L V
This was a nicely paced, cute little mystery. You’ll probably guess who the killer is pretty early on, but the down-to-earth characters and how their relationships develop, is worth the read.
This was a nicely paced, cute little mystery. You’ll probably guess who the killer is pretty early on, but the down-to-earth characters and how their relationships develop, is worth the read.
Not my usual type of read, but I am so glad I read it. This was such a sweet, feel-good romance. It took me back to the sappy 80s films of my youth. The biggest take aways from Alice and Charlie’s love story:
“Trust and friendship come first.”
“Don’t let wounds fester. It only gets harder to repair them.”
“Nothing lasts forever…that’s why you should grab onto whatever makes you happy now and hold on for as long as you can. Life’s short.”
“Falling in love is terrifying.” But when you are certain that you and your partner are a seamless fit, it’s like “…sunshine shimmering over the water…a permanent summer.”
Not my usual type of read, but I am so glad I read it. This was such a sweet, feel-good romance. It took me back to the sappy 80s films of my youth. The biggest take aways from Alice and Charlie’s love story:
“Trust and friendship come first.”
“Don’t let wounds fester. It only gets harder to repair them.”
“Nothing lasts forever…that’s why you should grab onto whatever makes you happy now and hold on for as long as you can. Life’s short.”
“Falling in love is terrifying.” But when you are certain that you and your partner are a seamless fit, it’s like “…sunshine shimmering over the water…a permanent summer.”
Still processing what I want to say about this book, but cannot find the words. I think this is going to be one of those books I read again from time to time. Backman has a knack for honing in on the human condition and he tackles its complexities with just the right amount of sarcasm, respect, humor and sensitivity.
At the heart of the story are a bunch of strangers. Most seem too into their own concerns to give anyone else another thought; they almost seem self-centered. One unintentional mistake caused by one of them gets the group to slowly open up and share their own flaws and fears; and in discovering that common ground, they band together to help make that unintentional mistake disappear. “That was why you should always be nice to other people, even idiots, because you never know how heavy their burden is.”
Think of this as the adult version of that 80s movie, The Breakfast Club (only written better and way more witty).
How the author manages to pack so much feeling one minute and have you giggling the next is pure art. And most everything he writes is quotable. I found myself highlighting almost every other line. One on loss hit much too close to home: “He was my echo. Everything I do is quieter now.”
This was an amazing read, paired with the audiobook. As mentioned above, some of the characters will come across as overbearing in their self-centeredness. Reading alone may turn you off to the character, but if you pair your reading with the audiobook, the narrator’s tones and inflections will help you make friends with them.
If ever you feel like you’re the only one going through something rough, read a little Backman. He gets you, and his writing is like a big warm hug. “That’s the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people’s.”
Still processing what I want to say about this book, but cannot find the words. I think this is going to be one of those books I read again from time to time. Backman has a knack for honing in on the human condition and he tackles its complexities with just the right amount of sarcasm, respect, humor and sensitivity.
At the heart of the story are a bunch of strangers. Most seem too into their own concerns to give anyone else another thought; they almost seem self-centered. One unintentional mistake caused by one of them gets the group to slowly open up and share their own flaws and fears; and in discovering that common ground, they band together to help make that unintentional mistake disappear. “That was why you should always be nice to other people, even idiots, because you never know how heavy their burden is.”
Think of this as the adult version of that 80s movie, The Breakfast Club (only written better and way more witty).
How the author manages to pack so much feeling one minute and have you giggling the next is pure art. And most everything he writes is quotable. I found myself highlighting almost every other line. One on loss hit much too close to home: “He was my echo. Everything I do is quieter now.”
This was an amazing read, paired with the audiobook. As mentioned above, some of the characters will come across as overbearing in their self-centeredness. Reading alone may turn you off to the character, but if you pair your reading with the audiobook, the narrator’s tones and inflections will help you make friends with them.
If ever you feel like you’re the only one going through something rough, read a little Backman. He gets you, and his writing is like a big warm hug. “That’s the power of literature, you know, it can act like little love letters between people who can only explain their feelings by pointing at other people’s.”
“You left under different circumstances, bad times, or tougher times. It’s OK to have changed. People grow. Sometimes they outgrow their environment and need a bigger one to continue that growth.”
A fun little read about a young man who has traveled a long distance and has taken a lot of beatings to find himself, his purpose, and friends who feel like home. The writing wasn’t the greatest - some parts felt rushed, others dragged a bit, but the heart of the story is there.
“You left under different circumstances, bad times, or tougher times. It’s OK to have changed. People grow. Sometimes they outgrow their environment and need a bigger one to continue that growth.”
