a lot of history that I knew nothing about and I learned how historical policies benefited my family while stealing from Black Americans. So absolutely worth the read but the writing lacked for me.

Ah, I revisited this read because of a reading challenge my cousin gave me to reread a book I hated in HS. How could I possibly have understood this book when I was 14 or 15?! And my god, I love it now. It was incredibly well researched, the writing was brilliant, and the storytelling style was original and fresh. It‘s a contender for best read of 2025.

Ok, so I‘m on a celebrity memoir, author-read audiobook tour (of my own making) and I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book. Paris is unbelievably honest and vulnerable. There is so much to unpack and I don‘t know where to begin unpacking. I wish I read this as part of a book club.

Good grief.

I listened to the audiobook and loved it because Pamela read it. I‘ve always been a fan of her, always, so maybe I‘m biased. I also just saw her in The Last Showgirl and that was fantastic. She‘s an incredible woman and I feel so lucky that she shared her memoir with us.

I chose this book to satisfy a reading challenge that my cousin gave me - it counts as a graphic novel, yeah? I‘ve seen the title pop up on banned book lists and like most banned books, I think this ought to be mandatory reading. I‘m not usually one for graphic novels or comics, it‘s just too much visual clutter for me, but this book was absolutely brilliant and the images were essential. Definitely tore my heart out a thousand times.

I loved this book. Totally not a typical read for me but it was fun and entertaining and a great story.

I didn‘t care for the self help aspect of this book but I love listening to her books, so I give a Pick to the audiobook.

There are better books out there but this book was entertaining enough for me to finish it. I wasn‘t in love with the writing or the characters, but it was a quick read and lighter than other material I‘m making my way through right now so that‘s why I kept it in rotation. It was recommended by Scout (the Fable AI bird) and hit the mark for my prompt.

My mom said Pachinko was a MUST READ and it‘s been on my TBR list for about a year now. Recently I‘d asked Scout (the AI Fable bird) for books based in Japan and this book overlapped as a suggestion. I just finished it and my heart is in my throat. It is beautiful and sad and tells a history that is not well-known. It‘s a lot to process but while I sift through my thoughts, I already know this book will remain as one of my top favorite reads.

I‘m giving this a pick because it was entertaining but I did find myself snapping back at the audiobook, primarily with Kate‘s story. Her character was frustrating to me because she felt so flat at times. I think the author spent a lot of time on the drama but it detracted from the believability of the characters.

I listened to the audiobook so maybe I would have felt differently if I read it but many stories followed the same pattern (I‘ve lived my whole life accustomed to racism but then an incident happened and it bothered me). My favorite story was P‘s Parties but I had read it before in Interpreter of Maladies. I also like The Boundary and Dante Alighieri.

Omg I loved this book - it‘s beautifully written and the story is real yet unexpected. The AI bird on Fable (I think its name is Scout) recommended it when I searched for translated fiction set in Japan.