Erin (NY)'s bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 07 Apr 2025 05:28:35 -0700 60 Erin (NY)'s bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Broken Country 214151202 “The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.�

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.]]> 320 Clare Leslie Hall 166807818X Erin (NY) 0 4.45 2025 Broken Country
author: Clare Leslie Hall
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: books-i-own, historical-fiction, romance, mystery, thriller, history, literary-fiction, currently-reading
review:

]]> Isola 212806636 A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this epic saga of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.]]> 368 Allegra Goodman 0593730089 Erin (NY) 4 4.02 2025 Isola
author: Allegra Goodman
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: reese-s-book-club, historical-fiction, history, france, literary-fiction, canada, books-i-own, read-in-2025
review:
This book started pretty slow for me. It was almost painful to read, because I hated how Marguaritte's guardian treated her. Once she was separated from home, it went by a bit faster for me. I did find the story very compelling. You rarely find historical fiction of early colonists to the Americas, and it really makes you think how difficult it was for them to survive.
]]> Freedom 9307670
But now, in the new millennium, the Berglunds have become a mystery. Why has their teenage son moved in with the aggressively Republican family next door? Why has Walter taken a job working with Big Coal? What exactly is Richard Katz—outré rocker and Walter's college best friend and rival—still doing in the picture? Most of all, what has happened to Patty? Why has the bright star of Barrier Street become "a very different kind of neighbor," an implacable Fury coming unhinged before the street's attentive eyes?

In his first novel since The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen has given us an epic of contemporary love and marriage. Freedom comically and tragically captures the temptations and burdens of liberty: the thrills of teenage lust, the shaken compromises of middle age, the wages of suburban sprawl, the heavy weight of empire. In charting the mistakes and joys of Freedom's characters as they struggle to learn how to live in an ever more confusing world, Franzen has produced an indelible and deeply moving portrait of our time.
(jacket)]]> 562 Jonathan Franzen 0312600844 Erin (NY) 4 3.68 2010 Freedom
author: Jonathan Franzen
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2025, family-drama
review:
This book took me a really time to get through, but I did really enjoy it! The characters were raw and relatable. I did really enjoy that one of the main character also went to UVA!
]]> Hard Times 539019 here

Written deliberately to increase the circulation of Dickens's weekly magazine Household Words, Hard Times was a huge and instantaneous success upon publication in 1854. Yet this novel is not the cheerful celebration of Victorian life one might have expected from the beloved author of Pickwick Papers and The Old Curiosity Shop. Compressed, stark, allegorical, it is a bitter exposé of capitalist exploitation during the Industrial Revolution - and a fierce denunciation of the philosophy of materialism, which threatens the human imagination in all times and places. With a typically unforgettable cast of characters - including the heartless fact-worshipper Professor Gradgrind, the warmly endearing Sissy Jupe and the eternally noble Stephen Blackpool - Hard Times carries a uniquely powerful message and remains one of the most widely read of Dickens's major novels.]]> 320 Charles Dickens 0553210165 Erin (NY) 0 3.42 1854 Hard Times
author: Charles Dickens
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1854
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, classics
review:

]]> Russka 92162 960 Edward Rutherfurd 0345479351 Erin (NY) 4 4.06 1991 Russka
author: Edward Rutherfurd
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1991
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: historical-fiction, russia, history, read-in-2024, books-i-own
review:

]]> The Last Camellia 15848920
More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple's shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener's notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?]]> 304 Sarah Jio 1101613858 Erin (NY) 0 3.93 2013 The Last Camellia
author: Sarah Jio
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, mystery, romance, chick-lit, history, british
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You]]> 38821039 Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller!

Congratulations, you're a manager! After you pop the champagne, accept the shiny new title, and step into this thrilling next chapter of your career, the truth descends like a fog: you don't really know what you're doing.

That's exactly how Julie Zhuo felt when she became a rookie manager at the age of 25. She stared at a long list of logistics--from hiring to firing, from meeting to messaging, from planning to pitching--and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. How was she supposed to spin teamwork into value? How could she be a good steward of her reports' careers? What was the secret to leading with confidence in new and unexpected situations?

Now, having managed dozens of teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, Julie knows the most important lesson of all: great managers are made, not born. If you care enough to be reading this, then you care enough to be a great manager.

The Making of a Manager is a modern field guide packed everyday examples and transformative insights, including:

* How to tell a great manager from an average manager (illustrations included)
* When you should look past an awkward interview and hire someone anyway
* How to build trust with your reports through not being a boss
* Where to look when you lose faith and lack the answers

Whether you're new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the kind of manager you wish you had.]]> 288 Julie Zhuo 0735219567 Erin (NY) 5 4.18 2019 The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
author: Julie Zhuo
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/28
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: management, non-fiction, read-in-2019, books-i-own
review:

]]> Know My Name 50196744
Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways–there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.]]> 384 Chanel Miller 0735223718 Erin (NY) 0 4.69 2019 Know My Name
author: Chanel Miller
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, for-book-challenges, non-fiction, memoir, feminism, biography, true-crime, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]]> 313605 200 Roger Fisher 0140157352 Erin (NY) 0 3.95 1981 Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
author: Roger Fisher
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, business, non-fiction, books-i-own, psychology, leadership, management, self-help
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones]]> 40121378 Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:
-Make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
-Overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
- Design your environment to make success easier;
- Get back on track when you fall off course;
...and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.]]> 319 James Clear Erin (NY) 0 4.34 2018 Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
author: James Clear
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, self-help, non, non-fiction, psychology, productivity, business, leadership, health, science
review:

]]> <![CDATA[After the Ivory Tower Falls: How College Broke the American Dream and Blew Up Our Politics—and How to Fix It]]> 58842736 From Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Will Bunch, the epic untold story of college—the great political and cultural fault line of American life

"This book is simply terrific." —Heather Cox Richardson, publisher of the "Letters from an American" Substack

"A must-read." —Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains

Today there are two Americas, separate and unequal, one educated and one not. And these two tribes—the resentful “non-college� crowd and their diploma-bearing yet increasingly disillusioned adversaries—seem on the brink of a civil war. The strongest determinant of whether a voter was likely to support Donald Trump in 2016 was whether or not they attended college, and the degree of loathing they reported feeling toward the so-called “knowledge economy of clustered, educated elites. Somewhere in the winding last half-century of the United States, the quest for a college diploma devolved from being proof of America’s commitment to learning, science, and social mobility into a kind of Hunger Games contest to the death. That quest has infuriated both the millions who got shut out and millions who got into deep debt to stay afloat.

In After the Ivory Tower Falls, award-winning journalist Will Bunch embarks on a deeply reported journey to the heart of the American Dream. That journey begins in Gambier, Ohio, home to affluent, liberal Kenyon College, a tiny speck of Democratic blue amidst the vast red swath of white, post-industrial, rural midwestern America. To understand “the college question,� there is no better entry point than Gambier, where a world-class institution caters to elite students amidst a sea of economic despair.

From there, Bunch traces the history of college in the U.S., beginning with the first technical schools, through the landmark GI Bill, and the culture wars of the 60’s and 70’s, which found their start on college campuses. We see how resentment of college-educated elites morphed into a rejection of knowledge itself—and how the explosion in student loan debt fueled major social movements like Occupy Wall Street. Bunch then takes a question we need to ask all over again—what, and who, is college even for?—and pushes it into the 21st century by proposing a new model that works for all Americans.

