Terris's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:50:29 -0700 60 Terris's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Evening Shades 215363273 The Evening Shades resonates with the comfort and beauty of Kent Haruf’s Our Souls at Night and the mystery and suspense of Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River.

One afternoon in the autumn of 1972, a lonely widow in Mt. Gilead, Illinois, offers to rent a room in her house to a socially awkward man, a stranger who has come to town. It is risky—she doesn’t know anything about him, and she hadn’t thought to take in a renter. But Edith Green can no longer bear a life lived alone. Henry Dees, haunted by the past he carries with him from Tower Hill, Indiana, is plagued by a tremendous guilt about things he did and didn’t do that led to the death of a little girl back home. How can he face the rest of his life?

The Evening Shades is as moving and suspenseful as its predecesser, Pulitzer finalist The Bright Forever.

It is a story of love found in middle age and the joy it promises but not without serious complications. There is the bereaved family of the little girl, who are holding their own secrets about the mysterious disappearances of both the man who killed their daughter and Henry Dees.

The Evening Shades looks at one lonely woman’s last chance at love and one shy man’s attempt to rebuild his life in the aftermath of tragedy. It’s a poignant story of accommodation, resilience, forgiveness, and love in the face of all that threatens the splendor of our ordinary lives.]]> 320 Lee Martin 168589173X Terris 4
It is the story of a middle-aged woman, Edith, living alone in a small town -- until a stranger comes into town and she decides to rent a room to him. Who is he? Where did he come from? What is his background? And how will Edith react when she finds out the answers to these questions?

Yes, many questions need to be answered AND, guess what -- they will be answered by the end of the book! But the way that this author "draws out" the story and "draws in" the reader is very skillful and satisfying.

I highly recommend it!

]]> 3.89 2025 The Evening Shades
author: Lee Martin
name: Terris
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves:
review:
I liked this one a lot!

It is the story of a middle-aged woman, Edith, living alone in a small town -- until a stranger comes into town and she decides to rent a room to him. Who is he? Where did he come from? What is his background? And how will Edith react when she finds out the answers to these questions?

Yes, many questions need to be answered AND, guess what -- they will be answered by the end of the book! But the way that this author "draws out" the story and "draws in" the reader is very skillful and satisfying.

I highly recommend it!


]]> The Winds from Further West 209649246 From the beloved author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a dazzling and uplifting novel of new beginnings and endless possibilities, in which a slew of personal and professional disasters cause a young researcher to upend his seemingly stable life in Edinburgh and move to a remote island off the Scottish coast.

Dr. Neil Anderson has just started a new position at the University of Edinburgh when he meets Chrissie, an intelligent and ambitious colleague at the institute. Before long, the two move into a gorgeous flat on the south side of the city. Things seem to be going well for Neil, until an accusation of insensitive comments lands him in hot water with the university and he discovers a troubling secret about his relationship. Suddenly feeling as though his life is unraveling, he leaves everything behind for the remote and secluded beauty of the Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland.

Not long after his arrival, a ship comes in to the harbor whose cargo—two wolf cubs—will drastically change the course of his life yet again. These cubs spark controversy on the island, leading Neil to Katie, the island’s resident veterinarian, and bring with them the possibility of new beginnings and a budding romance.]]> 254 Alexander McCall Smith 1788855183 Terris 0 to-read 4.05 The Winds from Further West
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Terris
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Allan Quatermain (Allan Quatermain, #2)]]> 722035 204 H. Rider Haggard 1576468216 Terris 0 currently-reading 3.88 1887 Allan Quatermain (Allan Quatermain, #2)
author: H. Rider Haggard
name: Terris
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1887
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Minority Report 581125 112 Philip K. Dick 0375421874 Terris 4 classics, sci-fi 3.85 1956 The Minority Report
author: Philip K. Dick
name: Terris
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1956
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: classics, sci-fi
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bel Lamington (Bel Lamington #1)]]> 42737871 Bel Lamington finds London a very lonely place - until a charming young artist literally drops in on her rooftop garden...

Bel Lamington, an orphan daughter of an Army colonel, is brought up in an English village and flung into the whirl of London life to earn a hard living as a secretary while attempting to navigate romance, unexpected friendships and urban life. Shy, sensitive, and innocent, she is unaware of the pitfalls that surround her.

But when Bel is offered a chance to leave London and venture to a fishing hotel in Scotland for a much needed holiday with an old school friend, things begin to change. There she learns that you cannot escape from your troubles by running away from them...]]> 187 D.E. Stevenson Terris 4
In this one, Bel Lamington works in an office in London, until her circumstances change and she ventures into Scotland and finds true happiness. Yes, I'll just say it -- Stevenson usually leaves the reader with a happy and satisfying ending :)

Now I'm planning to read the sequel: Fletchers End !]]> 4.35 1961 Bel Lamington (Bel Lamington #1)
author: D.E. Stevenson
name: Terris
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1961
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves:
review:
So sweet! I just love D.E. Stevenson's stories of the Scottish countryside and the unusual characters that inhabit the region.

In this one, Bel Lamington works in an office in London, until her circumstances change and she ventures into Scotland and finds true happiness. Yes, I'll just say it -- Stevenson usually leaves the reader with a happy and satisfying ending :)

Now I'm planning to read the sequel: Fletchers End !
]]> Zorba the Greek 53639
The classic novel Zorba the Greek is the story of two men, their incredible friendship, and the importance of living life to the fullest. Zorba, a Greek working man, is a larger-than-life character, energetic and unpredictable. He accompanies the unnamed narrator to Crete to work in the narrator’s lignite mine, and the pair develops a singular relationship. The two men couldn’t be further apart: The narrator is cerebral, modest, and reserved; Zorba is unfettered, spirited, and beyond the reins of civility. Over the course of their journey, he becomes the narrator’s greatest friend and inspiration and helps him to appreciate the joy of living.

Zorba has been acclaimed as one of the most remarkable figures in literature; he is a character in the great tradition of Sinbad the Sailor, Falstaff, and Sancho Panza. He responds to all that life offers him with passion, whether he’s supervising laborers at a mine, confronting mad monks in a mountain monastery, embellishing the tales of his past adventures, or making love. Zorba the Greek explores the beauty and pain of existence, inviting readers to reevaluate the most important aspects of their lives and live to the fullest.]]> 335 Nikos Kazantzakis 0571203132 Terris 4 classics 4.08 1946 Zorba the Greek
author: Nikos Kazantzakis
name: Terris
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1946
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: classics
review:
I enjoyed this one! Zorba was quite a character!
]]> <![CDATA[Chatterton Square (Virago Modern Classics)]]> 1842225
Fastidious Mr. Blackett rules his home in Upper Radstowe with a gloomy and niggardly spirit, and his wife Bertha and their three daughters succumb to his dictates unquestioningly -- until the arrival next door of the Fraser family 'with no apparent male chieftain at the head of it'. The delightful, unconventional Rosamund presides over this unruly household with shocking tolerance and good humour, and Herbert Blackett is both fascinated and repelled by his sensuous and 'unprincipled' neighbour. But whilst he struts in the background, allegiances form between Rosamund and Bertha and their children, bringing changes to Chatterton Square which, in the months leading up to the Second World War, are intensified by the certainty that nothing can be taken for granted.]]> 378 E.H. Young 0140161627 Terris 0 to-read 4.08 1947 Chatterton Square (Virago Modern Classics)
author: E.H. Young
name: Terris
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Travelling Cat Chronicles 40961230
An instant international bestseller and indie bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe...

With his crooked tail—a sign of good fortune—and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.]]> 281 Hiro Arikawa 0735235244 Terris 0 currently-reading 4.35 2012 The Travelling Cat Chronicles
author: Hiro Arikawa
name: Terris
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> South Riding 1016243 Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, Winifred Holtby's greatest novel was published posthumously

Winifred Holtby's masterpiece is a rich evocation of the lives and relationships of the characters of South Riding. Sarah Burton, the fiery young headmistress of the local girls' school; Mrs Beddows, the district's first alderwoman—based on Holtby's own mother; and Robert Carne, the conservative gentleman-farmer locked in a disastrous marriage—with whom the radical Sarah Burton falls in love. Showing how public decisions can mold the individual, this story offers a panoramic and unforgettable view of Yorkshire life.]]> 492 Winifred Holtby 0860689697 Terris 0 to-read 3.97 1936 South Riding
author: Winifred Holtby
name: Terris
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1936
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Things My Son Needs to Know About the World]]> 42833687 Things My Son Needs to Know About the World collects the personal dispatches from the front lines of one of the most daunting experiences any man can experience: fatherhood.

As he conveys his profound awe at experiencing all the "firsts" that fill him with wonder and catch him completely unprepared, Fredrik Backman doesn't shy away from revealing his own false steps and fatherly flaws, tackling issues both great and small, from masculinity and mid-life crises to practical jokes and poop.

In between the sleep-deprived lows and wonderful highs, Backman takes a step back to share the true story of falling in love with a woman who is his complete opposite, and learning to live a life that revolves around the people you care about unconditionally. Alternating between humorous side notes and longer essays offering his son advice as he grows up and ventures out into the world, Backman relays the big and small lessons in life, including:

-How to find the team you belong to
-Why airports explain everything about religion and war
-The reason starting a band is crucial to cultivating and keeping friendships
-How to beat Monkey Island 3
-Why, sometimes, a dad might hold onto his son's hand just a little too tight.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove shares an irresistible and moving collection of heartfelt, fictional, humorous essays about fatherhood, providing his newborn son with the perspective and tools he'll need to make his way in the world. ]]> 208 Fredrik Backman 1501196863 Terris 4 Fun, and so true! :) 4.01 2012 Things My Son Needs to Know About the World
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Terris
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves:
review:
Fun, and so true! :)
]]> <![CDATA[Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park]]> 42034231
When Conor Knighton decided to spend a year wandering through "America's Best Idea," he was worried the whole thing might end up being his worst idea. But, after a broken engagement and a broken heart, he desperately needed a change of scenery. The ambitious plan he cooked up went a bit overboard in that department; Knighton set out to visit every single one of America's National Parks, from Acadia to Zion.

Leave Only Footprints is the memoir of his year spent traveling across the United States, a journey that yielded his "On the Trail" series, which quickly became one of CBS Sunday Morning's most beloved segments. In this smart, informative, and often hilarious book, he'll share how his journey through these natural wonders, unchanged by man, ended up changing his worldview on everything from God to politics to love and technology. Whether it's waking up early for a naked scrub in an Arkansas bathhouse or staying up late to stargaze along our loneliest highway, Knighton goes behind the scenery to provide an unfiltered look at America. In the tradition of books like A Walk in the Woods or Turn Right at Machu Picchu, this is an irresistible mix of personal narrative and travelogue-some well-placed pop culture references, too-and a must-read for any of the 331 million yearly National Parks visitors.]]> 323 Conor Knighton 198482354X Terris 0 currently-reading 4.24 2020 Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park
author: Conor Knighton
name: Terris
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Mimsy Were The Borogoves 952371
Originally published in the February 1943 issue of "Astounding Science Fiction Magazine.

