Nicole's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 05 Apr 2025 16:20:46 -0700 60 Nicole's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg This Is Happiness 42972008
For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living. But now � just as Father Coffey proclaims the coming of the electricity � the rain clouds are lifting. Seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe is idling in the unexpected sunshine when Christy makes his first entrance into Faha, bringing secrets he needs to atone for. Though he can't explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed.

As the people of Faha anticipate the endlessly procrastinated advent of the electricity, and Noel navigates his own coming-of-age and his fallings in and out of love, Christy's past gradually comes to light, casting a new glow on a small world.

Harking back to a simpler time, This Is Happiness is a tender portrait of a community � its idiosyncrasies and traditions, its paradoxes and kindnesses, its failures and triumphs � and a coming-of-age tale like no other. Luminous and lyrical, yet anchored by roots running deep into the earthy and everyday, it is about the power of stories: their invisible currents that run through all we do, writing and rewriting us, and the transforming light that they throw onto our world.]]> 400 Niall Williams 163557420X Nicole 2 4.18 2019 This Is Happiness
author: Niall Williams
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
I never would have finished this if we weren't reading it for book club. It was just too long, too boring, too pointless. The last fourth of the book actually finally had a plot, but after talking pages and pages to get there, Williams tied up some plot points too abruptly. Not recommended.
]]> The God of Small Things 22589931 The God of Small Things is an award-winning landmark that started for its author an esteemed career of fiction and political commentary that continues unabated.]]> 333 Arundhati Roy 0812979656 Nicole 0 to-read 4.02 1997 The God of Small Things
author: Arundhati Roy
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1997
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
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]]> <![CDATA[Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God]]> 60037771 Think about it. What if Batman knew your name and wanted to be friends with you? What if you were the one that Tony Stark died to save? What if it was you that Luke Skywalker would stop at nothing to redeem?ĚýHollywood HeroesĚýwill awaken you to these questions and help you to see a God who stops at nothing to redeem you. And it will strengthen you to invite others into conversations of faith and life in Jesus.

Fictional stories about heroes help us realize that there is evil to fight, souls to be won, and growth to be achieved. It helps us recognize―regardless of religious or cultural beliefs―that sacrificing your life for another’s is a powerful and beautiful display of love.

Fictional heroes help us to reconsider what is tangibly in front of us through the lens of story rather than simply as just another day in our ordinary lives. Appealing straight to the heart, the stories bypass artificial barriers that we would normally block them with because our worldview has been threatened.

When we examine out-of-this-world qualities like idealism, genius, a willingness to sacrifice, discipline, loyalty, humility, courage, wisdom, focus, power, and love, we discover that Jesus practices them perfectly.]]> 243 Frank Turek 1641583541 Nicole 5 4.41 Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God
author: Frank Turek
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780]]> 216971226 In the second volume of the landmark American Revolution trilogy by the Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The British Are Coming, George Washington's army fights on the knife edge between victory and defeat.
The first twenty-one months of the American Revolution--which began at Lexington and ended at Princeton--was the story of a ragged group of militiamen and soldiers fighting to forge a new nation. By the winter of 1777, the exhausted Continental Army could claim only that it had escaped annihilation by the world's most formidable fighting force.

Two years into the war, George III is as determined as ever to bring his rebellious colonies to heel. But the king's task is now far more complicated: fighting a determined enemy on the other side of the Atlantic has become ruinously expensive, and spies tell him that the French and Spanish are threatening to join forces with the Americans.

Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson provides a riveting narrative covering the middle years of the Revolution. Stationed in Paris, Benjamin Franklin woos the French; in Pennsylvania, George Washington pleads with Congress to deliver the money, men, and materiel he needs to continue the fight. In New York, General William Howe, the commander of the greatest army the British have ever sent overseas, plans a new campaign against the Americans--even as he is no longer certain that he can win this searing, bloody war. The months and years that follow bring epic battles at Brandywine, Saratoga, and Charleston, as well as a winter of misery at Valley Forge, and yet more appeals for sacrifice by every American committed to the struggle for freedom.

Timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution, Atkinson's brilliant account of the lethal struggle between the Americans and the British offers not only deeply researched and spectacularly dramatic history, but also a fresh perspective on the demands that a democracy makes on each of its citizens.]]> 880 Rick Atkinson 0593799186 Nicole 0 to-read 4.68 2025 The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
author: Rick Atkinson
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Rebel Romanov: Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had]]> 211080534 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanov Sisters comes the story of a courageous young Imperial Grand Duchess who scandalized Europe in search of freedom.

In 1795, Catherine the Great of Russia was in search of a bride for her grandson Constantine, who stood third in line to her throne. In an eerie echo of her own story, Catherine selected an innocent young German princess, Julie of Saxe-Coburg, aunt of the future Queen Victoria. Though Julie had everything a young bride could wish for, she was alone in a court dominated by an aging empress and riven with rivalries, plotting, and gossip―not to mention her brute of a husband, who was tender one moment and violent the next. She longed to leave Russia and her disastrous marriage, but her family in Germany refused to allow her to do so.

Desperate for love, Julie allegedly sought consolation in the arms of others. Finally, Tsar Alexander granted her permission to leave in 1801, even though her husband was now heir to the throne. Rootless in Europe, Julie gave birth to two―possibly three―illegitimate children, all of whom she was forced to give up for adoption. Despite entreaties from Constantine to return and provide an heir, she refused, eventually finding love with her own married physician.

At a time when many royal brides meekly submitted to disastrous marriages, Julie proved to be a woman ahead of her time, sacrificing her reputation and a life of luxury in exchange for the freedom to live as she wished. The Rebel Romanov is the inspiring tale of a bold woman who, until now, has been ignored by history.]]> 336 Helen Rappaport 1250273129 Nicole 0 to-read 4.03 2025 The Rebel Romanov: Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had
author: Helen Rappaport
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
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]]> Boat Baby: A Memoir 214151482 In a memoir where heroism meets humor, NBC News anchor and correspondent Vicky Nguyen tells the story of her family’s daring escape from communist Vietnam and her unlikely journey from refugee to reporter with laughter and fierce love.

Starting in 1975, Vietnam’s “boat people”—desperate families seeking freedom—fled the Communist government and violence in their country any way they could, usually by boat across the South China Sea. Vicky Nguyen and her family were among them. Attacked at sea by pirates before reaching a refugee camp in Malaysia, Vicky’s family survived on rations and waited months until they were sponsored to America.

But deciding to leave and start a new life in a new country is half the story…figuring out how to be American is the other. Boat Baby is Vicky’s memoir of growing up in America with unconventional Vietnamese parents who didn’t always know how to bridge the cultural gaps. It’s a childhood filled with misadventures and misunderstandings, from almost stabbing the neighborhood racist with a butter knife to getting caught stealing Cosmo to read the answers to Do You Really Think You Know Everything About Sex?

Vicky’s parents approached life with the attitude, �Why not us?� In the face of prejudice, they taught her to be gritty and resilient, skills Vicky used as she combatted stereotyping throughout her career, fending off the question “Aren’t you Connie Chung?� to become a leading Asian American journalist on television. She delivers a uniquely transparent account of her life, revealing how she negotiated her salary in a competitive industry, the challenges of starting a family, and the struggle to be a dutiful daughter.

Funny, nostalgic, and poignant, Boat Baby is a testament to the messy glue that bonds a family. In the tradition of We Are Dreamers by Simu Liu and Dear Girls by Ali Wong, Vicky Nguyen offers an optimistic story full of heart that illuminates the promise of what America can be.]]> 320 Vicky Nguyen 1668025566 Nicole 0 to-read 4.47 2025 Boat Baby: A Memoir
author: Vicky Nguyen
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Into the Ice: The Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-Year-Old Mystery]]> 216522761 New York Times bestselling author Mark Synnott has climbed with Alex Honnold. He’s scaled Mt. Everest. But in 2022, he realized there was a dream he’d never realized—to sail the Northwest Passage in his own boat, a feat only four hundred or so sailors had ever accomplished—and in doing so, try to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin and his ships, HMS Erebus and Terror.

Only a few hundred vessels have ever transited the Northwest Passage, stretching through Canada’s north from Maine to Alaska—and substantially fewer have completed the treacherous journey in a fiberglass-hulled boat like Polar Sun. But Mark Synnott was determined to add his name to the list, and in doing so, also investigate a 175-year-old mystery, that of what happened to the legendary captain Sir John Franklin and his crew aboard the legendary HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.

In this pulse-pounding travelogue, Mark Synnott paints a vivid portrait of the modern-day Arctic like you’ve never seen before. With human-caused climate change warming the region twice as fast as any other part of our planet, Synnott offers a fresh and exciting look at the journey itself, but also of the history of the land and the people who live there today. At the same time, he searches for the tomb of Franklin, who, along with his entire 128-man crew, perished after their ships became trapped in the ice near King William Island.

In Into the Ice, Mark and his crew must race against time and horrific storms to investigate legends, and in the end, try to find the answer to why any of us would risk it all in the name of exploration.]]> 432 Mark Synnott 0593471520 Nicole 0 to-read 4.63 2025 Into the Ice: The Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-Year-Old Mystery
author: Mark Synnott
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Pretender 216371549
In 1480 John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on the way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan, but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown, and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. Removed from his humble origins, sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, John is put into play by his masters, learning the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available her—marry, or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become King, or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.

Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII� The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from 15th century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.]]> 496 Jo Harkin 0593803302 Nicole 0 to-read 4.23 2025 The Pretender
author: Jo Harkin
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Under His Wings: How Faith on the Front Lines Has Protected American Troops]]> 209444280 In this celebration of faith and freedom, Fox News Co-Host Emily CompagnoĚýshares first person accountsĚýthat show theĚýprofound role belief inĚýGod has played in the lives of U.S. military servicemembers as they served in combatĚýfrom World War I to today—commemorating the courage, camaraderie, spirit, and sacrifice of America’s heroes.

