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Amity Gaige speaks about her inspiration for Heartwood, citing this book specifically, so I had to read it, too. Geraldine Largay became lost while hiking the Appalachian Trail. In order to keep herself alert and going, she wrote heartfelt letters to family in her journal, which were found upon discovering her body. It‘s a weird story, but very worthwhile.
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I was fortunate enough to attend a book club session with Amity Gaige during the Read With Jenna Book Festival. Hearing her speak about her inspiration and process had me so excited to read this. Her passion came through on the page. Yes, it‘s a story about a lost hiker, but it‘s much more. The perfect mixture of adventure, friendship, mystery, and homage. Well fleshed characters, too. Loved it!
Post one of two: When in the area, we always visit Sundog. We don‘t stay in Seaside as it‘s not our scene, but we love this shop. It‘s not just a tourist spot, but a legitimately good book store. (That is my sweet hubby bottom right, who knows books are a priority on vacation). 🩷🩷
Hubby and I headed to the beach sans kids for a bit ! 🙂 I‘m reading the tagged book; he‘s on Harry Potter 5 (reading HP for the first time and loving it).
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I‘m a sucker for second chances and found family. Hai is struggling, and will grab your heart tight. Flawed, lovable, relatable. Vuong‘s writing is so gorgeous and all encompassing. Life‘s constant battle of good versus evil is a recurring thread asking you to consider this for yourself; whether you view it as perceived or true. And the nod to Slaughterhouse-Five, one of my favorite novels, was an extra chef‘s kiss for me. Brilliant!
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Morrison‘s debut is a difficult, but powerful, read surrounding a childhood steeped in abuse and neglect. A devastating story of lost innocence, and the reclamation of racist beauty standards. Her writing is tragically poetic. So affecting.
Greetings from the Emerald Coast! 📖⛱️
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Imagine your dreams were government surveilled. Pretty horrifying! I loved this premise, but this dragged on for ages. Something about the execution just didn‘t work for me.
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Ali Hazelwood is pretty reliable for a funny, enjoyable, smart read. This second book in her #NotInLove series is a thoughtfully executed age gap romance. Very likable characters, great banter.
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Speculative climate fiction never sounds that exciting to me, but McConaghy‘s writing is just so impeccable. Lush descriptions, flawed characters, and a slow-burn mysterious situation combined for a solid #bookclub selection. I loved Migrations a bit more, but this was good!
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Is anyone free of the self hatred of their body? I think this notion will resonate with many, and is a huge takeaway from this memoir. When Lieu was 11, her mom, a Vietnamese immigrant, passed away after a botched cosmetic procedure. This is a daughter‘s search for answers, her own struggles with body image, and about a family who had to push on after tragedy. A bit repetitive, but still decent.
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Thoroughly researched, and thoughtfully presented, dissection of America‘s racial history highlighting the specific roles of Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, WEB De Bois, and Angela Davis. If like me, this has been sitting on your backlist, get to it soon!
pickI had never been drawn to Hilderbrand, but after hearing her speak at the Read With Jenna Book Festival, I realized I was all wrong for judging her covers and titles. She was so endearing and smart. And utterly prolific! So, I started here, and really enjoyed this story about friends from different seasons of life. Really got me thinking about who I‘d choose. Definitely reading her again!
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Rudimentary writing, poor execution. The plot couldn‘t even save the writing. I know that‘s harsh, but it‘s the worst book I‘ve read in ages. I pushed through since it‘s short, but it took me much longer than usual.
so-soEven after THREE content warnings from the author, I still proceeded. Possibly the most disturbing book I‘ve ever read. Quite lecherous. A line was crossed that I couldn‘t recover from. Otherwise, the true horror is that it‘s very rooted in possibility. A glaring train wreck.
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Like a private sector Handmaid‘s Tale on steroids. Very dark. A friend said “This book is fucked up, I need you to read it.” Indeed. And there‘s a second book.
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I was only vaguely familiar with this story, but good lord, it‘s scary and disturbing. Written by forensic and criminal psychology experts, this goes deep into the “boat shed” to expose the heinous crimes committed by a serial killer and his, well, apprentice. The line between victim and accomplice becomes quite fuzzy. A fascinating read.
Book + Legos. Read a chapter, complete a bag. This book is a train wreck I can‘t look away from.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Without language, there would be no cults. I‘m so happy this is my book club‘s June nonfiction pick! I‘ve now read it 3x. Linguist Amanda Montell delves deep into fanatical language and how it plays with our brains: thought-terminating cliches, love bombing, code switching, etc. I listened on audio this time, and it would be much better if Montell narrated. She‘s fantastic on her podcast Sounds Like a Cult.
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There‘s a lot going on here, but I was all in. Two major mystery storylines - one of displaced vigilante justice, one of religious fanatical hatred - converge. Holly Gibney is a common thread. Not King‘s best, he sets the bar far too high, but still a riveting read.
This #JaneMount “Diverse Spines” 500 piece puzzle was so fun! A bonus, at the end, I went through to see how many I‘ve read: 25
How many have you read? Might need to screen grab and zoom in. 🔍
Wrapped up the tagged book. My first Hilderbrand. Enjoyed very much! #audiopuzzing
My little buddy (my 11 year old) and I came to the oil change appointment prepared! #raisingreaders
I‘m really not digging this book. Might bail. Anyone read it? What should I do? 🤣
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Some reviewers can‘t get past the repetition, but I thought Soffer‘s stylistic choices were effective in representing all the seasons of this long, illustrious relationship. Once you get the hang, it flows beautifully. Central Park is quite an evocative center piece. The more I ruminate on this one, the more I appreciate it!
