Book three was a fun listen. Really liked the classic/golden age vibe.

I ended up enjoying our April #NunLitQuarterly pick quite a bit. Rich in historical detail. Lots of inner turmoil for our young heroine. A good deal of drama yet filled with quiet, reflective moments. I think it was meant to be a happy ending, but I was left feeling concerned about how things might play out—hopefully just lots of romance and reading.

Zipped through this audiobook. I‘ve always had a bad feeling about MLMs and avoid those “parties” we‘ve all been invited to like the plague. Really good exposé!

Entertaining, over-the-top listen. Twists galore. I can see this being a good book club choice. Intriguing premise that gets you thinking. The dialogue was a bit cheesy at times and characters somewhat flat and unlikable, but it‘s a fun ride if you aren‘t feeling too critical. My first Marrs. Interested in giving one of his other books a try. Maybe The Passengers next? Looks like he has a new one coming soon, The Family Experiment.

“she prayed and worked on a paperole that was meant to have a gleaming white consecrated host at its center.”

The art of paperole has been mentioned a few times. Had to go searching for some images. Found this beautiful example.

#NunLitQuarterly

“She opened the package—it was another novel, The Monk. The title made her smile…She leafed through it, as she always did. Every book has its own identity and characteristics, and Agata had a ritual that she followed in order to get to know and love a book…and only then did she pick up the paper knife. She put the little uneven tabs of paper that ripped off as she cut the pages into her mouth, as if they were communion wafers.”

#NunLitQuarterly

So excited to learn that we‘re getting a new novel from Louise this October!

#bookmail Part 3 Mystery/Crime

#bookmail Part 2 Nonfiction

#bookmail Part 1 Fiction

Loved it. Denfeld is one of my favorite authors. She writes about dark, heavy things with such care and sensitivity. Totally gripping, great characters—highly recommend!

Enjoyed this more than the last one. Nancy‘s genius idea at the end to sell admission to see the cave/counterfeit operation to help save the farm was pretty great. 💵

I don‘t have books 7-10 so will be sitting out the next few. Might jump back in for later books. It‘s been so fun to revisit these with you all! #NancyDrewBR

I always assumed Sally Hepworth wasn‘t an author for me (based on the covers, I guess?), but I actually really enjoyed this. Now I‘ll have to give her backlist a try. #BOTM

Fascinating. Makes me want to read more about archaeology and ancient Egypt.

The spoils of today‘s bookshop visit!

Just okay for me. My least favorite Finlay so far.

Moving one-sitting read. I liked it, but not nearly as much as the other two #WomensPrize titles I‘ve read (Ordinary Human Failings and Brotherless Night).

“They are not for cider” and don‘t you forget it! 🍎

What a brilliant book! So unique and layered (not to mention beautifully written).

Discussed with my book club last night. Everyone loved it and we had lots to talk about.

Wonderful grief memoir—smart, funny, heart-wrenching. Just a pleasure to read. #BOTM

Fun listen. I wasn‘t really a doll girl, but I was very into the Kirsten, Samantha and Molly books—the original three that were out when I was prime American Girl age.

Blue box delivery day! #BOTM

These audiobooks are great! Book three in the Sparks & Bainbridge series was another fun, pleasant listen. Glad I‘ve still got a couple left to look forward to.

This is one heartbreaking read, but so well done. I found the intimate voice of the novel very moving and came away with a greater understanding of Sri Lanka‘s civil war. #WomensPrize

Delightful middle grade novel filled with endearing characters. #NunLit

“They had come to the spot in the freshness of June, chased from the village by its people, following deer path through the forest, the valleys, the fern groves, and the quaking bogs.”

#FirstLineFridays

Truly excellent. I couldn‘t stop listening!

Winner of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and 2024 Edgar Award Nominee in the Best Fact Crime category.

“There is no secret, Tom, or else there are hundreds of them, and none of them interesting enough for you. The secret is that we‘re a family, we‘re just an ordinary family, with ordinary unhappiness like yours.”

