Kimberley's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 10 May 2025 07:32:47 -0700 60 Kimberley's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Seed Keeper 52639051 A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakota family's struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.

Rosalie Iron Wing has grown up in the woods with her father, Ray, a former science teacher who tells her stories of plants, of the stars, of the origins of the Dakota people. Until, one morning, Ray doesn't return from checking his traps. Told she has no family, Rosalie is sent to live with a foster family in nearby Mankato--where the reserved, bookish teenager meets rebellious Gaby Makespeace, in a friendship that transcends the damaged legacies they've inherited.

On a winter's day many years later, Rosalie returns to her childhood home. A widow and mother, she has spent the previous two decades on her white husband's farm, finding solace in her garden even as the farm is threatened first by drought and then by a predatory chemical company. Now, grieving, Rosalie begins to confront the past, on a search for family, identity, and a community where she can finally belong. In the process, she learns what it means to be descended from women with souls of iron--women who have protected their families, their traditions, and a precious cache of seeds through generations of hardship and loss, through war and the insidious trauma of boarding schools.

Weaving together the voices of four indelible women, The Seed Keeper is a beautifully told story of reawakening, of remembering our original relationship to the seeds and, through them, to our ancestors.]]> 372 Diane Wilson 1571311378 Kimberley 0 4.26 2021 The Seed Keeper
author: Diane Wilson
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: books-i-own, currently-reading
review:

]]> Mary Jane 54870208
The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, IMPEACHMENT: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane’s mother to know, which she does not): The doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be. ]]> 320 Jessica Anya Blau 0063052296 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.09 2021 Mary Jane
author: Jessica Anya Blau
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Brothers Karamazov 4934
This award-winning translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky remains true to the verbal inventiveness of Dostoevsky’s prose, preserving the multiple voices, the humor, and the surprising modernity of the original. It is an achievement worthy of Dostoevsky’s last and greatest novel.]]> 796 Fyodor Dostoevsky 0374528373 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.36 1880 The Brothers Karamazov
author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1880
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1)]]> 205977739
Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.]]> 368 Katherine Rundell 0593809866 Kimberley 4 books-i-own
**I would like to point out there was no need for the out-of-place farting comment or the part where booger eating took place. It felt completely random and unnecessary and did not belong in such a wonderful story.]]> 4.13 2023 Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1)
author: Katherine Rundell
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: books-i-own
review:
This was an enjoyable middle school book (which is harder to find than you might imagine) full of adventures and filled with friendships forged through fires.

**I would like to point out there was no need for the out-of-place farting comment or the part where booger eating took place. It felt completely random and unnecessary and did not belong in such a wonderful story.
]]> Other Birds 59807954 An enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go.

Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at the Dellawisp she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a young woman with a past, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and a lonely chef, and three ghosts. The sudden death of one of Zoey's new neighbors sets off a search that leads to the island's famous author and to a long-estranged relative of the sisters.
Each of them has a story, and each story has an ending which hasn't yet been written.]]> 290 Sarah Addison Allen 1250019869 Kimberley 4 books-i-own
"We all want to think we're worth the trouble."]]> 4.00 2022 Other Birds
author: Sarah Addison Allen
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: books-i-own
review:
I completely enjoyed this book. It's such a good story. I loved the setting and the birds and the back stories of the characters. And I love that you have to trust the journey of where the story is headed without being completely sure where parts of it are coming from. Trust the process of just leaning in to hear the storyteller weave her tale.

"We all want to think we're worth the trouble."
]]> <![CDATA[In the Arena: An Autobiography]]> 122219 592 Charlton Heston 157297267X Kimberley 0 currently-reading 3.91 1995 In the Arena: An Autobiography
author: Charlton Heston
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Hester 59807978
When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows––while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

In this sensuous and hypnotizing tale, a young immigrant woman grapples with our country's complicated past, and learns that America's ideas of freedom and liberty often fall short of their promise. Interwoven with Isobel and Nathaniel's story is a vivid interrogation of who gets to be a "real" American in the first half of the 19th century, a depiction of the early days of the Underground Railroad in New England, and atmospheric interstitials that capture the long history of "unusual" women being accused of witchcraft. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Hester is a timeless tale of art, ambition, and desire that examines the roots of female creative power and the men who try to shut it down.

A vivid reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, the tragic heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and a journey into the enduring legacy of New England's witchcraft trials.]]> 322 Laurie Lico Albanese 1250278554 Kimberley 5 books-i-own 3.94 2022 Hester
author: Laurie Lico Albanese
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: books-i-own
review:
I haven't finished a fiction book that kept my attention in the last four months, until now, so I've been reading non-fiction instead. I am so glad that I took a chance on Hester. It is a satisfying read in so many ways! The flow of the story is perfection. There's no parts that lag or detract from the story. It is excellent storytelling from beginning to end.
]]> <![CDATA[Out of the Silent Planet (The Space Trilogy, #1)]]> 25350 160 C.S. Lewis 0007157150 Kimberley 0 books-i-own, to-read 3.93 1938 Out of the Silent Planet (The Space Trilogy, #1)
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1938
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: books-i-own, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls, #1)]]> 221544394 The first thrilling mystery in the new North Falls series from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and the Will Trent series.

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.

Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.

For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.

But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?]]> 448 Karin Slaughter 0063336774 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.33 2025 We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls, #1)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the ModernWorld]]> 43982455 "Who am I becoming?"

That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren't pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:

"Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life."

It wasn't the response he expected, but it was--and continues to be--the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.

Within the pages of this book, you'll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.]]> 286 John Mark Comer 0525653090 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.51 2019 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the ModernWorld
author: John Mark Comer
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality]]> 210137755 Do you really know the Holy Spirit? And what does the answer mean for your faith?

In The Familiar Stranger, Tyler Staton draws on Scripture, tradition, and spiritual practices to help you step into a genuine relationship with the Holy Spirit and discover a fully alive spirituality.

For a generation searching desperately for an experiential spirituality, there's good the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence to empower and transform is freely available. Yet, confusion and unfamiliarity surround the Holy Spirit, leading too many Christians either to sideline him or misunderstand what he means for their spiritual lives.

In The Familiar Stranger, Staton reintroduces this oft-neglected person of the Trinity, tracing the story of the Holy Spirit as it unfolds throughout the Bible, and inviting believers to close the gap between what Scripture reveals about the Holy Spirit and their lived experience. Along the way, readers

- dig into key biblical images and metaphors that reveal the Holy Spirit's nature, roles, and personality;
- learn about common misperceptions that keep believers and churches from experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit's power and presence;
- discover how the Spirit brings discernment and access to miraculous power to partner with God in the work he's doing in the world;
- reckon with the indispensable role of spiritual experience for walking with God; andunderstand how both Word and Spirit work together to draw people into a vibrant, intimate knowledge of God.

The Familiar Stranger will challenge, inform, and encourage believers from every background to become more deeply acquainted with the Person and work of the Holy Spirit - and experience his transformative, life-giving power in their lives.]]> 240 Tyler Staton 1400247705 Kimberley 0 4.71 The Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality
author: Tyler Staton
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.71
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: books-i-own, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Woman in Suite 11 (Lo Blacklock, #2)]]> 220161593 In this follow-up to #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware’s multi-million copy mega-hit The Women in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel—owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann—arrives, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago.

The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo’s ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’s hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’s mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy.

What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save this woman…and if she can even trust her?]]> 400 Ruth Ware 1668025620 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.72 2025 The Woman in Suite 11 (Lo Blacklock, #2)
author: Ruth Ware
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times (And Why It’s Good News)]]> 157497460
Christians rightly turn to the Bible to make sense of our times. But so often we get the wrong answers because we ask the wrong questions.

In The End of the World as You Know It, Matthew L. Halsted challenges common end-times assumptions and points us back to Scripture. Each chapter reevaluates a popular question in light of the Bible's own Will Christians be raptured? What is the mark of the beast? When we let Scripture direct our questions, we get better―and more hopeful―answers.

The Bible was written for us, but not to us. We must bridge the gap between Scripture's ancient context and our own. Reading end-times texts in their ancient context helps us understand our present and future. And when we do, we find that God's word brings peace, not fear and confusion.]]> 224 Matthew L. Halsted 1683597125 Kimberley 0 4.51 The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times (And Why It’s Good News)
author: Matthew L. Halsted
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: books-i-own, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation]]> 9799141
"With an exceptional blend of scholarly insight and confessional grounding, this book restores Revelation to relevance for the mission of the church. Gorman joins John of Patmos to inspire us with a risky and lofty vision of following the Lamb in radical and nonviolent witness in the world. This accessible volume is a theological wellspring for preachers, teachers, and any disciples seeking a reliable alternative to the scare-mongering eschatology that clogs airwaves and bookstores."
--J. Nelson Kraybill
author of Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation

"Sometimes I think there are only two kinds of Christians in America: those who've never read Revelation and those who read almost nothing else. This book can help either kind. With careful use of scholarship and an evident love for the Lamb who was slain, Michael Gorman demystifies a book that's meant to clarify what's at stake when we say, 'Jesus is Lord.'"
--Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
author of The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture

Michael J. Gorman is Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. His recent books include Reading Paul (Cascade 2008) and Inhabiting the Cruciform God (2009).
]]> 211 Michael J. Gorman 1606085603 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.45 2011 Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation
author: Michael J. Gorman
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Keeper (Murphy Shepherd, #4)]]> 216052959 Combine James Patterson and Colleen Hoover and you'll start to understand why readers are riveted by the Murphy Shepherd gripping action, heart-wrenching emotion, and deep questions that deserve to be considered.

