So exciting!! I unknowingly opened my #summerreadingswap package because it just said Amazon so I thought it was something else! 😂 @rather_be_reading if you‘re able to, can you tag whoever is my partner because I want to be able to thank them but the package didn‘t say! Thank you so much, I love these HP socks and I‘ve been wanting to read Eleanor for forever! 🙏🏻

This story was easy to get immersed in, especially being Jewish myself. It‘s my first by Englander and I really liked his style, weaving in and out of a Surrealist quality. Between a pick and a so-so for me because it started out so realistic and then felt like it shifted too jarringly. But “realistic” may not have been the goal so much as striking at the core:

What do we owe each other, in this life and the next?

Such a fun #buddyread with @LiteraryinLititz !! I have to say, some parts of this story were highly perplexing and/or ridiculously far-fetched, but I won‘t give any spoilers haha. Loved the shifting perspectives and especially the urgency and suspense of the last 100 pages!

Mailed my #summerreadingswap package!! Yay!! Should arrive by Saturday! @rather_be_reading thanks for organizing!

Fun idea! @EclecticReaders
Lol if someone told me to stop reading I‘d be like 😒 but I laughed the most at “cancelled plans to stay home and read” because that is too real 😂

Help me decide what to read next! Your votes will determine in what order I read these six books, which have been on Mount TBR for too long! 😆 Thank you!!
#makemereadit

Awesome weekend in Philly exploring some treasured independent bookstores! I picked up my own copy of the tagged book, as well as some others for my students.

This was an okay #lmpbc read! I was interested in the familial relationships and I always like shifting perspectives. However, I feel like the same exact story could have been more compelling had it been written differently...I‘m not sure what, but it was missing something for me. @LiteraryinLititz is next! @kstadt929 @Mem_ugh

This book was so well-written. I learned a lot about the devastating AIDS epidemic in 80s Chicago. The characters were vividly painted, honest and relatable. As a Northwestern Art History major, I connected to that subplot, though at times it felt disjointed, which makes sense because Makkai said she set out to write one book and then wrote a different story entirely.

This was my first IRL book club read and we all had strong reactions to it!

Usually this is not the kind of title I‘d go for, but I trusted the reviews and it was so worth it! From start to finish this book was such an exciting, heartfelt, unique read. It‘s short but packs QUITE a punch! Love discovering new authors and I would absolutely read more by Braithwaite.
As someone with sisters I totally related to the feeling that you‘d do anything for them- “Lord help the mister/who comes between me and my sister!”

This week I took myself on an independent bookstore crawl in the West Village!🗽🗽🗽

650 pages is a LOT! But I‘m glad I stuck with it because I liked this one FAR more than books 2 and 3 in the series. I love Strike and Robin; they are such captivating, real characters and the mystery unraveled in an intriguing way without the gruesome gore of the previous books. Highly recommend!

The tagged book = summer to me 😄❤️☀️and I hope you‘ll check out the post by @rather_be_reading about her #litsyswap! #summerreadingswap so excited!

I‘m into it! I really liked the Russian folklore feel of this and I would totally read the rest of the series! Some things were confusing to me - like is the Frost King a platonic relationship or a romantic interest for Vasya? - but all in all I was really engaged throughout!

Pros: Cool to be immersed in a new (to me) fantasy world. Fascinating to reflect on the idea of “true names at our cores” and “power that lies beneath the surface of everything.”
Cons: I NEED MORE DIALOGUE in my books! It was hard to stay engaged because I tend to check out when it‘s just endless description.

Such a special opportunity to be able to see Nathan Englander and Jonathan Safran Foer in dialogue about Nathan‘s new book!! I‘m starstruck 🌟 Amidst the horror of Notre Dame burning today, I especially appreciated delving into their humor and sincerity re: their writing process. What does it mean to put your whole self into your art, or rather to let yourself slip away and create connections with your reader that transcend consciousness? ❤️

I really enjoyed reading this for #lmpbc ! I agree with @kstadt929 that some of the characters were infuriating- your comments were so wonderful to read 😁 I still found myself hooked and wanted to stay up late reading tho ☺️ The little girl and her imaginary friend was definitely my favorite plotline; as an elementary teacher I found this spot on. Hope you enjoy it @LiteraryinLititz and @Mem_ugh ! Thanks @Kaylamburson for recommending this!

