Providence Byrd has served her time and is attempting to rebuild her life when she gets the call that her mother is missing. Forced to return to her hProvidence Byrd has served her time and is attempting to rebuild her life when she gets the call that her mother is missing. Forced to return to her hometown filled with haunting childhood memories, Providence must confront her violent past in order to create a hopeful future.
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is Samantha Crewson's debut novel. I enjoyed the audio and it definitely kept my attention with many twists and turns in the story. This story deals with the topics of family abuse and trauma brought on by alcohol and violence, secrets, and ultimately redemption and growth. I think the story was good overhaul, but not great. I am looking forward to discussing it with my book club to get their thoughts!...more
The Passion Project by London Sperry focuses on Bennett - named for Pride and Prejudice character (which I loved!!) who is weighted down by grief and The Passion Project by London Sperry focuses on Bennett - named for Pride and Prejudice character (which I loved!!) who is weighted down by grief and guilt over the loss of her boyfriend Sam. She floats through NYC by stitching together crappy temp jobs...until she meets Henry. Well, they don't actually meet on purpose - she ghosts him but has to go back after she losses her wallet. Henry offers her something she desperately needs - friendship - and together they form the Passion Project. A once a week meeting where they challenge each other to find their passions in life. As they go from one crazy activity to another (climbing up the side of a building in NYC - WHAT!?) their friendship turns in to love. But Bennett is still not ready to confront her guilty past.
Of course this was a sweet and cute read. I absolutely LOVED Henry - he's like the Holy Grail of men! It was a bit predictable, but a good read nonetheless. It reminded me a lot of Cara Bastone's "Promise Me Sunshine" - although I like Henry a lot more. Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy!...more
I absolutely loved the premise of this book - a house in France as seen through the eyes of the people who live within iIf these walls could talk ....
I absolutely loved the premise of this book - a house in France as seen through the eyes of the people who live within it over the generations. I thought this was a book of short stories, but they do all connect in the end. I had a hard time following the connections, but that could have been just me....more
I really enjoy multi-generational stories and Like Mother, Like Mother was a very interesting look at how trauma shapes a family.
Lila Pereira is veryI really enjoy multi-generational stories and Like Mother, Like Mother was a very interesting look at how trauma shapes a family.
Lila Pereira is very young when her mother is sent to an insane asylum and eventually dies. Or so she is led to believe. Zelda's absence from her life shapes Lila into a high-powered and successful newspaper editor. But her success comes with a loss and that is her relationship with her husband and three daughters. Lila's daughter, Grace, resents her mother's absence which moves her to do her own research about the family. In the end, she discovers things about her family and herself that helps her resolve her issues with her mother.
This was an interesting read - there is a lot of dialogue and a lot of "she said" and "he said." The quick banter back and forth between characters reminded me a lot of an Aaron Sorkin show. At times the story felt unnecessarily long, but it was a good read that made me think....more
Isola by Allegra Goodman is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Marguerite de la Rocgue. Marguerite is a fifteen year old noble during theIsola by Allegra Goodman is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Marguerite de la Rocgue. Marguerite is a fifteen year old noble during the 1500's when she is orphaned and taken under the care of her guardian Roberval. Not surprisingly, Roberval is not a nice man and she steals Marguerite inheritance and forces her on a journey she did not want to take. When Marguerite falls in love with one of his secretaries, Roberval maroons them on a deserted island as punishment, Marguerite's will to survive is on the most impressive aspects of this story.
I found this story to be very interesting and well-researched, It just seemed a bit too. long. It's clear that women had little to no power during this time period and that Roberval was extremely abusive - it just seemed to take a very long time to get to any character development. Still an enjoyable read!...more
AMAZING! I am absolutely in love with this story and these characters. Jodi Picoult has done an amazing job bringing the character of Emilia Bassano aAMAZING! I am absolutely in love with this story and these characters. Jodi Picoult has done an amazing job bringing the character of Emilia Bassano and Melina Green to life.
Melina Green is a young playwright working towards her big break. Emilia Bassano is forced to be the mistress of an aristocrat. Both women must hide their intelligence, creativity, and education. Both women are forced to work in secret and bend to the men in their lives in order to get their writing out to the public.
Of course I have heard the rumors regarding Shakespeare and his plays, but this is the first story that made me believe the rumors are true. This incredibly beautifully crafted story about courage and perseverance was so good, I can't wait to read it again. I found this story to be so thought-provoking and well researched. This is definitely a good choice for book clubs - there is a lot to discuss!...more
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff will HANDS DOWN be on my Top 10 of 2025 list. I can not thank NetGalley and SImon & Schuster enough for allowing me tThe Bright Years by Sarah Damoff will HANDS DOWN be on my Top 10 of 2025 list. I can not thank NetGalley and SImon & Schuster enough for allowing me the privilege of reading an early release copy of this extraordinary story.
I love a good character driven family drama and this did not disappoint. I do not want to say too much and give *anything* away because you truly have to experience this beautiful and heartbreaking story about Ryan, Lillian, Elise, Georgette and a cast of other incredible characters. I read this in a single day, I was truly sucked into the story. I truly can not find the words - this is a story of life, regret, second chances, heartache, and love. Sarah Damoff has exceeded all my expectations - I can't believe this is a debut novel! Just read it. Please....more
Pancakes steals the show (or book, whatever). I will die on that hill.
