Part history, part memoir. The author researched the history of Harlem after moving there from TX in the early‘00s. She weaves her story & the stories of her neighbors with Harlem‘s past. Very well done and thought-provoking. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Volume 4 of the Cazalet Chronicles. Of course, I loved it. (Did anyone have a doubt?) So much drama & developments in the early post-war years - lots of endings but also new beginnings. Looking forward to vol. 5!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Y‘all, one of my book groups has chosen Dune for our next read. I don‘t typically read sci-fi; I don‘t think my brain is equipped to process all of the world-building, new languages, etc. It‘s 600+ pages. Your thoughts and well wishes are appreciated. 😳😬

The completely captivating Cazalet Chronicles continues in Confusion! (I‘ve always loved alliteration.😁) We‘re in the thick of the war now, and loads more drama and angst ensues. I continue to adore some of the characters, loathe others, & want to smack several of both. Hoping to finish the series by the new year! 🤞

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ve seen somewhat mixed reviews for Whitehead‘s latest, but I just loved it. A thoughtfully & gorgeously written crime novel - he totally pulled it off. Something about Whitehead‘s prose always pulls me right into the story.

Sad, beautiful novel-in-stories about three Indian/Indian-American women (grandmother, mother, and granddaughter). Missed chances, second chances, the need for redemption that may not come. Worth the read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Cazalet Chronicles continues! This installment focuses on the three eldest daughters, Louise, Clary, and Polly. Although it barely covers two years in time (1939-1941), so much is explored - duty to family and country, identity, marriage, friendship. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And Edward is the absolute worst! 😡

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Green‘s story (passing as White while working for J.P. Morgan during the Gilded Age) was interesting, but I never really connected with her character. I found the writing style somewhat clunky, too.

1. Fall! 🍂🍁
2. 🍎 picking, pumpkin spice everything, lighting candles, walks in cooler temps, sitting by the fire table on the deck (can you tell I‘m so ready for fall?!)
3. All of the bookstores in Wigtown, Scotland
4. My daughter being COVID free, so far (her entire class is under quarantine due to 4 cases in her class 😞)
Thanks for the tag! 😊
#wondrousWednesday

And with this, I completed my Goodreads goal for the year! 🎉 I was actually going to try to slow down my pace so I could read more deeply and also choose longer books without that underlying anxiety about reaching a number. Maybe that starts now? 🤔😁
Tagged book is a fantastic memoir. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To me, summer always means Beatriz Williams. I read my first one of hers on vacation a few years ago, & now I like to uphold that tradition. This story of family secrets, first loves, & friendship takes place, in part, during the summer of the New England hurricane of 1938. Although not my favorite of hers, still a great beach read.

My fave book fair was back this year! Generally pleased with my #bookhaul. 😊 (Pay no attention to the bookshelves in the background full of unread books. 😬😆)

I impulse-purchased this one based on the cover (which is somewhat ironic because it‘s an ebook?), and it‘s part of the Furrowed Middlebrow series. It was a lovely, cozy, summery read. Also funny, although not nearly as humorous as Thirkell. 😊

First in an historical fiction series following an aristocratic English family. This installment is set in the late 1930s, ending just before the start of WWII. Howard‘s writing is exquisite, & her character development is near perfect. (Photo taken where I finished the book - at a cabin in the Great Smoky Mts.)

“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”

Another Woolf that I‘m glad I read, but I can‘t claim to really “get.”

A super fun start to a new series! I loved Weaver‘s Amory Ames series, and I‘m really looking forward to seeing how Ellie McDonnell‘s story develops.

What a hoot! I adored this quick read of a genteel woman‘s attempts to keep up with society‘s expectations during rather hard times in the 1930s. Has that satiric edge, like Nancy Mitford, that I love. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. The summer I was 14, I had a regular babysitting gig for a toddler. 👶🏻
2. 1st grade, Mrs. Schilling- introduced me to E.B. White and ignited my love of reading 🥰
3. My 40th - husband threw me a surprise party (the details are actually fuzzy, as I was very sleep-deprived with a one year-old still not sleeping through the night & FT lawyer job) 🥳😴
#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Should I get a Kindle Paperwhite? I‘ve primarily relied on my iPad to read ebooks, but now that my eyes are getting older, the glare is starting to get to me. If you have a Paperwhite, what do you like or dislike about it? Thanks!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The story of star-crossed lovers in 1930s Shanghai. This isn‘t a story of politics or war, though. It‘s focus is relationships, between lovers, friends, and family. Very well done.

Beautiful day in the Lou, so decided to take a walk while listening to the first two chapters of Emma. I love Mr. Woodhouse. 🥰 #Pemberlittens

I‘ve never felt that I could read this book in any month other than April, and this year was finally the right time. Lovely story of 4 very different English women renting an old castle in Italy. They each go through their own journeys of self-discovery while also drawing closer together. Adored it!

