Jill 's bookshelf: all

Jill 's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 13 Apr 2025 17:52:59 -0700 60 Jill 's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity]]> 61153739 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �� A groundbreaking manifesto on living better and longer that challenges the conventional medical thinking on aging and reveals a new approach to preventing chronic disease and extending long-term health, from a visionary physician and leading longevity expert

Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.

For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of healthspan, or quality of life. Dr. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, one where we take action now, rather than waiting.

This is not “biohacking,�� it’s science: a well-founded strategic and tactical approach to extending lifespan while also improving our physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Dr. Attia’s aim is less to tell you what to do and more to help you learn how to think about long-term health, in order to create the best plan for you as an individual. In Outlive, readers will discover:

�� Why the cholesterol test at your annual physical doesn’t tell you enough about your actual risk of dying from a heart attack.
�� That you may already suffer from an extremely common yet underdiagnosed liver condition that could be a precursor to the chronic diseases of aging.
�� Why exercise is the most potent pro-longevity “drug”—and how to begin training for the “Centenarian Decathlon.��
�� Why you should forget about diets, and focus instead on nutritional biochemistry, using technology and data to personalize your eating pattern.
�� Why striving for physical health and longevity, but ignoring emotional health, could be the ultimate curse of all.

Aging and longevity are far more malleable than we think; our fate is not set in stone. With the right roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.]]> 496 Peter Attia 0593236599 Jill 0 currently-reading 4.33 2023 Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity

author: Peter Attia
name: Jill
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> After I Do 18775359 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781476712840.

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Jill 4 3.91 2014

author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Jill
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before]]> 215749226
What’s happening to me? Is anyone else feeling this way? Why did no one tell me about this?

If you’re ready to feel like yourself again, this book is “the talk�� you never had.

How To Menopause is packed with actionable steps and evidence-based tools from a team of 42 experts including neuroscientists, menopause-certified physicians, sex and relationship therapists, sleep doctors, and a variety of lifestyle mentors.

Synthesizing research, stories, and strategies in a way that only a journalist can, Tamsen Fadal helps you

-be your best advocate in a medical system not designed to treat women in midlife,
understand the options that tame your symptoms, whether it’s hormone therapy, supplements, or lifestyle changes,

-implement science-backed strategies to get the best sleep of your life,

-be able to talk to your partner about sex, low libido, painful intercourse, or how your hormones might be impacting your relationship,

-embrace your style (hair, makeup, clothes) to match your evolving body,

-learn simple workouts, skincare tips, and delicious recipes to deal with belly fat, dry skin, and hair loss (and don’t worry, it’s not all kale salads),

-navigate menopause in the workplace—and much, much more.

How to Menopause answers all the questions you don’t know to ask, and brings you into a conversation with millions of other women. Together, we can embrace a stronger, sexier self at every stage of midlife–from perimenopause through menopause and into our “bolden�� years.

“How to Menopause is more than just advice—it provides a lifeline. Through her honesty, humor, research, and relentless commitment to women’s health, Tamsen Fadal has created a guide that is both practical and deeply personal. Whether you’re just beginning to experience perimenopause or well into this transition, these words will leave you feeling more confident, more informed, and most importantly—never alone.�� —Lisa Mosconi, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of The Menopause Brain]]> 384 Tamsen Fadal 0306833549 Jill 3 4.20 How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before

How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before

author: Tamsen Fadal
name: Jill
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection]]> 220341389 John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease.

Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, John Green met Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone while traveling with Partners in Health. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal and dynamic advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, treatable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing 1.5 million people every year.

In Everything is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.]]> 208 John Green 0525556575 Jill 4
And then this mythical person would say, “It’s written by John Green.�� Suddenly, my response changes to, “Sure, why not.��

Honestly, for a book about a disease that has killed millions—and continues to kill more than it should in our so-called advanced society—it’s a surprisingly easy read. The cures exist, but as the book points out, they aren’t where the disease is.

It’s also bizarre to learn that many of the beauty standards the world still clings to have roots in tuberculosis-chic—pre-dating the heroin-chic models of the 1990s. It’s a sick world where people try to look like they’re ill, but I can’t say I’m shocked. When I was getting blood drawn during thyroid cancer treatment, a phlebotomist once told me, “I want the thyroid problem that makes you lose weight.�� In the moment, I was stunned—who in their right mind would want something that makes you feel miserable, just for the vanity of dropping a few pounds? But then I remembered: people do dumber things in the name of appearance. So sure, why not model ourselves after a TB patient?

This book somehow gives you hope for the individuals you meet in its pages while simultaneously making you depressed that nothing in the world is really built to care for humanity—it’s all just about the bottom line.

But hey, John Green wrote it, and he has a way with words, so I found it enjoyable.]]> 4.54 2025 Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

author: John Green
name: Jill
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves:
review:
If someone asked me, “Would you like to read a book about tuberculosis?�� my gut reaction would probably be, “No, thank you.��

And then this mythical person would say, “It’s written by John Green.�� Suddenly, my response changes to, “Sure, why not.��

Honestly, for a book about a disease that has killed millions—and continues to kill more than it should in our so-called advanced society—it’s a surprisingly easy read. The cures exist, but as the book points out, they aren’t where the disease is.

It’s also bizarre to learn that many of the beauty standards the world still clings to have roots in tuberculosis-chic—pre-dating the heroin-chic models of the 1990s. It’s a sick world where people try to look like they’re ill, but I can’t say I’m shocked. When I was getting blood drawn during thyroid cancer treatment, a phlebotomist once told me, “I want the thyroid problem that makes you lose weight.�� In the moment, I was stunned—who in their right mind would want something that makes you feel miserable, just for the vanity of dropping a few pounds? But then I remembered: people do dumber things in the name of appearance. So sure, why not model ourselves after a TB patient?

This book somehow gives you hope for the individuals you meet in its pages while simultaneously making you depressed that nothing in the world is really built to care for humanity—it’s all just about the bottom line.

But hey, John Green wrote it, and he has a way with words, so I found it enjoyable.
]]> <![CDATA[The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map]]> 215583308 New York Times��bestselling author of��Endure, Alex Hutchinson returns with a fresh, invigorating investigation into how exploration, uncertainty, and risk-taking shape our behavior and wellbeing. For fans of��On Trails����Ի��Range��,��The Explorer’s Gene��makes the case not just that humans are wired to seek the unknown, but that thriving in the modern world depends on pushing our mental and physical boundaries to new places.

Off the beaten path, on unmarked trails, we are wired to explore. More than just a need to get outside, the search for the unknown is a specific, primal urge that has shaped the history of our species and continues to mold our behavior in ways we are just beginning to understand. In fact, the latest neuroscience suggests that exploration is an essential ingredient of human life. Exploration, it turns out, isn’t merely a hobby—it’s our story.

In this long-awaited follow-up to his��New York Times��ٲ��Endure, Alex Hutchinson dives headfirst into a fascinating and provocative new field of research, examining how exploration is a fundamental part of what makes us human and revealing how, even in our fully mapped modern world, the pursuit of the unknown remains an indispensable mindset in all walks of life.

And yet, it has never been easier to live an exploration-free life, without the struggle and uncertainty that true exploration—of places, experiences, and ideas—requires. With the digital world designed to exploit the neural circuitry behind our drive to explore, we receive the��illusion��of novelty without accompanying growth. This despite mounting evidence that our lives are better—more productive, more satisfying, and more fun—when we ditch the maps on our phones and find our own way.

From paddling the lost rivers of the northern Canadian wilderness to the ocean-spanning voyages of the Polynesians, The Explorer’s Gene��combines riveting stories of exploration with cutting-edge insights from behavioral psychology and neuroscience. The end result offers a singular approach to finding meaning in our past struggles, embracing the possibility of failure in our future, and crucially, recognizing when our present is good enough.��]]> 304 Alex Hutchinson 0063269767 Jill 0 to-read 4.10 The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map

The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map

author: Alex Hutchinson
name: Jill
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
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]]> Julie Chan Is Dead 220195725 In this razor-sharp, diabolical debut thriller, a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.]]> 320 Liann Zhang 1668067919 Jill 0 to-read 3.83 2025 Julie Chan Is Dead

author: Liann Zhang
name: Jill
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits]]> 216580991 One of the most anticipated books of the year, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, a glimmering novel set in the world of pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase.

Sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg were born just a year apart but could not have been more different. Zoe, blessed with charm and beauty, yearned for fame from the moment she could sing into a hairbrush. Cassie was a musical prodigy who never felt at home in her own skin and preferred the safety of the shadows.

On the brink of adulthood in the early 2000s, destiny intervened, catapulting the sisters into the spotlight as the pop sensation the Griffin Sisters, hitting all the touchstones of early aughts fame—SNL, MTV, Rolling Stone magazine—along the way.

But after a whirlwind year in the public eye, the band abruptly broke up.

Two decades later, Zoe’s a housewife; Cassie’s off the grid. The sisters aren’t speaking, and the real reason for the Griffin Sisters�� breakup is still a mystery. Zoe’s teenage daughter, Cherry, who’s determined to be a star in spite of Zoe’s warnings, is on a quest to learn the truth about what happened to the band all those years ago.

As secrets emerge, all three women must face the consequences of their choices: the ones they made and the ones the music industry made for them. Can they forgive each other—and themselves? And will the Griffin Sisters ever make music again?]]> 384 Jennifer Weiner 0063342464 Jill 0 to-read 4.30 2025 The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits

author: Jennifer Weiner
name: Jill
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Used to be Fun 123183605 A richly satisfying family dramedy for any woman who has asked, “Whose life is this?��

Jessica Holloway is miserable. As mom to two ungrateful, almost-grown children and wife to one appreciative-but-needy husband, she has all-but-abandoned the extraordinary—and extraordinarily fun—woman she used to be.

She may be smiling while she volunteers at the school's dog wash fundraiser, but inside, she's seething. Having traded her future as a high-powered attorney for motherhood nearly two decades ago, she's now desperate to reconnect with the woman she once was.

Pushed to her breaking point, Jessica is secretly terrified at what she might do.

Go on strike permanently?

Take the dog and run away to Mexico?

Tell her mother-in-law what she really thinks of her?

Whatever it is, it's going to be a disaster. Because this time, Jessica will stop at nothing to get her power back - no matter the cost.]]> 306 Melanie Summers 1988891612 Jill 3 book-club 3.65 I Used to be Fun

author: Melanie Summers
name: Jill
average rating: 3.65
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> The Life Impossible 198281740
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…��

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.

Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.

Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.]]> 324 Matt Haig 0593489276 Jill 3 book-club 3.45 2024 The Life Impossible

author: Matt Haig
name: Jill
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities]]> 83822351
In Organic Social Media , Jenny Li Fowler outlines the important steps that social media managers need to take to enhance an organization's broader growth objectives. Fowler breaks down the important questions to help readers determine the best platforms to invest in, how they can streamline the approval process and other essential strategic steps to create an organic following on social platforms.