A fun little read about a young man who has traveled a long distance and has taken a lot of beatings to find himself, his purpose, and friends who feel like home. The writing wasn’t the greatest - some parts felt rushed, others dragged a bit, but the heart of the story is there.
Updated a reading goal:
Read 16 books by December 31, 2025
Progress so far: 25 / 16 156%
Easy and quick read. I was expecting a lot more about the history of idioms: more historical tracking, their evolution through time, and examples of earliest times they were ever used. The author does provide the earliest use of some of the phrases. In most cases, he refers to who first coined the phrase and where it can be found, leaving the reader to pause and Google.
This book reads as a grammar or early middle school reference. The passages are short and concise and a good jumping-off point for those who like to dig deeper and explore a subject further. It’d make a fun read for reluctant readers as passages are very short, and it’d be equally as enjoyable for the ones who are always asking, “why?” It also makes for a nice palate cleanser in between more serious reads. I especially liked the little “Did You Know” blurbs the author included at the end of each of the chapters, like these two:
“There’s a 107-acre forest made up of a single tree. The “Trembling Giant” in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest includes over 47,000 quaking aspen trees that share the same root system. Some scientists estimate it’s close to a million years old.”
“The deepest mail box in the world is in a small Japanese fishing town called Susami, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s an old-school red mailbox that’s located thirty-two feet (ten meters) under water, and divers often place waterproof letters there and they are then collected in regular intervals. The mailbox is quite active, as it receives one to five thousand pieces of mail annually.”
Easy and quick read. I was expecting a lot more about the history of idioms: more historical tracking, their evolution through time, and examples of earliest times they were ever used. The author does provide the earliest use of some of the phrases. In most cases, he refers to who first coined the phrase and where it can be found, leaving the reader to pause and Google.
This book reads as a grammar or early middle school reference. The passages are short and concise and a good jumping-off point for those who like to dig deeper and explore a subject further. It’d make a fun read for reluctant readers as passages are very short, and it’d be equally as enjoyable for the ones who are always asking, “why?” It also makes for a nice palate cleanser in between more serious reads. I especially liked the little “Did You Know” blurbs the author included at the end of each of the chapters, like these two:
“There’s a 107-acre forest made up of a single tree. The “Trembling Giant” in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest includes over 47,000 quaking aspen trees that share the same root system. Some scientists estimate it’s close to a million years old.”
“The deepest mail box in the world is in a small Japanese fishing town called Susami, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s an old-school red mailbox that’s located thirty-two feet (ten meters) under water, and divers often place waterproof letters there and they are then collected in regular intervals. The mailbox is quite active, as it receives one to five thousand pieces of mail annually.”
Girl
A short paragraph in which a mom tells her daughter what to do and how to act in every situation you can think of (how to keep house, how to wash herself, how to please a man, how to smile at people she likes, and those she doesn’t). Basically, mom is shaping her daughter to not think for herself. And with what mom says about daughter, I’m guessing she’s shaping daughter to have a hefty dose of low self-esteem to boot. The daughter only says two quick things in the whole passage, one of which is to protest against one of mom’s assumptions about her, and mom keeps shooting off orders without skipping a beat. Different times. Different cultures. Same cringe when I see women (or anyone, really) continue to support this ideology. You can read it for free here:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/06/26/girl
A short paragraph in which a mom tells her daughter what to do and how to act in every situation you can think of (how to keep house, how to wash herself, how to please a man, how to smile at people she likes, and those she doesn’t). Basically, mom is shaping her daughter to not think for herself. And with what mom says about daughter, I’m guessing she’s shaping daughter to have a hefty dose of low self-esteem to boot. The daughter only says two quick things in the whole passage, one of which is to protest against one of mom’s assumptions about her, and mom keeps shooting off orders without skipping a beat. Different times. Different cultures. Same cringe when I see women (or anyone, really) continue to support this ideology. You can read it for free here:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/06/26/girl
I love looking at old photographs, especially black and white ones. I wonder what the story behind the photos is. Who the people pictured are and how their lives turned out.
The author of this book started collecting photos at a young age. His grandparents would drag him to all kinds of garage sales and flea markets, and that’s where his hobby began. What first fascinated him is that photos of perfect strangers are even sold at all. Then he came across a photo of a girl who looked like the one he had a crush on at summer camp. He bought it and kept it and didn’t buy another random photo for another 15 years, when he removed the little cardboard frame from the photo of the girl to discover that her name was Dorothy, aged 15, who died of leukemia.
