Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Sparklemn

Sparklemn

Joined August 2020

I don't know about that
reading now icon
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
reading now icon
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
reading now icon
Dracula by Bram Stoker
quote
Sparklemn
Yes Please | Amy Poehler
post image

This sentence made me LOL. I'm listening to the audiobook, and her delivery is spot on. Really enjoying this one!

review
Sparklemn
The Lost Symbol | Dan Brown
post image
Bailedbailed

Not a fan. I'm about 20% in and have lost interest. The villain is a tiresome mustache twirler. This seems like a pale copy of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons which I loved. On to something else! It's an obnoxiously cold day in Minnesota. Perfect for coffee and books!

TheBookHippie I agree 🥶 in the Mitten on the lake too 🥶 also #allhailthebail 2mo
Prairiegirl_reading I did not like this either. I‘m not giving Dan Brown any more of my money until he personally comes to my house and gives me my money back for this one! 🤭🤭 2mo
Sparklemn @prairegirl_reading Send him over to my house if he stops by 😁 2mo
dabbe #hailthebail! 💜🩶💜 2mo
42 likes4 comments
review
Sparklemn
Unlikely Animals | Annie Hartnett
post image
Pickpick

I loved this strange and funny book about a twenty-something woman who comes home and finds her family on the edge. Her father is hallucinating animals and it's causing problems for them all. The book name is perfect!

📷 from Bored Panda

blurb
Sparklemn
post image

I had a few days worth of Litsy to catch up on and ended up adding 13 books to my TBR list (including the tagged)! So many books, so little time. Happy New Year, all! 🍻 📚 💙 🎉

Ruthiella Happy New Year! 🥳 3mo
AnnR Happy 2024! 🎉 3mo
thewallflower0707 Happy New Year 🎆 3mo
40 likes3 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

Great book! Can't wait to continue with the series and maybe catch the TV show. The author kept you guessing.

📸 from NorthLink Ferries

review
Sparklemn
Beartown: A Novel | Fredrik Backman
post image
Pickpick

Definite pick! Stayed up until 4:00 AM finishing it. Think “Friday Night Lights“ with hockey. But way darker. Looking forward to watching the HBO series soon.

review
Sparklemn
Fresh Water for Flowers | Valrie Perrin
post image
Pickpick

Wonderful translation! It follows the life of a cemetery keeper with a little mystery thrown in.

BarbaraBB An all time favorite ❤️ 3mo
AmyG Agree with @BarbaraBB 3mo
jewright I loved this book! 3mo
35 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Sparklemn
Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
post image
Pickpick

I really liked this book but agree with other posters that there were repetitive sections that could have been chopped. One recommendation if you do read it -- pay attention to the fables and fairy tales that are interspersed with the main story line as they do have meaning later on in the book!

review
Sparklemn
The Night Watchman | Louise Erdrich
post image
Pickpick

Much of this book takes place on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. For me, this picture captures the feeling of the book. I'd recommend it.

blurb
Sparklemn
Night Watchman | Louise Erdrich
post image

#wondrouswednesday @eggs

Better late than never!!

(1) Walk in the crunchy leaves and smell the crisp autumn air. Watch Halloween shows on TV. Search for neighborhood homes decorated for Halloween; way more fun than Christmas decorations in my book!
(2) Serene
(3) Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich plus several for buddy reads

Thanks for the tag @eeclayton !

Anyone else want to play? @cseydel @maureenmc @amie

Eggs Thanks for joining in and sharing 👏🏻👏🏻 6mo
eeclayton You're welcome! I love crunchy leaves too 😍 6mo
MaureenMc Thanks for the tag! (I already posted on this one. 😁) 6mo
33 likes3 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Mehso-so

Lots of drama - on stage and off. I was interested enough to finish it but can't really recommend it. If you haven't read anything from the author, I'd start with Matrix. 👍

review
Sparklemn
Another Man's Moccasins | Craig Johnson
post image
Pickpick

I didn't care for the back and forth between current day Wyoming and late 1960s Vietnam. It was virtually impossible to detect the shifts in the audio version. Outside of that, this was another enjoyable book in the series. I'll be continuing with the series!

review
Sparklemn
A Room With A View | E.M. Forster
post image
Pickpick

This had lots of unexpected humor. Short but fun read. The pic is what I imagine their home looks like in the summer. 🌷 🌻 🌸

review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

I'm giving this a soft pick. Compared to Book of Delights, I had trouble sticking with this one when listening to it in my car. That being said, I loved the section on grief. And I love Ross! Can't wait to try some of his poetry.

review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

Soft pick for me. I think it's great advice for someone in their 30s. However, as a 51-year old, I've already learned it for myself through experience! 😉

One part that will stay with me is greeting people with gladness. She quotes a statistic of a 20% increase in academic performance in the classroom when a teacher welcomes each child individually in the morning.

📷 from Allure

quote
Sparklemn
Room with a View | E M Forster
post image

“Italy is heroic, but Greece is god-like or devilish - I am not sure which...“

Socrates isn't sure, either. 😁

36 likes2 stack adds
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

Great as an audiobook. I could listen to Nick speak for hours. He's so intelligent, thoughtful and down to earth. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, but it was still a winner. My favorite section was on George Saunders...who is an author I want to try. 🙂

📸 from nightreads.com

52 likes1 stack add
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

This book aged better than I expected. Most of the stories are rather grim yet I didn't feel grim after I finished. Lots of imagery included of dry California cities bordering on deserts. This picture seemed apt. 🔥

📸 Stock photo

review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

I love Parks & Rec, and Retta has some of the best lines. I liked the audiobook. She is a funny, intelligent person. Not sure it would have been as enjoyable in print. Definitely a pick if you're a fan or just enjoy an entertaining memoir. Her essay with the list of examples of her laziness was very relatable...as I sit ignoring my messy house to watch baseball and screw around on my laptop. I accept my failings. 💻 ⚾ 😅

📷 from Tvinsider.com

5feet.of.fury I audiobooked this and loved it too. She‘s hilarious 12mo
Susanita I love her on The Ugliest House in America. Her facial expressions are priceless! 12mo
37 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

This is a soft pick. I struggled with the first 1/3 of the book but then engaged when the action picked up. I love Laetitia as a character. We're the same age and very close with our extended family. However, she is known for her discretion. Not sure that applies to me but I'm working on it. 😁

📸 from BritainExpress.com. It's Radcliffe Camera in Oxford.

review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

I stayed up reading way too late a few nights because I could not put this down. It was like the direst of cases from Call The Midwife all happening in one room at the same time. Highly recommend it!

Not my pic but wish it was. 😊

quote
Sparklemn
A Room With A View | E.M. Forster
post image

“He seems to see good in every one. No one would take him for a clergyman.“

34 likes1 stack add
review
Sparklemn
The Editor | Steven Rowley
post image
Pickpick

A young writer finds a publisher for his semi-autobiographical novel...and his editor is Jackie O. The first 1/3 dragged but then the MC's world changed and I was captivated. Part of the appeal is this time period is vivid in my mind as it was just after I graduated from college and spit out in the real world. I recommend this to anyone who wants to get a behind-the-scenes, albeit fictional, glimpse of Jackie O's later life.

📸 New York Post

Sharpeipup The first did drag so much I nearly bailed. 13mo
marleed This is one of those books that be thought about long after reading it. Can you even imagine Jackie O working under the radar as your editor!? 13mo
Sparklemn @marleed I can't imagine! 13mo
43 likes4 comments
review
Sparklemn
Ice Storm | Rick Moody
post image
Pickpick

This is one of my comfort movies when I'm feeling unsettled. Strange...because it's not a feel-good story. I enjoyed my re-read of the novel.

And I'm glad to be back on Litsy after a long break due to a massive project at work. All is better now. Looking forward to a Friday night scroll through Litsy!

