Didn't know what to expect going in. It was given to me by a friend. I found it charming and heartwarming. The last part was totally unexpected, but with a satisfying ending.

A picture of the book Happy Place in my own happy place 😊 Harriet and Wyn are fantastic, and once again, Emily Henry has written a compulsively readable book with snappy dialogue and a setting that has me ready to travel.

I gave this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! It was a wonderful collection of essays that covered many difficult societal issues, all through the lens of a Native North American woman. Powerful and important. #SheSaid @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

I'm trying to get better about abandoning books that aren't doing it for me, and 50 pages in, I really wasn't liking this one, so I'm abandoning it rather than slogging through 600 more pages. I really struggle with bailing, so maybe I'll give it another shot someday. It was my May #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

I remember this one being my favorite growing up. I have vivid memories of winter storms rolling through as a child and imagining myself as Laura and then always feeling lucky to be cozy and warm. Images from this book stayed with me. I loved revisiting this and this time reading from an adult perspective, imagining trying to keep my family safe and fed. #littlehouse @megnews

I really enjoyed this story of family, relationships, restaurant ownership, and a world that can change faster than any of us are usually prepared for. Good characters and an author who embraces midwestern regionalism and her love of her hometown, Chicago.

I will always read an Erik Larson book! Devil in the White City is still my favorite, but he doesn't write bad books. This one was a little harder for me to get into, especially the details of Marconi's quest to perfect the wireless, but it was still an engaging, insightful look at history through a unique angle. This was May's #AuthorAMonth. @Soubhiville

This is definitely my favorite Three Pines book so far! I love the setting of Quebec City, the Lit His, and the mystery of Champlain's remains. I love the three parallel story lines and the slow reveal of the investigation-gone-wrong that Inspector Gamache is trying to come to terms with. It's the first one of the books that I found myself wanting to reread as soon as I finished.

I have a love/hate relationship with Jane Austen adaptations, so I always go in hesitantly. This one was pretty good. It was loosely based on P&P, and swapping genders of the two main characters helped with the originality. I enjoyed it.

The second finished book of May was actually my April #Doublespin. I liked this one, but it was slow going. Russian lit is not typically my favorite, but the author's analysis helped me see these short stories through new lenses. He also gave me new perspective on writing fiction that will stick with me. @TheAromaofBooks

I have a bunch of catching up to do on finished books. May hasn't been a great reading month so far. The end of the school year is kicking my ass. I've managed to get a few books read, though. 5 more school days... I'm crawling to the finish line this year 😞
This was an old BotM that I pulled off my shelf to try to get out of my reading slump. Great characters, a fun premise, and magical realism that actually worked for me. Definitely a pick.

The author did a great job of creating the gothic atmosphere and writing a cast of colorful, interesting characters! It kept me turning pages. The outcome of the mystery, though, was pretty predictable. I had guessed numerous "plot twists" before I was even halfway through the book. The "clues" just aren't very subtle. Regardless, it was an enjoyable read.
This April #AuthorAMonth gave me my first Ruth Ware experience. @Soubhiville

What a fantastic read! I would have never picked this one up on my own, so I'm grateful this was a #Shesaid group read. I am definitely checking out her other book, The Sixth Extinction! @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Number 5 of the Three Pines series was a dark tale of secrets and regret. I have a feeling this plotline isn't over yet. The books just keep getting better and better! And yes, it's fireplace weather today, with wind and snow ❄️🌨 Nevermind that it hit 80° last week ☀️ 🙄

I found this one rambling and hard to get fully engaged in. There were some great sections with clever dialogue, interesting history, and complex characters. It had all the components that usually grab me, but for some reason, this one didn't work for me, and I had to make myself keep returning to it. It was my April #Bookspin, and one more from my shelves I can check off my list. @TheAromaofBooks

This is the one I think I remembered the least about, and I'm not sure why. It's a great adventure just like the others. Laura is really forced to mature in this one as she steps up to help Ma now that Mary is blind and baby Grace joins the family. I really enjoyed reading about the town of DeSmet being established from nothing. Loved this one! #LittleHouse @megnews

This one find Veronica and Stoker at the Templeton-Vane estate, helping Stoker's brother Tiberius solve the mystery of who wants to kill him. It's another fun romp!

I loved this book! Sometimes books that follow story lines from multiples eras feel too fractured, but this one blended the three stories and eras (1619, 1942, and 2019) beautifully! This is an unexpected favorites-list contender for this year!

