This was a fun mystery with a protagonist who is a book lover as well. It has mystery, family drama, diverse characters, and the beginning of potential romance in the sequel/series to come.

This essay is the mic drop 🎤 moment in the book for me. I don't know if it is because she made the best case I've read for reparations or if the power of the essay comes from acting as the culmination of the other pieces, or maybe both, but either way, it packed a punch.
Feel free to comment on the final essay or the book as a whole in this thread. As I said in my review, I want to put this book in everyone's hands. #1619GroupRead

There's something unsettling about a book where everyone is problematic. The relationship between Emira and Briar seems to be the only sincere relationship in the book, and it is a beautiful one. However, the rest of the characters feel one-dimensional, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. I'm hovering between a Pick and a so-so.

I've been sitting on this one for a couple days trying to figure out an appropriate a way to review it. All I can come up with is, Wow.
I want to put this in the hands every person I know. I am glad to have read this doing a slow read for the #1619GroupRead so I could digest and process it all. It's a master class in under 600 pages.

Lady Susan was such a fun read! Even in letters, Austen creates such vivid characters. I would have loved for her to have reworked this into a complete novel, full of her depth and commentary on human folly! How fun it would be to see her fully-realized versions of Frederica and Reginald, to meet their developed characters and to watch their love story play out 😍 😔 #pemberlittens

Finished this up on a trip home from a conference. Not sure how I feel about this one. I enjoyed parts of it, but I'm also not sure I'm fully clear on the point of it. Also, I cannot get behind authors who choose not to use quotation marks around dialogue. I find it greatly distracting and it makes everything feel detached, like it's a summary of what was said, not a conversation. This was my May #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

#1619GroupRead Ibram Kendi pushes our discomfort in powerful ways in this essay. He strips away the crutch of pointing to "evidence" of racial progress as proof our nation is moving in the right way.
Sorry for the delayed post. Was celebrating Mother's Day and moving my son to his first apartment ?

#1619GroupRead Another short essay this week, but feel free to also reflect on the supplemental pieces "Rainbows Aren't Real, Are They?" Kiese Laymon's short memoir on hearing Jesse Jackson speak of The Rainbow Coalition, and Gregory Pardlo's poem about the 1985 bombing of the MOVE rowhouse in Philadelphia. Only two chapters left to reach the end of this powerful book.

I loved this quiet, lovely story about the power of words, both the ones included and the ones left out. The creation of the Oxford English dictionary, women's suffrage, & WWI form the backdrops for this story about a young woman questioning her place in that world. The story, which spans decades, contains love, loss, & beautiful friendships. I was disappointed, though, with the abrupt ending, especially in a book that seemed unhurried until then.

A short essay this week with ties to a few previous essays. #1619GroupRead we're down to three more essay after this week. It's been a powerful journey, and I'm looking forward to seeing which essays close it out.

Dystopian writing at its best! I was absolutely absorbed by this story and the twists and turns the plot took as the story revealed itself little by little. @rachelsbrittain thank you so much for including this in your #bestof2021swap! I don't think I would probably have picked it up on my own, and I was blown away!

My daughter has been nagging me to read this for weeks. I finally picked it up and read it in a morning. There's a lot to love about this book! The groundbreaking characters and the rich culture combined with mystery and adventure all come together to make this immensely enjoyable!

My #Doublespin for April. Some great nuggets of wisdom in this one. Its short-burst chapters and Glennon's conversational style make it incredibly readable. The organization felt a little off at times, but overall, well worth the read. @TheAromaofBooks
Also wanted to share my daily sunrise rainbows 🌈

#1619GroupRead

I grabbed this one at the public library last trip, and it was a cover grab for sure. Turns out of was a good impulse. I loved Loveday and her story, and I now have a book-crush on Nathan 🙂. It was a perfect choice for my day off today.

