Groff‘s writing is always so, so good. no exception here, I loved it. Dark and bleak but also hopeful, it‘s a book about survival, and it won‘t be for everyone, but it was absolutely for me. Publish date is September 12.

One week of inner dialogue of a woman who is absolutely obsessed with her husband. somehow this feels like a thriller, it‘s so suspenseful, but also really darkly funny.

two friends reconnect ten years after a teenage trip to greece to determine how their friend really died on that trip- was it murder, or an accident?

Very precise. Moving through the seasons of the pandemic, exploring thoughts on our memories- and the next generations- will be affected by that period of disconnection.

I had really high hopes for this. An interesting literary premise, the writing is a bit too dense. It tries too hard to be clever. Boarding school scandals and coming of age millennial teen nostalgia.

After a widow finds out her husband had been having an affair, she takes off her France to escape and obliterate her past. White Lotus vibes and complicated friendships.

Shipwreck mutiny murder. It‘s all in the title. Fantastic story.

I‘ve seen a lot of mixed reviews on this, and I have a lot of mixed feelings. Calling it a romance feels inaccurate and limiting. The whole thing left me frustrated.

Enjoyed this more than I didn‘t, but the ending was still really lacking for me (if you‘ve read this, you may be saying what ending??) it‘s a consuming story based on nothing that I can pinpoint. We‘re told nothing about the main character and yet I still wanted to know what she‘d do next.

Historical fiction centered around a theater fire in 1811 Richmond VA, and four peoples decisions around that event. Not typically a historical fiction fan, but i enjoyed this. #botm

This was fine.. I needed more plot.

Sittenfeld always writes a satisfying novel. Not too rom and not too com. #botm

The bookmail gods have smiled on me today.. I SQUEALED when I saw the lauren groff - can‘t wait to dive into these!!

Happy #independentbookstoreday 📚

A new penguin classic edition coming out in a couple months prompted me to finally read this. Like MadMen if it had focused on the women instead. Yes there‘s a movie, but read this first! Then see it🍿

Yes yes. Get yourself some Makkai. I‘ve been a fan since MUSIC FOR WARTIME. I will read anything she writes. This has boarding school academia, mystery, murder, flawed characters, literary excellence. All the best things.

Newest Lehane is set in Southie during the school desegregation busing of the 70s. He always gets the Boston elements right, even the ugly ones, and there are plenty of ugly characters here. There‘s plenty of action packed in. I‘m sure this will end up being a film at some point.

Memoir-esque, written by a guard at the Met, who takes the job after losing his brother, realizing he wanted to be surrounded with beauty, because life is short. Bringley is such a lovely writer!

Twisty! An easy horror read; nothing groundbreaking but a good ride.

A very real memoir of a career in restaurants. Loud and fun in the best of ways on audio.

I‘ll read anything Ng writes because she is a master of words.

A story of relationships set during the troubles of Northern Ireland. Great literary fiction- it‘s tender and I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

A short memoir and ode to a friend lost to violence- so well written.

Lyrical and flowing, not so much about the plot as the prose.

I‘m not sure if I liked this or not. I‘m conflicted- but it‘s gotten a lot of love from a lot of places! #botm

Okay this is really light but I enjoyed it so much and flew through it.. exactly what I needed. Would love to read something in the same vein; if you‘ve read this and have any comparison recommendations, send them my way!

Containing a book within a book, this story has unreliable characters and narrators- if you‘re into that, you may enjoy this.
With Boston serving as it‘s backdrop, that‘s what drew me in.. and probably the bigger reason why I stayed. This was a solid ‘ok‘ from me.

An interesting collection of personal photos and memories from the time Clint Hill spent on the flotus detail.

This book comes out tomorrow, and although the cover and premise brought me in, this is such a great nonfiction work on the social history of butts. I really enjoyed this!

