Backman can reliably make me laugh & cry on the same page. In this novel we meet a young teen girl whose path crosses with a world-famous artist. What unfolds is the story of his teen years & the friends who changed his life. I‘ve read three Backman books this year and his bittersweet tone has matched the melancholy grief in my soul. His books can feel heavy because he doesn‘t shy away from the hard trauma in life, but he always finds the joy too.

The loveliest Lego typewriter from my cousin. 🌼

Reading Jane Austen‘s lovely Persuasion with @BkClubCare in August. Anyone want to join in? No pressure readalong. We‘re reading at our own pace and commenting as you feel like it. It‘s my favorite Austen novel and I‘m thrilled to revisit it. Tag #Persuasion2025 if you post!

A wonderful second book in the series. We watch Roz in the role she was created for as a helper to humans on a farm. We watch her fight to return to her son. And my favorite part, we get to meet her designer! Excited to read the next book in the series.

I truly don't know how to wait for the next book. I thought this one was focused mainly on Hawke's, his boxing match, his unbridled enthusiasm for Stonecrop, etc. but then each person had their time to shine. We learn about Piece's mysterious and heartbreaking childhood. We see Islington relax into his true self in his home, cello and all! Even Emma finds her wildest self in that magical place. There wasn't a second that I didn't love.

I neglected to read this classic for too many years. It's based on the author's mother's experience as a teacher at a mission school in Appalachia. It can be very heavy-handed with Christy & pastor David's "saving" the local people, but it's also a product of its time. I love the doctor's character and his understanding that you can use science and still respect the people and their traditions.

“Truth could never be wholly contained in words.”

A collection of essays about people in public service with the government. Each one is written by a different author (many well-known). Whether it‘s the judicial system, the IRS, or another thankless job, these essays highlight people who have gone above and beyond in their roles. I loved learning a bit more about their lives and pulling the curtain back. Great on audio.

Delightful. A robot crashes on an island and finds her heart when she becomes a mother to a gosling. The movie is excellent as well, but there‘s a sweetness in the book. Each chapter is a new adventure and challenge. Both my 6 & 9-year-olds loved it. We‘re excited to try the next book in the series since there‘s a bit of a cliffhanger.

It‘s been a long time since a book broke my heart so deeply. I know the people of Beartown & Hed will be with me forever. By the end of the book I had no words, only tears. The stories are filled w/heartbreak, but so is life. For me, experiencing my own tragedy, these books provided a solace that it‘s hard to explain. Isn‘t that the most beautiful thing that books can do? They make us feel connected to others even when we‘re lost in our own pain.

Emma gets her first job as a personal secretary, with disastrous results, of course. She takes a memorable dip into the fountain. She reads Whitman for the first time. This book also has my favorite ending to date. A bit of a cliffhanger, but in gentle Emma style. I‘ve yet to be disappointed by any of the books, but this one is absolutely excellent.

“Thank you, no. I‘ve already tasted that particular brand of insanity.”

This is an absolute must read for any big fans of Tolkien and Lewis. It‘s the story of their friendship told as a graphic novel with excursions into the creation of the fantasy genre and more. It‘s part biography, part fantastical tale, and part choose your own adventure. I love that it explores the friendship, but it also gives info about both men‘s childhoods, marriage, and time as soldiers. It‘s wonderfully done.

A life told in reverse order in three acts. It has some trademark King elements, but falls into the category of his style of writing that I enjoy the best. Excellent character building with just a little bit of magic or mystery thrown in. It feels more like 11/22/63 than anything else. It‘s short but lovely. This edition also has a flip book element with Chuck dancing on the pages. A delightful story about celebrating the small moments.

I created a special cubby on my bookshelf filled with some of my nephew‘s books. Some were in his backpack when he died, others were ones we had bought together or I had gifted him. The framed item is his Ex Libris stamp. The flowers from one of the funeral bouquets we were sent. It‘s a sweet way to be reminded of him every day since we connected so deeply over what we were reading.

