Welcome to Litsy!

I read this (while enjoying this view 🤩) and it was fine. 🤷‍♀️ I was certainly interested in learning how a book about a fairytale world Hazel had made up as a child in England had been written by a young American author but it was too drawn out. I skimmed a bit here and there because things were taking too long.
Also, I'm kinda tired of love triangles and this one didn't have anything to cause me to feel an exception. I wish that either

“Telling stories is one of the greatest powers we possess. It‘s like a dream you can fill with what you want. And the knight doesn‘t always have to save the princess; sometimes she saves herself.”

I would say about 90% of the book is truly amazing, the last 10% seemed too hurried and convenient 😅

Quiet time with tea and a book 😊

The first timeline is set during the second world war. Operation Pied Piper has launched and all children living in London are to be sent to the countryside. As Hazel and her sister Flora board the train, they know their lives will change.

The second timeline is set in the 60's and for the last twenty years Hazel has though of her sister Flora every single day and what happened the day she lost her.

Got off to a good start but lost its way.

Another impulse buy (actually all 7 were impulse buys) from the HPB sale this weekend.

#AboutABook #DualTimeline

I love a good dual timeline story. On my BOTM TBR.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Doing a quick re- read for a Sunday author event. This book was picked for the state-wide Arkansas Read. It‘s about a 5 hour drive from Kansas. I‘m dragging my hubby w. me. We will go to Bentonville to go to Crystal Bridges Art Museum Saturday, & then on Sunday will stop in Gravette to see Patti Callahan Henry. 😂 just saw her in St Louis w my daughters 2 weekends ago when she was w. the other Friends & Fiction authors. Stalking?? 🍄

The Friends & Fiction book event in St Louis was great! Here I am with my daughters & Patti Callahan Henry. We had fun meeting Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Kristy Woodson Harvey as well! Meg Walker & Ron Block were there also!
I‘ll next see Patti in Arkansas, her book was selected for Arkansas‘ If All Arkansas Read The Same Book. I planned that trip 1st, but couldn‘t resist the trip to St Louis to see all 4 authors.

This was a nice story. I read it as part of the 2024 goodreads 52 book challenge. I had to read a book with the word “secret” in the title. I like how they tied the story of a fantasy land into the plot. As many books these days, this chapters flip flopped between two timeframes. In this case, it seemed to work.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs
🌟 Little Women 👌🚺❤
🌟🌟 The Secret Book of Flora Lea (tagged)
🌟🌟🌟 Amy Harmon

I really liked the first 3/4 of this book, but the last 1/4 dragged. It was all resolved but for some reason kept going. Still pretty original for a WWII book. 3 1/2 stars.

Finally settled on an audiobook to walk with on this cold and blustery day.

Our book club meets in just a few hours to discuss this one— we just can‘t stay away from WWII stories. Narrator Hazel and her younger sister, Flora, were part of Operation Pied Piper which sent London children out of the city, hoping for safety from the barrage of bombs. When Flora disappears, it changes Hazel‘s life until an unexpected book of fairy tales brings her back to herself as she searches once again for Flora. I couldn‘t put it down!

Third book from #auldlangspine @kspenmoll @monalyisha

Loved this one too! Woke up early to finish it- such a great story.

A charming dual narrative about the importance of stories and imagination, this is the story of little Flora‘s disappearance during WWII as a child of Operation Pied Piper and that of her older sister Hazel who continues to look for her sister long after the war. The end is a touch predictable. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-secret-book-of-flora-lea-by.html

Cold virus + couch time = library haul. Simple equation.

Tagged novel is for work bookclub. The rest are because I have a cookbook fetish. Two of them I know I really like, but have managed to resist buying…….so far. 😅😅

It‘s unusual that I think the second half of a book is better than the first. This book opens calmly and comfortably. The second half turns into a more dramatic mystery although still a bit of a cozy mystery. I appreciated the feel of the novel as much as the plot. The plot got a bit confusing at points but all made sense at the end. Would recommend for someone looking for a warm family mystery.

“For when you see that the world shimmers just like the outline of Whisperwood‘s doors, mystery and enchantment are everywhere just waiting to be noticed.”

