Red Sky Over Hawaii - Book Review

 

Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
Publication date: June 9, 2020
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Story, characters
Weaknesses: What happens next??

While I expected this book to be a bit more fluff, it drew me in and had me fully invested in the characters right away. My family thought these were people I actually knew from my repeated mumblings. I missed living in Hawaii...but I've never actually lived in Hawaii. You get the picture. It was a well-written and engrossing book.

It all starts when Lana gets a call from her father. He's ill, and he's not the kind of guy to admit that easily. She walks out of her husband's home, knowing it's likely she won't come back (they are so done). Anyway, it takes some finagling, but she gets a flight to Hilo to see her father. 

Once she finds out her father has already passed, she returns to his house and meets his neighbors. While having breakfast with the neighbors the next day, they're taken in by the FBI because Pearl Harbor was bombed and the neighbors are German. Lana promises to care for the charming daughters of the neighbors.

Soon enough, Lana realizes Hilo probably isn't the safest place for them all, so she decides to take the girls to her father's other property in Volcano. Her father's best friend and his teenager tag along. Oh, and they're Japanese (also wanted for questioning). Her father's friend is in poor health and old, but his philosophy is very calming. She values his input and is grateful to not be the only adult.

The story of Lana's instant responsibility for three kids isn't enough drama for that girl - the author even throws in a romantic interest. Add in a bit of magical realism and I can't do anything else til I've read this story through to its conclusion.

I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for fans of historical fiction. It's also a great message of a woman's resilience and strength to do what's needed. 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

A Princess by Christmas AND A California Christmas - Book Reviews

 

Thank you so much to Harlequin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review these two fun holiday books. Receiving them for free did not influence my reviews.

I loved being invited to check out a couple of the Harlequin Christmas tales, since I'd previously reviewed books from the same authors and series before (A Royal Kiss and Tell last June, and Christmas in Silver Springs a little more than a year ago). There's something altogether comforting about returning to familiar book settings and characters when real life is so unpredictable, you know?

A Princess by Christmas by Julia London - This is the third book in the Royal Wedding series. I read the first one where Eliza and her prince got together, but didn't review all the details of the courtship between Caroline and her prince. 

This charming Christmas story finds us with Hollis Honeycutt and her so fun Ladies Gazette. I loved the excerpts and gossip from her gazette that have been shared in the books in the series. The outspoken widow has been doing just fine in the four years since her husband's death, and hasn't even noticed anything missing from her busy life, until she meets a man who gives her thoughts and feelings she doesn't remember having since she was with her first husband.

The characters and their fancy lives in and around the old Victorian Christmas season were a fun escape and quite entertaining. I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy this time period, or historical romances in general. ⭐⭐⭐

A California Christmas by Brenda Novak - This was the seventh book in the Silver Springs series. I've only read the one from last Christmas (book 6) and this one. The small town of Silver Springs has its share of troubled characters, especially those involved with the New Horizons school specifically for youth with sketchy pasts. Most of the residents, of course, are completely lovable once you get to know them.

Emery Bliss was from the rich school in town, but after high school she moved to LA to be a famous news anchor. It's going well, til revenge porn is posted by her co-anchor, and she comes back home to nurse her emotional wounds and hide from those who want to talk about her fall from grace. Unfortunately, her parents have left town and are focused on their own bitter divorce. Emery stays with Aiyana's house (just off the campus of New Horizons) and ends up meeting one of Aiyana's adopted sons (Dallas Turner, now an adult) who is just home for the holidays, and to help with Aiyana's wedding. I think we can see where this is going, right? ;)

Dallas wants to save those who have suffered injustice, mostly in private tribute to his inability to save his own sister. But he'll need to learn this before he can work through his own commitment issues and really move on with his life.

There's a lot of trouble in the world, but in Silver Springs we know there will be a happy ending within a few hundred pages, right? I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for readers who like contemporary romance stories. ⭐⭐⭐

As corny as it sounds, my time away from the tv (which for this month is all cheezy Hallmark/Netflix holiday stories) is the same stories in book form. Hahahaha.... 

What books do you enjoy reading to warm your heart for the holiday season?

Breath Like Water - Book Review

 

Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab
Publication date: May 19, 2020
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Young adult

Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Dealt with deeper issues (mental health), nice storytelling, consistent pacing
Weaknesses: No big 'ah-ha'

Susannah Ramos was once a world champion swimmer. But as puberty hit and her body changed, she lost the speed that once came so naturally. A new coach could help her turn it back around. Or a romance with a new team member could distract her and steal the focus she needs to finally win again. 

This book was a real roller coaster of emotions. The good and the bad kept rolling at Susannah. Every time she seemed to be conquering one challenge, another would rear its ugly head. The success of the book, however, comes from watching Susannah's character develop and mature in spite of (or because of?) all the tough decisions she needs to make and act on.

Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. Susannah wasn't a very likable character, but she tried. Her romantic interest was also hit or miss for me. The storyline was believable and teen angst-y. The swimming competition parts also felt sincere.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

A Wild Winter Swan - Book Review

 

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire
Publication date: October 6, 2020
Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Literary fiction, fantasy
Rating: 4/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Beautifully told, interesting adaptation of The Wild Swans
Weaknesses: Lack of urgency

Laura lives with her paternal grandparents in New York City. Her father died before she was born, and then when her brother died a few years after that, her mom became unable to care for her. Her grandparents are old-school Italians who own a grocery store they've built to be more successful over the years. 

