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Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
4.25
If you love a romance or thrillers and want something a little different, may I suggest Anna Bright?
Anna has failed at a startup before, but now she is the it-girl. She is the founder of a company designing an eye implant that will solve all of your daily problems, with the flick of an eyelash.
Jamie is a reporter for an online magazine that has Anna for a speaker, when Anna doesn’t realize her mic is on, she makes some off handed statements before Jamie rescues her, removing the mic. She offers Jamie a trip on her private airplane for a coveted interview. Things don’t turn out like Jamie hopes, but she gains some different knowledge about the company.
It’s a fun read that keeps you turning pages! It also features a lot of conversations about women in management roles and how women are treated. Anna is not a fan of the girlboss term and wants to be treated like a man. Jamie wants to elevate women leaders. Interesting conversations!
“Because Anna is clearly hiding things, and I wanted to get insight for my story.”
“No one would ever accuse Anna Bright of being unable to manipulate an audience. It was like a master class in gaslighting and blaming the victims.”
“Sometimes it surprised her how calm she could be even when she was tearing someone apart.”
“Didn’t she always pick up the pieces, in this case literally and figuratively, when everything collapsed around her? Didn’t she always depend on herself when there was no one else around…”
Anna has failed at a startup before, but now she is the it-girl. She is the founder of a company designing an eye implant that will solve all of your daily problems, with the flick of an eyelash.
Jamie is a reporter for an online magazine that has Anna for a speaker, when Anna doesn’t realize her mic is on, she makes some off handed statements before Jamie rescues her, removing the mic. She offers Jamie a trip on her private airplane for a coveted interview. Things don’t turn out like Jamie hopes, but she gains some different knowledge about the company.
It’s a fun read that keeps you turning pages! It also features a lot of conversations about women in management roles and how women are treated. Anna is not a fan of the girlboss term and wants to be treated like a man. Jamie wants to elevate women leaders. Interesting conversations!
“Because Anna is clearly hiding things, and I wanted to get insight for my story.”
“No one would ever accuse Anna Bright of being unable to manipulate an audience. It was like a master class in gaslighting and blaming the victims.”
“Sometimes it surprised her how calm she could be even when she was tearing someone apart.”
“Didn’t she always pick up the pieces, in this case literally and figuratively, when everything collapsed around her? Didn’t she always depend on herself when there was no one else around…”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
I had a hard time with this book. I loved LONG BRIGHT RIVER, and couldn’t put it down. I thought the premise for this was interesting, but I quickly got to where I just didn’t care - I didn’t care anything about the rich, mean people, and I didn’t care that much about the case. I felt like it picked up for me about half way through, but so many of the pieces I thought were interesting seemed to just get dropped by the story. I feel like both of her books seem to really give you a lot of red herrings which make the book seem kind of predictable.
But I know so many people have loved it, so I think everyone interested should definitely read it and decide what you think!
The interview with Sarah Selects is great. She discusses different ideas for the title, and advises the nonfiction book Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille if you want an Adirondack Mountain companion.
https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookclubs/detail/amzn1.club.bookclub.44c06c79-0cab-0011-c5ec-83fb60bace43?ref_=blogs_omni_link
"Panic," said T.J. But no one raised a hand.
She explained. It came from the Greek god Pan: the god of the woods. He liked to trick people, to confuse and disorient them until they lost their bearings, and their minds.
To panic, said T.J., was to make an enemy of the forest. To stay calm was to be its friend.” Tracy, June 1975
“…she thought this then, and she thinks it now-generally become most enraged when they sense they're about to be held accountable for their wrongs.” III When Lost
“…he already had the air that all these men had.
The feeling he was owed something. Everything.”
V Found
“It was funny, she thought, how many relationships one could have with the same man, over the course of a lifetime together.” VI Survival
But I know so many people have loved it, so I think everyone interested should definitely read it and decide what you think!
The interview with Sarah Selects is great. She discusses different ideas for the title, and advises the nonfiction book Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille if you want an Adirondack Mountain companion.
https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookclubs/detail/amzn1.club.bookclub.44c06c79-0cab-0011-c5ec-83fb60bace43?ref_=blogs_omni_link
"Panic," said T.J. But no one raised a hand.
She explained. It came from the Greek god Pan: the god of the woods. He liked to trick people, to confuse and disorient them until they lost their bearings, and their minds.