Novelette, Classic science fiction, the basis for the film "The Last Mimsy"]]> 0 Lewis Padgett 9999283551 Terris 0 currently-reading 4.09 1943 Mimsy Were The Borogoves
author: Lewis Padgett
name: Terris
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1943
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rector (Chronicles of Carlingford, #1)]]> 8223136 The Rector opens as Carlingford awaits the arrival of their new rector. Will he be high church or low? And - for there are numerous unmarried ladies in Carlingford - will he be a bachelor? After fifteen years at All Souls, the Rector fancies himself immune to womanhood: he is yet to encounter the blue ribbons and dimples of Miss Lucy Wodehouse.]]> Mrs. Oliphant Terris 3 classics 3.49 1863 The Rector (Chronicles of Carlingford, #1)
author: Mrs. Oliphant
name: Terris
average rating: 3.49
book published: 1863
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/17
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: classics
review:

]]> The Paris Express 214151304 Emma Donoghue, the “soul-stirring� (Oprah Daily) nationally bestselling author of Room, returns with a sweeping historical novel about an infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station.

Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train’s crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.

From an author whose “writing is superb alchemy� (Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author), The Paris Express is an evocative masterpiece that effortlessly captures the politics, glamour, chaos, and speed that marked the end of the 19th century.]]> 288 Emma Donoghue 1668082799 Terris 0 to-read 3.28 2025 The Paris Express
author: Emma Donoghue
name: Terris
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Trouble with Lichen 91097 208 John Wyndham 0140019863 Terris 4 sci-fi 3.70 1960 Trouble with Lichen
author: John Wyndham
name: Terris
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1960
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/16
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: sci-fi
review:
So, so interesting! I don't want to leave any spoilers, so I'm not going to go into the story -- but this one will really make you think! What if.... ?! ;)
]]> The Seven O'Clock Club 216522321 Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.

In a perfectly ordinary building, four strangers who couldn't be more different meet for the first time. Their skepticism of this new kind of grief therapy—and the unnervingly perceptive group leader—means they're all wary, but as the weeks go by, they find themselves returning again and again, pulled to work toward healing, even if it means first facing the pain head-on.

A sharp-tongued lawyer who has no intention of letting down her walls, a fragile young woman looking for a place to belong, a musician at the top of his game who's one drink away from losing it all, and an interior designer facing the crumbling of her picture-perfect life—this unlikely group slowly opens up, not only to the possibility of a happier future but to friendship, change, and even romance.

When a shocking revelation reveals the real reason they were chosen for this group, it shakes the very foundation of what they thought they knew. What began as a journey designed to heal turns out to be a much greater test of friendship, strength, and love as they realize happiness is just outside the door...if they're brave enough to seek it.]]> 367 Amelia Ireland 0593952642 Terris 0 to-read 4.09 2025 The Seven O'Clock Club
author: Amelia Ireland
name: Terris
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Woodlanders 341281 here.

When country-girl Grace Melbury returns home from her middle-class school she feels she has risen above her suitor, the simple woodsman Giles Winterborne. Though marriage had been discussed between her and Giles, Grace finds herself captivated by Dr Edred Fitzpiers, a sophisticated newcomer to the area—a relationship that is encouraged by her socially ambitious father. Hardy's novel of betrayal, disillusionment and moral compromise depicts a secluded community coming to terms with the disastrous impact of outside influences. And in his portrayal of Giles Winterborne, Hardy shows a man who responds deeply to the forces of the natural world, thought they ultimately betray him.]]> 464 Thomas Hardy 0140435476 Terris 4 classics
It was beautifully written. There was lots of drama, quite a bit of excitement, and some mystery, in that the reader has no idea how it is going to end!

If you are a Hardy fan, you must read this one :)]]> 3.87 1887 The Woodlanders
author: Thomas Hardy
name: Terris
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1887
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: classics
review:
I enjoyed this Thomas Hardy classic full of love and heartbreak. But aren't all of Hardy's books full of love and heartbreak?! ;)

It was beautifully written. There was lots of drama, quite a bit of excitement, and some mystery, in that the reader has no idea how it is going to end!

If you are a Hardy fan, you must read this one :)
]]> <![CDATA[Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc - Vol I]]> 11481361 196 Mark Twain Terris 0 to-read 4.22 Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc - Vol I
author: Mark Twain
name: Terris
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lost Apothecary 53288434 A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them - setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders� that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive.]]> 301 Sarah Penner 0778311015 Terris 0 currently-reading 3.72 2021 The Lost Apothecary
author: Sarah Penner
name: Terris
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Memory Police 37004370
When a young woman who is struggling to maintain her career as a novelist discovers that her editor is in danger from the Memory Police, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards. As fear and loss close in around them, they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past.

A surreal, provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, The Memory Police is a stunning new work from one of the most exciting contemporary authors writing in any language.]]> 274 Yōko Ogawa 1101870605 Terris 4
It is the story of people living on an island and things start to get "disappeared." When they do -- such as "hats" -- the people just accept it, throw away all the hats, and forget that hats ever existed! :0
But there are some people on the island that don't forget, so they must go into hiding from "The Memory Police"!

I have read this author before and so enjoyed The Housekeeper and the Professor! This book was written in that same style, which I loved. But the story was very different!

I just finished, and am still not sure what to think. I'm going to have to stew over this one for awhile :)]]> 3.72 1994 The Memory Police
author: Yōko Ogawa
name: Terris
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:
Oh my! What an unusual story! Of course, it is science fiction, so I guess that was to be expected!

It is the story of people living on an island and things start to get "disappeared." When they do -- such as "hats" -- the people just accept it, throw away all the hats, and forget that hats ever existed! :0
But there are some people on the island that don't forget, so they must go into hiding from "The Memory Police"!

I have read this author before and so enjoyed The Housekeeper and the Professor! This book was written in that same style, which I loved. But the story was very different!

I just finished, and am still not sure what to think. I'm going to have to stew over this one for awhile :)
]]> <![CDATA[The Misses Mallett: The Bridge Dividing]]> 4771007 210 E.H. Young 1406937703 Terris 4 classics 3.62 1922 The Misses Mallett: The Bridge Dividing
author: E.H. Young
name: Terris
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1922
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: classics
review:
This was a sweet, and sometimes bittersweet, story about the four Misses Mallet -- some older, some younger -- who were all "in love with love," though it was often elusive.
]]> <![CDATA[Constable on the Hill (Constable Nick Mystery, #1)]]> 52255282
In the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside of the 1960s, Constable Nick's roles are as varied as the eccentric villagers.

He handles every encounter with his characteristic humour, humanity and professionalism.

His investigations include the case of a clever pony who keeps escaping, a woman running through town naked, and a pack of Canadian timber wolves hanging out in a bus shelter.

IT’S NOT THE BIG CITY BUT THE YORKSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE IS STILL FULL OF INCIDENT

He soon gets to know all the characters on his beat, from his superior officer Sergeant Blaketon to Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, whose lurcher Alfred lands him with a summons for “allowing a dog to worry livestock on agricultural land.� The ever-resourceful Claude Jeremiah offers the defence that Alfred's victim, a budgie, cannot be described as livestock!]]> 206 Nicholas Rhea Terris 4 3.83 1979 Constable on the Hill (Constable Nick Mystery, #1)
author: Nicholas Rhea
name: Terris
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
What a quaint, fun little series! Very similar in style to "All Creatures Great and Small," but the local constable is telling his stories as a young police officer. I will definitely read more of these :)
]]> High-Rise 12331767 208 J.G. Ballard 0871404028 Terris 2 sci-fi
My guess, is that the author was trying to show what ends up happening to people when they are left completely to their own devices, that they revert back to their most base natures.

But it was really hard for me to read because this was written in 1975, and supposedly semi-futuristic, and everything that happened went against my views of society -- thus, the "science fiction" label.... I think..... ;)

I didn't like it and was uncomfortable throughout, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. BUT it must have been good enough in someone's eyes because they made a movie of it in 2015, and it included actors like Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, and Keeley Hawes, among others!
In truth it might be a better movie than book!! I wanted to read something by Ballard, but I think I'll probably stay away from him in the future :p]]> 3.61 1975 High-Rise
author: J.G. Ballard
name: Terris
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1975
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: sci-fi
review:
This is one of the strangest books I've ever read! It is considered science fiction (thank goodness!), and is about a 40-storey high-rise where the residents, over time, form into what are equivalent to "tribes" (upper level, middle level, and lower level apartment dwellers) that fight against each other. They are nearly like jungle dwellers, with garbage everywhere; nonfunctioning facilities and utilities; fights over use of the elevators -- it is really strange!!! I kept thinking "Where are the police? Where are the ambulances? or any kind of authorities?!" And the people seem to be enjoying it!!!

My guess, is that the author was trying to show what ends up happening to people when they are left completely to their own devices, that they revert back to their most base natures.

But it was really hard for me to read because this was written in 1975, and supposedly semi-futuristic, and everything that happened went against my views of society -- thus, the "science fiction" label.... I think..... ;)

I didn't like it and was uncomfortable throughout, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. BUT it must have been good enough in someone's eyes because they made a movie of it in 2015, and it included actors like Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, and Keeley Hawes, among others!
In truth it might be a better movie than book!! I wanted to read something by Ballard, but I think I'll probably stay away from him in the future :p
]]> Dream State 215362651 “The story of relationships built and broken, mistakes inherited and repeated, and the beauty of trying again�.already one of the year’s best.”�People

Cece is in love. She has arrived early at her future in-laws� lake house in Salish, Montana, to finish planning her wedding to Charlie, a young doctor with a brilliant life ahead of him. Charlie has asked Garrett, his best friend from college, to officiate the ceremony, though Cece can’t imagine anyone more ill-suited for the task—an airport baggage handler haunted by a tragedy from his and Charlie’s shared past. But as Cece spends time with Garrett, his gruff mask slips, and she grows increasingly uncertain about her future. And why does Garrett, after meeting Cece, begin to feel, well, human again? As a contagious stomach flu threatens to scuttle the wedding, and Charlie and Garrett’s friendship is put to the ultimate test, Cece must decide between the life she’s dreamed of and a life she’s never imagined.

The events of that summer have long-lasting repercussions, not only on the three friends caught in its shadow but also on their children, who struggle to escape their parents� story. Spanning fifty years and set against the backdrop of a rapidly warming Montana, Dream State explores what it means to live with the mistakes of the past—both our own and the ones we’ve inherited.