This series beers better with each book because you just love the gang. The main plot follows a TV journalist who went missing and was believed to be murdered. Highlights were the introduction of former KGB agent Victor and a few of the characters finding love. I care less about the mystery than what is happening in their personal lives.

My favorite so far. A happy Christmas for Emma, Hawkes, Pierce and Islington. After struggling with her grief through most of the novel, Emma find some peace as the holidays approach. Hard to explain how much I loved this book.

“And I think that was the moment I began to suspect that the lock Hawkes spoke of might really only be an awareness , an awareness of grace.”

“It takes a great deal to trust the future after one is acquainted with loss.”

This was a wild ride. A listless 20-something agrees to drive a young woman across the country with her mysterious black case in tow. Other plots unfold, but the heart of the story is the discussions the two have on their road trip. It is repetitive at times, but also philosophical and relevant. Much of what they discuss is about the world on the Internet versus the world in real life and how the two have become distorted in the past decade.

Such a lovely book! This is the 1st in a series. Mona is a mouse who finds a new home and her courage when she stumbles upon a hotel in the woods. She meets a cranky squirrel, lonely bird, and sleepy bear along the way. I can‘t wait to read the rest of the series with my kids.

It was such a treat to see Backman in person last month. He was funny, self-deprecating, vulnerable, and wise. I loved the Q&A and his meandering answers. I was reminded of all the ways his characters have touched my heart. Can‘t wait to read his latest.

The loveliest story of a young boy rescued from a shipwreck by a lighthouse keeper. Over the following years, he goes to boarding school and moves to other parts of England, but the pull of the lighthouse island always calls him back. When he is able to return, he finds the island just how he remembered it. It‘s geared to 9-12 year olds and is written 1st person, but it‘s a sweet read for adults as well. The illustrations were my favorite part.

I loved this one when I was growing up. Rereading with my kids as an adult and it was slower than I remembered. Still thrilling once it got going and I just love the transformation of the main character from a prissy spoiled child to a brave adventurer.

One week ago, my sweet nephew passed away. He was diabetic and had a DKA emergency and we are all in shock. He loved books and was a voracious reader, just like me. I read so many that he recommended and vice versa. We were both happiest, exploring a used bookstore and making recommendations to each other. My heart feels broken.

I was scared to read this because I loved Beartown so much. I should have trusted Backman's skill. His depiction of the building tension between Beartown & the neighboring Hed, paired with the complicated internal struggle Benji feels, frustration of Maya's younger brother Leo, & so much more is just breathtaking. It brought me to tears in the final pages as the climax led us to a forest road and limitless grief. It is just beautiful.

This is a wild ride that starts with snakes on the loose and ends with a night of chaos. The middle is packed with a lot of heart. Johnson is a broken man driven only by his passion for journalism. As the oppressive heat ratchets higher in the sweltering city, so does the tension. The looming threat of snakes and developer‘s bulldozers are equally terrifying for the Sweetberry Park residents.

Hanif‘s poetry and essays have a way of cutting straight to your heart without you realizing it. On the surface he‘s talking about music and critiquing concerts he‘s attended. But when you dig deeper, he‘s processing his life events: deaths, exclusion, crushes, and so much more. He‘s walking us through the ways music can make us feel connected to both ourselves, who we‘ve been in the past, and the people who have helped shape us. It‘s beautiful.

Though I‘ve read this many times, it always strikes me a new how heartbreaking the after effects of war are. The PTSD, the grief, the destruction, it doesn‘t end when the war is over. Obviously, Haymitch stood out to me more in this one as he fought to protect Katniss from being pushed too far, even though he was struggling with his own demons. Also, Gale‘s selfishness and Snow‘s cruelty are clearer the older I get.

A nonfiction essays collection from a bookstore owner. I recognized myself in many of her reflections, like being a big sister to a brother, never feeling the expected desperation to become a mom & wife, her desire to become a journalist, & often being the one who stays for friends to depend on. The book reminded me of the Lewis quote, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one."