In this fourth book in the Murphy Shepherd series, Murphy knows Bones didn't hesitate to give his life to stop the evil perpetuated by his brother, but there's still work to be done. Though Frank is gone, his organization is not, and almost even before Bones's funeral in Arlington is complete, Murph receives a call that the three daughters of presidential hopeful Aaron Ashley have been taken and there are no leads.

The girls' lives on the line and time is of the essence. But Murphy has never done this without Bones. How can he grieve his friend and mentor, figure out who he is without Bones, and navigate a new role for himself with team . . . all while putting total focus into finding these daughters?

When his daughters are finally rescued, Ashley steps back from the presidential race. But Murph knows something about the timing is a little too convenient for the senator who steps in to take his place. The far-reaching tendrils of Frank's organization are entangled even here, and Murph and his team will stop at nothing to root them out.]]> 432 Charles Martin 0840722478 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.43 The Keeper (Murphy Shepherd, #4)
author: Charles Martin
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church]]> 2319645 332 N.T. Wright 0061551821 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.30 2007 Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
author: N.T. Wright
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Why the Gospel?: Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose]]> 61769140  �
As Christians, we often ask  what  the gospel is, when we should be asking  why  it is. Matthew W. Bates has previously demonstrated that the “good news� of the gospel is that Jesus is King. But in his latest book, he explores God’s why has God issued this royal proclamation? And what role can it play in our everyday lives? 
 �
As Bates observes, we find the answer in a simple but challenging � I am a horrible king of my own life. � With examples from Scripture, literature, and personal experience, Bates explains what pledging allegiance to Jesus as ruler of our lives looks like. Living authentically according to God’s reign conforms humanity to the image of Jesus and extends his glory and honor to all creation. �
 �
Perfect for church studies, evangelism, or personal spiritual reading,  Why the Gospel?  invites readers to consider how we can transform our lives and communities through loyalty and devotion to King Jesus. The book includes questions to guide discussion.]]> 198 Matthew W. Bates 0802881688 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.47 2023 Why the Gospel?: Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose
author: Matthew W. Bates
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> What Does God Want? 42617841 118 Michael S. Heiser Kimberley 0 to-read 4.65 What Does God Want?
author: Michael S. Heiser
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.65
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Unseen Realm 25077593 413 Michael S. Heiser 1577995562 Kimberley 5 books-i-own
This book is like someone showing you their research in an interesting way. I suggest reading it in chunks and absorbing it. Keep your Bible handy, track what he says and his references, and how he ties things together.

Too often, we try to read ancient text with a 21st-century worldview. That will never do. Heiser helps you put on an ancient worldview of the supernatural to discover more in the Bible than you previously imagined.]]> 4.46 2015 The Unseen Realm
author: Michael S. Heiser
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: books-i-own
review:
This book will open your eyes to things you never noticed in the Bible before. More importantly, it requires you to change your perspective and approach to scriptures. Heiser addresses many of the scriptures that most churches skim over or don't approach at all because they aren't quite sure what they believe about them or how to teach them.

This book is like someone showing you their research in an interesting way. I suggest reading it in chunks and absorbing it. Keep your Bible handy, track what he says and his references, and how he ties things together.

Too often, we try to read ancient text with a 21st-century worldview. That will never do. Heiser helps you put on an ancient worldview of the supernatural to discover more in the Bible than you previously imagined.
]]> Finally Alive 6064060 208 NULL NULL NULL NULL 1845504216 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.22 2009 Finally Alive
author: NULL NULL NULL NULL
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Holy Bible: King James Version]]> 1923820 Kršćani Bibliju proučavaju kao svoju normativnu, za život smjerodavnu knjigu u kojoj oni nalaze poruku - riječ Božju. No, Biblija je uz to i spomenik historije čovječanstva, jedna od najstarijih knjiga, u kojoj je genij Hebreja na svoj način asimilirao i dalje obogatio razmišljanje i mudrost drevne Mezopotamije i Egipta, da je onda, obogaćenu grčkim genijem, po Novom zavjetu i daljnjem kršćanskom razmišljanju unese u tadašnji grčko-rimski svijet. Po postanku i jeziku, po sadržaju i stilu, po slikovitosti i metaforici, Biblija nije jedna knjiga, nego zbir knjiga koje su nastajale u razdoblju od 13. st. pr. Kr do 2. st. po Kr.
Biblija je za kršćane sveta, inspirirana i kanonska knjiga. Za svakog čovjeka Biblija je istovremeno zbirka povijesnih isprava i književno djelo izvorne i neprolazne umjetničke snage. Ona pripada zajedničkoj kulturi čovječanstva.
Stari zavjet u Bibliji Stvarnosti plod je mnogostruko udruženog rada hrvatskih bibličara i književnika. Kao polazišni tekst izabran je prijevod Antuna Sovića, s tim da je Petoknjižje preveo Silvije Grubišić, Psalme Filibert Gass, a Pjesmu nad pjesmama Nikola Miličević. Novi zavjet preveo je Ljudevit Rupčić.]]> 1590 Anonymous Kimberley 5 books-i-own 4.44 1611 The Holy Bible: King James Version
author: Anonymous
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1611
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: books-i-own
review:
Best thing I ever did, which is why I'm going right back to the beginning and re-reading it. I'm even more excited to begin again!
]]> <![CDATA[Autumn by the Sea (Muir Harbor, #1)]]> 58503563
If not for Maggie, Neil MacKean might still be back in Scotland, bereft and alone. Instead, he has a full life in Muir Harbor with an adopted family he loves and a blueberry farm to run. But the farm is struggling and strange occurrences have him concerned. Worse, Maggie's once again caught up in the past, convinced she's finally found her long-lost granddaughter.

Worried for Maggie, Neil is suspicious of the city girl who shows up at the farm. But there's something about Sydney that tugs on him, drawing out secrets he never meant to share. While Neil grapples with the future of the farm, Sydney wrestles with a past that's messier than ever. Together, they're pulled into a mystery complete with a centuries-old legend, unexpected danger . . . and a love as deep and wild as the sea.]]> 356 Melissa Tagg Kimberley 0 to-read 4.25 2021 Autumn by the Sea (Muir Harbor, #1)
author: Melissa Tagg
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement]]> 203956674 America’s favorite government teacher offers thrilling, heartfelt stories of ordinary American heroes.Most pundits and historians sell a dangerously naïve version of the American story—either praising its most consequential figures uncritically or criticizing them unfairly. Sharon McMahon believes the truth is more human. In her debut book The Small and the Mighty, she tells the inpiring stories of twelve Americans--regular people with human foibles--whose extraordinary heroism in the face of mounting trials created the character of our country. With the same clarity and candor that's earned her millions of fans, McMahon follows the daughter of formerly enslaved parents who sparked a reformation in Black education, a Japanese immigrant who nearly died in combat and became a consequential Senator, and even the electrician who saved her husband’s life. Her unforgettable prose and meticulous research tell the story of America from the perspective of the unsung heroes whose devotion to their country will restore your faith in the American dream.The portraits of our nation’s most improbable champions, innovators, and rebels in this book celebrate the United States and reveal our common humanity. The Small and the Mighty is the encouragement we all need in an age of doomscrolling and division.]]> 320 Sharon McMahon 0593541677 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.44 2024 The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement
author: Sharon McMahon
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith]]> 54025235
Discover the bottomless, refreshing Well of God's Word―and experience a fullness and peace beyond your circumstances.
In the chaos of our everyday, it can be difficult to live out and apply the truths of Scripture. We want more of Jesus, but we find ourselves looking to our own lives and accomplishments for our worth and identity. And while that may buoy us for a time, we're often left feeling dried up, discouraged, and longing for more.

Gretchen Saffles knows what it's like to feel overwhelmed and unable to flourish. In The Well-Watered Woman , Gretchen leads us to the Well of fullness, the Word of freedom, and the Way of fruitfulness. She teaches that God's Word will satisfy us for all eternity.

Using Scripture and her own personal story of surrender, Gretchen offers spiritually hungry women tangible tools to not only know Jesus more but to live a life that thoroughly enjoys Him, seeks Him, and follows Him into freedom.]]> 304 Gretchen Saffles 1496445457 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.33 2021 The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith
author: Gretchen Saffles
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Five Found Dead 220481340
Crime fiction author Joe Penvale has won the most brutal battle of his life. Now that he has finished his intense medical treatment, he and his twin sister, Meredith, are boarding the glorious Orient Express in Paris, hoping for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Meredith also hopes that the literary ghosts on the train will nudge Joe's muse awake, and he'll be inspired to write again. And he is; after their first evening spent getting to know some of their fellow travelers, Joe pulls out his laptop and opens a new document. Seems like this trip is just what the doctor ordered�

And then some. The next morning, Joe and Meredith are shocked to witness that the cabin next door has become a crime scene, bathed in blood but with no body in sight. The pair soon find themselves caught up in an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation. Without any help from the authorities, and with the victim still not found, Joe and Meredith are asked to join a group of fellow passengers with law enforcement backgrounds to look into the mysterious disappearance of the man in Cabin16G. But when the steward guarding the crime scene is murdered, it marks the beginning of a killing spree which leaves five found dead—and one still missing. Now Joe and Meredith must fight once again to preserve their newfound future and to catch a cunning killer before they reach the end of the line.

