Book Review: Q1 2025

Note post title 🤷‍♀️ IYKYK

I started the year with a memoir by one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. I watched Ina’s show for years and love her recipes for being reliable and delicious. It was interesting to hear how she became The Barefoot Contessa and that she seems to have been in the right place at the right time throughout her adult life. She did have many advantages so not completely rags to riches. I love her authenticity, work ethic (trying recipes over and over to ensure consistency) and general happiness. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and is grounded enough to determine the difference between what is and isn’t important. This was on everyone’s reading list as soon as it came out, but I finally decided to read it as part of Sharon McMahon’s book club (of Sharon Says So IG fame).

Next was Banyan Moon by Thao Thai. This is about three generations of women: Minh, her daughter Huong and her granddaughter Ann Tran. Minh immigrated to the U.S. after the Vietnam War, seeking a better life for her two young children. But she harbors a secret. Huong worked hard to give her daughter a good life, but her mother Minh and daughter Ann have a close relationship that she resents. Ann is at a crossroads in her life. Minh's sudden death brings them all together in a home that has its own secrets. 

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren was predictable but cute. What if popular "it" designers (think Chip & Joanna Gaines) were not happily married and one of their assistants was actually doing all the work?

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufus Thorpe is my favorite so far this year. Margo is a very bright young woman with sketchy parents, three roommates and a new baby. She has to find a way to make ends meet since her baby daddy, her English professor, has ghosted her and she’s been fired from her waitress job for lack of childcare. Enter ingenuity, Only Fans, and wrestling. Funny, smart and thought proving, this really challenged me to stretch my ideas of how someone else's unconventional choices aren't bad even if they don't fit with what my idea of good choices looks like.

Here Be Dragons by Melanie Shankle. I read Melanie’s blog back in the day as well as one of her first books on friendship. In Dragons, she shares that her mother was her first bully. Oof. Very insightful regarding generational trauma and the journey to healing through boundaries. Loved all the references to growing up in the 70s and 80s and friends that fill our voids 💗

I just started Challenger by Adam Higginbotham (Sharon Says So book club) about the space shuttle disaster. 

Book Review: December 2024 and Year in Review

I've been MIA so in good conscience could not call this a "monthly" review. We spent a week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico just after Thanksgiving and with the holiday season already so short due to how close Thanksgiving and Christmas were it just flew by.

Amidst vacationing, losing my beloved kitty, Mina, baking and a crazy work schedule, I snuck three books in November and December.

In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker gave me Practical Magic meets Hope Floats vibes. The Haywood women of Yarrow, Kentucky are known for reading tea leaves and their shadow garden, and Yarrow is known for bourbon. When you blend the two you get magic and mystery. 

The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (America's government teacher whose followers are known as the Governerds) chronicles 12 lesser-known Americans who made a significant impact on history. I was moved by Gouverneur Morris who wrote the preamble to the Constitution, Septima Clark who is responsible for the literacy of countless black Americans, Clara Brown who helped establish Colorado's prominence during the Gold Rush, and the nine other inspiring people who helped shaped this great nation. 

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman was a cute read about four friends who spend every Christmas together. It was way too long but had a very satisfying end and delightful characters. 

21 books total for 2024 and my top 5:

Monthly Book Review: Oct 2024

My BFF and I saw comedian Leeann Morgan mid-September and I just had to continue the fun by reading her autobiography What in the World. I find her relatable, funny, and authentic. Looking forward to her Netflix show next year.

I love Lucy Foley books, and The Midnight Feast is my fourth. Like the others, Midnight is a proper whodunnit ala Agatha Christie. It's summer 2025 and guests have gathered at the new "it" vacation spot on opening weekend in Dorset, England called The Manor. The manor is actually owner Francesca's ancestral home where she spent summers neighboring the beautiful cliffs and a caravan park (Americans would say "RV" park). Some of the guests are there for a luxury vacation and others have ulterior motives. The tension creates a satisfying suspense.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare was the perfect listen just before Halloween. Kit Tyler leaves Barbados for America in 1687. During the journey she shocks other passengers with her independence and progressive thinking. In Connecticut she finds her family, aunt, uncle and two cousins, Mercy and Judith, along with the stiffness and formality of a Puritan town. There is a certain way of doing things and Kit just can't fall in line. The only solace she discovers is with the Quaker "witch" Hannah Tupper who lives on Blackbird Pond. When children start falling sick, assumptions are made, and fear takes over commonsense.

TBR List:

• Shadow Garden by Liz Parker
• Banyan Moon by Thao Thai 
• Beach Ready by Emily Henry
• The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon
• Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
• The Switch by Beth O'Leary
• Buy Yourself the F*cking Lillies by Tara Schuster
• Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford

Monthly Book Review: Aug/Sep 2024

I took a month off from the blog to enjoy the end of summer to it's fullest, including an epic two-week road trip to Utah (three national parks!), Phoenix, AZ and Telluride, CO. I found time to read three good books.

Can you spot the Corgi?!