Written with humor, precision, and enormous heart, both a love letter and an elegy to the American West, Dream State is a thrillingly ambitious ode to the power of friendship, the weird weather of marriage, and the beauty of impermanence.]]> 448 Eric Puchner 0385550669 Terris 0 to-read 3.61 2025 Dream State
author: Eric Puchner
name: Terris
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[To See the Invisible Man (CLASSIC SCIENCE FICTION)]]> 58877465 17 Robert Silverberg Terris 5 sci-fi
It is very interesting to go through this year of invisibility with the main character. And it really makes you think about how you would feel in the same situation, and what mental and psychological affect a year (or more) of being a complete social outcast would have on a person.

This one will make you think!]]> 4.33 To See the Invisible Man (CLASSIC SCIENCE FICTION)
author: Robert Silverberg
name: Terris
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: sci-fi
review:
This is an amazing short story about a time in the future when committing a crime (whatever may be considered a crime in the future!) is punished by making the person become "invisible." Not literally invisible, but to the community around them (the criminal is made to wear marker on their forehead). No one is allowed to acknowledge them in any way (under penalty of law) until they have completed their term of punishment and the marker is removed.

It is very interesting to go through this year of invisibility with the main character. And it really makes you think about how you would feel in the same situation, and what mental and psychological affect a year (or more) of being a complete social outcast would have on a person.

This one will make you think!
]]> The History of Mr. Polly 483583 227 H.G. Wells 0141441070 Terris 0 to-read 3.65 1910 The History of Mr. Polly
author: H.G. Wells
name: Terris
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1910
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Blue Is the Warmest Color 17465574 Blue is the Warmest Color is a graphic novel about growing up, falling in love, and coming out. Clementine is a junior in high school who seems average enough: she has friends, family, and the romantic attention of the boys in her school. When her openly gay best friend takes her out on the town, she wanders into a lesbian bar where she encounters Emma: a punkish, confident girl with blue hair. Their attraction is instant and electric, and Clementine find herself in a relationship that will test her friends, parents, and her own ideas about herself and her identity.]]> 156 Jul Maroh 1551525143 Terris 3 graphic-novel 3.89 2010 Blue Is the Warmest Color
author: Jul Maroh
name: Terris
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: graphic-novel
review:

]]> Marble Hall Murders 217432789 Murder links past and present once again in this mind-boggling metafictional mystery from Anthony Horowitz—another tribute to the golden age of Agatha Christie featuring detective Atticus Pund and editor Susan Ryland, stars of the New York Times bestsellers Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders.

Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel, and her Greek boyfriend Andreas in search of a new life back in England.

Freelancing for Causton Books, she’s working on the manuscript of a novel, Pund’s Last Case, by a young author named Eliot Crace, a continuation of the popular Alan Conway series.  Susan is surprised to learn that Eliot is the grandson of legendary children’s author Marian Crace, who died some fifteen years ago—murdered, Elliot insists, by poison.

As Susan begins to read the manuscript’s opening chapters, the skeptical editor is relieved to find that Pund’s Last Case is actually very good. Set in the South of France, it revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, who, though mortally ill, is poisoned—perhaps by a member of her own family. But who did it? And why?

The deeper Susan reads, the more it becomes clear that the clues leading to the truth of Marian Crace’s death are hidden within this Atticus Pund mystery.

While Eliot’s accusation becomes more plausible, his behavior grows increasingly erratic.. Then he is suddenly killed in a hit-and-run accident, and Susan finds herself under police scrutiny as a suspect in his killing.

Three mysterious deaths. Multiple motives and possible murderers. If Susan doesn’t solve the mystery of Pund’s Last Case, she may well be the next victim.]]> 592 Anthony Horowitz 0063305704 Terris 0 to-read 4.37 2025 Marble Hall Murders
author: Anthony Horowitz
name: Terris
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Labors of Hercules Beal 74864523 From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life--and makes discoveries about friendship, community, and himself along the way.

Herc Beal knows who he's named after--a mythical hero--but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod--and not a single Hydra in sight.

Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked. Soon, new friends, human and animal, are helping him. And though his mythical role model performed his twelve labors by himself, Herc begins to see that he may not have to go it alone.]]> 351 Gary D. Schmidt 0358659574 Terris 5 childrens-literature
It is the tale of middle-school-aged Hercules Beal. He and his older brother, Achilles, were named after mythical heroes by their parents. Unfortunately, these beloved parents have recently been killed in an auto accident. That leaves the two brothers to take care of themselves, which means running the family landscaping and plant nursery business. It also leaves them each grieving heavily for their parents.

As Hercules begins attending a new school, his ex-Marine teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, assigns his home room class a year-long mythology project, Hercules� task being to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules and present a year-end report. Therein begins Hercules� journey of learning to do difficult tasks, but also finding out that they need not be done alone. He begins to understand how to deal with his grief and sadness through the love and caring of others. With the help of Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer (who isn’t always very helpful!) and many friends and neighbors, Hercules has a very eventful and adventurous year.

Though this book could be sad, it is not (though there are a couple of places that could make you cry!). It is fast moving and in true Gary D. Schmidt style will make you laugh out loud at times.

This one is great for any age. Get it as soon as you can!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Gary D. Schmidt, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Update: I re-read this for book club. When I first read it, I gave it four stars. But on my second read I changed it to 5 stars!!! I really, really like this book -- the story, the characters, especially Hercules and Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer! Again, this is a good book for any age!! :)]]> 4.64 2023 The Labors of Hercules Beal
author: Gary D. Schmidt
name: Terris
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: childrens-literature
review:
This is another wonderful, heartrending, heartwarming, happy, sad, funny book by Gary D. Schmidt!!

It is the tale of middle-school-aged Hercules Beal. He and his older brother, Achilles, were named after mythical heroes by their parents. Unfortunately, these beloved parents have recently been killed in an auto accident. That leaves the two brothers to take care of themselves, which means running the family landscaping and plant nursery business. It also leaves them each grieving heavily for their parents.

As Hercules begins attending a new school, his ex-Marine teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, assigns his home room class a year-long mythology project, Hercules� task being to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules and present a year-end report. Therein begins Hercules� journey of learning to do difficult tasks, but also finding out that they need not be done alone. He begins to understand how to deal with his grief and sadness through the love and caring of others. With the help of Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer (who isn’t always very helpful!) and many friends and neighbors, Hercules has a very eventful and adventurous year.

Though this book could be sad, it is not (though there are a couple of places that could make you cry!). It is fast moving and in true Gary D. Schmidt style will make you laugh out loud at times.

This one is great for any age. Get it as soon as you can!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Gary D. Schmidt, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Update: I re-read this for book club. When I first read it, I gave it four stars. But on my second read I changed it to 5 stars!!! I really, really like this book -- the story, the characters, especially Hercules and Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer! Again, this is a good book for any age!! :)
]]> <![CDATA[Winner of the National Book Award]]> 60331 Winner of the National Book Award tells the story of twins who could not be more different. Abigail Mather is a woman of passionate sensual and sexual appetites, while her sister, the book loving local librarian Dorcas, lives a quiet life of the mind. But when the sisters are sought out by the predatory and famous poet, Guy DeVilbiss, who introduces them to Hollywood hack writer and possible psychopath Conrad Lowe, they rapidly become pawns in a game that leads to betrayal, shame and ultimately, murder.

Darkly comic and satirical, Jincy Willett's Winner of the National Book Award is unnervingly funny and disarmingly tender whether she is writing about sex, literary delusion or Yankee pretension.]]> 336 Jincy Willett 031242423X Terris 4 was for me :)]]> 3.33 2000 Winner of the National Book Award
author: Jincy Willett
name: Terris
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:
I loved this quirky, strange book! It adds to my respect and love for Jincy Willett's writing. It might not be for everyone -- but it was for me :)
]]> Life with Father 506871 Life with Father first appeared in the early 1930s, they played a large hand in keeping afloat a fledgling magazine called The New Yorker. Clarence Day's reminiscences of growing up in a turn-of-the-century New York household which keeps wriggling out from under the thumb of a blustering Wall Street paterfamilias are classics of American humor, lively and nostalgic sketches that still manage to evoke the enduring comedy of family life. Father's explosive encounters with horse and cook, servants and shopkeepers, wife and children—to say nothing of his vigorous pursuit of ice!—retain their hilarious appeal in no small part because the younger Day never seems put out by the older man's actions, never describes him with less than affectionate amusement. As a result, Life with Father remains as a contemporary critic described it: "A delightful book alive with energy and collisions and the running water of happiness."

A bestseller when it was first published in 1935, Life with Father was the inspiration for one of the longest-running hits in Broadway history and was later adapted successfully for both film and television.

Clarence Day was born in 1874. After graduation from Yale, he followed his father to Wall Street, but his business career was cut short by illness. Turning to writing and drawing, he became an early contributor to The New Yorker and authored several books, the most famous of which was Life with Father. Day died in December 1935, just a few months after Life with Father was published. Life with Mother appeared posthumously.

"A delightful book alive with energy and collisions and the running water of happiness."
—The New Republic

"One of the most chuckling books of our time."
—The Atlantic

"The only reason for reading Life with Father is the fun of it."
—New York Times

"Such a rich and rounded character as Father has not appeared in literature for many a year. A novelist would be ranked as a genius for inventing him; Clarence Day didn't need to."
Books

"It won't be so much fun reading Life with Father unless you have someone at hand to whom you can read snatches whenever enjoyment becomes too great to be self-contained any longer."
—Boston Transcript]]> 168 Clarence Day Jr. 1579124321 Terris 0 to-read 3.87 1935 Life with Father
author: Clarence Day Jr.
name: Terris
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1935
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Jupiter Rising 199531839 208 Gary D. Schmidt 0358659647 Terris 0 to-read 4.49 Jupiter Rising
author: Gary D. Schmidt
name: Terris
average rating: 4.49
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Voice in the Night 10256532 William Hope Hodgson Terris 4 classics 3.89 1907 The Voice in the Night
author: William Hope Hodgson
name: Terris
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1907
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: classics
review:

]]> The Magician 150555 Maugham’s enchanting tale of secrets and fatal attraction The Magician is one of Somerset Maugham’s most complex and perceptive novels. Running through it is the theme of evil, deftly woven into a story as memorable for its action as for its astonishingly vivid set of characters. In fin de siecle Paris, Arthur and Margaret are engaged to be married. Everyone approves and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves—until the menacing and repulsive Oliver Haddo appears.

]]> 240 W. Somerset Maugham 0143104896 Terris 4 3.60 1908 The Magician
author: W. Somerset Maugham
name: Terris
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1908
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: classics, catching-up-on-classics
review:
Wow -- this one was exciting! I did not expect this kind of story from Maugham!
]]> Thornyhold 141452
Alternate cover edition for this ISBN 9780773672611 is here]]> 207 Mary Stewart 0773672613 Terris 0 to-read 3.83 1988 Thornyhold
author: Mary Stewart
name: Terris
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Kilmeny of the Orchard 65769 A sweet and moving romance from the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series!