The sum total is a stunning work of journalism, one that lays bare the root of our political, cultural, and economic division—and charts a path forward for America.]]> 320 Will Bunch 0063076993 Erin (NY) 0 3.94 After the Ivory Tower Falls: How College Broke the American Dream and Blew Up Our Politics—and How to Fix It
author: Will Bunch
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, non-fiction, education, politics, history, economics, sociology, teaching
review:

]]> <![CDATA[[What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success] [By: Boaler, Jo] [March, 2015]]]> 123633497 0 unknown author Erin (NY) 0 to-read 0.0 [What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success] [By: Boaler, Jo] [March, 2015]
author: unknown author
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity]]> 61153739 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � A groundbreaking manifesto on living better and longer that challenges the conventional medical thinking on aging and reveals a new approach to preventing chronic disease and extending long-term health, from a visionary physician and leading longevity expert

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

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

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

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

Aging and longevity are far more malleable than we think; our fate is not set in stone. With the right roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.]]> 496 Peter Attia 0593236599 Erin (NY) 0 4.33 2023 Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity
author: Peter Attia
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, health, non-fiction, science
review:

]]> One of Us Is Lying 63364287 One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.]]> 371 Karen M. McManus 1524714755 Erin (NY) 0 3.84 2017 One of Us Is Lying
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, mystery, ya, romance, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It]]> 7495395 --Warren Buffett

In March of 2006, the world’s richest men sipped champagne in an opulent New York hotel. They were preparing to compete in a poker tournament with million-dollar stakes, but those numbers meant nothing to them. They were accustomed to risking billions.

At the card table that night was Peter Muller, an eccentric, whip-smart whiz kid who’d studied theoretical mathematics at Princeton and now managed a fabulously successful hedge fund called PDT…when he wasn’t playing his keyboard for morning commuters on the New York subway. With him was Ken Griffin, who as an undergraduate trading convertible bonds out of his Harvard dorm room had outsmarted the Wall Street pros and made money in one of the worst bear markets of all time. Now he was the tough-as-nails head of Citadel Investment Group, one of the most powerful money machines on earth. There too were Cliff Asness, the sharp-tongued, mercurial founder of the hedge fund AQR, a man as famous for his computer-smashing rages as for his brilliance, and Boaz Weinstein, chess life-master and king of the credit default swap, who while juggling $30 billion worth of positions for Deutsche Bank found time for frequent visits to Las Vegas with the famed MIT card-counting team.

On that night in 2006, these four men and their cohorts were the new kings of Wall Street. Muller, Griffin, Asness, and Weinstein were among the best and brightest of a new breed, the quants . Over the prior twenty years, this species of math whiz --technocrats who make billions not with gut calls or fundamental analysis but with formulas and high-speed computers-- had usurped the testosterone-fueled, kill-or-be-killed risk-takers who’d long been the alpha males the world’s largest casino. The quants believed that a dizzying, indecipherable-to-mere-mortals cocktail of differential calculus, quantum physics, and advanced geometry held the key to reaping riches from the financial markets. And they helped create a digitized money-trading machine that could shift billions around the globe with the click of a mouse.

Few realized that night, though, that in creating this unprecedented machine, men like Muller, Griffin, Asness and Weinstein had sowed the seeds for history’s greatest financial disaster.

Drawing on unprecedented access to these four number-crunching titans, The Quants tells the inside story of what they thought and felt in the days and weeks when they helplessly watched much of their net worth vaporize � and wondered just how their mind-bending formulas and genius-level IQ’s had led them so wrong, so fast. Had their years of success been dumb luck, fool’s gold, a good run that could come to an end on any given day? What if The Truth they sought -- the secret of the markets -- wasn’t knowable? Worse, what if there wasn’t any Truth?

In The Quants , Scott Patterson tells the story not just of these men, but of Jim Simons, the reclusive founder of the most successful hedge fund in history; Aaron Brown, the quant who used his math skills to humiliate Wall Street’s old guard at their trademark game of Liar’s Poker, and years later found himself with a front-row seat to the rapid emergence of mortgage-backed securities; and gadflies and dissenters such as Paul Wilmott, Nassim Taleb, and Benoit Mandelbrot.

With the immediacy of today’s NASDAQ close and the timeless power of a Greek tragedy, The Quants is at once a masterpiece of explanatory journalism, a gripping tale of ambition and hubris…and an ominous warning about Wall Street’s future.
]]> 337 Scott Patterson 0307453375 Erin (NY) 0 3.87 2010 The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It
author: Scott Patterson
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, non-fiction, books-i-own, finance, business, economics, history, mathematics, money, science, technology
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding]]> 58844448
“Strikes a perfect balance of scholarship, wit, and enthusiasm.� —Bill Bryson, New York Times best-selling author of The Body

� If we are born to walk and run, why do most of us take it easy whenever possible?
� Does running ruin your knees?
� Should we do weights, cardio, or high-intensity training?
� Is sitting really the new smoking?
� Can you lose weight by walking?
� And how do we make sense of the conflicting, anxiety-inducing information about rest, physical activity, and exercise with which we are bombarded?

In this myth-busting book, Daniel Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and a pioneering researcher on the evolution of human physical activity, tells the story of how we never evolved to exercise—to do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using his own research and experiences throughout the world, Lieberman recounts without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion.

Exercised is entertaining and enlightening but also constructive. As our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases such as diabetes, Lieberman audaciously argues that to become more active we need to do more than medicalize and commodify exercise.

Drawing on insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman suggests how we can make exercise more enjoyable, rather than shaming and blaming people for avoiding it. He also tackles the question of whether you can exercise too much, even as he explains why exercise can reduce our vulnerability to the diseases mostly likely to make us sick and kill us.]]> 440 Daniel E. Lieberman 052543478X Erin (NY) 0 4.15 2021 Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding
author: Daniel E. Lieberman
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, non-fiction, health, science, anthropology, biology, fitness, history, sports, self-help
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance: Advice and Inspiration from the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame Coach of 7 NCAA Championship Teams]]> 38744007




Former professional ballerina Valorie Kondos Field--or Miss Val, as she's affectionately known--has never tumbled, flipped, or even played any type of organized sports, and yet she has been able to craft a legendary coaching career through curiosity, creativity, attention to detail, and unwavering care for the overall well-being of her athletes. For Miss Val, it's not about winning and losing, it's about choreographing your life and owning the choices you make.




Miss Val has shaped her UCLA Gymnastics program as a life skills class and now she's sharing those lessons with you, whether you're an athlete, business leader, or simply someone who wants to own their destiny. Miss Val's philosophies are timeless. Her coaching style is unorthodox. Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance is a thought-provoking, fun journey through the anecdotes of the 35-year career of a dancer/choreographer turned athletic coach.




The book includes unforgettable stories of the Olympians and athletes with whom she's worked-including the inspirational journey of Katelyn Ohashi, whose joyful transformation under the tutelage of Miss Val was evident to the world when her perfect 10 floor routine went viral -- reaching over 100 million viewers. Other triumphs include Olympian Jamie Dantzscher, who found her confidence at UCLA and learned the tools to combat her previous abuse; and sensation Christine Peng Peng Lee, who helped the Bruins clinch the 2018 NCAA championship with back-to-back 10's. Miss Val also shares her favorite memories of her mentor, legendary basketball coach John Wooden, as well as her thoughts on Larry Nassar and the gymnastics sexual abuse scandal.