Leftcoastzen I love both the book & movie too. Definitely not a feel good, but it sticks with me. 13mo
52 likes1 comment
review
Sparklemn
Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo
post image
Pickpick

This was my first Bardugo. I borrowed Six of Crows from my nephew but haven't been able to commit, so I decided to try her first adult novel. I really enjoyed the story and already have the sequel queued up on my e-reader.

I saw this classified as Dark Academia. Any recommendations on others in this genre?

MoonWitch94 I have seen this one on lots of “Best Dark Academia” book lists. 1y
ChasingOm This BookRiot post has links to a bunch of other posts about Dark Academia, with lots of recs! It includes a post by @rachelsbrittain. 😄 https://bookriot.com/dark-academia-day (edited) 1y
Kimberlone Agree with The Secret History (it‘s the OG)! Also recommend: (edited) 1y
See All 11 Comments
Sparklemn @MoonWitch94 Excellent! I've heard great things about this. 1y
Sparklemn @ChasingOm Thanks for the link! I added The Atlas Six to my wishlist based on one of these articles. 1y
ChasingOm That one is on my list too! 1y
Sparklemn @Kimberlone Added it to my list. Thank you! 1y
MoonWitch94 @Sparklemn I‘m hoping to get to it this year! It‘s been on my tbr for a minute. 1y
rachelsbrittain @ChasingOm thanks for the shout out! 1y
rachelsbrittain @Sparklemn i'm glad it was helpful! 1y
41 likes2 stack adds11 comments
review
Sparklemn
The Prettiest Star | Carter Sickels
post image
Pickpick

The story takes place in the 80s when the general population's fear of HIV/AIDS was off the charts. It's heartbreaking to look back and recall how little compassion was shown to those who knew they were fighting a losing battle.

This left me sobbing. I finished it before Christmas and still haven't stopped thinking about it. Highly recommend the audio version!

BookNAround Such a heartbreaking but beautiful book. 14mo
Sparklemn @BookNAround Definitely 14mo
31 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

This is a cute holiday tale. I'm not a short story fan but needed a quick read to meet my 2022 GoodReads challenge! It could have used a copy editor...lots of errors... but it didn't distract from the story.

Grabbed the 📸 from a travel site.

review
Sparklemn
Windsor Knot | Sj Bennett
post image
Panpan

No, no, no. The story turned from slightly amusing to utterly ridiculous. The resolution of the crimes was anti-climactic to say the least. The writing was awful. I still have no idea how to tell the Russian male characters apart...and not sure it even mattered.

The queen would not be pleased with this book. 😉

LeahBergen 🤣🤣 1y
37 likes1 comment
review
Sparklemn
Luster: A Novel | Raven Leilani
post image
Mehso-so

Ehh…I finished it but wouldn‘t recommend it. I didn‘t mind the stream of conscience writing. What I minded is the odd way the main character infiltrated the family. It was so far fetched. The narrator of the audiobook was great and probably why I stuck with it.

BkClubCare I really enjoyed this one. 💫 1y
47 likes1 comment
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

Although the middle part of the book dragged, it was saved by a satisfying wrap-up. There were a few gothic elements thrown in for good measure.

I really enjoyed Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas so I wanted to give the series a try from the beginning. I'll definitely pick up the next one as I've read in Litsy reviews that they get better as the series progresses.

📸 is from Downton Abbey but thought it captured the wintry setting.

review
Sparklemn
The Performance: A Novel | Claire Thomas
post image
Mehso-so

This book should have worked for me. Three women lost in their thoughts while attending a play with wildfires raging nearby? Right up my alley. However, it was a bit of a slog to get through. I didn't find the 20- or 70-something characters interesting. I did like Ivy's (40+) storyline particularly her career in philanthropy.

I listened to the audiobook. The narration was great!

quote
Sparklemn
post image

“There was a murmur at this from the assembled folk, rising behind us like the first hint of thunder on a warm summer's eve.“

Ahh...I miss summer already.

review
Sparklemn
A Madness of Sunshine | Nalini Singh
post image
Pickpick

This mystery is set in a remote village on the New Zealand coast. The author did a great job of weaving the landscape and weather into the story and making almost every character seems like a plausible suspect. It kept me guessing!