I really enjoyed this ❤️

Absolutely lovely. Just what I needed. A calm but moving book that ends the way I wanted it to🥰

I adored this book. The juxtaposition of so many themes made me fall in love with Henry‘s writing. One of my favorites of the year! 4.5 ⭐️ #botm

A nice change from the typical WWII historical fiction and while I found it engaging overall, I found some of the details difficult to follow (could not keep ages straight…) and there was a bit of drama for the sake of drama, which never works for me.

Also, the end papers on this book!! Stunning!!!

On a red blanket by the river, six-year-old Flora Lea Linden awakens alone, a dome of blue sky above her and birdsong about her.
#firstlinefridays

Here are my July hopes. Many buddy reads.
Let‘s see what I can do. #literarycrew #adventuresinphilosophy #bookedintime #jandandtheexcellentreadalong #nunlit #goldenagecrimeclub #sundaybuddyread #AuthorAMonth #MaggieOFarrell #Pemberlittens #14books14weeks

Read in June 2023 ...
#Goodreads #BooklyApp #StoryGraph #Bookstagram #MMDBookClub #OUABC #Litsy #Libby

Hazel lost her sister after they had been evacuated to the country during the London blitz. She's been looking for her ever since then, and now she may have the chance to finally find her.
I loved this book 💚
#tbrtarot @CBee

Gorgeous end paper.

Starting today- this cover! #coverlove

A lovely story about sisters, undying hope, and the stories that bind us together.

This book has mystery, history, and a tiny bit of romance.

Ok I surprised myself & loved this book. 4 out of 5 stars.

#MMD ModernMrsDarcy Pick for June 2023 • 8 out of 5 Stars 🩵 FANTASTIC!

Two sisters, Hazel and Flora, are evacuated from London during World War II and sent to live in a rural village. Hazel distracts her younger sister with a fairy tale about a magical land that they can escape to. Eventually, the sisters become separated and Flora is believed to be dead … until a mysterious book arrives at the London bookseller‘s shop where Hazel works.

1939 Two young girls are sent from London to the countryside. To cope with the war they invent a secret world. The youngest goes missing. 1960 Hazel trying to live her life while blaming herself for her missing sister. A package arrives at her bookshop with a magical tale about the secret world they invented. This leads her on a quest to determine if her sister is really alive. 3 stars. Overwritten and many convenient loose end tie ups. 3 stars.

I‘m overwhelmed by the WWII era HF TBR on my shelves and somehow that often negatively impacts by desire to start my next book of this genre. I quickly forgot my mindset here as this was a beautiful drawn story about the grueling impact war takes on the trajectory of children even on the outskirts of its path.

3 ⭐️ I recommend this book for readers who enjoy books about stories, especially the power of imagination. I found the writing to be a bit cumbersome. I enjoyed learning about the real-life Operation Pied Piper. Something about the writing failed to transport me, however. The story‘s format is primarily from one narrator‘s voice, & alternates between 1940/ 1960. Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61964751

THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA

Patti Callahan Henry is a wonderful author and this is her best book yet. Her latest release and it's pure magic. Historical, magical, enchanting, filled with so many emotions.

Full review here: https://tinyurl.com/3ztrmxvb

Current Situation: Zen Garden Bliss.

May‘s #botm box arrived just in time for a rainy low-key weekend.

This read gets all the sparkling stars that light up the river through Whisperwood IFYKYK

Fairy tales aren't just for children. they are for everyone who needs magic and sparkles as consolation. And this one will swell your heart before it tears it out, shows it to you, and tucks it back in to live again.

I LOVED this book! This is the B&N book club selection for May and I can't wait to lead the discussion of this one! Several of my fellow booksellers have read this a well and it's looking to be an employee favorite for sure. I love the concept and the many characters. Have kleenex handy! #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Excited to receive my ebook today! Hopefully the book itself arrives in the mail soon! Love this author!

Finally #BOTM May picks were posted! With new add-ons that I hadn't seen before! The pick by Taylor Adam's sounds intriguing and I've been wanting to read Clytemnestra for a while. The tagged book was a delightful surprise that I couldn't pass up!

Three #BOTM pick spoilers for May! 📚