This is book #3 for me - 5/5.

This one probably isn‘t for everyone, but it definitely spoke to me. The author lost both of her sons by suicide. She wrote this book after her second son‘s death. Her comments and descriptions of her feelings resonate with me. She makes the statement that sometimes children die, and parents must go on living. Her thoughts are definitely powerful.

Book #2 - This one was also great. I‘m happy to be starting the year with excellent reads 😊 5/5. #readwithjenna

First book of the year. It was so good! 5/5

I enjoyed reading about Grace and how she regained herself and took control of her life. The story is very timely with its #MeToo storyline. It serves as a reminder to the challenges women face in male/dominated industries. This is especially true of very young women. #ReadWithJenna

I really did end up loving this book. At times I did not like the lowbrow dialogue. I know that makes me sound elitist. I just love beautiful writing and want it in my novels. However, I loved how this reminded me of why I love fairy tales and how magical the idea of finding a kingdom at the back of a wardrobe was to me as a child (and now 😊).

I really loved this unique story. When I first heard the topic, I thought it sounded crazy. I was wrong. This was beautifully written and I enjoyed it so much. The passages where Lewis professes his love for Wren are especially poignant. This is honestly so good!

I listened to this on audio and enjoyed it. The concept is interesting…getting a mystery string that tells a person the length of their lives if they choose to look at it. I liked the characters and how the author made their story strings intertwine. My favorite message is that the most important thing is that we get a string at all, not the length of it.

Just when I think I can‘t love Dave Grohl any more than I already do, I find out he has a memoir that I listen to him narrate, and I realize I clearly can love him more. This was just so fun and refreshing. I love that this man has walked such an interesting path and that he can still be so amazed by it, like a little boy. It was just nice to listen to someone who is having fun and isn‘t jaded. Even if you aren‘t a fan of his music, listen to this

For most of this book I had no idea what was going on. The unreliable narrator made it so that the reader could not tell what to believe. It took me by surprise. This book covered many topics, such as PTSD, parent relationships, marital relationships, mental illness, and trauma experienced by refugees. This sounds like a lot with the possibility of being messy, but the author really ties it all together seamlessly.

I ended up liking this more than I expected. I thought the time travel presented in this book was unique. I really liked the expats and wanted them to succeed and be happy. Other things in this book really made me think about things to come.

I listened to this on audio. I just got sick of listening to the main character drone on and on about her misfortune, when she created everything. She was really weak. I like my characters to be smart, even when they can‘t be good. I also did not like how everything was wrapped up neatly at the end. There seemed to be no real ramifications either.

I am a huge Stephen King fan, and I think he once again knocked it out of the park with this novel. I am thrilled that he decided to continue writing about Holly, Jerome, and Barbara. I fell for those characters during the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. The premise in this story is very creepy and believable. I was nervous for the characters and enjoyed seeing everything brought together in the end.

I didn‘t really know what to expect for this one. I found it on Hoopla looking for an audio book and thought I would give it a go. Wow, I am so glad I did! I ended up loving it. The concept is very interesting; we have one person who is our DNA match. I loved all of the individual stories. They took many twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I really liked that the author looked at so many possibilities and kept me interested in all of them.

This was phenomenal! I did a reread of Huck Finn before reading, but I feel like anyone could enjoy without doing that. The title character was complex and engaging. I enjoyed reading about his internal and external struggles. This was truly a book to make one think.

My current book club pick took me by surprise. I enjoyed it so much that I sat and read it in one setting. I loved the stories and how they all worked together. I loved the happily ever endings. The romance made me smile.

At the beginning, I loved this. During the middle and towards the end, I felt it dragged on and on. I liked the way the author ended the book. Overall, I am not sure of the point. I am not sure the main character learned anything or gained any valuable insight. This was all very elaborate for Lauren to just finally settle on one with no real introspection.

There were aspects of this I loved and those I didn‘t. If I have to be honest, it‘s closer to a so-so for me. I find Huck honest and I love his adventurous outlook on life. The constant use of the N word wore me down, and I found the section with the Duke just dragged on for me. I remember liking this a lot more when I read it as a kid.

I listened on audio, and overall this was really good. It was a different take on time-loop books, as the time went in reverse. I like how the author kept me guessing and brought the story together at the end. I figured out a couple of things while others got me. I enjoyed it.

I listened to this on audio and ended up really enjoying it. It was just a fun, escapist novel. The main character was frustrating at times, but I ended up really liking her.

This is a pick because the writing was good, and I wanted to see how everything would tie together. I also appreciated learning about an area I do not know a lot about. I did feel like the ending was rushed. The whole book was a slow build, which I enjoyed, and then the end just went pretty rapidly for me.

I listened to this on audio. At times I thought it went on a little too long, but then I realized I was quite invested in seeing how it would turn out. I enjoyed trying to figure out how the author would tie it all together. When I started, I did not realize this was a sequel. I plan to go back and read the first one. While it was a sequel, I think it definitely can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed it that way.

This is one I have always wanted to read to compare to the movie but had never gotten around to until now it was fun to get to know this iconic character better. The book character is just as magical as the Mary we see in the movie but quite different otherwise. Definitely a fun book to read.

I devoured this #BOTM club book. It kept me guessing as to what was really going on with the main character, Eugene. It overall had a very intriguing premise. Through it all, I loved to love story…the idea of a love that transcends centuries and even lifetimes.

I listened to this one on audio, and I enjoyed it. The story was engaging. I had a good time trying to figure out what really happened. It had a lot of twists and turns. The ending was satisfying, which I always appreciate in a mystery. I think the deceased, Diana, would have been an interesting person to know.

