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!

This was really a beautiful read and I‘m so glad I chose it for Rwanda.
It‘s the story of a family told between Immaculata and her daughter Blanche, about their life and relationships before, during and after the Rwandan genocide and what family, home and belonging means. I made a Rwandan beef stew that I found online and it was delish 😋 #foodandlit

I felt that this was more of a memoir than about the people he‘s met throughout life. I enjoyed hearing his stories, and learning about his family and friends. As an avid NPR listener, I would have liked more about people he‘s reported about and how they‘ve influenced him but overall I enjoyed getting to know Ari Shapiro.

My 23 yo son is in town and we partook in a roadtrip. This book became available on Libby and he likes the horror genre so we decided to listen. There‘s a lot of child birthing that I found awkward to be listening to w/ him, and it didn‘t have the humor his other books have but it was a great book and we both enjoyed it. Son says he‘s interested in checking out some more books by Hendrix. I suggested How to Sell a Haunted House next 🤣

When MZ sues to keep this from being promoted, I knew it was going to be a worthy read 🤣
This book hits on how out of touch the ultra wealthy are, how money and power change people and how dangerous FB has become in their role in politics from fake news to their algorithms. It sucks, but I do use it to keep in touch with people and learn new hobbies: up-cycling textiles, ball pythons, and sourdough bread making to name a few. Ugh.

#foodandlit I love Keegan‘s writing. Her stories are short and quiet but pack a lot of punch. This one is about a man named Furlong who grapples with his identity not knowing who his biological father is. It also weaves a storyline about the Magdalen laundries. Food wise I‘ve enjoyed a lot of Guinness and Jamison throughout the month and celebrated St Paddy‘s on vacay at the local pub in Estes Park with a reuben burger and chips. @Catsandbooks

Heartwarming stories aren‘t normally my jam but toss them in with time travel, and a coffee shop in Japan and I‘m in! I‘m not 100% sure I‘ll keep going with the others in the series but I have enjoyed the first two books.

What a fantastic read! I really enjoyed following along and learning about Dr Fauci‘s amazing career in infectious diseases. HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Zika, Smallpox, Anthrax, Covid-19 to name a few and how he was always working to stay a step ahead of the next possible outbreak . My kiddo‘s going into the biology research field so I feel like this gave me a bit more insight into her future as well. Also, he narrates the audio. I find his voice comforting.

I‘ve been rearranging rooms in my house and purging stuff. I created a little reading nook and it makes my heart happy when I walk into the family room. I have not read a single book on this bookshelf 😂

This month‘s book club read. I was down to the wire to get this read so I alternated between the book and audio over the weekend. I enjoyed getting to learn through the AF (artificial friend) and the story has a lot to discuss with today‘s political climate and where we as a society are with technology. I think it will really engage discussion with the book club gals.

This one isn‘t getting a ton of love but I very much enjoyed the audiobook. It is a time travel book (my favorite!) that highlights two strong Mexican witches, Nena and her grandniece Marta. It‘s about family and love, though not perfect in any way, and I really liked the cultural aspect. I would have liked to know how Marta‘s case ended, but it really isn‘t important to the overall story. The ending made me smile.

This is a journalistic approach into the world of the wealthy, capitalism, and the ways the ultra wealthy evade paying taxes. I enjoyed the start of this but did get a little lost along the way. I still feel I learned quite a bit though. One thing that irked me is the author is female but the narrator for the audio was male.

I think I put this one in hold back in October for Native American month and just got around to reading it. Short, autobiographical story about grief and ways of the Ojibwe cultures. It‘s a sad one but I enjoyed it.

I originally listened to this when it was first published and just finished a reread of it for bookclub to refresh my memory. Whether you choose an audio or physical copy, it‘s a wonderful read.

De Leon is an anthropologist who spent years getting to know Honduras smugglers and spotlighting their job, why they do it, how they do it, how the job affects them, relationships to cartels and gangs and so forth. We often look down upon these men, the violence and drugs that surround them, but De Leon saw through these stereotypes and gave an in-depth picture of the whys to it all as the reader gets to know the individuals and their stories.

I‘m not really sure how to explain this one. Haunted house? Ghosts? Alternate reality? It‘s definitely creepy, and frustrating as you‘re rooting for Eve, the narrator. The end leaves things pretty opened ended with a WTF did I just read feeling. Overall, it was a good realty escape.