To panic, said T.J., was to make an enemy of the forest. To stay calm was to be its friend.” Tracy, June 1975
“…she thought this then, and she thinks it now-generally become most enraged when they sense they're about to be held accountable for their wrongs.” III When Lost
“…he already had the air that all these men had.
The feeling he was owed something. Everything.”
V Found
“It was funny, she thought, how many relationships one could have with the same man, over the course of a lifetime together.” VI Survival
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
The Hidden Peace: Finding True Security, Strength, and Confidence Through Humility by Joel Muddamalle
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
I read this book with Circle 31 through Proverbs 31 Ministry. I feel like it’s such a good reminder as I head back into another school year of the gift of humility. The world can be such a competitive place, and it’s good to remember what is most important.
This book has 4 main parts and then a nice appendix of verses with application:
1. Living the frustrated, fearful life (from panic to honesty to rest)
2. Fighting to make “my way” work
3. Transforming “my way” into the “way of humility”
Grasp It (forget the lies)
Cultivate It (begin the practice)
Embody It (like Jesus)
Redefine It (like Paul)
Safeguard yourself with it (build resilience)
4. Living the secure, peaceful life
Mutual, soft heart can be firm, when bad things happen to humble people
Muddamalle gives a lot of examples from his own life, and several from the Bible. I want to spend some time going through the verses in the back (there are 13 verses with application to consider / cultivate / commit
Some of my favorites that I would like to remember and apply:
“So when we confront the reality of our lack of control, it’s an opportunity. We can exchange the desire for control for the gift of humble faith.” P33
He mentions Mary’s song and how we can use it to humble our hearts (p119)
1. Rejoice in the greatness of God (write ways God is big)
2. Glorify God (use those ways to write a prayer of praise)
3. Anticipate God’s continual faithfulness
4. Exalt God
YOUR HUMILITY EQUATION
I fear that _____, which will cause (some kind of pain).
IfI trust Jesus and _____ (humbly reach toward
his power, strength, and control, I will be equipped to deal with my fear and pain.
“Ultimate result: My fear is still there, and my pain contin-ves. But humility helps me face my fear with faich in Jesus. It leads me to rely on the Spirit's power to process my pain and get to the other side of it. I am humbled.” P 153
God’s relationship with Job as a humble believer:
“Each question was meant to lead Job to simply and humbly say, "I don't know, but you do, Lord."” P202
Simple prayer, p205-206
“God, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but you do.
Your presence next to me builds confidence within me.
In the midst of my burt, let me see a bigger picture of your holiness and your gracious work in my life.
I know you are with me, God, so I will rest in the peace you give me.”
This book has 4 main parts and then a nice appendix of verses with application:
1. Living the frustrated, fearful life (from panic to honesty to rest)
2. Fighting to make “my way” work
3. Transforming “my way” into the “way of humility”
Grasp It (forget the lies)
Cultivate It (begin the practice)
Embody It (like Jesus)
Redefine It (like Paul)
Safeguard yourself with it (build resilience)
4. Living the secure, peaceful life
Mutual, soft heart can be firm, when bad things happen to humble people
Muddamalle gives a lot of examples from his own life, and several from the Bible. I want to spend some time going through the verses in the back (there are 13 verses with application to consider / cultivate / commit
Some of my favorites that I would like to remember and apply:
“So when we confront the reality of our lack of control, it’s an opportunity. We can exchange the desire for control for the gift of humble faith.” P33
He mentions Mary’s song and how we can use it to humble our hearts (p119)
1. Rejoice in the greatness of God (write ways God is big)
2. Glorify God (use those ways to write a prayer of praise)
3. Anticipate God’s continual faithfulness
4. Exalt God
YOUR HUMILITY EQUATION
I fear that _____, which will cause (some kind of pain).
IfI trust Jesus and _____ (humbly reach toward
his power, strength, and control, I will be equipped to deal with my fear and pain.
“Ultimate result: My fear is still there, and my pain contin-ves. But humility helps me face my fear with faich in Jesus. It leads me to rely on the Spirit's power to process my pain and get to the other side of it. I am humbled.” P 153
God’s relationship with Job as a humble believer:
“Each question was meant to lead Job to simply and humbly say, "I don't know, but you do, Lord."” P202
Simple prayer, p205-206
“God, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but you do.
Your presence next to me builds confidence within me.