Organic Social Media explains how to elevate the key growth objectives of a brand by creating or recreating its online presence. Early chapters walk readers through the planning phase, the process of strategic goal setting, platform selection, resource management and content discovery. Later chapters focus on executing these established plans and offer a strategic way to build a content calendar and track the success of social. With this book, social media managers will future-proof the online presence of any organization.]]> 232 Jenny Li Fowler 1398612979 Jill 0 currently-reading 4.21 Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities

Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities

author: Jenny Li Fowler
name: Jill
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Jane and Dan at the End of the World]]> 214268974 Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.

Jane and Dan have been married for nineteen years, but Jane isn’t sure they’re going to make it to twenty. The mother of two feels unneeded by her teenagers, and her writing career has screeched to an unsuccessful halt. Her one published novel sold under five hundred copies. Worse? She’s pretty sure Dan is cheating on her. When the couple goes to the renowned upscale restaurant La Fin du Monde to celebrate their anniversary, Jane thinks it’s as good a place as any to tell Dan she wants a divorce.

But before they even get to the second course, an underground climate activist group bursts into the dining room. Jane is shocked—and not just because she’s in a hostage situation the likes of which she’s only seen in the movies. Nearly everything the disorganized and bumbling activists say and do is right out of the pages of her failed book. Even Dan (who Jane wasn’t sure even read her book) admits it’s eerily familiar.

Which means Dan and Jane are the only ones who know what’s going to happen next. And they’re the only ones who can stop it. This wasn’t what Jane was thinking of when she said “’til death do us part�� all those years ago, but if they can survive this, maybe they can survive anything—even marriage.]]> 368 Colleen Oakley 0593200829 Jill 4 3.78 2025 Jane and Dan at the End of the World

author: Colleen Oakley
name: Jill
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:

]]> The Tell: A Memoir 214537759 “Where are you, Mom?�� So began Amy’s quest to solve a mystery trapped in the deep recesses of her own memory—a journey that would take her into the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy, to the limits of the judicial system, and ultimately, home to the Texas panhandle, where her story began.

In her search for the truth, to understand and begin to recover from buried childhood trauma, Griffin interrogates the pursuit of perfectionism, control, and maintaining appearances that drives so many women, asking, when, in our path from girlhood to womanhood, did we learn to look outside ourselves for validation? What kind of freedom is possible if we accept the whole story and embrace who we really are? With hope, heart, and relentless honesty, she points a way forward for all of us, revealing the power of radical truth-telling to deepen our connections—with others and ourselves.]]> 288 Amy Griffin 0593731204 Jill 4 4.25 2025 The Tell: A Memoir

author: Amy Griffin
name: Jill
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What Do I Want to Be When They Grow Up?: (And Other Thoughts From a 40-something Mom)]]> 219494556 224 Karen Johnson 1394286309 Jill 0 currently-reading 0.0

What Do I Want to Be When They Grow Up?: (And Other Thoughts From a 40-something Mom)

author: Karen Johnson
name: Jill
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Three Lives of Cate Kay 214152244 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781668076217.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.

Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.

As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.]]> 304 Kate Fagan Jill 3 3.76 2025 The Three Lives of Cate Kay

author: Kate Fagan
name: Jill
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Science of Beauty: Debunk the Myths and Discover What Goes into Your Beauty Routine]]> 197144586
Can tweakments do me any harm? Does deodorant cause breast cancer? Does eating chocolate give you acne? Do I need to wear sunscreen every day? What exactly is in my serum? Are collagen supplements the fountain of youth? What’s the best way to fade scars? And is “clean beauty�� as healthy as it sounds?

The Science of Beauty reveals the truth behind the bold marketing claims and viral TikTok trends and tells you what you really need to know about the products you use every day, form good habits, and learn what really works. Decipher the ingredients that make up your favorite shampoo, find out the facts about tweakments and chemical peels, and discover whether beauty brands can ever be truly sustainable.

Featuring over 100 frequently asked questions, informative graphics, and backed up by the latest research, cosmetic chemist and science educator Dr. Michelle Wong (a.k.a. Lab Muffin Beauty Science) has the answers we need to make the most of our beauty and body-care routines.]]> 256 Michelle Wong 0744092833 Jill 3 3.85 The Science of Beauty: Debunk the Myths and Discover What Goes into Your Beauty Routine

The Science of Beauty: Debunk the Myths and Discover What Goes into Your Beauty Routine

author: Michelle Wong
name: Jill
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mama Needs a Minute!: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood]]> 215749103 From Mary Catherine Starr, the artist behind the @momlife_comics Instagram account celebrated by moms all over the world, this deeply funny illustrated memoir captures the chaos, joy, exhaustion, guilt, well-intentioned-but-clueless partners, and infinite loads of laundry that come with being a mom.

Packed with humor, warmth, and all-too-relatable anecdotes, this comic memoir��explores the (often invisible) labor of modern motherhood that leaves so many moms feeling like they are losing themselves—and their minds! Whether you’re navigating a hellish sleep regression, wiping sweet potato off the walls, seething with spousal resentment (deserved and undeserved), or simply hoping to pee without a toddler watching, this candid and irreverent account perfectly captures what every mom knows in her heart to be motherhood is @#$% hard (and also really amazing)!

Filled with Starr’s signature wit, warmth, and observational humor, Mama Needs a Minute! tackles all the absurdities of mom life and will make you laugh, cry, and feel seen in a way only a true mom-friend can offer.

BELOVED Mary Catherine Starr, aka @momlife_comics, has a dedicated following and her work has appeared on Cup of Jo, Motherly, and the Huffington Post. Now, for the first time, her many fans can learn about Mary Catherine's own journey and enjoy her comic drawings and witty observations in a single, giftable package.��

REFRESHING PARENTING Parenthood is a perennial topic, and this book addresses common experiences of motherhood. Like Horizontal Parenting��and Mommy Cusses, it offers humorous, super-relatable takes on parenting that will resonate with any mom looking for comic relief.

��

GREAT MOM This brightly illustrated, comic-style memoir makes a fun gift for moms for Mother’s Day, birthday, baby shower, or baby sprinkle. It is also great for giving to a friend, sister, cousin, or any mom who would appreciate a present that says, “I see you.��

Perfect

Mothers of young children

Fans of @momlife_comics on Instagram

Mother's Day and new mom gift shoppers

Fans of humorous takes on parenting, including��Momma Cusses,��Horizontal Parenting,��Welcome to the Club,��Go the F*** to Sleep, and There Are Moms Way Worse Than You

Readers of Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play and Jessi Klein’s I’ll Show Myself Out

]]> 304 Mary Catherine Starr 179722686X Jill 4 4.19 2025 Mama Needs a Minute!: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood

Mama Needs a Minute!: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood

author: Mary Catherine Starr
name: Jill
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting]]> 214458226 From the most visible woman writing about weightlifting today, a memoir and manifesto about how lifting helped dissolve her allegiance to diet culture; taught her to be at home in her body; and led her to grow every kind of strength.

In��A Physical Education,��Casey Johnston recounts how she ventured into the brave new world of weightlifting, leaving behind years of��restrictive eating and endless cardio.��Woven through the trajectory of how she rebuilt her strength and confidence is a staggering exposé of the damaging doctrine spread by diet and fitness culture.��

Johnston's story dives deep into her own past relationships with calorie restriction, cardio, and codependency. As she progresses on her weightlifting journey, carrying groceries and closing heavy doors become easier. She eats to fuel her growing strength, and her cravings vanish. Her physical progress fuels a growing how mainstream messaging she received about women’s bodies was always less about transformation and more about preserving the status quo. Having previously been convinced that physical improvement was a matter of suffering, now she learns it requires self-regard, and patience. Ultimately, she is dazzled by what a little pushing at a time adds up the reawakening of parts of herself she didn’t even know were there.

A Physical Education asks why so many of us spend our lives trying to “get healthy�� by actively making our bodies weaker. Casey Johnston is a voice for those of us who feel underdeveloped and unfulfilled in our bodies, for all of us looking to come home to ourselves.��]]> 272 Casey Johnston 1538773252 Jill 0 to-read 4.54 2025 A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting

A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting

author: Casey Johnston
name: Jill
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Pass / Fail: : The Urgent Need for Strategic Leadership in Higher Education]]> 219056147
What’s at stake is the loss of many institutions that have facilitated social mobility, personal growth, and more connected and meaningful lives for a century or more.

How each institution navigates these headwinds will depend almost entirely on the quality of its leadership. Higher education administrators can no longer afford to just be subject matter experts in their areas and perpetuate the silos so common in academia. They must understand how to connect academic product strategy, brand, enrollment, philanthropy, and culture to drive entrepreneurial initiatives and change.

Those key areas of strategic leadership are what Pass/Fail centers on. Written by seasoned higher education strategist and marketer Dr. Suzan Brinker, the book is at once inspiring and practical, combining personal narrative with case studies from leaders at liberal arts colleges, large private universities, and public research institutions.]]> 222 Suzan Brinker Jill 5 5.00 Pass / Fail: : The Urgent Need for Strategic Leadership in Higher Education

Pass / Fail: : The Urgent Need for Strategic Leadership in Higher Education

author: Suzan Brinker
name: Jill
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope]]> 43808723 From the author of the international mega-bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck comes a counterintuitive guide to the problems of hope.

We live in an interesting time. Materially, everything is the best it’s ever been—we are freer, healthier and wealthier than any people in human history. Yet, somehow everything seems to be irreparably and horribly f*cked—the planet is warming, governments are failing, economies are collapsing, and everyone is perpetually offended on Twitter. At this moment in history, when we have access to technology, education and communication our ancestors couldn’t even dream of, so many of us come back to an overriding feeling of hopelessness.

What’s going on? If anyone can put a name to our current malaise and help fix it, it’s Mark Manson. In 2016, Manson published The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, a book that brilliantly gave shape to the ever-present, low-level hum of anxiety that permeates modern living. He showed us that technology had made it too easy to care about the wrong things, that our culture had convinced us that the world owed us something when it didn’t—and worst of all, that our modern and maddening urge to always find happiness only served to make us unhappier. Instead, the “subtle art�� of that title turned out to be a bold challenge: to choose your struggle; to narrow and focus and find the pain you want to sustain. The result was a book that became an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies worldwide while becoming the #1 bestseller in 13 different countries.

Now, in Everthing Is F*cked, Manson turns his gaze from the inevitable flaws within each individual self to the endless calamities taking place in the world around us. Drawing from the pool of psychological research on these topics, as well as the timeless wisdom of philosophers such as Plato, Nietzsche, and Tom Waits, he dissects religion and politics and the uncomfortable ways they have come to resemble one another. He looks at our relationships with money, entertainment and the internet, and how too much of a good thing can psychologically eat us alive. He openly defies our definitions of faith, happiness, freedom—and even of hope itself.

