This is one of the strangest books I‘ve ever read. It was thought-provoking and creative but parts of it just didn‘t make sense. There were some beautiful statements about grief but then a chapter about what was happening in the bardo would be in be interrupted by a chapter containing a list of footnotes relating to Lincoln, which lost the flow of the story. The gimmick of using 168 narrators, some of who only read one line, got old after a while.

Honestly, if I was just reviewing the first 3/4 of the book I would have given it a pan. The main characters spent way too much time punishing themselves for things that were not their faults, and the “I‘ve got a terrible secret” plot dragged on for way too long before it was revealed. But the last 1/4 of the book took a crazy turn which I did not expect, which redeemed the story for me and pushed it to a so-so overall.

This story is truly heartbreaking. The saddest part for me was the author‘s point that girls go missing all of the time. I listened to this audiobook and the format of a podcast investigating their disappearance worked really well. I love a full cast narration and the actor who voiced Sadie was very good, but some of the others were kind of stilted. Leaving the ending kind of open was a strange choice that I didn‘t really like. 3.75/5 stars

This book was one of the most difficult to get through because it is just so real.McGinnis doesn‘t shy away from the ugliest parts of addiction, and she doesn‘t try to offer any pat explanations for why it happens to some people and not others.With the current scourge of fentanyl that is killing people every day, an unflinching depiction of addiction like this one seems all the more timely.I highly recommend this, if you‘re in the right headspace.

The description of this story sounded really mysterious and interesting, but in actuality it was kind of dull and anticlimactic. The audiobook was read by Eduardo Ballerini, who did an excellent job making subtle changes in his voice to distinguish which of the two men in the story was speaking. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Both a coming-of-age character study and a survival adventure story, I felt like this book veered a bit into the ridiculous trying to pack in every survival scenario possible. I don‘t want to give any spoilers, but there was a twist at the end that really threw me for a loop. Overall entertaining enough, 3.75 stars. Photo is one I took in Crested Butte, CO, an absolutely gorgeous mountain town.

I listened to this audiobook for almost 24 long hours (I sped it up eventually). If you‘re into a Twilight-style love triangle, this might be for you. For me, there were way too many incidents of Melanie getting pushed, hit, and dragged to feel comfortable. Also the story needed some serious editing.

Thank you so much for the lovely belated birthday gifts @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I‘m so happy that you are my pen pal 💌

This is probably one of the best self-help books I‘ve read. Was any of this advice about setting boundaries new and earth-shattering? No, not really. But Tawwab, a licensed clinical social worker and relationship therapist, somehow finds a way to state things in such a relatable, straightforward way that I found something helpful to underline on almost every page. I can definitely see myself coming back to this book often for helpful advice.

This book was good, but did not live up to The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I absolutely loved. At times, I found the plot a little plodding and repetitive. I also am not sure that I liked the ending, but I did find the epilogue very touching and even shed a few tears. 3.75/5 stars

In a word, this book was delicious. Part memoir, part cookbook, and part love letter to food, I enjoyed listening to the author narrate his own book. His strength and resilience during cancer treatments was also very inspiring. Don‘t listen to this when you‘re hungry!

Mina is a flight attendant working on the first ever nonstop flight from London to Sydney when she receives a note that says “The following instructions will save your daughter‘s life.” Although it requires a bit of suspension of belief, the ensuing ride is wild enough to keep the story interesting. The perspectives move from Mina to her police detective husband Adam to their adopted daughter Sophia to the various other passengers on the plane.

I found this little gem of a bookstore while here in Glenwood Springs, Colorado for a short birthday getaway. This is the cutest little town and the hot springs are amazing ❤️

Overall a pick, but I listened to this on audio on my commute to work and I started to get tired of it by the end. It seemed better suited to listening in short bites more like a podcast than long hours at a time. Some of the stories especially the ones involving COVID were a bit depressing but I liked some of the ones that were a bit lighter in tone like the one about him being good at Googling people.

This book is meticulously researched. I enjoyed learning about the Akha culture, their beliefs and practices involving tea growing and harvesting. I also enjoyed watching Li-yan navigate life in the outside world while trying to remain true to her culture. One criticism is the character of Haley. Since we mainly get her perspective through emails she doesn‘t seem as well fleshed out to me. The ending also seems a little too tidy for my taste.