In the midst of my burt, let me see a bigger picture of your holiness and your gracious work in my life.
I know you are with me, God, so I will rest in the peace you give me.”
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
After starting THE CLIFFS, my first thought was - how have I not read more of J. Courtney Sullivan’s books. Because, of course, now I want to.
I have so much I loved about this book:
- The writing is beautiful.
- The history of the indigenous people of Maine is new to me and I am so glad I have more understanding now.
- I have wanted to go to Maine since my honeymoon almost 27 years ago, and I finally got to go to Acadia last summer and Kennebunkport and Portland this summer. This book takes me back there and I loved every second of it.
- I loved the sisterhood and the friendship and the family stories (generations of, in different families)
In some places, it was almost like separate short stories that tied into this larger story. But each ended up being interesting to me, and I loved how they each brought me more insight on the larger story.
The book, of course, starts with an abandoned house near the cliffs that was full of everything from its inhabitants (based on a house the author saw and was fascinated by). Jane loves this house the same way and when approached by a woman living there to research its history, she is in. There are many stories about the house, including curse like this one: “I swear there's some kind of curse about that house. All the women who move there end up alone." P146
Jane is back in her hometown to clean out her mother’s house to put it for sale (I loved this connection to KWH summer book, A Happier Life). She is also taking a break from her husband and her job, because she was drunk and made a mistake at a work function. She has a family history of alcoholism, that she is coming to grips with as she spends time in this house, and with her sister. (In Hello Sunshine’s recent podcast with the author, she mentions she herself is 8 years sober / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bright-side/id1734490947?i=1000663651758 - I got to ask a question on this episode, so that is also fun!)
The author also mentions in that interview that she is a little woowoo, and this book does have some interesting connections to spirits and ghosts (do they continue to live in the houses after their families are gone?). It goes down a bit of a rabbit hole into the lives of the families of the house, but also in a questioning way, as Jane isn’t convinced.
We do get points of view of other women in the house’s history: Genevieve the current owner, Marilyn and Eliza each get a chapter.
I could go on so many rabbit holes while reading it (I went on a few for sure), and this book just has so much information. It is of course, this story about an old house on the cliffs, which has a complicated and sometimes dark part. And along with it, the story of a woman with a complicated and sometimes dark past. And how they both find their way into the future. I thought it was a really fabulous summer read.
Prologue
“…you could see all of town from this dis-tance, but no one could see you. It occurred to Jane then that that's how she always felt in Awadapquit (signs around the town claim the name means “where the beautiful cliffs meet the sea in the language of the Abenaki” . The town is based on Ogunquit, ME).” P13
“Some people took What Would Jesus Do as their guiding principle. Hers was What Would My Mother Not Do?”
“She liked herself best when she was controlled, composed, invulnerable. That was the woman she wanted to be.” P15
Ch 1
“She had never had a knack for women. The way they told secrets, their own and other people's, as a form of currency,…”
“Having children has made me more open-minded to the notion of the full spectrum of life, including the before and after." P 77
***. “It never failed to astonish Jane that an event, a local tragedy, could shape an entire generation and then be forgotten.” P122
“What is that old line? Remarriage is the triumph of hope over experience. You might say that's my mantra."
…
“Triumph of hope over experience. Sounds lie the tribes' relationship in trying to work with the state of Maine.”
P142
*** “It was a strange feeling, to hope with everything she had that she in would be allowed back into her own life.” p144
“Strange how every marriage had its secrets, its compromises, that seemed untenable to an outsider.” P181
“She had imagined reuniting with David as a new, better version of herself, but here was the same old shitty version, greeting them both.” P283
“Human beings did so much damage to one another just by being alive. To the people they loved most, and to the ones they knew so little about that they could convince themselves they weren't even people.”p338
“If trauma could be passed down from the cells of one body to another, Jane wondered, was it so much further a leap to imagine that trauma might infect the land on which it happened?” p367
I have so much I loved about this book:
- The writing is beautiful.
- The history of the indigenous people of Maine is new to me and I am so glad I have more understanding now.
- I have wanted to go to Maine since my honeymoon almost 27 years ago, and I finally got to go to Acadia last summer and Kennebunkport and Portland this summer. This book takes me back there and I loved every second of it.
- I loved the sisterhood and the friendship and the family stories (generations of, in different families)
In some places, it was almost like separate short stories that tied into this larger story. But each ended up being interesting to me, and I loved how they each brought me more insight on the larger story.