Eric Marshall, recent college graduate, has the world at his feet. He’s handsome, popular, wealthy, and surprisingly, single. Living the bachelor lifestyle with his widowed father, he’s never given much thought to romance. When an old school friend asks Eric to substitute teach for him on Prince Edward Island while he recuperates from an illness, Eric thinks, why not? He’s got some time to kill before diving into the family business with his father, and the rustic island may be a good diversion for him.

Eric falls into the easy routine of island life, and his status as eligible bachelor endears him to the locals. Eric is still not thinking of romance, but he’s about to find it in a most unexpected place�

Kilmeny Gordon is sweet and smart and beautiful, perfect in every way but one: she can’t speak. She’s been sheltered all her life due to her disability and the scandal surrounding her birth. She wiles away her hours helping her aunt and uncle on the farm and playing her violin in her favorite secluded spot. When Eric stumbles into her hidden orchard, he brings a whole new world with him, and a friendship that both frightens her and thrills her. As the summer days grow longer and their friendship blossoms, sweet, silent Kilmeny, with her sunny enthusiasm and haunting music, manages to do what neither the co-eds of Queenslea College nor the village lasses of Lindsay have been able to do—capture Eric’s heart.

But Kilmeny knows he’ll soon have to go back to his life on the mainland, a world of business meetings and parties and prejudicial people—a world in which she’ll hold him back and never fit in. None of that matters to Eric, but how can he get her to accept that she’s the only woman he’ll ever love, when she is convinced that the only way to love him is to let him go?]]> 144 L.M. Montgomery 0553213776 Terris 0 to-read 3.63 1910 Kilmeny of the Orchard
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Terris
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1910
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> What Does It Feel Like? 214312329
“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.

As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This short, extraordinary novel is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humor—it will both break your heart and put it back together again.

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”—Sophie Kinsella]]> 144 Sophie Kinsella 0593977564 Terris 5 I was so sorry to hear of her brain cancer diagnosis and all that she has gone through, and wish her all the best.]]> 4.25 2024 What Does It Feel Like?
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Terris
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
This is a very sad, but hopeful story told wonderfully in Sophie's trademark style.
I was so sorry to hear of her brain cancer diagnosis and all that she has gone through, and wish her all the best.
]]> The Unmaking of Rabbit 23794373 A lonely boy learns to come to terms with the challenges in his life Eleven-year-old Paul tells himself that it doesn’t matter that the kids call him Rabbit, or that he doesn’t have any real friends. He’s been living with his grandmother, but one day soon, he knows his mother will call and tell him to come live with her, and then his life can really begin. But somehow it looks more and more like that call may never come. When the opportunity arises to make some friends, Paul is thrilled—unless it means he’ll have to do something he knows is wrong. But when the unexpected happens, Paul decides it’s time for him to takes charge of his life, no matter what the cost.]]> 96 Constance C. Greene 1504000986 Terris 4 childrens-literature 4.00 1972 The Unmaking of Rabbit
author: Constance C. Greene
name: Terris
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1972
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: childrens-literature
review:
What a sweet book! This is a middle grade book about eleven-year-old Paul, who lives with his grandmother. This is a story of learning about life, how to deal with difficult situations, how to stand up to bullies, and making new friends. I loved Paul, and I really enjoyed this book!
]]> <![CDATA[Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)]]> 62047992 The moving international sensation about new beginnings, human connection, and the joy of reading.

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books.

Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier.

When Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop.

As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.]]> 150 Satoshi Yagisawa 0063278677 Terris 0 to-read 3.67 2010 Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)
author: Satoshi Yagisawa
name: Terris
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Punctuation to the Rescue 218525491
Question Mark—Punctuation to the Rescue is sure to capture children’s imaginations as they embark on a fun-filled adventure, while learning

basic punctuation through this very colorful and exciting story.



Exclamation Point is exasperated by how hard it is to do their job when they are so misused. The only way to get their “point� across is to leave! They decide that a sailing trip would be just the solution. Fresh sea air, new horizons to explore. Off to the Island of fun they go…until their sea voyage takes an unexpected turn.]]> 48 Cheryl Olsten 1733955143 Terris 0 to-read 4.11 Punctuation to the Rescue
author: Cheryl Olsten
name: Terris
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)]]> 199295788 In this charming and emotionally resonant follow up to the internationally bestselling Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa paints a poignant and thoughtful portrait of life, love, and how much books and bookstores mean to the people who love them.

Set again in the beloved Japanese bookshop and nearby coffee shop in the Jimbocho neighborhood of Toyko, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop deepens the relationship between Takako, her uncle Satoru , and the people in their lives. A new cast of heartwarming regulars have appeared in the shop, including an old man who wears the same ragged mouse-colored sweater and another who collects books solely for the official stamps with the author’s personal seal.

Satoshi Yagisawa illuminates the everyday relationships between people that are forged and grown through a shared love of books. As time passes, Satoru, with Takako’s help, must choose whether to keep the bookshop open or shutter its doors forever. Making the decision will take uncle and niece on an emotional journey back to their family’s roots and remind them again what a bookstore can mean to an individual, a neighborhood, and a whole culture.]]> 176 Satoshi Yagisawa 0063278715 Terris 0 to-read 3.90 2011 More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)
author: Satoshi Yagisawa
name: Terris
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Tramp Abroad 333033 288 Mark Twain 1406813052 Terris 4 classics
Overall it was very cute! But I was glad he didn't go on a lot longer. As much as I love Twain, a little goes a long way ;)

I'm glad I finally got to this one!]]> 3.86 1880 A Tramp Abroad
author: Mark Twain
name: Terris
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1880
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: classics
review:
I always enjoy Mark Twain and his playfulness with words and wonderful sense of humor. This embellished telling of a hiking trip in Europe goes to extremes in every way and often had me laughing! There were times when it was obvious that his use of language had not aged well (you know, the 1880 era compared to the present!), but only a couple of times.

Overall it was very cute! But I was glad he didn't go on a lot longer. As much as I love Twain, a little goes a long way ;)

I'm glad I finally got to this one!
]]> The Witch 25130532 A terrifying short story from Shirley Jackson, the master of the macabre tale.Shirley Jackson's chilling tales of creeping unease and random cruelty have the power to unsettle and terrify unlike any other. When her story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail. It became known as one of the greatest short stories ever written. Have you read her yet?'Shirley Jackson's stories are among the most terrifying ever written' Donna Tartt'An amazing writer ... if you haven't read any of her short stories ... you have missed out on something marvellous' Neil Gaiman'Her stories are stunning, timeless - as relevant and terrifying now as when they were first published ... 'The Lottery' is so much an icon in the history of the American short story that one could argue it has moved from the canon of American twentieth-century fiction directly into the American psyche, our collective unconscious' A. M. Homes Shirley Jackson was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the greatest American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five Hangsaman, The Bird's Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48.]]> 11 Shirley Jackson Terris 4 classics 3.60 1949 The Witch
author: Shirley Jackson
name: Terris
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1949
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/23
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: classics
review:
Whoa! This was a short one, but it was heavy duty! Shirley Jackson packs a punch!
]]> <![CDATA[The Crime at Black Dudley (Albert Campion Mystery, #1)]]> 76633
Luckily for Abbershaw, among the guests is Albert Campion—a garrulous and affable party-crasher with a great knack for solving mysteries and interrogating suspects.

The Crime at Black Dudley, first published in 1929, is the first novel to introduce Margery Allingham's amiable and much loved sleuth � Albert Campion.]]> 208 Margery Allingham 0140007709 Terris 4 I'm looking forward to that, though :)

I read this one because I had just read The Queens of Crime, and author Margery Allingham was one of the main characters -- I had not read anything by her, and, of course, I had to correct that right away! I'm glad I did. She fits right in with the other famous murder mystery writers of her era. I recommend her to you :)]]> 3.63 1929 The Crime at Black Dudley (Albert Campion Mystery, #1)
author: Margery Allingham
name: Terris
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1929
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this first book in the "Albert Campion Mystery" series. It is the introduction to Albert Campion, however, it was unusual in that he was not the main character, or the person who solved the mystery! I will say that he was quite a character in this English "house party murder mystery" but the reader only gets a small taste of his queer antics. I think I'll like him, but will have to read more of this series to really get to know him!
I'm looking forward to that, though :)

I read this one because I had just read The Queens of Crime, and author Margery Allingham was one of the main characters -- I had not read anything by her, and, of course, I had to correct that right away! I'm glad I did. She fits right in with the other famous murder mystery writers of her era. I recommend her to you :)
]]> <![CDATA[The Sea by John Banville (2005-06-03)]]> 128397581 0 John Banville Terris 0 to-read 3.20 2005 The Sea by John Banville (2005-06-03)
author: John Banville
name: Terris
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> High Rising (Barsetshire, #1) 835437
There is the middle-aged woman centrally involved in the events and activities around her; here, Laura Morland, a happily widowed author of very successful 'good bad books' (Thirkell herself?). A disappointed suitor and/or a brief, ill-conceived infatuation of younger man with older woman. At least two romances to work out—an older couple and a younger one—with mild crises along the way. A closing of ranks among the women vs the intruder nicknamed 'the Incubus' resolves both affairs to the satisfaction of all.

Especially delightful are the children, servants and other retainers; well defined characters in their own right; from motor-mouthed young Tony Morland and his model railways to housekeeper Stoker and her grapevine among the servants of the neighbourhood.]]> 233 Angela Thirkell 1559213051 Terris 0 to-read 3.75 1933 High Rising (Barsetshire, #1)
author: Angela Thirkell
name: Terris
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1933
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Voice in the Night 13406511 A VOICE IN THE NIGHT
by William Hope Hodgson

In this story, a schooner at sea ("becalmed in the Northern Pacific") is approached in the middle of "a dark, starless night" by a small rowboat. The passenger aboard the ship, who refuses to bring his boat close alongside and requests that the sailors on the schooner put away their lantern, tells a disturbing tale. Initially begging food for his fiancée, he receives a box of foodstuffs, floated to him in a wooden box. Later that same evening he returns to report that his fiancée is grateful for the food, but will soon die, and he tells the sailors his full story.

This story was adapted into the "Voice in the Night" episode of the 1958 TV series Suspicion. This was one of ten episodes of Suspicion made by Shamley Productions, the company established by Alfred Hitchcock to produce his television series. It was directed by Arthur Hiller from a script by Stirling Silliphant. It starred Barbara Rush, James Donald, Patrick McNee, and James Coburn.

It was also adapted into the 1963 Toho classic Matango/Attack of the Mushroom People. (Toho is the Japanese production company behind the Godzilla movies.)