I picked this book mainly for the setting, which was Vienna in the years leading up to and during WW1. Fanny Schindler was born in a foundlings home and never knew her parents. She grows up to become a talented seamstress. At times, I felt like circumstances just magically fell into place for her, which made the story a little unbelievable. The final reveal of her parentage was a bit of a let-down. Ok overall, but not terribly memorable ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It‘s an inevitable comparison, but having read “Educated,” “The Glass Castle,” and this book, I like this one the least. I find the limits of my credulity stretched to the breaking point after reading about so many unbelievable stories. The pacing was also really off. We get extensive details from each year when she was a young child and then whole years are skipped when she is a young adult. TW for abuse and sexual assault.

This little gift book is too cute. I love these illustrations and fun observations about being a dog mom. This would have made a nice stocking stuffer book for Christmas

@Skeebies05 Amazing!!! You really went above and beyond this year! Thank you so much and hope your Christmas is Merry and Bright ❤️🎄

Thank you for the awesome gifts @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Of course it arrived in plenty of time to open today. Wishing you peace and love 💕 I‘ll get a letter to you soon

Thank you for the amazing #jolabokaflodswap package @ReadingEnvy The extra bonus books are a great surprise.
Thanks also to @MaleficentBookDragon for hosting the best swap of all

This book was a little bit all over the place for me. When the author was going back and forth between her personal story, her patient‘s stories, and descriptions of the tenets of therapy, I started to feel disconnected from her. It even seemed a bit self-indulgent at times. What really brought me back were her stories about her patients, especially the last few chapters. Maybe I would have edited or organized the book differently. 3.75/5 stars

My #jolabokaflodswap package is here! I can‘t wait for opening day! ❤️📚

I normally don‘t enjoy short story collections, but this one is exceptional. I enjoyed every one of these stories. I just kept thinking to myself “Man, this guy can write!” It really is amazing how he can create interesting characters and plots full of suspense and dread that can be read in 10 minutes. I think my favorite story is “I am a Doorway.”

I got this out in the mail today ❤️📚🍫🎄
#jolabokaflodswap

Since I am from Wisconsin, this book really touched a cord in me. The author mentioned the city I went to college in, a grocery store chain I used to shop at, and some brands of beer I used to drink. One of the main characters, Edith, even reminds me of my mom in some ways. I just really appreciated the Midwestern setting and unique spirit in all these characters. The pic is our favorite local craft brewery here in Colorado where I live now.

I remember my 3rd grade teacher reading this to us. There is something I find very comforting about being read to. Listening to this audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep along with a full cast, reminded me of that experience as a child. The story is utterly charming. The descriptions of the farm throughout the year as the seasons change was beautifully depicted. I can see myself listening to this again every year.

I read the print copy of this while also listening to the audiobook. This was a great way of keeping the sister‘s voices straight. Yahaira and Camino are sisters who discover each other following the death of their father. This story was a beautiful exploration of grief and family.

This book was so completely charming. It was just as good as I remember. Moving through the seasons, Laura and her little family of Ma, Pa, Mary and Baby Carrie go through all the tasks required of life in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. I especially enjoyed the dance at Grandma and Grandpa‘s house and Laura‘s first visit to town. I will definitely continue with the rest of the series. 😊

Definitely have the tissues ready for this one. The story begins with Lexi Vidler, a young doctor in Alabama, receiving a call from her younger sister Annie who she has not spoken to in 2 years. Annie is pregnant and in need of help as she is also battling a heroin addiction. We hear about Annie and Lexie‘s current struggles in the legal and medical systems and also find out what events in their past contributed to her drug addiction.

After reading the description I was expecting a spooky ghost story, but what I got was a dull locked room mystery. The ending was exceptionally anticlimactic. Since this was an audiobook only, I was expecting a lot from the narration but it didn‘t deliver either. The narrator made every character‘s voice the same. It would have really benefited from multiple narrators and possibly some sound effects to liven things up.