USA Today bestselling author Sulari Gentill brings readers on a heart-pounding ride filled with intrigue, suspense, and literary charm in Five Found Dead, perfect for fans of twisty mysteries and books about books. 


]]> 320 Sulari Gentill 1464219710 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.69 2025 Five Found Dead
author: Sulari Gentill
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, Adapted for Young People from In the Heart of the Sea]]> 17782 Adapted for young people from the New York Times best-seller In the Heart of the Sea.

In 1819, the Essex, a Nantucket whaleship carrying a crew of 20, began what all thought would be a normal, two-year voyage. Instead, after a year and a half of near-disasters, the ship was rammed by a sperm whale and sank in the Pacific. All hands got off in three whaleboats and were at sea for three unbearable months of short rations and little fresh water, leading to the death by starvation of some and the killing of others to provide food. One boat disappeared and the two remaining eventually became separated. When rescued off the coast of Chile, only five men were still alive, including the captain and first mate, as well as three rescued later from an island. Philbrick brings the era to life, giving readers a rounded picture of the whaling industry and its society. Relying mainly on two survivors' detailed accounts, one of which has just recently been found, he fleshes out the tale in an exciting manner that sweeps readers along. He includes modern medical knowledge of the physical and mental effects of starvation on humans. The book concludes with tales of other shipwrecks, a description of how the survivors lived the rest of their lives, and an introduction to the recent work of the Nantucket Whaling Museum. The contrast between today's touristy island paradise and yesterday's hard life will not be lost on teens.

—Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA]]> 164 Nathaniel Philbrick 0439566576 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.84 2002 Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, Adapted for Young People from In the Heart of the Sea
author: Nathaniel Philbrick
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex]]> 17780
In the Heart of the Sea brings to new life the incredible story of the wreck of the whaleship Essex - an event as mythic in its own century as the Titanic disaster in ours, and the inspiration for the climax of Moby-Dick. In a harrowing page-turner, Nathaniel Philbrick restores this epic story to its rightful place in American history.

In 1820, the 240-ton Essex set sail from Nantucket on a routine voyage for whales. Fifteen months later, in the farthest reaches of the South Pacific, it was repeatedly rammed and sunk by an eighty-ton bull sperm whale. Its twenty-man crew, fearing cannibals on the islands to the west, made for the 3,000-mile-distant coast of South America in three tiny boats. During ninety days at sea under horrendous conditions, the survivors clung to life as one by one, they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease, and fear.

Philbrick interweaves his account of this extraordinary ordeal of ordinary men with a wealth of whale lore and with a brilliantly detailed portrait of the lost, unique community of Nantucket whalers. Impeccably researched and beautifully told, the book delivers the ultimate portrait of man against nature, drawing on a remarkable range of archival and modern sources, including a long-lost account by the ship's cabin boy.

At once a literary companion and a page-turner that speaks to the same issues of class, race, and man's relationship to nature that permeate the works of Melville, In the Heart of the Sea will endure as a vital work of American history.]]> 302 Nathaniel Philbrick 0141001828 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.16 2000 In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
author: Nathaniel Philbrick
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex 28094796 The account of how the Essex was wrecked inspired the infamous book Moby Dick and countless movies, including the newest, In the Heart of the Sea.
The perils of sea, storms, nefarious intent of evil men and fate combined to bring an end to a long whaling voyage � typically hard and grueling enough without suffering an attack by a furious and vengeful sperm whale.
The story, told in a first-person narrative by Owen Chase, the first mate of the Essex, was first published in 1821 and served to inspire Herman Melville to write his fictional book of the attack by the whale.
The perseverance and determination of the crew, mate, and captain to use each and every tool and morsel available to them in salvage from the wrecked Essex to outfit their flimsy whaleboats for a voyage of more than 2,500 miles back to the South American coast is remarkable in many ways.
Every ounce of energy and civility rapidly evaporated after two months at sea. The story not told by Melville may be the best part though the attack by the whale is still impressive if one imagines being on the small ship as the leviathan repeatedly bashes in the hull.
In addition to the stirring account by Owen Chase are parts of the account by cabin boy Thomas Nickerson.
Nickerson returned to the seas on whale ships following the Essex shipwreck, one of just a few known to have been sunk by a whale. After he retired to running a boarding house in Nantucket was when Nickerson finally wrote his account of the Essex and the plight of the crew. Nickerson only put pen to paper when challenged by a visiting author.
When the writer, Leon Lewis, escaping from his creditors, became acquainted with Nickerson, he encouraged him to write down his tale of the incredible Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex. Nickerson did so and entrusted the manuscript to the erstwhile writer who promised to get it published and then fled to England.
Over one hundred years later the Nickerson account The Loss of the Ship "Essex" Sunk by a Whale and the Ordeal of the Crew in Open Boats; was discovered in an old trunk and authenticated by the Nantucket Historical Association and published in 1984, a century after Nickerson wrote it.
Nickerson’s story told of the incredible attack on the Essex while two of the whaleboats were in the hunt to harpoon their prey. The first attack crashed the vessel and rocked it hard. Then, Nickerson wrote that the monster whale turned and rammed the Essex again, causing it to heave, break apart and sink.
The crew began their search for land and eventually found a small island that was rather poor in resources. The sailors, with the exception of three men who decided to stay on the island, left in search of a better island, the mainland or perhaps a ship.
Chase described how during the 90-day journey to the coast of Chile, the men were forced to eat one of their fellow sailors who had died. Nickerson was less than specific about the act of cannibalism and was on the same whaling boat with Chase. The other boat commanded by Capt. Pollard had, but four men left alive and too weak to continue. Finally, they decided to draw lots to determine who would have to be shot so that the others could live. The young cousin of the captain was the loser in that drawing and was killed. Only eight of the crew of twenty survived.
It was later revealed that the three men who stayed behind on the island were rescued, and two of the boats made it to Chile.]]> 177 Owen Chase Kimberley 0 to-read 3.70 1821 Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex
author: Owen Chase
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1821
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Frontiersmen 697650
Driven from their homeland, the Indians fought bitterly to keep a final stronghold east of the Mississippi. Savage cunning, strength, skill and knowledge of the wilderness were their weapons, and the Indians used them mercilessly. But they couldn't foresee the white men who would come later, men who loved the land as much as they did, who wanted it for their own. Men who learned the Indian tricks and matched brutality for brutality.

From Eckert's acclaimed The Winning of America series, this book continues the tale of westward expansion, focusing on the history of the Northwest Territories & the Louisiana Purchase & relating the dramatic events of the Black Hawk War of 1832.]]> 626 Allan W. Eckert 0553205137 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.43 1967 The Frontiersmen
author: Allan W. Eckert
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.43
book published: 1967
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker]]> 203647586 In this personal journey, ultra-light backpacker and sought-after speaker Glen Van Peski shares the life lessons he has learned through years of lightening his pack and helping others.

Adventures provide the richness and texture to a life well lived. So remain open. Keep saying yes to life's opportunities.

Glen Van Peski helped revolutionize backpacking by creating ultralight equipment, which allows people to take less so they can do more in the wilderness. During decades of championing ultralight backpacking, Glen became aware that “take less, do more� is more than just a hiking slogan. As he reduced his pack weight, he realized that the lessons learned applied to all areas of life. Now he wants to share the lessons he learned to help others live full and vibrant lives—lives characterized by purpose, meaning, and joy.

In this book, you will discover transformative life lessons, which may go against the grain of popular thought but have been proven to change lives for the better. You'll learn

Often the best strategy for achieving goals comes from subtracting rather than adding. When your first instinct is generosity, the long-term dividends will be greater than if you strive to gain your own advantage. Revising the stories you tell yourself about situations will reframe your life and increase gratitude. By investing creatively in relationships, you will generate more joy in your life. Making friends with failure will cause you to grow and improve.

take less. do more. It's a revolutionary idea that will transform your life and free your soul to find your purpose—and maybe a little bit of adventure too.]]> 273 Glen Van Peski 1637632908 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.18 Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker
author: Glen Van Peski
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize, Declutter, and Make Space for What Matters Most]]> 211399743
A father of three with a stressful job, Tyler Moore felt his life resembled an overstuffed closet: disorganized and overly busy behind tidy, closed doors. When it all became too much—for his family's 750-square-foot apartment and his mental health—he set out to unpack the physical and emotional mess around him.

Chronicling his progress as “Tidy Dad� on Instagram, Moore learned that tidying is about so much more than the aesthetics and decluttering of a physical space. When he stepped back, reflected, and named what was "just enough," he was able to devise systems and hacks that brought order to his whole life. Drawing on Moore's experience with the everyday highs and lows of parenting, home management, and work-life balance, and filled with his signature warmth and wit, Tidy Up Your Life includes:

Tidy Dad’s process for tackling overwhelming tasks—how to identify what really matters both emotionally and physically to you and the people who share your space.
How to arrive at your own definition of "just enough" as well as thought experiments for appreciating what you already have.
The goal is not "always tidy" but "easily tidied" and other principles for lifting some of the mental and physical burdens we feel when managing our homes.
Tips for making a “one-area-a-weekday� cleaning schedule and other simple routines that compliment household rhythms and reduce the mental load you may be carrying.