Finally starting this one today.. been staring at this perfect cover for a few months 🍑😂

Okay I love loved every one of these stories. What a great collection. With this one Jess Walter is quickly moving up my list of authors I must read.
I‘d been putting off reading THE COLD MILLIONS but now I‘ve really got to get on it.

Shapiro‘s writing in this is so fantastic.. a story of two families and the constellation of ties that bind them.
Shapiro narrates the audiobook herself and did a great job.

First time reading this author and wow is her writing lovely. An interesting mix of short stories, somewhat overlapping in relation to one another.

The premise of the story is interesting, but… the novel is so fully based on the death of Anthony Bourdain that I couldn‘t get past it. And knowing this ‘debut author‘ is actually a pseudonym for three people- you can tell - the story just isn‘t as fluid as it could be. Some chapters were sarcastic and funny, but again.. just can‘t get past the blatant jump on that real life event. Take from that what you will. It‘s a pass for me.

I loved Kevin Wilson‘s NOTHING TO SEE HERE and he‘s quickly become a must-read author for me.. his newest novel will tug at your heartstrings in ways you don‘t expect.

The writing was interesting, but I never wanted to pick it up.. I bailed at 35pgs. Maybe I‘ll visit it again another time.
Really trying to only stick with books that I want to keep picking up & don‘t want to put down, instead of forcing myself to barrel through.

Fantastic audiobook read by the author- a collection of previously published stories.

If you‘re desperate to feel older than you already do, this is for you! 🥴
I‘m only half kidding.

A really enjoyable story around a divorced couple riding out the pandemic together in Maine. I haven‘t read any of the other stories around Lucy and William, and I think this stands on its own just fine - no need to stress about reading the others first.
But if you have, I think this begins right where the last left off. So a win win for everyone!
Also this cover 😍

Just quit another book that was boring the hell out of me.. so glad I dropped it and moved on, this is enjoyable so far, at the same amount of pages in 🙏🏼

Also releasing next week.. I‘m still processing this one. A quick read, and another one set around the 2008 recession: Cara loses her job in her 50s and is back in the job market for the first time in decades; the story is told and structured via her meetings with a job counselor over twelve weeks.

Releasing next week, this one focuses on the 2008 mortgage crisis and stock crash, as told via a high school party gone wrong in a rich, upper class town

I can see why this was nominated for the Booker prize.. the novel within a novel was really interesting - a Russian nesting doll type of story.

Wow this was good. McCurdy‘s audiobook narration and cadence added a fantastic layer and, just wow, I really enjoyed this. All the trigger warnings and hard content, but I couldn‘t stop listening to this raw and often really brilliantly funny memoir.

Eh.. I‘m probably going to be going against popular opinion on this one, but I didn‘t love it. Characters felt underdeveloped, and big chunks of plot felt empty. Just not my favorite- but it was still an interesting read and can see where people are enjoying certain parts of the storylines. All the trigger warnings for this one. #botm

Maybe I‘m biased being from Massachusetts, and the title is what captured my attention, but I‘m so glad I preordered this - a really lovely albeit somewhat chaotic memoir in essays. Life is messy, and Fitzgerald proves that with his stories, which were sad, funny, interesting. All good writing here.

Was this interesting? Sure. Was the writing good, no, it‘s mediocre. Would I recommend it? Yeah, why not.. it‘s an easy read and focuses on influencer life and the manipulation of digital media. Never believe everything you see online.

Out next month, TJR‘s new novel based around one of her characters from Malibu Rising. I read this in two days, and enjoyed it- be forewarned, it is HEAVY on the tennis. Like, maybe a little too heavy. But the story is there, the characters and relationships, all interesting and woven in. You don‘t have to have read anything else by her to enjoy this-

Enjoyed this one much more than her last, ‘All Adults Here‘ - even the time travel bits, that I didn‘t think would do much for me, all worked. A good summer read.

Love Sloane Crosley‘s writing.. always just enough sarcasm and wit, not overly padded with details, but enough to give you the full environmental picture.