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Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron My rating: 4 of 5 stars A personal story about Styron's experience with depression. Open, honest, and very very sad. View all my reviews

The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's hard to call this book excellent because it's so very very depressing. A stark, real look at depression and also so much history, politics and background on all the ways depression and race and poverty intersect. Eye opening and so very sad. View all my reviews

Clarity & Connection by yung pueblo My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love pueblo's books. They are pithy and they make you think and they help you remember that life is an inside job. And doing your work is never a waste of time. View all my reviews

I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this. Not as much as Baer's previous book but every minute I spent with it was joy and laugh out loud and touching and she's simply brilliant. View all my reviews

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski My rating: 5 of 5 stars this book was on my list for several reads. I am so excited I finally got to sit down and read it. It was absolutely excellent. There are so so many good pieces of information in this book. So much helpful advice. If you're burned out, worn out, overwhelmed, this will help. View all my reviews

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich My rating: 4 of 5 stars excellent. Erdich writes in a way no one can. There's so much packed into this story. So much of what we've been living through told in eloquent, funny and thoughtful ways. She is so very talented. View all my reviews

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book is complicated. On the one side, it's a super fast read. The three women in the story are interesting and layered and three-dimensional. They make the book a fast-read and they have distinct voices and they are well-done. The men, however, are too perfect. There's nothing wrong with them. They are not complex or interesting. And there are some major issues in this book that are glossed over. Some are dealt with in some detail (the one Tully has) and some are absolutely not given enough room (Rachel's) and space to be dealt with the respect they deserve. It makes them feel like token issues. And then there's the ending. I don't mind a twist. I don't mind unexpected or even unclear endings. I do mind endings that (maybe) unintentionally play into stereotypes that are really not helpful. Let's not do that. so fast read, complex/interesting women. but then so...

Ever After Always by Chloe Liese My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was in the mood for stories that will wrap around me like a blanket and comfort me. Liese does not disappoint. View all my reviews

Always Only You by Chloe Liese My rating: 4 of 5 stars Liese's characters are memorable and three dimensional and enjoyable to read. You will fall in love with them. View all my reviews

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell My rating: 3 of 5 stars This story was okay, I liked the way it was structured and read it in a blur. But now it's been a week and I don't remember much of it. So it's enjoyable but won't stick with you. View all my reviews

Off Season by Jennifer Weiner My rating: 1 of 5 stars too predictable and not my favorite. View all my reviews

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour My rating: 5 of 5 stars "She existed outside of her life and she knew it. When faced with danger, she couldn’t even shout. She barely heard a word people said, too busy making her face appear eager, nodding her head, and saying, “How interesting.”" I read and loved LaCour's previous books and was very excited to see an adult novel. It did not disappoint. I loved the story of Sara and Emilie, each of them struggling in their own way, trying to feel whole and trying to make their lives "work." Trying to survive in a world that hasn't been kind to them. I loved how each of them have an art (flowers/renovating and making cocktails) that allows them to bring forth their creativity and add their unique beauty to the world. I loved how real and flawed they are. This story is about love. It's about trying again, being willing to be vulnerable and be seen and finding your way in a world that hasn'...

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this book in one swallow. Yes it wasn't the best writing, yes some of the characters should have been developed more, yes it might have had flaws but i still really enjoyed my time with it and i can't wait for the next one. Though it looks like I will have to wait quite some while. View all my reviews

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles My rating: 4 of 5 stars Love Towles and this was no exception. This story the journey to California was engaging and I loved the characters. It was not as funny as his previous story but I still loved it. Towles' writing is excellent and never disappoints. A great adventure of a story. View all my reviews

Cackle by Rachel Harrison My rating: 3 of 5 stars Meh. This story had so much potential. I read it despite the mediocre reviews and they were right. It wasn't a bad story but it also won't stay with me. View all my reviews

A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars I can't help it, I love all of Horowitz' books in this series. They are clever and funny and so self-referential. Just my kind of stories. View all my reviews

French Braid by Anne Tyler My rating: 5 of 5 stars "There were advantages to being a girl and having nothing much expected of you." Anne Tyler is one of a kind, for me. I love her characters and I love the way they burrow into your life and you never want to let them go. This was no exception. This is the story of a family over multiple generations. You see them grow away and towards each other. You see them struggle and you see them be there for each other. Tyler is so good at portraying "ordinary" people and the struggles we go through. “Still, though,” David said, “you can never take it for granted that family members will like each other.” “Oh, David. Families love each other!” “ ‘Love,’ well, sure. I’m talking about ‘like,’ ” he said. A lovely story around what it means to be family. with gratitude to KnopfPenguin and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review View all my reviews