Look what #bookmail just arrived! So speedy!! Excited to read this for #lmpbc 😄💌🖍 @kstadt929 @LiteraryinLititz @Mem_ugh

WOW. Sheer brilliance. I can‘t believe this is a first novel and I‘m just blown away. Honestly the first 150 pages were not grabbing me but then it just took off and I couldn‘t put it down for the next 200! Heartbreaking, poetic, thrilling, moving, all of the things. So clever how it navigated between past and present, part “coming of age tale” and part murder mystery. #lmpbc I‘m really glad we chose this! @LiteraryinLititz @kstadt929 @Mem_ugh

My classroom got a whole new shipment of books!!!! We are so excited!!!! Fiction and nonfiction. Nothing is more exciting than being the first to touch a new book 😍🤣🙏🏻

OMG IF YOU HAVEN‘T READ THIS YET PLEASE DO BECAUSE I LOVED THE $&!@ OUT OF THIS BOOK!!! Wow, where do I even begin? 500 pages of female badassery, delicious deception, deeply descriptive sex, and based largely on real life?! What?! Not without its disturbing and horrifying moments, because it alternates between WWI and WWII and that‘s never sunshine and rainbows, but for me this was really a story about friendship and the power to endure. ❤️🌹💄🤫

Finished! Well, I thoroughly enjoyed reading alongside @kstadt929 @LiteraryinLititz and @Mem_ugh for #lmpbc ! But I was unimpressed with this author and her storytelling. I think the idea had potential- having amnesia and needing to piece your life together through others‘ accounts - but I‘ve seen it done better by authors like Liane Moriarty.

Taking advantage of my snow day today to finish this one for #lmpbc! Sorry that I‘m late in mailing it back @kstadt929 ! So fun to read with the comments of @Mem_ugh and @LiteraryinLititz , too!

Between a pick and a so-so. I love Shapiro‘s style and her descriptions are so vivid. I also loved that this one was all about post-Impressionism and 1920‘s France. I just felt that at some point the plot was way too drawn out and convoluted and I was ready for it to be done.

This book was really well done! I loved hearing the author‘s insider, West Wing-esque perspective on my favorite presidency. I‘ve never wanted to go into politics but I appreciated how much she focused on advice for women who strive for that. It made me cry because I miss Obama so much, so now I‘m not sure if I‘m emotionally ready to start Becoming 😭

WOW. This book gave me ALL the feels. I loved everything about it and found it super cathartic. 😭Easy to get absorbed into the relationships and the emotions that Zappia illustrates so deftly. For sure akin to Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell but for me this one resonated more. #blinddatewithabook was a MAJOR success!

I finished this with my class today and it was bittersweet because my kids were totally enthralled! Such a moving story. I think it‘s perfect for teachers of upper elementary. Also perfect for humans who are not teachers! 😄

I‘m excited to get the ball rolling! #lmpbc Round 5! @Mem_ugh @kstadt929 @LiteraryinLititz Which are your top two picks? Then I can choose based on our crossover. Yippee!

These books both came highly recommended and I‘m excited to dive in! As soon as I get through the other Top 10 on Mount TBR 😬🙌🏻

Cool! #blinddatewithabook Pick No. 2! I never read this one because I‘d heard mixed reviews but I‘ll totally give it a try since I bought it! 😄

Yay! #blinddatewithabook Pick No. 1! I‘ve never even heard of this and it sounds amaaaaazing! ❤️🎉