Miss Val reveals how her coaching journey had a rocky start before she found her own best approach. In time she realized that her dance background wasn't a detriment, it was a gift. When she embraced this, Miss Val led the Bruins to victory. Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance is packed with great advice for anyone on a quest for success, delivered in Miss Val's reassuring and inspirational tone. She took the same approach to her breast cancer diagnosis, explaining how she made that struggle into one of the best years of her life. For Miss Val, it's all about attitude. Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance is a powerful book that shows you how to make the leap of faith in choosing your own path to greatness.]]> 240 Valorie Kondos Field 1546077146 Erin (NY) 0 4.16 Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance: Advice and Inspiration from the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame Coach of 7 NCAA Championship Teams
author: Valorie Kondos Field
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.16
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, non-fiction, sports, biography, memoir, leadership
review:

]]> Book Lovers 58690308 One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens� life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters� trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.]]> 377 Emily Henry 0593334833 Erin (NY) 0 4.09 2022 Book Lovers
author: Emily Henry
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, romance, chick-lit, books-about-books
review:

]]> The Violin Conspiracy 61813078
“I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit : a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroatworld I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.� —Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch

Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenlyseem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he's lost a piece of himself.As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.]]> 342 Brendan Slocumb 0593315421 Erin (NY) 0 4.04 2022 The Violin Conspiracy
author: Brendan Slocumb
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, mystery, thriller, music, race
review:

]]> The Secret Santa Project 210362050 Love Actually meets Elf in this Christmas affirming, laugh-out-loud comedy from the bestselling author of The Wife Who Got a Life and No One Has Sex on a Tuesday

A name drawn from a hatSomeone you barely knowA Christmas you’ll never forget It’s the 1st December and it’s Jolene’s first day as a graduate trainee at Lambeth City Council. She’s so excited to be joining the accounting team just in time for all those joyous Christmas festivities that all work mates share, the world over!

Only no-one in her new department wants to know. In fact they are all hellbent on doing everything they can to cancel Christmas.

And so Jolene sets about bringing Christmas back to her joyless new colleagues with a Secret Santa to end all Secret Santa’s that could not only make their Christmas but it could also change their lives. ]]> 351 Tracy Bloom 0008619158 Erin (NY) 0 4.20 The Secret Santa Project
author: Tracy Bloom
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, christmas, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, #2)]]> 9067850
And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.]]> 452 Rick Riordan 1423140567 Erin (NY) 0 4.19 2011 The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, #2)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, ya, for-book-challenges, fantasy, books-i-own
review:

]]> Echo Mountain 51969326
After the financial crash, Ellie and her family have lost nearly everything--including their home in town. They have started over, carving out a new life in the unforgiving terrain of Echo Mountain. Though her sister Esther, especially, resents everything about the mountain, Ellie has found more freedom, a new strength, and a love of the natural world that now surrounds them. But there is little joy, even for Ellie, as they all struggle with the sorrow and aftermath of an accident that left her father in a coma. An accident for which Ellie has accepted the unearned weight of blame.

Urgent for a cure to bring her father back, Ellie is determined to try anything. Following her heart, and the lead of a scruffy mutt, Ellie will make her way to the top of the mountain, in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as "the hag." But the mountain still has many untold stories left to reveal to Ellie, as she finds her way forward among a complex constellation of strong women spanning generations.]]> 356 Lauren Wolk 0525555560 Erin (NY) 0 4.24 2020 Echo Mountain
author: Lauren Wolk
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, ya, historical-fiction, middle-grade, history, kids-book, family-drama, friendship
review:

]]> My Oxford Year 35068830
American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.]]> 352 Julia Whelan 0062740652 Erin (NY) 0 3.85 2018 My Oxford Year
author: Julia Whelan
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, for-book-challenges, romance, chick-lit, books-i-own
review:

]]> Carrie Soto Is Back 60435878 Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the 'Battle-Axe' anyway. Even if her body doesn't move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.]]> 384 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158687 Erin (NY) 5 4.19 2022 Carrie Soto Is Back
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/04/21
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: historical-fiction, romance, sports, read-in-2022, books-i-own
review:

]]> Malibu Rising 55404546 Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them... and what they will leave behind.]]> 369 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1524798657 Erin (NY) 5 4.02 2021 Malibu Rising
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/05/03
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: read-in-2021, historical-fiction, romance, literary-fiction, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo]]> 45416596 From the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & the Six—an entrancing and “wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet� (PopSugar) as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the �80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

“Heartbreaking, yet beautiful� (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is “Tinseltown drama at its finest� (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.]]> 434 Taylor Jenkins Reid Erin (NY) 5 4.46 2017 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2021/10/13
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: kindle-own, for-book-challenges, historical-fiction, romance, lgbt, read-in-2021, books-i-own
review:

]]> Daisy Jones & The Six 40597810 Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n� roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.]]> 368 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1524798622 Erin (NY) 5 4.20 2019 Daisy Jones & The Six
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/03/17
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: historical-fiction, music, read-in-2019, reese-s-book-club, books-i-own
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 Erin (NY) 0 3.92 2023 Tom Lake
author: Ann Patchett
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, for-book-challenges, literary-fiction, romance, historical-fiction, family-drama, reese-s-book-club, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage]]> 17349222 State ofWonder, Run,andBel Canto,examines her deepest commitments � to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband � creating a resonant portrait of a life inThis Is the Story of a Happy Marriage.

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage takes us into the very real world of Ann Patchett’s life. Stretching from her childhood to the present day, from a disastrous early marriage to a later happy one, it covers a multitude of topics, including relationships with family and friends, and charts the hard work and joy of writing, and the unexpected thrill of opening a bookstore.

As she shares stories of the people, places, ideals, and art to which she has remained indelibly committed, Ann Patchett brings into focus the large experiences and small moments that have shaped her as a daughter, wife, and writer.]]> 308 Ann Patchett 0062236679 Erin (NY) 0 4.00 2013 This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
author: Ann Patchett
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, for-book-challenges, non-fiction, memoir, reese-s-book-club, essays, short-stories, biography, writing, books-i-own
review:

]]> Everything Inside 43064139
Rich with hard-won wisdom and humanity, set in locales from Miami and Port-au-Prince to a small unnamed country in the Caribbean and beyond, Everything Inside is at once wide in scope and intimate, as it explores the forces that pull us together, or drive us apart, sometimes in the same searing instant.

In these eight powerful, emotionally absorbing stories, a romance unexpectedly sparks between two wounded friends; a marriage ends for what seem like noble reasons, but with irreparable consequences; a young woman holds on to an impossible dream even as she fights for her survival; two lovers reunite after unimaginable tragedy, both for their country and in their lives; a baby's christening brings three generations of a family to a precarious dance between old and new; a man falls to his death in slow motion, reliving the defining moments of the life he is about to lose.