4800 Words.]]> William Hope Hodgson Terris 0 to-read 4.00 1907 A Voice in the Night
author: William Hope Hodgson
name: Terris
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1907
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Chronicle of Barset (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #6)]]> 149789
Drawing on his own childhood experience of genteel poverty, Trollope gives a painstakingly realistic depiction of the trials of a family striving to maintain its standards at all costs. With its sensitive portrayal of the proud and self-destructive figure of Crawley, this final volume is the darkest and most complex of all the Barsetshire novels.]]> 890 Anthony Trollope 0140437525 Terris 0 to-read 4.16 1867 The Last Chronicle of Barset (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #6)
author: Anthony Trollope
name: Terris
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1867
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Dog of Flanders 753065 A Dog of Flanders,. First published in 1872, A Dog of Flanders tells the moving story of Nello, a gentle boy with aspirations of becoming a painter, and Patrasche � his devoted Belgian work dog. The two, along with Nello's grandfather, live in a little village near Antwerp where Nello's idol, the artist Rubens, once worked. Nello and Patrasche suffer countless hardships � poverty, hunger, cruelty, and rejection. But they persevere in the face of adversity, up to their tragic, bittersweet end.
Rich in the sentiment of its Romantic tradition, yet convincing in its portrayal of both human and animal nature, this touching classic has tugged at the heartstrings of readers and listeners alike for generations. It remains one of the nineteenth century's most imaginative and arresting works of fiction for children.]]> 80 Ouida 0486270874 Terris 4 classics 4.06 1872 A Dog of Flanders
author: Ouida
name: Terris
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1872
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: classics
review:
This is a very good story, but oh, so sad....
]]> The Angel at the Grave 21431025 34 Edith Wharton 1496122534 Terris 3 3.62 2014 The Angel at the Grave
author: Edith Wharton
name: Terris
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: catching-up-on-classics, classics
review:

]]> Raising Demons 131187 Life Among the Savages charmed thousands with its insightful wit and contrasting warmth. In this sequel, Shirley Jackson continues her affectionate, hilarious, sophisticated tale of dubious parental equilibrium in the face of four children, assorted dogs and cats, and the uncounted heaps of small intrusive possessions which pile up in corners everywhere.]]> 310 Shirley Jackson 0897334132 Terris 0 to-read 4.15 1957 Raising Demons
author: Shirley Jackson
name: Terris
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1957
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Egg and I (Betty MacDonald Memoirs, #1)]]> 23770
A beloved literary treasure for more than half a century, Betty MacDonald's The Egg and I is a heartwarming and uproarious account of adventure and survival on an American frontier.]]> 288 Betty MacDonald 0704102471 Terris 0 to-read 3.90 1945 The Egg and I (Betty MacDonald Memoirs, #1)
author: Betty MacDonald
name: Terris
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1945
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mountain Path 1179940 Harriette Simpson Arnow Terris 0 to-read 4.35 1985 Mountain Path
author: Harriette Simpson Arnow
name: Terris
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Unmaking of Rabbit 2412378 125 Constance C. Greene 0440487897 Terris 0 to-read 4.17 1972 The Unmaking of Rabbit
author: Constance C. Greene
name: Terris
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Queen of Spades 279614 52 Alexander Pushkin 1557424373 Terris 3 3.97 1834 The Queen of Spades
author: Alexander Pushkin
name: Terris
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1834
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: catching-up-on-classics, classics
review:

]]> A Lost Opportunity 7339471 56 Leo Tolstoy 1425468721 Terris 5 3.65 2000 A Lost Opportunity
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Terris
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: classics, catching-up-on-classics
review:
Wonderful story! A lesson for us all :)
]]> A Glass of Blessings 226971 256 Barbara Pym 0330334972 Terris 4 The story focuses on Wilmet, the main character, and her dealings with the church and people involved with the church (some who are fairly quirky!), though the book isn't about religion! All the while, she tries to figure out what she wants from her own life. But it is not heavy at all, and just calmly moves through Wilmet's life until she gets everything figured out!

It's a very nice story and confirms why Barbara Pym is one of my favorites writers :)]]> 3.91 1958 A Glass of Blessings
author: Barbara Pym
name: Terris
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves:
review:
I liked this one a lot, mostly because Barbara Pym's writing makes me feel peaceful and calm.
The story focuses on Wilmet, the main character, and her dealings with the church and people involved with the church (some who are fairly quirky!), though the book isn't about religion! All the while, she tries to figure out what she wants from her own life. But it is not heavy at all, and just calmly moves through Wilmet's life until she gets everything figured out!

It's a very nice story and confirms why Barbara Pym is one of my favorites writers :)
]]> Mockingbird 323172 288 Walter Tevis 0345431626 Terris 5 sci-fi
I highly recommend this one!]]> 4.11 1980 Mockingbird
author: Walter Tevis
name: Terris
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1980
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: sci-fi
review:
This is my favorite sci-fi book that I've read in the past few years! It really covers a lot of topics like politics, religion, education, sex, drugs -- just to name a few! And it's a good story! Walter Tevis does a good job with this one. He is just a great writer! It makes you think "What if this happened to our world in the future?"

I highly recommend this one!
]]> The Snow Child 33597976 423 Eowyn Ivey Terris 0 to-read 4.10 2012 The Snow Child
author: Eowyn Ivey
name: Terris
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Girl from the Grand Hotel 197789906 312 Camille Aubray Terris 3 3.63 2024 The Girl from the Grand Hotel
author: Camille Aubray
name: Terris
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Can You Forgive Her? (Palliser #1)]]> 374371 847 Anthony Trollope 0140430865 Terris 0 to-read 3.97 1865 Can You Forgive Her? (Palliser #1)
author: Anthony Trollope
name: Terris
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1865
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Queens of Crime 211003830 The Mystery of Mrs. Christie returns with a thrilling story of Christie’s legendary rival Dorothy Sayers, the race to solve a murder, and the power of friendship among women.

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers� own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.]]> 310 Marie Benedict 1250280753 Terris 4
I liked this one a lot!]]> 3.81 2025 The Queens of Crime
author: Marie Benedict
name: Terris
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:
I so enjoyed this historical fiction story of Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy working together to solve a real-life murder. It was so interesting how these mystery writers worked to gather evidence, follow the clues, and figure out who the murderer was -- even though no one wanted to listen to them!

I liked this one a lot!
]]> Creation Lake 207595731
“Sadie Smith� is how the narrator introduces herself to her lover, to the rural commune of French subversives on whom she is keeping tabs, and to the reader.

Sadie has met her love, Lucien, a young and well-born Parisian, by “cold bump”—making him believe the encounter was accidental. Like everyone Sadie targets, Lucien is useful to her and used by her. Sadie operates by strategy and dissimulation, based on what her “contacts”—shadowy figures in business and government—instruct. First, these contacts want her to incite provocation. Then they want more.

In this region of centuries-old farms and ancient caves, Sadie becomes entranced by a mysterious figure named Bruno Lacombe, a mentor to the young activists who communicates only by email. Bruno believes that the path to emancipation from what ails modern life is not revolt, but a return to the ancient past.

Just as Sadie is certain she’s the seductress and puppet master of those she surveils, Bruno Lacombe is seducing her with his ingenious counter-histories, his artful laments, his own tragic story.]]> 416 Rachel Kushner 1982116544 Terris 0 to-read 3.59 2024 Creation Lake
author: Rachel Kushner
name: Terris
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Book of Goose 59808607 A gripping, heartbreaking new novel about female friendship, art, and memory by the award-winning author of Where Reasons End.

Fabienne is dead. Her childhood best friend, Agnès, receives the news in America, far from the French countryside where the two girls were raised--the place that Fabienne helped Agnès escape ten years ago. Now, Agnès is free to tell her story.

As children in a war-ravaged, backwater town, they'd built a private world, invisible to everyone but themselves--until Fabienne hatched the plan that would change everything, launching Agnès on an epic trajectory through fame, fortune, and terrible loss.

A magnificent, beguiling tale winding from the postwar rural provinces to Paris, from an English boarding school to to the quiet Pennsylvania home where Agnès can live without her past, The Book of Goose is a haunting story of friendship, art, exploitation, and memory by the celebrated author Yiyun Li.]]> 348 Yiyun Li 037460634X Terris 0 to-read 3.67 2022 The Book of Goose
author: Yiyun Li
name: Terris
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> White Bird 42898923 Wonder story

In R. J. Palacio's bestselling collection of stories, Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian's grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère's heartrending how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.

Grandmère's harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything." With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Grandmère's story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by Wonder.]]> 220 R.J. Palacio 0525645551 Terris 5 childrens-literature 4.50 2019 White Bird
author: R.J. Palacio
name: Terris
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: childrens-literature
review:
What an amazing book!! Everyone should read this one -- Right Now!
]]> The Cricket on the Hearth 549938
The title creature is a sort of barometer of life at the home of John Peerybingle and his much younger wife Dot. When things go well, the cricket on the hearth chirps; it is silent when there is sorrow. Tackleton, a jealous old man, poisons John's mind about Dot, but the cricket through its supernatural powers restores John's confidence and all ends happily.]]> 82 Charles Dickens 0809500418 Terris 4 It's a very, very sweet story about couples in love that think that they are each cheating on each other, and there's a blind girl and a cricket, and then they're not cheating on each other, and they all live happily ever after....oh, sorry for the spoilers -- but it's Charles Dickens. What were you expecting?!
I don't mean to be flip about this story, but I really liked it and it put me in a good mood. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did ;)]]> 3.48 1845 The Cricket on the Hearth
author: Charles Dickens
name: Terris
average rating: 3.48
book published: 1845
rating: 4
read at: 2017/12/16
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: classics, catching-up-on-classics
review:
I loved this, and it made me realize how much I have been missing Charles Dickens (since I haven't read him for awhile)! I love his wordplay, fun with language, and his sense of humor overall.
It's a very, very sweet story about couples in love that think that they are each cheating on each other, and there's a blind girl and a cricket, and then they're not cheating on each other, and they all live happily ever after....oh, sorry for the spoilers -- but it's Charles Dickens. What were you expecting?!
I don't mean to be flip about this story, but I really liked it and it put me in a good mood. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did ;)
]]> Beautiful Ugly 211004123 The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists Alice Feeney returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage. . .
. . . and revenge.

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible � a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.]]> 306 Alice Feeney 125033778X Terris 4 3.63 2025 Beautiful Ugly
author: Alice Feeney
name: Terris
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
Another exciting book by Alice Feeney with lots of cliff-hangers and unexpected twists and turns!! Makes for a quick read!
]]> We All Live Here 213243915 The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family

Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is... complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.]]> 450 Jojo Moyes 1984879324 Terris 5
The story is about Lila, who recently went through a terrible divorce, when her husband left her for another (younger) woman. She is a successful author trying to keep up with her writing to support her family; she is dealing with her two young daughters; her stepfather moves in with them, as Lila's mother has recently passed away (before the book begins); and then her biological father shows up -- after 35 years!! AND, last but not least, they own a rather large dog who seems to bark loudly throughout the whole book. And, of course, there is a love interest, or maybe two ;)

It is a real three-ring circus of a story, but it is crazy and wonderful, and lovely! I will miss these characters, and I can imagine thinking of them later and wondering how they are all doing :)

I highly recommend this one!]]> 3.87 2025 We All Live Here
author: Jojo Moyes
name: Terris
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
I loved this one so much, it was hard to put down! I have read several books by Jojo Moyes, but this one is a little lighter, more fun and funny. I laughed, but also cried. I don't want to put it down in any way by saying it was kind of a "rom com," but -- it was kind of a "rom com"! However, Jojo Moyes is such a good writer that the situations and characters felt genuine, and you could feel their emotions as they each went through the dramas and joys of their lives.