I loved the 1st in the series, but this one was a stretch for me. Setting something in Austen‘s world comes with certain rules in my mind. Bringing modern day issues into it took me right out of the story. Also, no one would never kiss in a group when they were technically colleagues. There are elements I enjoyed but it felt like an exhausting read & it should be a fun one. I would like to read more of the Dashwood sisters & will read that book.

I was expecting some sweet recipes and stories from this one, but instead found heartfelt grief mixed with the restorative nature of comfort food and conversation. Hood shares her very honest reflections of struggling through divorce, the death of a sibling and a child, and so much more as she feeds the people she loves and delights in new culinary discoveries. I can‘t wait to read more from the author.

Big feelings about this one. I loved the scenes in Vietnam, and the descriptions felt so real to me. But once the main character, Frankie, returned home, I found her love stories to be melodramatic and exhausting. I felt like she was constantly taking from her friends Barb & Ethel. I do think the picture of PSTD & addiction were heartbreaking & realistic, but it was all just so exhausting. I couldn‘t stand the character and her innate selfishness.

The story follows a fictional abstract expressionist painter, Rabo Karabekian, who was also a WWII vet. The whole book dances around the mystery of what is he hiding in his huge potato barn. The payoff at the end was absolutely worth it. Rabo is a cynical man, but somehow also incredibly hopeful. It also explores the impact art can have on processing trauma. I love Vonnegut's work and this one falls in my top five for sure.

I was not a fan the first time I read this. I reread it to see all the connections with the new Sunrise prequel, and though I enjoyed the Covey ties, I‘m still not a fan. I feel like the book is way too long, and yet somehow she rushed the ending. My least favorite of the series, though it does give an interesting perspective from the Capitol. Snow is such a deeply selfish person, but I do think Dr. Gaul is an incredible villain.

A deep dive into studies of how social media & phone use are affecting our kids. I appreciate the tangible changes suggested. Waiting until high school to give your kids a phone/ social media, banding together with other parents to create a like-minded community, & lobbying your school to keep phones completely out of schools, are all great ideas. But unstructured play, age-appropriate risks & responsibilities, & less parental hovering is key!

This was a new read for me, but a perfect one to walk through this season into Easter. The author explores the 7 deadly sins and the things we should strive for as Christians. I love her writing & so it clicked for me. I loved having quick bites each day to remember the season.

“He (Tolkien) never could find a word, so he coined his own: eucatastrophe. It‘s a combination of the Greek word eu, meaning “good,” & catastrophe, meaning “destruction.”

The author traveled to every country in the world & this memoir is about creating your own quest & completing it. While I think he comes from a place of privilege to be able to encourage people to drop everything and follow their dreams, some of his tips were helpful. I love tangible goals, like visit all 50 states & read all Shakespeare‘s plays.

“The more prepared you are, more spontaneous you can be.”

“A measurable goal is a good companion.”

I just loved this one! All the same characters, but Mr. Bennett is a runs a law firm, and Lizzie wants to be trained there. She must solve the murder in order to earn her father‘s respect. Her path crosses with a different law firm, Pemberley, And a stuffy lawyer who works there named Darcy. A wonderful blend of murder mystery and Austen. Right up my alley and perfect to read during my #yearofAusten2025 Can‘t wait to read more from this author!

This remains my favorite of the series. Life after the first games, the increased political subterfuge, and the return of so many wonderful characters, all make for a great read. It absolutely holds up on rereading and now hits even harder after reading Sunrise on the Reaping.

I was carried away by this one. It‘s a Little Mermaid/Cinderella mashup, but reads more like an original story. I loved the layers of character depth. Avoid spoilers if you can, because the surprises are delightful. It‘s excellent on audio & I couldn‘t put it down. Luce and her disfigured feet, love of the sea, & disregard for regular customs made her an excellent heroine. The added fae elements felt almost real. Just a fantastic read!

Focusing on Henry, who is fighting TB in Sierra Leone, Green weaves his real experience with the history of tuberculosis & its far-reaching impact. He manages to bring humanity to a topic that could feel sterile in less gifted hands. He explores the stigmatization of the disease, both as an exclusion from society and as a glorified for the artistic. Like all his work, its beauty lies in his understanding of both humanity's flaws and strengths.