With his usual mix of erudition and where-the-f*ck-did-that-come-from humor, Manson takes us by the collar and challenges us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in ways we probably haven’t considered before. It’s another counterintuitive romp through the pain in our hearts and the stress of our soul. One of the great modern writers has produced another book that will set the agenda for years to come.]]> 288 Mark Manson 0062955934 Jill 4 3.67 2019 Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope

author: Mark Manson
name: Jill
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Stay Human in a F*cked-Up World: Mindfulness Practices for Real Life]]> 43288639 A modern approach to mindfulness from an esteemed Buddhist scholar and Psychology professor.

Everywhere we go, we hear about the benefits of mindfulness—to bring us joy, peace, and productivity, and even to make us look younger and live longer. Meanwhile, in the real world, things aren’t so rosy: suicide rates are skyrocketing; prescription drug use is on the rise; exposure to negative news is causing PTSD-like symptoms; and we continue to report feeling disconnected, distracted, and depressed. How can we��be more mindful��when the world is this fucked up?

Tim Desmond—esteemed Buddhist scholar and lecturer on Psychology at Yale Medical School—is the fresh, engaging answer to this important question. Using techniques cultivated from the monastery of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and at Google headquarters in Silicon Valley, Tim has been inventing new ways to bridge��the gap between the ancient tradition of mindfulness and modern life. In How to Stay Human in a F*Cked Up World, he presents readers with exactly that—the first mindfulness practice designed for surviving the sometimes-miserable world we live in, with advice, strategies, and guidance you can start using to feel more connected, joyful, and present��today.

Direct, witty, and surprising, with chapters titled “Why Bad Things Happen,�� “You’re Not Crazy,�� and “Becoming Fearless,�� How to Stay Human in a F*Cked Up World��gets right to the heart of our collective pain with a simple practice rooted in science, self-compassion, and psychotherapy. If you’ve tried mindfulness before and failed, Tim gets it. Likely you were told to sit on a pillow in a dark room, meditate, or count your breaths. But mindfulness isn’t about separating ourselves from the problems in the world. Instead, it is about re-learning how to get out there, connect with the suffering of every living being and in so doing, embrace our own personal suffering, let go, and move on.

]]> 186 Tim Desmond Jill 4 4.10 2019 How to Stay Human in a F*cked-Up World: Mindfulness Practices for Real Life

author: Tim Desmond
name: Jill
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power]]> 60880794 From psychotherapist Katherine Morgan Schafler, an invitation to every “recovering perfectionist�� to challenge the way they look at perfectionism, and the way they look at themselves.

We’ve been looking at perfectionism all wrong. As psychotherapist and former on-site therapist at Google Katherine Morgan Schafler argues in The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control, you don’t have to stop being a perfectionist to be healthy. For women who are sick of being given the generic advice to “find balance��, a new approach has arrived.

Which of the five types of perfectionist are you? Classic, intense, Parisian, messy, or procrastinator? As you identify your unique perfectionist profile, you'll learn how to manage each form of perfectionism to work for you, not against you. Beyond managing it, you'll learn how to embrace and even enjoy your perfectionism. Yes, enjoy!

Full of stories and brimming with humor, empathy, and depth, this book is a love letter to the ambitious, high achieving, full-of-life clients who filled the author’s private practice, and who changed her life. It’s a clarion call for all women to dare to want more without feeling greedy or ungrateful. Ultimately, this book will show you how to make the single greatest trade you’ll ever make in your life, which is to exchange superficial control for real power.]]> 325 Katherine Morgan Schafler 059332952X Jill 4 4.16 2023 The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power

The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power

author: Katherine Morgan Schafler
name: Jill
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:

]]> Long Island Compromise 55777544 “Were we gangsters? No. But did we know how to start a fire?��

In 1980, a wealthy businessman named Carl Fletcher is kidnapped from his driveway, brutalized, and held for ransom. He is returned to his wife and kids less than a week later, only slightly the worse, and the family moves on with their lives, resuming their prized places in the saga of the American dream, comforted in the realization that though their money may have been what endangered them, it is also what assured them their safety.

But now, nearly forty years later, it’s clear that perhaps nobody ever got over anything, after all. Carl has spent the ensuing years secretly seeking closure to the matter of his kidnapping, while his wife, Ruth, has spent her potential protecting her husband’s emotional health. Their three grown children aren’t doing much better: Nathan’s chronic fear won’t allow him to advance at his law firm; Beamer, a Hollywood screenwriter, will consume anything—substance, foodstuff, women—in order to numb his own perpetual terror; and Jenny has spent her life so bent on proving that she’s not a product of her family’s pathology that she has come to define it. As they hover at the delicate precipice of a different kind of survival, they learn that the family fortune has dwindled to just about nothing, and they must face desperate questions about how much their wealth has played a part in both their lives�� successes and failures.

Long Island Compromise spans the entirety of one family’s history, winding through decades and generations, all the way to the outrageous present, and confronting the mainstays of American Jewish life: tradition, the pursuit of success, the terror of history, fear of the future, old wives�� tales, evil eyes, ambition, achievement, boredom, dybbuks, inheritance, pyramid schemes, right-wing capitalists, beta-blockers, psychics, and the mostly unspoken love and shared experience that unite a family forever.]]> 464 Taffy Brodesser-Akner 0593133498 Jill 0 to-read 3.72 2024 Long Island Compromise

author: Taffy Brodesser-Akner
name: Jill
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Crash 216223604 The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.

A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.
]]> 384 Freida McFadden 1464232989 Jill 3 3.58 2025 The Crash

author: Freida McFadden
name: Jill
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
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]]> milk and honey 23513349 Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

It is split into four chapters, with each chapter dealing with a different pain. Healing a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them -- because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.]]> 204 Rupi Kaur 1502784270 Jill 4 3.97 2014 milk and honey

author: Rupi Kaur
name: Jill
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic]]> 39196352
In her strips, Emma deals with themes ranging from maternity leave (it is not a vacation!), domestic violence, the clitoris, the violence of the medical world on women during childbirth, and other feminist issues, and she does so in a straightforward way that is both hilarious and deadly serious. Her comics also address the everyday outrages and absurdities of immigrant rights, income equality, and police violence.]]> 207 Emma 1609809181 Jill 4 4.06 2018 The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic

author: Emma
name: Jill
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
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]]> She's Not Sorry 140111148
Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom to a teenage daughter and working as a full time nurse. While on duty at the hospital one day, a patient named Caitlin arrives in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, having jumped from a bridge and plunging over twenty feet to the train tracks below.��

But when a witness comes forward with shocking details about the fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was Caitlin�� pushed ��and if so, by whom and why?��

Meghan has always tried to stay emotionally detached from her patients, but this time, she mistakenly lets herself get too close until she’s deeply entangled in Caitlin’s and her family’s lives. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims.]]> 330 Mary Kubica 0778308065 Jill 0 to-read 3.77 2024 She's Not Sorry

author: Mary Kubica
name: Jill
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)]]> 62848145 As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can't risk losing this job �� not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe . . .

It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything...

That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go...]]> 318 Freida McFadden 1837901317 Jill 4 4.21 2023 The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)

The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)

author: Freida McFadden
name: Jill
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership]]> 39937627
Journalist-turned-psychologist Darcy Lockman offers a clear-eyed look at the most pernicious problem facing modern parents—how progressive relationships become traditional ones when children are introduced into the household.

In an era of seemingly unprecedented feminist activism, enlightenment, and change, data shows that one area of gender inequality stubbornly persists: the disproportionate amount of parental work that falls to women, no matter their background, class, or professional status. All the Rage investigates the cause of this pervasive inequity to answer why, in households where both parents work full-time and agree that tasks should be equally shared, mothers�� household management, mental labor, and childcare contributions still outweigh fathers��.

How, in a culture that pays lip service to women’s equality and lauds the benefits of father involvement—benefits that extend far beyond the well-being of the kids themselves—can a commitment to fairness in marriage melt away upon the arrival of children?

Counting on male partners who will share the burden, women today have been left with what political scientists call unfulfilled, rising expectations. Historically these unmet expectations lie at the heart of revolutions, insurgencies, and civil unrest. If so many couples are living this way, and so many women are angered or just exhausted by it, why do we remain so stuck? Where is our revolution, our insurgency, our civil unrest?

Darcy Lockman drills deep to find answers, exploring how the feminist promise of true domestic partnership almost never, in fact, comes to pass. Starting with her own marriage as a ground zero case study, she moves outward, chronicling the experiences of a diverse cross-section of women raising children with men; visiting new mothers�� groups and pioneering co-parenting specialists; and interviewing experts across academic fields, from gender studies professors and anthropologists to neuroscientists and primatologists. Lockman identifies three tenets that have upheld the cultural gender division of labor and peels back the ways in which both men and women unintentionally perpetuate old norms.

If we can all agree that equal pay for equal work should be a given, can the same apply to unpaid work? Can justice finally come home?]]> 355 Darcy Lockman 0062861468 Jill 4 4.15 2019 All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership

All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership

author: Darcy Lockman
name: Jill
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> The Good Samaritan 37422823 She’s a friendly voice on the phone. But can you trust her?

The people who call End of the Line need hope. They need reassurance that life is worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura. Laura doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die.

Laura hasn’t had it easy: she’s survived sickness and a difficult marriage only to find herself heading for forty, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it.

But now someone’s on to her—Ryan, whose world falls apart when his pregnant wife ends her life, hand in hand with a stranger. Who was this man, and why did they choose to die together?

The sinister truth is within Ryan’s grasp, but he has no idea of the desperate lengths Laura will go to��

Because the best thing about being a Good Samaritan is that you can get away with murder.]]> 399 John Marrs 1503958345 Jill 4 4.10 2017 The Good Samaritan

author: John Marrs
name: Jill
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir]]> 214175247 An unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary life—one forged through a poverty-stricken childhood in “slummy, one-horse towns��; obsessive desire; bursts of comedy; and indispensable friendships, reflecting on the way art, music, and a deep connection to nature helped her on a singular journey��to become a beloved, Grammy-nominated artist.

Neko Case has long been revered as one of music’s most influential artists, whose authenticity, lyrical storytelling, and sly wit have endeared her to a legion of critics, musicians, and lifelong fans.��In��The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You,��Case��brings her trademark��candor ��Ի��precision��to a memoir that traces her evolution from an invisible��girl “raised by two dogs and a space heater�� in rural Washington state to��her improbable emergence as an internationally-acclaimed talent. In luminous, sharp-edged prose, Case��shows readers what it’s like to be left alone for hours and hours as a child, to take refuge in the woods around her home, and to channel the��monotony and loneliness and joy that comes from music, camaraderie, and shared experience into art.

The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You��is a rebellious meditation on identity and corruption, and a manifesto on how to make space for ourselves in this world, despite the obstacles we face.

