#FoodandLit Finally finished SEPTEMBER‘S book. It was a fine read but nothing spectacular or all that memorable about three generations of women from Nicaragua. The food was devoured in September, so there‘s that. Now on to October‘s Samoan book, ‘Where We Belonged‘

I‘m not sure if it was the writing, the narration, or both, but I felt like I was listening to a middle school fan girl write a long report on their idol. I did enjoy learning about Marsha P. Johnson‘s life and her activism and there was tons of information about her within the pages. She‘s quite inspiring.

My October pick for the book club I‘m hosting for work this month. I love Grady Hendrix‘s books and I loved this trip back to the 80‘s! Gretchen & Abby are 2 years older than me, so I was flooded with high school memories. The storyline was great, and I love the ode to complicated friendships. My very first and longest friend‘s name is Gretchen which is icing on the cake for me!

Great audio book! This is about the ethics of AI. After a family of five is involved in a severe car accident, in a car using high tech AI features, who is at fault, the driver or the technology? This one will make you think. A lot. About artificial intelligence, how it is being used and where it goes from here. How it will affect our lives both positively and negatively.

My kiddos grew up watching iCarley. I wasn‘t really interested in this memoir when it was first published but readers were raving, I caved (FOMO,) and I‘m glad I did. It‘s almost unbelievable what this child actor endured throughout her childhood. I‘m glad she had the guts to write about it and I hope it helps with her healing process. She deserves a happy, healthy life and I‘m rooting for her.

This was so so good! Sad and heart breaking at times it‘s a book about life, relationships, challenges, regrets and disappointments. It‘s short and sweet, and heavy and thought provoking all wrapped up in a one or two sitting read. Kinda perfect.

I think this would have been a great read but alas, I chose the audio version which I found confusing and hard to follow. There wasn‘t a break between characters and/or past/present which left me often confused. Kinda bummed but moving on. Curious to discuss at book club next week.

Not my favorite book by Adiche, but I did like it. There wasn‘t much of a plot, more like themes that spread throughout. Based on four women, their friendships, their lack of a steady partner and their very different experiences as American immigrants. It‘s a thought provoking book, not a quick read but I‘m glad I read it. This one will be on my mind for a while.

I loved his book They Call Us Enemy and learned so much from what he had to say. This one started off a bit slow but it picked up as his life became more complicated. Seeing how far the LGBTQ+ community has come throughout his life is a good reminder of the importance of activism and freedom for all.

Just finished listening to this! I really enjoyed hearing her perspective about the campaign and how things unfolded. She ran a hell of a race in a short amount of time. It was grueling but she kept going. I wish every single day that she had come out on top. As much as I enjoyed hearing about life on the campaign trail I loved what she had to say at the end.

I knew of E. Jean Carroll‘s rape case against Trump but I live under a rock and don‘t keep up with celebrities or the wealthy so I didn‘t know what I was in for when I downloaded this audio other than a patron at work going on about it and sparking my curiosity. E.Jean narrates the audio. She‘s brave and funny and her retelling of this case was quite unique. I love that she‘s donating the +$100M she wins to all the causes Trump hates. Brilliant!

I‘m a wee bit behind in my reading! I DID enjoy a Nicaraguan lunch at Gio‘s Sazon Nicaraguense but I have yet to start my tagged book. Always playing catchup! Hopefully I‘ll start it by the end of the week. My Samoan choice just arrived at the library for pickup today. #FoodandLit

This book has been on my TBR since it was published because, honestly, I love the cover! I found myself seeking out more walks, errands and cleaning this past week so I could listen to more of this story and I loved everything; the adventures, the characters and the Asian mythology tone. I‘m looking forward to the next installment of the story.

I read this on a recommendation from a colleague. It‘s told from the point of view of Rocky, an empty nester on her yearly family vacation. The family has rented the same beach cottage in Cape Cod for decades. Rocky reminisces about various years at the beach while intertwining the currentness of where the family is this particular week as the reader gets a sense of the family relationships and a peek inside their lives.

This is the story a mother and her three daughters who move back home to Syria from NY after the death of their father/husband, told through the eyes of the 12 yo. It‘s 2011 and the Syrian Civil war is beginning. Unsafe in their hometown, they travel through several countries in search of safety, following the path of a heroine in a story they are familiar with. I loved that it‘s an immigration story not set in America with alternating storylines.

#FoodandLit A little behind this month! I found a Bolivian restaurant about 40 min from me. I ordered beef saltenas, pupusas revuelitas and pork chicharron con yuca b/c they ate a lot of pork and yuca in the jungle. The book was good. Looking back it was a sad book after all the jungle adventures but I enjoyed it and was glad to see the main character‘s growth. Bolivia

Several people at work were reading this and telling me about it so I had to hop on the bandwagon. I wasn‘t sure about John Green writing nonfiction, but I loved everything about this. I learned a lot. It wasn‘t too long. Not only does he write well, he researches well. I highly recommend this read!

