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Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the story of Ana who is filming reality-tv shows about love and marriage while she's trying to figure out her own journey with love. She takes a bunch of bad turns but eventually grows and finds her own way. What made this book trickier is that Ana's not a super-likable character. She's pretty judgmental and even though you know it's because of her fear, it becomes hard to feel compassion for her after a while. Her best friend also seemed like not the best character, to be honest, and it's hard to tell why they are so close. The author tells us this often and has one or two examples of why but I didn't find it believable. I did love Richard but there wasn't enough of his character development in the story for me to get to know him enough. In the end, it was an enjoyable and quick paced story but likely not one that will stick with me. with gratitude to F...

The Drift by C.J. Tudor My rating: 4 of 5 stars This novel has three stories, all of which take place in a snow storm. A bunch of students are stuck in an overturned coach. Several adults are stuck on a stopped cable car. And several guards/caregivers are stuck in their workplace while the generator is flaking and causing unexpected side effects. It all takes place in a futuristic time when there's a virus that has infected much of society and this world is deeply dystopian. This novel was creepy and gory in many parts. I could almost feel the cold and the eerie moments viscerally. I don't usually read horror but CJ Tudor's books are an exception because of the character development that's interwoven in the fast-paced plot that keeps you on your toes. I was able to guess the twist on this one but it still didn't stop me from avidly turning the pages. with gratitude to Random House and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for...

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng My rating: 3 of 5 stars I love Celeste Ng's writing. I love her character development, I love her quiet but affecting stories. This novel, for me, didn't have enough of the depth of her others but it was still deeply touching and one of those stories that stays with you because of how deeply it rings true even though it's dystopian. I am so grateful for authors like Celeste Ng. View all my reviews

A Map for the Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang My rating: 4 of 5 stars A beautiful and touching story about family, expectations, hopes and dreams and the cultures we grow up in. The way our paths diverge and how that can impact what we think of ourselves and others. The way we never see our own and others' realities but make our own versions of that. Siblings and parenting play a huge role in this touching and deeply affecting story too. View all my reviews

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book started out slow for me. It took me a while to understand and like Mimi and Art. But once I did, I fell madly in love. I thought the book did a great job making the reader experience Mimi's confusion about Frank and balancing her own happiness with the need to take care of her bother. Even though there are bits and pieces of this story I could criticize, overall I really loved it. It explores deep meaningful topics like family, parent's death, connection, love, trust, safety, friendship, fear and loneliness. There's so much depth and beauty to the real characters here. with gratitude to HarperCollins and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book started out slow for me. It took me a while to understand and like Mimi and Art. But once I did, I fell madly in love. I thought the book did a great job making the reader experience Mimi's confusion about Frank and balancing her own happiness with the need to take care of her bother. Even though there are bits and pieces of this story I could criticize, overall I really loved it. It explores deep meaningful topics like family, parent's death, connection, love, trust, safety, friendship, fear and loneliness. There's so much depth and beauty to the real characters here. with gratitude to HarperCollins and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake My rating: 3 of 5 stars Meh. For me, this was somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. I read and enjoyed the Atlas Six and was looking forward to the sequel. I really enjoyed learning about each character and their backstory and the world building in the first book. Unlike many, the lack of explanation of the magic or the wordiness didn't bother me in the first book. There was enough character building and enough plot to keep the book engaging and moving. Neither of those things were true in the second book. The characters aren't changing or growing. The plot was mostly nonexistent. Enough that it's hard to tell the point of this book. Maybe it was just a filler book before the third one, but even then, it would have been better to have the book be half as long, move some of the plot points forward and get the readers ready for the conclusion instead of making us slog through a 400-page book that doesn't r...

No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering by Thich Nhat Hanh My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thich Nhat Hanh was a huge lost for humanity. He's such an amazing teacher and I loved this reminder that suffering is a part of life just like happiness+joy and it's not something to run away from. I am grateful for his teachings. View all my reviews

Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky My rating: 5 of 5 stars I heard about this book from my son who thought the premise was super interesting. He was so right. What a fantastic story and how well told. Extra interesting that it's written by two Russian brothers back before USSR broke apart. I loved the science fiction in this story but not as much as I loved the characters and how memorable they will be for me. Excellent, excellent story. View all my reviews

Imposter by Bradeigh Godfrey My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars Read this in one breath. It was fast paced and interesting. Some serious suspension of disbelief but still interesting to read. View all my reviews

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this book about the return of a man back to his hometown island and the havoc that causes with the folks that live there, unearthing and old fire and murder that was never resolved and a romance that never died. I loved reading this one. View all my reviews