��]]> 288 Neko Case 1538710501 Jill 0 to-read 4.09 2025 The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir

The Harder I Fight the More I Love You: A Memoir

author: Neko Case
name: Jill
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[And There He Kept Her (Ben Packard #1)]]> 58203099
They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong.

When two teenagers break into a house on a remote lake in search of prescription drugs, what starts as a simple burglary turns into a nightmare for all involved. Emmett Burr has secrets he's been keeping in his basement for more than two decades, and he'll do anything to keep his past from being revealed. As he gets the upper hand on his tormentors, the lines blur between victim, abuser, and protector.

Personal tragedy has sent former police officer Ben Packard back to the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake in search of a fresh start. Now a sheriff's deputy, Packard is leading the investigation into the missing teens, motivated by a family connection. As clues dry up and time runs out to save them, Packard is forced to reveal his own secrets and dig deep to uncover the dark past of the place he now calls home.

Unrelentingly suspenseful and written with a piercing gaze into the dark depths of the human soul, And There He Kept Her is a thrilling page-turner that introduces readers to a complicated new hero and forces us to consider the true nature of evil.]]> 312 Joshua Moehling 1728247896 Jill 0 to-read 3.70 2022 And There He Kept Her (Ben Packard #1)

author: Joshua Moehling
name: Jill
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom]]> 211003829 Timely and thought-provoking, Nancy Reddy unpacks and debunks the bad ideas that have for too long defined what it means to be a "good" mom.

When Nancy Reddy had her first child she found herself suddenly confronted with the ideal of a perfect mother—a woman who was constantly available, endlessly patient, and immediately invested in her child to the exclusion of all else. Reddy had been raised by a single working mother, considered herself a feminist, and was well on her way to a PhD. Why did doing motherhood "right" feel so wrong?

For answers Reddy turned to the mid-20th century social scientists and psychologists whose work still forms the basis of so much of what we believe about parenting. It seems ludicrous to imagine modern moms taking advice from mid-century researchers, yet their bad ideas about so-called “good�� motherhood have seeped pervasively into our cultural norms. In The Good Mother Myth, Reddy debunks the flawed lab studies, sloppy research, and straightforward misogyny of researchers from Harry Harlow, who claimed to have discovered love by observing monkeys in his lab, to the famous Dr. Spock, whose bestselling parenting guide included just one illustration of a father interacting with his child. Blending history of science, cultural criticism, and memoir, The Good Mother Myth pulls back the curtain on the flawed social science behind our contemporary understanding of what makes a good mom.]]> 256 Nancy Reddy 1250336643 Jill 4 3.72 2025 The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom

The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom

author: Nancy Reddy
name: Jill
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause]]> 216351864
At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just completed filming King Kong and was trying to start a family when she was told that she was on the brink of menopause. It is estimated that seventy-five million women in the United States are currently dealing with menopause symptoms (dry itchy skin, raging hormones, night sweats), and yet the very word “menopause�� continues to be associated with stigma and confusion. With so little information, many women feel unprepared, ashamed, and deeply alone when the time comes.

This is the book Naomi Watts wishes she had when she first started experiencing symptoms. Like sitting down over coffee and having an intimate chat with your girlfriend, Dare I Say It blends funny and poignant stories from Naomi and her friends with advice from doctors, hormone experts, and nutritionists to take the secrecy and shame out of menopause and aging. Answering questions such as: What’s hormone therapy and should I be on it? Will I ever sleep again? Will I get myself back? What happened to my libido? Do I need eighteen serums for my aging skin? Whose body is this anyway? Who am I now? Naomi Watts shares the most up-to-date research on how to manage menopause symptoms and tackle the physical and emotional challenges we encounter as we age.

Irreverent, bold, and reassuring, Dare I Say It is the companion every woman needs to embrace the best version of herself as she moves into what can be the most powerful and satisfying period of her life.]]> 256 Naomi Watts 059372903X Jill 4 3.98 2025 Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause

Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause

author: Naomi Watts
name: Jill
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)]]> 60556912
Every day I clean the Winchesters�� beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out�� and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of��

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!]]> 329 Freida McFadden 1803144378 Jill 4 4.31 2022 The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)

author: Freida McFadden
name: Jill
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> Eruption 199372731
“The book is a classic summer beach read...Eruption will revive the art of speed-reading...told with a singular voice that is a compelling amalgam of the two writers.”—USA Today

“Eruption is an epic thriller…fast-paced and deeply considered…a cinematic story rooted in science and infused with plenty of heart, tackling big themes like love and loss.��
–T��

The master of the techno-blockbuster joins forces with the master of the modern thriller to create the most anticipated mega bestseller in years.

Michael Crichton, creator of Jurassic Park, ER, Twister, and Westworld, had a passion project he’d been pursuing for years, ahead of his untimely passing in 2008. Knowing how special it was, his wife, Sherri Crichton, held back his notes and the partial manuscript until she found the right author to complete it: James Patterson, the world’s most popular storyteller.

“Red-hot storytelling... The action scenes will make readers�� eyes pop as the tension continues to build." –Kirkus, starred review

“Explosive…the summer’s ultimate literary mashup.�� —Washington Post

"Takes readers on a thrilling journey." —BBC

"Beachbag-ready." —Boston Globe

“A seismic publishing event…all the elements of a summer blockbuster…it’s a thrill and the pages practically turn themselves.�� —Associated Press

“Eruption is this summer’s literary version of a blockbuster action movie.�� –Los Angeles Times

"Breakneck and plausible." —Publishers Weekly]]> 423 Michael Crichton 0316565083 Jill 3 3.79 2024

author: Michael Crichton
name: Jill
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Expiration Dates 214151562
From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.

Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for.]]> 288 Rebecca Serle 1982166835 Jill 0 to-read 3.53 2024

author: Rebecca Serle
name: Jill
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)]]> 9969571 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.]]> 480 Ernest Cline 030788743X Jill 4 reading-with-my-kiddo 4.21 2011 Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)

author: Ernest Cline
name: Jill
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/07/30
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: reading-with-my-kiddo
review:
I enjoyed this book, thought it was kind of fun and a unique storyline. It kind of fits in with the dystopian trend that is ever growing, yet is completely different than the other entries. (Does that make sense?! LOL!) There were times where all the 80's references almost felt a little forced. Don't get me wrong, I love my 80's nostalgia... but sometimes things seemed like they were thrown in there not to further the story but to just say "Hey, remember this song/movie/game?!"
]]> Nightbitch 55835474
At home full-time with her two-year-old son, an artist finds she is struggling. She is lonely and exhausted. She had imagined - what was it she had imagined? Her husband, always travelling for his work, calls her from faraway hotel rooms. One more toddler bedtime, and she fears she might lose her mind.

Instead, quite suddenly, she starts gaining things, surprising things that happen one night when her child will not sleep. Sharper canines. Strange new patches of hair. New appetites, new instincts. And from deep within herself, a new voice...

With its clear eyes on contemporary womanhood and sharp take on structures of power, Nightbitch is an outrageously original, joyfully subversive read that will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. Addictive enough to be devoured in one sitting, this is an unforgettable novel from a blazing new talent.]]> 256 Rachel Yoder 0385546815 Jill 1 3.47 2021 Nightbitch

author: Rachel Yoder
name: Jill
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unspoken Truths for Career Success: Navigating Pay, Promotions, and Power at Work]]> 61722162 "A terrific read for the new generations rising in the workforce—and for their leaders."�� Stephen M. R. Covey, The New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust and Trust & Inspire

STOP SPINNING YOUR WHEELS AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER FUTURE TODAY.

Building a successful career in the world of remote work, hybrid schedules, and a lack of work/life balance is not easy. In fact it’s difficult and often seems impossible. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. By confronting the lies we are told about building a career, this book will bring you one step closer to the epiphany that will change your life.

This workplace manual lays out the truth behind the lies that are fueling the most common career frustrations,

The truth about pay. Hard work doesn’t always lead to more money. Learn how to leverage your position to maximize your salary.The truth about promotions. If you want to be considered for a better job title with better pay, you need to be better than your job description. Understand how to build the skills you need to be considered for a promotion.The truth about loyalty. Companies are not designed to return the loyalty you give them. Stop waiting for the praise you’ve earned and start focusing on your future.The truth about burnout. Work/life balance doesn’t have to mean taking a step back. Learn to work with your brain and not against it.The truth about office politics and power. You may hate office politics, but they are in every company in every industry. Learn to use the political landscape of your workplace to your advantage.��Master these unspoken truths for greater recognition, increased opportunities for pay and promotions, and to provide a path to greater influence and power. The truth can indeed set you free.

��]]> 256 Tessa White 1400236010 Jill 0 to-read 4.28 The Unspoken Truths for Career Success: Navigating Pay, Promotions, and Power at Work

The Unspoken Truths for Career Success: Navigating Pay, Promotions, and Power at Work

author: Tessa White
name: Jill
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Here One Moment 208516656 If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.��

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel.]]> 512 Liane Moriarty 0593798600 Jill 4 3.99 2024 Here One Moment

author: Liane Moriarty
name: Jill
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Like Mother, Like Mother 203164564
Detroit, 1960. Lila Pereira is two years old when her angry, abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum. Lila never sees her mother again. Three decades later, having mustered everything she has—brains, charm, talent, blond hair—Lila rises to the pinnacle of American media as the powerful, brilliant executive editor of The Washington Globe. Lila unapologetically prioritizes her career, leaving the rearing of her daughters to her generous husband, Joe. He doesn’t mind—until he does.

But Grace, their youngest daughter, feels abandoned. She wishes her mother would attend PTA meetings, not White House correspondents�� dinners. As she grows up, she cannot shake her resentment. She wants out from under Lila’s shadow, yet the more she resists, the more Lila seems to shape her life. Grace becomes a successful reporter, even publishing a bestselling book about her mother. In the process of writing it, she realizes how little she knows about her own family. Did Lila’s mother, Grace’s grandmother, die in that asylum? Is refusal to look back the only way to create a future? How can you ever be yourself, Grace wonders, if you don’t know where you came from?

Spanning generations, and populated by complex, unforgettable characters, Like Mother, Like Mother is an exhilarating, portrait of family, marriage, ambition, power, the stories we inherit, and the lies we tell to become the people we believe we’re meant to be.]]> 336 Susan Rieger 0525512497 Jill 0 to-read 3.76 2024 Like Mother, Like Mother

author: Susan Rieger
name: Jill
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Crescent Moon Tearoom 207293850 A cozy and uplifting debut novel about three clairvoyant sisters who face an unexpected twist of Fate at the bottom of their own delicate porcelain cups.

Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamom at the bottom of their customers�� cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers.

That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne’s magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters��, Beatrix’s writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus—and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet. It seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect.