As they approach Christmas, Laura's grandparents are trying to give the impression of even more success so they can get her grandma's rich brother-in-law to invest in the store and help them keep going. In the midst of all this, Laura gets expelled from her private school for lashing out at the girls who have bullied her for years. To further complicate matters, the day after Laura reads Hans Christian Anderson's story of The Wild Swans to the first graders she reads to after school, a boy with one swan arm lands on the roof outside her window.

Most of the story comes together as Laura tries to help her grandmother and their housekeeper put on an impressive Christmas dinner while hiding and trying to figure out how to help the swan/boy. The story of the immigrants life in the city in the early 1960s is charming and engaging. I enjoyed watching Laura try to meet all the expectations made of her for her behavior and responsibilities, while she tried to write her own story and decide what she really wanted. 

Overall, I liked the story more in retrospect than I did as I read it, if that makes sense. While the half swan boy was probably just a fantasy, all of the story was easy to imagine as Laura's real life, and that of her grandparents. I'd give the book 4 out of 5 stories and recommend it as a pleasant, non-traditional Christmas read.

The Lost Orphan - Book Review

 

The Lost Orphan: A Novel by Stacey Halls
Publication date: April 7, 2020
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Story, characters, background
Weaknesses: Could have used more historical details

Bess Bright gives birth to her daughter and knows she can't support her yet. The baby's father is not named or available, and a baby not only doesn't contribute, it would keep Bess from being able to do her job as a hawker to help feed her father and herself. She takes the small baby to the foundling hospital just hours after its birth, and is lucky enough for the baby to be deemed healthy, and get one of the infant spots available. The baby will be raised in the country, and then brought back to the foundling when she's a bit older to be trained for a job. Bess also makes sure to confirm that she can pick her child back up once she's able to reimburse the foundling hospital for her care while Bess is away.

But when Bess shows up a little more than six years later, they tell her that she picked the baby up only the day after she left her. What's a poor, uneducated, single mother to do to try and get her child back? A lucky coincidence reveals to Bess where her daughter is, but not how she got there. Bess creates a fake name and persona to work as a nursemaid, caring for her own daughter. What will a mother do to be able to love and care for her child?

The story itself was so sad. Lots of women had to leave their babies with the foundling hospital. Hopefully not too many found their child claimed by a fake mother, though. Learning about Bess, and the only mother her daughter knew before Bess returned was interesting. The sincerity and compassion with which Bess addressed and treated those around her was heartwarming.

Overall, I'd give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable read for someone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

In Five Years - Book Review

 

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Publication date: March 10, 2020
Pages: 266 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Story/plot
Weaknesses: Realism/big roomie apartments for young people in New York

This is another book I added to my TBR list and requested from the library after seeing lots of other positive reviews. Luckily I loved it too, although it's hard to talk too much about without spoiling it.

Dannie and David are the perfect couple - they fit! The night after Dannie aces an interview for her dream job, David delivers her dream proposal. Her life is still completely on track. But that night, she has a dream for an hour or so of herself in a totally different life. Different apartment, different ring, different guy! She does notice that the time/date in the dream is in five years. Being the planner that she is, she decides to make sure none of that is a possibility, since it isn't part of her master plan. 

Dannie is a smart, strong female character. The book is really more about her relationship with her best friend since childhood, Bella. To meet them on the street, Bella and Dannie are opposites. Dannie is organized, competent, smart, and successful. She describes Bella as gorgeous, a free spirit, maybe a bit flighty, and falling in love easily. But maybe there's more traits they share than Dannie has realized before?

I loved all the feels in this story. She does indeed catch up with her 'in five years' vision, but not in any way that's imaginable from the beginning of the story. I loved reading this book and I'd give it 4.5/5 stars. It's not the first book this year that I've read that dealt with a lot of grief, but not in a sad way, if that makes any sense. I enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait to find out how it all fit together. 

Long Bright River - Book Review

 

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Publication date: January 7, 2020
Pages: 492 pages
Genre: Literary fiction, mystery/thriller, family drama
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Story, characters, emotion
Weaknesses: Punctuation style

The story is told by Michaela Fitzpatrick, usually known as Mickey. She and her sister Kacey were raised by their emotionally abusive grandmother after their mother died as a result of her opioid addiction. As a teenager, Mickey watched Kacey fall victim to drug addiction and life on the streets of their Philadelphia neighborhood as well. 

Now adults, Mickey has become a police officer and patrols the streets where Kacey can usually be found. When a few street girls end up  murdered, Mickey realizes she hasn't seen Kacey in at least a month, and Kacey's friends on the streets confirm that Kacey has disappeared from all her regular hang-outs. 

The book follows Mickey, trying to protect the street girls on her patrol, find her sister, and figure out who is murdering the girls. Unfortunately, the more info Mickey finds out, the harder it is to trust anyone to help her solve the mystery and save more girls from being killed. 

This book is fiction, but the story it tells is true for too many. Addiction victimizes so many people who may have grown up seeing it destroy those around them, and they still often can't find a way out. Their story was told beautifully by Mickey's narration (although I wish she had some traditional punctuation for her dialogue!). 

I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for readers who enjoy police procedurals, family dramas, and stories about the battles against opioid addiction. The characters were multi-faceted and showed their good sides and their bad sides in equal turns. 

One Perfect Summer - Book Review

One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
Publication date: April 7, 2020
Pages: 464 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Characters, interesting plot
Weaknesses: Some characters were pointless

In the interest of research for the true crime books she writes, Serenity takes a DNA test. Imagine her surprise when she's then put in contact with TWO women who have also taken the test and find they're all half sisters of each other! 