Delightful and thoughtful Muslim rom-com based loosely on You‘ve Got Mail. I adored Jalaluddin‘s debut (Ayesha at Last), and this one did not disappoint. ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fanny and her family take center stage in this final book of the Radlett trilogy. She suddenly finds herself the ambassadress of France and zaniness ensues! Not my favorite of the series, but merely good Mitford is still pretty great. 😁

I enjoyed this historical fiction about hunting Nazis after WWII, but not as much as I thought I would. The story of the hunt for the titular character is told in three POVs, which I generally like, but I didn‘t really connect with any of them. Still, the story was well-told, so I‘m going with a “pick.”

1. Yes!
2. No (although my daughter does love to be read to)
3. Um, pretty much all of the books on my shelves? 😬
#wondrouswednesday @Eggs
Thanks for the tag! 😊

Book Outlet haul! Book mail always perks up the day. 🥰 #bookhaul

This was so fun! A take on what happened during Agatha Christie‘s 11-day disappearance in 1926. Very well crafted. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this dual timeline story of a historical fiction author apparently channeling the memories of an ancestor in Jacobite uprising era Scotland. I actually enjoyed both timelines equally, which can be rare for these types of books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After being reminded by other posts that I wanted to read more Godden this year, I chose this novel off my Kindle shelf. One of her convent novels, it tells the story of Lise, a prostitute/madam/murderer turned nun. While exploring themes of forgiveness and redemption, Godden doesn‘t shy away from the grittiness and messiness of life. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(TW: violence, sexual abuse)

My final book of 2020! Finished it around 11:30 p.m. 👊 I enjoyed this historical fiction focus on tenants of the Dakota, a famous building in NYC. This was my second Fiona Davis novel, and I‘ll definitely continue to read more of hers.

I finished this sweet novella on Christmas Eve. It takes place during the Summer Solstice, but Scrooge enlists the help of the Christmas spirits to help his friends and family become more charitable. Lovett does a good job channeling the feel and cadence of Dickens.

Another fabulous Nancy Mitford reading experience! Sometimes, I need some snark to balance out the usual Christmas sweetness.

My new mug matches my current read. 😊

Finished this one yesterday evening. My thoughts are pretty much the exact same as @DGRachel so I‘ll kindly direct you to her recent post. 😊 For fun, here‘s a goofy picture of my daughter who just turned 9(!!).

A delightful time was spent in High Rising this year. 😊 Thirkell‘s work is so funny, and also soothing.

Reading by the Christmas tree 🎄 is my absolute favorite!

A thought provoking memoir written just before the author‘s 89th birthday. Interesting takes on aging, feminism, and relationships.

I‘ve seen mixed reviews for this book, but I‘m one of the readers who absolutely loved it. Morgenstern‘s writing is pure magic, and I loved every minute I spent in this fantasy tale. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A bittersweet love story following young lovers from 1953 Tehran to present-day U.S. It was slow going at first (although that could‘ve been due to my distraction), but I ended up really enjoying it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable Pride-and-Prejudice-adjacent sequel, focusing on Charlotte Lucas Collins‘ life after marriage. I‘ve always liked Charlotte, and Greeley did an admirable job of fleshing out her character. #PemberLittens

I adored this book! Our protagonist, Francie, is lovable and so relatable, but I also loved how complex and developed all of the other characters are, especially her mother. I‘m so glad I finally got around to this classic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Jane Austen retellings, as a general rule, but this one fell a little flat for me. Honestly, I think it was the YA feel that didn‘t work for me. I‘m finding it more and more difficult to get into YA books as I‘m getting farther and farther away from being a YA myself. 😄 #PemberLittens

Lyrical, heartbreaking novel-in-stories about four sisters from the Dominican Republic who flee to the U.S. in 1960 for their family‘s safety. The story is told in reverse chronological order, which was interesting. Alvarez tackles a lot in this brief book, including immigration, family duty, feminism, classism, and mental illness. I definitely want to read more of her books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another brilliant novel from Gyasi. She tackles big themes such as faith, philosophy, and addiction through the lens of one Ghanaian family in Alabama. Highly recommended!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Hurston is such a phenomenal writer, brilliant, and just so interesting.

A tale of three women, at the end of their ropes, who magically arrive at the titular house. They have 99 days to turn their lives around & are aided on their journeys by the house itself, its landlady, and the spirits of other women who lived in the house in the past. (The latter includes Virginia Woolf, Emmeline Pankhurst & Agatha Christie.) This was a sweet story about sorrow, love, dreams, & learning to trust yourself & others. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I re-read this choose-your-own-adventure book for #PemberLittens. I got to meet Emma Woodhouse this time around! My favorite ending, though, had me getting shot by Lady Catherine during a duel between Mr. Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam. 🤣

Engrossing and engaging story of the deep friendship between three Black women in southern Indiana. Moore does an impressive job of writing women characters. Both funny and sad, it‘s a great summer read with some heft to it.

This slim volume packs a punch. Baldwin eloquently addresses racism, religion, and his complex feelings regarding them. My first, but not my last, Baldwin.