A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey My rating: 4 of 5 stars Lovely story about how it feels to go home after a long time and to reconnect with your siblings whom you'd wronged a long time ago. Family, memory, parenting, sibling relationships and home are all themes in this beautiful story. View all my reviews

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz My rating: 4 of 5 stars Angie Cruz is an excellent writer. I loved her first book and I loved this one. Her ability to create lively and interesting characters that have depth and stay with you is one of a kind. Her dialogue is funny and full of heart. Her stories stay with you long after you turn the last page. Loved this one. View all my reviews

The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars Read this in one sitting. Lovely alternating stories about the main character and her grandmother and how they each find their way into becoming a matchmaker. It's a bit magical, but full of tradition and what it means to be a woman. View all my reviews

Touch by Olaf Olafsson My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3.5 stars A soft, beautiful story about a man who travels to Japan right during the pandemic to find his old love. Loved this quiet story. View all my reviews

The Atonement by Kiersten Modglin My rating: 3 of 5 stars The finale. Well done. It's hard to finish a book like this in any way that feels satisfying and yet this one did. View all my reviews

The Amendment by Kiersten Modglin My rating: 3 of 5 stars I read the first of this series a long time ago. It was intense and crazy and fun. So was this one. Though I'd say more over the top. Perfect if you're stuck with nothing good to read. View all my reviews

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas My rating: 4 of 5 stars Loved this one, too. Not as much as the Spanish Love Deception but it was fun and sweet and if romance is your thing, I am pretty sure you will like it. View all my reviews

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane My rating: 5 of 5 stars Mary Beth Keane's characters stay with you long after you've finished reading her novels. The Half Moon is no exception. Malcolm, the bartender, and his smart lawyer wife, Jess make a place in your heart that is soft and permanent. This novel takes place during a giant storm and in one week. It moves back and forth in time and covers the complexities of what it means to be family. What it feels like to grow up in a small town where everyone knows each other and everyone knows each other's business. It covers the pain for not being able have life work out the way you'd hoped and the reality of how much is outside of our control in life. How we can want something with all our soul and still not have it and how our dreams can destroy our lives, our marriages, and our souls. And despite all that how resilient we can be. An absolutely beautiful story with characters you won't for...

Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom by Sharon Salzberg My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life." The quote above personifies why I love Sharon Salzberg. She does not try to create an alternate reality of what life is. She doesn't feel like someone that's so far away from my life that I couldn't connect to her words. She reminds us that we get to choose how things affect us and we get to choose our spaciousness and the way we look at life. We get to choose to be full of love. "This is what I’m calling Real Life. Real Life is about what happens when we fully engage with our everyday lives, whatever shape o...

The World of Urban Sketching: Celebrating the Global Revolution of Drawing on Location - New Inspirations, Approaches, and Techniques for Seeing the World One Drawing at a Time by Stephanie Bower My rating: 5 of 5 stars This might be my favorite of all the Urban Sketching books. Even though it's not focused on a particular "skill," there is so much inspiration and so many different styles in this book that it reminds you again and again that there's no one way to be or do if you're interested in urban sketching. It also was interesting to see how many of the sketchers have architecture as their background. I loved the time I spent with this book and found it to be super inspiring. with gratitude to quarry books and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Mary tries to see her children as belonging to God: only borrowed. She and Mathew have agreed, finally, that there will be no more of them." This is the story of a six-year-old boy, in 1883 in Australia, Denny, who is lost and the whole town starts looking for him in different ways. The story involves his sisters, mother and father, policemen, trackers, maids, farmers and more who all explore their own relationships as the events unfold. This story was slow for me in the beginning and the atmosphere felt stifling (I'm sure on purpose.) I kept thinking the boy would be ok but then worrying he wouldn't be. As I kept reading I got more and more attached to the characters and I really loved the ending. A majestic story, beautifully told. with gratitude to netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my r...

The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed all of Lia Louis' previous books so I knew I was going to like this one, too, and I was not disappointed! This is the story of Natalie who lost her husband two and a half years ago and she's still mourning him and is stuck in a house that is falling apart and a job that she doesn't love. She gave up her musician past but now she regularly plays the piano in a subway station where no one knows her. Until someone starts leaving her the notes for songs that are meaningful between her and her dead husband. There aren't a lot of characters in this story so the "mystery" isn't hard to guess. But of course this story is not about the mystery. It's about moving on, about friendship, betrayal, about living others' lives. About friendship and honesty and beautiful characters that will stay with you long after you're done reading. Loved this story...