After chatting online for a bit, the sisters decide to meet, and hopefully figure out the details of how they're related. Serenity was raised in a happy family with three other siblings, and her parents are still together, so who isn't telling the truth about her parentage? Lorelei was found wandering the streets of Orlando and grew up in foster homes - is her birth mother the one who abandoned her and never returned to claim her, or is there more to her story? Reagan was raised by a single mother and told her father died when she was two-years-old. Where's the link that will connect the sisters biologically?

The sisters each arrive at Serenity's family cabin in Lake Tahoe with their own troubles. Their parentage may be the least of their concerns this summer, but they are committed to the idea of being sisters, and being there for each other. 

Each of the sisters was so unique and still likable. This book was so engaging and had the reader pulling for a happy ending for all of the sisters. They each made progress toward a happy ending, and they all even seem to be getting a bit of romance - yay! I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a perfect summer read, although their problems could be less than pleasant for some to read about. It's fiction, and they're characters ;) Enjoy!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving it for free did not influence my review.

The Happy Ever After Playlist - Book Review

 

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
Publication date: April 14, 2020
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance, Chick-lit
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Characters, story, meet-sweet
Weaknesses: Whoa. Not sure.

Such a fun, refreshing book in such a crazy world! I love entertaining yet realistic books that can present huge emotional problems and then solve lifelong happiness goals over just a few days of reading. 

While this book takes place chronologically after The Friend Zone, I read somewhere that the author actually wrote this one first. To sum them both up, Sloane and Kristen are best friends. The Friend Zone was the story of Kristen and Josh meeting, falling in love, and getting their HEA (happily ever after, obvs). Let's just say this book didn't end well for Sloane, though.

The Happy Ever After Playlist brings us into Sloane's life, with just a few visits with Kristen and Josh. Sloane meets Jason through his dog. She falls in love with the dog first, while watching him for a couple weeks and waiting to hear from Jason. When Jason and Sloane finally meet, Sloane is surprised to have feelings she hasn't had in years. Her life is suddenly changing fast, and she and Jason have to decide what sacrifices they're willing to make to have a life together.

I loved it all! At one point, the obstacles seemed insurmountable. While I never try hard to figure out storylines in advance, I was curious and then surprised at how this one resolved. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, and only wish I had read it alongside the suggested playlist (there's a song and artist at the beginning of each chapter, and someone has already gone to the trouble to compile this as a Spotify playlist). This is excellent chicklit and contemporary fiction that I would recommend.

The Guest List - Book Review

 

The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley
Publication date: March 19, 2020
Pages: 319 pages
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 3/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Interesting plot, satisfying ending
Weaknesses: Implausible - too many coincidences

The creepy vibe in this one was excellent. I wanted to vacation on a haunted, gloomy, dangerous island too!! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about what was happening.

The bride (a successful magazine publisher) gets an awesome deal on a destination wedding intended to launch an island resort off the coast of Ireland to popularity. This seems like the right way to get a great deal (for the engaged couple and their guests), and great publicity for the resort (since the groom is also a local celebrity - star of his own show about wilderness survival). 

The perspective of how the story is told starts jumping back and forth. The night of the ceremony, something bad goes down in a brutal storm just outside the tents where everyone is celebrating. But this is juxtoposed against the build up to the wedding, and the quirks each of the characters involved seem to have.

The groom's party is some of his old private school friends. They're decidedly not nice guys. And they haven't changed over time, since they apparently were not nice to the guy who is a member of the bridal party. They're jerks, and they seem to bring out the worst in each other and those around them.

The bride may be a bit shallow, but her heart is good, and she really just wants things to be perfect for her big day. If only she had surrounded herself with good people to start with.

Anyway, someone ends up dead. By the end of the book, it's pretty clear that the corpse deserved what they got, from several different directions. So who really did the killing? It's worth reading the book to find out. I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was fun to read and the vibe was super-creepy.

Show Us Your Books - August 2020

 

When it rains it pours! Yes, we are having precipitation here, but I'm referring more to LIFE! 

I meant to set up most of this post over the weekend, knowing that Tuesday would sneak up on my after the holiday weekend. Yeah - the whole weekend snuck away from me! Hahaha.... So here I am, trying to supervise the first day of 'remote instruction' for my 3rd grader and 8th grader, and put together this post of the books I read in August. What an adventure! Luckily my 8th grader is very smart and very independent. I assume she's still in her room-turned-office doing her thing. The whole elementary school, on the other hand, is struggling. Lots of families are having issues with the technology that was issued (i.e. laptops aren't accessing the sites we need). It does indeed take a village this year, and our village is apparently really fast typists on Facebook. Once one person (granted, usually the same person) finds their way through, the rest of us are quick to try and duplicate their results. So far, so good? Only got to tears (my student, not me...yet) once so far, thinking he was missing a class. Finally made it, and he's headed into his next class now. Wish us luck!

I'm linking up with Life According to Steph and Jana Says for the Show Us Your Books link up again this month. My book titles link to Goodreads, and all of my full reviews are posted on either my blog (SweetlyBSquared.com) or Books I Think You Should Read. Thanks to the publishers and/or Netgalley for any books I received for free - this never influences my reviews.