The book, of course, starts with an abandoned house near the cliffs that was full of everything from its inhabitants (based on a house the author saw and was fascinated by). Jane loves this house the same way and when approached by a woman living there to research its history, she is in. There are many stories about the house, including curse like this one: “I swear there's some kind of curse about that house. All the women who move there end up alone." P146
Jane is back in her hometown to clean out her mother’s house to put it for sale (I loved this connection to KWH summer book, A Happier Life). She is also taking a break from her husband and her job, because she was drunk and made a mistake at a work function. She has a family history of alcoholism, that she is coming to grips with as she spends time in this house, and with her sister. (In Hello Sunshine’s recent podcast with the author, she mentions she herself is 8 years sober / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bright-side/id1734490947?i=1000663651758 - I got to ask a question on this episode, so that is also fun!)
The author also mentions in that interview that she is a little woowoo, and this book does have some interesting connections to spirits and ghosts (do they continue to live in the houses after their families are gone?). It goes down a bit of a rabbit hole into the lives of the families of the house, but also in a questioning way, as Jane isn’t convinced.
We do get points of view of other women in the house’s history: Genevieve the current owner, Marilyn and Eliza each get a chapter.
I could go on so many rabbit holes while reading it (I went on a few for sure), and this book just has so much information. It is of course, this story about an old house on the cliffs, which has a complicated and sometimes dark part. And along with it, the story of a woman with a complicated and sometimes dark past. And how they both find their way into the future. I thought it was a really fabulous summer read.
Prologue
“…you could see all of town from this dis-tance, but no one could see you. It occurred to Jane then that that's how she always felt in Awadapquit (signs around the town claim the name means “where the beautiful cliffs meet the sea in the language of the Abenaki” . The town is based on Ogunquit, ME).” P13
“Some people took What Would Jesus Do as their guiding principle. Hers was What Would My Mother Not Do?”
“She liked herself best when she was controlled, composed, invulnerable. That was the woman she wanted to be.” P15
Ch 1
“She had never had a knack for women. The way they told secrets, their own and other people's, as a form of currency,…”
“Having children has made me more open-minded to the notion of the full spectrum of life, including the before and after." P 77
***. “It never failed to astonish Jane that an event, a local tragedy, could shape an entire generation and then be forgotten.” P122
“What is that old line? Remarriage is the triumph of hope over experience. You might say that's my mantra."
…
“Triumph of hope over experience. Sounds lie the tribes' relationship in trying to work with the state of Maine.”
P142
*** “It was a strange feeling, to hope with everything she had that she in would be allowed back into her own life.” p144
“Strange how every marriage had its secrets, its compromises, that seemed untenable to an outsider.” P181
“She had imagined reuniting with David as a new, better version of herself, but here was the same old shitty version, greeting them both.” P283
“Human beings did so much damage to one another just by being alive. To the people they loved most, and to the ones they knew so little about that they could convince themselves they weren't even people.”p338
“If trauma could be passed down from the cells of one body to another, Jane wondered, was it so much further a leap to imagine that trauma might infect the land on which it happened?” p367
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Cancer and Child death
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I am so grateful to Marjan Kamali sharing her family’s culture from Iran with us. Her stories are so helpful to see these loving Iranian families and get to experience their culture, language and food, too! (I loved how many words and phrases we got to see translated. I feel like so many books seem to talk in American language and I liked how this one gave me more insight into real conversation).
THE LION WOMEN OF YEHRAN splits between two points of view. We meet the main character Ellie (Elaheh) in 1950 as a young girl, as she and her mother have their lives downgraded and move into a small apartment by her uncle. She makes a good friend Homa, who we get to hear from occasionally. Ellie’s mother doesn’t want her to associate with people of a lower class like Homa, but their friendship is rare and uniquely special to both of them. We see their friendship through several ups and downs (alluded to the very first chapter, which gives us some perspective of what will happen by 1980, the end of the book - which has the most interesting culture observations).
I really loved their friendship, which overcame so many obstacles, and that it was the main love of the book.
I got to meet the author in person at Watermark Books in Kansas and she talked about how history books tell you what happened, but fiction books tell you how it made people feel. Her books do this so well; they help us feel and have greater empathy for other people.