A vital book for overwhelmed parents, as well as overworked, stressed-out professionals, Tidy Up Your Life, will help you live a more joyful, tidied-up life.]]> 256 Tyler Moore 0593797833 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.69 Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize, Declutter, and Make Space for What Matters Most
author: Tyler Moore
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The King's General 18869969 A classic work of historical fiction from the author of Rebecca and The Birds. Honor Harris is only eighteen when she first meets Richard Grenvile, proud, reckless � and utterly captivating. But following a riding accident, Honor must reconcile herself to a life alone. As the English Civil war is waged across the country, Richard rises through the ranks of the army, marries and makes enemies, and Honor remains true to him. Decades later, an undaunted Sir Richard, now a general serving King Charles I, finds her. Finally they can share their passion in the ruins of her family's great estate on the storm-tossed Cornish coast � one last time before being torn apart, never to embrace again.]]> 448 Daphne du Maurier 0316252956 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.94 1946 The King's General
author: Daphne du Maurier
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1946
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Covenant of Water 180357146 From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala's Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. Imbued with humor, deep emotion, and the essence of life, it is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.]]> 715 Abraham Verghese 0802162177 Kimberley 0 4.34 2023 The Covenant of Water
author: Abraham Verghese
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: books-i-own, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)]]> 65213377 Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts―a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him�

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.� It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it�
]]> 419 Nora Roberts 1250288320 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.16 2023 Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)
author: Nora Roberts
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mind Games 195791352
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.

Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.

The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents� killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse―because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them―and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…]]> 422 Nora Roberts 1250289696 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.15 2024 Mind Games
author: Nora Roberts
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Silent Nights are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, #9)]]> 62929393 Despite her best efforts, gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister finds herself confounded by a case of murder this Christmas in the latest installment of this delightful culinary B&B mystery series!

Ever since Thanksgiving, when an engagement ring in a velvet box—and no gift tag—was left behind, Poppy and her pals have been left with an unsolved mystery. But at least this mystery isn’t the kind that involves murder. That all changes when the body of a fish supplier is discovered in the kitchen of her ex’s restaurant—and he’s frozen, not fresh.

For once, it’s not Poppy who tripped over the corpse, yet she can’t escape being drawn in since the victim has a note taped to him reading Get Poppy. Figures—an engagement ring isn't labeled, but the dead guy is addressed to her. Now, while Aunt Ginny plans a tree-trimming party and pressures Poppy to decode a mysterious old diary, the amateur sleuth is asked to “unofficially� go undercover at the restaurant to help the police. Until then, the only crime Poppy had been dealing with was the cat Figaro’s repeated thefts of bird ornaments from the tree; now it looks like it’s going to be a murder-y Christmas after all . . .]]> Libby Klein Kimberley 0 to-read 4.39 Silent Nights are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, #9)
author: Libby Klein
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Girl Braiding Her Hair: Inspired by the true story of a revolutionary female artist history forgot (Light & Life Series Book 2)]]> 202775026
Read the story of Suzanne, a bastard from the tenements who fought to be seen for herself, and Ellie, a modern woman a century later, at a crossroads of her life, who pulls Suzanne into the light from the shadows of the past.

“A touching and compelling story of two extraordinary women who lived a century apart but were sisters of the heart.”]]> 328 Marta Molnar 194062763X Kimberley 0 to-read 4.34 2023 Girl Braiding Her Hair: Inspired by the true story of a revolutionary female artist history forgot (Light & Life Series Book 2)
author: Marta Molnar
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Secret Life of Sunflowers 61613291 A gripping, inspiring novel based on the true story of Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law.

When Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson finds her famous grandmother's diary while cleaning out her New York brownstone, the pages are full of surprises. The first surprise is, the diary isn't her grandmother's. It belongs to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law.

Johanna inherited Vincent van Gogh's paintings. They were all she had, and they weren't worth anything. She was a 28 year old widow with a baby in the 1800s, without any means of supporting herself, living in Paris where she barely spoke the language. Yet she managed to introduce Vincent's legacy to the world.

The inspiration couldn't come at a better time for Emsley. With her business failing, an unexpected love turning up in her life, and family secrets unraveling, can she find answers in the past?]]> 356 Marta Molnar 1940627486 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.10 The Secret Life of Sunflowers
author: Marta Molnar
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Fixer Upper 41014681

The delightful New York Times bestselling author returns with a hilarious novel about one woman's quest to fix up her house . . . and her life

After a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. She reluctantly accepts to refurbish Birdsong, the old family place in Guthrie, Georgia.

But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise. "Bird Droppings” would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol pink dump. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute former lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her.

All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected back home again.

]]> 436 Mary Kay Andrews Kimberley 0 to-read 4.01 2009 The Fixer Upper
author: Mary Kay Andrews
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Summers at the Saint 195790574 Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.� If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.� If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.� Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.]]> 448 Mary Kay Andrews 1250278384 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.00 2024 Summers at the Saint
author: Mary Kay Andrews
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Bright Lights, Big Christmas 65214218 From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.]]> 288 Mary Kay Andrews 125028581X Kimberley 0 to-read 3.74 2023 Bright Lights, Big Christmas
author: Mary Kay Andrews
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Santa Suit 56693416
When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love―but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit―beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.]]> 224 Mary Kay Andrews 1250279313 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.73 2021 The Santa Suit
author: Mary Kay Andrews
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Thing About Jellyfish 24396876
After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting--things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.

Oddlot Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to The Thing About Jellyfish , with Gigi Pritzker set to produce with Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon.]]> 352 Ali Benjamin 0316380865 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.10 2015 The Thing About Jellyfish
author: Ali Benjamin
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Warm Hands of Ghosts 154462576 New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.]]> 325 Katherine Arden 0593128257 Kimberley 3 books-i-own
I feel like I should say a bit more, but I don't want to spoil anything. However, I also don't like when books lead somewhere (without warning) that I don't want to go.

Like the author, I feel there isn't enough written about World War I. In this case, I felt her writing about the horrors of that war and what people went through was done well within the story. There's no way to know how people suffer in war, but the writing makes you feel the desperation and hopelessness in a way that is almost palpable. The fantasy part of it, which is "the devil" coming for people's souls, represents the turmoil and confusion and desire to forget the horrors people have experienced from war. I was okay with all of that. I'm an Arden fan, I know she's a good writer.

What I have a problem with is getting through almost the entire book to find part of the story was NOT about the incredible bonds of friendship and love that form between men who fight wars together, but to make it something more...of a romantic nature.

You may wonder if there were hints about what was to come. There wasn't for me because I've witnessed the unbreakable bonds of friendship and love that form between men who have fought the horrors of war together. I know how close those bonds are. I was happy to see Arden give words to what I've only seen defined through actions. But when Arden ends up defining it as something "romantic," it does a disservice and a disrespect to what defines genuine love and close friendships between most military men.

Side note: After discussing this with my husband, who said that gay men served in war/military, too, and wondered why I was surprised, I was left asking: Is the author saying that two gay men from two different (enemy) countries happen to end up as the only ones alive in a buried pullbox with other dead bodies? Or because these two men ended up in those horrific circumstances and survived them together, they fell in love?

And it isn't that the characters are gay. I've read other books with gay characters. I am disappointed that I feel the author pulled a "bait and switch." I wanted to read a book about a sister searching for her brother who was missing in action in World War I. I didn't expect what happened at the end with the brother to then redefine a lot of what I read earlier in the book. Plot twist? No. Bait and switch.]]> 3.96 2024 The Warm Hands of Ghosts
author: Katherine Arden
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: books-i-own
review:
I enjoyed most of the book. It was good, but not great. I could see what she was reaching for, trying to give the reader a view of. Some parts felt a bit disjointed, but it was good writing overall.

I feel like I should say a bit more, but I don't want to spoil anything. However, I also don't like when books lead somewhere (without warning) that I don't want to go.

Like the author, I feel there isn't enough written about World War I. In this case, I felt her writing about the horrors of that war and what people went through was done well within the story. There's no way to know how people suffer in war, but the writing makes you feel the desperation and hopelessness in a way that is almost palpable. The fantasy part of it, which is "the devil" coming for people's souls, represents the turmoil and confusion and desire to forget the horrors people have experienced from war. I was okay with all of that. I'm an Arden fan, I know she's a good writer.

What I have a problem with is getting through almost the entire book to find part of the story was NOT about the incredible bonds of friendship and love that form between men who fight wars together, but to make it something more...of a romantic nature.

You may wonder if there were hints about what was to come. There wasn't for me because I've witnessed the unbreakable bonds of friendship and love that form between men who have fought the horrors of war together. I know how close those bonds are. I was happy to see Arden give words to what I've only seen defined through actions. But when Arden ends up defining it as something "romantic," it does a disservice and a disrespect to what defines genuine love and close friendships between most military men.

Side note: After discussing this with my husband, who said that gay men served in war/military, too, and wondered why I was surprised, I was left asking: Is the author saying that two gay men from two different (enemy) countries happen to end up as the only ones alive in a buried pullbox with other dead bodies? Or because these two men ended up in those horrific circumstances and survived them together, they fell in love?

