Show Us Your Books February 2025

I did not exactly start my reading year off with a bang, but I did manage to squeeze some good books in. Here’s the best of the best from January.

Five Star Reads:

Becoming a Matriarch by Helen Knott - A great and powerful book about dealing with grief and what we are to others.

Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa - I loved this book. I was expecting something like The Memory Police, but instead I got a coming of age story about a girl who goes to live with wealthy relatives for a year. Written in a light way even though it touches on some dark topics, this book was easy to read and perfect for cold winter mornings when you just can’t face getting up yet.

Four Star Reads:

What The Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales -
I loved this well researched audiobook. The author read it herself and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she talks about the ocean. I grew up near the coast in Massachusetts and this made me so homesick. Must get back to see the ocean soon.

Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu - This was my most anticipated Tournament Of Books title. I live in a city in Virginia with a large Ethiopian population so I thought I would learn more about my new neighbors. Haha no. That’s not at all what this was. This was a fever dream that jumped all over the place and I’m not even sure what happened to be honest. I’m not mad. Just confused. Still a pick, but don’t ask me any questions.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden - I thought this was one thing, then it wasn’t, then it was again but in a completely different way. That probably doesn’t make sense if you haven’t read it but I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman - This was my first read of the year, and I loved it! It seemed so true to me- working a job with very little power doing what you can to create any change at all. Highly recommend.

On My Nightstand February 19, 2023

Good morning everyone! It’s a long weekend, but our schedules are starting to get packed with sports again. My son has lacrosse and my daughter has ice skating on Monday. I truly love watching them practice and play, but all the driving cuts into my reading time! We’re also celebrating my daughter’s birthday. It was in December, but so close to Christmas we haven’t been able to have a party until now. This is her first party in two years due to Covid, so when she wanted to order a two tier cake that feeds 46 for a party of 12 people I said yes! So it will be a rush to eat 46 servings of cake between now and Ash Wednesday. Goals!

Have a great week everyone.

What’s on my nightstand this week:

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead - One of my kids insisted on having this at a book fair a few years ago, and then never read it. I decided I should at least read it before we give it away!

Dearie by Bob Spitz - Julia Child is so fascinating, and I’m enjoying this biography.

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi - This just came in from the library so I haven’t started it yet, but the premise sounded so relatable. A woman in a mostly male office fakes a pregnancy so that she doesn’t get roped into all of the extra chores.

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On My Nighstand August 28

Back to school means reading in the pick up line.

Hiroshima by John Hersey - We’re reading from Japan this month for #FoodandLit on Litsy and a friend recommended this one.

Lightfoot by Nicholas Jennings - Still slowly working my way through this one. It’s so fun matching music with a book.

Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway - I love reading about Hemingway but have had mixed results when reading his actual books. I’ll give this one a try.

Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte - This was recommended to me after I asked for recommendations for books like True Biz.

I also have a stack of gardening books and cookbooks from the library. I hope to spend some quiet time flipping through them this weekend.

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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.

Show Us Your Books March 2021

Happy March. I went back to my post from last year to see if I had any profound just before quarantine thoughts to share, but it turns out I was just complaining about how many library books I had out at once. Guess what? After a year of so much change and strife I still have too many library books out. Some things will always remain constant.

My Favorite February Read

I put off reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee forever, and I can’t figure out why. I absolutely loved this chunky story about a Korean family in Japan. It was everything I want in a book: sweeping, multi-generational, wistful, and touching.

Almost Favorites

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas - Angie Thomas is so good. I really don’t think she would even be capable of writing a bad book.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout - More tales about Olive Kitteridge in Maine. Strout treats getting older with dignity, and I appreciate that.

A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson - This thriller was fast paced from the beginning, and then 3/4 of the way through something totally bonkers happens. I really loved it.

Some Good Non-Fiction

Without You There Is No Us by Suki Kim - The memoir of a reporter who went undercover to teach in North Korea. I was extremely nervous for her the whole time.

Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton - I listened to the audiobook for this one, and loved hearing Dolly talk about what was going on when she wrote her songs.

The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone - Books about women doing awesome things during WWII that men get the credit for are becoming more and more common, but that doesn’t mean we should stop reading them. This book about code breaking was fascinaing.

This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.

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