In this moving and evocative collection, Emily Compagno explores the enduring role faith has played in the lives of American soldiers during wartime. Descending from a long line of respected Navy and US Army veterans, Compagno offers unique insight into the importance of faith during times of hardship. She shares stories from generations of servicemen along with her own experience visiting American troops in Iraq and Kuwait when she was a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders.

From World War I to current conflicts in the Middle East, Under His Wings blends the historical with the personal, featuring first-hand accounts from veterans whose religious beliefs emboldened them to persevere as they faced their own mortality on the fields of battle.

Each chapter is highlighted by a range of fascinating stories, including celebrity visits to the frontlines with the USO—from Marilyn Monroe to President Ronald Reagan�, as well as heartfelt letters between soldiers and their loved ones and treasured family photographs.

Following the massive success of Modern Warriors, Faith Still Moves Mountains, and All American Christmas, this moving Fox News book is both an homage to the spirit of prayer and a heartfelt thank-you to our troops. Sure to become a treasured keepsake, Under His Wings is an inspiring reminder of the power of faith that will uplift the spirit through the holidays and beyond, for years to come.Ěý±Ő±Ő> 272 Emily Compagno 0063417650 Nicole 4 4.50 2024 Under His Wings: How Faith on the Front Lines Has Protected American Troops
author: Emily Compagno
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Guide Me Home (Highway 59, #3)]]> 59229378
Texas Ranger Darren Mathews isn’t sure he’s been a good cop, but believes he’s got a shot at being a good man—if he manages to dodge the potential indictment hanging over his head and if he, from here on out, pledges allegiance to the truth. It’s a virtue the country appears to have wholly lost its grip on, but one Darren sees as his salvation. He is in the midst of remaking his life with the woman he loves, hoping for the peace of country living at his beloved farmhouse, when he is visited by someone who couldn’t hold the truth on her tongue if it was dipped in sugar, a woman who’s always been bent of tearing his life apart. His mother. Armed with a tall tale about a missing Black college student, Sera (whose white sorority sisters insist she isn’t missing at all). Darren must decide if his can trust his mother is telling the truth—and what her ulterior motive may be, and what if that motive has to do with a grand jury deciding his fate.

Darren gets his hooks into the investigation, along the way discovering things about Sera’s family and her hometown that are odd at best, vaguely sinister at worst. Hamstrung by local law enforcement and the Texas Rangers who likewise doubt the account of a missing girl, if Darren wants answers, he’ll need help from the person whom he swore to never trust again—his mother.

In this emotionally stirring conclusion to the singular Highway 59 series, set three years after the events of Heaven, My Home, Darren reckons with his life’s purpose as he’s forced to choose between his own peace and the higher call to do good.]]> 320 Attica Locke 1788163982 Nicole 2 3.94 2024 Guide Me Home (Highway 59, #3)
author: Attica Locke
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:
While Attica Locke is a good writer, this novel was dragged down by the Trump Derangement Syndrome throughout. It was relentless and pulls the reader out of the story. Also, the main character sees racism everywhere, yet is blind to his own. Not recommended.
]]> <![CDATA[Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives]]> 215805855 The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before distills her key insights into simple truths for living with greater satisfaction, clarity, and happiness.

The right idea, invoked at the right time, can change our lives. Drawing from her long studies of happiness, and also from the challenges she’s faced herself, writer Gretchen Rubin has discovered the “Secrets of Adulthood� that can help us manage the complexities of life. To convey her conclusions, she turned to the aphorism—the ancient literary discipline that demands that a writer convey a large truth in a few words.

Perhaps you’re paralyzed by indecision, struggling to navigate a big change, fighting a temptation, or puzzled by the behavior of someone you love; whatever you face, the right aphorism can help. From procrastination to the pursuit of happiness, Secrets of Adulthood is filled with witty and thought-provoking reflections such Ěý

“Recognize that, like sleeping with a big dog in a small bed, things that are uncomfortable can also be comforting�“Accept yourself, expect more from yourself�“Easy children raise good parents”� “What can be done at any time is often done at no time�
For anyone undergoing a major life transition, such as graduation, career switch, marriage, or moving, or for those just encountering everyday dilemmas, these disarmingly brief aphorisms will inspire you by articulating truths that you never before noticed—and instantly recognize.]]> 176 Gretchen Rubin 0593800737 Nicole 0 to-read 3.74 Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives
author: Gretchen Rubin
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Five Mere Christians: Binge-Worthy Biographies That Show You How to Glorify God in Your Work]]> 217999655 Experience the riveting true stories of five men and women who changed the world by following Christ in their careers—and discover practical applications for how you can, too.

Do you ever wonder what it means to truly glorify God in your work if you’re not a pastor, missionary, or religious professional?

Rather than offering theological exposition to answer that question, Jordan Raynor and Kaleigh Cox use vivid, fast-paced storytelling to present the captivating lives of five “mere Christians� who will show you what it looks like to follow Christ wherever you live and

Fred Rogers, the TV host from Mister Rogers� Neighborhood, demonstrates how your selfless service of others can reveal glimpses of heaven on earth.

Fannie Lou Hamer, the courageous civil rights activist, models how to pursue justice without hating the unjust.

Ole Kirk Christiansen, the founder of LEGO, shows how to persevere through life’s most difficult trials and find God’s purpose in play.

Hannah More, the audacious poet largely credited for abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire, exemplifies how to change the world through culture and not just politics.

C.S. Lewis, the literature professor and bestselling author of The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, invites you to embrace your unique opportunities to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.

Unlike typical biographies that get bogged down in boring detail, each story in this collection is mercifully short, extremely entertaining, and profoundly helpful—providing clear takeaways for modern-day mere Christians looking to glorify God in their own everyday work.
Ěý±Ő±Ő> 224 Jordan Raynor 0736991700 Nicole 0 to-read 5.00 Five Mere Christians: Binge-Worthy Biographies That Show You How to Glorify God in Your Work
author: Jordan Raynor
name: Nicole
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip]]> 59449050 368 Sara Brunsvold 0800740270 Nicole 0 to-read 4.32 2022 The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip
author: Sara Brunsvold
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Mindset: The New Psychology of Success]]> 40745 A newer edition of this book can be found here.

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset � those who believe that abilities are fixed � are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset � those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.

In this edition, Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love � to transform their lives and your own.]]> 276 Carol S. Dweck Nicole 0 to-read 4.09 2006 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
author: Carol S. Dweck
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/20
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]]> Sandwich 200028726 From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.

For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.

This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.]]> 240 Catherine Newman 0063345161 Nicole 1 3.55 2024 Sandwich
author: Catherine Newman
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
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]]> Love & Lobsters 218314213
Nevertheless, she can’t quell her growing interest in Logan, the mysterious and unavailable man renting her family’s lighthouse for December. Charlie looks for distraction by messaging an online stranger and by organizing Christmas Cove’s first annual holiday festival. But as her "Love & Lobsters" posts explore how lobsters show trust and commitment, Charlie must decide whether plunging into uncharted waters is worth the risk.]]> 338 Shannon M. Parker Nicole 1 3.96 Love & Lobsters
author: Shannon M. Parker
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/13
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]]> More or Less Maddy 214151333 A breathless, riveting novel about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder who rejects the stability and approval found in a traditionally “normal� life for a career in stand-up comedy.

Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU. Between schoolwork, exams, navigating life in the city, and a recent breakup, it’s normal to be feeling overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that she’s always felt like the odd one out in her picture-perfect Connecticut family. But Maddy’s latest low is devastatingly low, and she goes on an antidepressant. She begins to feel good, dazzling in fact, and she soon spirals high into a wild and terrifying mania that culminates in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

As she struggles to find her way in this new reality, navigating the complex effects bipolar has on her identity, her relationships, and her life dreams, Maddy will have to figure out how to manage being both too much and not enough.

With her signature “deep empathy and insight� (Booklist), Harvard-trained neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova has crafted another profoundly moving novel that makes complicated mental health issues accessible and human. More or Less Maddy is destined to become another classic like Still Alice.]]> 368 Lisa Genova 1668026163 Nicole 5 4.23 2025 More or Less Maddy
author: Lisa Genova
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/06
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]]> Beach Read 52867387 A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no-one will fall in love. Really.]]> 400 Emily Henry 1984806734 Nicole 1 to-read 3.99 2020 Beach Read
author: Emily Henry
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:
The only reason I finished this was because it is our book club choice this month. I had two issues with this novel: the main character (and many of the side characters) was just so unlikeable. She believes her assumptions about others and acts on them. Now, maybe if she had learned from them I would cut her some slack, but, no, up until the very end she assumes a relationship is over because she thinks the other person ghosted her. (Never mind that she actually ghosted him and turned her phone off. Bleh. Can authors stop with their characters never talking to each other, leading to misunderstandings?) The second issue was the writing. Very often Henry would describe something or have her characters say something that didn't make sense. It would jar me out of the story, as I tried to figure out what Henry was trying to convey.
]]> <![CDATA[Understanding Trauma: A Biblical Introduction for Church Care (How churches, Christians, including pastors and elders, can support those struggling from traumatic experiences.)]]> 214959754 Guidance for churches on how to walk with wisdom and compassion alongside those who are struggling with trauma.Many of us long to serve and be there for those who are suffering from trauma, but we don't know how to do so in a way that is caring and helpful.

This book enables Christians, and especially pastors, elders, and ministry leaders, to understand what trauma is and how it affects people, including their experience of church, so that we can lovingly support those who are suffering from it.

Author Steve Midgley trained as a psychiatrist before being ordained, served as Vicar of Christ Church Cambridge for 18 years and is now the Executive Director of Biblical Counselling UK. He writes with wisdom and compassion to summarize current understanding in this area, gives a biblical perspective, and makes lots of practical suggestions about how churches can be sensitive to, and be there for, those who have experienced trauma.