This may be the best of the three when it comes to plot twists! I can definitely see why this is a huge hit in the YA world.

It tackles tough issues without pulling punches, and that makes it a pick for me even though it covers territory and research I've read about in multiple previous books, both with the #Shesaid group and others. The stories about threats and violence toward women in positions of power and women who speak out on issues of sexism will never not make me furious. @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Book two was another romp through puzzles, mysteries, and secrets! These are such fun, fast reads that I tore through book two in a few hours. Now on to The Final Gambit!

What a fun YA mystery! It's gotten a lot of hype, and my daughter has been pushing me to read the trilogy. I can definitely see why! On moving straight on to book 2!

I can't believe I've waited this long to read this masterpiece of a book. The characters, the structure of alternating chapters, the incredibly vivid description - all of it makes this the profound piece of literature that has become the benchmark of an era. I'm so glad Steinbeck was March's #AuthorAMonth pick, making me pull this off my bookshelf. @Soubhiville

And this one rounds out the weekend. I finished it up on the road trip home. It's the 4th in the Three Pines series, and they just keep getting better and better! We learn more of Inspector Gamache's backstory, and Peter and Clara Morrow also take a central role in this one, as Peter's dysfunctional family reunion sets the stage for the murder.

I'm so glad to have given Agatha Christie another chance and not to have quit after the collection of short stories I tried first! I loved this novel and the colorful characters she created. Now I'm looking forward to more of her work. Finished this one up on our rainy road trip.

Now, to catch up on finished books...
Number 7 in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries was one of my favorites of the lot! We get some unexpected backstory for Veronica, along with the usual adventure. Veronica and Stoker have some of their usual moments 😍. Loved this one!

St. Louis bookstore #3 was Left Bank Books, and it was a great one! Again, it had a fantastic selection, great staff recommendation cards, fun bookish merchandise, and this one has lots of seating throughout! It was an inviting, stay-as-long-as-you-want atmosphere. The booksellers were super accommodating, too! It's in a cool, historic building, and the store has a long history of community involvement and civic action. #supportindiebookstores

St. Louis bookstore #2 was Subterranean Books in University City. It was in a fun neighborhood filled with restaurants, bars, and shops. It had a good selection and nice displays as well as lots of staff recommendation cards. This one ranks 3rd, though, in our adventures, marked down for no customer seating, least friendly staff of the day, and no customer restroom 😔. Still, I got some great books! #supportindiebookstores

St. Louise bookstore #1! Our first stop was at The Novel Neighbor. It's such a fantastic store! A huge selection of books and tons of bookish-related merchandise - journals, mugs, candles, totes, cards, etc. They also had fun displays and great staff recommendation cards! My only suggestion would be to add seating - only one comfy chair in the back to sit and peruse potential purchases. Overall, we loved it! #supportindiebookstores

I spent a long weekend in St. Louis, and Day 1 was all about bookstores and food! We made it to 3 indie bookstores, and this is my haul: 8 books, 2 t-shirts, 1 tote bag, 1 mug, and some great bookmarks! My heart is full ❤️

I thought this book was a whole lot of fun! The dragons and all the various creatures added lots of life and adventure to the core P&P plotline. I plowed through the rest of the book today, finishing early, because I was enjoying it so much. So glad to have joined in on this #HeartstoneBuddyread with other #Pemberlittens! @CrowCAH thanks for hosting! I'm enjoying your daily posts!

I finished this one up a couple of weeks ago. I forgot this was the story that introduced Nellie and so many of the other fantastic characters that found their way into the TV series. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, too. #LittleHouse

My #Doublespin for February was one I bought long ago after having it recommended by a couple people. It had some interesting parts, but overall, I felt it rambled unnecessarily. @TheAromaofBooks

Here I've been, waiting for summer to read this because of that ridiculously misleading cover. It popped up for my March #Bookspin, so I dove in anyway. I loved People We Meet on Vacation and Book Lovers, but this one is definitely my favorite! It has depth, fantastic snappy dialogue, and lots of romantic yearning. It is definitely not just a "beach read." I am looking forward to her newest one, coming out next month! @TheAromaofBooks

This was a charming book about lovely people. Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali are wonderful characters, and their later-in-life romance is beautifully written.