Homecoming by Kate Morton - I love Morton's books for their rich character development, interwoven stories, and ability to engross you in the story. A fog machine, lush greenery and songbirds are her vibe. Homecoming starts with a shocking discovery then fast forwards 60 years later to begin unfolding the mystery. Jess rushes home to Australia when her beloved grandmother who essentially raised her falls ill. Like "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane, an utterance leads Jess to uncover her family's connection to an infamous unsolved crime. Deeply held secrets, a sense of duty and devotion, and mother-daughter dynamics make for a captivating, layered tale. I was so sure I had it all figured out but was completely surprised for a satisfying end. I was also sincerely disappointed to learn that the idyllic Tambilla is a fictional town. 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore was another mystery with a surprising end. A thirteen-year-old camper goes missing one morning in 1975. Creepily her brother also went missing and has never found fourteen years prior. It meandered at times and there's a strong haves/have-not's perspective - camp owners and their wealthy guests on the hill vs. camp workers and investigators - that I found distracting, but it was all part of Moore's foil to keep you guessing. Once again, I thought I had it all figured out only to find I was completely wrong. My favorite character was investigator Judyta - smart, dedicated and intuitive - if only the men around her would stop discounting and patronizing her.

I don't want to give too much away about The Wedding People by Alison Espach - it's quirky, tender and delves into the heart of depression with honesty and humor. My favorite of the three.

TBR List:

• Banyan Moon by Thao Thai 
• Beach Ready by Emily Henry
• The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• The Switch by Beth O'Leary
• Buy Yourself the F*cking Lillies by Tara Schuster
• Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford

Monthly Book Review: July 2024

The Paris Summer Olympics are in full swing so not sure there will be much reading in August. Good thing I got two books in for August, and one was definitely a top 5 of the year.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride read like an Amor Towles novel. You know Amor from A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway (both top reads in past years). The characters are rich with painstaking back story for each, and everything is revealed like layers of an onion, releasing a tension you didn't know you were holding on to until the last word. In Heaven, the eponymous grocery store is located in the Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, an area where Blacks and Jews live in tenuous harmony, chafing against the surrounding white majority who does little to mask their disdain. Through their shared experiences and Chona Ludlow's belief that everyone deserves to be loved, they band together to see justice done ... for themselves, their community and a young deaf boy. LOVE! 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is my seventh Reid book. This story follows the Riva family over the course of 24 hours in August1983. The four Riva siblings are tied by blood and history. Their famous crooner father abandoned them and their loving, wronged mother never realized her own dreams as she was either the wronged wife of Mick Riva or the owner of her parent's coastal seafood restaurant. Each of the siblings is in the midst of their own personal struggles and it all comes to a head at the annual party of the season. Nina, the surfing supermodel, is the caretaker and glue of the family (oh and her husband is sleeping with tennis star Carrie Soto), Jay is a professional surfer who struggles to find love, Hud (short for Hudson) is a photographer with a secret, and Kit, the youngest, is starting to find her own identity in a family of big personalities. I liked the hour-by-hour cadence and deep back stories, but I wasn't as vested in the characters as those in Carrie Soto is Back or Daisy Jones & The Six. Still a solid summer read.

TBR List:

• Homecoming by Kate Morton
• Beach Ready by Emily Henry
• The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• The Switch by Beth O'Leary
• Buy Yourself the F*cking Lillies by Tara Schuster
• Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
• Banyan Moon by Thao Thai 
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford

Monthly Book Review: June 2024

I needed light-hearted palette cleansers after the last couple of months. These two definitely fit the bill.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland is billed as Dirty Dancing meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Two Jewish families started a resort in the Catskills sixty years ago and now after the death of one of the founders, the remaining owners as well as kids and grandkids reunite to determine whether to save the hotel open or sell. Family secrets are spilled, generations clash (grandma at goat yoga?) and love sparks. It's a great summer read.

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes is another good summer read. Laurie's beloved 93-year-old never married Aunt Dot has died, her home a refuge while growing up in a house full of four brothers, and she travels to her hometown in Maine to close out her estate. She reunites with her best friend and first love to go through all the photos and other memorabilia of Dot's life. In the process she finds a wood carved duck that she feels has a deeper story and hires an antique dealer to help move some of the more valuable items. What follows is a con, a reckoning, a lovely surprise and the considerations involved in defining a life on your own terms. Great characters and a delightful ending.

TBR List:

• The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
• The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• Homecoming by Kate Morton
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford

Monthly Book Review: May 2024

Well, I jinxed myself by thinking I'd sneak in a third book for April when I should have saved it for May. Travel, home & garden projects, and youngest moving out all competed for my time.

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer alternates between Noah, a former SOE operative (British secret service agent during WWII), and his daughter Charlotte in 1970 and two other female SOE agents in 1943-1945. Noah is on a mission to piece together the parts of the war his memory lost following an accident. His history intersects with Chloe and Fleur, a double agent and of course Nazi atrocities. Charlotte helps her father, and in the process connects with a man seeking his own history. The SOE women are examples of the bravery and heroism of so many whose stories were in the background until recently ... so many great books about the role women played in fighting against authoritarianism.

TBR List: 

• Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
• Flying Solo by Linda Holmes, 
• The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• Homecoming by Kate Morton
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford