so-soWith some depth this could have been awesome, there was so many missed opportunities here. There's no exploration of feelings to how Claire feels to find herself two hundred years in the past or of her feelings on being parted from Frank. There's no exploration of struggle between adapting to an earlier time without modern day conveniences.
It could have been epic but it was average and not worth the 849 page count.
so-soI really should have bailed on this one. I love the US cover and the setting, and there were some parts I found engaging, but overall I often found my mind wandering off while listening. To the point that near the end is someone named Charlie and I had no idea who that was. 🤷🏼♀️
pickIn Medieval Bruges, a ruling elite battles to keep the scriptures from being understood by commoners, butt Aleys longs to truly experience the living God for herself. Eschewing her arranged marriage to become the a Franciscan nun, she finds companionship and service alongside a group of Beguines who secretly study a forbidden translated scripture. When miracles begin to occur, Aleys finds herself walking a line between saint and heretic. (1/2)
I am so lucky to have a little sister who knows that my love language is Books. (She gave me the okay to open my b-day gift early.)(And she's not on Litsy and lives across the country, so I probably could have kept it a secret if she hadn't given me the go-ahead.)
The next big reads. Finally got a chance to raid the library. I need some suggestions for next books? I‘m trying to come out of this weird reading slump.
pickThis is my 1st Quinn book, & I enjoyed it. Set during the Korean War & the McCarthy era, it‘s a story about a group of women living in a boardinghouse. Each main character gets her own section from her POV, with all her secrets, romances, & past exposed to the reader. Loved the friendships that formed from their weekly dinners & how each changed during a 4-5 yr period. The men were good supportive characters, too. TW: death, DV
pickThe Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol 7, by Beth Brower (2023)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premise: The still continued journals of a bright young woman navigating her uncommon life amidst the mores of Victorian London.
Review: It‘s a testament to his good these are that I‘m still excited to spend every moment I can with these characters. Here we have quite a bit of plot development in addition to the delightful sensibility and voice of the series.
pickIt took me a minute to get into this. Snippets of alternating fake historical source notes and ghost narration? This wasn't what I was expecting. I should have had more faith because I became so absorbed in this fantasy world where ghosts can read the thoughts of humans by stepping into their bodies, which reminded me of the act of reading. This effect made the funny parts more funny and the sad parts more poignant. Maybe my favorite read of 2025.
so-soThis book underwhelmed me. I thought the beginning was great - when the focus was on the mother and her preparation for leaving for the internment camps. In the end of the book, Julie Otsuka brings back the collective we that made The Buddha in the Attic such a literary stunner. Even though the narrative worked, honestly all I can say is that it underwhelmed me.
#BookedInTime #BookedInTimeDecember2025
“La Belle Époque translates to "the beautiful era," a period of French and European history from roughly 1871 to 1914, defined by optimism, peace, and prosperity, though not without its own social and political tensions. It was a time of cultural, scientific, and technological advancements, including the development of Impressionism, and the construction of the Eiffel Tower. What are you reading?
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