The story is about Lila, who recently went through a terrible divorce, when her husband left her for another (younger) woman. She is a successful author trying to keep up with her writing to support her family; she is dealing with her two young daughters; her stepfather moves in with them, as Lila's mother has recently passed away (before the book begins); and then her biological father shows up -- after 35 years!! AND, last but not least, they own a rather large dog who seems to bark loudly throughout the whole book. And, of course, there is a love interest, or maybe two ;)

It is a real three-ring circus of a story, but it is crazy and wonderful, and lovely! I will miss these characters, and I can imagine thinking of them later and wondering how they are all doing :)

I highly recommend this one!
]]> Bernice Bobs Her Hair 80244 48 F. Scott Fitzgerald 1419109707 Terris 4 classics Loved this one! 3.92 1920 Bernice Bobs Her Hair
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Terris
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1920
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: classics
review:
Loved this one!
]]> <![CDATA[The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride]]> 39665277 234 Joe Siple Terris 0 to-read 4.61 2018 The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride
author: Joe Siple
name: Terris
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Children of God (The Sparrow, #2)]]> 16948 The Sparrow, took us on a journey to a distant planet and into the center of the human soul. A critically acclaimed bestseller, The Sparrow was chosen as one of Entertainment Weekly's Ten Best Books of the Year, a finalist for the Book-of-the-Month Club's First Fiction Prize and the winner of the James M. Tiptree Memorial Award. Now, in Children of God, Russell further establishes herself as one of the most innovative, entertaining and philosophically provocative novelists writing today.

The only member of the original mission to the planet Rakhat to return to Earth, Father Emilio Sandoz has barely begun to recover from his ordeal when the Society of Jesus calls upon him for help in preparing for another mission to Alpha Centauri. Despite his objections and fear, he cannot escape his past or the future.

Old friends, new discoveries and difficult questions await Emilio as he struggles for inner peace and understanding in a moral universe whose boundaries now extend beyond the solar system and whose future lies with children born in a faraway place.

Strikingly original, richly plotted, replete with memorable characters and filled with humanity and humor, Children of God is an unforgettable and uplifting novel that is a potent successor to The Sparrow and a startlingly imaginative adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell’s special literary magic.]]> 451 Mary Doria Russell 044900483X Terris 0 to-read 4.07 1998 Children of God (The Sparrow, #2)
author: Mary Doria Russell
name: Terris
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dream Count 219521090 A publishing event ten years in the making�a searing, exquisite new novel by the best-selling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists�the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires.

Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until � betrayed and brokenhearted � she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America � but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.

In Dream Count, Adichie trains her fierce eye on these women in a sparkling, transcendent novel that takes up the very nature of love itself. Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state? And how honest must we be with ourselves in order to love, and to be loved? A trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations on the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power. It confirms Adichie’s status as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape.]]> 416 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 059380273X Terris 3
Each woman has a very different story and different outlook on life. The three more wealthy and educated women are good friends and tell their stories of looking for love and meaning in life, whether it be helping needy people in America or Nigeria, or trying to figure what is most important to them, overall.

I always enjoy Adichie’s writing, and this was a good one that focused on women and their needs -- which seems to be very similar, no matter where they come from in the world.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Knopf for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.]]> 3.94 2025 Dream Count
author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
name: Terris
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:
This is the story of four Nigerian women and the way they live their lives. One was raised in America with close ties to Nigeria; two others were born and raised in Nigeria but educated in America; and another is raised in Nigeria but immigrates to America to try to create a better life for herself and her daughter, until a terrible tragedy changes everything.

Each woman has a very different story and different outlook on life. The three more wealthy and educated women are good friends and tell their stories of looking for love and meaning in life, whether it be helping needy people in America or Nigeria, or trying to figure what is most important to them, overall.

I always enjoy Adichie’s writing, and this was a good one that focused on women and their needs -- which seems to be very similar, no matter where they come from in the world.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Knopf for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
]]> The Husbands 193781998 An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.

As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?]]> 352 Holly Gramazio 0385550618 Terris 4 Then, he goes back up in the attic to get something and another man comes down in his place -- a different husband!! And each time the husband changes, Lauren's whole life changes: the decor of the house, her job, her hair! It's a little like time travel. She never knows if she'll have the same neighbors or friends, or if she might even have children!

As she investigates the attic, she hears a crackling sound and the lights flicker, but she still can't figure out what's going on. So the story begins, with a different man coming out of the attic every few days. And if Lauren doesn't like him she just has him go back up into the attic "to get something for her" and a different man comes out!

It is a very interesting story. There isn't a lot of explanation or much purpose, as far as I could tell. But it was still light and fun, and mindboggling! And it made you think about the concept of being able to send back a "husband" -- would you do it if you could?! ;) haha!

It was a fun story!]]> 3.50 2024 The Husbands
author: Holly Gramazio
name: Terris
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:
This was a cute, but quite unbelievable, story about a woman, Lauren, whose husband comes down out of the attic -- a man she's never seen before.....
Then, he goes back up in the attic to get something and another man comes down in his place -- a different husband!! And each time the husband changes, Lauren's whole life changes: the decor of the house, her job, her hair! It's a little like time travel. She never knows if she'll have the same neighbors or friends, or if she might even have children!

As she investigates the attic, she hears a crackling sound and the lights flicker, but she still can't figure out what's going on. So the story begins, with a different man coming out of the attic every few days. And if Lauren doesn't like him she just has him go back up into the attic "to get something for her" and a different man comes out!

It is a very interesting story. There isn't a lot of explanation or much purpose, as far as I could tell. But it was still light and fun, and mindboggling! And it made you think about the concept of being able to send back a "husband" -- would you do it if you could?! ;) haha!

It was a fun story!
]]> Truly Madly Guilty 27831371 The electrifying new novel from the international bestselling author, Liane Moriarty

Despite their differences, Erika and Clementine have been best friends since they were children. So when Erika needs help, Clementine should be the obvious person to turn to. Or so you'd think.

For Clementine, as a mother of a two desperately trying to practise for the audition of a lifetime, the last thing she needs is Erika asking for something, again.

But the barbecue should be the perfect way to forget their problems for a while. Especially when their hosts, Vid and Tiffany, are only too happy to distract them.

Which is how it all spirals out of control...

]]> 517 Liane Moriarty 1250069815 Terris 4 3.59 2016 Truly Madly Guilty
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Terris
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre (Fairacre Series #17)]]> 668993 176 Miss Read 0618155880 Terris 4 4.10 1989 Mrs. Pringle of Fairacre (Fairacre Series #17)
author: Miss Read
name: Terris
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Small House at Allington (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #5)]]> 144463 The Small House at Allington is the fifth book in Anthony Trollope's Barchester series. As with all of Trollope, it is beautifully written and draws the reader into its many interwoven tales.

Former Prime Minister John Major declared this particular novel to be his favourite book of all time, and in doing so, he was joining the good company of the countless Trollope fans who have ensured this work's lasting fame, and helped to enshrine its place as a literary classic.

]]> 695 Anthony Trollope 0140433252 Terris 4 classics 4.05 1864 The Small House at Allington (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #5)
author: Anthony Trollope
name: Terris
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1864
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: classics
review:
I enjoyed this one but it was very different than I was expecting! I will definitely read the last book to finish this series :)
]]> <![CDATA[Six Characters in Search of an Author]]> 741618 Six Characters in Search of an Author, embodies the Nobel Prize-winning playwright's innovations by presenting an open-ended drama on a stage without sets.
First performed in 1923, this intellectual comedy introduces six individuals to a stage where a company of actors has assembled for a rehearsal. Claiming to be the incomplete, unused creations of an author's imagination, they demand lines for a story that will explain the details of their lives. In ensuing scenes, these "real-life characters," all professing to be part of an extended family, produce a drama of sorts � punctuated by disagreements, interruptions, and arguments. In the end they are dismissed by the irate manager, their dilemma unsolved and the "truth" a matter of individual viewpoints.
A tour de force exploring the many faces of reality, this classic is now available in an inexpensive edition that will be welcomed by amateur theatrical groups as well as by students of drama.]]> 64 Luigi Pirandello 0486299929 Terris 0 to-read 3.82 1921 Six Characters in Search of an Author
author: Luigi Pirandello
name: Terris
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1921
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Al Capone Does My Shirts (Tales from Alcatraz)]]> 907375
Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island with their families. Choldenko's second novel brings humor to the complexities of family dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the good boy stance he's taken his whole life.]]> 240 Gennifer Choldenko 0399238611 Terris 4 ya-middle-grade really how "not" to deal with the convicts. He also has an autistic sister that he has to take care of quite a bit, which eats into his baseball games with his pals. Though he loves his sister, he is not happy about that!

There is tension in this book between family members, friends, and neighbors. And there is a lot of talk about Al Capone -- will they ever see him? can they get a message to him? and -- will he be doing their laundry?!

But overall, it is a light, fun book with some excitement, some laughter, and some tears -- and quite the ending! I love that the "Author's Note" gives some of the history of Alcatraz. Also, as she has an autistic sister who is very special to her, Gennifer Choldenko's personal life experience adds to this wonderful story.

I highly recommend this book to all ages. I learned a lot -- and I'm quite a bit over 12 years old! ;)]]> 3.99 2004 Al Capone Does My Shirts (Tales from Alcatraz)
author: Gennifer Choldenko
name: Terris
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: ya-middle-grade
review:
I really enjoyed this story of the Flanagan family who moves to Alcatraz Island in the 1930s so that Mr. Flanagan can work at the prison. Twelve-year-old "Moose" Flanagan makes friends with the other children who live on the island, but he has a lot to learn about how, or really how "not" to deal with the convicts. He also has an autistic sister that he has to take care of quite a bit, which eats into his baseball games with his pals. Though he loves his sister, he is not happy about that!

There is tension in this book between family members, friends, and neighbors. And there is a lot of talk about Al Capone -- will they ever see him? can they get a message to him? and -- will he be doing their laundry?!

But overall, it is a light, fun book with some excitement, some laughter, and some tears -- and quite the ending! I love that the "Author's Note" gives some of the history of Alcatraz. Also, as she has an autistic sister who is very special to her, Gennifer Choldenko's personal life experience adds to this wonderful story.

