Great options for Book of the Month this month! The Coates was a no brainer for me and I couldn‘t resist adding just one more. What did all you other #botm clubbers choose?!

I closed out the summer with a beach reach. It contained some annoying tropes and a few cringey lines like “And maybe, just maybe, this summer will end up being one that people write songs about”, but overall it was well written and light even though it touched on serious subject matter (Vietnam, racism). It felt like she was trying too hard to make it historical but as an engaging story about family in that period of time, it worked for me.

It was not at all what I expected based on the description so I‘m glad I was “warned” by fellow #nyrbbookclub members! I found parts of this stream of consciousness novel captivating but also found my mind wandering while reading the rambling prose. Looking forward to the discussion!

1. Approximately 50. I love to travel and my to-go list is significantly longer!
2. Coast 🏖 3. South Africa 4. Paris #wondrouswednesday @Eggs

#7days7covers Day 7. Last one from me! If you see this and haven‘t started yet, please join in! One cover you love per day for 7 days. No explanation necessary. #covercrush

#7covers7days Day 6 of 7 favorite covers. No explanation necessary. If you aren‘t already participating, please join in on the fun! #covercrush #7days7covers

#7covers7days Day 5 of 7 beautiful covers. No explanation. If you haven‘t already been tagged, please join in! #covercrush

#7days7covers Day 4 of favorite covers over 7 days. No explanation. I think everyone is already participating but if you see this and haven‘t joined in, please do! #covercrush

#7days7covers Day 3 of 7 favorite covers. No explanation. #covercrush Not sure who isn‘t participating, perhaps @squirrelbrain ?

#7days7covers No explanation. #covercrush It seems so many people are already participating, how about you @Liz_M would you care to share your fave covers?

Joining in on #7days7covers and will be posting one cover per day no explanation. Good timing because I just started this one. Thanks for the tag @BarbaraBB #covercrush If you‘re not already doing it, would you like to participate @LeahBergen

I‘ll start by saying I am a sucker for a good multi-generational story! The characters are very “unique” and it did take me some time to get into this one but I loved learning more about Zambian history and reading about these families and how they interconnect. The last section veered off in an unexpected direction but I still found it interesting and relevant to what is happening in the world. #aty2019

I loved Lilac Girls and was excited to read a WWI novel by the same author. I enjoyed the story, particularly the parts in Russia, but the varying perspectives were awkwardly done. This was fine otherwise but not really memorable. The photo is from a recent sunset boat ride and felt it appropriate for an immigrant story. #aty2019

Congrats @Megabooks for the huge milestone! #25etsy My reading has been hit or miss this summer but the clear favorite was Circe. I worried it wouldn‘t live up to the hype but it exceeded expectations!

This is another one that never would have been on my radar without the #nyrbbookclub and I really enjoyed it. Lots of intrigue and the writing made me feel like I was right there along for the crazy ride. Looking forward to the discussion. #nyrb I‘m not sure if the image shown was original or if it was released as One for the Money subsequently but seems pretty racy for the time!

I read this for #camptob even though I‘m not really following along. I was hooked quickly and really liked the main character. I also thought it was a cool mash-up of spy thriller and literary fiction but what I enjoyed most was the detail regarding Burkina Faso and Thomas Sankara, which I knew very little about. The ending was slightly unsatisfying but I still recommend it.

I feel like I‘m always the last one to get it but it‘s still exciting to get #bookmail from #botm club! I‘ve been more into #thrillers lately so I‘m looking forward to this. I‘m also a sucker for a cool cover and I like this one a lot. Has anyone else read it yet?