Krakauer was on an assignment to Mt Everest, to write an article for Outdoor Magazine. He joined a guide led by Rob Hall. A mix of weather, inexperience among climbers in the group, poor decisions and a lack of communication, mostly due to lack of oxygen, the trek became fatal.
Date nite to Royal Spice, a local Nepalese/Indian restaurant. I had Newari Khaja with goat, naan, and Nepalese rice pudding. #FoodandLit

I‘ve been listening to this series rather than reading it. The first 3 hours had me feeling a bit lost & confused until I found a podcast to review the first two books. Once I had the review, I was right back into the story. Overall, I enjoyed the adventures. I get the cliff hanger abruptness at the end but I wasn‘t ready for the end 😩
Now the wait…

#FoodandLit This is a book of philosophy and confessions. I don‘t think I was in the right headspace to read about a white, narcissistic, man this week. The writing style felt its 1950‘s. The character is contradictory and I‘ve had enough of that lately but Camus did have several quotes that made me stop and think.
I made Dutch Baby Pancakes and they were delicious. I‘d like to play around with some other flavors and order some stroop syrup 😋

I‘m hosting the senior center book club tomorrow for work and one of the genres they suggested was ‘Women Spies.‘ I chose to read The Invisible Woman because the author and subject are both local to me. Virginia Hall was recruited by England to be a wireless operator after a hunting accident that caused her to lose her leg just under her knee. Learning about her war accomplishments is pretty amazing and I‘m glad Robuck chose to tell her story.

Pelosi narrates her book highlighting her most momentous events in the last 4 decades. She starts off with her husband Paul‘s attack, then covers 9/11 and the Iraq War, the 2008 recession, health care and the Affordable Care Act, Jan 6 then wraps it up with the AIDES quilt and a little insight to her home city, San Francisco. I really appreciate her hard work and the decades she‘s spent fighting to make our country better. ‘For the children.‘

This has been on my TBR for 15 years! I‘ve read a couple other titles by Maguire and they‘ve been hit or miss for me. Once I got into the writing style of this I was hooked! The gaps in years between sections left holes in the story that I desperately want answers to. I may have to give Elphaba a go when it‘s published this spring. Maybe the others in the series? I was hoping to just read this and be done but I after finishing, I want more 😆

I decided to listen to this for two reasons. I‘m trying to live more intentionally and I‘m trying to minimize the stuff in the house which I feel I‘m doing a great job with. Hubby, not so much. This wasn‘t 100% what I was looking for but I did have some takeaways.

I‘ve decided Ann Napolitano is not my cup of tea and that‘s ok. I feel like her writing is generic but her ideas are good. I read this one for book club and the member that chose this read loved it and the characters. It‘s a modern retelling of Little Women, which is fine I just feel like her writing is bland and basic. I read Dear Edward and I liked that story but her writing is not for me. I am looking forward to discussing it at book club.

I love that Libby tells you exactly when your book will be returned! I have 3 hours 28 minutes left and it‘s due in 1 day BUT I know I have until 7:43 PM which makes a world difference! Essentially 2 days 😆

My library became a Book Sanctuary in 2024 🥳 The tagged book was the most recent Top 10 challenged booked I read according to ALA.

A patron at work recommended this book about the murder of Emmitt Till. It‘s a brutal read but I‘m glad I listened to it. Thompson grew up 25 miles from Till‘s murder and never heard of it until he went away to college. He does extensive research to give the reader the history of the Mississippi Delta, its people and what is believed to have happened surrounding Till‘s lynching.

I always enjoy looking back at the books I‘ve read throughout the year. I didn‘t do a reading challenge in ‘24 but kept up with my monthly book club friends and hosted the book club at the senior center quarterly for work. I‘m looking forward to the books ‘25 has in-store for me. I‘ll continue the book clubs and add Litsy‘s #FoodandLit this year for something new! My current read is Wicked 🧙

Trevor Noah‘s latest book is a picture book for all ages. It‘s cataloged in the adult section but would be a terrific read for elementary aged kids and up. It‘s an ode to his childhood and mother about growing up with chores and responsibilities but staying a child with adventures and imagination. ❤️

This is a haunting recollection of the earthquake that shook Haiti in 2010. Each chapter tells the story of someone affected by the tragedy; lives and relationships intertwined in one way or another. Almost 300,000 people lost their lives and 1.5 million were left homeless.
This is an important piece of literature and I‘m glad it was chosen as our One Maryland One Book this year, though it was heartbreaking and tough to get through.