This slim French novel is about a hairdresser who picks up the 1st book in the Search of Lost Time series & falls in love with it. I‘m glad I read Swann‘s Way 1st, but this one gave me a deeper appreciation for the themes and writing of Proust. It was beautiful how Proust‘s words resonated to someone in a different stage of life, her perspective felt fresh. I loved how the immersive experience of reading led her to evaluate things in her own life.

I never read this when I was young, but my kids are definitely in a horse phase, and so it was a perfect classic to read together. Based on the true story of the ponies who survived a shipwreck and lived on an island off the coast of Virginia, the main plot is about a brother and sister who work hard to try to earn enough money to buy one of the ponies. We loved it, and were completely caught up in the adventure of Misty and her wild mom, Phantom.

The 1st book in this series was hard for me to get into, but by the end I liked it. This 2nd book felt like the author hit his stride & I loved returning to these characters. I‘m firmly invested now and can‘t wait to keep reading. This one included an ex-husband, Some stolen diamonds, and more from my favorite character, Bogdan. I loved that the mystery was intriguing, but it‘s truly the characters & their relationships that keep me turning pages.

As soon as I finished the Sunrise prequel I had to reread this. I hadn‘t realized it had been 10 years since the last reread. There‘s so much more weight to the story with the Haymitch backstory. It broke my heart to see the parallels to see between the two characters. I can‘t get over what an incredible addition Sunrise was to the series.

This was such a fun series to read with my kids. It‘s a lot like Toy Story, where a group of toys goes on adventures when their owner isn‘t there. My youngest couldn‘t stop giggling at parts, particularly with Lumphey the Buffalo.

I‘ve always been intimidated by Proust and was thrilled to read this one with a few others. Proust has a meandering way of exploring the world around him. He‘s not rushed and his sentences are long and indulgent. That can feel exhausting at times, but then you come across a line so beautiful and achingly relatable that it stops you in your tracks. I‘m not ready to tackle the rest of the series, but maybe one book a year would be the right speed.

Classic noir novel about a drifter who falls in love with the wife of a restaurant owner, and they plot to murder him. Fast-paced, choppy sentences, quick read. There is definitely some sexism & racism mixed in here that speaks to its 1930s publication. Glad to read the well-known story though, and it definitely kept me turning the pages. I wish I could have seen a bit of depth in the character of Cora. We see her only through the drifter‘s eyes.

What begins as lyrical reflection on basketball quickly turns into a deep look at life for a black man in America. I was captivated by the author's poetic language and simple musings that resonated so deeply. I immediately bought another of his books.As someone who doesn't care a fig about basketball, that should say a lot.

"The history of an underdog can be distilled down to their brightest moment and then held onto forever."

A man takes a job as a guard at the MET in NYC. His brother is dying & in the midst of the pain & turmoil, he finds comfort in the predictability & beauty of his new position. It's a quiet nonfiction book that wrestles with grief, finding purpose & the lasting impact of art. Moving if a bit privledged.

“A work of art tends to speak of things that are at once too large & too intimate to be summed up. And they speak of them by not speaking at all.”

Oh my heart. After not loving Ballad I wasn't too excited about this one. Then I read it and I could put it down. It's Haymitch's story and it will break your heart in one hundred ways. I wasn't expecting to recognize so many of the characters, but this was the perfect way to do a prequel. So many gaps were filled in and there's so much understanding to the wider scope of the revolution and the depth of the characters in the original trilogy.

Last week, my city hosted its 2nd annual bookstore crawl. It was an absolute blast! Over four days I visited 21 bookstores. I did some on my own, others with friends, and a bunch with my daughter. We had the best time visiting some of our favorites and discovering new ones. I love supporting these local shops that are such cultural hubs in our community.

I was able to attend a lecture and book signing with authors Timothy Egan last week. It was excellent! It focused on the painful topic of the KKK and racism in Indiana, he handled the topic beautifully. Later that weekend I visited a new mural in our city dedicated to Madge, the brave woman who brought DC Stephenson down with her testimony before she died.