I thought the writing style was unique. This is a Covid story set in NYC with 9/11 still fresh with people who were affected. I thought this would be more of a mystery/suspense/thriller but it was actually about the people‘s lives during this time with a lot of background stories to fill the reader in. It‘s a quiet, character building story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I wasn‘t really interested in reading Snow‘s story but after reading Haymitch‘s story and the innuendos about Snow, I became more intrigued. I still don‘t like Snow. The characters in general didn‘t do much for me, but I liked learning more in detail about how the concept of the games began and I‘ve officially completed the series. My daughter skipped the series as a kid and is now reading them, so YAY!

I don‘t read a lot of rom-coms but I had acquired a copy of this, and I‘m hosting the senior book club this month for work in which the genre is Beach Reads, so I read Book Lovers. It was slow getting into, the banter annoyed me for some reason but I liked the character development, the bookish innuendos, and the ending. Overall it was a nice, light read and I‘m sure it‘ll get snatched up in the Little Free Library 📚

This was a great listen. It‘s broken into several essays, each by a separate author/journalist who digs into a part of the US Government to explain what the individual they interview does within the agency and what the agency does within the government. Living in the DC area, most people I know are government employees and each job description is vastly different and unique. Each author narrators his/her essay.

This isn‘t anything new, the story of a slave on an Alabama plantation just before the Civil War but it is really well written. I did like the twist of her sister in the bardo and the ending was bittersweet, not tied up with a perfect bow, but it leaves room for hope. Overall, a solid read.

I listened to this one and though it was terribly sad, I appreciated Haymitch‘s story. I want to read Snow‘s story now. I wasn‘t all that interested in it when it was first published but my curiosity has piqued after reading this one. I‘ll have to check in with my 6th grade neighbor who is currently reading this.

This is a super simplistic graphic novel, both in illustrations and wording, about the author and six other resisters they interview who have fought the Mountain Valley Pipeline for their own reasons. It was educational and a reminder to stand up and speak for your beliefs and what is right.

I had only read Bechdel‘s book Fun Home so I decided to pick up her new graphic novel, Spent. I loved the illustrations and story. Bechdel‘s life with some added fiction, I‘m guessing. I loved the colorful characters and their lifestyles in Vermont. I‘ll have to read more of her works and check out her comic strip in the future.

Set during the 80‘s NASA era, Joan is accepted into the space program. As she finds her footing at NASA she unexpectedly finds love along the way. From a kid who grew up in the 80‘s, I loved this one! I don‘t typically read a majority of one author‘s works, but I always seem to gravitate towards SJR new books ❤️

Peruvian born author, Mexican/American story. Isabel & Martin marry on Day of the Dead. On their wedding day, Martin‘s father, Omar, visits from the dead and continues to visit each year. The chapters alternate between present time and 1980‘s with Omar & Edna‘s border crossing and starting their life in Texas. Full of family dynamics, hardships, and secrets. Peruvian dinner includes 1/4 chicken, potatoes and fried plantains. #FoodandLit

This was a good read. Maddy, in her early 20‘s, is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and we learn about her manic and depressive states as she attempts to navigate through her moods. As a parent with a bipolar kid, I thought this was well researched and written though a bit over the top at times but in an engaging, bookish way.

The first book was not instant gratification with the world building and characters but I was intrigued by the concept and continued with book 2. I‘m so glad I stuck with it because this was so good, especially the twists at the end. I love where it‘s going with the magic, politics and relationships. Looking forward to book 3!

While I appreciated learning about JP Morgan‘s personal librarian, Bella da Costa Greene, and her rise to becoming an acclaimed art collector, I didn‘t love this read. I was kinda bored throughout the story. Maybe it was the writing. I am intrigued to do some googling on her, her father, Richard Greener, and I would like to visit the Pierpoint Morgan Library on my next trip to NYC. So overall it was a worthwhile read but not a love.

Whelp, after raising kids in the anxious generation, there are things I think I did really well with and things I‘d definitely change if I had a second chance. I hate the social media that is marketing to tweens and teens and the crap these kids go through. As a society, we for sure overprotect them in the real world and underprotect them online and I worry about the next generation growing up with AI. Ugh. Great read tho. It makes sense.

Greenland. I listened to Migrations from my TBR list. I found the jumping timeline a bit confusing at times but overall enjoyed bouncing around learning about Franny, her history and her family AND the ending was a surprise! Dinner was boiled cod with a mustard sauce that was ok and warm potato salad that was delish. Not sure I‘d enjoy their food traditions on the regular though. #Foodandlit

June‘s book club choice is a Greek mythology retelling from the perspective of Briseis, a Queen in Troy taken as a prize for Achilles towards the end of the Trojan war. I enjoyed learning about the war and time period and I think it‘ll make a fun discussion next week. This is the first of a trilogy so I may pick up the audio for the rest of the series.