This book will help whole church communities to help and care for those who are struggling with trauma.]]> 192 Steve Midgley 1802541373 Nicole 0 to-read 4.70 Understanding Trauma: A Biblical Introduction for Church Care (How churches, Christians, including pastors and elders, can support those struggling from traumatic experiences.)
author: Steve Midgley
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.70
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, English Standard Version]]> 6587472
His lasting message is even more accessible with Alistair Begg's careful modernizing of Spurgeon's English. Begg, who has a deep love for Spurgeon's preaching and especially for this work, has maintained Spurgeon's clear passion and commitment to Christ. Using the English Standard Version as the scriptural text provides an accurate, understandable accompaniment to Spurgeon's lessons.

This updated version of a devotional classic is a timely and much-needed encouragement for today's Christian.]]> 1132 Charles Haddon Spurgeon 143351382X Nicole 0 to-read 4.79 1866 Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
author: Charles Haddon Spurgeon
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.79
book published: 1866
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives]]> 735106 368 Sarah Strohmeyer 0451219104 Nicole 1 3.40 The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives
author: Sarah Strohmeyer
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.40
book published:
rating: 1
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date added: 2025/02/22
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]]> Becoming Madam Secretary 221754311 She took on titans, battled generals, and changed the world as we know it�

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and dramatic new novel about an American heroine Frances Perkins.

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.]]> 544 Stephanie Dray 0593437071 Nicole 0 to-read 4.39 2024 Becoming Madam Secretary
author: Stephanie Dray
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> Becoming Madam Secretary 177192295 She took on titans, battled generals, and changed the world as we know it�

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and dramatic new novel about an American heroine Frances Perkins.

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.]]> 528 Stephanie Dray 0593437055 Nicole 0 to-read 4.36 2024 Becoming Madam Secretary
author: Stephanie Dray
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference]]> 61374075 384 Charles Hodges 1645072312 Nicole 4 4.60 The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference
author: Charles Hodges
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Quiet Time Kickstart: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit (Devotions that help you read God’s word, the Bible, every day.)]]> 214959714 Daily devotional that will kickstart a daily Bible-reading routine and give you the skills and confidence to understand and enjoy God’s word for yourself.
Kickstart your quiet time and discover the joy of spending time with God in his word.

Beginning with short, simple 5-minute devotions that are easy to make time for, this little guide will kickstart a daily Bible-reading routine. It's ideal for anyone new to reading the Bible or anyone struggling to spend regular time in God's word.

The devotions gradually increase in length over the course of six weeks and offer focused guidance on understanding the Bible. So by the time you finish, you’ll have the skills and confidence you need to read and enjoy Scripture for yourself—and make your quiet time a habit for life.

If you're a church leader, this is a great resource to put into the hands of anyone who says they find it difficult to read the Bible, as well as for giving out at membership classes, baptism classes, or to teenagers attending summer camps.]]> 96 Rachel Jones 1802541365 Nicole 5 4.62 The Quiet Time Kickstart: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit (Devotions that help you read God’s word, the Bible, every day.)
author: Rachel Jones
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.62
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
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]]> The Paradise Problem 214152483
Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West� Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.]]> 368 Christina Lauren 1668017733 Nicole 0 to-read 4.14 2024 The Paradise Problem
author: Christina Lauren
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (2nd Edition)]]> 219988382 REVISED AND UPDATED

Each person’s brain is unique and affects daily life in untold ways. But can our brains cause us to sin? Has brain research proved that we’re not responsible for certain actions or feelings?

Viewing brain problems through the lens of Scripture, Edward T. Welch distinguishes brain disorders from problems rooted in the heart, yet shows an interplay between both. As he focuses on a few common issues—from Alzheimer’s to depression, brain injury to addiction—Dr. Welch lays out a series of practical steps that are adaptable to a wide range of conditions and habits. Understanding the nuances of embodied spiritual life will enable pastors, counselors, families, and friends to help others and themselves, even in complex situations.

This new edition of the 1998 classic has been extensively updated and revised by the author.]]> Edward T. Welch 1645075206 Nicole 3 4.47 Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (2nd Edition)
author: Edward T. Welch
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves:
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]]> The Annotated Emma 10483204 Annotated Pride and Prejudice comes an annotated edition of Jane Austen’s Emma that makes her beloved tale of an endearingly inept matchmaker an even more satisfying read. Here is the complete text of the novel with more than 2,200 annotations on facing pages, including:
Ěý
-Explanations of historical context
-Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings
-Definitions and clarifications
-Literary comments and analysis
-Maps of places in the novel
-An introduction, bibliography, and detailed chronology of events
-Nearly 200 informative illustrations
Ěý
Filled with fascinating information about everything from the social status of spinsters and illegitimate children to the shopping habits of fashionable ladies to English attitudes toward gypsies, David M. Shapard’s Annotated Emma brings Austen’s world into richer focus.]]> 928 Jane Austen Nicole 1 4.50 1815 The Annotated Emma
author: Jane Austen
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1815
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
I thought the annotations would help to understand the world that Emma was set in. Instead, the notes totally took me out of the story to talk about Shakespeare and philosophers. This was annoying and I DNF.
]]> <![CDATA[Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love]]> 18646
Inspired by a long fascination with Galileo, and by the remarkable surviving letters of Galileo's daughter, a cloistered nun, Dava Sobel has written a biography unlike any other of the man Albert Einstein called "the father of modern physics--indeed of modern science altogether." Galileo's Daughter also presents a stunning portrait of a person hitherto lost to history, described by her father as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me."

The son of a musician, Galileo Gahlei (1564-1642) tried at first to enter a monastery before engaging the skills that made him the foremost scientist of his day. Though he never left Italy, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. Most sensationally, his telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to reinforce the astounding argument that the Earth moves around the Sun. For this belief, he was brought before the Holy Office of the Inquisition, accused of heresy, and forced to spend his last years under house arrest.

Of Galileo's three illegitimate children, the eldest best mirrored his own brilliance, industry, and sensibility, and by virtue of these qualities became his confidante. Born Virginia in 1600, she was thirteen when Galileo placed her in a convent near him in Florence, where she took the most appropriate name of Suor Maria Celeste. Her loving support, which Galileo repaid in kind, proved to be her father's greatest source of strength throughout his most productive and tumultuous years. Her presence, through letters which Sobel has translated from their original Italian and masterfully woven into the narrative, graces her father's life now as it did then.

Galileo's Daughter dramatically recolors the personality and accomplishment of a mythic figure whose seventeenth-century clash with Catholic doctrine continues to define the schism between science and religion. Moving between Galileo's grand public life and Maria Celeste's sequestered world, Sobel illuminates the Florence of the Medicis and the papal court in Rome during the pivotal era when humanity's perception of its place in the cosmos was being overturned. In that same time, while the bubonic plague wreaked its terrible devastation and the Thirty Years' War tipped fortunes across Europe, one man sought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope.

With all the human drama and scientific adventure that distinguished Longitude, Galileo's Daughter is an unforgettable story.]]> 420 Dava Sobel 0140280553 Nicole 5 3.75 1999 Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love
author: Dava Sobel
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
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]]> Shelterwood 220817706
1990. Law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to raise her son. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than a teenage hiker goes missing and the long-hidden burial site of three children is discovered in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the Choctaw Nation’s Tribal Police but soon collides with the deadly legacy of the land itself.

1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Radley knows that her stepfather is a threat to the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the remote Winding Stair Mountains, the territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, they form an unlikely band with other children struggling to get by on their own.

In this gripping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val each leave behind one life in search of another.]]> 384 Lisa Wingate 0593726529 Nicole 0 to-read 3.92 2024 Shelterwood
author: Lisa Wingate
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Echo of Old Books 62060274
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers� tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.]]> 431 Barbara Davis 1542038154 Nicole 1 Boring. DNF. 4.27 2023 The Echo of Old Books
author: Barbara Davis
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:
Boring. DNF.
]]> All the Glimmering Stars 123252117 Inspired by a true story, two teens kidnapped by an African warlord find salvation through love in a powerful and healing historical novel from the #1 bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley.

Anthony Opoka and Florence Okori are coming of age in Uganda in the 1990s. Outstanding students, they believe in being good humans before they are kidnapped and forced into the fanatical Lord’s Resistance Army.

In a legion of young recruits, no one gets closer than Anthony to powerful messianic warlord Joseph Kony and his darkest secrets. To stay sane as he spirals through chaos, Anthony clings to his childhood lessons about being a good human. Florence’s upbringing grounds her, too, helping her keep her dreams alive even as she’s pulled deeper into the insanity of Kony’s war.

At the lowest points of their lives, certain they’ll never go home, Anthony and Florence meet by chance, fall in love, and begin to dream of surviving their captivity. They devote their lives to helping their fellow child soldiers escape bondage and return to their families and redemption by following the stars.

By turns tender, shocking, moving, desperate, and ultimately triumphant, Florence and Anthony’s story is an epic drama of humanity, a life-affirming tale, and an experience readers will never forget.]]> 475 Mark T. Sullivan 1542038103 Nicole 0 to-read 4.63 2024 All the Glimmering Stars
author: Mark T. Sullivan
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: to-read
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]]> Family Family 211003886 “Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don’t we ever get that movie?�

India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actor. Armed with a stack of index cards (for research/line memorization/make-shift confetti), she goes from awkward sixteen-year-old to Broadway ingenue to TV superhero.

Her new movie is a prestige picture about adoption, but its spin is the same old tired story of tragedy. India is an adoptive mom in real life though. She wants everyone to know there’s more to her family than pain and regret. So she does something you should never do—she tells a journalist the truth: it’s a bad movie.