I‘m finally going back to re-read the Little House books that I loved when I was a girl. The copy I‘m reading is from a set that belonged to my great aunt and these illustrations are so charming 😊

Ruth is a talented teenage seamstress who comes to believe that her stitches can carry the power of her intentions, including possibly murder. Dorothea is the young woman who visits Ruth in prison as a charitable act. She‘s really interested in phrenology, which is such a strange thing when viewed through our modern perspective. Her side of the story was not as compelling to me. Pic is our Halloween decorations of my husband walking our dogs 💀

The story here had potential, but it ended up being a fairly average thriller. The big twist was pretty predictable and there were several side plots that went nowhere.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Definitely my favorite audiobook ever! This was truly a joy to listen to. The story was perfect for audiobook. Highly recommend!

Man, this was bleak. After getting to know these characters and seeing all the ways they‘re connected, you hope for a positive ending for at least one of them— but no such luck. I was actually kind of relieved when it was over so I can get away from all the sadness. TW for animal deaths.

🏈 I don‘t read a lot of sports books, but the tagged book was fantastic, highly recommend!

🏈 I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, so I am a Cheesehead 🧀 I love watching Packer football!

#Two4Tuesday

I love Downton Abbey, so I listened to this audiobook because Joanne Froggatt who played Anna Bates was the narrator. She did a fantastic job! The story itself is deliciously Gothic, so dark. I found myself enjoying this version more than the print version I read in high school.

This is my third Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and once again, she does not disappoint. Wow, can she create characters! Evelyn Hugo is so complex— I envied her, despised her, and empathized with her at different times in the book. I also love how TJR‘s characters make guest appearances across all of her novels, which feel like fun little Easter eggs for all her readers to discover. (Snoopy liked it too, despite this pic)

This was a short audiobook narrated by the excellent Dan Stevens, composed of letters written by George Lowe to his family back home. Lowe was one of the climbers in the 1953 expedition which was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It was a really fascinating glimpse into a time where news travelled through letters and radio broadcasts. Also, I appreciated his emphasis that this achievement was a group effort including many sherpas.

I am trying to read books that have been on my Kindle for years, so pulled up this one. Ella, a florist from Devon, is on a train to London when she notices 2 young girls talking to some older guys. When she finds out a few days later that one of the girls is missing, she is wracked with guilt for not saying anything. This was an interesting premise, but the reveal of who took the girl was fairly lackluster, almost out of left field. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first 10 chapters of this book try to convince you not to be afraid to try the Project 333 challenge. Chapter 11 tells you the actual rules of the challenge, which involves creating a capsule wardrobe containing 33 items.Then chapters 12-32 tell you all the ways your life will be changed for the better if you do this challenge. I liked the challenge itself, but this would have worked better as a blog post.

As someone who grew up in the Midwest and now lives in landlocked Colorado, I‘ve always been fascinated by the ocean. The concept of surfing just seems so exotic and interesting. Although this book mainly centers around the Riva family and their drama, I just loved the 1980s California beach setting. I also fell in love with Nina. I‘m an older sister myself and I could really sympathize with her deep desire to take care of her siblings.

I can‘t think of a better way to spend my day off ❤️📚

I finally finished this over my lunch break from work. I liked this book, but didn‘t love it. The beginning of the story held real promise, but it quickly became bogged down until close to the end when the action picked up again. The middle third of the book would have really benefited from some editing to keep the pace of the story moving along. I was getting really bored with people wandering around and nothing really happening. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked this book mainly for the setting, which was mainly eastern Germany in the years during the Russian occupation after WWII. I found the parts of the story that invoked this setting very interesting, but much of the plot involved an affair/love triangle which in some ways could have taken place anywhere. At times, we get a detailed look at the protagonist‘s thoughts, but in others we get only a superficial view and entire years are skipped.

I didn‘t think I could hear about another horrible tragedy befalling these characters.The thing that got me through this was the realization that there were actually families who went through this, who actually suffered through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.I really bonded with these characters and became emotionally involved in their fates. I was very impressed with Julia Whelan‘s narration as well. Have tissues handy when listening!

Guys, I won an ARC of this book! I‘m so excited (Evee not as much) #GoodreadsGiveaway

Congratulations on your milestone! 🎉🍾
#GrilloGiveaway

Ilya, a Russian teen who is an excellent English student, wins an opportunity to go to a town in Louisiana as part of an exchange program.This would have been a dream come true for him if his older brother Vladimir had not been arrested and charged with murdering 3 women right before he is due to leave. This book has an awesome sense of place, especially Russia, and a beautiful exploration of the relationship between brothers.