Those little written captions in the stranger’s life touched him, and he began to search for more photos with writing on them. The rest of the book is just that—photos of the past. Some are happy, others are sad, and some are plain goofy. There’s nothing super amazing about this book. But if you like looking through old photos this book will fit the bill. It’s peaceful and relaxing and will make you want to treasure your personal photos a bit more.
I love looking at old photographs, especially black and white ones. I wonder what the story behind the photos is. Who the people pictured are and how their lives turned out.
The author of this book started collecting photos at a young age. His grandparents would drag him to all kinds of garage sales and flea markets, and that’s where his hobby began. What first fascinated him is that photos of perfect strangers are even sold at all. Then he came across a photo of a girl who looked like the one he had a crush on at summer camp. He bought it and kept it and didn’t buy another random photo for another 15 years, when he removed the little cardboard frame from the photo of the girl to discover that her name was Dorothy, aged 15, who died of leukemia.
Those little written captions in the stranger’s life touched him, and he began to search for more photos with writing on them. The rest of the book is just that—photos of the past. Some are happy, others are sad, and some are plain goofy. There’s nothing super amazing about this book. But if you like looking through old photos this book will fit the bill. It’s peaceful and relaxing and will make you want to treasure your personal photos a bit more.
I paired my reading along with the audiobook (great narrator btw). I think had I read the book on its own, the Groundhog Day-like time travel would have done me in. The narrator made those parts much easier to digest.
Poor Cassandra is having a bad day. Her “quirks” make it difficult for her to connect with people. One day, Cassandra wakes to find she can go back in time and she tries to undo her bad day. Through these trials, Cassandra begins to learn to pick up on signs and cues from others, something she struggles to do in real time as she processes information a bit differently. She also comes to realize what makes her different and learns to use that info to break the bad day loop and move on to a more agreeable present .
It’s a sweet book but I expected a little more out of it. Not sure what. A little more emotion…a little more action…a more solid ending? All in all, a decent read. It just lacked a bit of wow.
I paired my reading along with the audiobook (great narrator btw). I think had I read the book on its own, the Groundhog Day-like time travel would have done me in. The narrator made those parts much easier to digest.
Poor Cassandra is having a bad day. Her “quirks” make it difficult for her to connect with people. One day, Cassandra wakes to find she can go back in time and she tries to undo her bad day. Through these trials, Cassandra begins to learn to pick up on signs and cues from others, something she struggles to do in real time as she processes information a bit differently. She also comes to realize what makes her different and learns to use that info to break the bad day loop and move on to a more agreeable present .
It’s a sweet book but I expected a little more out of it. Not sure what. A little more emotion…a little more action…a more solid ending? All in all, a decent read. It just lacked a bit of wow.
Helping Freddie
A close call for Reggie indeed. Kidnapping a boy so that Freddie’s ex would soften up and get back together with Freddie? Only Wodehouse can make a scene like this seem cozy and cute.
A close call for Reggie indeed. Kidnapping a boy so that Freddie’s ex would soften up and get back together with Freddie? Only Wodehouse can make a scene like this seem cozy and cute.
I’ve been in a reading slump for about two months; I pick up a book and can’t focus. I find myself reading a simple passage over and over again.
Powering through, I tried dipping my toe back into the classics. I kept it light by choosing a children’s classic. This particular choice, along with my lack of focus, made it difficult to get through.
A sweet book with many lessons to be learned about friendship and accountability, it dragged in places where the author used excessive use of flowery words to dredge up imagery of the landscape, and so forth. The chapter on the Sea Rat (Wayfarers All) was particularly brutal. I’ll probably give this book another try when I’m back to regular reading mode, but for now I’ll let it be.
I’ve been in a reading slump for about two months; I pick up a book and can’t focus. I find myself reading a simple passage over and over again.
Powering through, I tried dipping my toe back into the classics. I kept it light by choosing a children’s classic. This particular choice, along with my lack of focus, made it difficult to get through.
A sweet book with many lessons to be learned about friendship and accountability, it dragged in places where the author used excessive use of flowery words to dredge up imagery of the landscape, and so forth. The chapter on the Sea Rat (Wayfarers All) was particularly brutal. I’ll probably give this book another try when I’m back to regular reading mode, but for now I’ll let it be.
Poor Mr. Pepper
“Clay can be salvaged…Jungmin whispered.”
Perfect read for springtime. A story of renewal, clay work is a metaphor for life. Using the steps required to make a piece of pottery is mirrored in the protagonist's own life as she takes her first steps to reshape her’s.
Jungmin is burnt out. Stress in a highly demanding and thankless job causes her to throw it all in. Little by little she kind of becomes a shut-in. She finally musters a little courage to take a walk and stumbles upon a pottery shop. The subtleties used by the owner (life coach) to get Jungmin to stay and give pottery work a try is masterful.
