We‘ve all been through a lot during quarantine and the pandemic. One of the things that has suffered is my attention span when reading. The perfect solution to this problem has been short stories and essays, small digestible bits of insight that don‘t take a lot of time yet satisfy the mind. This book compiled by @zibbyowens is the perfect literary meal during these times when we‘re all struggling. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My evening just got better! A Clare Mackintosh read and a sweet treat! I‘m thoroughly looking forward to both! Book Depository does it again with their super fast shipping. Love that place! (Just in case you‘re wondering, the chocolate wasn‘t included....but if you‘re listening, Book Depository, that might be something to look into! 😉)

Our narrator Beth assures us from page one that this won't be your typical family road trip. With unexpected plot twists, a questionable narrator, and an ending that no one could possibly see coming, Samantha Downing crafts a refreshing, entertaining, and unique domestic mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3069788258?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

PUBLICATION DAY!!!

Style, class, panache, radiance…

Four and a half shining stars and a huge thank you to Book Browse, Kerri Maher, and Berkley Publishing for supplying me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_reviews/details/index.cfm/ref/rr45447

After several false starts, I‘m going to give #AmericanDirt another go. If for no other reason but to form my own opinion. But I do have some #LatinxAuthors on deck for clarity and balance. Always looking for additional recommendations, please. #KnowledgeIsPower

After several false starts, I‘m going to give #AmericanDirt another go. If for no other reason but to form my own opinion. But I do have some #LatinxAuthors on deck for clarity and balance. Always looking for recommendations, please. #KnowledgeIsPower

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Five heart-wrenching stars and a huge thank you to BookBrowse, Colleen Oakley, and Berkley Publishing for supplying me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_reviews/details/index.cfm/ref/rr44789

Style, class, panache, radiance…these are just a few words to describe Grace Kelly, who was so aptly named. Four and a half shining stars and a huge thank you to Book Browse, Kerri Maher, and Berkley Publishing for supplying me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. See my full review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2991204801?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

Our choices, our actions (and even lack thereof) can affect other people in ways we can't fathom. There are times when you can see the trajectory of your decisions and other times when you will never know what the multiple ramifications may be. But someone else may know. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ See my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2712595417?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

How far would you go to protect your teenage child? So far that you are willing to bend or break legal boundaries and those you‘ve vowed to uphold in your career at the FBI? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Karen Cleveland‘s sophomore thriller. Read my full review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2738204747?type=review#...

Good thing I got all of my supplies and necessities for the big snow storm! ❄️💗📚☕️

Things aren‘t as sweet in Sweet Apple as they appear. The residents‘ true agendas run far deeper than you realize at the start. While I had one of the main characters pegged from the beginning, I would have never guessed how everything would conclude. It was easy to become invested in the characters and I anxiously awaited the next plot twists along the way. This was my first Karen White book and it most certainly won‘t be the last. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Three women, one ill-fated ship ~ I felt that something was lacking that made me invested in these women, something that might make them more personable. Each commits acts that make them realistic, but I wanted to like each of them more than I did. I felt as though it was a bit contrived. It fell a bit flat with me. However, if you are interested in historical fiction based around this event, this may be your next great read on the topic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would dub this “Eat Pray Love for the Corporate Set”. It‘s interesting to see how one would go about preparing a family for an extended sabbatical and I believe this book definitely will find its intended audience. However, I think it‘s difficult for the common man to empathize with Mr. Feder‘s story. I gave this book three stars. I received this e-book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and Radius Book Group. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Witty and hilarious, this is the guidebook to our "middle years" that I'm sure our predecessors wish they had. I would give this as a gift to my friends, for sure. I received this book in a LibraryThing Early Reviewer giveaway and I'm grateful I did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you are looking for next poignant page-turner, look no further. Add in a smattering of humor, alternative points-of-view, and (especially if you are a lifelong Marylander like me) a good dose of beachside nostalgia and you have a winning combination. Five heart-wrenching stars and a huge thank you to NetGalley, Beth Harbison, and St. Martin‘s Press for supplying be with this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can I tell you how much I love reading books set in familiar places with mentions of local things I grew up with? Grotto‘s Pizza, Thrasher‘s Fries, and Kohr Brother‘s Ice Cream are delicious memories of my childhood and trips to Ocean City, Maryland, where this book takes place. 💗🍕🍟🍦🏖