SO here‘s the deal: Last year I walked into this bookstore and saw their Blind Date with a Book display for Valentine‘s Day. I loved it and posted about it but didn‘t buy one because it felt too risky. This year I decided to BE BRAVE and go for it!! Y‘all inspire me! One book claims to be for lovers of Narnia and The Girl Who Drank the Moon: ✔️. The other appeals to lovers of Fangirl and Everything, Everything: ✔️. Stay tuned!
#blinddatewithabook

Whenever I‘m near Columbia, I have to stop by Book Culture! Today I didn‘t walk away empty handed
😳😂

Spent all day with a friend just talking about our favorite books from elementary school/middle school and the impact they had on us! Kindred spirits ❤️ loving this one so far and I am so into Shapiro‘s style of writing. She hooked me in with the Art Forger and now I feel like I‘d read anything she wrote!

AHHHHHHHHH IT‘S HERE IT‘S HERE IT‘S HERE!!!!!
🎤🎤🎤🎤🎶🎶🎶🎶💌💌💌💌🎉🎉🎉🎉

Thank you, @TheReadingMermaid for hosting this #150kGiveaway !! Congrats!!!
My favorite genre is Realistic Fiction OR Fantasy! Definitely a fiction gal through and through 😂

Always a fan of HP questions!! Bingo!!

I feel fairly ambivalent about this one. The plot was intriguing-ish and the characters, I felt, were developed and believable, albeit completely unstable. I just wouldn‘t run out and recommend it to anyone I know. It‘s not the next “Big Little Lies” like the back cover tried to suggest it was.

1. I literally threw this book across the room because it was so shocking. Loved it!!!
2. I‘ve been trying to pack more and it‘s helped by going on a homemade smoothie regiment!
3. Falling over on people on the subway because I‘m so sleepy lol
4. Apple cinnamon 😍
5. Black Robot 😎🤖🤷🏻‍♀️

Mailed to @kstadt929 ! #lmpbc Hope you enjoy the comments from @LiteraryinLititz and @Mem_ugh as much as I did!

I am positively obsessed with this book!! I‘m using it as a 3rd grade read aloud and it‘s super philosophical and brings up so many deep questions! It‘s pushing me AND my students in the best possible ways!

Exciting life update! I just released my first album of original music!! My artist name is SUUZ and the album is called Roller Coaster, now on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify, and more! There are five songs and the third is called Powerful. This song was directly inspired by my reading - you guessed it- The Power!! If you get a chance to listen to it I hope you hear/feel the connections to the book! 🎵❤️ Happy Listening!

Just listened to Jodi Picoult being interviewed on JVN‘s podcast! He is my fave and Jodi was amazing to listen to. I‘ve actually never read her books but now I really should!!

So scary!!! I am not a murder mystery person, that‘s been definitely confirmed, but this was well written and I for SURE couldn‘t predict the ending! I especially liked reading alongside the comments from @LiteraryinLititz and @Mem_ugh ! #lmpbc next it will go to @kstadt929 for the final round!

I just got home from vacation and had the most WONDERFUL #jolabokaflodswap package waiting for me! @callielafleur Thank you SO much for this generous gift and I am so thrilled to own Circe and eat these delicious chocolates! Also, how did you know that I‘m obsessed with GIRAFFES?!?! 😍🎁🎉Happy New Year! @MaleficentBookDragon

Heading your way @kstadt929 ! Forgot to include my Happy New Year card before sealing it up but HAPPY NEW YEAR! ❤️ #lmpbc

Woah, what a crazy and BIZARRE ride!! For fans of Moriarty, just be warned that this is not her normal plot scheme. But I still love her character descriptions and her exciting pacing. #lmpbc excited to share with @kstadt929 and @Mem_ugh and loved reading along with comments from @LiteraryinLititz !

Excited about these books I bought at Aaron‘s Books yesterday in Lititz, PA with @LiteraryinLititz and @wanderer15 ! I‘ve heard great things about them both!

Your #jolabokaflodswap is on its way @Callemarie ! I apologize for the inappropriately large box- my post office didn‘t have more snug options! 😏👍🏻📬

Fun reflection! Thanks, @RealLifeReading ! #in2018