Life is malleable. It takes a steady dose of patience and persistence to make something out of it that you can use and that will bring you satisfaction. It is unique and its imperfections should also be embraced as sometimes it’s the imperfections that bring the piece character and draws others in.
Now, what I am describing are lessons that are delicately woven into the story. The author’s use of language is soft and relaxing, and she takes great care not to beat you over the head with the moral of the story. A friend recommended this one and I am glad Libby came through when it did. Thanks for the recommendation, Elwira! Very sweet story.
“Clay can be salvaged…Jungmin whispered.”
Perfect read for springtime. A story of renewal, clay work is a metaphor for life. Using the steps required to make a piece of pottery is mirrored in the protagonist's own life as she takes her first steps to reshape her’s.
Jungmin is burnt out. Stress in a highly demanding and thankless job causes her to throw it all in. Little by little she kind of becomes a shut-in. She finally musters a little courage to take a walk and stumbles upon a pottery shop. The subtleties used by the owner (life coach) to get Jungmin to stay and give pottery work a try is masterful.
Life is malleable. It takes a steady dose of patience and persistence to make something out of it that you can use and that will bring you satisfaction. It is unique and its imperfections should also be embraced as sometimes it’s the imperfections that bring the piece character and draws others in.
Now, what I am describing are lessons that are delicately woven into the story. The author’s use of language is soft and relaxing, and she takes great care not to beat you over the head with the moral of the story. A friend recommended this one and I am glad Libby came through when it did. Thanks for the recommendation, Elwira! Very sweet story.
A lovely debut novel by Mr. Graham Norton. Characters are well developed and relatable, and the story unfolded with a nice flow and ease. No loose ends. It kept my interest as to what would happen next all the way to the end. Reading it in his voice helped a lot (and unavoidable).
I received the audiobook version from Libby way too late into my reading, but I read the last two chapters along with the audio, and it was excellent. Not only is Norton a solid writer, he’s an amazing narrator.
As for the story itself, it’s ultimately about the idea of how life’s what-could-have-beens and past memories and secrets can keep one from living their fullest and happiest present.
If this debut novel were on the famous Red Chair, I would let it tell its tale and I wouldn’t dream of pulling the lever!
A lovely debut novel by Mr. Graham Norton. Characters are well developed and relatable, and the story unfolded with a nice flow and ease. No loose ends. It kept my interest as to what would happen next all the way to the end. Reading it in his voice helped a lot (and unavoidable).
I received the audiobook version from Libby way too late into my reading, but I read the last two chapters along with the audio, and it was excellent. Not only is Norton a solid writer, he’s an amazing narrator.
As for the story itself, it’s ultimately about the idea of how life’s what-could-have-beens and past memories and secrets can keep one from living their fullest and happiest present.
If this debut novel were on the famous Red Chair, I would let it tell its tale and I wouldn’t dream of pulling the lever!
I read this book back in January - what a great way to kick off this year's reads. The storyline of necromancer Cabal trying to get what he wants by duping the devil is genius and hysterical. A bit like The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon, Cabal is a socially inept scientist. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person...just a sort of misunderstood one.
I read this book back in January - what a great way to kick off this year's reads. The storyline of necromancer Cabal trying to get what he wants by duping the devil is genius and hysterical. A bit like The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon, Cabal is a socially inept scientist. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person...just a sort of misunderstood one.
This is not my genre at all, but I read it upon my friend’s insistence. I’ve made it a habit not to read blurbs on any books recommended to me, so I was not aware of the genre going into it. Sorry to say this just wasn’t my cup of tea. In my opinion, it felt like the writer tried too hard to write beautiful prose so that the reader could feel and imagine everything the protagonist was going through. It was beautiful at first, but a little over the top; how many ways can one describe having mind-blowing sex before the reader stops and thinks to him/herself, “alright, I get the picture.” At least you get a story line and characters that have brains in this one. If you’d like to read a smarter version of Fifty Shades, sans the violence, try this one on for size.
This is not my genre at all, but I read it upon my friend’s insistence. I’ve made it a habit not to read blurbs on any books recommended to me, so I was not aware of the genre going into it. Sorry to say this just wasn’t my cup of tea. In my opinion, it felt like the writer tried too hard to write beautiful prose so that the reader could feel and imagine everything the protagonist was going through. It was beautiful at first, but a little over the top; how many ways can one describe having mind-blowing sex before the reader stops and thinks to him/herself, “alright, I get the picture.” At least you get a story line and characters that have brains in this one. If you’d like to read a smarter version of Fifty Shades, sans the violence, try this one on for size.