Finished Reading:

My One True North by Milly Johnson - Laurie and Peter end up in a loosely structured grief group together. They immediately 'click' and feel comfortable with each other, until they start learning more about each others' background. The story is really about their lives mostly after their losses (with a little more info as they learn some intresting details about the loved ones they lost). It was beautifully told and touching, and I gave it 5/5 stars in my full review on Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A House is a Body by Shruti Swamy - This collection of short stories was great! The author's colorful descriptions brought her Indian heritage and her time in India to life. I gave it 4/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War by Lucy Rose Fischer, Jerry A. Rose - I really enjoyed this non-fiction account of Jerry Rose's six years in and around Viet Nam as a teacher and then reporter. His sister did a wonderful job writing the book after researching through his correspondence and interviewing those who knew him during this time. The book reads as an exciting story and an important retelling of a period of history I haven't read much about before. This was definitely a book deserving of my 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff - Vampires, and dragons, and witches - oh, my! While this one was originally discusses as being sort of a similar knock-off to a very popular vampire series, I enjoyed it. I was especially amused when one of the main characters presented another main character with a copy of the book it may bear some similarity to. Anyway, this story is about a girl whose parents die and she goes to an Alaskan boarding school run by her uncle to live there and room with her cousin. She starts figuring out quickly that there may be something a little different about the teen residents. This was a fun YA read and I gave it 3.5/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Station Eleven by Emily S. John Mandel - I finally borrowed this one from my local library, as I'd heard it mentioned and figured I needed to read it - I love speculative fiction. This book checks in on a few groups of people and how they're existing after a plague wipes out most of the population of the U.S. Most of the story takes place 20 years after the plague, and most of it is in/around what is currently Michigan. Check out my full 4/5 star review on my blog here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Jackal (Black Daggar Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1; Black Daggar Legacy #5) by J.R. Ward - Nyx breaks into the famous glymera's prison (after accidentally getting a clue to its secret location) with the intention of finally breaking her sister out, after 50 years. She stumbles into The Jackal almost immediately on her arrival. He's been imprisoned for more than a century. Oh, yeah - they're all vampires, which gives them really long life spans, and some teleporting abilities, but no other powers that are displayed in this book. I was worried about this one both because it's number 5 in one series (but the first in another) and because it opened with a pretty sizable glossary. Luckily all the characters were well-introduced, and the words in the glossary weren't really used. I enjoyed this book and gave it 4/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters - Violet and James are a love match early in the first season in which she is presented. But a drama we don't initially know about leaves them not speaking to each other for years, starting shortly after they're married. When he has an accident, she is angy to have gotten halfway to his side before finding out he's fine. She decides to fake her own health crises to inspire his devotion again. I gave it 3/5 stars when I reviewed it for Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick - When Anna moves to Herron Mills to be a nanny for the summer, she soon hears about her resemblance to a missing girl, Zoe Spanos. She also gets waves of familiarity from the shops and quaint town of Herron Mills. None of this makes sense, as her mother and best friend both deny ever having been there, which means she couldn't have gone there herself either. I personally enjoy mysteries with unreliable narrators, and Anna was definitely unreliable. She was trying to put her drinking and drug-using past behind her, and become an excellent nanny. But doubting her own recollections from her life made that pretty difficult. I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was a great YA mystery, as I stated in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis - Emmie Blue was such an endearing character. She thinks the only solid connection she has in her life is her best friend from when she was 16-yeasr-old. Lucas found her balloon that was released with a note during a horribly tumultous time in her life, when nearly everyone else turned their backs on her. Now 14-years-later, Emmie and Lucas are turning 30, and he's said he has an important question to ask her. Is this it? Are they getting married and she's moving forward with her life plan? Unfortunately, no. But she may have been ignoring all the other people she's important to for too long. I gave this one 4.5/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I Was You by Amber Garza - Since I've already mentioned this month how much I like an unreliable narrator, it will come as no surprise that I really liked this book. Without giving you the spoiler, I especially loved the very end of it. This is the story of two Kelly Medinas. The older Kelly is practically living alone while her husband spends weeks away from home at his college job and her son has left for college. The younger Kelly just moved to town (though she doesn't really say why) with her new baby and no support. The older Kelly is thrilled to have a new purpose - helping her new friend get comfortable in her new community and teaching her to be a better mom. But older Kelly's husband and best friend are warning her to keep her grip on reality, and making the warning sound based on past events. I loved this book (did I mention especially the ending?!?) and gave it 5/5 stars on my blog. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie - After losing her father, Afi and her mother don't have an easy life. When the benevolent Aunty of their community suggests an arranged marriage between her son and Afi, it sounds almost too good to be true. Unfortunately, Afi's new groom, Eli, is in love with another woman. The marriage to Afi was arranged in order to 'lure' him away from the relationship he's already in. And while it is still seen in their culture in Ghana, Afi does not want to be a multiple wife. This story of her adjusting to life in the city on her own, and learning who she is and what she wants, is touching and enjoyable to read. I gave this one 3.5/5 stars in my review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

I just got Happy Ever After Playlist from the library late last night and couldn't wait to dive in! I also just finished The White Coat Diaries and need to get my review written today. Last but not least, I'm slowly starting Tommy Wallach's Strange Fire since it's a print copy I need to read and review. 

Reading Next:

Feeling a bit overwhelmed to keep planning, but let's pencil in The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike (apparently the second book in a trilogy? Fingers crossed I can get into it without knowing anything about the first book), Interference by Brad Parks, and A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux for the next couple weeks, shall we?

I love your comments! Thanks so much for both taking a look at what I'm reading, and sharing what you'd recommend as well :)

His Only Wife - Book Review

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

Publication date: September 1, 2020

Pages: 288 pages

Genre: Womens' fiction

Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆

Strengths: Sincere voice, intriguing story

Weaknesses: Not much urgency

Afi and her mother struggle a bit after the death of Afi's father. They rely on the kindness of several people in their community, including Afi's uncle, and the community's benevolent 'Aunty.' So when Aunty comes to Afi's mother to suggest an arranged marriage between her son and Afi, Afi's mother really can't refuse. As Afi understands it, she's been chosen by the rest of the family to be Eli's only wife. Eli is supposedly in love with another woman, but she is said to be ugly, rude, and a bad mother. Afi is sent in to woo Eli away from the evil seductress.

