Book club read. Based on a real woman from 1500s China. A doctor, wife, and mother. Lady Tan kept a diary of her patients and treatments which See used to create this fictional story. This novel is female-centric—Tan‘s grandmother was a physician and passed the knowledge on to her. Shocking how male doctors were to preserve their female patients‘ modesty at all costs—“examining” them behind a screen and communicating only with her male chaperone.

Crossings is an eye-opening and incredibly thorough look at the way the human-created roads are affecting everything from deer populations and monarch butterfly migration in North America, to kangaroo roadkill and orphaned wallabies in New Zealand. Goldfarb lays out ways humans are correcting our mistakes—building land bridges for crossings and planting milkweed for butterflies. Is it enough? Can we do more?
I loved this book!!

A nice palate cleanser between all the nonfiction and memoirs I‘ve been reading recently. This is the hardback, but I mostly listened to the audio addition which is the way to go. A trademark Lisa Jewell domestic story:
Who is lying? What are the motivations?
But this time, it‘s packaged as a podcast-turned Netflix docuseries. An entertaining read.

One of those books that the tagline is super interesting — a memoir from an adult who participated as a child in the Block Study. Though this is a thread that runs through the book, the author has few memories of participating and has little access to files, so there‘s not much to go on. What we end up with is a memoir about a detached mother and horrible marriage. I didn‘t hate it, but it certainly doesn‘t deliver on its promise.

This woman is out of this world and I‘ve been totally consumed by these DOUBLE albums Taylor Swift dropped on 4/19. THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT AND ANTHOLOGY 31 songs of heartbreak! Sooo much to unpack. And she‘s getting literary, a clashing of my favorite things: Taylor and literature! Apologies as this is a music interlude but it is book adjacent! What do you all think of the album?

I started listening to this book on a whim, unsure if I‘d finish it. It wasn‘t long before I was cackling and completely hooked by the hilarious stories and over the top reverse-catfishing Becky Holmes uses on scammers. The oil rig worker who‘s in love with you in your DMs is desperate, not for your love but for your money. While this is humorous, Holmes gets serious with profiles of women affected by this and also the catfishers themselves.

This is a great read so far! 🌼

Nominations for #camplitsy24
Really looking forward to this event again! Want in? Head over to see @BarbaraBB ‘s post!
Thanks to @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain for organizing!! 🏕️ 📚

A compelling memoir from Lara Love Hardin. We meet “Mama Love” when she‘s arrested, follow her through her experiences in prison and how she dealt with the situations she found herself in following her drug addiction. Readers follow Mama Love from rock bottom to being exulted by Oprah. I listened to the audiobook which was great!

I jumped on this one as soon as I saw Lydia Millet had written her first work of nonfiction and it‘s about our natural world. This didn‘t disappoint and I loved the way she weaved facts of nature and human impact on it with stories from her own life. Though I did learn some new information, this is more of a meandering and observational approach to the wonders of the world we have the privilege to experience.

Nguyen‘s family left Vietnam for the US when she was an infant, but her mother stayed behind. Now, Beth and her mother are estranged. She works hard to get to know her (birth) mother in adulthood, but the effort is rather one sided. Recollections of standoffish conversations and memories but nothing really substantial here.
This didn‘t really work for me. The writing was nice but the book lacked a flow and cohesive thread.

I was reminded that I hadn‘t read the last book in the Aaron Faulk series after all the #AuthorAMonth posts from March. Though the hardback is pictured here, I mainly listened to the audiobook which is my favorite way to consumer Harper‘s books. That narrator is perfect! This one was a nice wrap up for Faulk‘s storyline and the mysteries of what happened to not just one small town resident, but two, were both convincing if drawn out.

I‘m incredibly behind on reviews, so here we go.
Loved this book! It‘s a really fast read on the background of the biggest MLMs (multi level marketing companies), most of which are still operating today: avon, Tupperware, Mary Kay, Amway, LuLaRoe. We also get chapters about the US govt‘s roll in attempting to stop these as “pyramid schemes” but also specific presidents‘ involvement with the companies—profiting from them. (Pic before eclipse)

Waiting on the total eclipse in Yellow Springs, Ohio! Nearly there! 🌞🌚

I dislike negatively reviewing memoirs, though this one didn‘t click for me at all.
It felt much more preachy than I expected it to be and that‘s definitely not something I seek out in my reading life. Anna writes candidly about her bipolar disorder and the way it impacts her life and subsequently her relationship with religion. Some really horrible evangelicals drove her out of their church because of her illness. She found God on her own.

