I thought this was a strange book. It is about a social worker who is helping an old aritist who is a hoarder. The social worker has regular conversations with saints, who show up and comment on goings-on. I liked the premise, but the saints were annoying and in the end, I lost interest. I skimmed through the last few chapters, the book just got way too weird.

My least favorite of the Dublin Murder Squad series, and the last of the six I read. All the books have detailed descriptlons of the environment where the crime happens, so they move slow. Most of the time it works, here it just makes the book boring.

Lucky me! My secret Santa sent me this autobiography! Bechdel narrates how it was growing up with a distant father and an unhappy mother,. The story is not depressing, but life-affirming as you follow her towards adulthood and her coming out as lesbian. The ups and downs are told in a factual way, and while her parents are not perfect, she sympathizes with them. I‘m def getting the 2nd volume, I want know what happened next! Thank you Santa!

I am SOOO excited! My Secret Santa is a mind reader. 🥰 Fun Home is a new one to me, I can‘t wait to read it! 😍 I‘m going to have the best of holidays snuggling up with these books. Thank you @dariazeoli 😘😘

I enjoyed this one more than I expected. Really interesting insight into what a psychotherapist does, and she provides a pov both as a patient and a therapist. Well written, flows well and is sympathetic and honest.

So.. I went to the used bookstore to look for presents, found a lovely copy of Prometheus Bound from 1901.. and just a few books for myself; a lovely hardbound copy of the Woodlanders because I think it is a book worth owning, The Spirit Level by Seamus Heaney, and Are You Somebody? by Nuala o‘Faolain. Not thst I need them, mind you, but it is worth supporting the lovely little bookstore in my neighborhood, right! 😁

Short stories, all have as a theme life as a young, poor African-American girl in the South. Very readable, although the situations the characters find themselves in are not necessarily the greatest, the writing is so straight forward that the book is not depressing (okay- but not uplifting either!) One story ends badly for more than one dog, so if you are grieving after the loss of a loved pup, you might want to read sonething else.

Really interesting book about how hard life is under the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is a childrens‘ book, but it is one of the good ones - i.e. a great read for any age. The story is written from the viewpoint of Parvana, a young girl who has to dress up as a boy to find work. The animated version by the same name is great too - was nominated for the Oscars this year.

1. Both.
2. 10
3. Puce
4. Yikes! Bit of everything.
5. Oh, that 50 Shades of Gray lady.
6. Sandwich

Boy, did this book make me mad. I had to read it in bits at a time, because I‘d start fuming after about 5 pages. As a result, it took me two years to finish! (Okay, I HAD to take a long break from it for a while) Still, it is clearly written, passionate and infuriating. It was written in 2012, and unfortunately all the bad stuff has only gotten worse since then. Read it and weep. ☹️

A varied collection of stories, I liked most of them. I think my favorite was the first if the bunch, about a widow who had unwanted visitors show up who end up not being quite so unwanted after all. I hope to read more by him.

A short book about a WWI veteran who spends a month restoring artwork in a church in Yorkshire. Not much happens, but that‘s what‘s perfect about it. Ideal to read while drinking a cup of tea and dreaming of summer.

A book on a tough topic, but written with compassion and a surprising sense of humor, and leaves you oddly uplifted at the end. Toews was moved to write this book after her sister committed suicide, and the book is about two sisters in the same situation. Miriam Toews is well known im Canada, and should be better known in the US. Think a Mennonite Elizabeth Strout with a dark sense of humor. I‘ll be reading more of her novels.

I love the opening sentence of this book “Our house was taken away on the back of a truck one afternoon late in the summer of 1979.” So far, I‘m enjoying the other sentences too.

Hello Eleanor Oliphant, welcome to my stack of books! Got this through my secret language paperback club, just in time for summer. —\u000 Sorry Eleanor, I bailed out. All the awkwardness just made me sad. Not my kind of humor. :(

A few of the little bookies in my #tbr pile. I'm not ambitious (read: delusional) enough to think I'll finish them all this month. I'm not the fastest of readers. #sizzlinsummerbooks @Tiffy_Reads

We has grammar.

This was the big library read from Overdrive, and I bailed on it. Yes I did. :( It wasn't particularly bad, it just wasn't particularly great. My TBR pile is about a million miles high, so I'm on to the next one. 1 down, 999,999 to go. I fear I may need nine lives to finish all the books I want to read.