This was fantastic! I loved The Heart's Invisible Furies and wasn't as crazy about Ladder to the Sky, so I'm thrilled this was another hit. Read this for #AuthorAMonth and will definitely revisit John Boyne! @Soubhiville

This all came home with me from today's bookstore road trip 📚 A couple are my daughters', but most of it is mine 😍

Visited a newish indie bookstore today in Ames, Iowa! It's fantastic! Friendly staff, great selection, lots of diversity, a beautifully renovated old building, fun displays, and a beverage bar 🍷! This one's only an hour from home, so I will definitely be back! Book haul post coming soon 📚 #supportindiebookstores

#1619GroupRead This chapter took a look at the importance of Black churches in the struggle against oppression. Butler says "The style of the Black church that developed following the Great Awakening and in the antebellum period as one of prophetic witness to the moral outrage of racism in America. It was the rhetoric of dissent..." Butler also shows how this has historically made Black churches targets for violence.

I ended up reading through to the end of this one today ahead of schedule. It's another one that I've meant to read for years but had never gotten to. Glad to have finally tackled it through our group read. #Pemberlittens

#1619GroupRead
Lots to unpack in this short essay. Also interesting to read at the same time I was reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - so many connections.

This had a lot more substance than I was anticipating for a book billed as a romance between an author of erotica and the novelist who she had an intense 7-day relationship with in high school. The layers of dependency, disability, and feminism, combined with the history of the women in her lineage gave this romance depth as well as heat. This was an impulse buy that paid off.

I flew through the book, fascinated by her experiences, but I didn't love it. At times it felt like an overview of her life. She introduces people central to her life, but we don't get much depth about them other than what they did to/for her. There's not enough development to see them as distinct humans, just names in the timeline of her life. It felt like multiple personal narrative essays thrown together. A soft pick #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

#1619GroupRead Another powerful essay showing the long reach of history.

Wow! I know I'm really late to the party on this, but what a story! I devoured this in 2 sittings. It's incredibly readable! I adored the author's balance of science, history, ethics, & relationships. Deborah's journey to learn about her mother & sister touched me deeply. I know I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank goodness for #Bookspin! I finally picked this up and dove in! This was my #Doublespin for March @TheAromaofBooks

This chapter's essay was by Bryan Stevenson, the author of Just Mercy. It's been on my tbr for a long time, but I haven't read it yet.. Wondering if anyone who has read it has connections to make. #1619GroupRead @4thhouseontheleft

This is the best book I've read this year! I can't remember the last time a book toyed with my emotions like this 💗💔🤣. I adored the relationships among the women in this story, especially Swiv and her grandma. It's in turns hilarious, tragic, and wise. I loved getting to know this smart, quirky 9 year old and her colorful family! This was my March #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Finished this #SheSaid selection up a little early. So much of this made me feel seen, especially the parts about the physical and psychological effects of suppressed anger. Ironic, though, that a book about anger can feed my anger 🤷‍♀️. @Riveted_Reader_Melissa
In other news, the sunshine gave me an early spring day of patio reading 🌞

A remarkable story of tragedy, strength, friendship, and womanhood! Another "I'm so glad I stuck with it" situation! I wasn't sure how I was going to feel until I got to the last 3rd of the book. I had a hard time getting into it, but that may have been more my state of mind. Two weeks post knee surgery, I'm finally able to focus on my reading again...might be that I'm weaned off the "good" pain pills now ? ?. #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

I'm posting a discussion prompt from chapter 9 today to get us caught up. I'll post a question or 2 from chapter 10 on Sunday. I'm tagging everyone who was on the last post from @4thhouseontheleft . If anyone wants removed, let me know. #1619groupread

A solid rom com that actually lives up to the hype. I don't read these often because too many of them are pure steam with little else to offer, but I enjoyed the story, the romance, and the characters. Glad I picked this one up!

What a fantastic take on one of the most underdeveloped characters in literature! I've read Pride and Prejudice countless times and rarely given Mary Bennet a second thought, so I was not prepared to find this book and Mary's story so wonderfully engaging. Mary is the heroine I never knew I needed! I'm so glad this was one of the #pemberlittens chosen books this month!

What an auspicious beginning! It's a shame Jane Austen was unable to finish her tale of Charlotte Heywood and the community of Sanditon 😔 It has all the perfect ingredients and even in the short 12 chapters that exist, she already established her wit and insight into the silliness of human beings. I don't know if I want to read any of the various completed versions or not 🤔. I'll have to give that more thought. #pemberlittens @sprainedbrain

The plot twists definitely made me glad I kept reading, but I struggled some, mostly with the dialogue and inner monologue of the mc. The author is recreating a gangster, hip, 1920s dialogue, but when every single sentence out of the character's mouths and the thoughts in their heads are figurative, snarky, and/or slang, it's hard to follow, and it can be hard not to think of the characters as caricatures. Great plot - overdone dialect.