And it isn't that the characters are gay. I've read other books with gay characters. I am disappointed that I feel the author pulled a "bait and switch." I wanted to read a book about a sister searching for her brother who was missing in action in World War I. I didn't expect what happened at the end with the brother to then redefine a lot of what I read earlier in the book. Plot twist? No. Bait and switch.
]]> <![CDATA[Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times]]> 52623750 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780593189481.

An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down.

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.

A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May’s story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.

Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.]]> 241 Katherine May Kimberley 0 to-read 3.82 2020 Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
author: Katherine May
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Trouble Island 203578712 A gripping new novel inspired by a real place and events from the author’s family, Trouble Island is the standalone suspense debut from historical mystery writer Sharon Short.

Many miles from anywhere in the middle of Lake Erie, Trouble Island serves as a stop-off for gangsters as they run between America and Canada. The remote isle is also the permanent home to two women: Aurelia Escalante, who serves as a maid to Rosita, lady of the mansion and wife to the notorious prohibition gangster, Eddie McGee. In the freezing winter of 1932, the women anticipate the arrival of Eddie and his strange coterie: his right-hand man, a doctor, a cousin, a famous actor, and a rival gangster who Rosita believes murdered their only son.

Aurelia wants nothing more than to escape Trouble Island, but she is hiding a secret of her own. She is in fact not a maid, but a gangster’s wife in hiding, as she runs from the murder she committed five years ago. Her friend Rosita took her in under this guise, but it has become clear that Rosita wants to keep Aurelia right where she is.

Shortly after the group of criminals, celebrities, and scoundrels arrive, Rosita suddenly disappears. Aurelia plans her getaway, going to the shore to retrieve her box of hidden treasures, but instead finds Rosita’s body in the water. Someone has made sure Aurelia was the one to find her. An ice storm makes unexpected landfall, cutting Trouble Island off from both mainlands, and with more than one murderer among them.

Both a gripping locked room mystery, and a transporting, evocative portrait of a woman in crisis, Trouble Island marks the enthralling standalone suspense debut from Sharon Short, promising to be her breakout novel, inspired by a real island in Lake Erie, and true events from her own rich family history.]]> 336 Sharon Short 1250292840 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.42 2024 Trouble Island
author: Sharon Short
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt]]> 208503336
Harriet Hunt is completely alone. Her father disappeared months ago, leaving her to wander the halls of Sunnyside house, dwelling on a past she'd rather keep buried. She doesn't often venture beyond her front gate, instead relishing the feel of dirt under her fingernails and of soft moss beneath her feet. Consequently, she's been deemed a little too peculiar for popular Victorian society. This solitary life suits her fine, though � because, in her garden, magic awaits.

Harriet's garden is special. It's a wild place full of twisting ivy, vibrant plums, and a quiet power that buzzes like bees. Caring for this place, and keeping it from running rampant through the streets of her London suburb, is Harriet's purpose.

When suspicion for her father's disappearance falls on her, she marries a seemingly charming man, the first to see past her peculiarities, in order to protect herself. It's soon clear, however, that her new husband might be worse than her father and that she's integral to a dark plot created by the men around her. To free herself and discover the truth, she must learn to channel the power of her strange, magical garden.

At once enchantingly mesmerizing and fiercely feminist, perfect for fans of The Magician's Daughter and The Once and Future Witches, the vibrant world-building and sinister undertones of The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt make for the perfect modern fairytale about women taking control of their lives—with a little help from the magic within them.]]> 309 Chelsea Iversen 1728275814 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.50 2024 The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt
author: Chelsea Iversen
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Specters in the Glass House 209351020 368 Jaime Jo Wright 076424146X Kimberley 0 to-read 4.27 2024 Specters in the Glass House
author: Jaime Jo Wright
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night (The Pumpkin Princess, #1)]]> 204593679 A spooky yet heartwarming adventure about one girl's journey into the land of the undead, and the unexpected family she finds along the way. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor and the hit series Wednesday.

On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself.

Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it.

From debut author Steven Banbury comes a cozy, magical adventure sure to delight anyone who loves the tricks of Halloween as much as the treats of autumn.]]> 336 Steven Banbury 0316572993 Kimberley 2 books-i-own 4.21 2024 The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night (The Pumpkin Princess, #1)
author: Steven Banbury
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)]]> 75513900 She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites� powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.]]> 523 Lauren Roberts Kimberley 0 to-read 4.17 2023 Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Gilt Hollow 25041551 Ashton thought he wanted vengeance, until Willow reminded him what he’d been missing. Now he longs to clear his name and become the person she sees in him. But the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the darker the secrets become, and Ashton fears his return to Gilt Hollow will destroy everyone he loves, especially the girl he left behind.]]> 337 Lorie Langdon 0310751853 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.88 2016 Gilt Hollow
author: Lorie Langdon
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Book of Doors 156480764
In New York City, bookseller Cassie Andrews is living an unassuming life when she is given a gift by a favourite customer. It's a book - an unusual book, full of strange writing and mysterious drawings. And at the very front there is a handwritten message to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door .

What Cassie is about to discover is that the Book of Doors is a special book that bestows an extraordinary powers on whoever possesses it, and soon she and her best friend Izzy are exploring all that the Book of Doors can do, swept away from their quiet lives by the possibilities of travelling to anywhere they want.

But the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world. There are other books that can do wondrous and dreadful things when wielded by dangerous and ruthless individuals - individuals who crave what Cassie now possesses.

Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is, it seems, Drummond Fox. He is a man fleeing his own demons - a man with his own secret library of magical books that he has hidden away in the shadows for safekeeping. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Because some doors should never be opened.]]> 408 Gareth Brown 1787637247 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.03 2024 The Book of Doors
author: Gareth Brown
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Stories to Solve 192225 56 George Shannon 0380732602 Kimberley 4 books-i-own 4.10 1985 Stories to Solve
author: George Shannon
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1985
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/02
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: books-i-own
review:
This is a nice, little treasury of fun folktales to solve. I look forward to sharing these with my students. I think they'll enjoy discussing them and solving them. :)
]]> Silence for the Dead 62926981
In 1919, Kitty Weekes, pretty, resourceful, and on the run, falsifies her background to obtain a nursing position at Portis House, a remote hospital for soldiers left shell-shocked by the horrors of the Great War. Hiding the shame of their mental instability in what was once a magnificent private estate, the patients suffer from nervous attacks and tormenting dreams. But something more is going on at Portis House—its plaster is crumbling, its plumbing makes eerie noises, and strange breaths of cold waft through the empty rooms. It’s known that the former occupants left abruptly, but where did they go? And why do the patients all seem to share the same nightmare, one so horrific that they dare not speak of it?

Kitty finds a dangerous ally in Jack Yates, an inmate who may be a war hero, a madman� or maybe both. But even as Kitty and Jack create a secret, intimate alliance to uncover the truth, disturbing revelations suggest the presence of powerful spectral forces. And when a medical catastrophe leaves them even more isolated, they must battle the menace on their own, caught in the heart of a mystery that could destroy them both.]]> 384 Simone St. James 0593550188 Kimberley 4 books-i-own
It was great to read a good ghost story that was also a mystery. It's a good book for the season! :)]]> 3.67 2014 Silence for the Dead
author: Simone St. James
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: books-i-own
review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! And I loved that the setting was England in 1919. I would've given it 5 stars, but I felt it jumped the track a little towards the end - not enough to put me off or ruin it, though. I just decided that little bit didn't overshadow the whole story.

It was great to read a good ghost story that was also a mystery. It's a good book for the season! :)
]]> In the Garden of Monsters 203854081 336 Crystal King 0778310574 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.51 In the Garden of Monsters
author: Crystal King
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.51
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fairest of Heart (Texas Ever After, #1)]]> 62611324
After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young woman found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather's ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope's acting troupe. The evidence points to her guilt, but Titus's heart divines a different truth--one that might just get Penelope killed.

An enchanting Western take on the classic Snow White fairy tale, Fairest of Heart will sweep you away from once upon a time to happily ever after.]]> 352 Karen Witemeyer 0764240412 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.17 2023 Fairest of Heart (Texas Ever After, #1)
author: Karen Witemeyer
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Murder Road 196614815 A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.]]> 341 Simone St. James 0593200381 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.66 2024 Murder Road
author: Simone St. James
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Birth of Venus 28078
But their burgeoning relationship is interrupted when Alessandra’s parents arrange her marriage to a wealthy, much older man. Meanwhile, Florence is changing, increasingly subject to the growing suppression imposed by the fundamentalist monk Savonarola, who is seizing religious and political control. Alessandra and her native city are caught between the Medici state, with its love of luxury, learning, and dazzling art, and the hellfire preaching and increasing violence of Savonarola’s reactionary followers. Played out against this turbulent backdrop, Alessandra’s married life is a misery, except for the surprising freedom it allows her to pursue her powerful attraction to the young painter and his art.