Soon she’s at the center of a media storm, battling accusations from the press and the paparazzi, from protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her twin ten-year-olds know they need help–and who better to call than family? But that’s where it gets really messy because India’s not just an adoptive mother�

The one thing she knows for sure is what makes a family isn’t blood. And it isn’t love. No matter how they’re formed, the truth about family is this: it's complicated.]]> 400 Laurie Frankel 1250236827 Nicole 0 to-read 3.98 2024 Family Family
author: Laurie Frankel
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries, #2)]]> 213344072 Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, a fiendishly fun locked room (train) murder mystery that "offers a tip of the hat to the great Agatha Christie novel while at the same time being a modern reinvention of it" (Nita Prose)� perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.]]> 336 Benjamin Stevenson 0063279088 Nicole 0 to-read 3.74 2023 Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries, #2)
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Inherited Mind: A Story of Family, Hope, and the Genetics of Mental Illness]]> 211026628 A compelling memoir by ABC News correspondent James Longman in which he discusses mental illness and trauma in families, what the latest genetic science is telling us, and how to not only persevere but thrive.

James Longman was a preteen in boarding school when his dad, who was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, died by suicide. As he got older, James’s own bouts of depression spurred him to examine how his father’s mental health might have affected his own. He engaged with experts to uncover the science behind what is inherited, how much environmental factors can impact genetic traits, and how one can overcome a familial history of mental illness and trauma.

In The Inherited Mind, James Longman invites readers to reflect on their own stories as he shares his quest to better understand himself and his family. Through speaking to mental health experts, to those who have had similar familial experiences, and about his own life stories, James shows us, with heart and humor, how much our bodies can empower and inform us about our own personal mental health histories.]]> 304 James Longman 1368099475 Nicole 0 to-read 4.05 The Inherited Mind: A Story of Family, Hope, and the Genetics of Mental Illness
author: James Longman
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Stolen Queen 211025454 From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.� Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.]]> 352 Fiona Davis 0593474279 Nicole 0 to-read 3.93 2025 The Stolen Queen
author: Fiona Davis
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> Crying in H Mart 54814676
In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humour and heart, she tells of growing up the only Asian-American kid at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. As she grew up, moving to the east coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, performing gigs with her fledgling band � and meeting the man who would become her husband � her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live.

It was her mother’s diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

Vivacious, lyrical and honest, Michelle Zauner’s voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread.]]> 243 Michelle Zauner 0525657746 Nicole 3 4.25 2021 Crying in H Mart
author: Michelle Zauner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Nicole 1 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
author: John Green
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2021/06/30
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:
John Green's anthology of his podcasts by the same name gets bogged down by the author's wokeness and preaching, especially about the environment For example, his tells the readers that his young daughter yells, "Dad, the polar bears!" if he forgets to turn out a light. He fails to reassure her that the polar bear that was the face of "An Inconvenient Truth" died of a disease that had nothing to do with climate change, man-made or otherwise. He also tells readers that they need to eat less meat and use less fossil fuels and electricity. This is in the essay "Air Conditioning", where he also tells us ironically how he "loathes sweating while sitting inside". In another chapter, Green rails against capitalism in the game Monopoly. The system he would prefer is never labeled socialism, but it fits the description, other than that pesky fact that socialism has killed 100 million people in the twentieth century alone. I actually rolled my eyes when Green lamented that Monopoly is "a celebration of getting rich by making others poor". Lighten up, John. It's a game and the object of most games is to outlast your opponents. Green gives the subjects of all of his essays a rating from one to five stars, so I will, too. I give "The Anthropocene Reviewed" one star.
]]> <![CDATA[Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion]]> 210454061 A sharp Christian voice makes a bold when politics are driven by empathy rather than truth, innocent people pay the price.We are told that empathy is the highest virtue—the key to being a good person. Is that true? Or has “empathy,â€� like so many other words of our dayâ€� “tolerance,â€� “justice,â€� “acceptance”—been hijacked by bad actors who exploit compassion for their own political ends?ĚýIn Toxic Empathy, Allie Beth Stuckey argues that empathy has become a tool of manipulation by left-wing activists who bully people into believing that they must adopt progressive positions to be loving. She explores the five most heated issues through which toxic empathy is abortion, gender, sexuality, immigration, and social justice. Progressives use catchy mantras to present their perspective as empathetic, like “abortion is healthcare,â€� “love is love,â€� or “no human being is illegal,â€� but in each case, they ignore the other side of the moral equation. For example, abortion is presented as compassionate for the woman, but what about the human life the procedure kills?This book isn’t about killing empathy; it’s about submitting our empathy to God’s definitions of love, goodness, and justice. Stuckey exposes theĚýlogical pitfalls and moral consequences of toxic empathy, equipping Christians with research-backed, Biblical truths to dismantle the progressive lies that have permeated our cultureâ€� and our church.]]> 224 Allie Beth Stuckey 0593541944 Nicole 5 4.47 2024 Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion
author: Allie Beth Stuckey
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2024/12/14
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]]> North Woods 71872930
When a pair of young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become home to an extraordinary succession of inhabitants . An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to apples. A pair of spinster twins survive war and famine, only to succumb to envy and desire.ĚýA crime reporter unearths a mass grave, but finds the ancient trees refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a conman, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle; as each one confronts the mysteries of the north woods, they come to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.

Traversing cycles of history, nature, and even literature, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we’re connected to our environment and to one another, across time, language and space. Written along with the seasons and divided into the twelve months of the year, it is an unforgettable novel about secrets and fates that asks the timeless how do we live on, even after we’re gone?]]> 372 Daniel Mason 0593597036 Nicole 0 to-read 4.12 2023 North Woods
author: Daniel Mason
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever]]> 203578826 How Victorian male doctors used false science to argue that women were unfit for anything but motherhood—and the brilliant doctor who defied them

After Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to graduate from medical school, more women demanded a chance to study medicine. Barred entrance to universities like Harvard, women built their own first-rate medical schools and hospitals. Their success spurred a chilling backlash from elite, white male physicians who were obsessed with eugenics and the propagation of the white race. Distorting Darwin’s evolution theory, these haughty physicians proclaimed in bestselling books that women should never be allowed to attend college or enter a profession because their menstrual cycles made them perpetually sick. Motherhood was their constitution and duty.

Into the midst of this turmoil marched tiny, dynamic Mary Putnam Jacobi, daughter of New York publisher George Palmer Putnam and the first woman to be accepted into the world-renowned Sorbonne medical school in Paris. As one of the best-educated doctors in the world, she returned to New York for the fight of her life. Aided by other prominent women physicians and suffragists, Jacobi conducted the first-ever data-backed, scientific research on women's reproductive biology. The results of her studies shook the foundations of medical science and higher education. Full of larger than life characters and cinematically written, The Cure for Women documents the birth of a sexist science still haunting us today as the fight for control of women’s bodies and lives continues.]]> 336 Lydia Reeder 1250284457 Nicole 0 to-read 3.99 2024 The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever
author: Lydia Reeder
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Hour of the Heart: Connecting in the Here and Now]]> 200827064
Facing memory loss at age 93, as well as the fallout from a global pandemic that moved much of daily life online, legendary psychotherapist and bestselling author Irvin Yalom was forced toĚývastlyĚýreconsider the shape of his sessions with patients. But rather than throw in the towelĚýin the face of change,ĚýDr.ĚýYalom considered the limitations imposed by these new realities head on, and revolutionized his practice. Dr. Yalom wondered if perhaps his own practice could focus deeply on the work that could be achieved in a one-hour,Ěýone-timeĚýmeeting between patient and practitioner—employing an even more concerted use of his “here and nowâ€� approach.ĚýAs he began these one-time sessions, the beloved veteranĚýtherapist found himself freed to reach ever deeper places with new patients on a shortened timeline, without the buffer of future appointments. Working within new constraints, Dr. Yalom learned to build greater intimacy much faster than in traditional therapy—a gift of circumstance.

InĚýHour of the Heart, Yalom recounts some of these intense, life-changing consultations, exploring an array of human predicaments, and his own late-career development as a therapist. In recountingĚýthese consultations, he shows how a therapist’s willingness to be open themselves helps the patient let down their own guard, leading to a deeper and more immediate connection—one necessary to achieve profound realizationsĚýin just sixty minutes. For Yalom, that vulnerability meant allowing himself to reveal details of his personal life, from his childhood in Washington, DC with immigrant parents, to the recent death of his wife, and questions about the work of psychotherapy in our lives outside the appointment.

Life is precious and our time together short.ĚýHour of the HeartĚýshows us how to relate to each other better in the moment, with more honesty and vulnerability. That hour of connection, occurring during a time of isolation and grief for so many, helped to sustain both patient and therapist, and enriched Yalom’s vision of what psychotherapy can do. This transformative accountĚýof a new way of connecting and sharing is for all of us looking to build relationships with greater immediacy, authenticity, and openness—not only as patients and practitioners, but in every area of life.]]> 288 Irvin D. Yalom 0063321459 Nicole 0 to-read 4.50 2024 Hour of the Heart: Connecting in the Here and Now
author: Irvin D. Yalom
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
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]]> A Council of Dolls 63838775 From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried.

Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.

Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school� far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.

Cora, born 1888: Although she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,� Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.� When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost.

A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage of Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people.]]> 304 Mona Susan Power 0063281112 Nicole 0 to-read 4.07 2023 A Council of Dolls
author: Mona Susan Power
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
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date added: 2024/11/18
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]]> The Kindest Lie 54636733 A promise could betray you.

It’s 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to—and was forced to leave behind—when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past.

Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a traumatic incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives.

Powerful and revealing, The Kindest Lie capturesĚýthe heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and offers both an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.

Ěý]]> 336 Nancy Johnson Nicole 0 to-read 3.76 2021 The Kindest Lie
author: Nancy Johnson
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind]]> 198493926 272 Riley Gaines 154600744X Nicole 0 to-read 4.44 2024 Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind
author: Riley Gaines
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels]]> 13593814 Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator.Ěý

Christianity could be defined as a “cold caseâ€�:Ěýit makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity.ĚýA unique apologetic that speaks to readersâ€� intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.
]]> 288 J. Warner Wallace 1434704696 Nicole 5 4.38 2013 Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels
author: J. Warner Wallace
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/11
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]]> Love and Other Paradoxes 213291405
Cambridge University, 2005: Student Joe Greene scribbles verses in the margins of his notebook, dreaming of a future where his words will echo through the ages, all while doubting it could ever happen.