Aomawa Shields engages in two very different and adventurous careers: she‘s been an actress and an astronomer. She‘s had a bumpy road to get to where she is today, from leaving an astronomy program right before earning her degree to working for NASA, acting school, working as an actress and then returning to a Ph D program. Aomawa works hard at everything she does and eventually her dreams come true, as she becomes a wife, mother and astronomer.

I realize in my last review I claimed to never read YA, and here I am posting a review of a YA novel lol.
But truly, I have abandoned this genre for the most part and picked this up as a #transrightsreadathon audiobook. V reminiscent of Mad Honey (tagged ⬇️) though this was written first. Allows readers to put themselves in the shoes of the MC as she navigated teen social life with the added complexity of her trans identity.

April plans with my #bookspin bingo board.
You may notice at least three that have been appearing for months now 😂

March wrap up with #BookSpinBingo
Finished both #bookspin and #doublespin
4 bingos
6 NF
Top reads of the month:
— James
— The heat will kill you first
— Eve
— The Postcard
— In Memoriam

I went in to this novel with zero knowledge of the Sri Lankan civil war and I came away having an idea of the human impact. It was a difficult one to spend time with, as there‘s much suffering. A particularly horrid scene involving a pregnant woman will stay with me. A difficult read.

Just as adorable as the first two I‘ve read in the series. And this is coming from someone who NEVER reads romance and hasn‘t enjoyed YA content in over 10 years.

These books are just that good. They make me feel the feels I didn‘t think my hard heart could anymore 😂

This may finally be the month (year!?) I read this book as it was pulled as a #doublespin for April #bookspin

I‘m reading a few chapters during my son‘s tutoring session.

Look at this Harry bookmark my youngest son drew for me! 😍

Another book, another sport —
hello 👋 baseball season!!⚾️ (they are practicing in the grass due to saturated fields)

I reaallllyyy wanted to keep going with this MLM expose but I also didn‘t want to be the antisocial mom. So I *gasp* put the book down 😱

I‘m a sucker of an MLM takedown and this one is great so far!

This is familiar territory for me—I read Inheritance (tagged ⬇️) several years ago which is a very similar set up to Unearthing — the author discovers that the man believed to be her father was in fact not her biological father after his death. This book was different in the way it was told, discussing plants and seasons with many sections about her mother. A great memoir but one I couldn‘t help but to compare to the other mentioned above.

Was this a victim of overhype? Should I have read a print copy rather than listening to the audiobook? I‘m not sure but I feel like whatever the multiple nominating committees of various prizes found in this I missed. I appreciated the way squash takes center stage but otherwise was disconnected from the characters.

An entertaining audiobook featuring 20 something sugar babies, mainly Agnes, who stumbles into this scene with a group of friends. Agnes dates older (married) men for money. The arrangements are at times uncomfortable for me to read, but also, eye-opening for readers. I didn‘t love it and I‘m afraid it won‘t stick with me for long but it was a worthwhile and quick listen.

Meg Kissinger is from a huge family and many her siblings, as well as parents, suffer from mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and suicidal tendencies are all struggles this family struggles with for decades during a time when these topics weren‘t discussed as often as they are now. Probably for this reason, the family never addresses these issues with each other and suffers silently. A moving memoir but lots of TWs.

This is a mixed bag for me. I really loved so much of this—the characters were vivid and the 90s Florida setting was palpable. I was right there in CC‘s shoes as she navigated growing up in a tumultuous household. #dysfunctionalfamily lovers take notice! However! Parts of this fell apart and there was little to no ending. I even reread sections to make sure I wasn‘t missing anything. Nope, just several threads never mentioned again 🤷‍♀️

Pretty bizarre, but much more based in reality than some of the other books this has been compared to (Awad‘s specifically). A bit of an outrageous look at how grief and trauma can be dealt with in very different ways, in this case by winning the lottery and creating a reality to live inside the Three‘s Company world. I‘ve never seen the show but now I feel like I should watch at least one episode.
Reminded me a bit of Treasure Island!!! (Tagged)

What is magic but science not yet explained?

Coming of age, nature writing, and a look into what the future holds for our warming planet. A hurricane hits Florida and things are rapidly changing.

Happening over the course of Wanda‘s lifetime, I found the acceleration in climate disasters and collapse of society a bit of a stretch to happen so quickly, but believable otherwise!

Such an interesting read! Proulx‘s style had me re-reading sentences, googling definitions but then laughing out loud. This is one of those books that I am glad I‘ve read but also had such a hard time picking it up, as it wasn‘t a crackling page turner. I feel like some of the symbolism was lost on me, though the story is not one I‘ll soon forget. Full of quirky characters and tragic stories but hilarious moments, set in Newfoundland.