"I will not pee in the reservoir. I will not pee in the reservoir." Mostly funny, sometimes sad, always readable book in diary/letter form about a young boy growing up in the Bronx. Lots of baseball, and the occasional getting caught peeing in the reservoir. I think of baseball as men waving sticks while wearing long underwear, & I loved this book. All thumbs up. ? #junetunz #americankids @Cinfhen

The author trekked the same route as a byzantian monk back in 1994 & wrote this entertaining travelogue abt it. 1 of the main msgs of th book is: Christians have existed in th Middle East 4 a long time, & variety was the spice of rel. life back in th day. Th mix of travelogue, history & anecdotes is perfect. Particularly the chapter on Syria is sad 2 read from my modern pov. More history than religion, so even us not so religious ppl can enjoy it.

Funny, snarky, dark stories. Some are supershort, a couple of pages that read like Bridget Jones'" Notes to Self." - how to be a lady, how to be a cat, what southerners really mean when being polite but not so nice. (Don't worry, Ellis takes on nutty NYC Upper East Siders too!) Appealed to my inner snark. Def pick!

I find this book oddly relevant in these crazy times. It's about language, truth, addiction and propaganda gone wild, all happening in a strange Mieville world. It took me a long time to finish - I'm not really a science fiction fan. Yet the language nerd in me kept being fascinated by this incredibly imaginative take on language. A bit too long, imho, but still worth reading. 4/5 stars.

Very enjoyable old-fashioned mystery. There are mysterious relics, religious fanatics, bombs and general mayhem involved. Imaginative descriptions of 19th cty Paris sweeten the deal. Perfect summer read. I'll be reading more from this series.

A sweet book about a young couple and a cat that decides they are worth visiting. Haven't finished it yet, but enjoying it so far. #animalcovers #riotgrams

One of the books I'd never lend. Three very different sisters live in Osaka before WWII. One embraces modernity and independence enthusiastically, the others are more reluctant. Problems within the family & major outside events combined with vivid descriptons of family life make this book come alive. Had an epic feel to it, and I felt a bit cheated rhat the book had to end - as I almost always do with books that I love.

1. Expat in Maryland
2. Saw it mentioned on @ReadingEnvy 's podcast - ty! 😁
3. Persepolis
4. No, I've specialized in cats so far. Don't think my 17 yr old kitty wd like to share ownership of me w/ a turtle..
@saguarosally #welcomelitten #catonmyheadhavetostop

Fascinating social history/cookbook on Soviet cuisine. Every recipe is preceded by.a short essay on its significance. Illustrations are gaudy 50's style in day-glo colors (see weird dish above) but it's interesting to read about streamlining of mass-produced food & how class played a major role in what people ate. The layout is pretty cool & I plan to try some of the (saner) recipes. Boeuf Stroganoff, here I come!

Baltasar is a priest in small Bavarian village, and good at solving mysteries. Here he has to find out whio stole a valuable crucifix from the cathedral in Passau. Turns out the case is more complicated than one might suspect! I lived in Germany for a while, and have a fondness for "regional mysteries" - or what would probably be known as cozies in the US. Fun read, keeps up a good pace, and the story is complicated enough to keep ypu guessing.

An unusual mystery, as you see things from the perp's POV - and you will root for that person. A harsh criticism of the treatment of victims of domestic violence. Very good, not as depressing as it sounds, though def not a cozy. Even though it's part of a series Kallio is only a minor character.
(This book is a part of the Maria Kallio series, published in English by amazon. I'm not sure if this one has been translated yet, I read it in German.)

First I watched the movie, and then I read the book. After that I felt slightly deprived. Why had I not stumbled scross this Elizabeth Taylor sooner?!? I'm now on a mission to read all of her books. The ones I have resd all have in common: beautifully written prose, interesting characters, dry wit and while the action is low-key, there are plenty of heavy undercurrents to keep you hooked.

Oh, I loved this book. If you've had a dog, a cat, or even a pet frog that stole your heart, you'll love it too. And you will cry. And laugh. And smile. And be grateful that talented people like Mary Oliver write poems about dogs they have loved, and are generous enough to share their work with those of us who have loved and lost a pet or two.

A collection of supershort ministories along with other writings; quite often surreal. Kharms was best known for childrens literature, but hit upon hard times when he fell out of favor with the Soviet regime. Often funny, but there is a sad undercurrent of a life lived in poverty in many stories. Simon Callow has read a selection of ministories, set to music by Hafliði Hallgrímsson. Worth a listen, e.g on Spotify.

I had a very hard time getting into this one. An umsympathetic narrator and a storyline that meanders through strange blind alleys (e.g a long list of various ways that people have committed suicide in Öræfi) turned this into a DNF. Although this particular book was not up my alley, I hope to read more by him as I liked his writing. Imagine being served food you dislike prepated by a talented chef.

My favorite of his so far. A mystery, though it is less about the crime than life in the divided cities. Worldbuilding is one of his strengths, and this one is not as wildly imaginative (okay, weird) as other books I've read by him. Great one to start with.