Then, the future quite literally finds him—in the form of Esi. She’s part of a time-traveling tour, a trip for people in the future to witness history’s greatest moments firsthand. The star of this tour? Joe Greene. In Esi’s era, Joe is as renowned as Shakespeare. And he’s about to meet Diana, a fellow student and aspiring actress, who will become his muse and the subject of his famous love poems.

But Esi is harboring a secret. She’s not here because she idolizes Joe—actually, she thinks his poetry is overrated. Something will happen at Cambridge this year that will wreck Esi’s life, and she’s hell-bent on changing it. When Esi goes rogue from her tour, she bumps into Joe and sends his destiny into a tailspin. To save both their futures, Esi becomes Joe’s dating coach, helping him win over Diana. But when Joe’s romantic endeavors go off-script—and worse, he starts falling for Esi instead—they both face a crucial question: Is the future set in stone, or can we pen our own fates?]]> 320 Catriona Silvey 0063206447 Nicole 0 to-read 3.80 2025 Love and Other Paradoxes
author: Catriona Silvey
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2025
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]]> Ordinary Grace 15803059 “That was it. That was all of it. A grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it. Yet I have never across the forty years since it was spoken forgotten a single word.�

New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were selling out at the soda counter of Halderson’s Drugstore, and Hot Stuff comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide. Murder.

Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family—which includes his Methodist minister father; his passionate, artistic mother; Juilliard-bound older sister; and wise-beyond-his-years kid brother—he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years.

Told from Frank’s perspective forty years after that fateful summer, Ordinary Grace is a brilliantly moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.]]> 307 William Kent Krueger 1451645821 Nicole 2 4.23 2013 Ordinary Grace
author: William Kent Krueger
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/06
date added: 2024/11/06
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]]> Time of the Child 201608156
Doctor Jack Troy was born and raised in Faha, but his responsibilities for the sick and his care for the dying mean he has always been set apart from the town. His eldest daughter, Ronnie, has grown up in her father's shadow, and remains there, having missed one chance at love � and passed up another offer of marriage from an unsuitable man.

But in the Advent season of 1962, as the town readies itself for Christmas, Ronnie and Doctor Troy's lives are turned upside down when a baby is left in their care. As the winter passes, father and daughter's lives, the understanding of their family, and their role in their community are changed forever.

Set over the course of one December in the same village as Williams' beloved This Is Happiness, Time of the Child is a tender return to Faha for readers who know its charms, and a heartwarming welcome to new readers entering for the very first time.]]> 304 Niall Williams 1639734201 Nicole 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Time of the Child
author: Niall Williams
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/31
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]]> Eleanore of Avignon 203956661 Eleanore of Avignon is the story of a woman who is unwilling to bend to the limitations her society places upon her when she becomes the unlikely apprentice to the pope’s physician at the most challenging and dangerous moment in medieval European history.

Provence, 1347. Eleanore (Elea) Blanchet is a midwife and budding herbalist with remarkable skills. But as she knows all too well from her late mother’s fate, she must be careful to stay within her station. So, she quietly accepts her role tending to the pregnant women in her home city of Avignon; spending time with her father and beloved twin sister, Margot; and escaping to the surrounding woods to forage for herbs when she can. At the very least, she is determined to preserve the little freedom she does have by staying unwed—unlike Margot, who is about to marry a man with painful connections to their mother’s death.

Then, in a chance encounter, Elea meets Guy de Chauliac, “Guigo,� the enigmatic personal physician to the powerful Pope Clement, who, against all odds, agrees to take her on as his apprentice. Under his tutelage, a whole new world opens to Elea—a world of status, wealth, and fascinating medical cases—but just as she starts to settle into her new position, the much-feared plague hits Europe, making Elea and Guigo's work more urgent than ever. And as if that weren’t enough, the disgraced Queen Joanna of Naples arrives in Avignon to stand trial for her husband’s murder—and she is pregnant and in need of a midwife, a role only Elea can fill.

As the Black Death spreads like wildfire, leaving half the city dead in its wake—and as the queen's childbirth approaches—Elea finds herself battling what seems to be an unwinnable war. All the while, the people of Avignon are becoming more and more desperate for a scapegoat, and a group of religious heretics launch a witch hunt, one that could cost her everything.]]> 320 Elizabeth DeLozier 0593475038 Nicole 0 to-read 4.28 2024 Eleanore of Avignon
author: Elizabeth DeLozier
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> Christmas with the Queen 206708063
December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue in the tradition of her late father and grandfather’s beloved Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must move with the times, and the Queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change.Ěý

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, two old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—find themselves reunited for the festivities. A single mother, typist at the BBC, and aspiring reporter, Olive leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, despite self-doubts. When a chance encounter with the Queen presents an exciting opportunity, Olive begins to believe her luck might change.Ěý

Jack, a grief-stricken widowed chef originally from New Orleans, accepts a last-minute chance to cook in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. When he bumps into a long-lost friend, an old spark is reignited.

Despite personal and professional heartache, Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmas seasons and they find themselves growing ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret.Ěý

Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, Olive decides to reveal the shocking truth of her secret, which threatens to tear her and Jack apart forever.ĚýUnless Christmas has one last gift to deliver…Ěý±Ő±�> 374 Hazel Gaynor 0063411148 Nicole 0 to-read 3.97 2024 Christmas with the Queen
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre]]> 204095874 The new book based on the long-running hit podcast by Aaron Mahnke, which has translated into over 120-million downloads to date, and a monthly average of over 2 million listeners.

The podcast, Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, has delighted millions of listeners for years with tales of the wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history. Now, in Cabinet of Curiosities the book, learn the fascinating story of the invention of the croissant in a country that was not France, and relive the adventures of a dog that stowed away and went to war, only to help capture a German spy. Along the way, readers will pass through the American state of Franklin, watch Abraham Lincoln’s son be rescued by his assassin’s brother, and learn how too many crash landings inspired one pilot to leave the airline industry and trek for the stars.

For the first time ever, Aaron has gathered scores of his favorites in print, and curated them into a beautiful, topical collection for devoted followers and new fans alike.]]> 336 Aaron Mahnke 1250291216 Nicole 0 to-read 3.89 2024 Cabinet of Curiosities: A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre
author: Aaron Mahnke
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/31
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]]> <![CDATA[Healing Neen: One Woman's Path to Salvation from Trauma and Addiction]]> 21549740
It is almost unfathomable to believe that just nine years ago Neen was in prison—a place as familiar to her as the streets she lived on. In just 15 years, she had been arrested 83 times with 66 convictions. Neen had–and lost–four children, she was a crack addict, a prostitute, and desperately lost. But as long as she had breath, she would still have hope. One day, after 19 years hustling on the streets of Annapolis, Neen's crumb of hope turned into a seed of trust.

" Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten� " � Joel 2:25 (NASV)

Healing Neen isn't just another story about victims and survivors or recovery and redemption; ultimately, it is a story of Good News and a testament to God's grace and presence. It is the story of a woman's path to salvation and a propitious glimpse into the potential buried deep within some of society's most vulnerable people.

" See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven. " � Matthew 18:10 (ESV)

But this story isn't just about Neen; it's about the value of human life, the depth of suffering, and the heights of grace. It is a convincing cri de Coeur for better practices in the way we treat and counsel those caught in the cycles of trauma, addiction, and serial incarceration. Neen brings us face-to-face with the ubiquitous corruption, neglect, and abuse in some of the systems meant to safeguard at-risk women and children, yet she leaves us with hope that things can change for the better.

Today, Tonier Cain's calling is to help save thousands of other "Neens" across the nation. She is a leading advocate for trauma-informed care in prisons and mental health facilities. She is a champion for examining and improving the way we help one another toward redemption, and she is the voice of compassion and promise for so many still living on the fringe who need to hear, " where there's breath, there's hope."]]> 240 Tonier Cain 0757317960 Nicole 0 to-read 4.30 2014 Healing Neen: One Woman's Path to Salvation from Trauma and Addiction
author: Tonier Cain
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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]]> The Red Coat 40581918
Irish domestic worker Norah King's decision to ask her wealthy employer, Caroline Parker, for an elegant red coat that the Beacon Hill matriarch has marked for donation ignites a series of events that neither woman could have fathomed. The unlikely exchange will impact their respective daughters and families for generations to come, from the coat's original owner, marriage-minded collegian Cordelia Parker, to the determined and spirited King sisters of South Boston, Rosemary, Kay, and Rita. As all of these young women experience the realities of life � love and loss, conflict and joy, class prejudices and unexpected prospects � the red coat reveals the distinction between cultures, generations, and landscapes in Boston during the 1940s and 50s, a time of change, challenge, and opportunity.

Meet the proud, working-class Irish and staid, upper-class Brahmins through the contrasting lives of these two families and their friends and neighbors. See how the Parkers and the Kings each overcome sudden tragedy with resolve and triumph. And witness the profound impact of a mother’s heart on her children’s souls. Carlson brings us front and center with her knowing weave of Celtic passion � both tragic and joyful � words of wisdom, romance, humor, and historical events. Dive into Boston feet first! The Red Coat is a rich novel that chronicles the legacy of Boston from both sides of the city, Southie and the Hill.]]> 483 Dolley Carlson Nicole 0 to-read 4.05 2014 The Red Coat
author: Dolley Carlson
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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]]> She's Up to No Good 59421417
Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped.

When they hit the road, Evelyn spins the tale of the star-crossed teenage romance that captured her heart more than seventy years ago and changed the course of her life. She insists the return to her hometown isn’t about that at all—no matter how much she talks about Tony, her unforgettable and forbidden first love.

Upon arrival, Jenna meets Tony’s attentive great-nephew Joe. The new friendship and fresh ocean air give her the confidence and distance she needs to begin putting the pain of a broken marriage behind her.