I also thought this book has some great men in it! I loved several of the relationships and how loving and supportive the men were (and also in some of the political events for women).
—-
“You know what we'll both become when we grow up?"
"I do not," I said.
"Shir zan. Lionesses. Us. Can't you just see it, Ellie? Someday, you and me we'll do great things. We'll live life for ourselves. And we will help others. We are cubs now, maybe. But we will grow to be lionesses. Strong women who make things happen." P38
“But I should have known that some friendships fracture and rupture beyond belief.” P241 (interesting here in relationship to Iran and America / and interpersonal relationships)
THE LION WOMEN OF YEHRAN splits between two points of view. We meet the main character Ellie (Elaheh) in 1950 as a young girl, as she and her mother have their lives downgraded and move into a small apartment by her uncle. She makes a good friend Homa, who we get to hear from occasionally. Ellie’s mother doesn’t want her to associate with people of a lower class like Homa, but their friendship is rare and uniquely special to both of them. We see their friendship through several ups and downs (alluded to the very first chapter, which gives us some perspective of what will happen by 1980, the end of the book - which has the most interesting culture observations).
I really loved their friendship, which overcame so many obstacles, and that it was the main love of the book.
I got to meet the author in person at Watermark Books in Kansas and she talked about how history books tell you what happened, but fiction books tell you how it made people feel. Her books do this so well; they help us feel and have greater empathy for other people.
I also thought this book has some great men in it! I loved several of the relationships and how loving and supportive the men were (and also in some of the political events for women).
—-
“You know what we'll both become when we grow up?"
"I do not," I said.
"Shir zan. Lionesses. Us. Can't you just see it, Ellie? Someday, you and me we'll do great things. We'll live life for ourselves. And we will help others. We are cubs now, maybe. But we will grow to be lionesses. Strong women who make things happen." P38
“But I should have known that some friendships fracture and rupture beyond belief.” P241 (interesting here in relationship to Iran and America / and interpersonal relationships)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is another book that starts with such a great line in chapter 1:
“I often tried to pinpoint the exact moment when the life I’d worked so hard for began to fall apart.”
In this book there are two timelines, the great-grandmother Serafina in 1908 in Sicily, and Sara in 2016 in Philadelphia. When her great-Aunt Rosie dies, she sends Sara back to Sicily to figure out a plot of land that she might be able to sell to re-start her life. She meets a cast of characters that she can’t trust to try to help her figure out what happened to Serafina.
I read and loved FROM SCRATCH a few years ago and this reminded me of similar Sicilian characters - a culture where women have had so little influence.
I glad I was motivated to read this one with #chaptersandchats and the 100th bookclub talk with Jo Piazza. It’s interesting how she based this book (mentioned in the author’s note) on her own family’s story about her great-great-grandmother whose lore was that she was murdered in Sicily. She wanted to give her grandmother a different story, and not the traditional one of a woman having to be the homemaker and have children, as the subject to her husband. She discusses a time in Sicily when a lot of men came to the USA to work and the women had to step up and read and write and work. Then their husbands came back and took their jobs and influence away.
I loved learning about Sicilian culture: Nero d’Avola grapes and Zibibbo sparkling wine, their mafia (“The national forest, nearly the entire thing. The Cosa Nostra burned down all of the trees in the Madonie Mountains so the government would pay them to replant them.” - ch 5), their history (It is an ancient village, your Caltabellessa, settled by the first people of the island, the Sicani, in one thousand BC.”), the catacombs and more.
“They will be thankful for your work but afraid of your power.” Ch 12
“I was learning how to protect myself with humility and silence.” Ch 12
“Men are easy to manipulate. You just have to know when to play the Madonna, when to play the whore, and when to play the broken bird.” Ch 13
“How can a woman ever prove her innocence?” Ch 16
“Our men live forever here. There’s something in the olive oil.” “And your women?” “They die exhausted.” Ch 17
“There are stories we tell about women. The same stories get retold over and over with different characters in different times, but all containing striking similarities. The story I knew about my family’s matriarch was the story of a saint, a martyr, a mother, a wife. A stock character, really. A duty-bound woman who waited patiently for her wandering husband. How many of those kinds of women populate history books and great novels? A sexless being, free of passion. She was a vessel of purity who bore and raised strong children. For generations, we passed down the parts of her that the storytellers found appealing.” Ch 15
“I often tried to pinpoint the exact moment when the life I’d worked so hard for began to fall apart.”