I highly recommend this book to all ages. I learned a lot -- and I'm quite a bit over 12 years old! ;)
]]> <![CDATA[Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)]]> 214151311 A cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears

1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent. A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests—but when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.]]> 325 Jess Kidd 1668034034 Terris 0 to-read 3.88 2025 Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)
author: Jess Kidd
name: Terris
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Travelling Cat Chronicles 39508663 A life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice, The Travelling Cat Chronicles shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy.

We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts . . .

An instant international bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe . . .

With his crooked tail--a sign of good fortune--and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.]]> 277 Hiro Arikawa 0451491335 Terris 0 to-read 4.38 2012 The Travelling Cat Chronicles
author: Hiro Arikawa
name: Terris
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Cher: The Memoir, Part 1 214363953
After more than seventy years of fighting to live her life on her own terms, Cher finally reveals her true story in intimate detail, in a two-part memoir.

Her remarkable career is unique and unparalleled. The only woman to top Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, she is the winner of an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, and an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame who has been lauded by the Kennedy Center.

She is a lifelong activist and philanthropist.

As a dyslexic child who dreamed of becoming famous, Cher was raised in often-chaotic circumstances, surrounded by singers, actors, and a mother who inspired her in spite of their difficult relationship.

With her trademark honesty and humor, Cher: The Memoir traces how this diamond in the rough succeeded with no plan and little confidence to become the trailblazing superstar the world has been unable to ignore for more than half a century.

Cher: The Memoir, Part One follows her extraordinary beginnings through childhood to meeting and marrying Sonny Bono—and reveals the highly complicated relationship that made them world-famous, but eventually drove them apart.

Cher: The Memoir reveals the daughter, the sister, the wife, the lover, the mother, and the superstar.

It is a life too immense for only one book.]]> 432 Cher 0008355371 Terris 4
I also liked the tone of the book. In my opinion, Cher can sometimes come off as kind of snarky, but in this book she was not. She sounded humble, and seemed like she wanted to be respectful of other celebrities that she talked about (and there were a lot of them!). This did not feel like a "tell-all" book, and I liked that.

The only thing that bothered me was that it was a little too detailed, and that took me awhile to get used to. It could have been edited down some to make it less wordy, especially at the beginning. But otherwise, I loved it!

This book ends right before her movie career starts. So, I'm surprised to hear myself saying "I'm looking forward to reading Part 2!"]]> 4.23 2024 Cher: The Memoir, Part 1
author: Cher
name: Terris
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/12
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:
I was not sure I wanted to read Cher's memoir, but I'm really glad I did! I liked going through the years with her, learning about her young life, how she met Sonny, and how they first became famous. It was all very interesting, especially the part when she and Sonny broke up. But I enjoyed hearing her tell about how much she always loved him, even when she hated him! They were always very close.

I also liked the tone of the book. In my opinion, Cher can sometimes come off as kind of snarky, but in this book she was not. She sounded humble, and seemed like she wanted to be respectful of other celebrities that she talked about (and there were a lot of them!). This did not feel like a "tell-all" book, and I liked that.

The only thing that bothered me was that it was a little too detailed, and that took me awhile to get used to. It could have been edited down some to make it less wordy, especially at the beginning. But otherwise, I loved it!

This book ends right before her movie career starts. So, I'm surprised to hear myself saying "I'm looking forward to reading Part 2!"
]]> How to Age Disgracefully 199605519
When Lydia takes a job running the Senior Citizens� Social Club three afternoons a week, she assumes she’ll be spending her time drinking tea and playing gentle games of cards.

The members of the Social Club, however, are not at all what Lydia was expecting. From Art, a failed actor turned kleptomaniac to Daphne, who has been hiding from her dark past for decades to Ruby, a Banksy-style knitter who gets revenge in yarn, these seniors look deceptively benign—but when age makes you invisible, secrets are so much easier to hide.

When the city council threatens to sell the doomed community center building, the members of the Social Club join forces with their tiny friends in the daycare next door—as well as the teenaged father of one of the toddlers and a geriatric dog—to save the building. Together, this group’s unorthodox methods may actually work, as long as the police don’t catch up with them first.]]> 337 Clare Pooley 0593831497 Terris 4
There is a new Senior Citizens Club advertised at the Community Center, Daphne decides to join -- she has not been out of her apartment for 15 years�

At the Community Center Daphne meets: Art, whose problem is sticky fingers; Lydia (the group leader), whose problem is her wayward, and sometimes abusive, husband; Ziggy, a high school student, who is a single father in need of day care for his baby daughter; Ruby and Anna, who are the funniest, quirkiest old ladies!; and “Margaret Thatcher�; oh yeah, that’s the dog of one of the other members of the club (poor woman, you won’t believe what happens to her at the very first club meeting -- and I’m not telling!!). And, of course, Daphne has a whole set of worries of her own to work out.

But the main problem is that the city council has decided to tear down the Community Center, which is much beloved and needed by the local citizens, and build a “luxury development.� And this zany group of people decides that they must save the Community Center from being destroyed.

So, just start reading, get to know all your new friends, and let the fun begin! But hold on, because it’s quite a ride ;)

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Clare Pooley, and Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Update after 2nd read: I enjoyed this book so much that I chose it for my local Book Club's monthly read. I re-read it to review the story and enjoyed it all over again! And it was fun to re-read it because there were favorite parts that I really looked forward to. It is just a fun book!! :)]]> 4.12 2024 How to Age Disgracefully
author: Clare Pooley
name: Terris
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:
This is such an entertaining book with lots of fun, quirky characters, each with their own set of problems to be solved. Thank goodness they can help each other work things out!

There is a new Senior Citizens Club advertised at the Community Center, Daphne decides to join -- she has not been out of her apartment for 15 years�

At the Community Center Daphne meets: Art, whose problem is sticky fingers; Lydia (the group leader), whose problem is her wayward, and sometimes abusive, husband; Ziggy, a high school student, who is a single father in need of day care for his baby daughter; Ruby and Anna, who are the funniest, quirkiest old ladies!; and “Margaret Thatcher�; oh yeah, that’s the dog of one of the other members of the club (poor woman, you won’t believe what happens to her at the very first club meeting -- and I’m not telling!!). And, of course, Daphne has a whole set of worries of her own to work out.

But the main problem is that the city council has decided to tear down the Community Center, which is much beloved and needed by the local citizens, and build a “luxury development.� And this zany group of people decides that they must save the Community Center from being destroyed.

So, just start reading, get to know all your new friends, and let the fun begin! But hold on, because it’s quite a ride ;)

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Clare Pooley, and Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Update after 2nd read: I enjoyed this book so much that I chose it for my local Book Club's monthly read. I re-read it to review the story and enjoyed it all over again! And it was fun to re-read it because there were favorite parts that I really looked forward to. It is just a fun book!! :)
]]> Death of the Author 214283593 The future of storytelling is here.

Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she's suddenly dropped from her university job and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister's wedding, her life is upended. Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she's not sure what comes next.

In her hotel room that night, she takes the risk that will define her life - she decides to write a book VERY unlike her others. A science fiction drama about androids and AI after the extinction of humanity. And everything changes.

What follows is a tale of love and loss, fame and infamy, of extraordinary events in one world, and another. And as Zelu's life evolves, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world.]]> 448 Nnedi Okorafor 0063391147 Terris 3 sci-fi
I know others really enjoyed this book. I just didn’t.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Nnedi Okorafor, and William Morrow for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
]]> 4.10 2025 Death of the Author
author: Nnedi Okorafor
name: Terris
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: sci-fi
review:
I had high expectations for this book. I chose it because it was being touted as an interesting new sci-fi book. But I didn’t like it and don’t recommend it. The main character was unlikeable, and she had a toxic family that was almost unbearable, so I was uncomfortable throughout most of the 448 page book. I was going to give this book two stars. Thankfully, there was a BIG, surprising twist at the end that redeemed it and changed the whole book, and now I’ll give it three stars. At least I feel a little better because of the unexpected ending.

I know others really enjoyed this book. I just didn’t.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Nnedi Okorafor, and William Morrow for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

]]> <![CDATA[Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)]]> 40604658
Until something goes wrong. . . .

In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying technothriller.]]> 450 Michael Crichton 0307763056 Terris 0 to-read 4.38 1990 Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)
author: Michael Crichton
name: Terris
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> All Boys Aren’t Blue 44280883
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.]]> 304 George M. Johnson 0374312710 Terris 4 4.19 2020 All Boys Aren’t Blue
author: George M. Johnson
name: Terris
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Rose Cottage 116342 264 Mary Stewart 0449000613 Terris 0 to-read 3.53 1997 Rose Cottage
author: Mary Stewart
name: Terris
average rating: 3.53
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Doll 41805378
Lost for more than 70 years, this dark story of a man's obsessive passion for Rebecca, a mysterious violinist, hasn't been published since it appeared in a small collection in 1937.

In 'The Doll', a waterlogged notebook is washed ashore. Its pages tell a dark story of obsession and jealousy. But the fate of its narrator is a mystery.]]> Daphne du Maurier Terris 3 classics 3.39 The Doll
author: Daphne du Maurier
name: Terris
average rating: 3.39
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/02
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: classics
review:
Very interesting and, IMO, unusual for Daphne du Maurier. Could almost be classified in the sci-fi category!
]]> Wise Children 721867 240 Angela Carter 014017530X Terris 0 to-read 3.93 1991 Wise Children
author: Angela Carter
name: Terris
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> French Exit 36300687 From bestselling author Patrick deWitt, a brilliant and darkly comic novel about a wealthy widow and her adult son who flee New York for Paris in the wake of scandal and financial disintegration

Frances Price � tart widow, possessive mother, and Upper East Side force of nature � is in dire straits, beset by scandal and impending bankruptcy. Her adult son Malcolm is no help, mired in a permanent state of arrested development. And then there’s the Prices' aging cat, Small Frank, who Frances believes houses the spirit of her late husband, an infamously immoral litigator and world-class cad whose gruesome tabloid death rendered Frances and Malcolm social outcasts.

Putting penury and pariahdom behind them, the family decides to cut their losses and head for the exit. One ocean voyage later, the curious trio land in their beloved Paris, the City of Light serving as a backdrop not for love or romance, but self destruction and economical ruin � to riotous effect. A number of singular characters serve to round out the cast: a bashful private investigator, an aimless psychic proposing a seance, a doctor who makes house calls with his wine merchant in tow, and the inimitable Mme. Reynard, aggressive houseguest and dementedly friendly American expat.