Overnight, Afi finds herself, a small-town country girl, trying to fit in with the sophisticated friends of her sister-in-law in Accra. At first she sees many of them as vulgar and larger than life, but soon she begins coming in to her own voice, and recognizing what she wants from her life. 

I loved Afi. Her emotions felt relatable to me, although I've never been anywhere close to Ghana or an arranged marriage. Her determination, her nervousness, her love, her rage, and her resolve were all so real and understandable. Overall, I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy womens' fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sharing this book with me. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

When I Was You - Book Review

When I Was You by Amber Garza
Publication date: August 25, 2020
Pages: 368 pages
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Plot, THAT ENDING!!
Weaknesses: Could get confusing - best to read it as quickly as possible!

I've found that I really enjoy books with unreliable narrators. This story was definitely that. There's two Kelly Medinas, a fact that fascinates the older of the two, and she feels compelled to help the younger navigate a life that she's sure is just like hers. But we hear, as the older talks to her husband and best friend, that things may not be okay with the older Kelly. There was something super-traumatic in her not-so-long-ago past that leaves those around her doubtful of her ability to evaluate people and situations. We don't know exactly what she's apparently in denial of until much later in the book. 

The younger Kelly Medina and her baby boy definitely seem to need help. She tells the older that she has no support in the area, but never quite says what led her to move to this small town where the older already lived. The older Kelly is so excited to feel useful again, now that she lives alone while her husband works a few towns away and her son isn't living at home since he left for college. And more friends are always a good thing, right?

Unfortunately, there is no way to discuss the last quarter of the book without giving major spoilers. I squealed with delight at the very end of the book, but this may be because I don't mind things a little dark. I can't imagine everyone would be as happy with the ending, but I sure was!

Overall, I'd give this excellent thriller 5 out of 5 stars. The ending was totally unexpected by me, and I'm sure not everyone would be as happy with it, but I'd be willing to read the whole book again if I had time - it was that good.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my electronic copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my glowing review. 

The Woman Before Wallis - Book Review

The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull
Publication date: July  21, 2020
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Historical plot, multiple characters of real people
Weaknesses: Lots of detail (see above? LOL)


I'll admit I read a bit before starting this book to make sense of the title. Essentially, this book is mostly about Thelma Morgan's life. Thelma was the girlfriend of The Prince of Wales for several years, until he started dating Wallis Simpson (which was the basis for some of my confusion - I didn't know this story before, and Wallis was a woman). So we read a lot about Thelma, her relationship with the Prince, and her twin sister Gloria.

When a historical fiction book sends me to doing further research on the characters, I know it's good. I was definitely searching and reading other articles about Thelma Morgan, Duke Furness, Gloria Vanderbilt and Wallis Simpson by the time I was half way through this book. The author of The Woman Before Wallis says she moved a few dates to help the story flow, but the essence of the story was the way things really happened.

I was fascinated to learn more about a family and time I'd heard little about before. It was easy to feel understanding toward the Morgan twins and the choices they made. The overlap between the rich and powerful Vanderbilts and the English royal family was interesting.

Overall, I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Sometimes I forget how much I generally enjoy historical fiction. This book was a great reminder.



Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions.

Rodham - Book Review

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
Publication date: May 19, 2020
Pages: 417 pages
Genre: Political fiction, speculative fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Imagination, political knowledge
Weaknesses: Jumpy timeline narration


I really enjoyed this memoir of sorts - it tells all about Hillary Rodham's life, from her perspective. Except it's just a speculation of what her life may have been if she never married Bill Clinton.

The whole book felt plausible to me. Granted, I've never really followed politics, but the depictions of Trump especially were as annoying as I experience when hearing 'real' Trump tweets and quotes. I'm not sure if that's a compliment. The portion of the book that had his character in it was really a trial for me to get through. Ugh.

I did sincerely like Hillary's character. While I can't speak to how true it is or is not, I found her character in the book to be quite likable. Her struggles as a female politician in a position of being scrutinized felt sincere and believable. I also appreciated her life choices as seeming realistic and justified.

Overall, I liked this book a lot and will seek out books by the same author. While it's been compared to fan fiction, the writing was decidedly more professional to me. I'd give this book 4/5 stars and recommend it to political buffs who can appreciate fan fic, and those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

Show Us Your Books - June 2020

Thanks again to Jana Says and Life According to Steph for hosting the Show Us Your Books link-up and holding me accountable for tracking my reading.

June was a month of ups and downs! I celebrated my birthday, but the day before that, my computer ended up with a virus. Hubs didn't hear me say to save anything with 'book' in the title of the folder, so I lost all of my book reviews (although they're published on either my site or the site I write for), and even more unfortunately, I lost my whole spreadsheet of books I have for review in the next few months. I chose to recreate that on Google Docs so it's in the cloud now. And I'm so thankful for the woman I work with for sharing her records of what I had coming. Between that and emails, we're back up and running. But I really never want to repeat that whole experience.

My drama isn't what you're here for - let's get to the books!