As the secrets and truths of Evelyn’s past unfold, Jenna discovers a new side of her grandmother, and of herself, that she never knew existed—and learns that the possibilities for healing can come at the most unexpected times in a woman’s life.]]> 389 Sara Goodman Confino 1542033608 Nicole 0 to-read 4.30 2022 She's Up to No Good
author: Sara Goodman Confino
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> Run 80566
Since their mother's death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving, possessive, and ambitious father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see his sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children—all his children—safe.]]> 295 Ann Patchett 0061340634 Nicole 0 to-read 3.60 2007 Run
author: Ann Patchett
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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]]> The Lioness of Boston 60314366 A deeply evocative novel of the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself.

By the time Isabella Stewart Gardner opened her Italian palazzo-style home as a museum in 1903 to showcase her collection of old masters, antiques, and objects d’art, she was already well-known for scandalizing Boston’s polite society. But when Isabella first arrived in Boston in 1861, she was twenty years old, newly married to a wealthy trader, and unsure of herself. Puzzled by the frosty reception she received from stuffy bluebloods, she strived to fit in. After two devastating tragedies and rejection from upper-society, Isabella discovered her spirit and cast off expectations.

Freed by travel, Isabella explores the world of art, ideas, and letters, meeting such kindred spirits as Henry James and Oscar Wilde. From London and Paris to Egypt and Asia, she develops a keen eye for paintings and objects, and meets feminists ready to transform nineteenth century thinking in the twentieth century. Isabella becomes an eccentric trailblazer, painted by John Singer Sargent in a portrait of daring décolletage, and fond of such stunts as walking a pair of lions in the Boston Public Garden.

The Lioness of Boston is a portrait of what society expected a woman’s life to be, shattered by a courageous soul who rebelled and was determined to live on her own terms.]]> 356 Emily Franklin 1567927408 Nicole 0 to-read 3.55 2023 The Lioness of Boston
author: Emily Franklin
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> The Art Forger 14568987
On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art worth today over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there’s more to this crime than meets the eye.

Claire makes her living reproducing famous works of art for a popular online retailer. Desperate to improve her situation, she lets herself be lured into a Faustian bargain with Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner. She agrees to forge a painting—one of the Degas masterpieces stolen from the Gardner Museum—in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But when the long-missing Degas painting—the one that had been hanging for one hundred years at the Gardner—is delivered to Claire’s studio, she begins to suspect that it may itself be a forgery.

Claire’s search for the truth about the painting’s origins leads her into a labyrinth of deceit where secrets hidden since the late nineteenth century may be the only evidence that can now save her life. B. A. Shapiro’s razor-sharp writing and rich plot twists make The Art Forger an absorbing literary thriller that treats us to three centuries of forgers, art thieves, and obsessive collectors. it’s a dazzling novel about seeing—and not seeing—the secrets that lie beneath the canvas.]]> 355 Barbara A. Shapiro 1616201320 Nicole 0 to-read 3.70 2012 The Art Forger
author: Barbara A. Shapiro
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland]]> 49731704 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780307279286.

Patrick Radden Keefe writes an intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions.

In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Her abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes.

Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders.]]> 542 Patrick Radden Keefe Nicole 0 to-read 4.52 2018 Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
author: Patrick Radden Keefe
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/21
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]]> Hang the Moon 61272702
Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who’d amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.

Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.

Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.

You will fall in love with Sallie Kincaid, a feisty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman who refuses to be corralled.]]> 368 Jeannette Walls 1501117297 Nicole 3 3.67 2023 Hang the Moon
author: Jeannette Walls
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
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]]> The Echo of Old Books 62060282
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers� tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.]]> 443 Barbara Davis 1662511604 Nicole 0 to-read 4.09 2023 The Echo of Old Books
author: Barbara Davis
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Find Her (Detective D.D. Warren, #9)]]> 25644437 Lisa Gardner's runaway New York Times bestseller--a fast-paced thrill ride featuring Detective D. D. Warren.

Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora Dane was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.

Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who's never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she's become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who've never made it home.

When Boston detective D. D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime--a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him--she learns that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who's determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape. And now it is all up to D. D. Warren to find her.]]> 416 Lisa Gardner 0525954570 Nicole 4 4.13 2016 Find Her (Detective D.D. Warren, #9)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/28
date added: 2024/09/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life]]> 208872824 365 Daily Devotions by Bestselling Author Paul David Tripp Follow a Bible-in-a-Year Reading Plan

Christians know that daily Scripture reading is an essential spiritual discipline. But sometimes opening the Bible day in and day out can feel like a burden rather than the joy and gift that it is. Spending even a few minutes reflecting on the truths found within God’s word can strengthen your faith, help you resist sin, and inspire you to live for the eternal, unshakeable kingdom of God.

In theĚýEveryday Gospelď»� devotional,ĚýPaul David Tripp provides a roadmap for readers who want to spend a full year in God’s word. Tripp, author of the bestsellingĚýNew Morning Mercies, has now written a second daily devotional, offering 365 fresh, engaging entries that follow an annual Bible reading plan from Genesis through Revelation. Brief and practical, these reflections connect the transforming power of Scripture to all you will experience in your everyday Christian life.

Year-Long Ěý365 Scripture-focused readings follow canonical biblical order ĚýHelps readers apply God’s word in their daily lives and experience renewal through the gospel Written by Paul David ĚýAuthor of the bestselling devotionalĚýNew Morning MerciesĚý(more than one million copies in print) Part of the Everyday Gospel Suite]]> 488 Paul David Tripp 1433593483 Nicole 0 to-read 4.79 Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life
author: Paul David Tripp
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.79
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC's Hit Show]]> 6065203 224 Devin Alexander 1605292583 Nicole 3 3.15 2006 The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC's Hit Show
author: Devin Alexander
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.15
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering]]> 216857785
Why is Miami…Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns for the first time in twenty-five years to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.

Through a series of riveting stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering. He takes us to the streets of Los Angeles to meet the world’s most successful bank robbers, rediscovers a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visits the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and offers an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis. Revenge of the Tipping Point is Gladwell’s most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of modern world. It’s time we took tipping points seriously.]]> 352 Malcolm Gladwell 0316575801 Nicole 0 to-read 4.03 2024 Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Breaking Bread: Essays from New England on Food, Hunger, and Family]]> 58891664 Nearly 70 famous New England writers and food activists share their writing on food and its greater meaning in our lives

A collection of essays by New England's literary greats, chefs, and food activists, Breaking Bread covers an enormous range of themes from examinations of favorite local foods like scallops and lobster, to broader food related topics including family, class, hunger, intergenerational trauma, nutrition, body image, and more.

Altogether, nearly 70 authors, including major literary figures, including Lily King, Johanthan Lethem, Susan Minot, Rick Russo, Roxanna Robinson, Lee Smith, Jenny Boylan, Christina Baker Kline, as well as nationally known food writers such as Kathy Gunst, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Sandy Oliver, and dynamic new and established BIPOC writers like Phuc Tran, Alana Dao, Kifah Abdulla, and Reza Jalali, appear in this vibrant collection.

Profits from this collection will benefit Blue Angel, a nonprofit combatting food insecurity by geting healthy food from local farmers to those in need.]]> 320 Deborah Spark 0807010863 Nicole 3 4.24 Breaking Bread: Essays from New England on Food, Hunger, and Family
author: Deborah Spark
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
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]]> The Dry Grass of August 10954708 In the segregated South, a young girl’s life is changed “A beautifully written literary novel [and] a real page-turner.â€� —Lee Smith, New York Times-bestselling author of Blue Marlin Ěý On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family’s black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there—cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father’s rages and her mother’s benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally. Ěý Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass, and the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take. Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parentsâ€� failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independenceĚý.Ěý.Ěý. Ěý Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform us—from child to adult, from wounded to indomitable. Ěý Ěý“Taut, thoughtful and complex.â€� —Publishers Weekly Ěý “A must-read for fans of The Help.â€� —Woman’s World Ěý “An ending so shocking and real it had me in tears.â€� —Eleanor Brown, New York Times-bestselling author of The Weird Sisters]]> 224 Anna Jean Mayhew 0758267924 Nicole 3 4.16 2011 The Dry Grass of August
author: Anna Jean Mayhew
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2011/09/01
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves:
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The Dry Grass of August centers around Jubie, a 13-year-old southern girl in the mid-fifties. Jubie spends her summer trying to figure out her charming, yet abusive father, her distant, distracted mother, and her caring, cautious black maid. The book is well-written, the characters fully-formed. Mayhew is a first-time novelist at the ripe old age of 71 and admits that the book took years to write. Good for her. I enjoyed The Dry Grass of August and will look for any new books Meyhew writes.
]]> The Nickel Boys 43269446 This follow-up to The Underground Railroad brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.

When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood's only salvation is his friendship with fellow "delinquent" Turner, which deepens despite Turner's conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood's ideals and Turner's skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.

Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.]]> 213 Colson Whitehead 0345804341 Nicole 0 to-read 4.35 2019 The Nickel Boys
author: Colson Whitehead
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/05
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In]]> 45046838 For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature.

In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents.

Appealing to fans of coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man’s bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the �80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him.]]> 320 Phuc Tran 1250194717 Nicole 0 to-read 4.29 2020 Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In
author: Phuc Tran
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Cassandra in Reverse 61987507 A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
“A Time-Twisting Delight� —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club June �23 Pick)

If you had the power to change the past…where would you start?
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now.
� She's just been dumped.
� She's just been fired.
� Her local café has run out of banana muffins.

Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated, but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.

“A great read-alike for The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, and The Boys by Katie Hafner.� �Booklist (STARRED)]]> 362 Holly Smale Nicole 2 3.51 2023 Cassandra in Reverse
author: Holly Smale
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/30
date added: 2024/08/31
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]]> <![CDATA[The Neighbor (Detective D.D. Warren, #3)]]> 5422154
This is what happened...
It was a case guaranteed to spark a media feeding frenzy—a young mother, blond and pretty, disappears without a trace from her South Boston home, leaving behind her four-year-old daughter as the only witness and her handsome, secretive husband as the prime suspect.

In the last six hours...
But from the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses� snug little bungalow, she senses something off about the picture of wholesome normality the couple worked so hard to create. On the surface, Jason and Sandra Jones are like any other hardworking young couple raising a four-year-old child. But it is just under the surface that things grew murky.

Of the world as I knew it...
With the clock ticking on the life of a missing woman and the media firestorm building, Jason Jones seems more intent on destroying evidence and isolating his daughter than on searching for his “beloved� wife. Is the perfect husband trying to hide his guilt—or just trying to hide? And will the only witness to the crime be the killer’s next victim?]]> 384 Lisa Gardner 0553807234 Nicole 3 4.07 2009 The Neighbor (Detective D.D. Warren, #3)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/14
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Love You More (Tessa Leoni, #1; Detective D.D. Warren, #5)]]> 8701129
As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn, no one to trust, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training, every trick at her disposal, to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.]]> 368 Lisa Gardner 0553807250 Nicole 4 4.16 2011 Love You More (Tessa Leoni, #1; Detective D.D. Warren, #5)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/01
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves:
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]]> The Operator 46258992
Vivian and the other women who work at Bell on East Liberty Street connect lines and lives. They aren’t supposed to listen in on conversations, but they do, and they all have opinions on what they hear―especially Vivian.

Then, one cold December night, Vivian listens in on a call between that snob Betty Miller and someone whose voice she can’t quite place and hears something shocking. Betty Miller’s mystery friend has news that, if true, will shatter Vivian’s tidy life in Wooster, humiliating her and making her the laughingstock of the town.

Vivian may be mortified, but she isn’t going to take this lying down. She’s going to get to the bottom of that rumor—get into it, get under it, poke around in the corners. Find every last bit. Vivian wants the truth, no matter how painful it may be.

But as Vivian is about to be reminded, in a small town like Wooster, one secret usually leads to another. . . .]]> 352 Gretchen Berg 0062917188 Nicole 0 to-read 3.23 2020 The Operator
author: Gretchen Berg
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.23
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> Braiding Sweetgrass 20763843 As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.

"Robin Wall Kimmerer writes about the natural world from a place of such abundant passion that one can never quite see the world the same way after having seen it through her eyes. In Braiding Sweetgrass, she takes us on a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise."
—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things

"Robin Wall Kimmerer shows how the factual, objective approach of science can be enriched by the ancient knowledge of the indigenous people. It is the way she captures beauty that I love the most—the images of giant cedars and wild strawberries, a forest in the rain and a meadow of fragrant sweetgrass will stay with you long after you read the last page."
—Jane Goodall, author of Seeds of Hope and My Life with the Chimpanzees

"Everyone who cares about the environment—and everyone else, period—should have Braiding Sweetgrass on their table. It captures the true reverence between Native Americans and the earth, the relationship that we need to survive."
—Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper, Onondaga Nation and Indigenous Environmental Leader

]]> 386 Robin Wall Kimmerer 1571313567 Nicole 0 to-read 4.56 2013 Braiding Sweetgrass
author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blue Lightning (Shetland Island, #4)]]> 7157547
Shetland Detective Jimmy Perez knows it will be a difficult homecoming when he returns to the Fair Isles to introduce his fiancée, Fran, to his parents. It’s a community where everyone knows each other, and strangers, while welcomed, are still viewed with a degree of mistrust.

Challenging to live on at the best of times, with the autumn storms raging, the island feels cut off from the rest of the world. Trapped, tension is high and tempers become frayed. Enough to drive someone to murder...

When a woman’s body is discovered at the renowned Fair Isles bird observatory, with feathers threaded through her hair, the islanders react with fear and anger. With no support from the mainland and only Fran to help him, Jimmy has to investigate the old-fashioned way. He soon realizes that this is no crime of passion—but a murder of cold and calculated intention.

With no way off the island until the storms abate, Jimmy knows he has to work quickly. There’s a killer on the island just waiting for the opportunity to strike again.]]> 368 Ann Cleeves 0230746659 Nicole 2 4.03 2010 Blue Lightning (Shetland Island, #4)
author: Ann Cleeves
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2016/01/29
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> The Two Lives of Sara 60206855 A young mother finds refuge and friendship at a boardinghouse in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee, where family encompasses more than just blood and hidden truths can bury you or set you free.

Sara King has nothing, save for her secrets and the baby in her belly, as she boards the bus to Memphis, hoping to outrun her past in Chicago. She is welcomed with open arms by Mama Sugar, a kindly matriarch and owner of the popular boardinghouse The Scarlet Poplar.

Like many cities in early 1960s America, Memphis is still segregated, but change is in the air. News spreads of the Freedom Riders. Across the country, people like Martin Luther King Jr. are leading the fight for equal rights. Black literature and music provide the stories and soundtrack for these turbulent and hopeful times, and Sara finds herself drawn in by conversations of education, politics and a brighter tomorrow with Jonas, a local schoolteacher. Romance blooms between them, but secrets from Mama Sugar's past threaten their newfound happiness with Sara and Jonas soon caught in the crosshairs, leading Sara to make decisions that will reshape the rest of their lives.

With a charismatic cast of characters, The Two Lives of Sara is an emotional and unforgettable story of hope, resilience, and unexpected love.]]> 320 Catherine Adel West 0778333221 Nicole 2 3.75 2022 The Two Lives of Sara
author: Catherine Adel West
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/03
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Pitch Dark (Mike Bowditch, #15)]]> 195790650 Game Warden Mike Bowditch must chase down a cunning and dangerous fugitive in the North Maine Woods in this nail-biter of a thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron, Pitch Dark.

Legendary bush pilot Josie Jonson can’t believe her luck when a skilled builder just happens to show up after she purchases land near Prentiss Pond. All Mark Redmond asks in return for building Josie’s dream cabin is that he be left alone to homeschool his 12-year-old daughter, Cady.

For Maine game warden investigator Mike Bowditch, the intensity of Redmond's secretiveness is troubling, especially in light of suspicious criminal activity being reported around the area―including rumors of an armed man offering large sums of money in exchange for the location of Redmond and Cady. Josie, though hesitant to violate the trust of her prized builder, eventually agrees to fly Mike and his father-in-law Charley Stevens to the secluded pond in an attempt to protect Redmond and Cady. But hours after landing, the trip takes a dark turn when they witness a horrific murder and are taken captive themselves.

Freeing himself, Mike is forced to set off through the impenetrable Maine forest towards Canada, alone and unarmed in pursuit of a mysterious fugitive. As he navigates a windblown landscape choked with deadfalls and blocked by swollen streams, he marvels at his enemy’s bush craft. The killer possesses skills surpassing his own, and Bowditch can't tell if he is the cat or the mouse in this dangerous game. Can Mike Bowditch stop his adversary in time to save the life of a young girl, or will he be forced to watch another innocent soul die?]]> 304 Paul Doiron 1250864429 Nicole 4 4.05 2024 Pitch Dark (Mike Bowditch, #15)
author: Paul Doiron
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/01
date added: 2024/07/28
shelves:
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]]> How to Read a Book 62365896 A charming, deeply moving novel about second chances, unlikely friendships, and the life-changing power of sharing stories.

Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one-year-old woman named Lorraine Daigle�

Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.

When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.

How to Read a Book Ěýis an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living.Ěý .Ěý±Ő±Ő> 288 Monica Wood 0063243679 Nicole 4 4.21 2024 How to Read a Book
author: Monica Wood
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/24
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Fear Nothing (Detective D.D. Warren, #8)]]> 18079661
Tym razem detektyw D.D. Warren ma za zadanie odkryć tożsamość seryjnego zabójcy. To nie tylko kolejna trudna zagadka, ale również sprawa, w której sama D.D. będzie bezpośrednio zagrożona.
Psychopata morduje, a na miejscu zbrodni zostawia czerwoną różę i szampana. Ofiarami są młode kobiety. Co to mówi o sprawcy? I czy pani detektyw wróci do pełni sił, aby uczestniczyć w śledztwie po tym, jak w trakcie oględzin domu jednej z ofiar uległa tajemniczemu wypadkowi?

Audiobook „Nie bój się� to znakomita lektura dla miłośników pisarstwa Lisy Gardner i dla wszystkich tych, którzy lubią trzymające w napięciu powieści kryminalne.

Wartka akcja, znakomicie poprowadzona narracja, przenikliwa bohaterka i zagadka, której rozwiązania trudno domyślić się do samego końca.

Wersję dźwiękową powieści prezentuje oczywiście Marta Grzywacz, która na potrzeby nagrań przeczytała również inne powieści autorki, między innymi „Sąsiada�, „Niepewność� czy „Kochać mocniej”]]> 416 Lisa Gardner 0525953086 Nicole 2 4.12 2014 Fear Nothing (Detective D.D. Warren, #8)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves:
review:
The plot was just too gross for me. I only finished it because I am reading through the Detective DD Warren series; otherwise, I now this would have been a DNF.
]]> World In My Eyes 36554267 513 Richard Blade 1948080508 Nicole 0 to-read 4.22 2017 World In My Eyes
author: Richard Blade
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Touch & Go (Tessa Leoni, #2; Detective D.D. Warren, #7)]]> 15811495 Catch MeĚý and ĚýLove You More,Ěý returns with a heart-thumping thriller about what lurks behind the facade of a perfect family.

This is my family:Ěý Vanished without a traceâ€�

Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston’s elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family.Ěý A perfect life.

This is what I know:Ěý Pain has a flavorâ€�

When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbesâ€� home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer.Ěý The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind.Ěý No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive.Ěý Just an entire family, vanished without a trace.

This is what I fear:Ěý The worst is yet to comeâ€�

Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets.Ěý Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbesâ€� innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices.ĚýWho would want to kidnap such a perfect little family?Ěý And how far would such a person be willing to go?