Brimming with pathos and wit, French Exit is a one-of-a-kind ‘tragedy of manners,� a riotous send-up of high society, as well as a moving mother/son caper which only Patrick deWitt could conceive and execute]]> 256 Patrick deWitt 0062846949 Terris 4 3.54 2018 French Exit
author: Patrick deWitt
name: Terris
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves:
review:
This one was quirky and unusual, but I loved it! Frances is a character you think you might hate -- but you don't! It is just a very interesting book. It's been on my "list" for a long time, I'm glad I finally got to it! I will definitely read more Patrick deWitt!
]]> The Sound of Waves 62805 The Sound of Waves is a timeless story of first love. It tells of Shinji, a young fisherman and Hatsue, the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest man in the village. Shinji is entranced at the sight of Hatsue in the twilight on the beach and they fall in love. When the villagers' gossip threatens to divide them, Shinji must risk his life to prove his worth.]]> 183 Yukio Mishima 0099289989 Terris 4
The story is told by this Japanese author of the 1950s in a peaceful style, with nice descriptions of the little island and the village in which they live. But though it is told in a calm way, the tension can be felt right up to the end.

In enjoyed this one!]]> 3.78 1954 The Sound of Waves
author: Yukio Mishima
name: Terris
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1954
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: classics, catching-up-on-classics
review:
This is a sweet, but slightly dramatic tale about a young Japanese couple who wish to marry. But within their small fishing village, jealousy and gossip arise, keeping them apart. Will her father agree to their union? Will their great love live on?

The story is told by this Japanese author of the 1950s in a peaceful style, with nice descriptions of the little island and the village in which they live. But though it is told in a calm way, the tension can be felt right up to the end.

In enjoyed this one!
]]> <![CDATA[The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story]]> 25362017
As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal totalitarian regime. Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famine of the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. Given the repression, poverty and starvation she witnessed surely her country could not be, as she had been told “the best on the planet�?

Aged seventeen, she decided to escape North Korea. She could not have imagined that it would be twelve years before she was reunited with her family.

She could not return, since rumours of her escape were spreading, and she and her family could incur the punishments of the government authorities � involving imprisonment, torture, and possible public execution. Hyeonseo instead remained in China and rapidly learned Chinese in an effort to adapt and survive. Twelve years and two lifetimes later, she would return to the North Korean border in a daring mission to spirit her mother and brother to South Korea, on one of the most arduous, costly and dangerous journeys imaginable.

This is the unique story not only of Hyeonseo’s escape from the darkness into the light, but also of her coming of age, education and the resolve she found to rebuild her life � not once, but twice � first in China, then in South Korea. Strong, brave and eloquent, this memoir is a triumph of her remarkable spirit.]]> 304 Hyeonseo Lee 0007554834 Terris 0 to-read 4.36 2014 The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story
author: Hyeonseo Lee
name: Terris
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The House of the Dead 17877 As with a number of the author's other works, this profoundly influential novel brilliantly explores his characters' thoughts while probing the depths of the human soul. Describing in relentless detail the physical and mental suffering of the convicts, Dostoyevsky's character never loses faith in human qualities and the goodness of man.
A haunting and remarkable work filled with wonder and resignation, The House of the Dead ranks among the Russian novelist's greatest masterpieces. Of this powerful autobiographical novel, Tolstoy wrote, "I know no better book in all modern literature."]]> 247 Fyodor Dostoevsky 0486434095 Terris 5
I was first became interested in this setting after I read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who also spent time in a Siberian labor camp. It was amazing to me how he described the prisoners' day to day life.

Though, both of these books are listed as "fiction," these authors have used their own personal experiences to tell of life in Siberian prison camps. Each of their stories is so interesting and amazing -- I highly recommend both books!]]> 4.07 1861 The House of the Dead
author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
name: Terris
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1861
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: catching-up-on-classics, classics
review:
I really enjoyed Dostoevsky's semi-autobiographical book about a man who spends ten years of his life in a Siberian prison for murdering his wife. It is so interesting to see what the prison life is like there -- not what you'd expect, though some things might be better, and some worse, than a person's imaginations!

I was first became interested in this setting after I read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who also spent time in a Siberian labor camp. It was amazing to me how he described the prisoners' day to day life.

Though, both of these books are listed as "fiction," these authors have used their own personal experiences to tell of life in Siberian prison camps. Each of their stories is so interesting and amazing -- I highly recommend both books!
]]> <![CDATA[How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do—and What It Says About You]]> 43261199
We gravitate toward people like us; it’s human nature. Race, class, and gender shape our social identities, and thus who we perceive as “like us� or “not like us�. But one overlooked factor can be even more powerful: the way we speak. As the pioneering psychologist Katherine Kinzler reveals in How You Say It, the way we talk is central to our social identity because our speech largely reflects the voices we heard as children. We can change how we speak to some extent, whether by “code-switching� between dialects or learning a new language; over time, your speech even changes to reflect your evolving social identity and aspirations. But for the most part, we are forever marked by our native tongue—and are hardwired to prejudge others by theirs, often with serious consequences.

Your accent alone can determine the economic opportunity or discrimination you encounter in life, making speech one of the most urgent social-justice issues of our day. Our linguistic differences present challenges, Kinzler shows, but they also can be a force for good. Humans can benefit from being exposed to multiple languages —a paradox that should inspire us to master this ancient source of tribalism, and rethink the role that speech plays in our society.]]> 256 Katherine D. Kinzler 0544986555 Terris 5
Read this one. I think you'll be amazed!]]> 3.76 2020 How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do—and What It Says About You
author: Katherine D. Kinzler
name: Terris
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
This is a wonderful book if you love words, accents, and languages, and how they affect our communication, and sometimes even cause prejudice :o

Read this one. I think you'll be amazed!
]]> The Wedding People 198902277 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250899576.

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.]]> 384 Alison Espach Terris 4
Wait!! I can't tell you! It would give away all the fun! You should read it. I think you'll like it!]]> 4.11 2024 The Wedding People
author: Alison Espach
name: Terris
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:
This one is really fun -- it is a light, easy read that includes some interesting insights into how we live our lives. But it's mainly about Phoebe, staying at a hotel where a couple is planning to get married, and Phoebe meets the bride in the elevator, and as they start talking Phoebe says ".....

Wait!! I can't tell you! It would give away all the fun! You should read it. I think you'll like it!
]]> Loving 864779 Alternate cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

Bettina Daniels lived a fairytale existence of glamour, endless parties, and luxury among America's top celebrities--simply because she was the beautiful daughter of famous American author Justin Daniels. Then, in one moment of tragedy, her father was dead, and Bettina discovered the truth--he had spent every dime he'd ever earned and run up millions in debt. At eighteen, penniless and alone, she had lost everything except her father's dearest friend, Ivo Stewart. A wealthy, handsome publisher of sixty-two, he offered Bettina a way out: marriage. But only for a time. What lay ahead for Bettina was a life filled with shocks and surprises--and eventually a chance to become a playwright, and a writer like her father. Having learned her lessons dearly, Bettina blossoms into her own person at last.]]> 384 Danielle Steel 0440146577 Terris 0 3.67 Loving
author: Danielle Steel
name: Terris
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Letters of a Woman Homesteader]]> 685735
A series of letters make for a fascinating narrative and descriptive journal of Mrs. Stewart's life, moving from the city to a Wyoming homestead, marrying and still having the determination to homestead on her own. Stewart's captivating missives bring to full life the beauty, isolation, and joys of working the prairie.]]> 320 Elinore Pruitt Stewart 0395911516 Terris 4 3.89 1914 Letters of a Woman Homesteader
author: Elinore Pruitt Stewart
name: Terris
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1914
rating: 4
read at: 2012/03/19
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
review:

]]> The Guest List 52656911
The bride � The plus one � The best man � The wedding planner � The bridesmaid � The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?]]> 319 Lucy Foley Terris 4 3.82 2020 The Guest List
author: Lucy Foley
name: Terris
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood]]> 29780253
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents� indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.]]> 289 Trevor Noah 0385689225 Terris 5
I really liked this one!]]> 4.48 2016 Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
author: Trevor Noah
name: Terris
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2021/04/08
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:
I loved the way Trevor wrote about his life and growing up in South Africa. It is an amazing story, even a surprise that he survived his childhood! But what is more surprising is how he makes it so entertaining! He is not sorry for himself, and uses each situation as a positive, a way for him to grow and learn.

I really liked this one!
]]> The Heartbeat Library 207003910 Nel sud-ovest del Giappone, in una pozza di mare condivisa da due province, Kagawa e Okayama, nuota un'isoletta unica al mondo: Teshima. Sulla punta orientale dell'isola, sorge un minuscolo edificio in cui sono catalogate le pulsazioni del cuore di decine di migliaia di persone, alcune vive altre già ombre, provenienti dai luoghi più disparati del pianeta. Si chiama Shinzō-on no Ākaibu, l'Archivio dei Battiti del Cuore.

Alle porte di Tōkyō, in una cittadina lambita dall'oceano e circondata dalle montagne, sorge la casa dove Shūichi ha trascorso l'infanzia e dove ha appena fatto ritorno. Shūichi è un noto illustratore, ha quarant'anni e una cicatrice in mezzo al petto. È ossessionato dal proprio cuore che si ausculta ogni sera e dalle memorie confuse che ha del passato. Sua madre, per proteggerlo dai dispiaceri, ne ha manipolato i ricordi d'infanzia: di tutti i suoi piccoli drammi gli ha sempre raccontato una versione migliore. Ma se non si ha la certezza di aver sofferto in passato e di avercela fatta, da dove si ricava il coraggio di tentare ancora? È allora che Shūichi si accorge di un misterioso bambino che si aggira intorno alla casa.

Questa strana presenza fa nascere in Shūichi molte domande: chi e quel bambino che lo osserva e perché ha scelto la sua casa? E soprattutto: come si pesca un pesce-bambino? Shūichi scopre che il pesce-bambino si chiama Kenta, ha otto anni e vive prodigiose avventure nella solitudine più assoluta. Ma il pesce-bambino che
è Kenta e il disegnatore surfista che è Shūichi, stringono giorno dopo giorno una straordinaria amicizia e quell'incontro cambierà per sempre la loro vita. Li porterà in un luogo che batte al ritmo del cuore, pronunciato in tutte le lingue del mondo. È Teshima, un'isoletta remota nel sud-ovest del Giappone, dove sorge l'Archivio dei Battiti del Cuore.

Dopo Quel che affidiamo al vento, Laura Imai Messina torna a un luogo incredibile eppure reale del Giappone. E, nel viaggio in cui ci conduce, ci permette di avvicinarci a un modo diverso di concepire la vita e i suoi smarrimenti. Ma soprattutto ci dona una delle chiavi essenziali per interpretare il presente: quella per ritrovare la felicita perduta.]]> 400 Laura Imai Messina 141977249X Terris 0 to-read 3.99 2022 The Heartbeat Library
author: Laura Imai Messina
name: Terris
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Winter Dreams 815356 48 F. Scott Fitzgerald 1419194348 Terris 0 to-read 3.78 1922 Winter Dreams
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Terris
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1922
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
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