A sobering and unflinching account of the author‘s internment at Auschwitz in 1944-1945. After the camp was liberated by Soviet troops, Debreczeni, a reporter in Hungary before the war, wrote down his experience in this memoir. Because of the Cold War, it wasn‘t published outside of the country until recent years. While it‘s harsh and horrific, it‘s also moving, poetic and beautifully written. Highly recommend.

I‘d never read a Rainbow Rowell book, so when I saw this on the library shelf I figured I‘d give it a try. Almost 100 pages in and I‘m throwing in the towel. The main character is annoying, the dialogue is trite and stilted… and the worst offense? It‘s just so incredibly boring. 😖 Moving on.

Reading stats for March rebounded from the lull that was February. However, I‘m still not reading as much nonfiction as I normally do (it‘s usually close to 50/50). Pretty sure my brain is craving an escape from reality these days and just can‘t handle anything more at the moment. 😖😬

Another assignment for our sexagenarian assassins! This one doesn‘t have quite the same fun and witty banter as the first book, but it‘s still a rollicking romp. And the women are just as badass as ever.

While I‘m loving the trend of colorful edges, I‘m not sure I can get on board with this one! I‘d be too squeamish to hold it, I think! It‘s very … realistic-looking. 😳😬

Another fabulous book with the gorgeous edges —this one I purchased. Because … Adichie. 😍

Stopped in to Barnes & Noble for a browse and I‘m captivated by the gorgeous edge papers on some of the new paperbacks. Isn‘t this beautiful? 😍

When it‘s been a really crappy month (year?) and your boss lets your team know with a gift that she understands and sees you. 😀

#notbookrelated

Loved this sequel to “Count the Ways,” which picks up in 2010 and follows Eleanor and her family through 2024 —with mention of many of the historical events in America. (Trigger warnings if you don‘t want to relive several school shootings, the 2016 election, the pandemic, George Floyd‘s murder or the Jan. 6 insurrection of the Capitol, for example.) These characters feel real to me now and I will miss them.
#transrightsreadathon

#Resist

Amen. 🙌🏼

#resist

Just downloaded this one from Hoopla —the sequel to “Count the Ways.” I‘d forgotten that Eleanor‘s oldest son is transgender! So I‘m jumping in and participating in #transrightsreadathon. ❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

A day late (and a dollar short) for #weirdwordwednesday — but wanted to share anyway! I just finished the tagged book about the Dutch colony that first settled NYC. This section mentioned some of the Dutch words that were mutated into the English language and are still part of our lexicon 400 years later. As a word nerd, this type of stuff fascinates me!
@CBee

Fascinating account of New Netherland, the Dutch colony on the island of Manhattan that predated the Pilgrims. After the English took control of the colony in 1664, the narrative shifted in favor of the “victor” and much of the Dutch history was lost. This book draws on a research project at the New York State Library that included the translation of thousands of original documents from the 17th century.

I was surprised by the pedestrian writing in this book. After 20 pages, I looked to see if it‘s tagged YA. Nope. Maybe it's a debut novel? Again, no. I kept going, but my eyeballs continued rolling. Several plot points strained credibility. Was I supposed to believe that a 6-year-old child who had received almost no education could read and understand a book with words like "indigenous" and "captivity"? In the end, this book disappointed me.

The fact that I now understand this reference when it randomly appears in books almost makes The Year of Reading #Clarissa totally worth it.

Almost.

😀

Sounds about right. 😄

I was lukewarm about picking up this book because I thought it would be a typical madcap rom-com about a glitzy wedding in Newport. It was not at all what I expected—and that is a very good thing. It‘s funny and over the top, yes. But it has way more depth than I expected. It‘s more reflective and insightful and introspective than I expected. I couldn‘t put it down, and when I finished I immediately texted a friend: “You need to read this!”

When Hubby is working overnight and the wind is howling outside and you have the bed to yourself and you can hunker down with your pile of books. 🥰

A coming-of-age-with-the-expected-meet-cute-between-girl-and-guy story … and throw in WWE, OnlyFans, TikTok, Hooters, evangelicals, Child Protective Services and non-disclosure agreements. On a surface level it‘s a fun story; underneath it forces you to think about the judgmental attitudes that people and society make everyday in deciding who is A Good Person and who “deserves” to live A Good Life.

A delightful little collection of essays and columns that were published on a weekly basis over the course of many years in Chris Bohjalian‘s local newspaper in Vermont. The columns are reflections on the unique idiosyncrasies of life in a small town while also recognizing its place in the larger world around it. I thoroughly enjoyed Bohjalian‘s nonfiction voice.

My reading stats plummeted this past month — literally half of what they were in January. You‘d think I would want an escape from doomscrolling the news, but my focus and concentration are completely shot. 😖

“Moral: The weak can overcome the strong if the weak persist. Persisting isn‘t always safe, but it‘s often necessary.”

