I‘ve read a few Backman books over the years. He‘s a great writer, but this one is special. I laughed, I cried, I cheered them all on. I loved how he had the characters of today telling the stories of their time together 25 years ago. It has all the feels in all the right ways. 14/15 is such a unique age/time and the friendship he captured is truly one of a kind. This one stole my heart. My last read of 2025 was by far my favorite read of 2025 ❤️

Told through the eyes of a 10 year old, this is the story of Vera, trying to figure out life, why her mom mom left her, if her mom mom has cancer, will her parents divorce, how to make friends and keep straight A‘s in school. Her anxiety is overwhelming, then throw in an AI chess board ‘friend‘ helping her figure things out. I adored this child but not so much this near future world of AI‘s and self driving cars.

I needed an audio with no holds! IYKYK 🤣 I chose where Wolves Don‘t Die by Anton Treuer and what a delight! This is a YA coming of age story through the eyes of 15 yo Ezra and his Native family. Treuer is an amazing storyteller who also narrated the book and his voice is one I could listen to on repeat. This story has just the right amount of adventure, mystery, history and life lessons to keep any age engaged. I‘m glad I stumbled upon this one.

#FoodandLit I‘ve officially finished all 12 reads, wrapping up with Italy‘s The Adventures of Pinnochio originally published in 1883.. This adventure was so odd and outlandish. It‘s dark but also silly and has lots of lessons sprinkled throughout. Children‘s books sure were different back then! I paired the book with Zuppa di Pollo e Orzo on this cold, snowy night and read the story on my Serial Reader app, a great way to squeeze in a classic.

I adored this memoir! When Steve loses his white collar corporate job, he takes a job as a rural mail carrier in Blacksburg Va. I‘ve always been curious/fascinated by the postal service and I really enjoyed Steve‘s insight and the stories he shared delivering mail during covid.

I picked this up for a reading challenge at work. Twenty Native Americans take pen to paper to write and share what it‘s like to be Native in America through essays and poems. Very insightful.

This was an intriguing audio. It‘s classified as Science Fiction but I didn‘t think of it as Sci-Fi. The characters are brought to a compound in a desert to be filmed for a reality tv show. As time goes on and players are sent home, antics are upped, and trust begins to dwindle.I was most interested in how the game changed the characters personalities and thought processes over time spent within the compound. Kinda creepy.

I found this story/writing quite interesting. Written 80 years ago, it‘s the story of a guy who shows no emotion towards anything; his mother‘s death, his girlfriend, a murder. He just wakes up each day and goes through the motions of life. Today, he may be considered neurodivergent. Eighty years ago was a very different time. I paired #FoodandLit with Chorba Bayda, an Algerian chicken soup. Delicious!

I really enjoy Brooke‘s writing in general. This memoir focuses on her husband‘s unexpected passing. It‘s as raw as it is insightful while sharing a glimpse of her life. I hope writing this memoir,
sharing stories, and writing through this difficult period helped her to navigate her grief.

Loved this sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess. The story was wrapped up nicely and not the way I imagined which was a bonus. It‘s a fun duology of Chinese Mythology with a wholesome love triangle, adventure, and empire politics.

Still playing catch-up with #FoodandLit finishing October‘s Samoan read. This book was the first to be published in the United States by a Samoan woman. It‘s a coming of age story that catches the Samoan life and culture beautifully. I wish I knew there was a glossary of Samoan words in the back while I was reading as there are a lot of phrases and words not translated. Dinner, Samoan Chicken Moa Fa‘Asaina aver coconut rice.

I devoured this timely memoir. To learn about how Epstein‘s trafficking worked brings so much more perspective to this week‘s news. I saw a lot of similarities between him and Hugh Hefner after reading Crystal Hefner‘s memoir. I despise how these wealthy men prey on girls. What Virginia went through is horrible, I‘m sad for her and how her life played out but I‘m also so grateful for the work she did to bring light to these crimes.

My bookclub is on a nonfiction kick and this month we learned about Captain Cook. Mostly about Cook‘s last expedition, the people and their cultures they met and life on the waters from New Zealand to Alaska and back to Hawaii where Cook met his fate. Interesting and thought provoking for sure.

#FoodandLit Finally finished SEPTEMBER‘S book. It was a fine read but nothing spectacular or all that memorable about three generations of women from Nicaragua. The food was devoured in September, so there‘s that. Now on to October‘s Samoan book, ‘Where We Belonged‘

I‘m not sure if it was the writing, the narration, or both, but I felt like I was listening to a middle school fan girl write a long report on their idol. I did enjoy learning about Marsha P. Johnson‘s life and her activism and there was tons of information about her within the pages. She‘s quite inspiring.

My October pick for the book club I‘m hosting for work this month. I love Grady Hendrix‘s books and I loved this trip back to the 80‘s! Gretchen & Abby are 2 years older than me, so I was flooded with high school memories. The storyline was great, and I love the ode to complicated friendships. My very first and longest friend‘s name is Gretchen which is icing on the cake for me!