These townies drink a lot of coffee.Like a LOT of coffee.☕️🤪

Ruthiella That was one of my questions when I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, “Do Swedes really drink THAT much coffee?” 😂 2y
Sparklemn @Ruthiella As someone with Swedish ancestors, I can confirm that yes, they do! 😄 2y
41 likes2 comments
blurb
Sparklemn
It | Stephen King
post image

I'm surprised it took them until now to do this! I rarely watch the Simpsons anymore but try to catch the Halloween Treehouse of Horror episodes. This will be fun!

https://lithub.com/this-year-the-simpsons-has-a-halloween-special-devoted-to-ste...

blurb
Sparklemn
post image

I haven‘t read this book yet, but this story reminded me of it. 🐝 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/world/europe/bees-queen-elizabeth.html.

CaramelLunacy Thanks for the link (in both senses!) 2y
41 likes1 comment
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

This book was fascinating. I knew very little about Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf's sister, who was a painter and an on/off caregiver for Virginia. The story focuses on their siblings and friend group. The love between the siblings was apparent. They all had to be careful around Virginia to keep her from going to her dark place. All of them wanted the best for her and each other. ⬇

Sparklemn 📷 The Other Room by Vanessa Bell. I“m assuming the person in the window is Virginia. (edited) 2y
43 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Sparklemn
Lucky Breaks | Yevgenia Belorusets
post image
Bailedbailed

I purchased this based on an article about fiction and non-fiction books to read if you want to learn more about Ukraine. This is a book of connecting short stories about Ukrainian women which take place before the recent Russian invasion. Part of the country was war-torn at that time, and the stories focused on their experiences living in those conditions. [cont'd]

Sparklemn Maybe my reading pace was too slow because I kept losing track of the connections between the characters and lost interest in all of them. It did inspire me to do a little more research on the history of Ukraine 2y
42 likes1 comment
review
Sparklemn
Lisey's Story: A Novel | Stephen King
post image
Bailedbailed

Try as I might, I could not get into this book. I didn't find the characters interesting, and I could tell we were going to get into child abuse territory. No thanks. And I hated the “smucking“ made-up language. Still love Stephen King but it's hard to top The Stand and 11/22/63.

BkClubCare This was my second King I had read - MANY years after Carrie. But have since gone on to read plenty. 😊 2y
Sparklemn @BkClubCare I really admire him as a writer and a person. I've read and enjoyed many of his books so I know I'll read more someday. Glad you're a fan! 2y
39 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
The Odyssey | Lara Williams
post image
Mehso-so

I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. After finishing it, I feel unsettled. I'd compare it to Catcher in the Rye except with a thirty-something woman having a slow meltdown while working on a cruise ship.

Not my pic. Just a random cruise ship.

review
Sparklemn
Longbourn | Jo Baker
post image
Pickpick

So glad I finally read this book. It was my first long chapter-a-day read with the #pemberlittens and won't be my last. I liked getting to know the staff and thinking about everything that was going on “downstairs“ while the well-loved events of Pride and Prejudice unfolded “upstairs.“ I did not like how one of my favorites from upstairs acted completely out of character toward the end of the book. The pic is called Sewing Maid by Alexis Vollon.

review
Sparklemn
The Reef | Edith Wharton
post image
Mehso-so

I'm very tardy in finishing this book, but I enjoyed catching up with the #whartonbuddyread posts. I don't have strong feelings about this book either way. Of the two main characters, one is wishy-washy and one is the master of gaslighting. 😐

The pic above captures how I envisioned Anna's home at Givre. According to Amazon, it's called Rising Road Couple Walking Countryside by Gustave Calliebotte.