I give this book four and a half stars for an inventive storyline unlike anything else I‘ve read recently and realistic characters (some of which you‘ll love, some you will hate, and some will have your feelings turning on a dime!). This would also make a fantastic movie, in my opinion. A huge thank you to BookBrowse, Lousie Candlish, and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a paperback copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated the unexpected revelations for certain secrets and was very satisfied when an unseemly character finally got their much-deserved come-uppance. I give this book three stars for an interesting cast and a storyline full of life-changing secrets. Thank you to Bookouture, Clare Boyd, and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2439212770?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

Funny story: I was listening to this on audio CD in the car. I had about 2 CDs left. And I don‘t drive that much on the weekends that I‘d be able to finish it. So, I left work, drove straight to the library, returned the CDs, and checked out the hardback copy. Because I can‘t possibly wait two days to find out how this ends!

I just started this one tonight. The premise is intriguing: there are no natural coincidences. They are all predetermined and arranged by a group of supernatural beings known as “The Coincidence Makers.” It‘s off to a good start. I‘ll update with a full review once I‘ve finished.

You are about to meet the mother-in-law that makes even the worst look like Mother Teresa! You won‘t want to put down this debut novel by Sandie Jones. The most important three little words in this case aren‘t “I love you”, but #BewareOfPammie ! Read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show?id=2365384825 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Actually, it was 4:30. Totally worth it. 🇬🇧💍👑💗

This book had so much potential to be excellent (and some parts definitely were) but I feel that some parts were bogged down with extemporaneous back stories and lost its focus. Please read my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2386655210

Book reviews/book bloggers/avid readers ~

I‘m still new to the ARC reviewing scene. What do you do when you need to review a book you‘ve been given...and it was really disappointing? I definitely had to force myself to finish it. Now, I‘m concerned about how to constructively criticize and point out the very limited good points.

Any tips from seasoned reviewers?

Thanks in advance! ❤️📚

Ready to meet your newest bibliophile heroine? She‘s Loveday Cardew in Stephanie Butland‘s most recent novel that you won‘t be able to put down! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Read my review of The Lost For Words Bookshop here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2375037534

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ She was a daughter, a mother, a revolutionary, a storyteller. Maria is evacuated from her home during Hurricane Flora‘s ravage upon Cuba in 1963. While sheltered in the governor‘s mansion, the women share stories to alleviate their fear. Maria tells her life story in heart-breaking detail, not only in an act of contrition but also in hopes that she will not be forgotten. Deeply moving, folk story like prose. Simply fantastic.

Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from the phenomenal Beatriz Williams! Upper class families who “summer” on a New England island co-exist with the Portuguese fishermen and domestic workers who live and work there year-round. It‘s a story of different classes, morals or lack thereof, forbidden love, and ultimately murder. Read my review here https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_reviews/details/index.cfm/ref/rr41973 It‘s your summer must-read! #BeatrizBinge

I am currently reading this, courtesy of NetGalley, and thoroughly enjoying it. It‘s like having a conversation with a witty, slightly snarky, bookish friend.

I scoffed when I first heard the word. But I now realize that it‘s an essential part of bibliophile vocabulary: “unputdownable”

This is my most recent #LibraryHaul! So, I leave the decision in the capable hands of you lovely Litsies! What should I read next? I‘d love to hear your opinions on anything in this stack.