This is the indelible work of a keen observer of the human heart--a master at her best.]]> 224 Edwidge Danticat 0525521275 Erin (NY) 0 3.66 2019 Everything Inside
author: Edwidge Danticat
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: reese-s-book-club, short-stories, literary-fiction, african-american, currently-reading, books-i-own
review:

]]> We All Live Here 213243915 The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family

Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach about love, and what it actually means to be family.]]> 450 Jojo Moyes 1984879324 Erin (NY) 0 3.89 2025 We All Live Here
author: Jojo Moyes
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, romance, family-drama, books-i-own
review:

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

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

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

As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.]]> 304 Kate Fagan Erin (NY) 4 3.76 2025 The Three Lives of Cate Kay
author: Kate Fagan
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: reese-s-book-club, lgbt, literary-fiction, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
This was an interesting take on a story of an author who wrote a bestseller. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives for all the different chapters, and especially Cate's notes interspersed. I actually really enjoyed too the acknowledgement of unreliable narrators. I did enjoy getting into the head of the main character, she was pretty relatable.
]]> Blue Sisters 195430687 Three estranged siblings return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister's death in this unforgettable story of grief, identity, and the complexities of family.

The three Blue sisters are exceptional—and exceptionally different. Avery, the eldest and a recovering heroin addict turned strait-laced lawyer, lives with her wife in London; Bonnie, a former boxer, works as a bouncer in Los Angeles following a devastating defeat; and Lucky, the youngest, models in Paris while trying to outrun her hard-partying ways. They also had a fourth sister, Nicky, whose unexpected death left Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky reeling. A year later, as they each navigate grief, addiction, and ambition, they find they must return to New York to stop the sale of the apartment they were raised in.

But coming home is never as easy as it seems. As the sisters reckon with the disappointments of their childhood and the loss of the only person who held them together, they realize the greatest secrets they've been keeping might not have been from each other, but from themselves.]]> 342 Coco Mellors 0593723767 Erin (NY) 4 3.94 2024 Blue Sisters
author: Coco Mellors
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: literary-fiction, family-drama, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
This book was a bit graphic and crass for me at times. There are many scenes of sex, drugs, etc, and they are fairly graphic. That said, I did really enjoy the sisters' dynamic in this book. They all grew, grew apart, and grew back together. I also was very invested in Avery's relationship with their mother.
]]> Remarkably Bright Creatures 58733693 Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 368 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204150 Erin (NY) 5 4.35 2022 Remarkably Bright Creatures
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: mystery, magical-realism, literary-fiction, read-in-2025, favorites, books-i-own
review:
I absolutely loved this book! I thoroughly enjoyed how some of the chapters were from the octopus's perspective, he was brilliant! The characters were unique and compelling as well.
]]> <![CDATA[We Must Not Think of Ourselves]]> 64005941
On a November day in 1940, Adam Paskow becomes a prisoner in the Warsaw Ghetto, where the Jews of the city are cut off from their former lives and held captive by Nazi guards, and await an uncertain fate. Weeks later, he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising request: Will he join a secret group of archivists working to preserve the truth of what is happening inside these walls? Adam agrees and begins taking testimonies from his students, friends, and neighbors. He learns about their childhoods and their daydreams, their passions and their fears, their desperate strategies for safety and survival. The stories form a portrait of endurance in a world where no choices are good ones.

One of the people Adam interviews is his flatmate Sala Wiskoff, who is stoic, determined, and funny—and married with two children. Over the months of their confinement, in the presence of her family, Adam and Sala fall in love. As they desperately carve out intimacy, their relationship feels both impossible and vital, their connection keeping them alive. But when Adam discovers a possible escape from the Ghetto, he is faced with an unbearable choice: Whom can he save, and at what cost?

Inspired by the testimony-gathering project with the code name Oneg Shabbat, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Grodstein draws readers into the lives of people living on the edge. Told with immediacy and heart, We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a piercing story of love, determination, and sacrifice for the many fans of literary World War II fiction such as Kristin Harmel’s The Book of Lost Namesand Lauren Fox’s Send for Me.]]> 304 Lauren Grodstein 1643752340 Erin (NY) 0 3.98 2023 We Must Not Think of Ourselves
author: Lauren Grodstein
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, for-book-challenges, historical-fiction, world-war-ii, holocaust, war, jewish, poland, books-i-own
review:

]]> Yellowface 62047984
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.]]> 319 R.F. Kuang 000853277X Erin (NY) 4 3.69 2023 Yellowface
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: reese-s-book-club, literary-fiction, thriller, mystery, books-about-books, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
This book was a very interesting take on the publishing industry and racism. I did enjoy how the author made the main character likable, despite some very questionable choices.
]]> Intermezzo 208931300 An exquisitely moving story about grief, love, and family—but especially love—from the global phenomenon Sally Rooney.

Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.

Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent, and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women—his enduring first love, Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke.

Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined.

For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude—a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.]]> 454 Sally Rooney 0374602638 Erin (NY) 3 3.88 2024 Intermezzo
author: Sally Rooney
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: literary-fiction, romance, ireland, family-drama, read-in-2024, books-i-own
review:

]]> The Fountains of Silence 43220998 A portrait of love, silence, and secrets under a Spanish dictatorship.

� Madrid, 1957 �

Under the oppressive dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography—and fate—introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War, as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence—inspired by the true postwar struggles of Spain.

Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more.]]> 495 Ruta Sepetys 0399160310 Erin (NY) 0 4.30 2019 The Fountains of Silence
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, historical-fiction, ya, history, romance, spain, war, books-i-own
review:

]]> Chains (Seeds of America, #1) 3002300 From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual.

Reading Level: Age 10 and Up ]]> 316 Laurie Halse Anderson 1416905855 Erin (NY) 0 4.10 2008 Chains (Seeds of America, #1)
author: Laurie Halse Anderson
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read, audio, for-book-challenges, historical-fiction, kids-book, ya, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and Other Serial Offenders]]> 108404 -- Sunday Telegraph]]> 157 Jamie Whyte 0071446435 Erin (NY) 0 3.66 2004 Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and Other Serial Offenders
author: Jamie Whyte
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, non-fiction, philosophy, logic, politics, science, psychology, religion, humor, self-help
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins, #4)]]> 152381 282 P.L. Travers 0152058281 Erin (NY) 0 books-i-own, kids-book 4.10 1952 Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins, #4)
author: P.L. Travers
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1952
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: books-i-own, kids-book
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mary Poppins Opens the Door (Mary Poppins, #3)]]> 152383
From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. Jane, Michael, and the twins have never had such a wonderful nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement everywhere she goes.

In "Mary Poppins Opens the Door," Mary Poppins reappears just in time! According to her tape measure, Jane and Michael have grown Worse and Worse since she went away. But the children won t have time to be naughty with all that Mary has planned for them. A visit to Mr. Twigley s music box filled attic, an encounter with the Marble Boy, and a ride on Miss Calico s enchanted candy canes are all part of an average day out with everyone s favorite nanny.]]> 288 P.L. Travers 0152058222 Erin (NY) 0 books-i-own, kids-book 4.08 1943 Mary Poppins Opens the Door (Mary Poppins, #3)
author: P.L. Travers
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1943
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: books-i-own, kids-book
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mary Poppins Comes Back (Mary Poppins, #2)]]> 152382 312 P.L. Travers 0152058168 Erin (NY) 0 books-i-own, kids-book 4.02 1935 Mary Poppins Comes Back (Mary Poppins, #2)
author: P.L. Travers
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1935
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: books-i-own, kids-book
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins, #1)]]> 152380 Saving Mr. Banks.From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed.

