The only thing I kept thinking, over and over, is that not much has changed. The rich still keep the poor downtrodden so they can get richer. This was my first Kristin Hannah and I'm excited to read her others.

I teach a course called Growth Goals and Grit. This has been an invaluable resource both personally and professionally. We are working on building strong habits that will help us reach our goals. This is the undisputed handbook.

Can you believe it's my first time reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? The audiobook was simply delightful. With my background knowledge, the allegory was unmistakable. But, I truly think this story would capture the heart of every child and adult alike.

McManus's best yet! I loved Kat and Liam's characters. This book definitely shows young people who rise above their raising. I didn‘t find the plot twists predictable and there were quite a few. A fun and engrossing read.

I think I would have enjoyed this so much more when I was first divorced, over 20 years ago now. I loved the questions, quotations, and chapter titles. I especially loved the chapter, “It gets pretty woo here“ about the idea that children get to choose which parents they'll be born to.

I chose this book because it was a short audiobook and available at the library while I was looking for something while I was waiting for my holds to come in. Compelling, huh? The title was off-putting and part of the reason I hadn't picked it up before now. Sorry mom! Also, memoirs/biographies usually aren't my thing. So, I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed Jenette's story. I was rooting and horrified for her the whole time.

I enjoyed the first book in Barnes' spin-off series. I'm rooting for Rohan. I want to see him become the proprietor of the Devil's Mercy. But I'm annoyed with the ending.

Lord is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me. This is such a sweet YA Romance with well-written characters who grow as a result of the conflict. Andy's internal struggles remind me so much of my own. I feel seen. I love how the title was woven into the story.

This is a MUST read for all parents and educators and everyone who has or works with children of any age. It will open your eyes to what tech companies are doing, knowingly, that harms our children's mental health and development. More importantly, it tells us how to take back our power and mitigate the damage.

Book 2 in the Skyland series by Kennedy Ryan was every bit as good as the first. Ryan has a way of making you root for her characters. An FBI raid, twins with autism, a rising social media influencer, and a dad goes to prison. Bring on book 3!

A beautiful tribute to slow readers with big imaginations. A big hug to my inner child who was, and despite the amount I read, still is a slow reader. This is a must book for every elementary classroom!

I wanted to love this. I read 30%. I have a difficult time knowing when I'm not really enjoying a book. When I start to avoid reading is about the only indicator. This was super funny in spots, but not often enough to hold my interest. #DNF

Great simile. Fits the plot line.

🖤

Watching the final season of The Crown and thought thisline by Prince Charles was worth noting: “great pain and sadness doesn‘t discriminate — it comes to those with beauty and privilege, too.”

Set in a dystopia where reproductive rights extend into a child's teenage years, Unwind is the story of Connor, Risa, and Lev on the run from being “unwound“, becoming unwilling organ donors. This is a story I will definitely share with my HS students.

“Picasso had to prove to the world he can paint the right way, before he goes putting both eyes on one side of a face, and noses stickin' outta kneecaps and stuff. See, if you paint wrong because that's the best you can do, you just a chump. But you do it because you want to? Then you're an artist.“

Riley and Tom, recent high school grads and former best friends reconnect and learn that, “Home has never been a place, but a feeling.“ This book is for anyone who has ever felt like they need to get away, or is searching for a place to belong.

This a great mix of action, romance, and steam. A good quick and light read to indulge after reading something more serious or cerebral. Nash and Lina's story was the perfect continue the reader's romp through the charming town of Knockemout.

My first Alan Gratz didn't disappoint. This dual narrative, of a young NYC boy who was caught in the twin towers when the planes hit on 9/11 and an Afgan girl in 2019, brings a humanitarian and global perspective to the events and war in general. Perfect for a YA or adult audience.

Is this just a stereotype or is it true?

I'm still loving this series as much as I did in book one, which is rare for me. Delilah's story really drove home the lesson that holding a grudge hurts the person who is holding it more than anyone else.

This was a great listen for our road trip. Hubs likes YA and said he wanted something light. I loved the relationship between the three sisters, the Song girls. We may listen to the sequel on the way home.

I found myself relating to Gary Andrews as he shares his grief journey through his collection of daily comics after the death of his beloved wife Joy. In the last 2 years I've lost my only sibling, our dog, and my dad, in that order. This would be an amazing gift for a grieving friend.

I can't wait to better recommend this one to my students. It highlights the school to prison pipeline that exists in much of America. It is about how small decisions can have big consequences and about accepting what you cannot change.

Stunning!

I loved this more than expected. Character driven, a true coming of age story. Readers learn to love Michael as he learns who he is and to love himself.

I thoroughly enjoyed DIVINE RIVALS. Suspense, the brutality of war, and hope weaved through the entire narrative kept me turning pages even though I didn't want the story to end. I can't wait to read more about Winnow and Kitt.

Presenting my summer stack. I never read them all or stick to it without adding others along the way, but it's good to have plans. #summertbr

Atlas Blakely invites six powerful magicians to join an ancient, secret Alexandrian society that hold all the world's secrets and power. Told from each character's perspective, this dark academia YA fantasy had me hooked!

7th grader, Eden must find a new place to belong after a shoulder injury end her career as an elite gymnast. She ends up bonding with a girl name Maribel who comes to her rescue from a bully at school. When they‘re both suspended as a result, Eden finds a new group of friends and a cause she cares about, but it seems to conflict with everything her mother stands for. Chaos and beauty ensue.

A beautiful story about finding lost loved ones that reminds us that there is so much to be learned about the way our world works than what we know, and that the mother child bond is boundless. Oh and the elephants are majestic.

This is the newest book by the same author.

Noticing by Kobi Yamada was the perfect read in the quiet of the morning on the day after my father took his flight from this world. May we all take the time to “pause and allow for the extraordinary“ that this beautiful life offers!

A perfect little rom-com for couple listening on our all day drive. A little Hallmarkesque in its story arch and predictability but sweet and funny with a satisfying conclusion.

This deep dive into brothers Grayson and Jameson's lives was the perfect way to stay immersed in the world of this series. The ending was satisfying AND expertly sets us up for the next on the series.