Catching up on a couple weeks of finished books. This one was my February #Bookspin, and it was epic. I bought this well over a year ago, and it's been hanging out on my bookshelf, looking a little intimidating. I think knowing there were 9 main characters and nearly as many plot lines kept me from diving in, but thank goodness for #Bookspin! It's beautifully done and definitely makes me look at trees in a whole new way. @TheAromaofBooks

Book number 4 in the series finally sees Murderbot reunited with Dr. Mensah and the Preservation Team. Their group dynamics are still complicated, and their shared history creates mixed emotions - and of course, Murderbot hates feeling emotions 😁. Another great installment, and another action-packed adventure!

While the story of Ashley's sack and the speculation about its history are powerful, important pieces of history, I struggled to get through this. I felt some of the tangents about items in the sack and connections among stories of other enslaved people added depth. I felt other parts were attempts to create a longer book than it needed to be to still have the same impact (the section on pecans, for example). ⬇️ #SheSaid @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Third in the series, this one finds Murderbot crossing paths with Miki, an innocent, trusting human-like robot, while he continues investigating GrayCris. Miki and her human companion are this volume's contribution to the wonderful array of characters Wells is creating for us in this series. This was another good adventure.

@Deblovestoread thank you so much for the lovely mug, the coffee, and the tote! I've heard great things about Powell's and hope to get there someday. Happy Valentine's Day ❤️ #muglove23 @TheKidUpstairs @Cinfhen Thanks for hosting!

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville
Taylor Jenkins Reid has been hit and miss for me. I loved Eleanor Hugo and Malibu Rising, but I didn't love Daisy Jones & the Six. I enjoyed reading this one for sure, but it felt shallower than the others, maybe because it was an earlier work. There were lovely parts, and it got me in the feels more than once, but the timeline bothered me - for a few reasons - but mostly because the ending felt rushed ⬇️

Book 3 really digs into the controversy and conflict around Gamache that the first two hinted at, and it's a great added layer to the storytelling. I am liking certain characters more and more and starting to dislike some I was taken with early on. The mystery here wasn't my favorite, but I still loved the book.

I absolutely failed at a chapter-a-day on this one. I didn't start until yesterday and finished it up today 😂. I was surprised at the overt racist attitudes in this one - not surprised they existed, but surprised it didn't stand out to me more when I read these as a child. Pa is less endearing to me as an adult than he was when I was a child. As a parent, it's hard to read about the way he risked his family's lives ⬇️

Confession- I had never read any Agatha Christie until last week 😳🙈. I know, I know. Anyway, I picked up two Christie books at the library, one Poirot and one Marple. However, I didn't realize that Poirot Investigates was a short story collection, and I am not a big fan of short stories, so not the best choice for my first foray into Christie's work. The mysteries were clever and while I didnt love it, I enjoyed it. Next up, a Miss Marple novel.

I really enjoyed sections of this, and Flavia de Luce is a joy! She's a fantastic character, and the smart dialogue made me chuckle more than once. There were sections, though, that got unnecessarily wordy, and I caught myself skimming out of boredom. It wasn't the majority of the text, but enough that it kept me from loving this one. I'll likely try the next in the series eventually to see if they all have that issue. Still, a pick, though.

My bookhaul from Reading in Public! The gorgeous painted edition of Jane Eyre is for my oldest child, who is finally reading this favorite of mine. I'm also in love with this beautiful hardcover of Kindred, another favorite of mine. Just part of my birthday haul! Hit up Half Price Books as well. I'll post that stack later.

Got to check out a brand new indie bookstore in West Des Moines this weekend! It includes a fantastic coffee bar! I bought myself a few birthday presents too 😊 #supportindiebookstores

It's a good one!

Hovering between a pick and a So-so - It was a decent plot that kept me reading, and there was a big twist toward the end that made me actually gasp, so points for that, but the writing was often cringy. Also, did anyone else notice that at least 11 times, by my count, the author describes the scent of someone's sweat, with really weird adjectives like vinegary and peppery 🤮 Truly bizarre fixation. 🤔🙀🙄

17-year-old Jessilyn Harvey masquerades as a boy, and travels through the post-Civil-War West to find her brother-turned-outlaw after her father dies and leaves her alone on the family ranch. She is a sharp shooter whose skills are discovered and exploited by the territorial governor. It has many qualities of an old western, but no real heroes to be found. Read it after hearing it recommended on #WSIRN podcast.