I put this off because I was worried it wouldn‘t live up to the hype but I ended up liking it more than expected. I‘m aging myself but I used to love watching Behind the Music for my favorite bands and musicians and this really felt like the book version of that. (I figured a boozy photo was appropriate for this one!) 😜

I finished the book over the weekend (sitting in one of the chairs in the pic) but I had to sit with it a few days. It took me awhile to get into it, pretty much until the POV change I think. I can‘t say I “enjoyed” most of it but it was very powerful and the elegies of the Lost Children were just heartbreaking. A very timely novel and I wish some of the people who support the detention centers would read it. #campToB

Needing to renew my library card was the perfect excuse to pop into the gorgeous Rose Reading Room. #nypl

It‘s lines like this that have me wanting to continue but at 30% in, I just do not care about this family at all! I love the idea of this book but I want more of a balance between the family and the “lost children” that I thought would be the focus of this novel. I‘ve heard enough good things that I want to keep going but I only have a few days left before the library snatches it back. Deciding whether to continue or set aside for now.

1. Most recent is tagged. 2. Don‘t make me choose! 3. Sunset. (I‘m not a morning person) 4. Flight and accommodations for a Paris trip. 5. Probably 4th. I had a total “girl crush” on my teacher. #fryayintro @howjessreads

This book isn‘t exactly what I expected but I really enjoyed it. IMO the blurb is misleading since the crux of the novel is the internal conflict the MC has with his decision once he becomes observant after lapsing from Judaism. Photo was taken near where “Larry” lived when he had strayed from his faith.

I have never played chess so I was unsure about this book but I found it fascinating. So sad that Zweig committed suicide shortly after writing it. As always, I‘m looking forward to the discussion with the #nyrbbookclub #nyrb Unrelated photo. It‘s hot out there so if you‘re in a warm climate too make sure to get refreshments!

I‘ve only read two but I‘m definitely not impressed with the summer #ToB shortlist so far. I struggled through the angsty first part of the book because I was curious what the switch in POV would bring. I don‘t want to spoil anyone with specifics but I actually started liking it but it wasn‘t enough to make up for the drama kid drama. My reading buddy wasn‘t impressed either! #catsoflitsy #camptob

It was a tough choice but I went with the tagged book for this month‘s #botm club. Has anyone else read this yet? Also, I love the cover and think that subconsciously contributed towards it being my choice. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I‘m always nervous to read a hyped book but this absolutely lived up to expectations! I was hooked from the beginning through to the final page. I don‘t remember a whole lot from my Greek mythology course but this has me wanting to revisit The Odyssey among others. I was sad for it to end but excited that I still have The Song of Achilles to read. #ATY2019

This seemed like it would be a fun summer read and it being part of #campToB gave me high hopes but it ultimately disappointed. Early on, I enjoyed the whimsical writing and quirky characters but it was a multi-generational novel and the subsequent characters were uninteresting and there wasn‘t much of a story to hold it together. Unrelated image is of the much needed cocktail on this Friday!

There‘s nothing like sitting outside at the start of a relaxing long weekend with a great book on a beautiful day! I should have listened to @BarbaraBB and others and read this book sooner. #ATY2019

Having read the Mother Jones article that prefaced the book, I‘d been wanting to read this since it came out and am glad I finally did. It was not a pleasant read of course, but an important one. The author not only describes his experience going undercover as a prison guard with shocking honesty but also discusses the horrific details of private and state run prisons throughout the U.S‘s history. #ATY2019

It‘s been so fun seeing everyone‘s #top6reads of the year so far! Thanks to @BarbaraBB for tagging me to share mine. I‘ve only had five 5 star reads for the year so it was the 6th book that was really difficult. I ultimately included the tagged book because it has really stuck with me months after reading.

The bad news is that my library card just expired and I can‘t access the ebooks I planned to start because I won‘t be able to renew until next week. The good news is that I have an excuse to get started on my backlog of #botm books (or my other physical or kindle owned books but that‘s another story!). Any thoughts on where I should start from this stack??