In this book there are two timelines, the great-grandmother Serafina in 1908 in Sicily, and Sara in 2016 in Philadelphia. When her great-Aunt Rosie dies, she sends Sara back to Sicily to figure out a plot of land that she might be able to sell to re-start her life. She meets a cast of characters that she can’t trust to try to help her figure out what happened to Serafina.
I read and loved FROM SCRATCH a few years ago and this reminded me of similar Sicilian characters - a culture where women have had so little influence.
I glad I was motivated to read this one with #chaptersandchats and the 100th bookclub talk with Jo Piazza. It’s interesting how she based this book (mentioned in the author’s note) on her own family’s story about her great-great-grandmother whose lore was that she was murdered in Sicily. She wanted to give her grandmother a different story, and not the traditional one of a woman having to be the homemaker and have children, as the subject to her husband. She discusses a time in Sicily when a lot of men came to the USA to work and the women had to step up and read and write and work. Then their husbands came back and took their jobs and influence away.
I loved learning about Sicilian culture: Nero d’Avola grapes and Zibibbo sparkling wine, their mafia (“The national forest, nearly the entire thing. The Cosa Nostra burned down all of the trees in the Madonie Mountains so the government would pay them to replant them.” - ch 5), their history (It is an ancient village, your Caltabellessa, settled by the first people of the island, the Sicani, in one thousand BC.”), the catacombs and more.
“They will be thankful for your work but afraid of your power.” Ch 12
“I was learning how to protect myself with humility and silence.” Ch 12
“Men are easy to manipulate. You just have to know when to play the Madonna, when to play the whore, and when to play the broken bird.” Ch 13
“How can a woman ever prove her innocence?” Ch 16
“Our men live forever here. There’s something in the olive oil.” “And your women?” “They die exhausted.” Ch 17
“There are stories we tell about women. The same stories get retold over and over with different characters in different times, but all containing striking similarities. The story I knew about my family’s matriarch was the story of a saint, a martyr, a mother, a wife. A stock character, really. A duty-bound woman who waited patiently for her wandering husband. How many of those kinds of women populate history books and great novels? A sexless being, free of passion. She was a vessel of purity who bore and raised strong children. For generations, we passed down the parts of her that the storytellers found appealing.” Ch 15
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Pregnancy
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I have wanted to read a book by Riley Sagar for several years, so I was glad this one was picked for my #chapterchat2 group. I thought this seemed really repetitive and drawn out. The title is great - this book is about a boy who went missing in the middle of the night when he was camping in his best friend’s backyard.
“The truth was that I hated this house. I hated being reminded of what happened here. I hated waking up in the middle of the night, looking out my bedroom window, and seeing the same patch of grass where Billy vanished. Most of all, I hated the guilty feeling that overcame me every time it happened. Billy was gone. I was still here.” Ch 1
“As in “Ten-year-old Billy Barringer was camping in the backyard with another boy when he was taken in the middle of the night,…” ch 2
“…when it comes to people, l've found that sometimes memories are best left undisturbed.” Ch 4
“But suspicion has a way of breaking through even the strongest barriers. It slips through the cracks, seeping in drip by drip.” Ch 20
I enjoyed listening to the audio. Thank you Libro.fm for providing audio copies to librarians.
“The truth was that I hated this house. I hated being reminded of what happened here. I hated waking up in the middle of the night, looking out my bedroom window, and seeing the same patch of grass where Billy vanished. Most of all, I hated the guilty feeling that overcame me every time it happened. Billy was gone. I was still here.” Ch 1
“As in “Ten-year-old Billy Barringer was camping in the backyard with another boy when he was taken in the middle of the night,…” ch 2
“…when it comes to people, l've found that sometimes memories are best left undisturbed.” Ch 4
“But suspicion has a way of breaking through even the strongest barriers. It slips through the cracks, seeping in drip by drip.” Ch 20
I enjoyed listening to the audio. Thank you Libro.fm for providing audio copies to librarians.
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
When you finish this one, you feel emboldened to live a better life. It is such a beautiful book on grief. I can see why so many people have loved it. I missed the chance to read it last year with one group and I’m glad The Gloss is reading it for August this year!