Finished Reading:

Daring to Live: How the Power of Sisterhood and Taking Risks Can Jump-Start Your Joy by Sheri Hunter - When Sheri Hunter's husband died unexpectedly, she was blessed to have a group of strong and supportive friends. They helped Sheri pull through the devestation and depression after her loss and were with her while Sheri learned to enjoy life again. Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions. My full 3/5 star review is at Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐

A Royal Kiss and Tell (A Royal Wedding #2) by Julia London - I enjoyed this amusing historial romance. Lady Caroline is sassy and expects most of the men in a room she occupies to be susceptible to her charms. Prince Leopold seems to be the exception, and she can't figure out why. Over time, we can guess how it all will end, but there's also an extra mystery they're solving to save poor young women from a neighboring country. I was happy to receive this book from the publisher and Netgalley, but it didn't influence my 4/5 star review (here). ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han - The books and Netflix movies in this series are all so much fun! Since they have all been about Lara Jean Covey's romantic and high school life, I'm thinking this is the end of the road. She graduates in this, the third book in the series. Or will we meet again when she's in college? I borrowed this book from the library and gave it 4/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Electric Heir (Feverwake #2) by Victoria Lee - This is the second book in the duology, and I'd definitely recommend reading them both in order. This dystopian fiction examines the leader of a soceity that has been devestated by a virus that kills most adolescents, and leaves those who survive with unique powers. I was excited to receive this one from the publisher to review after reviewing the first book when it was released last year (free books don't influence my reviews). Together they are one of my favorite dystopian series. My full 4.5/5 star review for the second book is here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Conference of the Birds (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #5) by Ransom Riggs - I really, really love the premise of this story, and the movie based on the first book. Unfortunately, this book feels like it's running out of unique plot. We've got a new peculiar child, Noor, who is introduced to loop life, while all the kids work to find her role in it all, and keep them all safe. I'll keep reading and always need to know what comes next, but this book just warranted a 3/5 stars for me. I borrowed the book from the library and shared my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐

Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz - This powerful memoir told the sometimes painful story of a poor, abused teenager growing up in Miami. But the author's tone was never 'poor me.' She acknowledged that while some of her choices weren't the best, they often were the least-worst given the circumstances she found herself in. I respected her story and what she's made of herself since. While I received the book from the publisher and Netgalley, this didn't influence my 3/5 star review, shared here. I'd recommend this book for those who enjoy memoirs. ⭐⭐⭐

Final Judgment (Samantha Brinkman #4) by Marcia Clark - Other reviewers have said that this series is going downhill. If that's true, I've got some back-tracking to do. I enjoyed this, the fourth book. Sam Brinkman is a sassy and smart defense attorney who enjoys a great rapport with the two friends who work in her office. In this book, her boyfriend is the prime suspect in the murder of an investment manager who lost a lot of people a lot of money. While investigating that, she also finds out about the rape of a 15-year-old girl who doesn't want to go public. Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my 3.5/5 star review (read my review here). ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards - Genevieve Dumont is an international star, welcome to perform anywhere in 1944. She is the Nazi's darling, only because they don't know she's working with a network of spies. What a great cover! I enjoyed this historical fiction and reviewed it here. Receiving the book from the publisher and Netgalley did not influence my review. I gave it 3/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein - This was a quick read that could have been fluff, but instead chose to mention the mostly retired gymnast and her student dealing with the gymnastic community's response to a scandal of a doctor abusing his high-level gymnast patients. Sounds a bit familiar, and infuriating every time. I liked the gymnast-turned-coach story, and the character's (and author's) use of their platform to share real-life problems. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. Receiving it for free did not influence my 3.5/5 star review - read it in full here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Last Sword Maker (The Course of Empire #1) by Brian Nelson - What a page-turner! What could have been a complicated story of science and international intrigue was exceptionally well-written. I found it easy to understand and very engaging. It's a race for the top science minds in the U.S. and China to reach replication and weaponize their science first. Whoever wins will have the most power in the world. I'm excited to read the next book in this dystopian series. Thanks to the publisher for my copy, although receiving it for free did not influence my review. I gave it 4/5 stars here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Prairie Fever by Michael Parker - Getting to know Lorena, Elise and Gus was an interesting process. They each had a unique narrating voice about their life and experiences on the prairie. While I enjoyed it, reading about each incident they chose to reflect on from each perspective was a bit tedious. The language was beautiful and descriptive, but sometimes redundant. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy, the receipt of which did not influence my review. Read my full review here, where I gave it 3/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics by Heather Lende - The author's take on life in her small town in Alaska is amusing. She's actually written a few books. This one is about the time she ran for, and served on, the town assembly. I always find it interesting to hear what other people think is important. This sums up several observiations made by the author as an assembly person. She wants what's best for the town, but she's also friends with most of the residents, and doesn't want to risk those relationships either. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. I would recommend it to those interested in life in Alaska, or small town politics. My unbiased 3/5 star review is here. ⭐⭐⭐

No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O'Callaghan - This book had great build-up. And I'll admit I love a little bit of religious ritual with serial killings. With an initial rage from his Catholic school upbringing and abuse, this killer goes to the extreme with his killings, and the presentations of his victims. Unfortunately, as I thought back on the story, there were several loose ends that I wish I knew more about. Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions. My 3/5 star review is available here. ⭐⭐⭐