I started my Friday morning with my coffee shop‘s newest spring roast, a raspberry almond scone, and my newest read. #tgif

This book is exactly in my wheelhouse and did NOT disappoint. I love books exploring the origins of life/evolution using anthropology to explain the way things are…and do that with a female-centric approach like Eve has done and I‘m pleased as punch! Bohannon aims to explain how and why the female body has evolved into the form we know it today: giving birth, going through menopause, outliving men. So much information accessibly presented! Fab!

Berry uses the stories of wolves released and tracked in Oregon, along with fairy tales, and other wolf lore to compare with her own lived experiences with fear, community, family, belonging, and much more. She also may be trying to make a broader point about human nature and wolves but I think it got lost in these anecdotes. I love wolves but many of the stories weren‘t new to me and the book was too long and meandering without making a point.

Piglet, actually called that throughout the whole novel, has it all. We meet her in the grocery store picking out gourmet food items to create a lovely dinner for her friends. The friends remark about how Piglet can manage it all so effortlessly with her fiancé, job, and household. This is her driving force: the need to be admired and portrayed as having it all, until her fiancé ruins it! Wedding fallout ensues. Point made, good not great.

Perfect St Patrick‘s Day reading: three generations of an Irish family share a connection but are largely absent from each other. There‘s famous poet Phil, the patriarch who leaves his family, his stalwart daughter Carmel, and her daughter Nell, a twenty-something trying to find herself. Nell feels a deep connection with her grandfather and his work. I started the audio but connected much easier on the page and ended up loving this.

Wow, what a terrific but terrifying read. This are hot and only getting hotter. Yes the heat will kill humans but of course those on the fringes first. It‘s also going to ruin our systems, notably our food supply. The global south will suffer first, and of course sea waters are rising and wildfires are happening much more often. Can we change in time? Will we? I‘m sad, but this is a great book.

It‘s Friday and these are the books I brought home with me #libraryhaul 📚
The bottom two because I watched a YouTube video about the Carol Shields long list. I cannot be stopped 🤦‍♀️

I‘m surprised at my reaction to this book, as I had assumed it would be a great read for me. Perhaps it was the way it was told (a book within a book, with podcast excerpts or something like that😝). Or maybe Clark tried to stuff way too many “ripped from the headlines” cases into one story? Commentary on the true crime genre and how little victims matter, was the goal it seems. A shame because her debut Boy Parts was disturbing yet so convincing.

Ellwood and Gaunt, two English prep school boys, tore my heart out again and again! They‘re 18 years old when The Great War takes them from school. The atrocities of the war are horrifying and recounted in this book with study of actual events. The two boys face the front together but suffer different challenges, wounds, and emotional pain. The utter loss of life is devastating and Winn handles it with care. Ultimately, a love story that I adored.

The Latecomer is one of those #dysfunctionalfamily reads with few (maybe 2 out of the bunch) likable characters. I had the physical book, but mostly listened for Julia Whelan‘s expert narration on the audio which I recommend. A set of triplets (Brooklyn, Jewish, wealthy) grow up chaffing against each other until tragedy strikes and things take a turn right at the cusp of adulthood. The book switches gear and we get to know “the latecomer”. Pick!

Reading between games ⚽️

Tragic! 😭
But so good! Nearly halfway and I‘m super invested.

A novel about sacrifice and risking everything for the ones you love. A remote Appalachian setting will always be a way to entice me to pick up a book, and this one delivered on that! However, the best part about this book is the ending.

I‘m lukewarm on this memoir, which in theory should have worked really well for me. I found the audiobook lacking and rather rambling. Martin‘s California home is in danger of being destroyed by the ever increasing wildfires. There‘s much about her pain but mostly centers on fires, including prescribed burns, which was interesting. I also liked the parts about her garden. However, these topics lacked organization and it felt like random thoughts.

Quite simply the best WWII novel I‘ve read. This book is compelling and emotional while firmly rooted in the place and time it is set, both in occupied France and the present-day narrative. I loved the way the author handled the generational impact of the trauma suffered by the Jewish community both as a result of the Holocaust and how antisemitism continues to this day.
#europacollective.

I cannot put this book down! Life keeps getting in the way of my reading! We are waiting for our food to come at the Thai restaurant and I‘m sneaking in a few sentences. 🤫 My family is not impressed 😝 #europacollective

I haven‘t posted a #libraryhaul for a few weeks.
300 piece puzzle
2 books for my kids
A science-y book
1 for #eurpoaeditions
2 potential #WomensPrize (?)
1 for trip ideas
1 cookbook

March plans! #bookspinbingo #bookspin

February #bookspinbingo — 6 bingos!
I had a great reading month and hope to get to the 4 I missed next month.