#resist
#WiththeBanned

This seems particularly relevant right now.

#resist
#WiththeBanned

3/5 stars for this “Barely a Bitsy” (just made it !) level in #ChunksterChallenge2025. I liked it well enough. I did. It just seemed … bloated. The action takes place over a 14-day period and it felt like I was reading every minute in real time. I did enjoy the descriptions of the Tudor period, though. Perhaps I‘ll pick up a nonfiction history of the era next. I‘ll probably continue with the series, but I‘m not in a hurry to do so.

Accurate. Sadly, horrifyingly so.

Completed the Chunkster level for #ChunksterChallenge2025. I‘d give it a pick because it is a story well told (and well translated, if you get the P+V version). I wouldn‘t say it‘s the “greatest novel of all time,” as some reviews call it. It does provide an interesting historical context of its time. And now I can finally check it off my list. ✔️

#kareninawinter
#chunksterchallenge

@Cuilin — spotted this in my library and figured it must be a sign to read it ! Either that or @dabbe is hiding in the stacks and sending covert messages via hardcovers. 😀

I literally can‘t anymore. 😖

My reading stats for January 2025. I had a great month for fiction.

Amen.

I can‘t be the only weirdo who gets excited when I see a sale on a book about a disease or medical condition. Right? Bueller? Bueller?

#DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub

Completed book 6 for #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub (Prompt: Read a book about cancer) This is about the employees at the Goodyear Tire Co. in Niagara Falls, NY, and the outbreaks of work-related cancers caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. I love a good narrative nonfiction. This one was a little more “nonfiction” and a little less “narrative” than I prefer. But still a good read.

A powerful novella that calls to mind the quote from the Talmud and “Schindler‘s List”: “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.” It conveys the idea that one person can make a difference, that kindness and selflessness are essential to society, and that moral courage and strength are required to save that life and make that difference. I‘m in awe of Keegan‘s ability to pack so much of the human experience into so few pages.

Just got new socks. May be washing them to wear daily for the next 3 years, 51 weeks and 3 days. 😖

And it hasn‘t even been 24 hours yet.

Inspirational words that I needed to see/hear/read today, on this very dark day in our country. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “we must never lose infinite hope.”

OMG, this book! 😍 It totally stole my heart in a “A Man Called Ove” sort of way. I had tears in my eyes by the end. Loved it!

Today seemed to be the appropriate time to start this.

I‘m struck by this assertion: A book does not exist until it is read. A writer writes the words. But WE as the reader decide what the story is. What a fabulous and provocative topic of discussion for a book club.

I love this. ❤️

Tagging this book for the prompt, but also want to call attention to several others that should be read —they could have been written last week. Listed in the comments 👇🏼

@BookmarkTavern
#SundayFunday

Completed this book for #BookedinTime (Tudor England). I enjoyed the writing style and the story. Although I‘m not sure if I‘m invested enough in the character of Shardlake to continue on with the series. Maybe I‘m a bit curious to see how he fares now that his rose-colored glasses about Cromwell and the Reformation have been removed.

@Cuilin @dabbe

At first I was a bit … um, I guess, underwhelmed would be the word. It felt like just more of the same (but not in a good way) and I was just going through the motions. But then suddenly it began moving like a freight train and I was hanging on for dear life and hurtling over the finish line. And I was like, damn, Louise. You got me again. I can‘t quit you, Gamache or Three Pines. I‘m in for the long haul. ❤️

I‘m late to the party, but HOLY HELL this was a fun ride! And not just because I‘m a reader of a certain age.

Finished this and immediately put my name on the library waitlist for book 2, which comes out in March.

So excited and thankful to @CBee for tipping me off to the suggestion of ordering John Boyne‘s “Elements” series directly from Blackwell‘s since I couldn‘t find them here in the U.S.! Free shipping right to my door —at a very reasonable price, too!

It‘s funny… but it‘s not. 😖

Completed my #AuldLangSpine2025 pick from @JoeMo . This memoir is a gloriously acerbic, brutally honest look at the restaurant business in the early days of Anthony Bourdain‘s career. It‘s a bit repetitive, but I absolutely adore his voice. And now I know how to make a breast of chicken and mashed potatoes “tower like a fully engorged priapus.” So there‘s that. 👍🏼👍🏼 Thanks, Joe!

@monalyisha
#AuldLangSpine

Slowly making my way through this book, and just reached Part 4. Stumbled upon this phrase that made me literally laugh out loud. And also wish I could read Russian so I could enjoy it in the original text. 😄

#kareninawinter

@TheBookHippie @Cuilin @julieclair @kspenmoll @MemoirsForMe @Librarybelle @PurpleyPumpkin