The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele - While dystopian or speculative fiction is usually one of my favorite genres, this book was unique within that. I really liked it a lot, but it was a more hopeful vibe than I usually feel from this type of book. The U.S. has been ravaged by a flu before the whole infrastructure shuts down. Carson is trying to make his way across the country to his girlfriend, Beatrix. Beatrix is trying to create a new community and hope within the ravaged neighborhood where she lived with two roommates, until they left for a commune further north. They both provided an interesting view of all the conveniences we take for granted. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. This did not influence my review. Read my full 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton - I settled quickly into this book, as my daughter and I had just enjoyed watching Hidden Figures. While the details were quite different, the book and the movie were set in a similar time and location. The book was a unique view that I hadn't seen discussed before. Ruth Robb has moved with her family from New York to Atlanta. While being Jewish in New York was pretty common, in Atlanta her grandparents send her to a private Methodist school, and she hears of KKK actions agains negroes and Jews in Atlanta and surrounding communities. She decides to not discuss being Jewish with her school friends, and only go to synagogue when her mother insists. It all seems to be working out for her til the temple is bombed and her two worlds collide. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free copy of the book. This did not influence my 4/5 star review, which can be read in its entirety here (there's also a giveaway that ends 7/16/20). ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell - While the premise of this story (a woman falls from an exploding aircraft and survives) sounds farfetched, the cases cited within the book are true. People have survived miraculous falls from planes that scientifically don't sound possible. In the story, Charlie Radford is a NTSB investigator who starts out identifying bodies from the crash, but he then goes on to be in charge of finding the one missing body - perhaps an unlikely survivor? Erin is the woman he finds, but he initially doesn't believe her story. He's not sure where she came from, but it couldn't have been that plane, right? The best part of this book was the examination by Charlie and Erin of their own conscience, motivation, and how to do the right thing, as much as they can. I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Read my full 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

The computer snafu has gotten a lot of things sideways for me. I keep finding books with promised review dates that have already passed - whoops. Right now I'm reading Fire and Vengeance by Robert McCaw (thanks to the publisher), Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (thanks to the library), and I just finished Mayhem by Estelle Laure (thanks to the publisher and Netgalley).

Planning to Read:

Later today I'll start No One Saw by Beverly Long (excited for this, the second in a series I've received from the publisher and Netgalley), and then The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull and The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson (thank you to the publishers and/or Netgalley).

No One Saw - Book Review

No One Saw (A.L. McKittridge #2) by Beverly Long
Publication date: June 30, 2020
Pages: 384 pages
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Characters, plot
Weaknesses: Umm... side stories were less interesting? (but may play out later?)

Emma Whitman was dropped off at her regular daycare at 7:20am or so, but by 6:30pm, she's missing. And no one saw her since her grandmother dropped her off. Was she dropped off? Did she wander off? The grandmother's story and the story of the teacher she dropped her off to don't match, so who's lying?

While I read a lot of books and am always holding one, this was a true case of not wanting to set it down! I read until almost midnight to get this one tied up before I went to sleep. It definitely did not disappoint.

I read the first book in this series (Ten Days Gone) a couple months ago and gave it 3/5 stars. I was so happy to get back with Detectives McKittridge and Morgan. McKittridge is the department's 'old guy' - maybe a bit on the cranky side. Morgan is his female partner who respects what he offers, and still gives him a hard time for his quirks. Together, they can solve any crime.

Overall, I'd give this one 4/5 stars. I'm looking forward to more crime solving brilliance from my new favorite detectives.


Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review.

The Black Swan of Paris - Book Review

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards
Publication date: June 30, 2020
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 3/5 stars ✰✰✰
Strengths: History, characters, plot
Weaknesses: Inconsistent pacing


What a great cover for spies! Genevieve Dumont is the Black Swan, a talented and beautiful singer with perfect cover to travel all over Europe during the war with few questions asked. Whle she didn't originally volunteer to work for the Resistance (as she laments in her head over and over - she was TRICKED), it's better than being a genuine collaborator.

Her manager, Max, is actually a British soldier in disguise. He tells her as little as possible about their illicit activities to keep her safe. Her job is to sing, and occasionally pass on a playbill or sign something special as an autorgraph - all messages she doesn't even understand.

But Genevieve begins to care a bit more about beating the Germans when she hears news about her family. Even Max doesn't know Genevieve's true identity. She travels now as a new person after walking away from her first life in response to a tragedy. When Max and Genevieve tell each other the truth and work together with other spies in their networks, can they successfully complete their missions and survive to dream about life after the war?

This book had a little of everything. Spies and intrigue, war dramas, romance, and well researched telling of the allies landing at Normandy. It definitely sounded well researched and inspires me to look further and see what was history, and what was fiction. Overall I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction.


Thank you to MIRA and Netgalley for sharing a copy of this book with me. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

The Conference of the Birds - Book Review

The Conference of the Birds (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #5) by Ransom Riggs
Publication date: January 14, 2020
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: 3/5 stars ✰✰✰
Strengths: Characters
Weaknesses: Plot is fizzling - hope the next book (which will be the last one?) ties it up better

Although some of them may be a hundred years old and older, I love these kids! Their childlike characters paired with their unique peculiarities should make everyone want to help them and protect them, right? Well, everyone but those nasty old wights.

This book starts with Jacob finishing his rescue of Noor, who has never lived in a loop with other peculiars. I wish the beginning of the rescue (at the end of the previous book) was more fresh in my mind, but oh well. Miss Peregrine would advise we just push on, right?

Noor may be the key to an ancient prophesy, and one of the saviors of the peculiar world. As the kids try to find out more about Noor and the prophesy, they also have to deal with other disasters as they arrive. As soon as Miss Peregrine and the other ymbrynes leave for the Conference of the Birds (to hopefully avert war between the peculiar loops in America), there's a prison break in Devil's Acre, which has become the new loop home to many displaced peculiars.

There's a lot going on, and I was really hoping for a bit more closure. The characters are still engaging and entertaining, but the plot in this book seems to be going several ways at once. While I'm certainly waiting for the next book to see what will happen, I was a bit disappointed in this one and would only rate it 3 out of 5 stars. 