Since Clover was young, she has had a gift to be with dying people as they passed. After her grandfather died (without her), she dedicated her life to being a death doula, so that other people wouldn’t die alone. She meets a man Sebastian, who has a grandmother Claudia who is dying, and he would Clover to spend time with her. They instantly connect, and Claudia helps Clover begin to live.
I love a found family story - and that is here, too, in Clover’s apartment building and bookstore. NYC is such an amazing backdrop for this story, and is almost a character itself.
Clover adored her grandfather, who largely raised her, and she carries on his love of reading and journaling. She keeps three notebooks: ADVICE, CONFESSIONS, and REGRETS so that she can incorporate those she has helped pass back into the world, whether it’s something they were not able to do or their favorite things.
There were so many beautiful passages in this book, but here are a few favorites:
“…there was something beautiful about the tenuous reality of being human.” Ch 11
“…most of us are guilty of that with our loved ones. We get stuck in a routine and we look at them as we've always looked at them, without seeing them for the person they've become or the person they strive to be.” P138
“It's easy to glamorize the path you didn't take.” P191
“…I was only living a shell of the life knew was possible.
And I regretted it.”p242
“Don't let the best parts of life pass you by because you're too scared of the unknown." One last wink. "Be cautiously reckless." P268 (in the acknowledgments, the author mentions this quote was something Jane Birkin told her for a magazine interview!
“But the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life. Putting your heart out there. Letting it get broken. Taking chances. Making mistakes." … "Promise me… that you'll let yourself live.” P293
“Griel, I'd come to realize, was like dust. When you're in the thick of a dust storm, you're completely disoriented by the onslaught, struggling to see or breathe. But as the force recedes, and you slowly find your bearings and see a path forward, the dust begins to settle into the crevices. And it will never disappear completely -as the years pass, you'll find it in unexpected places at unexpected moments,
Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.” Ch 55
P304
Since Clover was young, she has had a gift to be with dying people as they passed. After her grandfather died (without her), she dedicated her life to being a death doula, so that other people wouldn’t die alone. She meets a man Sebastian, who has a grandmother Claudia who is dying, and he would Clover to spend time with her. They instantly connect, and Claudia helps Clover begin to live.
I love a found family story - and that is here, too, in Clover’s apartment building and bookstore. NYC is such an amazing backdrop for this story, and is almost a character itself.
Clover adored her grandfather, who largely raised her, and she carries on his love of reading and journaling. She keeps three notebooks: ADVICE, CONFESSIONS, and REGRETS so that she can incorporate those she has helped pass back into the world, whether it’s something they were not able to do or their favorite things.
There were so many beautiful passages in this book, but here are a few favorites:
“…there was something beautiful about the tenuous reality of being human.” Ch 11
“…most of us are guilty of that with our loved ones. We get stuck in a routine and we look at them as we've always looked at them, without seeing them for the person they've become or the person they strive to be.” P138
“It's easy to glamorize the path you didn't take.” P191
“…I was only living a shell of the life knew was possible.
And I regretted it.”p242
“Don't let the best parts of life pass you by because you're too scared of the unknown." One last wink. "Be cautiously reckless." P268 (in the acknowledgments, the author mentions this quote was something Jane Birkin told her for a magazine interview!
“But the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life. Putting your heart out there. Letting it get broken. Taking chances. Making mistakes." … "Promise me… that you'll let yourself live.” P293
“Griel, I'd come to realize, was like dust. When you're in the thick of a dust storm, you're completely disoriented by the onslaught, struggling to see or breathe. But as the force recedes, and you slowly find your bearings and see a path forward, the dust begins to settle into the crevices. And it will never disappear completely -as the years pass, you'll find it in unexpected places at unexpected moments,
Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.” Ch 55
P304
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
medium-paced
3.5
My favorite book about banned books is still Alan Gratz’ BAN THIS BOOK. If you haven’t read it. I highly recommend it (for adults even though it’s middle grade).
In this book, Lula Dean has banned a bunch of books from the library and set out her own little free library with books she claims are more appropriate for readers. Little does she know that someone replaced copies of all of her books with the banned books (under their original covers). We are introduced to different members of the community who are all facing different issues and the books they get from her library end up touching them in (somewhat? surprising) ways.