It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial? A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe come to life!]]> 209 P.L. Travers 0152058109 Erin (NY) 0 books-i-own, kids-book 4.04 1934 Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins, #1)
author: P.L. Travers
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1934
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: books-i-own, kids-book
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Erin (NY) 0 4.19 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, fantasy, dragons, romance, magic, new-adult
review:

]]> The Reading List 59629555
Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in Wembley, in West London after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list…hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.]]> 400 Sara Nisha Adams 0063025299 Erin (NY) 0 4.03 2021 The Reading List
author: Sara Nisha Adams
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, for-book-challenges, books-about-books, romance, family-drama, literary-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Immortality: A Love Story (The Anatomy Duology, #2)]]> 60784644
When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamour and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn't the only thing at stake for her. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right.]]> 389 Dana Schwartz 1250861012 Erin (NY) 0 3.90 2023 Immortality: A Love Story (The Anatomy Duology, #2)
author: Dana Schwartz
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, series, books-i-own, for-book-challenges, historical-fiction, romance, fantasy, ya
review:

]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Erin (NY) 4 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/02/09
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: romance, books-i-want, family-drama, read-in-2016
review:

]]> The Wedding People 198902277 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250899576.

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

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

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.]]> 384 Alison Espach Erin (NY) 5 4.12 2024 The Wedding People
author: Alison Espach
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: romance, chick-lit, literary-fiction, humor, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! This is a very interesting take on how a wedding can go. I actually really appreciated that there were no "bad" characters. Everyone was likable and the author did a great job explaining all of their story arcs.
]]> Fairy Tale 60177373 Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.� And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.]]> 607 Stephen King 1668002175 Erin (NY) 0 to-read 4.05 2022 Fairy Tale
author: Stephen King
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits]]> 215768414 One of the most anticipated books of the year, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, a glimmering novel set in the world of pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase.

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

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

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

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

As secrets emerge, all three women must face the consequences of their choices: the ones they made and the ones the music industry made for them. Can they forgive each other—and themselves? And will the Griffin Sisters ever make music again?]]> 384 Jennifer Weiner 0063342448 Erin (NY) 0 to-read 4.02 2025 The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits
author: Jennifer Weiner
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Glassmaker 202167720
It is 1486 and Venice is a wealthy, opulent center for trade. Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers in Murano, the island revered for the craft. As a woman, she is not meant to work with glass—but she has the hands for it, the heart, and a vision. When her father dies, she teaches herself to make beads in secret, and her work supports the Rosso family fortunes.

Skipping like a stone through the centuries, in a Venice where time moves as slowly as molten glass, we follow Orsola and her family as they live through creative triumph and heartbreaking loss, from a plague devastating Venice to Continental soldiers stripping its palazzos bare, from the domination of Murano and its maestros to the transformation of the city of trade into a city of tourists. In every era, the Rosso women ensure that their work, and their bonds, endure.

Chevalier is a master of her own craft, and The Glassmaker is as inventive as it is a mesmerizing portrait of a woman, a family, and a city that are as everlasting as their glass.]]> 416 Tracy Chevalier 0525558276 Erin (NY) 0 3.86 2024 The Glassmaker
author: Tracy Chevalier
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: to-read, for-book-challenges, historical-fiction, history, italy, magical-realism, art, family-drama
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories]]> 2282 162 Truman Capote 067960085X Erin (NY) 0 3.87 1958 Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories
author: Truman Capote
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1958
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, classics, for-book-challenges, audio
review:

]]> Little Fires Everywhere 34273236
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned � from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren � an enigmatic artist and single mother � who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother–daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town � and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at an unexpected and devastating cost . . .]]> 338 Celeste Ng 0735224293 Erin (NY) 5 4.05 2017 Little Fires Everywhere
author: Celeste Ng
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2018/01/10
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: read-in-2018, favorites, my-bookclub-pick, family-drama, reese-s-book-club, books-i-own
review:

]]> Everything I Never Told You 18693763
Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee; a girl who inherited her mother's bright blue eyes and her father's jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue - in Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James's case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the centre of every party. But Lydia is under pressures that have nothing to do with growing up in 1970s small town Ohio. Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants, and his ethnicity, and hers, make them conspicuous in any setting.

When Lydia's body is found in the local lake, James is consumed by guilt and sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to make someone accountable, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is convinced that local bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it's the youngest in the family - Hannah - who observes far more than anyone realises and who may be the only one who knows what really happened.

Everything I Never Told You is a gripping page-turner, about secrets, love, longing, lies and race.

Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.]]> 297 Celeste Ng 159420571X Erin (NY) 5 3.81 2014 Everything I Never Told You
author: Celeste Ng
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2017/03/27
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: mystery, historical-fiction, literary-fiction, family-drama, read-in-2017, books-i-own
review:

]]> Things You Save in a Fire 41150382
The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.]]> 320 Katherine Center 1250047323 Erin (NY) 0 4.00 2019 Things You Save in a Fire
author: Katherine Center
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read, chick-lit, for-book-challenges, romance, audio, books-i-own
review:

]]> How to Walk Away 36249638
In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect.]]> 302 Katherine Center 1250149061 Erin (NY) 5 4.06 2018 How to Walk Away
author: Katherine Center
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2020/04/18
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: read-in-2020, romance, literary-fiction, books-i-own
review:

]]> What You Wish For 54860385 "The story’s message, that people should choose joy even (and especially) in difficult and painful times, seems tailor-made for this moment. A timely, uplifting read about finding joy in the midst of tragedy, filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth."�Kirkus (starred review)

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.]]> 368 Katherine Center 125021937X Erin (NY) 0 3.92 2020 What You Wish For
author: Katherine Center
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, romance, chick-lit
review:

]]> All the Flowers in Paris 42859805
When Caroline wakes up in a Paris hospital with no memory of her past, she's confused to learn that she's lived a sad, reclusive life for years in a sprawling apartment on the Seine. Slowly regaining vague memories of a man and young child, she vows to piece her life back together--though she can't help but feel she may be in danger. A budding friendship with the chef of a charming nearby restaurant takes her mind off of her foggy past, as does a startling mystery from decades prior...

In Nazi-occupied Paris, young widow Celine lives a quiet life with her father, the local florist, and her daughter, Cosi. When a ruthless German officer discovers the family's Jewish ancestry, he blackmails Celine, forcing her to become his mistress in exchange for the others' safety. The trio plans an escape, but their mission goes horribly awry and Celine's beloved father and daughter are sent away to a cruel fate. Initially distraught, Celine fears the worst. Yet she soon discovers that Cosi has snuck away and followed her into captivity. More motivated than ever, Celine must now fight to hide and protect the person she loves most.

Parallel timelines intersect when Caroline discovers Celine's diary tucked away in a closet, and it is revealed that the walls of her apartment harbor dark secrets. With the help of a local student from the Sorbonne, she realizes that she may have more in common with Celine than she could ever imagine.]]> 240 Sarah Jio 110188505X Erin (NY) 0 4.16 2019 All the Flowers in Paris
author: Sarah Jio
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: books-i-own, historical-fiction, romance, world-war-ii, history, france, war, read-in-2021
review:

]]> Truly Madly Guilty 26247008
Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.

Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.

Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.]]> 432 Liane Moriarty 1250125561 Erin (NY) 4 3.49 2016 Truly Madly Guilty
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: read-in-2016, mystery, family-drama, chick-lit, books-i-own
review:

]]> By Any Other Name 203337138 From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring� (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

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

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

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.]]> 528 Jodi Picoult 0593497228 Erin (NY) 5 4.12 2024 By Any Other Name
author: Jodi Picoult
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: historical-fiction, history, feminism, romance, books-about-books, read-in-2025, favorites
review:
I loved this book so much! The parallel story of Emily and Melina was incredible! The characters were so relatable and I felt everything for them. The story of Emilia is just so sad, but what a strong woman was she especially given the time that she lived during! I did also learn a lot about the theater industry.
]]> <![CDATA[Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp]]> 201102253 Maria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before.