This is my third read by the incredible Annie Hartnett and she never disappointPancakes steals the show (or book, whatever). I will die on that hill.
This is my third read by the incredible Annie Hartnett and she never disappoints. The Road to Tender Hearts is a beautiful story filled with quirky, laugh out loud yet flawed characters and I loved every minute. PJ is a 63 year old lottery winner with a drinking problem when he decides to drive cross country to find the "one who got away." He is just one of a crazy cast of characters that make this story so special! He is divorced from his wife, Ivy, whom he still has an incredibly close relationship and lives next door with his best friend, Fred. He has a daughter, Sophia, with whom he is basically estranged (tragically their oldest daughter passed the night of her Senior prom). PJ thinks going after Michelle will be the answer to all his problems. As if things couldn't get any crazier, he finds out that he is the guardian of his brother's grandchildren. When Ollie and Luna come to live with him, PJ sees a second chance at life and the five of them (PJ, Sophia, Ollie, Luna, of course, Pancakes). Did I mention that along the way they are going to stop at a soap opera convention because Luna believes her biological father is a hot soap star?
This story is both hilarious and heartwarming and thoughtful and heart breaking. I truly loved every single page of zany, crazy, thought provoking story. Hartnett truly drives how the idea that family is who you have around you that are always on your side.
Thank you thank you thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me the privilege of reading this book before pub day on April 29th. Be sure to add this one to your list and pre-order it today!...more
Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
Set in the English countryside, we meet Beth and her husband, FrThank you NetGalley for the early review copy of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.
Set in the English countryside, we meet Beth and her husband, Frank. Beth and Frank have suffered the unimaginable loss of their child and when someone from Beth's past arrives, their worlds are turned upside down and destroyed beyond imagination.
I liked the premise of this story and the writing was easy and quick to read through. There is a typical love triangle between Beth, Frank, and Gabriel - I just struggled to connect and feel any sympathy for Beth. I completely understand the attraction to the first true love, but she continued to make horrific decisions that ended catastrophically for everyone. And the people around her seemed to just accept it. Still, it was a good story that kept me engaged until the end. I have no doubt this will be a popular book club read. ...more
"Adults always think they can protect children by stopping them from going to dangerous places, but every teenager knows that's pointless, because the"Adults always think they can protect children by stopping them from going to dangerous places, but every teenager knows that's pointless, because the most dangerous place on earth is inside us."
If there anyone else on the planet who can write like Fredrik Backman? Who can get inside a character and expose everything they are thinking and feeling in a way that makes you laugh, cry, scream, and think!? My Friends is yet another masterpiece by this incredible human being. His writing style is so different and unique - I am constantly in awe. I absolutely love the way he cracks characters open and exposes them to the reader - he is so intuitive and reflective of the human experience. This is such a quirky, heartbreaking, unexpected, and delightful story about friendship; how it molds us, how it impacts us, and, ultimately, how it changes us. When I sat down to think about how I could say everything I was feeling about Louisa, Ted, Joar, Ali, and "The Artist" - these "friends" will linger in my heart forever. ...more
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an early copy of Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine. This story is a beautiful and heartbreakiThank you NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an early copy of Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine. This story is a beautiful and heartbreaking merging of historical fiction and magical realism. Set on a plantation in Alabama on the cusp of the Civil War, 16 year Junie, a slave and companion to the master's daughter, Violet, must discover the truth of what happened to her sister, Minnie, while trying to survive.
I hesitate to say I "loved" this book as the subject matter is so grotesque; the fact that we treated human beings in such a deplorable way is unimaginable to me. However, I did love Junie's fierceness, her loyalty, and her strength to endure and survive unimaginable atrocities. She never gives in or gives up; striving to understand the truth of her sister's death and her family's past. The writing is very engaging and you will easily lose yourself in this story. Be sure to read the author's note! ...more
When I read the synopsis of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, I knew I had to read it. Josephine is lost - her husband has passed away very unexpecWhen I read the synopsis of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, I knew I had to read it. Josephine is lost - her husband has passed away very unexpectedly and she never built any kind of life for herself without him so she doesn't know who she is anymore. When a chance to own the historic house her great-grandmother owned comes up, Josephine jumps at the chance. She somehow unlocks a magical portal that brings her back in time to the 1920's when her great-grandmother ran a speakeasy.
I loved the premise of this book, but ultimately struggled with the story. It felt like there were too many plot holes and I didn't particularly care for the characters. The story was just a little flat and simplistic.
This was a struggle for me - I liked the story, for the most part, but the way the characters jumped around made it hard for me to connect with any ofThis was a struggle for me - I liked the story, for the most part, but the way the characters jumped around made it hard for me to connect with any of them, let alone care about the story. And I was left with so many questions - I really could not understand Annie/Cass/Cate's motivations at all. I think the comparison to Evelyn Hugo is a stretch. I did like the reminder about how we are all connected in the universe - it's incredible to think how one choice can impact so many. This could be a fun beach read - do doubt why Reese's book club chose it....more
I'm calling it now - The Favorites by Layne Fargo is going to be the book everyone is talking about in 2025. I listened to the audio - narrated by a fI'm calling it now - The Favorites by Layne Fargo is going to be the book everyone is talking about in 2025. I listened to the audio - narrated by a full cast which I absolutely love (including ice skating champ Johnny Weir!!!). Each narrator truly brought their character to life and I absolutely loved the format (big Daisy Jones vibes). You won't want to miss this one - I love, love, loved this story....more
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