The Birth of Venus is a tour de force, the first historical novel from one of Britain’s most innovative writers of literary suspense. It brings alive the history of Florence at its most dramatic period, telling a compulsively absorbing story of love, art, religion, and power through the passionate voice of Alessandra, a heroine with the same vibrancy of spirit as her beloved city.]]> 427 Sarah Dunant Kimberley 0 to-read 3.81 2003 The Birth of Venus
author: Sarah Dunant
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Death of Mrs. Westaway 36373481
Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the centre of it.]]> 368 Ruth Ware 1501156217 Kimberley 5 books-i-own 3.79 2018 The Death of Mrs. Westaway
author: Ruth Ware
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves: books-i-own
review:
My favorite Ruth Ware book, so far. :) While I read the physical book for most of it, I also listened to the Audible version when riding in the car. Imogen Church is the most talented narrator I've ever heard. She does all the voices and does them well!
]]> <![CDATA[The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)]]> 40275288
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction � but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.]]> 845 Samantha Shannon 1408883457 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.18 2019 The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey Through The Dark World of Compulsory Schooling]]> 3429724
“Weapons of Mass Instruction is probably his best yet. Gatto’s storytelling skill shines as he relates tales of real people who fled the school system and succeeded in spite of the popular wisdom that insists on diplomas, degrees and credentials. If you are just beginning to suspect there may be a problem with schooling (as opposed to educating as Gatto would say), then you’ll not likely find a better expose of the problem than Weapons of Mass Instruction.� Cathy Duffy Reviews

"In this book, the noisy gadfly of U.S. education takes up the question of damage done in the name of schooling. Again he touches on many of the same questions and finds the same answers.  Gatto is a bold and compelling critic in a field defined by politic statements, and from the first pages of this book he takes even unwilling readers along with him. In Weapons of Mass Instruction, he speaks movingly to readers' deepest desires for an education that taps their talents and frees frustrated ambitions. It is a challenging and extraordinary book that is a must read for anyone navigating their way through the school system." - Ria Julien - Winnipeg Free Press

John Taylor Gatto’s Weapons of Mass Instruction focuses on mechanisms of familiar schooling that cripple imagination, discourage critical thinking, and create a false view of learning as a by-product of rote-memorization drills. Gatto’s earlier book, Dumbing Us Down, put that now-famous expression of the title into common use worldwide. Weapons of Mass Instruction promises to add another chilling metaphor to the brief against schooling.

Here is a demonstration that the harm school inflicts is quite rational and deliberate, following high-level political theories constructed by Plato, Calvin, Spinoza, Fichte, Darwin, Wundt, and others, which contend the term “education� is meaningless because humanity is strictly limited by necessities of biology, psychology, and theology. The real function of pedagogy is to render the common population manageable.

Realizing that goal demands that the young be conditioned to rely upon experts, remain divided from natural alliances, and accept disconnections from the experiences that create self-reliance and independence.

Escaping this trap requires a different way of growing up, one Gatto calls “open source learning.� In chapters such as “A Letter to Kristina, my Granddaughter�; “Fat Stanley�; and “Walkabout:London,� this different reality is illustrated.

John Taylor Gatto taught for thirty years in public schools before resigning from school-teaching in the op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal during the year he was named New York State’s official Teacher of the Year. Since then, he has traveled three million miles lecturing on school reform.]]> 192 John Taylor Gatto 0865716315 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.24 2008 Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey Through The Dark World of Compulsory Schooling
author: John Taylor Gatto
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Among the Impostors (Shadow Children, #2)]]> 303472
Out of hiding for the first time in his life, he knows that any minute one of his new classmates at Hendricks School for Boys could discover his secret: that he's a third child passing as the recently deceased Lee Grant. And in a society where it's illegal for families to have more than two children, being a third child means certain death at the hands of the dreaded Population Police.

His first experience outside the safety of his home is bewildering. There's not a single window anywhere in the school; Luke can't tell his classmates apart (even as they subject him to brutal hazing); and the teachers seem oblivious to it all.

Desperate to fit in, Luke endures the confusion and teasing until he discovers an unlocked door to the outside, and a chance to understand what is really going on. But to take this chance -- to find out the secrets of Hendricks -- Luke will need to put aside his fears and discover a courage that a lifetime in hiding couldn't thwart.

Once again, best-selling author Margaret Peterson Haddix delights her fans with this spine-tingling account of an all-too-possible future.

Among the Impostors is a worthy companion to Among the Hidden and a heart-stopping thriller in its own right.]]> 172 Margaret Peterson Haddix 0689839081 Kimberley 3 books-i-own 4.07 2001 Among the Impostors (Shadow Children, #2)
author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/06
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: books-i-own
review:
I liked this one, and it was well written enough to make me angry a few times. It isn't a happy book, so I tend not to like those very much. All in all, I'll say 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the first one more, but the writing is good if it makes me feel something.
]]> The Lost Bookshop 65137920 The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

â€The thing about books,â€� she said â€is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.â€�

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found�

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder� where nothing is as it seems.]]> 432 Evie Woods 0008609209 Kimberley 0 books-i-own, to-read 4.03 2023 The Lost Bookshop
author: Evie Woods
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: books-i-own, to-read
review:

]]> The River We Remember 101160844 In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling standalone novel.

On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.

Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.

Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of midcentury American life, The River We Remember is an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.]]> 432 William Kent Krueger 198217921X Kimberley 0 to-read 4.18 2023 The River We Remember
author: William Kent Krueger
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> That Bonesetter Woman 58261398
Endurance Proudfoot only wants one thing in life � to follow her father and grandfather into the family business of bonesetting. It’s a physically demanding job, requiring strength, nerves of steel and discretion � and not the job for a woman.

But Durie isn’t like other women. She’s strong and stubborn and determined to get her own way. And she finds that she has a talent at bonesetting � her big hands and lack of grace have finally found their natural calling.]]> 400 Frances Quinn Kimberley 0 to-read 4.23 2022 That Bonesetter Woman
author: Frances Quinn
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)]]> 40411206
In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?� She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!�), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout�).

In “What It Was Like, Part One,� Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two� reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high�), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!�).

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.]]> 224 Lauren Graham 0425285189 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.92 2016 Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
author: Lauren Graham
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Boy Who Fell from the Stars (And They Found Dragons, #1)]]> 59639059
Jack is just 12, born on an Ark orbiting Earth among 169 survivors of a global apocalypse who eagerly await the planet's restoration so they can return to the surface. With supplies dangerously low, the time for waiting is over. Humanity must return now or die among the stars.

Unfortunately there is a problem. A big one. Dragons have inexplicably risen from Earth's ashes. Worse, they emit a global toxin deadly to all over the age of puberty. After much debate, the Ark's leaders realize that humanity's only hope is to send teams of specially trained children to hunt and eliminate the dragon queen.

But Jack is frail and deemed unworthy for the dangerous mission.

So begins a tale leads readers, young and old alike, on a journey with Jack, the child who will lead them all in the most unlikely of ways. A journey to an Earth they could not have imagined. An Earth where humanity's fear takes physical form as dragons that can only be defeated through a love that casts out all fear.]]> 172 Ted Dekker 1737867508 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.09 The Boy Who Fell from the Stars (And They Found Dragons, #1)
author: Ted Dekker
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Five Broken Blades (The Broken Blades, #1)]]> 200982383 It’s the season
for treason�

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers―each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal―it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win.]]> 474 Mai Corland 1649376901 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.80 2024 Five Broken Blades (The Broken Blades, #1)
author: Mai Corland
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1)]]> 55710822 In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.]]> 356 Lynn Painter 1534467629 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.28 2021 Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1)
author: Lynn Painter
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Strangest Fish 203166764 In this bewitching picture book debut from bestselling fantasy author Katherine Arden, a girl wins an odd-looking goldfish at a county fair that ends up being secretly magical.When Daisy wins a funny-looking goldfish at a fair, she ignores the mean comments about its appearance. She doesn’t mind the dull scales and lumpy head—in fact, she thinks her goldfish is the prettiest thing in the world. However, as Daisy continues caring for the goldfish, something strange starts happening to it . . .With lyrical writing and stunning illustrations, this enchanting story about a girl and her goldfish reveals—with a touch of magic� the transformative power of unconditional love and care.]]> 40 Katherine Arden 1662620780 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.08 The Strangest Fish
author: Katherine Arden
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon]]> 211808920


Peony will do anything to save her family’s Reading House, so when Hollyfield Middle School announces that the talent show’s grand prize is $1,000, she signs up, determined to win. While she thinks a cash prize will save her, the school’s mysterious new librarian, Lenora, seems to have other ideas. Lenora gives Peony a magic book that might know Peony better than Peony knows herself—a book that contains stories, recipes, poems, and instructions to guide Peony and hold her together while the rest of her world falls apart.



When the fraying threads of Peony’s home life, secrets, and the talent show finally begin to unravel, she must uncover the meaning of the magical book or risk losing not only the Reading House, but also the friendships she loves most.]]> 252 Robyn Field 1957362251 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.83 Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon
author: Robyn Field
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.83
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> There There 43076988 292 Tommy Orange 0525436146 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.05 2018 There There
author: Tommy Orange
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Honolulu 7000226 431 Alan Brennert 0312606346 Kimberley 0 books-i-own 4.13 2009 Honolulu
author: Alan Brennert
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves: books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Cup of Autumn (Silver Falls #3)]]> 61088412 He thought he had the perfect plan�

When elite university professor Keaton Andrews walks into a meeting with the dean, he expects to hear that his tenure application is on track. Instead, his beloved department is cut. Regrouping in Silver Falls with family seems like his best option. One morning, he takes a risk and orders a pumpkin spice latte from the beautiful barista at the local coffee shop. Too bad she doesn’t seem to find him nearly as intriguing as he finds her�

Raine Hanover is no longer swayed by a charming smile, especially by a nerdy—and distractingly handsome—academic. She’s taking a break from romance and focusing on running her increasingly busy coffee shop. But when Raine is involuntarily put in charge of organizing the town’s Halloween bash, Keaton jumps in to help, and it’s not long before sparks, and kisses, fly.