CarolynM That‘s a beautiful painting and I absolutely can see the characters and Givre! 2y
Cathythoughts Such a beautiful painting ❤️ 2y
43 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

This lived up to the hype for me. I loved reading about a small town boy moving back as an adult and finding the high school dropout and his wife considered pillars of the community. If a situation seems too good to be true, it probably is. 🤔

review
Sparklemn
Excellent Women | Barbara Pym
post image
Pickpick

It was fascinating to see how Mildred, a spinster in the 1950s, spent her days and how others took advantage of her kindness and inability to set boundaries. I fall into that trap occasionally but generally am too stubborn and lazy to be considered an Excellent Woman. And that's OK with me. 😜 😉 Enjoyed reading this with the #pemberlittens!

Karons1 🤣🤣brilliant review ! 😂 2y
Crinoline_Laphroaig I strive not to be an Excellent Woman! 2y
53 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

I had so much fun reading along with the group for the #sundaybuddyread. Loved the families and the setting in the Catskills. I had a little trouble remembering which grandparents, parents and children belonged to which family. Still a definite pick!

Prairiegirl_reading The family tree at the front of the book was definitely helpful! 2y
Sparklemn @Prairiegirl_reading That's one of the things I dislike about e-readers. I always forget to go back and look at the family trees and maps and other illustrations that are often included! 2y
Prairiegirl_reading @Sparklemn ereaders are convenient in lots of ways but that definitely isn‘t one of them! 2y
Prairiegirl_reading @Sparklemn yeah e-readers are convenient in lots of ways but that definitely isn‘t one of them. 2y
TheBookHippie 💚💚💚 2y
45 likes5 comments
blurb
Sparklemn
post image

#wondrouswednesday

I. I don't purchase many physical books anymore, so if I do, I'll splurge on a hardcover.

II. Outdoors but only in the shade. I think I'm part vampire. 🙃

III. Spring! I hate snow so I'm so happy to see green things grow. 🌱

Thanks for the tag @christyco125!

Want to play? @rwmg @jlhammar @Addison_reads

quote
Sparklemn
Excellent Women | Barbara Pym
post image

“I saw myself playing a rather noble part, stepping into the background when they were reunited and going quietly away to make a cup of tea or do some washing or ironing.“

Oh, Mildred. Have some self respect. 😬

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 2y
Blueberry Lol 2y
AnneCecilie 🤣🤣 2y
47 likes3 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

As a Minnesota Twins fan, I loved learning about the life of their beloved long-time announcer and his adventures with the organization. I'm not sure how much it would appeal to someone outside of Minnesota.

I'll admit to having a little crush on the author. ⚾ 💙

blurb
Sparklemn
post image

Thanks for the tag @pip2 !

1. Yes, I love to fill up random spots in my house with stacked books. One is the tagged book. It looks nice but is funny because my “home“ is crumbling down around it. Need to get moving on some home projects!

2. TV...particularly episodes of shows like Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls and The Office. All of these I've watched today while I'm home sick. Now back to my book.

Want to play? @amyk1 @andrew61 @susanita

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 2y
eeclayton Feel better soon! 2y
34 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
The Woman in the Library | Sulari Gentill
post image
Bailedbailed

The audiobook isn't cutting it for me. I don't care for the narrator and it's distracting me from the story. A lot of you on Litsy gave this a “pick“ so I'll try it another time in paper format.

KathyWheeler I didn‘t mind the narrator, but I can also see why you didn‘t care for them. I didn‘t hate the book, but it did have some issues. 2y
Ruthiella Sometimes you gotta do it! 2y
32 likes2 comments
review
Sparklemn
post image
Pickpick

This was the first full-blown romance novel that I've read in years. I enjoyed it more than I expected and was very happy with the ending. Glad I could read it along with the other campers! #camplitsy

willaful There's some wonderful romance writing going on now... the genre has changed a lot! Though I'm not sure this qualifies as a genre romance? 2y
Sparklemn @willaful You're right. I'm not sure what genre this would fall into. But I enjoyed the romance aspect. Any romance authors that you'd recommend? I'd love to try one. 2y
41 likes2 comments