With dwindling time to rewrite their future and help three other witches challenge their own destinies, the Quigleys set out to bargain with Fate. But in focusing so closely on saving each other, will they lose sight of themselves?]]> 336 Stacy Sivinski 1668058391 Jill 3 book-club 3.63 2024 The Crescent Moon Tearoom

author: Stacy Sivinski
name: Jill
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 382 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Jill 0 to-read 4.65 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)

author: Suzanne Collins
name: Jill
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Best Man's Ghostwriter 219320950
Enter Nate (Glen Powell), a speechwriter-for-hire who helps people write incredible best man speeches. To keep the best man from embarrassing himself (and the newlyweds), Nate uses his list of don’ts: Don’t mention the exes, don’t be rated R, and don’t bum everyone out. Nate’s system never fails. That is, until he meets Dan (Nicholas Braun), the dopey, hopelessly awkward best man for the biggest social media influencer’s wedding of the year. On top of that, Nate just got engaged to the woman of his dreams, and now he has to find his own best man–forcing him to confront a brutal friendship breakup with his former best friend.

As Nate helps Dan with his speech, he explores the insane and often idiotic world of male friendship and must come up with an answer to the one question most men never think about: Why is their best friend their best friend?

Featuring an all-star cast including Ashley Park, D’Arcy Carden, Lance Bass, Zach Braff, and more, The Best Man’s Ghostwriter is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt audio show written and directed by comedian and former real-life best man’s ghostwriter, Matthew Starr.

Listening Length: 4 hours and 37 minutes]]> 5 Matthew Starr Jill 3 3.79 The Best Man's Ghostwriter

author: Matthew Starr
name: Jill
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
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]]> Reasons to Stay Alive 25733573 Matt Haig’s accessible and life-affirming memoir of his struggle with depression, and how his triumph over the illness taught him to live.

Like nearly one in five people, Matt Haig suffers from depression. Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt’s inspiring account of how, minute by minute and day by day, he overcame the disease with the help of reading, writing, and the love of his parents and his girlfriend (and now-wife), Andrea. And eventually, he learned to appreciate life all the more for it.

Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humor and encouragement never let us lose sight of hope. Speaking as his present self to his former self in the depths of depression, Matt is adamant that the oldest cliché is the truest—there is light at the end of the tunnel. He teaches us to celebrate the small joys and moments of peace that life brings, and reminds us that there are always reasons to stay alive.]]> 256 Matt Haig 0143128728 Jill 4 4.04 2015

author: Matt Haig
name: Jill
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![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 Jill 0 to-read 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet

author: John Green
name: Jill
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Verity 59344312
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.]]> 336 Colleen Hoover 153872474X Jill 4 4.29 2018 Verity

author: Colleen Hoover
name: Jill
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
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]]> Atmosphere 220817728 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158717 Jill 0 to-read 4.44 2025 Atmosphere

author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Jill
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Hope This Finds You Well 200987323 In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues�� private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job—a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you’ll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.]]> 338 Natalie Sue 0063320363 Jill 3 3.74 2024 I Hope This Finds You Well

author: Natalie Sue
name: Jill
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves:
review:

]]> Good Time Girl 207297605
In Bad Mormon, Heather Gay pulled back the veil on her orthodox adolescence and marriage in the Mormon Church, and the painful process of leaving it all behind. Becoming a successful business owner and reality TV star gave the single mom of three a second lease on life. After years of living in an insular bubble, Heather emerged bright-eyed, eager to take on the world…no matter how ill-equipped her upbringing may have left her.

Now, in this provocative and laugh-out-loud funny book, the mother of three proves that she isn’t just a Bad Mormon; she’s also a Good Time Girl!

With her “thoughtful, smart, and funny�� (Kirkus Reviews) writing, Heather recounts the humorous trysts, mishaps, and serendipitous success she’s found as a life-long reveler in all things indulgent. Coming off the heels of the most-watched RHOSLC episode of all time, Heather gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the receipts, proof, timeline, and screenshots of that fateful night in Bermuda. From illicit high school trips to Tijuana and awkward dates set up by her overzealous costars, Good Time Girl is a charming and intimate meditation on community, love, independence, womanhood, and—most importantly—second chances.]]> 288 Heather Gay 1668049805 Jill 4 3.55

author: Heather Gay
name: Jill
average rating: 3.55
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:

]]> The Glitch 217189755
What would you change if you could start all over again? From Leeanne Slade, the bestselling author of The Rebound and Told You So, and narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Sam Claflin (Me Before You), this summer, fall in love with Henry and Grace.

Five Years Earlier

Henry Dunne knows three things: that agreeing to host this raucous house party was a terrible idea, that he absolutely cannot show up to his nursing shift tomorrow with a hangover, and that the beautiful redhead in the corner will be sleeping in his bed tonight.

But what he doesn’t know is that Grace Monroe, the ambitious and fiercely independent chef catering this party, is about to walk a tray of cream cheese appetisers straight into his chest and turn his world upside down. Now, the work-a-holic with a reputation for keeping things casual is planning romantic dates and meeting the family. Utterly smitten, Henry now knows something else: that Grace is the one and that absolutely nothing could come between them. . .

Present Day

Grace Monroe is one day away from thirty, her restaurant has just been declared bankrupt, her beloved grandmother has been rushed to hospital, and she’s now sobbing in a packed train station. The only way life could get worse is having Henry Dunne �� the man who showed her what true love and heartbreak feels like �� see her like this.

And there he is, wordlessly watching her from the opposite escalator.

A bottle of wine and an erratic wish later, Grace wakes up to one hell of a life glitch: it’s five years earlier, her twenty-fifth birthday, and she’s got picture-perfect memory of the missing years. Grace’s plan is clear: save her doomed career and prevent the worst heartache she’s ever known. All she needs to do is stop history repeating. . .

Easy, right?]]> 350 Leeanne Slade Jill 2 3.87 The Glitch

author: Leeanne Slade
name: Jill
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches]]> 60018635 A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....
]]> 318 Sangu Mandanna 059343935X Jill 0 to-read 4.05 2022 The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

author: Sangu Mandanna
name: Jill
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Boyfriend 208503280 She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim.

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…]]> 368 Freida McFadden 1728296226 Jill 4 3.95 2024 The Boyfriend

author: Freida McFadden
name: Jill
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves:
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]]> Margo's Got Money Troubles 199534613
“[An] enormously entertaining and lovable book.�� —Nick Hornby, New York Times Book Review

A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.

“A wholly original novel. . . . Thorpe is both poetic and profound in the way she brings her remarkable story to an end.�� —The Associated Press]]> 304 Rufi Thorpe 0063356589 Jill 3 3.87 2024 Margo's Got Money Troubles

author: Rufi Thorpe
name: Jill
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)]]> 154488299 The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives��. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories �� dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.]]> 201 Hisashi Kashiwai 0593717716 Jill 0 to-read 3.70 2013 The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

author: Hisashi Kashiwai
name: Jill
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Home Is Where the Bodies Are 194020321
After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.

While going through their parent’s belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.]]> 256 Jeneva Rose Jill 4 3.77 2024 Home Is Where the Bodies Are

author: Jeneva Rose
name: Jill
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What Time is Noon: Hilarious Texts, Ridiculous Feedback, and Not-So-Subtle Advice from Teenagers]]> 205478776
Chip Leighton started performing online as a lark, and not because he “craved validation through TikTok�� as his daughter claimed (with snark). When sharing the funny, weird, crazy things his kids said and texted, he quickly learned he was not alone. Since launching, his channel has become the go-to support group for adults who have teenagers in their lives―wholly confirming that teens everywhere say the darndest things. Parents worldwide use Leighton’s posts to laugh, commiserate, and share their own kids�� classics, like “what time is noon�� or “do I have medicare?�� What a relief to learn that it’s perfectly normal for teens to roast their parents mercilessly (“Don’t wear mom jeans to my school again��) or ask wild questions (“where do I buy pasta water��). In this debut collection, Leighton showcases these gems, along with tongue-in-cheek advice, charts and graphs, and silly quizzes. For readers who appreciate the real-life humor of books like Sh*t My Dad Says or the standup of family-friendly comedians like Jim Gaffigan or Nate Bargatze, this book is the ultimate gift for parents, kids, or anyone who likes to laugh.]]> 176 Chip Leighton 1682689247 Jill 5 4.00 What Time is Noon: Hilarious Texts, Ridiculous Feedback, and Not-So-Subtle Advice from Teenagers

What Time is Noon: Hilarious Texts, Ridiculous Feedback, and Not-So-Subtle Advice from Teenagers

author: Chip Leighton
name: Jill
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves:
review:

]]> The Westing Game 902 182 Ellen Raskin 014240120X Jill 4 reading-with-my-kiddo 4.00 1978

author: Ellen Raskin
name: Jill
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1978
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: reading-with-my-kiddo
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life]]> 53968489 A��guide to conquering burnout and increasing your energy from a leading medical doctor and nutrition expert �� EXHAUSTION DOESN’T HAVE TO BE YOUR NEW NORMAL

Does it feel like your life is too busy, your days are too short, and you're feeling overworked, overstressed, and overtired?�� Chances are you’ve asked your doctor for help, only to be told that it’s because of your age, or your workload, or, worse, that it’s just “normal.”��
If so, you’re not alone. Women of all ages are suffering from an epidemic of fatigue and burnout. But exhaustion doesn’t have to be your new normal.�� Inspired by her personal wellness journey, integrative medical doctor Amy Shah has created this program so that you can regain your energy and reclaim your life.

The key is tapping into the powerful energy trifecta: the complex relationship between your gut, your immune system, and your hormones.�� Drawing on the latest science and her work helping thousands of clients, Dr. Shah explains how to transform your life by changing:
��

What You Eat: Increase your vegetable intake and sip Dr. Shah’s hormone-balance tea to tamp down inflammation and heal your gut, without giving up your wine and chocolate!

When You Eat: Changing when you eat and practicing intermittent fasting �� the right way �� will help you feel energized all day long.

How you manage stress: ��Simple, stress-busting exercises and herbs like Ashwagandha and Amla berry help calm the Adrenal system and ease anxiety.
In just two weeks, you’ll feel your energy surge. In three months, you’ll feel like a whole new person.��It’s time to regain the energy you’ve lost, so you can get back to the life you want to live.��
��]]> 336 Amy Shah 0358446422 Jill 2 3.38 2021 I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life

I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life

author: Amy Shah
name: Jill
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human]]> 214025340 In the summer of 2022, podcaster and author Carlos Whittaker spent seven weeks entirely screen free, splitting his time between a monastery, an Amish farm, and home with his family. Blending the inspiring story of this experiment with practical guidance, Whittaker reveals how you can reset your relationship with screens and step into a life of real connection.

Not many people have the opportunity to spend weeks entirely devoid of phone and computer screens, but Whittaker's radical, screen-free experiment yields hope and wisdom to everyone who has felt the loneliness, low-key despair, and paradoxical disconnectedness that accompanies the always-on, always-plugged-in nature of modern life.

