A cursed forest, crumbling estates, a Wolf, and a Second sister who is sacrificed, and whose twin is set to take over the kingdom. I loved this dark fantasy novel from the first page to the last! Red, our strong protagonist is sent to Wilderwood where she meets Eammon, the Wolf, whose job it is to protect the forest. Sparks fly immediately, with this slow-burn romance. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4014702860?book_show_action=false

You know that feeling when you read a book, and you just can't put your finger on it, as to what is compelling you forward, to finish the book? That's how Unsettled Ground was for me. Claire Fuller has written a book that is silently captivating; one slow, page at a time. But, it makes perfect sense. She has written a story that has such an excellent sense of place, rural England.

review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4037712038

A Murder takes place in Japan, you've got a beautiful single mother, her neighbor a brilliant mathematician, and his physicist college friend. A few detectives who can't seem to uncover the alibi of the suspect without the help of the physicist who straddles the friendship of the mathematician and his work with the police department.
See full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4103557703

Talk about an opening page?!?! Fascinating look into post partum depression and a new mother‘s life. The book moves between her days in the psych ward, and her memories of growing up in a Korean household, to college, dating and beyond. I couldn‘t put this down last night…

See anything I should take with me on Vacation? Give your favorite a shout out…

This is an enchanting book. The story, so far is told by chapters titled, Slaverytime, Freedomtime, Surrender, The Promise etc. So far pretty good!

My TBR is overflowing ...

Four Stars
It's Boston 1662. Women are to be seen, and not heard. We meet Mary Deerborn, who is a feisty young woman. After many verbal and physical altercations with her husband, Mary seeks divorce. Of course, since this is 1662 and Boston, Mary is accused of being a witch, and her trial is more about the possibility of her being possessed by Satan, than her abusive husband.
Full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4058786233

Stephen Fry may very well be the best narrator ever! I‘m listening to this on audio, and I‘m entranced. I adore everything about this book, but Frys retelling of Greek Mythology is captivating! What a perfect book for summer. Go out and get it... ( I actually bought a copy while listening)

Picking up a classic to read, and potentially bring to my leadership kids! Happy reading!

I was sent an ARC of this book right before I was to fly to NY with my son, which just happens to be the premise of this book. So, I‘ve waited until now to read.

This book made me feel like I was a kid again; staying up almost all night, to try and finish (but seriously I am old, so made it to 1:30) I could not put the book down. The Sea of Tranquility is a book about trauma and trust. Both of our main characters have faced more than any young adult should ever have to. I love Josh, Nastya, and Drew. Five Stars

Read the full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16151178-the-sea-of-tranquility

I know someone here, or perhaps another reading obsessed group mentioned this magazine. My reading life is near complete!

Elizabeth Strout has written a book, that touches on characters and themes that I am not sure I have read before with such poignancy and compassion. Strout has interwoven characters who are in the twilight of their lives, and we walk through this experience with them; at times funny, sorrowful, and plaintive.

This book stirred something in me... and I took a moment to reflect. Isn't that what a great book does, cause introspection?

Decided to start checking books out from the library. First World Problems: when ALL the books your excited to read come in at once. Reading by “due back by date” it‘s a first for me! Happy Summer , Happy 📖 Reading

This passage spoke to me... I‘ve always said this, and have known it in my heart that someday this will be me. Waiting for the boys to come and visit their sad lonely mother.

“What frightened him was how much of his life he had lived without knowing who he was or what he was doing... he sensed that he had lived his life in a way that he had not known. This meant there had been a huge blind spot directly in front of his eyes.” Such an interesting idea to ponder.

Olympus, Texas captivated me from the very first page. This story is full of rich and fully developed characters and shows us how the decisions we make have ripple effects, not only in our own lives but in those of future generations.

What I appreciated about Olympus, Texas is that it showed humanity at its rawest; real characters dealing with real issues, often ones we do not want to look at. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4014706213

I picked this book up tonight knowing it was going to be a difficult read. It‘s a tragedy to me that children grow up neglected and often alone, much like Peter in the story. *
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When I read this quote, it made my heartache for the little boy who has to walk on pins and needles everyday of his life as he does not know which mother he will be getting that day.*
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Mental health, anxiety, depression and Post partum are real and painful for everyone.

I really tried to like this, I‘m 100 pages in, and just can‘t Figure out where the story is, or where it is going.
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If you‘ve read it, and liked it, please tell me what I‘m missing. *
This goes into my very short DNF pile.

I just need to dust off an old friend, and sit awhile...