As the leaves begin to fall, Raine wonders if she should risk taking another chance on happily ever after, especially with a man who has dreams and goals so far away from Silver Falls and her.]]> 280 Melissa McClone 1957748451 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.15 A Cup of Autumn (Silver Falls #3)
author: Melissa McClone
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Place to Hang the Moon 53399305 Set against the backdrop of World War II, Anna, Edmund, and William are evacuated from London to live in the countryside, bouncing from home to home in search of a permanent family.

It is 1940 and Anna, 9, Edmund, 11, and William, 12, have just lost their grandmother. Unfortunately, she left no provision for their guardianship in her will. Her solicitor comes up with a preposterous plan: he will arrange for the children to join a group of schoolchildren who are being evacuated to a village in the country, where they will live with families for the duration of the war. He also hopes that whoever takes the children on might end up willing to adopt them and become their new family--providing, of course, that the children can agree on the choice.

Moving from one family to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets, and the hollowness of empty tummies. They seek comfort in the village lending library, whose kind librarian, Nora Muller, seems an excellent candidate--except that she has a German husband whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Nevertheless, Nora's cottage is a place of bedtime stories and fireplaces, of vegetable gardens and hot, milky tea. Most important, it's a place where someone thinks they all three hung the moon. Which is really all you need in a mom, if you think about it.

Fans of The War That Saved My Life and other World War II fiction will find an instant classic in A Place to Hang the Moon.]]> 320 Kate Albus 0823447057 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.56 2021 A Place to Hang the Moon
author: Kate Albus
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Letters from the Earth 6352702
Mark Twain considered this story was too controversial for publication and would never be published. He wrote that observation to a friend in 1909. This gem of a story has been freed from the murky shadows of censorship and restored to it's rightful place in American literature. All of it is vintage Twain, sharp, witty, imaginative, and sometimes wildly funny. This edition includes Mark Twain's 3 footnotes

If you purchased this book prior to March 8th 2009 please re-download to your Kindle to get the this COMPLETE EDITION.]]> 85 Mark Twain Kimberley 0 to-read, books-i-own 4.22 1962 Letters from the Earth
author: Mark Twain
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1962
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: to-read, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Rose (In the Garden, #2)]]> 295083 #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents the second novel of her In the Garden trilogy, as three women must discover the secrets from the past contained within their historic home...

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night...

At forty-seven, Rosalind Harper is a woman whose experiences have made her strong enough to bend without breaking--and to weather any storm. A widow with three grown sons, she survived a disastrous second marriage and built her In the Garden nursery from the ground up. Through the years, In the Garden has become more than just a thriving business--it is a symbol of hope and independence to Roz, and to the two women she shares it with. Newlywed Stella and new mother Hayley are the sisters of her heart, and together, the three of them are the future of In the Garden.

Hired to investigate Roz's Harper ancestors, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie finds himself just as intrigued by Roz herself. And as they begin to resurrect old secrets, Roz is shocked to find herself falling for the fascinating genealogist--even when he learns more about her than anyone has before...

Don't miss the other books in the In the Garden trilogy
Blue Dahlia
Red Lily]]> 355 Nora Roberts 0515138657 Kimberley 3 4.03 2005 Black Rose (In the Garden, #2)
author: Nora Roberts
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bringer of Dust (The Talents Trilogy, #2)]]> 61884833
Agrigento, Sicily, 1883. With the orsine destroyed, Cairndale lies in ruins, and Marlowe has vanished. His only hope of rescue lies in a fabled second orsine—long-hidden, thought lost—which might not even exist.

But when a body is discovered in the shadow of Cairndale, a body wreathed in the corrupted dust of the drughr, Charlie and the Talents realize there is even more at stake than they'd feared. For a new drughr has arisen, ferocious, horned, seemingly able to move in their world at will—and it is not alone. A malevolent figure, known only as the Abbess, desires the dust for her own ends. And deep in the world of the dead, a terrible evil stirs—an evil that the corrupted dust just might hold the secret to reviving or destroying forever.

So the dark journey begun in Ordinary Monsters surges forward, from the sinister underworld of the London exiles, to the mysteries of a sunlit villa in nineteenth-century Sicily, to the deep catacombs hidden under Paris. Against bone witches, mud glyphics, and a house of twilight that exists in a netherworld all its own, the Talents must work together—if they are to have any hope of staving off the world of the dead, and saving their long-lost friend.]]> 608 J.M. Miro 1250833833 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.15 2024 Bringer of Dust (The Talents Trilogy, #2)
author: J.M. Miro
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]]> 58784475 In this exhilarating novel, two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.]]> 401 Gabrielle Zevin 0735243344 Kimberley 3 books-i-own 4.12 2022 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/04
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves: books-i-own
review:
There are elements of this novel that I enjoyed, and I love Zevin's writing, but the whole gaming vibe and terms and descriptions was just not my thing. And, without giving anything away, I'll just say that I have one rule authors aren't allowed to break and Zevin broke it. I'm disappointed this book wasn't as good as I expected.
]]> 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 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.63 2024 The Crescent Moon Tearoom
author: Stacy Sivinski
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Someone Else’s Life 60532119
Blow by blow, Annie Lin’s life crumbles. Her dance studio goes bankrupt. Her mother and beloved dog are gone the same year. Then a terrible accident leaves her young son traumatized.

It’s time for a change.

Palm trees, mai tais, peace and quiet―Annie should be at ease, safe in her new Kauai home with her husband and son. She hopes proximity to her family can provide them all with a sense of belonging and calm. But soon items from her past start turning up―her dog’s collar, a bracelet that disappeared years ago―and she has the unnerving sensation she’s being watched. Reality begins to fracture, and Annie’s panic attacks return. When, during a brewing storm, a woman appears on her doorstep looking for shelter, Annie is relieved to have the company and feels an unexplainable bond with her visitor.

As the night progresses, Annie realizes the woman is no stranger. Their lives are inextricably intertwined―and Annie might just lose everything.]]> 299 Lyn Liao Butler 1662501080 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.23 2023 Someone Else’s Life
author: Lyn Liao Butler
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.23
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> His & Hers 45885495 There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

His & Hers is a twisty, smart, psychological thriller. A gripping tale of suspense, told by expertly-drawn narrators that will keep readers guessing until the very end.]]> 304 Alice Feeney 1250266076 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.03 2020 His & Hers
author: Alice Feeney
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Telephone 51541232
After a field trip to the desert yields nothing more than a colleague with a tenure problem and a student with an unwelcome crush on him, Wells returns home to find his world crumbling. His daughter has lost her edge at chess, she has developed mysterious eye problems, and her memory has lost its grasp. Powerless in the face of his daughter’s slow deterioration, he finds a mysterious note asking for help tucked into the pocket of a jacket he’s ordered off eBay. Desperate for someone to save, he sets off to New Mexico in secret on a quixotic rescue mission.

A deeply affecting story about the lengths to which loss and grief will drive us, Telephone is a Percival Everett novel we should have seen coming all along, one that will shake you to the core as it asks questions about the power of narrative to save.]]> 216 Percival Everett 1644450224 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.97 2020 Telephone
author: Percival Everett
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Am Not Sidney Poitier 6080748

An irresistible comic novel from the master storyteller Percival Everett, and an irreverent take on race, class, and identity in America

I was, in life, to be a gambler, a risk-taker, a swashbuckler, a knight. I accepted, then and there, my place in the world. I was a fighter of windmills. I was a chaser of whales. I was Not Sidney Poitier.

Not Sidney Poitier is an amiable young man in an absurd country. The sudden death of his mother orphans him at age eleven, leaving him with an unfortunate name, an uncanny resemblance to the famous actor, and, perhaps more fortunate, a staggering number of shares in the Turner Broadcasting Corporation.

Percival Everett’s hilarious new novel follows Not Sidney’s tumultuous life, as the social hierarchy scrambles to balance his skin color with his fabulous wealth. Maturing under the less-than watchful eye of his adopted foster father, Ted Turner, Not gets arrested in rural Georgia for driving while black, sparks a dinnertable explosion at the home of his manipulative girlfriend, and sleuths a murder case in Smut Eye, Alabama, all while navigating the recurrent communication problem: “What’s your name?� a kid would ask. “Not Sidney,� I would say. “Okay, then what is it?�

]]> 234 Percival Everett 1555975275 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.97 2009 I Am Not Sidney Poitier
author: Percival Everett
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> James 173754979 A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780385550369.]]> 303 Percival Everett Kimberley 0 to-read 4.46 2024 James
author: Percival Everett
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Night She Disappeared 55922299
One year later, a writer moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods that border the same estate. Known locally as the Dark Place, the dense forest is the writer’s favorite area for long walks and it’s on one such walk that she stumbles upon a mysterious note that simply reads, “DIG HERE.�

Could this be a clue towards what has happened to the missing young couple? And what exactly is buried in this haunted ground?]]> 416 Lisa Jewell 1982137363 Kimberley 3 books-i-own
It was far too obvious that Jewell was trying to make a statement as much as she was writing a mystery. And that's fine, I'd just appreciate knowing up front, so I can decide if it's something I want to read or not.]]> 4.05 2021 The Night She Disappeared
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves: books-i-own
review:
3 stars: I dislike that Jewell pulled me in and then pulled a fast one, but I still liked the plot line of the mystery itself. Jewell is a good writer, I just didn't appreciate the bait and switch. Not only do I not care to read about an LBGTQ+ relationship, I don't appreciate that every female character between 18 - 21 questioned her sexuality, was a lesbian, or considered herself bisexual. Almost every straight male in this book was a jerk or a bully or a loser or...something really crappy. The one-dimensional detective guy played a small part, and he was the only male character who wasn't horrible in some way.