Readers who take this journey with Whittaker will

learn how to cut through the divisive, polarizing effects of social media and build real community, even with people who are very different from them;rediscover the joy of noticing and savoring the beauty of the world beyond their phone screens;remember how experiencing boredom, solitude, and even getting lost (all but eradicated by smartphones) can bring opportunities for new discoveries about themselves and the world around them; andreset their relationship with screens and social media forever.��

Blending wisdom from the past, practices of intentionality and community, and Whittaker's engaging communication style that has led to the explosive growth of his social media presence over the past few years, this book is a compelling story, a guide for resetting your life in a tech-saturated world, and an invitation into the connection and community that feels so elusive today.]]> 240 Carlos Whittaker 1400246466 Jill 3 4.40 Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human

Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human

author: Carlos Whittaker
name: Jill
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us]]> 60916633
“Carlos has created an antidote to what ails us.”�� New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff

These are crazy times, people. We are more agitated than ever. We’re fighting. Wrestling with big issues. Less connected than ever to one another and to God. It’s a perfect debilitating anxiety, crashing relationships, and forgetting what it feels like to, well, be human .

In How to Human, author, speaker, and social-media personality Carlos Whittaker offers a fresh vision for becoming the best versions of ourselves. We can refuse to let disagreements define us. We can say no to becoming upset, rage-filled humans and say yes to fuller, happier lives. It begins as we make the shift from “me�� to “we�� to “everybody�� in a three-part journey to be human, see fellow humans, and free those around us.

You’ll think, laugh, and be inspired by this practical guide, which reveals how to help others, how to hope fiercely, and how to experience the thrill of being fully human. Carlos describes a radical path of love—one that requires us to become builders rather than demolitionists. One that gets personal. One that moves toward others in faith rather than away in fear. One that, when times get crazy, is willing to get crazier (in a good way). One that understands the big joy of how to human.]]> 240 Carlos Whittaker 052565402X Jill 0 to-read 4.34 2023 How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us

How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us

author: Carlos Whittaker
name: Jill
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Friend Zone (The Friend Zone, #1)]]> 41945163
Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen—especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.]]> 372 Abby Jimenez Jill 1 3.85 2019 The Friend Zone (The Friend Zone, #1)

author: Abby Jimenez
name: Jill
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Deadly Animals 203579073 Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chillingly beautiful mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a desperate town from the savagery within.

Ava Bonney is a compassionate and studious fourteen-year-old girl with a dark secret: she has an obsessive interest in the macabre. She is fascinated by the rate at which dead animals decompose. The highway she lives by regularly offers up gifts of roadkill, and in the dead of night Ava loves nothing more than to pull her latest discovery into her roadside den and record her findings.

One night, she stumbles across the body of her classmate and, fearing that her secret ritual could be revealed, she makes an anonymous call to the police. But when Detective Seth Delahaye is given the case, Ava won’t step back—not while teenagers continue to go missing.

Racing alongside the police or against them, Ava is determined to figure out who is hunting her classmates before she becomes the next prey. How hard can it be to track a killer?]]> 354 Marie Tierney 1250357594 Jill 0 to-read 3.79 2024 Deadly Animals

author: Marie Tierney
name: Jill
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From Here to the Great Unknown]]> 204905217
A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and grieved.

Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, laid in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran towards his body on the floor. About living in Los Angeles with her mother, getting sent to school after school, always kicked out, always in trouble. About her singular, lifelong relationship with Danny Keough, about being married to Michael Jackson, what they shared in common. About motherhood. About deep addiction. About ever-present grief. Riley knew she had to fulfill her mother’s wish to reveal these memories, incandescent and painful, to the world.

To make her mother known.

This extraordinary book is written in both Lisa Marie’s and Riley’s voices, a mother and daughter communicating—from this world to the one beyond—as they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here to the Great Unknown is a book like no other—the last words of the only child of an American icon.]]> 304 Lisa Marie Presley 0593733878 Jill 4 4.27 2024

author: Lisa Marie Presley
name: Jill
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good]]> 63876551 A groundbreaking exploration of the ancient rules women unwittingly follow in order to be considered "good," revealing how the Seven Deadly Sins still control and distort their lives and illuminating a path toward a more balanced, spiritually complete way to live

Women congratulate themselves when they resist the doughnut in the office break-room. They celebrate their restraint when they hold back from sending an e-mail in anger. They feel virtuous when they wake up at dawn to get a jump on the day. They put others' needs ahead of their own and believe this makes them exemplary. In On Our Best Behavior, journalist Elise Loehnen explains that these impulses--often lauded as unselfish, distinctly feminine instincts--are actually ingrained in women by a culture that reaps the benefits, via an extraordinarily effective collection of mores known as the Seven Deadly Sins.

Since being codified by the Christian church in the fourth century, the Seven Deadly Sins--pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth--have exerted insidious power. Even today, in our largely secular, patriarchal society, they continue to circumscribe women's behavior. For example, seeing sloth as sinful leads women to deny themselves rest; a fear of gluttony drives them to ignore their appetites; and an aversion to greed prevents them from negotiating for themselves and contributes to the 55 percent gender wealth gap. Loehnen reveals how women have been programmed to obey the rules represented by these sins and how doing so qualifies them as "good."

This probing analysis of contemporary culture and thoroughly researched history explains how women have internalized the patriarchy, and how they unwittingly reinforce it. By sharing her own story and the spiritual wisdom of other traditions, Loehnen shows how women can break free and discover the integrity and wholeness they seek.]]> 384 Elise Loehnen 059324303X Jill 0 abandoned 3.78 2023 On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good

author: Elise Loehnen
name: Jill
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: abandoned
review:

]]> The Marriage Act 62967873 What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills �� the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives �� monitoring every word, every minor disagreement �� and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.]]> 432 John Marrs 1335005935 Jill 4 3.73 2023 The Marriage Act

author: John Marrs
name: Jill
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 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 Jill 0 to-read 4.24 2024 All the Colors of the Dark

author: Chris Whitaker
name: Jill
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Keep It in the Family 60109530
Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their dream home was once a house of horrors.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Haunted by the terrible things she saw and desperate to find answers, her obsession pulls her ever further from her husband.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family—but is it already too late?]]> 380 John Marrs 1542017289 Jill 0 to-read 4.08 2022 Keep It in the Family

author: John Marrs
name: Jill
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Summer of Songbirds 61273353
Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.]]> 359 Kristy Woodson Harvey 1668010828 Jill 3 book-club 3.89 2023 The Summer of Songbirds

author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
name: Jill
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> When You Disappeared 34884315
Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn't just leave her. He wouldn't leave the children.

But Simon knows the truth - about why he left and what he's done. He knows things about his marriage that it would kill Catherine to find out. The memories she holds onto are lies.

While Catherine faces a dark new reality at home, Simon's halfway around the world, alive and thriving. He's doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the truth.

But he can't hide forever, and when he reappears twenty-five years later, Catherine will finally learn who he is.

And wish she'd stayed in the dark.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Wronged Sons, this edition of When You Disappeared includes editorial revisions.]]> 349 John Marrs 1477828834 Jill 3 3.94 2013

author: John Marrs
name: Jill
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer]]> 37946439
For years, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was hailed as a miracle. Study after study showed that HRT, if initiated at the onset of menopause, could ease symptoms ranging from hot flashes to memory loss; reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, and some cancers; and even extend a woman's overall life expectancy. But when a large study by the Women's Health Initiative announced results showing an uptick in breast cancer among women taking HRT, the winds shifted abruptly, and HRT, officially deemed a carcinogen, was abandoned.

Now, sixteen years after HRT was left for dead, Dr. Bluming, a medical oncologist, and Dr. Tavris, a social psychologist, track its strange history and present a compelling case for its resurrection. They investigate what led the public -- and much of the medical establishment -- to accept the Women's Health Initiative's often exaggerated claims, while also providing a fuller picture of the science that supports HRT.

A sobering and revelatory read, Estrogen Matters sets the record straight on this beneficial treatment and provides an empowering path to wellness for women everywhere.]]> 310 Avrum Bluming 0316481203 Jill 3 4.28 Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer

Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer

author: Avrum Bluming
name: Jill
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Kids Are All Right: Parenting with Confidence in an Uncertain World]]> 207619644 Part memoir, part polemic, Design Mom blogger Gabrielle Blair and her husband, educator Ben Blair—parents to six kids ages 12-25—offer up an unexpected parenting guide that encourages overwhelmed��parents to let go of tired expectations of what it means to be a "good parent," and instead lean into adventure and embrace uncertainty (for their sake, and their kids').
��
As parents to six kids, ages 12-25, Gabrielle and Ben Blair have been raising kids for over two decades. Through the years, they’ve charted their own unconventional working from home before remote work was a thing; uprooting their kids four, five, six times �� including a move to France where they enrolled in local schools without knowing the language. It’s been a unique parenting journey characterized by experimentation, trial and error, decisions prompted by financial or psychological necessity, varying levels of anxiety and tension, despair, and hope. This unique path turned out to be fertile soil for growing independent, resilient, and creative kids, and a family that is genuinely close and truly enjoys each other’s company.
��
With this book they share how they did it, and how we can by letting go of tired expectations of what it means to be a good parent (focus less on grades and more on seeing your kid for who they are); by accepting that the old rules won’t necessarily apply in the future (changes in higher ed and career-building are evolving at a rapid pace) and instead focus on making your time with your kids one of connection, adventure, shared projects, creativity and joy.�� And it doesn’t require moving to France! Instead, it’s about creating a family life that embraces change and uncertainty instead of running from it. One encourages shared experiences and adventure and values connection above all else. Hard things will still happen �� it’s life, after all �� and goal is never perfection, but resilient kids and a family bond that that can bend, but not break.]]> 181 Gabrielle Stanley Blair Jill 5 4.14 The Kids Are All Right: Parenting with Confidence in an Uncertain World

The Kids Are All Right: Parenting with Confidence in an Uncertain World

author: Gabrielle Stanley Blair
name: Jill
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/24
date added: 2024/10/24
shelves:
review:

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

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

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

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

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”—Sophie Kinsella]]> 144 Sophie Kinsella 0593977564 Jill 4 4.26 2024 What Does It Feel Like?

author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Jill
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/22
date added: 2024/10/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Don't Believe Her 217232622 Everyone believes her. Except you.

My life has never been better. I have a beautiful little girl, and I am engaged to be married to the man I’ve had a crush on since I can remember.

So when Nick, my handsome fiancé, announces that his sister Carla is finally coming home, it’s truly the icing on the cake.

Carla was my best friend growing up until she ran away at sixteen. That was twelve years ago, and no one has seen her since.

Everyone is ecstatic about Carla’s return. But as I spend more time with her, I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Her behaviour is a little off, her childhood memories don't align with mine, and she's oddly evasive about her lost years.