Show Us Your Books - June 2020

Apparently all this sitting at home has muddled my brain. And isn't muddling what they do to the mint leaves in some drink I like? So maybe I've just been drinking too much? But I don't have any mint leaves, so I wasn't drinking that.

Anyway, I just realized that my last two months of Show Us Your Books were both labeled April. I'll head off to fix the one posted in May after I finish this. In the meantime, here are my books for the JUNE edition of Show Us Your Books. I'm linking up with Jana Says and Life According to Steph. Visit either of their pages (or both!) and check out all the great bloggers and book recommendations (or the opposite - don't waste your time reading books that no one has made sound good for you).

All my book titles will link to Goodreads (and that one is my profile, if you want to be friends). While I'll share a bit of my impressions of each book, my full review is also linked. I actually finished 14 books in May, but the first two are in my previous Show Us Your Books post.  Without further ado, here's the rest of my books read in May.

Finished Reading:

My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy - I really enjoyed this one, especially for the diverse and unique characters. Couple this with some island-life vibe, and it was a 4/5 star winner for me. Check out my full review at Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf - This book reminded me of how much I can love an unreliable narrator. While it did present the story in several perspectives, I was intrigued by the differences of how each character's experiences influenced their memories of the event (as well as the passing of decades between the event they're recalling and the present day recollection of the event). I reviewed this one on my site here and gave it 3/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Advice I Ignored by Ruby Walker - This book was definitely not made to be hustled through like I consume my books. The author's caring voice solidly comes through in reading this book. After suffering from depression as a teen, she wants to re-share the advice she received, a personal story involving the advice, and step-by-step instructions on how that advice can help you. I'd recommend it for any teen library and gave it 4/5 stars here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Glorious Boy by Aimee Liu - This was a touching story of the remote Andaman Islands of India and a family including two parents and a mute four-year-old. Then they attempt to flee as war overtakes the island, they become separated. Their stories of survival are heartwarming and surrounded by beauty. My full 4/5 star review is here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Legends from Mom's Closet by Sasha Olsen - While most of the books I read are adult books (or some YA, admittedly), most of the children's books I read are with my own 8- and 12-year olds. While the pictures in this book were very nice, I felt the content was lacking. While they mentioned famous women, they didn't really tell much about them. When we go on and on stressing that appearances aren't the most important thing, I had a hard time enjoying a book that stressed inspiring women's fashion choices. I gave the book 3/5 stars (because the pictures were beautiful) here. ⭐⭐⭐

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - I was a little nervous starting this book, as it was one I just wanted to read because I'd watched the movie, but the book was like 760 pages! Whoa! I decided to test it out for 10%, but then I had to know the rest. It's definitely a stellar example of literary fiction. I really, really liked this book and may read it again sometime. I gave it 4.5/5 stars here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon - What an exciting page-turner! This book had several great twists and turns in the plot. I enjoyed unravaling it all and would recommend it for readers who like suspense and somewhat psychological thrillers. I gave it 3.5/5 stars in my full review on my blog. ⭐⭐⭐

The Last Blue by Isla Morley - While this book was about a few of the last 'blue people' of Kentucky (also featured in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, which I haven't read yet), that wasn't all it was about. It was also a great story of love and life on its own. I still think about the people in this book and I gave it 4.5/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

More Than Neighbors (Blackberry Bay #1) by Shannon Stacey - I always like books that make it easy to picture myself in a quaint little town or a cozy community with the characters. While staying home and limiting exposure to the global pandemic, escaping to a new life in a good book is even more tempting. When Meredith and Sophie move to Blackberry Bay and meet Cam, all of them are initially outsiders. As they bond with each other and the rest of their community, magic happens. I gave this book 3/5 stars on my blog. ⭐⭐⭐

Recipe for Persuasion (The Rajes #2) by Sonali Dev - This book was just fine to pass the time. In re-reading the reviews, I now realize that it's the second in a series (I can't guess what the first book was about?), and it's supposed to be based loosely as an interpretation of Jane Austen's Persuasion (which I've never read, so I can't really comment on). I reviewed this one for Books I Think You Should Read and gave it 3/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Hide Away (Rachel Marin Thriller #1) by Jason Pinter - Do you remember the 2002 movie Enough? The development of the character of Rachel Marin made me think of this movie. A bad thing happens, and then she decides to not be a victim again and get in AMAZING shape so she can kick anyone's butt that she needs to. The physical fitness is really the only thing in common, but it brought it to mind, so I thought I'd share. The suspense of several plot lines in this one was great. I gave it 4/5 stars and mentioned in my review that I'm excited to see the next book in the series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This Won't End Well by Camille Pagán - After several recommendations of her books (she's a local author here in Michigan), I finally read my first book by Camille Pagán. I really didn't like the beginning very much. The main character, Annie, was coming across to me as self-centered and whiny. I had the same thoughts at the beginning of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Luckily, both characters eventually evolved a bit and grew on me, so I gave this book 3.5/5 stars by the end. Check out my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

I got two books I requested from the library at the same time, so now I'm really trying to focus on reading so I can get caught up on my review books AND read some books I want to for myself too. I've already finished three books in June so far, and I'm now reading The Electric Heir - Feverwake #2 (in hardcover from the publisher) and The Conference of the Birds - Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #5 (on my kindle from the library).

Planning to Read: 

While I need to read Ordinary Girls for review in the next week or so, I also signed up for the Blackout Buddy Read and want to get started on White Fragility for that.
Is it bad that I may be hoping that none of my library hold requests come over for a few weeks? Hahaha... The last two I actually gave up my spot in line to postpone them for a couple weeks.



My full reviews cite which books I received from the publisher and/or Netgalley. Receipt of these books was in exchange for my honest reviews.