It was far too obvious that Jewell was trying to make a statement as much as she was writing a mystery. And that's fine, I'd just appreciate knowing up front, so I can decide if it's something I want to read or not.
]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading]]> 193767144
To be a bookseller or librarian�

You have to play detective.

Be a treasure hunter. A matchmaker. An advocate. A visionary.

A person who creates "book joy" by pulling a book from a shelf, handing it to someone and saying, "You've got to read this. You're going to love it."

Step inside The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians and enter a world where you can feed your curiosities, discover new voices, find whatever you want or require. This place has the magic of rainbows and unicorns, but it's also a business. The book business.

Meet the smart and talented people who live between the pages—and who can't wait to help you find your next favorite book.]]> 335 James Patterson 0316567531 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.88 2024 The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading
author: James Patterson
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1)]]> 59627675
Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?]]> 384 Gabrielle Meyer 0764239740 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.37 2022 When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1)
author: Gabrielle Meyer
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Demon Copperhead 60194162 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780063251922.

"Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose."

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.]]> 560 Barbara Kingsolver Kimberley 0 to-read 4.46 2022 Demon Copperhead
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> None of This Is True 62334530
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?]]> 390 Lisa Jewell 1982179007 Kimberley 4 Good summer entertainment! :) 4.08 2023 None of This Is True
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/13
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves:
review:
Good summer entertainment! :)
]]> <![CDATA[Murder by the Book (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery, #1)]]> 38348958 Addie Greyborne loved working with rare books at the Boston Public Library—she even got to play detective, tracking down clues about mysterious old volumes. But she didn't expect her sleuthing skills to come in so handy in a little seaside town . . .

Addie left some painful memories behind in the big city, including the unsolved murder of her fiancé and her father's fatal car accident. After an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt, she's moved to a small New England town founded by her ancestors back in colonial times—and living in spacious Greyborne Manor, on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. Best of all, her aunt also left her countless first editions and other treasures—providing an inventory to start her own store.

But there's trouble from day one, and not just from the grumpy woman who runs the bakery next door. A car nearly runs Addie down. Someone steals a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Then, Addie's friend Serena, who owns a nearby tea shop, is arrested—for killing another local merchant. The police seem pretty sure they've got the story in hand, but Addie's not going to let them close the book on this case without a fight . .]]> 305 Lauren Elliott 1496720229 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.68 2018 Murder by the Book (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery, #1)
author: Lauren Elliott
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Starling House 65213595 A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.]]> 320 Alix E. Harrow 1250799058 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.77 2023 Starling House
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Tom Lake 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X Kimberley 5 books-i-own 3.92 2023 Tom Lake
author: Ann Patchett
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/05
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves: books-i-own
review:
There are so many things I love about this book...in a quiet, almost perfect, kind of way. It's definitely my kind of story.
]]> An Invisible Thread 12902549 New York Times bestseller chronicles the lifelong friendship between a busy sales executive and a disadvantaged young boy, and how both of their lives were changed by what began as one small gesture of kindness. A straightforward tale of kindness and paying it forward in 1980s New York�.an uplifting reminder that small gestures matter-Kirkus Reviews.

Stopping was never part of the plan...

She was a successful ad sales rep in Manhattan. He was a homeless, eleven-year-old panhandler on the street. He asked for spare change; she kept walking. But then something stopped her in her tracks, and she went back. And she continued to go back, again and again. They met up nearly every week for years and built an unexpected, life-changing friendship that has today spanned almost three decades.

Whatever made me notice him on that street corner so many years ago is clearly something that cannot be extinguished, no matter how relentless the forces aligned against it. Some may call it spirit. Some may call it heart. It drew me to him, as if we were bound by some invisible, unbreakable thread. And whatever it is, it binds us still.]]> 260 Laura Schroff Kimberley 0 to-read 4.06 2010 An Invisible Thread
author: Laura Schroff
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The House Is on Fire 61273814 The author of Florence Adler Swims Forever returns with a masterful work of historical fiction about an incendiary tragedy that shocked a young nation and tore apart a community in a single night—told from the perspectives of four people whose actions during the inferno changed the course of history.

Richmond, Virginia 1811. It’s the height of the winter social season. The General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia’s gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city’s only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that’s done looking for enlightenment in a church.

On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes, sits newly widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn’t give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater’s managers, he’ll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he’ll have to buy her freedom first.

When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, the paths of these four people will become forever intertwined.

Based on the true story of Richmond’s theater fire, The House Is on Fire offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious—and fleeting—chances at redemption.]]> 376 Rachel Beanland 1982186143 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.07 2023 The House Is on Fire
author: Rachel Beanland
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Second Mrs. Astor 56574778 Perfect for fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Marie Benedict, this riveting novel takes you inside the scandalous courtship and catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic of the most famous couple of their time—John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force. Told in rich detail, this novel of sweeping historical fiction will stay with readers long after turning the last page.

Madeleine Talmage Force is just seventeen when she attracts the attention of John Jacob “Jack� Astor. Madeleine is beautiful, intelligent, and solidly upper-class, but the Astors are in a league apart. Jack’s mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York’s most formidable socialite. Jack is dashing and industrious—a hero of the Spanish-American war, an inventor, and a canny businessman. Despite their twenty-nine-year age difference, and the scandal of Jack’s recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love—and becomes the press’s favorite target.

On their extended honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time—and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner. When the ship hits an iceberg close to midnight on April 14th, there is no immediate panic. The swift, state-of-the-art RMS Titanic seems unsinkable. As Jack helps Madeleine into a lifeboat, he assures her that he’ll see her soon in New York�

Four months later, at the Astors� Fifth Avenue mansion, a widowed Madeleine gives birth to their son. In the wake of the disaster, the press has elevated her to the status of virtuous, tragic heroine. But Madeleine’s most important decision still lies ahead: whether to accept the role assigned to her, or carve out her own remarkable path…]]> 317 Shana Abe 1496732057 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.17 2021 The Second Mrs. Astor
author: Shana Abe
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tristan and Isolde: Gottfried von Strassburg (German Library)]]> 209238 Book by 320 Gottfried von Strassburg 0826403158 Kimberley 0 to-read 3.55 Tristan and Isolde: Gottfried von Strassburg (German Library)
author: Gottfried von Strassburg
name: Kimberley
average rating: 3.55
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Light Pirate 60468332
Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on the state’s infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker, his pregnant wife, Frida, and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds in search of his children. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm that ushers her into a society closer to collapse than ever before.

As Florida continues to unravel, Wanda grows. Moving from childhood to adulthood, adapting not only to the changing landscape, but also to the people who stayed behind in a place abandoned by civilization, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature.

Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time� The Light Pirate mirrors the rhythms of the elements and the sometimes quick, sometimes slow dissolution of the world as we know it. It is a meditation on the changes we would rather not see, the future we would rather not greet, and a call back to the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.

Includes a Reading Group Guide.]]> 336 Lily Brooks-Dalton 1538708272 Kimberley 0 to-read 4.01 2022 The Light Pirate
author: Lily Brooks-Dalton
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools]]> 29534304 The missing how-to manual for being an effective team leader The Art of Coaching Teams is the manual you never received when you signed on to lead a team. Being a great teacher is one thing, but leading a team, or team development, is an entirely different dynamic. Your successes are public, but so are your failures—and there's no specific rubric or curriculum to give you direction. Team development is an art form, and this book is your how-to guide to doing it effectively. You'll learn the administrative tasks that keep your team on track, and you'll gain access to a wealth of downloadable tools that simplify the "getting organized" process. Just as importantly, you'll explore what it means to be the kind of leader that can bring people together to accomplish difficult tasks. You'll find practical suggestions, tools, and clear instructions for the logistics of team development as well as for building trust, developing healthy communication, and managing conflict.

Inside these pages you'll find concrete guidance

Designing agendas, making decisions, establishing effective protocols, and more Boosting your resilience, understanding and managing your emotions, and meeting your goals Cultivating your team's emotional intelligence and dealing with cynicism Utilizing practical tools to create a customized framework for developing highly effective teams There is no universal formula for building a great team, because every team is different. Different skills, abilities, personalities, and goals make a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective at best. Instead, The Art of Coaching Teams provides a practical framework to help you develop your group as a whole, and keep the team moving toward their common goals.]]> 359 Elena Aguilar Kimberley 0 to-read 4.34 2016 The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools
author: Elena Aguilar
name: Kimberley
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>