“To be Cuban is to be proud — it is both our greatest gift and our biggest curse. We serve no kings, bow no heads, bear our troubles on our backs as though they are nothing at all. There is an art to this, you see. An art to appearing as though everything is effortless, that your world is a gilded one, when the reality is that your knees beneath your silk gown buckle from the weight of it all. We are silk and lace, and beneath them we are steel.”

I love a book where you think...no, you KNOW...you‘ve got it all figured out. Until the last pages. When all is revealed and your hindsight kicks in and shows you all of the clues you skimmed passed while you were reading. This title receives five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars from me. After reading two books by this author, I can solidly mark her in my “favorites” column. I can‘t wait to read more by Burke.

What on earth took me so long to read this?! It‘s fantastic and I can‘t put it down.

I am absolutely devouring this one right now! It has the sharp wit and quick dialogue that has caused me to compare the conversations to my beloved Gilmore Girls. I‘ve already added Beatrix Williams‘ bibliography to my TBR. 😊

New Orleans is one of my favorite places on the planet. I‘ve only been once (this year, in fact, for a surprise 40th bday trip) but I was in love with all things NOLA long before. In honor of Mardi Gras weekend, do you have any Louisiana-centric book suggestions for me? I‘d love to hear them. Laissez les bons temps rouler! 💜⚜️💛⚜️💚

My most anticipated reads in my #LibraryHaul today!

Super excited about my #LibraryHaul today! Anyone have any thoughts on these particular titles?

This book held my interest from Word One to the last punctuation. The premise is, there is a decades-old skeleton of a baby found in a neighborhood that is under construction. The secrets that swaddle the long-lost baby unfurl from there, with unimaginable twists throughout. I absolutely give this five stars and have already started on my next Fiona Barton masterpiece. Highly recommended! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I never read in the morning before work. There‘s just no time. Can I just tell you, I got my stuff done in record time today, just so I could read a little bit more. It‘s rare that a book hooks me from the first few pages. I hope this keeps up the pace. Love it so far!

Suggested to me by my local librarian, this was an anxiously anticipated read for me. I found myself at work, counting down until I could get home and read it. The very infinitesimal reason I give it 4.5 stars instead of a full five is that I found a few areas in the book, for example: certain character interactions, to have no bearing on the story. But that‘s a speck of dissent in a sea of enjoyment. I may have guessed parts, but not the ending.

Uh...guys? This isn‘t conducive to my reading! (But they are too cute to shoo away!) Ruger 🐶 and Oliver 🐱, my best distractions. ❤️🐾🐾❤️. [The book is fantastic, by the way.]

Happy 2018, Litsy friends!

My mom met the author at an event recently held at Nora Robert‘s bookstore, Turning The Page (we live not too far from Nora Robert‘s hometown). Mom scored a signed copy and gave it to me for Christmas. Bonus: The Christmas Cottage airs tomorrow on the Hallmark Channel. 💗📚🎄

A dear childhood friend made me this lovely bookmark. There is nothing better than a thoughtful, handmade, bookish gift! 💗

Merry Christmas Eve, my book loving friends! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and I can‘t wait to see all of your new book gifts tomorrow! ❤️📚🎄🎁

Question for my Litsy friends: Do you consider audio books in your count of books read for the year? I do but it almost feels as though I‘m cheating or padding the number. But I run through quite a few on my commute to work and I enjoy them nearly as much as the printed word. Your thoughts?

As I read this, I have easily cast Martin Freeman as the character of Bomber, the delightful publisher. I can see him saying the following in response to his mother‘s query that he is purposely dragging his feet, avoiding publishing his wretched sister‘s terrible manuscript: “The first point is undoubtedly true. Portia has written something that she calls a book...the second point is a wicked falsehood, which I deny with every fiber of my being.”

Feeling the need to cleanse my palate after all of the gritty noir I‘ve consumed lately, I‘ve chosen this positively reviewed novel for my next read. I‘m enjoying meeting the lovable characters and the cover is just so darn pretty. Just the literary balm my brain needs! I‘ll report back when I‘m through!