In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the power of their voices.

It’s an inspirational story, to be sure, and as half of the famous duo Rodgers & Hammerstein, Hammerstein knows it has big Broadway potential. Yet much of Maria’s life will have to be reinvented for the stage, and with the horrors of war still fresh in people’s minds, Hammerstein can’t let audiences see just how close the von Trapps came to losing their lives.

But when Maria sees the script that is supposedly based on her life, she becomes so incensed that she sets off to confront Hammerstein in person. Told that he’s busy, she is asked to express her concerns to his secretary, Fran, instead. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as Maria tells Fran about her life, contradicting much of what will eventually appear in The Sound of Music.

A tale of love, loss, and the difficult choices that we are often forced to make, Maria is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more complicated—and certainly more compelling—than the stories immortalized by Hollywood.]]> 310 Michelle Moran 0593499484 Erin (NY) 0 4.20 2024 Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp
author: Michelle Moran
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, history, world-war-ii, music, family-drama, 20th-century
review:

]]> The Last Queen of India 29954761 1857, India.

At nineteen years old, Sita is the shining star of Queen Lakshmi of India's imperial guard, having pledged herself to a life of celibacy in the name of protecting the young ruler.
When Sita agrees to train Lakshmi in the art of military combat, a close friendship develops between the two women. But trouble soon threatens - Lakshmi's court is dangerously divided and rumours are rife that the country is at risk. Meanwhile, in London, advisors to Queen Victoria are looking to extend the power of the Commonwealth, and India is coveted as the next jewel in the imperial crown.

In the ensuing battle, will the bond between Lakshmi and Sita be broken for ever?

]]> 368 Michelle Moran 1784291102 Erin (NY) 0 4.10 2015 The Last Queen of India
author: Michelle Moran
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, history, india, romance, asia, 19th-century
review:

]]> A Queen's Game 205307699 The New York Times bestselling author of the American Royals series invites you to visit 19th-century Europe amid the glamour and intrigue of the Victorian era. In this historical romance inspired by true events, three princesses struggle to find love—and end up vying for the hearts of two future kings.

In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other.

Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry.

Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy.

Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.

In a story that sweeps from the glittering ballrooms of Saint Petersburg to the wilds of Scotland, A Queen’s Game recounts a pivotal moment in real history as only Katharine McGee can tell it: through the eyes of the young women whose lives, and loves, changed it forever.]]> 368 Katharine McGee 0593710703 Erin (NY) 0 3.66 2024 A Queen's Game
author: Katharine McGee
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, romance, ya
review:

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

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

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

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

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”—Sophie Kinsella]]> 144 Sophie Kinsella 0593977564 Erin (NY) 0 4.26 2024 What Does It Feel Like?
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, romance, literary-fiction
review:

]]> The Burnout 209786384
She can do anything . . . just not everything.

Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, “urgent� (but obviously not at all urgent) email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn’t seen her friends in months. Sex? Seems like a lot of effort. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning. Sasha has hit a wall.

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other occupant: a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming; Finn: drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk—about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?]]> 416 Sophie Kinsella 0593730410 Erin (NY) 0 3.77 2023 The Burnout
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, romance, chick-lit, humor, british
review:

]]> With Love from London 56915227 A librarian inherits a bookshop from her estranged mother, leading her halfway across the world on a journey of self-discovery that transcends time and honors the unbreakable bonds of love and family.

When librarian Valentina Baker was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her father on their own. Now in her thirties and fresh out of a failed marriage, Val feels a nagging disenchantment with her life--and knows she is still heartbroken over her mother's abandonment.

In a bittersweet twist of fate, Val receives word that Eloise has passed away, leaving Val her Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop Val never knew she'd owned. Though the news is devastating, Val finds herself more determined than ever to discover who her mother truly was. She jets across the Atlantic, departing Seattle for a new life in charming London.

Slowly but surely, Val begins to piece together Eloise's life in the UK, falling in love with her pastel-colored flat, cozy neighborhood, and tucked-away storefront. But when she discovers that The Book Garden is in danger of going under, Val must work with its eccentric staff to get it in working order. In the process, she learns more about Eloise than she ever thought possible. And as Val races to save the shop, Eloise's own story unfolds, leading both mother and daughter to unearth revelatory truths.]]> 375 Sarah Jio 1101885084 Erin (NY) 0 4.00 2022 With Love from London
author: Sarah Jio
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, romance, books-about-books, chick-lit, british
review:

]]> The Bungalow 11720964 A sweeping World War II saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost painting.

In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

A timeless story of enduring passion from the author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.]]> 290 Sarah Jio 0452297672 Erin (NY) 0 3.96 2011 The Bungalow
author: Sarah Jio
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, history, romance, chick-lit, world-war-ii, mystery, war
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (The Jaipur Trilogy, # 2)]]> 58939931 A NEW NOVELBYTHE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST, A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

Good Morning America’s �27 Books for June"

PopSugar’s Best Summer Reads of 2021

In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace inthis tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling.

It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at theFacilities Officeof the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.

Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. ButMalik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies.

"Captivated me from the first chapter to the last page." —Reese Witherspoon on The Henna Artist]]> 384 Alka Joshi 0778386333 Erin (NY) 0 4.05 2021 The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (The Jaipur Trilogy, # 2)
author: Alka Joshi
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, audio, books-i-own, historical-fiction, india, history, mystery, asia
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy, #3)]]> 146145592 "A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power…this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

From the author of Reese's Book Club Pick The Henna Artist , the final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.

Paris, 1974. Radhais nowliving in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she’s finally found her passion—the treasure trove of scents.

She has an exciting and challenging position working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely newfragrances for clients and building her career one scent at atime. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can’t give up this thing that drives her.

Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra—women who usethe power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her—upending her carefully managedworld and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.

The Jaipur Trilogy

Book 1: The Henna Artist
Book 2: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Book 3: The Perfumist of Paris]]> 368 Alka Joshi 0778305376 Erin (NY) 0 4.10 2023 The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy, #3)
author: Alka Joshi
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, audio, historical-fiction, india, history, france, literary-fiction
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 Erin (NY) 4 3.77 2023 Starling House
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: reese-s-book-club, fantasy, horror, gothic, romance, mystery, paranormal, thriller, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
Much better than I expected! Horror is NOT my genre, so I was nervous, but I challenged myself to read all of Reese's Book club books and this was one of them. I did really like how it addresses poverty in America, corporate evilness, etc - all within a fantasy world!
]]> <![CDATA[The Selection (The Selection, #1)]]> 10507293
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059939 Erin (NY) 3 4.07 2012 The Selection (The Selection, #1)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/30
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: ya, dystopian, romance, read-in-2015, fantasy, books-i-own
review:
Not great literature, but certainly entertaining. It feels like "The Bachelor" a bit, which I used to watch as a guilty pleasure. So despite the author controversy, I will be reading other books as well.
]]> The Elite (The Selection, #2) 16248068
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059963 Erin (NY) 2 3.94 2013 The Elite (The Selection, #2)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2015/12/31
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: ya, read-in-2015, romance, dystopian, books-i-own
review:

]]> The One (The Selection, #3) 18635016
When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.]]> 323 Kiera Cass 0062059998 Erin (NY) 3 4.14 2014 The One (The Selection, #3)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2016/01/01
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: ya, read-in-2016, romance, dystopian, books-i-own
review:
This was the best book in the series, but still pretty weak.
]]> The Heir (The Selection, #4) 22918050
But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.]]> 342 Kiera Cass Erin (NY) 3 3.64 2015 The Heir (The Selection, #4)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2016/05/10
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: ya, family-drama, read-in-2016, romance, books-i-own
review:

]]> The Crown (The Selection, #5) 26074181
Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.]]> 278 Kiera Cass 0062392174 Erin (NY) 4 3.61 2016 The Crown (The Selection, #5)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/05/12
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: ya, romance, read-in-2016, chick-lit, books-i-own
review:

]]> Overdue: A Novel 222376487 Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship� and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.]]> 416 Stephanie Perkins 1250313465 Erin (NY) 0 to-read 3.89 2025 Overdue: A Novel
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success]]> 23659067
A critical read for teachers and parents who want to improve children’s mathematics learning, What’s Math Got to Do with It? is “an inspiring resource� ( Publishers Weekly ). Featuring all the importantadvice and suggestions in the original edition of What’s Math Got to Do with It? , this revised editionis now updated with new research on the brain and mathematics that is revolutionizing scientists’understanding of learning and potential.

As always Jo Boaler presents research findings through practical ideas that can be used inclassrooms and homes. The new What’s Math Got to Do with It? prepares teachers and parents forthe Common Core, shares Boaler’s work on ways to teach mathematics for a “growth mindset,� andincludes a range of advice to inspire teachers and parents to give their students the best mathematicalexperience possible.]]> 272 Jo Boaler 0143128299 Erin (NY) 0 4.37 2008 What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success
author: Jo Boaler
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, for-book-challenges, non-fiction, education, parenting, mathematics, teaching, school, science
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System--and How to Fix it]]> 42983955
It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge . In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars , Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware.

But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.]]> 336 Natalie Wexler 0735213550 Erin (NY) 4 4.13 2019 The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System--and How to Fix it
author: Natalie Wexler
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: education, non-fiction, teaching, parenting, school, politics, self-help, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
I found this book very interesting. It makes an excellent point about the importance of having content-based curriculum. It was somewhat intuitive to me, so it was nice to read about some actual studies on the topic.
]]> Tumbling 28370330 Work harder than anyone.
Be the most talented.
Sacrifice everything.
And if you’re lucky, maybe you will go to the Olympics.

Grace lives and breathes gymnastics—but no matter how hard she pushes herself, she can never be perfect enough.

Leigh, Grace’s best friend, has it all: a gymnastics career, a normal high-school life... and a secret that could ruin everything.

Camille wants to please her mom, wants to please her boyfriend, and most of all, wants to walk away.

Wilhemina was denied her Olympic dream four years ago, and she won’t let anything stop her again. No matter what.

Monica is terrified. Nobody believes in her—and why should they?

By the end of the two days of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, some of these girls will be stars. Some will be going home with nothing. And all will have their lives changed forever.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 432 Caela Carter 0698183363 Erin (NY) 0 3.96 2016 Tumbling
author: Caela Carter
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: kindle-own, for-book-challenges, ya, sports, to-read
review:

]]> The Gymnast 36163578 Her relationship with a fellow gymnast did not go according to plan. Avery struggles with her anger towards him, and her intense desire to be with him.
In the final summer before college, Avery finally lets go and explores her emerging sexuality—something she never had time for before.
The Gymnast is a story about young adults dealing with sexuality and life changes.
There are explicit scenes with sexual content, body parts, fluids and all that goes with being young, taking risks and being alive.]]> 105 Mackenzie Young Erin (NY) 0 kindle-own, to-read 3.18 The Gymnast
author: Mackenzie Young
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.18
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: kindle-own, to-read
review:

]]> The Summer Pact 195891259 In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.

Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and law school hopeful from D.C.; Summer, a recruited athlete and perfectionist from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after moving into their shared dorm, they strike up a conversation in a study lounge, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, a pact is made to be there for each other in their time of need, no matter how separated they are by circumstances or distance.

Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.

In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides to help pick up the pieces?]]> 368 Emily Giffin Erin (NY) 0 to-read 3.63 2024 The Summer Pact
author: Emily Giffin
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Butterfly and the Violin (Hidden Masterpiece, #1)]]> 18850688
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.]]> 329 Kristy Cambron 1401690599 Erin (NY) 0 to-read 4.06 2014 The Butterfly and the Violin (Hidden Masterpiece, #1)
author: Kristy Cambron
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Magnolia Palace 57099323 The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City’s most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter’s life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists� models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career—and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home—within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City’s most impressive museums. But when she—along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua—is dismissed from theVogueshoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica’s financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family.]]> 340 Fiona Davis 0593184017 Erin (NY) 5 3.82 2022 The Magnolia Palace
author: Fiona Davis
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2025, historical-fiction, mystery, history, new-york, art
review:
I really liked the way that past and present were woven together! Mystery was great too, wonderful glimpse into the New York society of the 20th century. The characters were also very compelling and I liked how their stories paralleled each other!
]]> Forever, Interrupted 16130531 Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Erin (NY) 0 books-i-own 3.63 2013 Forever, Interrupted
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: books-i-own
review:

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

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

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

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Erin (NY) 0 books-i-own 3.91 2014 After I Do
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: books-i-own
review:

]]> Maybe in Another Life 23492661
From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.]]> 342 Taylor Jenkins Reid Erin (NY) 4 3.77 2015 Maybe in Another Life
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/22
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: read-in-2021, romance, chick-lit, books-i-own
review:

]]> One True Loves 27189194
On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Erin (NY) 4 4.03 2016 One True Loves
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/27
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: read-in-2022, romance, chick-lit, books-i-own
review:

]]> Rebel Spy 50201740
Assuming the identity of the drowned Emmeline Coates, Frannie is rescued by a British merchant ship and sails with the crew to New York. On the way, she meets nineteen-year-old Asa Lane, an American rebel, with whom she reluctantly shares her truth. In turn, he teaches her the rules of civility and decorum she will need to follow to pass as a lady.

For the next three years, Frannie lives a lie as Miss Coates, swept up in a courtship with a dashing British lieutenant. But after witnessing the darker side of the war, she realizes that her position gives her power. Soon she finds herself eavesdropping on British officers, risking everything to pass information on to George Washington's Culper Spy Ring under the alias 355. Frannie believes in the fight for American liberty—but what will it cost her?

Inspired by the true "355" and rich in historical detail and intrigue, this is the story of an unlikely New York society girl turned an even unlikelier spy.]]> 356 Veronica Rossi 1524771228 Erin (NY) 0 4.01 2020 Rebel Spy
author: Veronica Rossi
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, romance, war, ya
review:

]]> A Lesson in Vengeance 58919181
Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.

Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.

It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called “method writer.� She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.

And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.]]> 372 Victoria Lee 0593482697 Erin (NY) 0 3.58 2021 A Lesson in Vengeance
author: Victoria Lee
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, fantasy, horror, lgbt, mystery, ya, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness]]> 171681821
A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.