This is the truth:Ěý Love, safety, family…it is all touch and go.]]> 423 Lisa Gardner 0525953078 Nicole 4 4.06 2013 Touch & Go (Tessa Leoni, #2; Detective D.D. Warren, #7)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/11
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves:
review:

]]> Welcome to Beach Town 199810470
In idyllic Alara Cove, a California beach town known for its sunny charm and chill surfer vibe, it’s graduation day at the elite Thornton Academy. At Thornton, the students are the worldly and overindulged children who live in gated enclaves with spectacular views. But the class valedictorian is Nikki Graziola, a surfer’s daughter who is there on scholarship. To the shock of everyone in the audience, Nikki veers off script while giving her commencement address and reveals a secret that breaks open the whole community. As her truth explodes into the light, Alara Cove will face a reckoning.

Nikki Graziola’s accusation shakes the foundation of Alara Cove, pitting her against the wealthy family whose money runs the town. Her new notoriety sends Nikki into exile for years, where she finds fame—but not fortune—overseas as a competition surfer... until a personal tragedy compels her to return to Alara Cove. Ěý

As Nikki struggles to rebuild her future, she finds that the people of the town have not forgotten her. But time has changed Alara Cove, and old friendships, rivalries, and an unexpected romance draw her back into the life of the beach town she’s never quite forgotten, and where joy and redemption may be possible after all.]]> 336 Susan Wiggs 0062914170 Nicole 0 to-read 3.76 2021 Welcome to Beach Town
author: Susan Wiggs
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catch Me (Detective D.D. Warren, #6)]]> 11720382
Charlene doesn’t plan on going down without a fight. She has taken up boxing, shooting, and running. She also wants Boston’s top homicide detective, D. D. Warren, to handle the investigation.

But as D.D. delves deeper into the case, she starts to question the woman’s story. Instinct tells her that Charlene may not be in any danger at all. If that’s true, the woman must have a secret—one so terrifying that it alone could be the greatest threat of all.]]> 400 Lisa Gardner 0525952764 Nicole 4 4.18 2012 Catch Me (Detective D.D. Warren, #6)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/06
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves:
review:

]]> A Novel Love Story 199455340 A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction� literally.

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel�

Because it is.

This place can’t be real, and yet� she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.]]> 370 Ashley Poston 0593640993 Nicole 0 to-read 3.60 2024 A Novel Love Story
author: Ashley Poston
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
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]]> The Rom-Commers 195790586 She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.� Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?]]> 336 Katherine Center 1250283809 Nicole 0 to-read 4.06 2024 The Rom-Commers
author: Katherine Center
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
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]]> The Paradise Problem 199797582
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents � his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.]]> 352 Christina Lauren 1668017725 Nicole 0 to-read 4.07 2024 The Paradise Problem
author: Christina Lauren
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
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]]> By Any Other Name 203164368 From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring� (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.]]> 525 Jodi Picoult 059349721X Nicole 0 to-read 4.09 2024 By Any Other Name
author: Jodi Picoult
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
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]]> All the Colors of the Dark 203019740 From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that spans decades.

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.]]> 608 Chris Whitaker 0593798872 Nicole 0 to-read 4.24 2024 All the Colors of the Dark
author: Chris Whitaker
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham, #1)]]> 60879779
I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that.

Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.

Who was it?

Let's get started.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE

My brother

My stepsister

My wife

My father

My mother

My sister-in-law

My uncle

My stepfather

My aunt

Me]]> 371 Benjamin Stevenson 0063279029 Nicole 0 to-read 3.75 2022 Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham, #1)
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/23
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]]> <![CDATA[Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham, #2)]]> 167006698
The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty:

the debut writer (me!)

the forensic science writer

the blockbuster writer

the legal thriller writer

the literary writer

the psychological suspense writer

But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

Of course, we should also know how to commit one.

How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?]]> 320 Benjamin Stevenson 006327907X Nicole 0 to-read 3.82 2023 Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham, #2)
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/23
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]]> <![CDATA[Live to Tell (Detective D.D. Warren, #4)]]> 7180727
Female police detective D.D. Warren, however, is not one to take things at face value. At the same time, Danielle Burton is about to have her life thrown into turmoil; a nurse whose life is at the service of her profession, she has tentatively recovered from a devastating family tragedy of decades before � and the investigation by Warren and her partner is about to throw Danielle’s life into chaos once again. There is one more angle to the triangle: the devotion of a mother, Victoria Oliver, to her disturbed son is about to be tested to the limit.]]> 400 Lisa Gardner 0553807242 Nicole 4 4.17 2010 Live to Tell (Detective D.D. Warren, #4)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/23
date added: 2024/06/23
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]]> The Berry Pickers 123036004 A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.]]> 307 Amanda Peters 1646221958 Nicole 2 4.04 2023 The Berry Pickers
author: Amanda Peters
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/20
date added: 2024/06/20
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]]> <![CDATA[Hide (Detective D.D. Warren, #2)]]> 32523
It was a case that haunts Bobby Dodge to this day—the case that nearly killed him and changed his life forever. Now, in an underground chamber on the grounds of an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital, the gruesome discovery of six mummified corpses resurrects his worst nightmare: the return of a killer he thought dead and buried. There’s no place to run. . . . Bobby’s only lead is wrapped around a dead woman’s neck. Annabelle Granger has been in hiding for as long as she can remember. Her childhood was a blur of new cities and assumed identities. But what—or who—her family was running from, she never knew. Now a body is unearthed from a grave, wearing a necklace bearing Annabelle’s name, and the danger is too close to escape. This time, she’s not going to run. You know he will find you. . . .

The new threat could be the dead psychopath’s copycat, his protégé—or something far more terrifying. Dodge knows the only way to find him is to solve the mystery of Annabelle Granger, and to do that he must team up with his former lover, partner, and friend D. D. Warren from the Boston P.D. But the trail leads back to a woman from Bobby’s past who may be every bit as dangerous as the new killer—a beautiful survivor-turned-avenger with an eerie link to Annabelle. From its tense opening pages to its shocking climax, Hide is a thriller that delves into our deepest, darkest fears. Where there is no one to trust. Where there is no place left to hide.]]> 375 Lisa Gardner 0553804324 Nicole 4 4.17 2007 Hide (Detective D.D. Warren, #2)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/09
date added: 2024/06/09
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review:

]]> Nine Women, One Dress 27245903 A charming, hilarious, irresistible romp of a novel that brings together nine unrelated women, each touched by the same little black dress that weaves through their lives, bringing a little magic with it.

Natalie is a Bloomingdale’s salesgirl mooning over her lawyer ex-boyfriend who’s engaged to someone else after just two months. Felicia has been quietly in love with her happily married boss for twenty years; now that he’s a lonely widower, she just needs the right situation to make him see her as more than the best executive assistant in Midtown Manhattan. Andrea is a private detective specializing in gathering evidence on cheating husbands—a skill she unfortunately learned from her own life—and can’t figure out why her intuition tells her the guy she’s tailing is one of the good ones when she hasn’t trusted a man in years. For these three women, as well as half a dozen others in sparkling supporting roles—a young model fresh from rural Georgia, a diva Hollywood star making her Broadway debut, an overachieving, unemployed Brown grad who starts faking a fabulous life on social media, to name just a few—everything is about to change, thanks to the dress of the season, the perfect little black number everyone wants to get their hands on…]]> 261 Jane L. Rosen 0385541406 Nicole 0 to-read 3.79 2016 Nine Women, One Dress
author: Jane L. Rosen
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/05
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]]> <![CDATA[Unleashing Radical Hospitality: A Journey to Make the Safety of Children and Support of Parents a Priority for Us All]]> 212122362
Safe Families for Children (SFFC) is a national model that started in Chicago, Illinois, in 2003, when Dr. David Anderson caught a vision for preventing child abuse and neglect. This book tells the compelling true story of an extraordinary international social movement to keep children safe and families together by equipping volunteers to come alongside families who are facing difficulties and lack support.

The goal of Safe Families is to support parents and prevent child maltreatment, thus substantially reducing the need for foster care.

There are families in your community who are socially isolated and who need a friend. They need a circle of support. After reading the Safe Families for Children story, you’ll want to unleash your family!

Let this book give hope and inspiration to those of you who have a big dream or an idea about how you can organize an effort to positively impact others. Be brave and be bold. Our world needs more change-makers.]]> 217 David Anderson Nicole 5 4.83 Unleashing Radical Hospitality: A Journey to Make the Safety of Children and Support of Parents a Priority for Us All
author: David Anderson
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.83
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/30
date added: 2024/05/30
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]]> Shelterwood 198563674 A sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.

Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse.

Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the wild and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.]]> 368 Lisa Wingate 0593726502 Nicole 0 to-read 3.81 2024 Shelterwood
author: Lisa Wingate
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/05/30
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]]> The Block Party 195790881 This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.]]> 400 Jamie Day 1250336147 Nicole 0 to-read 3.75 2023 The Block Party
author: Jamie Day
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/05/28
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]]> Night Road 57693548 From Kristin Hannah, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit novels Firefly Lane, The Nightingale, and The Four Winds comes a novel about how one reckless night destroys the lives of three teenagers and their families.

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children's needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia's best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids out of harm's way. But senior year of high school tests them all. It's a dangerous, explosive season of drinking, driving, parties, and kids who want to let loose. And then on a hot summer's night, one bad decision is made. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.]]> 416 Kristin Hannah 1250838495 Nicole 0 to-read 4.23 2011 Night Road
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Nicole
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/05/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Alone (Detective D.D. Warren, #1)]]> 32527
Alone . . . that’s where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son’s death . . . and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

Alone . . . a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum security prison where he’d done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous . . . and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence—but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who’s woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone.]]> 451 Lisa Gardner 0553584537 Nicole 3 3.96 2004 Alone (Detective D.D. Warren, #1)
author: Lisa Gardner
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/27
date added: 2024/05/27
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void]]> 9542311 334 Mary Roach 0393339912 Nicole 0 to-read 3.97 2010 Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
author: Mary Roach
name: Nicole
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/05/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>