So proud to live in a city that celebrates people for who they are, not who they love. Happy Pride everyone! #worldpride #nyc

#unpopularopinion I know I‘m in the minority but this book irritated me in many ways. I don‘t want to give anything away but the cleverness of the story is the only thing keeping this from being a pan. It felt like the author had that clever concept and then wrote the story in service of it rather than the story itself or the characters. I never felt a connection to any characters and I also felt it reeked of sexism. 👇

Where to begin..Harriet is certainly, as my dad used to say, a real piece of work! As exhausting and exasperating as she was, reading her rants and about her antics was kind of delightful. I have to agree with my fellow #nyrbbookclub ers who have already said that the last few chapters felt like an entirely different book, although I do feel they humanized her a bit. Looking forward to discussing it further.

I need to preface this by saying I‘m not a big fan of short story collections in general. I tend to like character driven novels so short stories can be frustrating for me since there isn‘t usually enough time to flesh out characters. Having said that, there were a few stories like the one during the tornado and the first one set in France that I really loved and I expect those who are fans of short stories will love this collection.

I haven‘t been around much due to life, etc. and just realized how behind I am on reviews! This book was fantastic and a great follow-up to THUG. Excited to hear more about her next book that I believe is coming out later this year?

Enjoying this gorgeous view while starting the tagged book during a quick lunch break. I don‘t read much #YA but I loved The Hate U Give and so far, I think I‘ll like this as well. Has anyone read it yet?

1. Jane Eyre and Florida 2. On the Come Up 3. The Haunting of Hill House (so good!)
#weekendreads

This book contains a powerful and important message but the execution just didn‘t work for me. The format and writing style was very unemotional and left me feeling completely detached from the main character and had me questioning the believability. I am absolutely not questioning the author‘s experience or pervasive racism but the way the story was presented, without many details of the climactic situation left me unsatisfied. #unpopularopinion

I love coming home and seeing that blue #botm box! Very excited that they are now offering #nonfiction choices and I can‘t wait to read the tagged book.

On the surface this appears to be a dull book about a seemingly dull man but there is something so captivating about Stoner and his story. One thing that really had me thinking was how often he says that there was nothing he could have done differently when in fact, doing something differently could have changed everything in his life. He simply wasn‘t the type of person to think that way and instead watched his life go by as if a spectator.

This character driven novel had me hooked from page one. I‘ve read several reviews where people complained how unlikable Cassandra is. I don‘t know what this says about me but I loved her! 🤪So much to unpack with every character so well crafted and I‘m really looking forward to discussing it with the #nyrbbookclub

Finished Kindred at my favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant. This book was so well done and a great intro to sci-fi for those that aren‘t fans of the genre. Some very powerful and emotional moments but I was slightly disappointed with what seemed an abrupt ending to me. I‘m not quite sure what more I wanted from it but it felt just a tiny bit lacking. Still highly recommended though!

1. Oliver enjoying the bird watching and my mom‘s cherry blossom tree. 2. Cutting for Stone 3. Relaxing today, working tomorrow 🙁 4. ☔️ 5. Chicken with peas & asparagus over farfalle pasta 😋

April was quality over quantity! As much as I loved Michelle Obama‘s Becoming, I had to go with the tagged book as my favorite. What an incredible story and it made me want to read more books set in Africa since my knowledge of that part of the world is embarrassingly lacking. Any recommendations appreciated! #aprilreading

Perfect timing to begin reading for the first #nyrbbookclub . I will probably end up purchasing the book to start a collection but glad to have the ebook now to get started. #nyrb

A fascinating look at the lives of four US presidents who led during turbulent times in our nation. I was especially interested in her take on Johnson since she worked closely with him. He certainly had a turbulent tenure but I believe quotes like this one, about civil rights, show the kind of man he was. “Until we address unequal history, we cannot overcome unequal opportunity.” #aty2019

“You‘re much too late. We went ahead with our lives without you.”
This book is so damn good! It‘s long but I just get lost in it every time I pick it up so I‘m glad I‘m only 50% finished.

After being underwhelmed by one of Allende‘s other books, I now get why she has the reputation she does. This was a masterful weaving of 3 generations of a fascinating family during a tumultuous political climate. I love how Allende portrays Chile‘s history while never mentioning the country or any major player by name, evoking that much more mystery and the feeling that it could be anywhere.