I really enjoyed this pick from #BOTM. I enjoyed the way it went to different time periods to tell the story of three different women from the same family, and then how it tied all of the stories together. I enjoyed reading about their strengths and connection with the natural world. The book was very engaging, and I was always excited to read it. In addition, just look at the cover!

I just finished this classic short story with my students. They enjoyed it and found it shocking that it caused outrage when it was first released. As always, I enjoyed reading it and sharing it with my students.

This one was good but not my favorite by her. I thought some of the choices by the characters were not smart and I was able to figure out some of the twists. I am not one that can typically figure out the twists. I listened on audio, and the performers were enjoyable.

This one absolutely lived up to the hype for me. I loved the way the author made the characters so interesting and believable. The people in the story came from many different walks of life and faced their own unique set of challenges, and McBride tied them all together. I loved that everything tied together. The ending was very satisfying. My big thing is beautiful writing, and this definitely delivered on that.

This book took me by surprise and totally captured my heart. I loved the way it went back and forth through time and how the author eventually brought everything together. I loved hearing the stories of the lost things interwoven through the book. The love stories of the characters were beautiful. Honestly, there wasn‘t anything I disliked about this book. I listened on audio, and I think that made it even more likable for me.

My friend chose this for our book club this month. I had never heard of it and didn‘t know what to expect. I loved it so much! The story was beautiful and just made me feel good to read it. I am an animal lover, so the references in the book about the beauty and majesty of the giraffes really spoke to me. I enjoyed reading the transformation of the main character, Woody, and The Old Man and Red too. The Darlings were the real stars, though.

This one was fun. I listened to it on audio, and the narrator was good and made the book enjoyable. I thought the story was clever and liked how it referenced murder mystery rules. It kept me guessing until the end and reminded me of my love of Agatha Christie novels when I was younger.

I really loved this book. I knew I liked it, but the way the author wrapped up the ending made me love it even more. I think this one really spoke to me due to the losses I have suffered the past few years and the joy and gratitude I feel over the love I have found. Love your people with everything you have. None of us know when our time will be up.

This one was very good. Honestly, it is the best book I have read in a while. The story is very poignant, and is really that much more so when one considers that it is based on actual events. I had never heard of Georgia Tann, nor the Tennessee Children‘s Home Society orphanage. The story is both interesting and well told.

I listened to this one on audio. I enjoyed the story while I was in it, but I was not thrilled with the ending. It just did not seem as clever as the rest of the story. I was disappointed.

This book is different from any others I have read about events related to the Holocaust. It follows the story of four people whose stories intersect before, during, and after the war. Nico and Sebastian are brothers, Fannie is their friend, and Udo Graf is the German officer whose evil lies and manipulations seals the fate of the other three.

I listened to this on audio. The performers were very engaging, so I recommend listening. Overall, the story was good. I was excited to read it, because I really liked The Lost Apothecary. This one wasn‘t quite as good, in my opinion. I thought the romance angle was unnecessary. I did enjoy the twists and trying to figure out who could be trusted.

I picked this book up at the library knowing nothing about it, and I ended up loving it. I could not put it down. It follows the stories of Ruby and Eleanor, and eventually how their lives come to intersect with one another. I loved the characters and the solution did a great job of making me want to keep reading to see how everything would turn out.

I listened to this on audio. Overall, it was entertaining, and there was an interesting twist. My big complaint is that the author went out of her way to disparage education and health-care workers. These are two groups that receive enough grief.

I love to read Steinbeck‘s writing. This collection of stories allows the reader to witness as the young boy, Jody, learns life lessons. The lessons can be harsh. The story of Gabilan was particularly gut-wrenching. Through it all, I was just reminded of how much I love the way Steinbeck puts words together and views the world. Truly beautiful.

I went into this not really knowing what it was about. I knew it had been a buzzy book, and my book club picked it. It is much more serious than I expected from looking at the cover, and I really liked it. I think it is an excellent reminder to women today how hard women in previous generations had to fight to get us the rights that some of us take for granted.

I loved this book. It is massive and quite an undertaking to read, but it is worth it. Some of the passages are just so beautifully written that they stopped me in my tracks. It follows a family in India through the decades as they deal with the family condition. By the end, the author ties everything together perfectly.

When this book was chosen for my book club this month, I was not sure I would enjoy it. It‘s not the kind of book I normally read. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking everything about it. I quickly became invested in the characters. I loved stepping into their world to watch them work through this time of their lives. I spent the book rooting for them to succeed.

At first glance, I was not sure what I would think of this book. Once I started, I was quickly hooked and ended up loving it. Yes, it is a little predictable. I didn‘t care. I loved the characters, especially Marcellus, and I was cheering for everything to work out for them.

I enjoyed this book about a mother searching for the children taken from her. Her need to find them was relatable and her bravery was inspiring. The author‘s writing was quite beautiful. Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel. I will look forward to hearing more from this author.

Despite its large size, this was a quick book. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I realized I was wrong. It kept me guessing all the way until the end. The ending was very satisfying. I enjoyed reading about the characters and how everything worked out.

Very good. I can see why it has received accolades. The writing is mesmerizing, and the story is tragic and realistic. Definitely David Copperfield for current times. I‘m glad I read that one right before this one. It was interesting to compare the two.

I really wanted to get this one read before reading Demon Copperhead. It was massive, but I am glad I finally did it. The characters were delightful, and overall it was worth the challenge. I enjoyed the way Dickens used the book to make commentary on social classes and people in general.

So happy summer is here 😊

I really enjoyed this thriller. There were so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another one came along. #BOTM

I enjoyed the self-acceptance message in the poems in this book. What I love is that one of my middle school students is the one that turned me on to this. I am happy that this book is on their radar, because the poems talk so much about self-love.