This took me a while to get into, but once I engaged with Isabelle, I was hooked. It's a tragic and inspirational story that's told softly. There's little about the writing that is overwrought, and yet it packs multiple gut punches. I also haven't read much fiction set in reconstruction era South, so I appreciated that aspect. This was my February #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

This was a ton of fun! A young girl who has powers that allow her to make plants grow inherits a creepy, mysterious old house and begins to uncover the secrets of the town and her own heritage. It's clearly set up to be a series, and I will be looking forward to the next installment! Filled with magic and adventure!

Maya Angelou is one of the most interesting human beings to have lived. I read a review that said reading one of her autobiographies makes a person wonder what the hell they've been doing with their lives. I feel that. I read the first 2 autobiographies years ago and taught them for years but had never continued the series. This took me right back to her voice and her larger-than-life wisdom. She is a true treasure. #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

There is absolutely nothing light or sunny about this book, so of course I had to take a picture with the morning sun coming through my leaded glass windows - I love contrasts 🤷‍♀️ This was a reread for me. I hated it the first time. This time, because I knew not to expect a romantic love story, I was able to enjoy & appreciate the dark, twisted tale much more. #wanderingthroughwutheringheights #pemberlittens @Crinoline_Laphroaig @sprainedbrain

#unpopularopinion This was just ok. I don't get the hype. What am I missing?

I love a good book about book lovers ❤📚. It's an enjoyable mystery about the world of rare books and those who work to research and preserve them.

Three bookstores and seven books - I'm calling that pretty good self control 🤷‍♀️.

Bookstore #3 was amazing! Magers and Quinn sells both new and used, and holy cow, it's big and it's bursting with books! Also, fantastic, friendly staff who love to talk books! We spent a long time in this one 📚🙂 #supportindiebookstores

This weekend's indie bookstore #2 was tucked away in a beautiful neighborhood of old houses in Uptown Minneapolis. Focusing on Native American literature and arts, it was a welcoming, lovely store, with a small, but fantastic children's section that includes a balcony and a hidden cubby. Plus, how can you not love a store with a canoe hanging from the ceiling?! #supportindiebookstores

I spent my birthday weekend in the Twin Cities and while we were there, I visited 3 wonderful indie book stores! I'll post my haul later, but I wanted to share these lovely places first. This one was an accidental find as we were leaving the Winter Carnival In St. Paul. Subtext Books is lovely with cozy seating and a great selection. #supportindiebookstores

It felt like a virtual vacation to get to read about Malibu, beaches, and sun while we are experiencing -30 wind chills 😂🧊🥶. I really enjoyed this book, but I'm a sucker for good siblings stories, so that's no surprise 🤷‍♀️

I wasn't as blown away by this as So You Want to Talk About Race, but it was thought provoking. This didnt have as clear of a plan - it meandered & some chapters didn't seem as tight thematically. I also was left questioning what she hoped would be gained by the book. I feel SYWTTAR had some clear, actionable steps to move forward. This felt more like complaining than a call to action. Still, it forced some discomfort & was worth the read.

I wish I had the words you write a review that encompasses the revolutionary quality of this book. The form and structure are unlike anything I've read, and it packs such an emotional punch. @Liz_M thank you for including this on your #NewYearWhoDis list. I may have never picked it up otherwise. @monalyisha

Wow, that was epic. Early on, I was trying to decide whether to drudge through to the end but then something clicked, I started to care, and I was hooked. The book just kept getting better and better. There's a lot to process, but this is the kind of book experience that, for better or worse, makes it nearly impossible for me to not see a book through to the end. #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Lovely, atmospheric, and deceptively simplistic, this is a beautiful story about restoration. My 2nd of @Liz_M 's recommendations for #NewYearWhoDis is another gem. @monalyisha

I'll echo what others have already said - great woman, great accomplishments, lasting impact...not a great book 😔
It's bizarrely organized and written in a voice that sounds as if it's intended for middle schoolers or upper grade schoolers. I will definitely look for more books to keep learning about this amazing woman. #SheSaid @Riveted_Reader_Melissa