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Sometimes a book just hits you at the right time. May is so insane, this was the perfect #bookclub pick. Funny and thoughtful. A lovable, strong female lead, and two male characters that were likable even in uncomfortable/challenging circumstances. A believable, relatable scenario and a satisfying ending. And, OMG, Nurse Louise!
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Boyne is one of the few male authors who can properly write a female character. The depth of his writing in such a short book is just unmatchable. This, the first in his Elements Series, is melancholic, beautiful, compelling. Anxiously awaiting the other three books to arrive. They have not (yet) been published in the US, and slow shipping is killing me.
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Millennial ladies, there‘s a lot to unpack here. Atlantic journalist Sophie Gilbert thoroughly explores early-aught pop culture influence, and how we were conditioned to treat ourselves and one another. Fascinating and a bit devastating. A must-read!
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Dug fairly deep into my Kindle vault for this one. Not sure why I put it off so long. It‘s a gritty, yet beautiful, collection. Thoughtful is the word. Groff‘s writing is so seamless. She makes short stories seem easy which they certainly are not.
In further bookish goodness, my husband got us all books from a Japanese book shop while traveling for work. Mine is a Murakami that - I think - was never translated to English. I‘m not sure. I‘ve tried to figure it out. 😅🤣 So interesting, though! Holden got the first Wimpy Kid (his fave series) and Vaughn got Bluelock Vol One (one of his fave series). Also added a new member to my beautiful Kokeshi Doll collection!
Post four: The books I had signed! Every author was so kind. I had the nicest conversation with Coco Mellors, Tara Stringfellow was so sweet and absolutely gorgeous, and Tiffany Haddish was so gracious with all her fave! Amity and Emma were fabulous, too. 🤩 #RWJBookFest #ReadWithJenna
Post three: All my swag! Fenty Beauty, Nest New York candle, Boll & Branch pillow case, tote, the cutest little Yeti cup, Rifle Paper Co journal, and we made charm bracelets! #RWJBookFest #ReadWithJenna
Post two: We made cookies, flower bouquets, bracelets (all local Nashville vendors) and packed totes with books for Nashville Public Library to give to children in the community! #RWJBookFest #ReadWithJenna
Post one: First ever Read With Jenna Book Fest - Ann Patchett, Elin Hildebrand, Amity Gaige, Emma Straub, Tiffany Haddish, Chris Whitaker, Jean Kwok, Alison Espach, Rumaan Alam, Coco Mellors, and more! An incredible experience!! #RWJBookFest #ReadWithJenna
Three-mile audio greenway walk with my boy. 🎧🐾
#audiowalk #reread #bookclub #dogsoflitsy
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Social horror steeped in reality, racial violence, humanity, and tradition. Hungry Ghosts tell the story of Asian hate in NYC during the pandemic. I‘m honestly so tired of pandemic novels, but this is nothing like the others. Nothing. It‘s brilliant. Creative, compelling, gruesome, and affecting. Can‘t stop thinking about it.
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I didn‘t know Haddish had a second book until I saw her on the Read With Jenna Book Festival lineup next weekend in Nashville! (I‘m going!!) Her personal essays are honest, often hilarious, often vulgar. I just reread Last Black Unicorn, too. Her story is a true testament to perseverance and believing in oneself. Must listen to both on audio!
Hotel pool kindle time. 🏊🏼♂️📱
Walking while my (almost) 13 year old has soccer training. Peep the mallard 🦆 just casually hanging out in a huge puddle left by recent storms.
This book, y‘all. It‘s something. #audiowalk
Y‘all, my sweet friend made this book vase, thanking me for serving as team treasurer this soccer season. 🥹
(It‘s some random book from a thrift store, and not in great condition, for those worried about the whole book-destroying issue. At least it‘s still serving a purpose!)
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Literally every collected volume is five stars. The story, characters, and art are just perfection. Relatable and relevant. Anxiously awaiting volume 13!
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At first, this felt like an unapologetic Didion rip off, then it magically morphed into more of an homage. Incredible writing! Blew me away. I ended up loving this travelogue of memories. Yes, this is Tom Hanks‘s daughter. No, this book isn‘t about him. Also one of my favorite covers of 2025.
#coverlove
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Too many “contemplative gazes” for me, but it was an enjoyable enough story. As usual, Jimenez broaches some difficult, relatable familial circumstances along side a romance. This was more of the former, less of the latter. I was okay with that.
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Though I‘m a proud elder millennial, I was, admittedly, only a mild Blink fan. I like, but don‘t love. BUT, music memoirs are so fascinating, and Hoppus seems so open and honest. Blink tea is spilled. And yet, it isn‘t always Mark vs Tom. Times were amazing; time were tumultuous. Loved this. Read Travis‘s book, too. I doubt Tom will ever write one, but he should.
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Facebook whistleblower lays out some pretty disturbing, yet unsurprising, info. “Influence,” security, misogyny; and, sadly, that‘s just scratching the surface. There‘s a reason Zuckerberg didn‘t want this published.
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McFadden is so inconsistent. I‘ve very much enjoyed a few of her books, but this felt like a (bad) very famous thriller rip off. Just like The Crash reeked of a (bad) Misery rip off. Take a breath, take some time, and write something thoughtful. And for the love, say “brownstone” one more time. Lord. I‘m done with her books for a while.
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A warm fuzzy gut punch. Hartnett once again proves why she is a must-read author for me. Creative and quirky. Dark, but with a lot of heart. Real and surreal. So freaking good!
Both books I‘m reading right now have precocious cats with plural food names: Bananas and Pancakes. What is happening?!? Love these kind of weird coincidences.
More basketball. More Water. Very much looking forward to the rest of Boyne‘s “Elements.”
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