But no one will listen to my concerns �� not Nick, not Carla’s mother, Marjorie, not even our old friends. They all say I’m imagining things.

But I can tell something is wrong. And before long, I know without a shadow of a doubt��

It’s not her. ]]> 302 Nicola Sanders 1763659917 Jill 3 4.05 Don't Believe Her

author: Nicola Sanders
name: Jill
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Two Can Play 217108838
An enemies-to-lovers spicy romance set in the world of video gaming from the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis—available only in audio!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.]]> 5 Ali Hazelwood Jill 2 3.55 2024 Two Can Play

author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Jill
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves:
review:

]]> Once More from the Top 200987430
Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, or at least has heard her music. Since releasing her debut album her senior year of high school, Dylan’s spent fifteen years growing up in the public eye. She’s not only perfected her skills when it comes to lyrics and melody; she’s also learned how to craft a public narrative that satisfies her fans, her label, and the media. In the circles of fame and celebrity in which she now travels, the careful maintenance of Dylan Read pop star is often more important than the songs themselves.

And so lots of people think they understand everything about Dylan Read. But what no one knows is the part of her origin story she has successfully kept hidden: her childhood best friend Kelsey vanished the year before Dylan became famous. Now, as Dylan’s at the height of her career, Kelsey’s body is found at the bottom of their hometown lake—forcing Dylan to reckon with their shared past, her friend’s influence on her music, and whether there’s more to their story than meets the eye.

Immersive, page-turning, and psychologically astute, Once More from the Top is a riveting and keenly observant novel about friendship, ambition, and the cost of fame.]]> 320 Emily Layden 0063315092 Jill 3 3.16 2024

author: Emily Layden
name: Jill
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/08
date added: 2024/10/08
shelves:
review:

]]> It 830502
It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real ...

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.]]> 1184 Stephen King 0450411435 Jill 4 book-club 4.28 1986

author: Stephen King
name: Jill
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1986
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)]]> 195790756 An inclusive and essential guide to reproductive health—including period problems, pelvic pain, menopause, fertility, sexual health, vaginal and urinary conditions, and overall wellbeing―from leading expert Dr. Karen Tang

Reproductive healthcare, from abortion to gender-affirming care, is under siege. The onus continues to fall on patients to find and advocate for the care they need. Dr. Karen Tang is on a mission to transform how women engage with their bodies and their healthcare.

Did you know that one in three women experiences menstrual abnormalities or pelvic issues, yet these conditions are overwhelmingly misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or dismissed? The root causes for these issues, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and pelvic-floor muscle dysfunction, don’t receive the stream of funding for research and new treatments that other conditions do, despite the potential to affect up to half the population.

It’s Not Hysteria is a comprehensive guide to common conditions and potential treatment options, with practical tools such as symptom prompts and sample questions to ask one's provider. In the face of uncertainty and misinformation, It’s Not Hysteria is destined to become a new classic that educates and empowers.]]> 384 Karen Tang 1250894158 Jill 3 4.21 2024 It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)

It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)

author: Karen Tang
name: Jill
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sequel (The Book Series, #2)]]> 204263735 The Afterword. After all, how hard can it really be to write a universally lauded bestseller?

But when Anna publishes her book and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel she never expected to see again, a novel that should no longer exist. Something has gone wrong, and someone out there knows far too much about her late brother, her late husband, and possibly about Anna herself. What does this person want, and what are they prepared to do? She has come too far and worked too hard to lose what she values most: the sole and uncontested right to her own story—and she is, by any standard, a master storyteller.]]> 304 Jean Hanff Korelitz 125087548X Jill 0 to-read 3.84 2024 The Sequel (The Book Series, #2)

author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
name: Jill
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> House of Glass 195790531
A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?]]> 341 Sarah Pekkanen 125028399X Jill 4 3.84 2024 House of Glass

author: Sarah Pekkanen
name: Jill
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together]]> 74836568 What happens when we can’t joke about some of the most important stuff in life?

In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public.

In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together. When someone says “you can’t joke about that,�� what they really mean is “this is a subject that makes people sad or angry.��

Hilariously and movingly, Timpf argues that those subjects are actually the most important to joke about. She shows us we can find healing through humor regarding things you probably don't want to bring up in polite conversation, like traumatic break-ups, cancer, being broke, Dave Chappelle, rape jokes, aging, ostomy bags, religion, body image, dead moms, religion, the lab leak theory, transgender swimmers, gushing wounds, campus censorship, and bad Christmas presents. ��

This book is Kat Timpf with her hair down, except since hers is mostly extensions, this book is Kat Timpf with her hair out. Read it because you want to get to know her better. Read it because it’s the best book on free speech and comedy in a generation. Read it because you want to laugh out loud�� even at the kind of stuff we’re afraid to say out loud. Just read it, and you’ll be glad you did.]]> 248 Kat Timpf 0063270439 Jill 3 3.79 2023 You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together

You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together

author: Kat Timpf
name: Jill
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/04
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood]]> 61951666 "If this book feels like it’s sounding the alarm on the state of American motherhood, well, that’s because it is." -- San Francisco Chronicle

In this timely and necessary book, New York Times��opinion writer Jessica Grose dismantles two hundred years of unrealistic parenting expectations and empowers today’s mothers to make choices that actually serve themselves, their children, and their communities

Close your eyes and picture the perfect mother. She is usually blonde and thin. Her roots are never showing and she installed that gleaming kitchen backsplash herself (watch her TikTok for DIY tips). She seamlessly melds work, wellness and home; and during the depths of the pandemic, she also ran remote school and woke up at 5 a.m. to meditate.

You may read this and think it’s bananas; you have probably internalized much of it.

Journalist Jessica Grose sure had. After she failed to meet every one of her own expectations for her first pregnancy, she devoted her career to revealing how morally bankrupt so many of these ideas and pressures are. Now, in Screaming on the Inside, Grose weaves together her personal journey with scientific, historical, and contemporary reporting to be the voice for American parents she wishes she’d had a decade ago.

The truth is that parenting cannot follow a recipe; there’s no foolproof set of rules that will result in a perfectly adjusted child.��Every parent has different values, and we will have different ideas about how to pass those values along to our children. What successful parenting has in common, regardless of culture or community, is close observation of the kind of unique humans our children are. In thoughtful and revelatory chapters about pregnancy, identity, work, social media, and the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, Grose explains how we got to this moment, why the current state of expectations on mothers is wholly unsustainable, and how we can move towards something better.]]> 235 Jessica Grose 0063078376 Jill 3 3.66 2022 Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood

Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood

author: Jessica Grose
name: Jill
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/22
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:
I felt like this book echoed a lot of my thoughts and feelings about how untenable the expectations on modern mothers are, but I also didn't walk away feeling any solutions. Maybe a little more seen, but not comforted or with a fix in hand.
]]> <![CDATA[Mailed It!: A Guide to Crafting Emails That Build Relationships and Get Results]]> 217542179 Award-winning speakers and faculty Ashley Budd and Dayana Kibilds reveal the secrets to email marketing success

Email is far from dead. With billions of emails sent to and from individuals around the world each day, there is more email now than ever before. Authors Ashley Budd and Dayana Kibilds long for the early “You’ve got mail!�� days of email when writing and receiving messages was a joy. Today, readers describe their inbox experience as an overwhelming time suck.

Mailed It! acknowledges that most emails are hard to read, hard to understand, and hard to care about. Readers spend mere seconds glancing at each email before they decide to engage, delete, or worse! The good news is that humans are predictable, and you can use tested email strategies and writing techniques to overcome modern inbox woes.

Mailed It! changes everything by

�� showing how to craft and send the most effective emails possible,

�� assisting email marketers in improving results,

�� demonstrating how to use emails to build trusting relationships.

Mailed It! isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about investing in email as a serious part of your marketing mix and setting up a solid foundation that works. Once you’ve done that, you won’t believe the results.]]> Ashley Budd 1632998661 Jill 4 4.56 Mailed It!: A Guide to Crafting Emails That Build Relationships and Get Results

Mailed It!: A Guide to Crafting Emails That Build Relationships and Get Results

author: Ashley Budd
name: Jill
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success]]> 23168823
In How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Lythcott-Haims offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.

Relevant to parents of toddlers as well as of twentysomethings-and of special value to parents of teens-this book is a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure that the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.

"Julie Lythcott-Haims is a national treasure. . . . A must-read for every parent who senses that there is a healthier and saner way to raise our children." -Madeline Levine, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well

"For parents who want to foster hearty self-reliance instead of hollow self-esteem, How to Raise an Adult is the right book at the right time." -Daniel H. Pink, author of the New York Times bestsellers Drive and A Whole New Mind]]> 368 Julie Lythcott-Haims 1627791779 Jill 3 4.07 2015 How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success

How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success

author: Julie Lythcott-Haims
name: Jill
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> The Searcher 52661162
Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.

Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door.]]> 451 Tana French 073522465X Jill 4 3.70 2020 The Searcher

author: Tana French
name: Jill
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/12
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance―and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free]]> 61918826
Simone Biles quit the Olympics. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit The Firm. Millions of people have quit their jobs, seeking happiness and defining success on their own terms. Is it a mistake? As Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Julia Keller found out, it’s not. And, in fact, it might even save your life.��

Diving into the neuroscience of nope��and the cultural messages that drive our reluctance to throw in the towel, Keller dismantles the myth of perseverance once and for all. Because grit isn't always great. Sticking it out doesn't always pay off. And quitting can be an unexpected act of self-love.

A Life Strategy humanely reminds us that, in order to live meaningful, satisfying lives, sometimes we have to say “no”—full stop. With Keller’s guidance, readers will learn��the art of the quasi quit, see how quitting makes space for key breakthroughs, navigate the relationship between quitting and our public lives, manage quitter's guilt, and more.