This was a fun little novella that acts as a prequel to A Good Girls Guide to Murder. Connor invites the gang over for a murder mystery party and sparks the idea for Pip‘s senior Capstone project.

This book reminded me of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series but without the fun time travels aspect. There are several short, interconnecting stories, each from a different narrator and all having life changing experiences due to services they discover at the community library, giving my library loving heart all the feels. I did find the stories a bit boring though.

A graphic novel memoir that tells the tale of a parent with a mental health crisis, a messy divorce, a lot of religious beliefs and how one teen figures out his story and his beliefs. It was gut wrenching at times but ends with a feeling of satisfaction.

#foodandlit I‘m a week behind! I finished this book last weekend and went to a Bangladeshi restaurant for lunch today. I ordered lamb Biryani and it was delish. This book is an LGBTQ+ young adult book. It really dives into the Bangladeshi culture as Rukhsana felt torn between her cultures as an American born teen.

Wrapped up this excellent series on my evening dog walk. The audio is a full cast production and super fun. Of the three books, I liked this one the best though it was sooooo nerve racking.

I really enjoyed the way this story is told, something a little different with a lot of layers. It‘s about a major family tragedy and life afterwards. It‘s also historical fiction as we learn the story behind a piece of pottery that has been with a family for generations, from slave days to the present. I liked how everything was interwoven and how the reader gets different perspectives from various characters.

This was the perfect roadtrip book for a 4 hour drive! Melinda Gates talks about life changes, from going away to college, becoming a mother, losing a close friend and her divorce from Bill. Everyone experiences life changes and this book left me with things to think about and the motions of moving forward in life.

Set during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920‘s, this is the story of Jessie Redmon Fauset, a first to accomplish many things as black woman during this time period. She‘s strong and independent and I‘m curious to do some research on her. I have mixed feelings about her affair with W.E.B Du Bois and I‘m hoping my book club might be interested in this one as there‘s a lot to discuss.

May‘s book club book was a page turner! I don‘t read a ton of mystery and I loved how this story unfolds between Lizzy and Violet in different time periods. Also, the twist at the end was pretty awesome! And monsters! I read a physical copy but forgot to snap a pic 🙄

I was hoping to finish this over the weekend on a camping trip, but alas it didn‘t quite happen. I enjoyed Amy‘s views on birdwatching and love her inquisitiveness about their behavior. I‘ve started looking up in the trees more on walks and hikes and enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of the whippoorwills over the weekend. Tan‘s artwork is beautiful and I loved that she included her journal entries throughout the book.

This storytelling is fresh and creative! It‘s the stories of Harriet Tubman and friends through their eyes but in the current world. When Harriet calls on a music producer, Darnell Williams, they meet in a studio to write a broadway musical!
I love that Darnell refers to her as The Beyonce of the railroad. Definitely a different take on historical storytelling.

This was a YA recommendation from a friend. It‘s short but packs a lot of punch. It‘s the story of 15 yo Hoodie whose Orthodox Jewish community moves to a new area. It‘s about prejudices towards those unfamiliar to you. It‘s about being different and fitting in, and it‘s about questioning your beliefs and teachings. It‘s a timely, solid read, especially for high schoolers.

I am really enjoying this little YA series! Murder/missing people genre is not my go to genre but I‘ve been hooked on Pip and her sleuthing. I‘m looking forward to the next book. I love that the audio is a full narration production!

My daughter graduates in a few weeks and I just found out Isabel Wilkerson will be making the commencement speech! I‘m kinda fangirling right now 😆

I adored these vandwellers and their spirit and I‘m so fascinated about this lifestyle! I love the adventure and getting away from the materialisticness life has become. For many though, it‘s survival. I spent a lot of time googling Earthship, Amazon‘s CamperForce, Workampers and Quartzite Az. I wouldn‘t make it a week at Amazon during the holidays but working a state forest as a camp host is intriguing. This is really a fascinating read!

This is such an inspiring story of a boy in Malawi whose family can‘t afford to send him to school. He discovers the library and through research and trial and error, he builds a windmill in town to create electricity, starting with just one bulb so he could study at night. I‘ve had this book on my TBR for so many years! I‘m glad I finally read it ❤️

I finished this full production audio yesterday after a colleague recommended it to me and I‘ve already recommended it to two people! The second book is downloaded and ready to go (colleague said I HAVE to read all three!) Hoping to start book 2 at the end of the week. Mystery and YA are not my go to genres but this one had me hooked!