Books Marked

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano My rating: 5 of 5 stars Every family has a story to tell and this family is no exception. Issues including mental health, grief, and love were all examined. Wonderful character development and beautiful writing. This was just the book to close out my 2022 reading. View all my reviews

The Puzzler by A.J. Jacobs My rating: 4 of 5 stars Fun book to read. Lots of interesting information on the history of many types of puzzles. Imagine, over 43 quintillion possible arrangements of the squares on a Rubik's Cube! View all my reviews

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon My rating: 3 of 5 stars The plot of Locust Lane moves along at a slow pace, and told through a multiple cast of characters and I did struggle to finish. The ending was a little anticlimactic. I am not sorry I read this book, it just wasn’t a great book for me. View all my reviews

Glow in the F*cking Dark by Tara Schuster My rating: 4 of 5 stars A truly relatable self help books. Being honest about mental health is so important and Tara's books help normalize mental issues and coping. View all my reviews

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven W. Thrasher My rating: 5 of 5 stars Such an important story telling how inequality, poverty, racism and homophobia have a part in the transmission and effects of viruses. Real life stories, like Michael Johnson's, show how prejudice and inequality have an effect on health. View all my reviews

Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro My rating: 4 of 5 stars I connected with every character and loved how all characters connected with each other. Dani Shapiro creates a fascinating story about family, relationships and resilience. View all my reviews

The Brighter the Light by Mary Ellen Taylor My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Bad Vibes Only by Nora McInerny My rating: 4 of 5 stars As a long time listener (Terrible, Thanks for Asking), first times reader (Bad Vibes Only) I immediately related to the "real life" situations of these essays. Humorous and relatable. View all my reviews

The Winners by Fredrik Backman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Phew, what a story. It was nice to catch up with all the characters in the first two books, but for me the side stories of the characters took away from the book. I was totally engaged in the first few chapters and struggled with next 500 pages. The end is where I became engaged again. Long book, but all in all, I am glad I read it. View all my reviews

Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels by Paul Pringle My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a compelling story of corruption and scandals at the University of Southern California. If that isn’t bad enough, the coverups by not only the university but the police and the newspaper show how so many are complicit in this bad behavior. Paul Pringle does a superb job pf detailing his investigation. View all my reviews

Tastes Better From Scratch Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Everyday Life by Lauren Allen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I believe there is not one single recipe in this book that my family wouldn't like. Uncomplicated recipes using easily obtained ingredients is a busy cooks dream. Pad Thai to stroganoff, all recipes look delicious. View all my reviews

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris My rating: 4 of 5 stars Good story. Great title in light of the magic aspect. View all my reviews

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine My rating: 3 of 5 stars I was glad to have a chance to read this story about perseverance and hardships. A multigenerational story about Indigenous -Chicano family is one not written about often. Sadly, I found the magical realism not my genre. View all my reviews

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout My rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh how I loved meeting up with my friend Lucy Barton again. There is just something special about Elizabeth Strout's writing that draws me in. I had doubts that a book about the pandemic would bring me so much entertainment. Read in one sitting. View all my reviews

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream by Tung Nguyen My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid My rating: 4 of 5 stars I found myself fully absorbed into the tennis world while reading this book and following Carrie on her comeback. Relationships are tantamount here, tennis, family, business and romantic. A great inside look at the world of championship tennis, and another fantastic book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. View all my reviews

Great Bowls of Food: Grain Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Broth Bowls, and More by Robin Asbell My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Answers in the Pages by David Levithan My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a timely story for our world today in the midst of book banning, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, “Don’t Say Gay”, and so much more. This is a well written book for all ages with great characters, and an important story line. Highly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review View all my reviews

The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty by Sy Montgomery My rating: 4 of 5 stars This short but informative book provides fascinating information about birds of prey in particular hawks. The author describes her introduction to falconry as well as facts about the natural behaviors of hawks. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC. View all my reviews

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars Lots of twists and turns in this book in addition to many characters, but hang in there and all the loose ends will be tied up in the end. Great book for history and mystery lover. I received a free copy from Celadon Books in exchange for my honest review. View all my reviews

Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World: A History by William Alexander My rating: 4 of 5 stars The history of the tomato is fascinating. Not only is the origins of tomato usage explained but also tomato entrepreneurs such as Heinz, Monaghan, Campbell's and Chef Boyardee. Informative and very readable. Thank you, Net Galley and the publisher Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World. View all my reviews

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was all in from the very first page! Some great twists and turns along the way. Well researched and extremely relevant! Thank you Net Galley and Ballantine/Random House Publishing for this arc. I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. View all my reviews

Not for me, please!: I choose to act green by Maria Godsey My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

What Is My Plant Telling Me?: An Illustrated Guide to Houseplants and How to Keep Them Alive by Emily L. Hay Hinsdale My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow, such great information in an easy to read and understand format. I consider this a must have for every houseplant owner. View all my reviews

Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Kelsey Crowe My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Packing for Mars for Kids by Mary Roach My rating: 5 of 5 stars Great information for all ages. This book answers ALL the questions that we may have been to embarrassed to ask. Fun book. View all my reviews

Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe My rating: 4 of 5 stars power+greed=Sacklers View all my reviews

Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness by Maria Failla My rating: 4 of 5 stars A bit of self care mixed with plant care, what could be better? Enjoyable read for anyone interested in plants. Photos would have made this 5 stars. View all my reviews

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Forest School for Grown-Ups by Richard Irvine My rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting forest facts, useful tools /survival information and fascinating information of mythical forest beings and other forest folk. Great resource for many traditional outdoor tools, crafts and information. View all my reviews

Plant Grow Harvest Repeat: Grow a Bounty of Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers by Mastering the Art of Succession Planting by Meg Cowden My rating: 5 of 5 stars Great information for us northern gardeners! View all my reviews

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars The author takes us on a long winding road with many detours into the lives of the Oppenheimer family. Each detour leads to more insights into the family dynamics and individual choices. The story speeds up as it goes on and ends with a satisfying conclusion. View all my reviews

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

French Braid by Anne Tyler My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a multi-generational family story This description of a french braid hair style explains the story: "...hair would still be in ripples... how families work, too. You think you're free of them, but you're never really free; the ripples are crimped in forever." View all my reviews

Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse My rating: 4 of 5 stars Compelling story where author confronts her own sexual abuse as a child while working as a private investigator on a rape case. While working on a legal case the author also has to deal with her difunctional family and the abuse she endured as a child. View all my reviews

In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the honest and raw story of the end of life of someone with a terminal illness and the quest for a dignified death. It is a beautiful story of love and loss. View all my reviews

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Push by Ashley Audrain My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Wildheart: the daring adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Outdoor Science Lab for Kids: 52 Family-Friendly Experiments for the Yard, Garden, Playground, and Park by Liz Lee Heinecke My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Chicken to duck, tulip to daisy, apples to pears, what has happened here? 😁 View all my reviews

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid My rating: 5 of 5 stars Read this in one sitting, couldn't put it down! View all my reviews