As she weaves��reportage from the front lines of scientific research, incisive pop culture commentary, and conversations with people who have made profound change in their own lives, Keller gives readers the rationale and confidence they need to pull the plug. Ultimately, quitting becomes a chance to shape our lives without fear—at work, at home, in our relationships, and beyond.��]]> 256 Julia Keller 1538722348 Jill 3 3.42 2023 Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance―and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free

Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance―and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free

author: Julia Keller
name: Jill
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/02
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves:
review:

]]> No One Ever Asked 35673517 352 Katie Ganshert 1601429045 Jill 5 book-club 4.18 2018

author: Katie Ganshert
name: Jill
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: book-club
review:

]]> Ready or Not 154462768
Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. While her job is only dream- adjacent , she’s hoping her passion and hard work will soon help her land a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect…until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's loyal��friendship with Willa is feeling off , right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is�� suddenly kinda hot? Then there’s the baby's father, who is supportive but conflicted. Before long, Eve is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.]]> 400 Cara Bastone 0593595718 Jill 2 3.96 2024 Ready or Not

author: Cara Bastone
name: Jill
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death]]> 202468466 Based on the popular podcast, The Big Hot Book of Death is a smart, funny look at the American culture of death and how we’re remembered. It's safe to say everyone thinks about death-whether they want to or not. But have you ever wondered about what sort of keepsakes you can make with your remains, or given any thought to the most scandalous deathbed confessions throughout history? Well Madison Reyes and Spencer Henry have, and they've spent countless hours scouring the darkest corners of the internet, digging through newspaper archives, devouring documents, and picking the brains of death industry experts to bring you Obitchuary, a darkly funny and deeply poignant exploration of all things death.�� With chapters like "Coffin Confessions," “Executions to Die For,�� “The Last Word,�� and “If These Dolls Could Speak," Madison and Spencer guide us through surprisingly colorful history, traditions, and contemporary practices. They also demystify taboo topics with incredible and hilarious details, including FUNerals, as they call them, cremations and themed funerals, famous body snatchers, and so much more. Shocking, macabre, hilarious, and moving, Obitchuary digs deep into the physical aspects of death while also carefully exploring what death says about our humanity, and the ways we choose to remember those we've lost. So go ahead, crack open the book--we know you're dying to read it.]]> 224 Spencer Henry 0593475283 Jill 4 3.44 2024 Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death

author: Spencer Henry
name: Jill
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/28
date added: 2024/08/28
shelves:
review:

]]> Drop Dead 214571770
Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death��. It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive.

Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal. Intrigued, Wes goes to the source to learn more—only to discover Nadine had the exact same idea…and the infuriating woman isn’t willing to respect dibs. Typical.

At first, Dot refuses to speak to either of the squabbling pair, but then they receive an unusual request—work together, and Dot will share everything. The offer seems too good to be true…and of course, it is: in a bitter twist of irony, Dot dies for real before she can finish recounting her story. Not all is lost, however. The estate’s executor allows Wes and Nadine access to Dot’s sprawling wonderland of a mansion for three weeks to find their answer. That’s three weeks of working together…three weeks of endless sweltering in tight spaces…three weeks of learning there could be something more between them than a desire to win at any cost.

And maybe, just maybe, under the rubble of all those could-have-beens they’ll uncover more than the secret of Dot Voline’s long-ago scandal—and Lady Death will finally embrace what she’s wanted from life all along.]]> 11 Lily Chu Jill 3 3.48 Drop Dead

author: Lily Chu
name: Jill
average rating: 3.48
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV]]> 203020280 Cue The Sun! explores the morally charged, funny, and sometimes tragic consequences of the hunt for something real inside something fake.

Nussbaum traces four paths of reality innovation—game shows, prank shows, soap operas, and clip shows—that united in the Survivor format, sparking a tumultuous Hollywood gold-rush. Along the way, we meet tricksters and innovators—from the icy Allen Funt to the shambolic Chuck Barris; Cops auteur John Langley; Bachelor mastermind Mike Fleiss; and Jon Murray, the visionary behind The Real World—along with dozens of crew members and ordinary people whose lives became fodder for the reality revolution. We learn about the tools of the trade—like Candid Camera’s brilliant “reveal�� and the notorious Frankenbite, a deceptive editor’s best friend—and the moral outrage that reality shows provoked. But Cue The Sun! also celebrates what made the genre so powerful: a jolt of authentic emotion.

Through broad-ranging reporting, Nussbaum examines seven tumultuous decades, exploring the celebreality boom, reality TV as a strike-breaker, the queer roots of Bravo, and the dark truth behind The Apprentice. A shrewd observer who cares about television, she is the ideal voice for the first substantive cultural history of the genre that has, for better or worse, made America what it is today.]]> 464 Emily Nussbaum 0525508996 Jill 4 3.94 2024 Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV

Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV

author: Emily Nussbaum
name: Jill
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/24
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves:
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]]> The Family Experiment 197108968 From the acclaimed author of The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and brilliant speculative thriller about families: real and virtual.

Some families are virtually perfect��

The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby��

Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchi—a virtual baby.]]> 384 John Marrs 1335000364 Jill 5 4.01 2024

author: John Marrs
name: Jill
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/21
date added: 2024/08/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself]]> 195790863
When’s the last time you felt as composed as you portray to your boss, family and friends? If there’s a discord between the two, you’re not alone. Humans are master pretenders―we often seem stronger, calmer and more mature than we really are, while the truth is we’re full of doubts and self-criticism that pushes us to borrow reassurance from friends, beliefs from strangers on the internet, or attention that, in the moment, makes us feel successful, but leaves us totally hollow and burnt out.

True to You is a relatable self-help guide for readers who are affected by burnout and want to learn to live less focused on others�� reactions and more confidently by their own principles. Like Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski meets Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab, Dr. Smith uses examples from her own life and the lives of her therapy patients to explain how we borrow confidence, calmness, and beliefs from our relationships and offers solutions and steps for building a life with our own best-thinking.

Working with research rooted in Bowen family systems theory, Dr. Smith unpacks the science of our social nature, explaining why we’re so focused on others and teaching readers how to interrupt anxious relationship patterns. If a reader has borrowed their parents�� dreams in choosing their career path, Dr. Smith will show them how to redefine what a successful career means to them. If they only feel steady when they’re overfunctioning for others, she’ll help them learn how to let others be responsible for themselves. By the end of the book, readers will learn to build a new set of principles, more authentic relationships, and a solid sense of self in our very turbulent world.]]> 288 Kathleen Smith 1250893011 Jill 3 4.28 True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself

True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself

author: Kathleen Smith
name: Jill
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age]]> 199463764
In her mid-forties, Gwendolyn Bounds attended a dinner party where someone asked a little "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

It struck In middle age, no one asks you that anymore. So, she put the question to herself. The answer set her on an unexpected path of transformation from an unathletic office executive glued to her screens into a competitive age group medalist and world championship competitor in obstacle racing—a demanding military-style sport requiring speed, endurance, mobility and strength. What began as a simple goal to complete a single race grew into a profound five-year quest to reconcile the realities of growing older.

In Not Too Late, Bounds explores how tackling something new and hard upended her expectations for middle age—while also helping the author reconcile regrets of her youth. Her story takes us from playgrounds and gyms where Bounds relearns childhood movements (swinging from monkey bars, climbing a rope) to far-flung Spartan Race courses where she masters running in difficult terrain and conquering challenges such as scaling tall walls, crawling under barbed wire, and carrying heavy loads of rocks up mountains. Through this equally beautiful and brutal sport, Bounds discovers potent tools to combat the mental and physical risks of aging as she makes her way from newbie to the podium.

Bounds�� journey offers inspiration and a roadmap for anyone craving more out of life. Woven through Not Too Late are insights from scientists, longevity doctors, philosophers, elite athletes, and performance experts on how to reimagine our limits and redefine who we think we are. Through Bounds�� story, as she changes her body and mindset, we learn humans' potential to tap inner reserves, face deep-rooted fears, locate intrinsic motivation, and push the boundaries of what we ask of ourselves at any life stage.

Ultimately, one message When unleashing our full potential, age can be a secret weapon.]]> 320 Gwendolyn Bounds 0593599705 Jill 4 4.25 Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age

Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age

author: Gwendolyn Bounds
name: Jill
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/17
date added: 2024/08/17
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Chasing Mission Fit: A Marketing Guide to Fill Your Institution with Students Who Will Succeed]]> 205525075 “Covering everything from AI to print, this book dives deep into actionable steps you can start taking today to drive success for your institution.�� -Brian Piper, Director of Content Strategy and Assessment, University of Rochester

THE ESSENTIAL MARKETING BLUEPRINT FOR EVERY HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

How do you rise above the noise and truly connect with mission-fit students? For higher education institutions standing out is no easy task. The magic lies in understanding what you have to offer and positioning your institution as the undeniable answer.

This guide will help your institution harness the power of audience-focused marketing to capture the attention of students who will succeed at your unique institution. Filled with practical advice, tactics you can implement immediately, and decades of experience, this blueprint will bridge the gap between you and your mission-fit student.]]> 244 Bart E. Caylor Jill 4 4.50 Chasing Mission Fit: A Marketing Guide to Fill Your Institution with Students Who Will Succeed

Chasing Mission Fit: A Marketing Guide to Fill Your Institution with Students Who Will Succeed

author: Bart E. Caylor
name: Jill
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/15
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed]]> 37570546 From a psychotherapist, and national advice columnist comes a thought-provoking new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world -- where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.

As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.

With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is revolutionary in its candor, offering a deeply personal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly revealing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them.]]> 415 Lori Gottlieb 1328662055 Jill 5 4.36 2019 Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

author: Lori Gottlieb
name: Jill
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/15
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Stash: My Life in Hiding 61273338 Drinking: A Love Story and Somebody’s Daughter—about the journey to sobriety and self-love amidst addiction, privilege, racism, and self-sabotage from the host of the popular podcast The Only One in the Room.

After years of hiding her addiction from everyone—from stockpiling pills in her Louboutins to elaborately scheduling withdrawals between PTA meetings, baby showers, and tennis matches—Laura Cathcart Robbins settles into a complicated purgatory.

She learns the hard way that privilege doesn’t protect you from pain. Facing divorce, the possibility of a grueling custody battle, and internalized racism, Robbins wonders just how much more she can take.

Now, with courage and candid openness, she reveals how she managed to begin the long journey towards sobriety and unexpectedly finding new love. Robbins harrowingly illustrates taking down the wall she built around herself brick by brick and what it means to be Black in a startingly white world. With its raw, finely crafted, and engaging prose, Stash is the story of just how badly the facade she created had to shatter before Laura could reconnect to her true self.]]> 288 Laura Cathcart Robbins 1668005336 Jill 3 3.86 2023 Stash: My Life in Hiding

author: Laura Cathcart Robbins
name: Jill
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/11
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women]]> 199577286 304 Maggie Mertens 1643753355 Jill 4 4.18

Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women

author: Maggie Mertens
name: Jill
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/07
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3)]]> 56905097 The finale to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series. By the end of this mystery series, you'll never think of good girls the same way again...

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle... and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears...]]> 500 Holly Jackson 0593379853 Jill 3 4.20 2021 As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3)

As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3)

author: Holly Jackson
name: Jill
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/04
shelves:
review:
I am debating on my rating for this. My gut reaction was one star. But that negates the fact that I powered through this very fast and had to keep going to see it all the way through. But the whole series, main character, and overall feel took a sharp left turn midway through the book and it just didn’t feel right. It got bumped up to three stars due to the way it grabbed me and I had to finish it, but I didn’t love the ending.
]]> Someone Else's Shoes 62971668 A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars.

Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?

Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope--she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.

That’s because Sam Kemp �� in the bleakest point of her life �� has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag--she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.

Full of Jojo Moyes�� signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.]]> 438 Jojo Moyes 1984879294 Jill 4 3.88 2023 Someone Else's Shoes

author: Jojo Moyes
name: Jill
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:

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