I thought this one was overly heavy handed on ALL the conservative triggers (someone in my reading group labeled it as “satire,” which I can kind of see) - southern statues of confederate people, being “woke,” LGBTQ (and its relationship in the Bible), guns - all culminating in the idea of Lula Dean banning books from the library. I am not a fan of book banning 💯 and I appreciate that message in the book, but I felt like it was so many issues. I agree that reading books promotes empathy and I loved how these books ended up being meaningful to people. I am glad lots of people are loving this book. I wonder if it is preaching to the choir or if it has changed anyone’s mind.
“Hate is a disease.” Ch 5
“When you have everything, the only luxury left is taking things away from others.” Ch 5
“The worst thing you could do as a parent, she thought, was to shield young women from the ugliness of the world-then blame them when they did not see it coming.” Ch 9
“By saying the things they've been afraid to say and doing the things they've been afraid to do.” Ch 12
“When people like Lula hide all the books about rape, who do you suppose they're really protecting?” Ch 14
“…stories are the most powerful things in this world. They can mend broken hearts, bring back good memories, and make people fall in love.” Ch 32
“The books she'd put in that library had opened eyes, granted courage, and exposed terrible crimes. That's why they were dangerous-why so many people had wanted to hide them. “ ch 33
In this book, Lula Dean has banned a bunch of books from the library and set out her own little free library with books she claims are more appropriate for readers. Little does she know that someone replaced copies of all of her books with the banned books (under their original covers). We are introduced to different members of the community who are all facing different issues and the books they get from her library end up touching them in (somewhat? surprising) ways.
I thought this one was overly heavy handed on ALL the conservative triggers (someone in my reading group labeled it as “satire,” which I can kind of see) - southern statues of confederate people, being “woke,” LGBTQ (and its relationship in the Bible), guns - all culminating in the idea of Lula Dean banning books from the library. I am not a fan of book banning 💯 and I appreciate that message in the book, but I felt like it was so many issues. I agree that reading books promotes empathy and I loved how these books ended up being meaningful to people. I am glad lots of people are loving this book. I wonder if it is preaching to the choir or if it has changed anyone’s mind.
“Hate is a disease.” Ch 5
“When you have everything, the only luxury left is taking things away from others.” Ch 5
“The worst thing you could do as a parent, she thought, was to shield young women from the ugliness of the world-then blame them when they did not see it coming.” Ch 9
“By saying the things they've been afraid to say and doing the things they've been afraid to do.” Ch 12
“When people like Lula hide all the books about rape, who do you suppose they're really protecting?” Ch 14
“…stories are the most powerful things in this world. They can mend broken hearts, bring back good memories, and make people fall in love.” Ch 32
“The books she'd put in that library had opened eyes, granted courage, and exposed terrible crimes. That's why they were dangerous-why so many people had wanted to hide them. “ ch 33
Wedding Issues by Elle Evans
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
I started this on audio (thank you Libro.fm for providing copies for librarians) but finished it on my kindle today. I kind of like books like this to be quick little reads. This one has a lot of drama - a nasty, scheming aunt and the main character Olivia becomes more and more competitive (she is a law student and puts her thinking skills to use). I did like how people called her out and made her see herself for who she was becoming.
Olivia is the maid of honor for her best friend and influencer Leighton. As Olivia tries to get Southern Charm magazine to feature her wedding, she becomes sick and her aunt sits in the meeting for her. However, her aunt pitches her cousin Kali’s wedding to SC as a “modern” wedding to her girlfriend Greta. Olivia is sucked into being Kali’s maid of honor by her aunt, to try to get the magazine to feature this wedding instead of her other (and tying a job offer to her success).
If you like reality tv and drama, this might make you laugh!
“You can’t control everything in life, Liv. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take some risks.” Ch 13
“You were so convinced you could talk your way through anything, but it’s really because you were scared of making a choice.” Ch 17
Olivia is the maid of honor for her best friend and influencer Leighton. As Olivia tries to get Southern Charm magazine to feature her wedding, she becomes sick and her aunt sits in the meeting for her. However, her aunt pitches her cousin Kali’s wedding to SC as a “modern” wedding to her girlfriend Greta. Olivia is sucked into being Kali’s maid of honor by her aunt, to try to get the magazine to feature this wedding instead of her other (and tying a job offer to her success).
If you like reality tv and drama, this might make you laugh!
“You can’t control everything in life, Liv. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take some risks.” Ch 13
“You were so convinced you could talk your way through anything, but it’s really because you were scared of making a choice.” Ch 17
Content Warnings
Minor: Pregnancy
Pregnancy loss mentioned briefly