Great audio book! This is about the ethics of AI. After a family of five is involved in a severe car accident, in a car using high tech AI features, who is at fault, the driver or the technology? This one will make you think. A lot. About artificial intelligence, how it is being used and where it goes from here. How it will affect our lives both positively and negatively.

My kiddos grew up watching iCarley. I wasn‘t really interested in this memoir when it was first published but readers were raving, I caved (FOMO,) and I‘m glad I did. It‘s almost unbelievable what this child actor endured throughout her childhood. I‘m glad she had the guts to write about it and I hope it helps with her healing process. She deserves a happy, healthy life and I‘m rooting for her.

This was so so good! Sad and heart breaking at times it‘s a book about life, relationships, challenges, regrets and disappointments. It‘s short and sweet, and heavy and thought provoking all wrapped up in a one or two sitting read. Kinda perfect.

I think this would have been a great read but alas, I chose the audio version which I found confusing and hard to follow. There wasn‘t a break between characters and/or past/present which left me often confused. Kinda bummed but moving on. Curious to discuss at book club next week.

Not my favorite book by Adiche, but I did like it. There wasn‘t much of a plot, more like themes that spread throughout. Based on four women, their friendships, their lack of a steady partner and their very different experiences as American immigrants. It‘s a thought provoking book, not a quick read but I‘m glad I read it. This one will be on my mind for a while.

I loved his book They Call Us Enemy and learned so much from what he had to say. This one started off a bit slow but it picked up as his life became more complicated. Seeing how far the LGBTQ+ community has come throughout his life is a good reminder of the importance of activism and freedom for all.

Just finished listening to this! I really enjoyed hearing her perspective about the campaign and how things unfolded. She ran a hell of a race in a short amount of time. It was grueling but she kept going. I wish every single day that she had come out on top. As much as I enjoyed hearing about life on the campaign trail I loved what she had to say at the end.

I knew of E. Jean Carroll‘s rape case against Trump but I live under a rock and don‘t keep up with celebrities or the wealthy so I didn‘t know what I was in for when I downloaded this audio other than a patron at work going on about it and sparking my curiosity. E.Jean narrates the audio. She‘s brave and funny and her retelling of this case was quite unique. I love that she‘s donating the +$100M she wins to all the causes Trump hates. Brilliant!

I‘m a wee bit behind in my reading! I DID enjoy a Nicaraguan lunch at Gio‘s Sazon Nicaraguense but I have yet to start my tagged book. Always playing catchup! Hopefully I‘ll start it by the end of the week. My Samoan choice just arrived at the library for pickup today. #FoodandLit

This book has been on my TBR since it was published because, honestly, I love the cover! I found myself seeking out more walks, errands and cleaning this past week so I could listen to more of this story and I loved everything; the adventures, the characters and the Asian mythology tone. I‘m looking forward to the next installment of the story.

I read this on a recommendation from a colleague. It‘s told from the point of view of Rocky, an empty nester on her yearly family vacation. The family has rented the same beach cottage in Cape Cod for decades. Rocky reminisces about various years at the beach while intertwining the currentness of where the family is this particular week as the reader gets a sense of the family relationships and a peek inside their lives.

This is the story a mother and her three daughters who move back home to Syria from NY after the death of their father/husband, told through the eyes of the 12 yo. It‘s 2011 and the Syrian Civil war is beginning. Unsafe in their hometown, they travel through several countries in search of safety, following the path of a heroine in a story they are familiar with. I loved that it‘s an immigration story not set in America with alternating storylines.

#FoodandLit A little behind this month! I found a Bolivian restaurant about 40 min from me. I ordered beef saltenas, pupusas revuelitas and pork chicharron con yuca b/c they ate a lot of pork and yuca in the jungle. The book was good. Looking back it was a sad book after all the jungle adventures but I enjoyed it and was glad to see the main character‘s growth. Bolivia

Several people at work were reading this and telling me about it so I had to hop on the bandwagon. I wasn‘t sure about John Green writing nonfiction, but I loved everything about this. I learned a lot. It wasn‘t too long. Not only does he write well, he researches well. I highly recommend this read!

I thought the writing style was unique. This is a Covid story set in NYC with 9/11 still fresh with people who were affected. I thought this would be more of a mystery/suspense/thriller but it was actually about the people‘s lives during this time with a lot of background stories to fill the reader in. It‘s a quiet, character building story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I wasn‘t really interested in reading Snow‘s story but after reading Haymitch‘s story and the innuendos about Snow, I became more intrigued. I still don‘t like Snow. The characters in general didn‘t do much for me, but I liked learning more in detail about how the concept of the games began and I‘ve officially completed the series. My daughter skipped the series as a kid and is now reading them, so YAY!

