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Three Keys by Laura Pritchett My rating: 2 of 5 stars In this case, I'm afraid the writing really got in the way of my ability to enjoy this novel. I tried to read it no less than 5 different times. And I liked the premise but the execution really got in the way. the main character spent a lot of time complaining and the writing was really repetitive. Many others seem to have enjoyed this so please give it a try, you might love it. with gratitude to Random House and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

The Excitements by C.J. Wray My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you're looking for something fun and delightful, this is the novel for you. The story of two WW2 veterans who are funny and daring women who go to France for a ceremony and end up finishing a years long story is funny, delightful and enjoyable to read. View all my reviews

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved this idea of a teacher whose car breaks down and she finds herself inside the town where her favorite book is set in. Which avid reader hasn't hoped for an event like this? Or is it just me? Lovely and creative idea executed well and a joyful read as a result. View all my reviews

The Plea by Steve Cavanagh My rating: 4 of 5 stars I do not understand why all of cavanagh's audio books aren't accessible in the united states but i am glad that this one was. I love his stories. I love the creativity. I love the pacing. i love the crazy. They are fantastic reads. View all my reviews

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan My rating: 3 of 5 stars These books are predictable for me. They are fun and I do enjoy reading them but it was a little longer than I wanted and yet still full of funny and a good story. View all my reviews

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was an interesting premise but I just couldn't find myself interested enough in the main character. It all seemed too apathetic and I just never got into it. Likely me though since many others loved it. View all my reviews

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo My rating: 5 of 5 stars Claire Lombardo is such a magical storyteller. This is the story of a marriage. Of a family. of what it means to be a wife. to be a woman. to be a friend. there's so much here. so much about ordinary life and what lies below the surface. It's heartbreaking and heart lifting all at once. I loved every moment i spent with this story. View all my reviews

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the story of two women. One in 1950s and one in 2020s connected by this one heirloom. I liked the current timeline more because I liked the voice of Mallory and found myself rooting for her and Monk almost immediately. It's not a huge surprise how these stories will connect so it's not mysterious, it's more about reading about how these women's lives unfolded and how they came to be connected. I will say that there's a major trigger warning which for me came out of nowhere and was really disturbing (it's towards the end.) so just beware. View all my reviews

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Lee Mi-ye My rating: 3 of 5 stars I wanted to love this unique and different story. I loved the idea, the creative setting and world building but there was zero plot. Nothing actually happened. I wish the author could weave an interesting story to take place in this interesting setting. View all my reviews

Unburdened Eating: Healing Your Relationships with Food and Your Body Using an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Approach by Jeanne Catanzaro PhD My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have had an unhealthy relationship with food and my body for all of my life and I have recently discovered and become deeply fascinated by IFS so I thought this would be a great book to dive into and I was completely right. I didn't realize that the author is married to the creator of Internal Family Systems therapy and she's been a lifelong researcher and therapist on body image so it is no wonder that this book is absolutely excellent. It is the best book I've read so far on clearly articulating and breaking down case studies of how to break down the different parts and understanding how to work with them to get to the root of what you might be holding. I loved the clarity, kindness, gentleness and love with which the author approaches the subject and each example felt re...

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think this was one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far. If you like UpLit you will absolutely love this story of the old pharmacist, Augusta, who moves into an elderly home where she ends up seeing two people from her childhood, one of whom is her teenage boyfriend (love of her life) who left her and married someone else. This story has so much heart, so much love, so much pain. The characters are layered, funny, sweet, and so real. The way the story slowly unfolds builds your empathy, love and connection to the characters and before you know it, you are rooting for them and aching for them. I loved the magical realism. Usually in stories like this I tend to like one character's storytelling more than the other one. Or I like one timeline more. In this case, I loved all of it. Every moment. Wonderful story, a perfect balm for these tough days. with gratitude to netg...

Run by Blake Crouch My rating: 3 of 5 stars Ok, I am going to mention something that the blurb doesn't mention: this is Blake Crouch's first book. He wrote this before he wrote the other best sellers you might have read. Here's why this matters: While it has some things in common, in a lot of ways, it's a completely different style than his books. First of all, it has little to no science in it. It's not really futuristic (in my opinion) even though there are several elements that could be construed as futuristic also it has very little plot. Basically the whole story is about running away and trying to get to the border. A lot of stuff happens but the plot itself is basically that. The why and what are thin in this story. It's much more action and gory/horror action for the most part. Which is also more uncharacteristic of his later novels. At least not this much. At some point I was overwhelmed with the amount of gore and vi...

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson My rating: 5 of 5 stars "I think it’s possible to live our lives without believing in destiny, without feeling it at work in the choices we make, or the choices that are made for us. But it feels impossible to tell the story of our lives without it. Stories give our lives structure, and that structure is destiny." I have read and loved both of Jandy Nelson's books. But the last one came out ten years ago when I was reading more Young Adult so I wasn't sure I would love this one as much. But I am so glad to say that I was completely wrong. The thing that's so amazing about this book is that on the surface, there's nothing special about the book. It's about a family with three kids. They are each struggling in their own way. The dad has left. The kids are struggling. And then one of them has an accident. That's pretty much the story. But of course that's not it. Because Jand...

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain My rating: 4 of 5 stars If what you're looking for is a super spicy book with immediate attraction, I hope the title of this book makes it clear for you that you should not choose this one. If however, you're looking for a sweet and slow burn romance where the characters are real and grappling with their own journeys and grief and flaws then this is the novel for you. It has heart and laughter and creates a story where you find yourself slowly falling in love with each characters as layers of their story get peeled off. You root for them both individually and together. I enjoyed all the moments I spent with this story. with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review View all my reviews

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz My rating: 2 of 5 stars Ok I can already tell that I am going to be in the minority for this one. I know that writing a book is a long, arduous task and takes a lot of blood and sweat. And I never give books a low rating, but in this case I requested a book in exchange for writing a review and I feel compelled to be honest. This book was absolutely not for me. I read the first one and even though I found the characters despicable, the pacing and the plot of the first book made it so that it was not possible to put it down. Not so much with this one. The plot feels like a rerun. The characters are just as despicable if not more and the pacing was just not there for me. I know others will love it so please do not make your decision based on my review. And I've read other books by this author and loved them so I will read whatever comes next. with gratitude to netgalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy in exch...

The Unwedding by Ally Condie My rating: 3 of 5 stars This got mixed reviews but I thought it was perfectly fine. I find that most mysteries are a three star for me. they keep me engaged while I read them and then i promptly forget all about the book but that's totally ok since i truly did enjoy it while i read. This was no exception. View all my reviews

Bitter House by Kiersten Modglin My rating: 3 of 5 stars A quick read that kept my interest. Some twists on this one but not the unreliable, dislikable characters which I appreciated. View all my reviews