Propulsive and poignant family drama. Insightful, impactful writing. An impressive work of literary fiction. Great start to my #WomensPrize reading!

Essential and enlightening history. Great read for Women‘s History Month.

Wow, this was so good! Smart, relevant, thought-provoking.

#WomensPrizeNF

Not my favorite St. James (I think I enjoyed her last few a bit more), but still a fun read. Solid supernatural thriller.

Fantastic graphic memoir. Dorrance shares the story of her mother‘s dementia with creativity, humor and heart. If you liked Roz Chast‘s Can‘t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (I loved it), I think you‘d appreciate this one.

#NunLitQuarterly 🔔 April 2024 reminder 🔔

Ciao Sisters!

Our next selection, The Nun by Simonetta Agnello Hornby, takes us to 19th century Italy. Read the book sometime in April, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.

All are welcome!

I‘m a big fan of Graham Norton‘s novels and this was no exception. Compelling, darkly funny family drama/mystery.

Mary Lawson (an author I love) says this book is “truly unputdownable” and “has real heart.” Yes and yes.

I‘m so enjoying this series. Gwen and Iris are such a great duo. I‘ve already checked-out book three!

Sweet and charming middle grade graphic memoir. Santat writes about a life-changing trip to Europe in 1989, just before starting high school. He really manages to capture what being thirteen was like in all its awkward glory.

Sad to report Hannah‘s latest, already so beloved by so many, was just okay for me. I appreciated the story she was trying to tell, but it felt a bit choppy and rushed and soap opera-esque. I was very disappointed by the heavy focus on romance. #BOTM

So much kidnapping in these books! 😆 Probably my least favorite in the series so far. We go from an inn being sabotaged in the last book to a ranch being sabotaged in this one. Seems like they could have been a bit more creative. Fun setting though. I kind of missed Carson Drew and Hannah.

#NancyDrewBR

Incredible and important story well told.

I can see why this book has made (and won) so many prize lists—complex and affecting. Audiobook was very well done, but it was nice to have the print edition handy for the photos.

#WomensPrizeNF

Approachable and absorbing social and cultural history. I pulled this off the shelf while reading The Postcard and it turned out to be a great companion read. I went with a combination of audio (good narration) and print (black and white photos throughout).

Quick, charming read. I found myself wishing it would have ended before Jane‘s trip to Kenya and all that followed. Sharing a cottage with Margaret and pups, writing and traveling seems the happier ending (for Jane) to this particular reader. Still really enjoyed and look forward to reading more Stevenson.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

“I carry within me, inscribed in the very cells of my body, the memory of an experience of danger so violent that sometimes I think I really lived it myself, or that I‘ll be forced to relive it one day. To me, death always feels near…I am the daughter, and the granddaughter, of survivors.”

Powerful storytelling. All-consuming and profoundly moving. Wholeheartedly recommend.

#EuropaCollective

I enjoyed this graphic novel, a reimagining of the Korean folktale of Gumiho the nine-tailed fox.

Good follow-up! Can be read as a stand-alone, but definitely recommend reading Moon of the Crusted Snow first.

March #BOTM box arrived today! Most excited for tagged.

#bookmail part 2

#bookmail part 1

We still have a ways to go, but wow, we‘ve come a long way from 1949. I get the sense that this whole “I am no feminist” angle and “she does her own housework, cooking, shopping, washing and ironing” was to make this groundbreaking woman‘s memoir more palatable, less threatening. See my previous post for the great cover. She sounds like an interesting lady. Look forward to reading more.

A couple recent used finds that I thought might be good for Women‘s History Month. Tagged is the 1949 memoir of reporter and city editor of the Los Angeles Evening Herald & Express. There she covered news like the Black Dahlia murder, the Charles Chaplin paternity suit and the Long Beach earthquake. The author bio and opening made me laugh and cringe. I‘ll share in my next post.

Courageous and heartfelt memoir. #BOTM