“With tenacity and candor, Haidt lays out the consequences that have come with allowing kids to drift further into the virtual world . . . While also offering suggestions and solutions that could help protect a new generation of kids.� —Shannon Carlin, ,i>TIME, 100 Must-Read Books of 2024

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood� began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood� in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood� has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.

Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the “collective action problems� that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes—communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children—and ourselves—from the psychological damage of a phone-based life.]]> 400 Jonathan Haidt 0593655036 Erin (NY) 0 4.36 2024 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness
author: Jonathan Haidt
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, non-fiction, parenting, psychology, self-help, sociology, education, health, for-book-challenges
review:

]]> Luck of the Titanic 54711210
But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother, Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is on board, as is an influential circus owner. Thankfully, there's not much a trained acrobat like Val can't overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, audition for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night, the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val's dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.]]> 368 Stacey Lee 1524740985 Erin (NY) 0 3.67 2021 Luck of the Titanic
author: Stacey Lee
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, history, romance, ya
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist]]> 29214420
Can it be fixed? In Doughnut Economics, Oxford academic Kate Raworth identifies seven critical ways in which mainstream economics has led us astray, and sets out a roadmap for bringing humanity into a sweet spot that meets the needs of all within the means of the planet. En route, she deconstructs the character of ‘rational economic man� and explains what really makes us tick. She reveals how an obsession with equilibrium has left economists helpless when facing the boom and bust of the real-world economy. She highlights the dangers of ignoring the role of energy and nature’s resources � and the far-reaching implications for economic growth when we take them into account. And in the process, she creates a new, cutting-edge economic model that is fit for the 21st century � one in which a doughnut-shaped compass points the way to human progress.

Ambitious, radical and rigorously argued, Doughnut Economics promises to reframe and redraw the future of economics for a new generation.]]> 384 Kate Raworth 1847941389 Erin (NY) 3 4.17 2017 Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist
author: Kate Raworth
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/12
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: economics, non-fiction, read-in-2024, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rossetti Letter (Claire Donovan #1)]]> 201874
As Claire races to locate the documents that will reveal the courtesan's true motives, Alessandra's story comes to life with all the sensuality, political treachery, and violence of seventeenth-century Venice. Claire also falls under the city's spell. She is courted by a handsome Italian, matches wits with her academic adversary, bonds with her troubled young charge, and, amid the boundless beauty of Venice, recaptures the joy of living every moment....

Layering wit and warmth into her portraits of two very different yet equally dynamic heroines, Christi Phillips shifts effortlessly between past and present in a remarkable novel that is at once a love story, a mystery, and an intriguing historical drama. Filled with beautifully rendered details of one of the world's oldestand most magical cities, "The Rossetti Letter" marks Phillips's debut as a writer of extraordinary skill and grace.]]> 383 Christi Phillips 1416527370 Erin (NY) 0 3.76 2007 The Rossetti Letter (Claire Donovan #1)
author: Christi Phillips
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read, books-i-own, historical-fiction, italy, 17th-century, mystery, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Story of the Lost Child (Neapolitan Novels, #4)]]> 25242224 The Guardian about the Neapolitan novels in 2014. Against the backdrop of a Naples that is as seductive as it is perilous and a world undergoing epochal change, Elena Ferrante tells the story of a lifelong friendship between two women with unmatched honesty and brilliance.

The Story of the Lost Child is the concluding volume in the dazzling saga of two women � the brilliant, bookish Elena, and the fiery, uncontainable Lila. Both are now adults, with husbands, lovers, aging parents, and children. Their friendship has been the gravitational center of their lives. Both women fought to escape the neighborhood in which they grew up � a prison of conformity, violence, and inviolable taboos. Elena married, moved to Florence, started a family, and published several well-received books. In this final novel she has returned to Naples, drawn back as if responding to the city's obscure magnetism. Lila, on the other hand, could never free herself from the city of her birth. She has become a successful entrepreneur, but her success draws her into closer proximity with the nepotism, chauvinism, and criminal violence that infect the neighborhood. Proximity to the world she has always rejected only brings her role as its unacknowledged leader into relief. For Lila is unstoppable, unmanageable, unforgettable.

The four volumes in this series constitute a long remarkable story that readers will return to again and again, and each return will bring with it new revelations.]]> 473 Elena Ferrante 1609452860 Erin (NY) 4 4.47 2014 The Story of the Lost Child (Neapolitan Novels, #4)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/26
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: chick-lit, family-drama, read-in-2015, romance, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (Neapolitan Novels, #3)]]> 23156040 418 Elena Ferrante Erin (NY) 4 4.38 2013 Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (Neapolitan Novels, #3)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2015/09/30
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: read-in-2015, translation, romance, family-drama, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)]]> 17465515 My Brilliant Friend introduced readers to the unforgettable Elena and Lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the Neapolitan Novels. The Story of a New Name is the second book in this series. With these books, which the New Yorker's James Wood described as "large, captivating, amiably peopled ... a beautiful and delicate tale of confluence and reversal," Ferrante proves herself to be one of Italy's most accomplished storytellers. She writes vividly about a specific neighborhood of Naples from the late-1950s through to the current day and about two remarkable young women who are very much the products of that place and time. Yet in doing so she has created a world in which readers will recognize themselves and has drawn a marvelously nuanced portrait of friendship.

In The Story of a New Name, Lila has recently married and made her entrée into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighborhood that she so often finds stifling. Love, jealousy, family, freedom, commitment, and above all friendship: these are signs under which both women live out this phase in their stories. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times too much for Elena. Yet the two young women share a complex and evolving bond that is central to their emotional lives and is a source of strength in the face of life's challenges. In these Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante, the acclaimed author of The Days of Abandonment, gives readers a poignant and universal story about friendship and belonging.]]> 471 Elena Ferrante Erin (NY) 4 4.47 2012 The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2015/09/01
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: read-in-2015, translation, historical-fiction, books-i-own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)]]> 13586707 331 Elena Ferrante Erin (NY) 5 3.91 2011 My Brilliant Friend (My Brilliant Friend, #1)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2015/08/10
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: translation, read-in-2015, book-club, books-i-own
review:

]]> We Were Never Here 56084054 An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd.

Emily is having the time of her life--she's in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of their trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she'd been flirting with attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year's trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can't believe it's happened again--can lightning really strike twice?

Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving head-first into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her friend's motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their coverups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can she outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom--even her life?

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781984820464.]]> 304 Andrea Bartz Erin (NY) 3 3.46 2021 We Were Never Here
author: Andrea Bartz
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: reese-s-book-club, thriller, mystery, suspense, crime, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
We downloaded this book to listen on our very long drive. Even though it may not be the best piece of literature, it was entertaining and thrilling, and kept our attention! The characters were interesting and the mystery was fun to try to figure out. The growth of the protagonist was also very well done. Some of the analogies were ... interesting "her voice was like an old broken gong" or "they treated me like an old broken appliance" or something along those lines, those were funny! But we did like it!
]]> The House in the Pines 61251242 Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed....

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can't account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer--the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father's book that didn't stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank's cabin....

Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.]]> 321 Ana Reyes 0593186710 Erin (NY) 3 3.05 2023 The House in the Pines
author: Ana Reyes
name: Erin (NY)
average rating: 3.05
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: reese-s-book-club, mystery, thriller, suspense, audio, read-in-2025, books-i-own
review:
This book was mostly just boring. I slogged through it, because I wanted to know how it ended, bot none of the characters were that compelling, I thought there was very little character development.
]]>