I don‘t read a lot of rom-coms but I had acquired a copy of this, and I‘m hosting the senior book club this month for work in which the genre is Beach Reads, so I read Book Lovers. It was slow getting into, the banter annoyed me for some reason but I liked the character development, the bookish innuendos, and the ending. Overall it was a nice, light read and I‘m sure it‘ll get snatched up in the Little Free Library 📚

This was a great listen. It‘s broken into several essays, each by a separate author/journalist who digs into a part of the US Government to explain what the individual they interview does within the agency and what the agency does within the government. Living in the DC area, most people I know are government employees and each job description is vastly different and unique. Each author narrators his/her essay.

This isn‘t anything new, the story of a slave on an Alabama plantation just before the Civil War but it is really well written. I did like the twist of her sister in the bardo and the ending was bittersweet, not tied up with a perfect bow, but it leaves room for hope. Overall, a solid read.

I listened to this one and though it was terribly sad, I appreciated Haymitch‘s story. I want to read Snow‘s story now. I wasn‘t all that interested in it when it was first published but my curiosity has piqued after reading this one. I‘ll have to check in with my 6th grade neighbor who is currently reading this.

This is a super simplistic graphic novel, both in illustrations and wording, about the author and six other resisters they interview who have fought the Mountain Valley Pipeline for their own reasons. It was educational and a reminder to stand up and speak for your beliefs and what is right.

I had only read Bechdel‘s book Fun Home so I decided to pick up her new graphic novel, Spent. I loved the illustrations and story. Bechdel‘s life with some added fiction, I‘m guessing. I loved the colorful characters and their lifestyles in Vermont. I‘ll have to read more of her works and check out her comic strip in the future.

Set during the 80‘s NASA era, Joan is accepted into the space program. As she finds her footing at NASA she unexpectedly finds love along the way. From a kid who grew up in the 80‘s, I loved this one! I don‘t typically read a majority of one author‘s works, but I always seem to gravitate towards SJR new books ❤️

Peruvian born author, Mexican/American story. Isabel & Martin marry on Day of the Dead. On their wedding day, Martin‘s father, Omar, visits from the dead and continues to visit each year. The chapters alternate between present time and 1980‘s with Omar & Edna‘s border crossing and starting their life in Texas. Full of family dynamics, hardships, and secrets. Peruvian dinner includes 1/4 chicken, potatoes and fried plantains. #FoodandLit

This was a good read. Maddy, in her early 20‘s, is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and we learn about her manic and depressive states as she attempts to navigate through her moods. As a parent with a bipolar kid, I thought this was well researched and written though a bit over the top at times but in an engaging, bookish way.

The first book was not instant gratification with the world building and characters but I was intrigued by the concept and continued with book 2. I‘m so glad I stuck with it because this was so good, especially the twists at the end. I love where it‘s going with the magic, politics and relationships. Looking forward to book 3!

While I appreciated learning about JP Morgan‘s personal librarian, Bella da Costa Greene, and her rise to becoming an acclaimed art collector, I didn‘t love this read. I was kinda bored throughout the story. Maybe it was the writing. I am intrigued to do some googling on her, her father, Richard Greener, and I would like to visit the Pierpoint Morgan Library on my next trip to NYC. So overall it was a worthwhile read but not a love.

Whelp, after raising kids in the anxious generation, there are things I think I did really well with and things I‘d definitely change if I had a second chance. I hate the social media that is marketing to tweens and teens and the crap these kids go through. As a society, we for sure overprotect them in the real world and underprotect them online and I worry about the next generation growing up with AI. Ugh. Great read tho. It makes sense.

Greenland. I listened to Migrations from my TBR list. I found the jumping timeline a bit confusing at times but overall enjoyed bouncing around learning about Franny, her history and her family AND the ending was a surprise! Dinner was boiled cod with a mustard sauce that was ok and warm potato salad that was delish. Not sure I‘d enjoy their food traditions on the regular though. #Foodandlit

June‘s book club choice is a Greek mythology retelling from the perspective of Briseis, a Queen in Troy taken as a prize for Achilles towards the end of the Trojan war. I enjoyed learning about the war and time period and I think it‘ll make a fun discussion next week. This is the first of a trilogy so I may pick up the audio for the rest of the series.

This was a fun little novella that acts as a prequel to A Good Girls Guide to Murder. Connor invites the gang over for a murder mystery party and sparks the idea for Pip‘s senior Capstone project.

This book reminded me of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series but without the fun time travels aspect. There are several short, interconnecting stories, each from a different narrator and all having life changing experiences due to services they discover at the community library, giving my library loving heart all the feels. I did find the stories a bit boring though.

A graphic novel memoir that tells the tale of a parent with a mental health crisis, a messy divorce, a lot of religious beliefs and how one teen figures out his story and his beliefs. It was gut wrenching at times but ends with a feeling of satisfaction.

#foodandlit I‘m a week behind! I finished this book last weekend and went to a Bangladeshi restaurant for lunch today. I ordered lamb Biryani and it was delish. This book is an LGBTQ+ young adult book. It really dives into the Bangladeshi culture as Rukhsana felt torn between her cultures as an American born teen.