I‘ve been so sick with COVID that I haven‘t read in over a week, which if you are like me, you must be pretty damn sick not to be able, or actually want to read. Yesterday the fever finally broke, and I felt well enough to pick up a book. And this is the one that captured my interest, taking me far away from myself to the AT. And today, reading this opening sentence in this paragraph is the first time I laughed out loud in weeks.

So far, so good! Who doesn‘t love a hunky time traveler, and it‘s a romance!!!!!

𝙸𝚝𝚜 𝚊 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍! 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚢.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐?

𝚆𝚑𝚘𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛? 𝙵𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚢 𝙲𝙰 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢!

I LOVE this book! Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not since Jem and Scout Finch have I met two young protagonists who have taken up a place in my heart. We meet Duchass Day Radley, her brother Robin, and their mother Star who is unable, or unwilling to care for her children. This is a coming of age story, where we follow Duchass as she tries to pick up the pieces of their lives. The setting is also expansive and beatiful. I highly recommend this book!

What‘s on your reading table today?

I would rate this with all the stars in the sky! It‘s rare when a book makes me pause, to sit with the emotions that it has brought up. I didn‘t know what to expect after all the hype, but this book is a masterpiece. From the opening page you are drawn in by the characters, the landscape, and the story. It is breathtaking. Maggie O‘Farrell has crafted a poignant story about a mother‘s tragedy that makes it difficult to look away.

This is a slow and steady read for me. I‘m learning a lot about RBGs life and the beginnings of the Women‘s movement. It‘s a long book 600+ pages but will be worth it in the end. Find more on Instagram Westbrookreads

Gave this book four stars. I enjoyed it, loved the plot twists and turns and how all the characters are intertwined, kinda like real life!!! Lots of great gems like the one above that get you thinking. IMO, Backman tends to focus on characters who are on the grouchy side, but you usually uncover the reason as you read.

I think I‘m late to the party on this!
“These are the feelings you are allowed to express.
This is how a woman should act.
These are the things you will believe.
These are the people you can love.
Those are the people you should fear.
This is the kind of life you are supposed to want.”
If I had daughters I‘d press this into their hands, and I will continue to teach my boys about unrealistic expectations placed on women. #womenshistorymonth

The hype is real. It‘s been a long time since I‘ve read a book that makes it impossible to focus on anything else. Damn work and children...

Well, she‘s done it again. Not only am I sitting in a puddle of tears, but I walk away having learned something too. In Hannah‘s author notes she states there are lessons to be learned from history, “History has shown us the strength and durability of the human spirit.”

The Four Winds has yet another strong female protagonist, a mother, who does everything in her power to protect her children. I think we can all relate to that. Five ⭐️ stars #10

Are humans inherently evil? Or, are we good, and the media portrays us that way? “News is to the mind what sugar is to the body.” So far, an intriguing read!

Want to read a book that will transform your life? This one will. I picked it up this month, and it‘s has given me an amazing amount of information and the desire to do better for myself, by eating better.

All the stars ⭐️ go to this one... it has everything you want in a book, rich, beautiful characters, beautifully written prose, a captivating story lines. Plus, it makes you think deeply about the choices you make, why you make them, and in the end to truly appreciate what you have. This book is worth all the hype! Read it!

Working on hitting my 2020 goal of 70 books!

Set in the same time period of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, we see the life of a young woman as it was, focused on marriage, having babies, and living only for your husband. We get a glimpse into the simplicity of Margy‘s life, and her heartbreak.

I love when a book is not only entertaining, but poses questions that make you think, and have conversations around the dinner table. Imagine your life if you had chosen differently. I‘ll be pondering this one for awhile. Also, it has a library as it‘s core setting. Highly recommend!

Just purchased this from my local bookstore. Hoping it‘s a good one!

After living in our house for 23 years, I‘m finally getting my own library. I‘m ecstatic. Finished pictures coming soon.

This book is exactly what I needed right now. Each chapter is dedicated to the different traits of kindness; Honesty, forgiveness, trust, and empathy, to name just a few. I found myself highlighting and taking notes along the way. Highly recommended!

What a beautifully written story of a family dealing with depression and Suicide. If you enjoy YA Lit, then this might be a good pick for you.

“We had to teach the despairing men that it did not matter what we expected from life, but rather, what life expected from us.” (Frankl 98)

I could not put this down. Fell in love With the cast of characters . Enjoyed the narrators perspective.

This is a must read! Brilliant use of Poetry! the entire story takes place in an elevator, young man meets people from his past as he grapples with the death of his brother.

Loved this book from beginning to end. It has so many layers; mother daughter relationship, husband and wife, racism in the south, all broken, trying to be mended. Interesting that a Mockingbird appears throughout the story, while we uncover how our protagonist stands up for a Blackman trying to rise above his station. Good stuff!