Nancy, Bess, and George are vacationing at a Montana ranch, and where Nancy goes, there is sure to be a mystery. There is a saboteur at work on the ranch with several dangerous episodes in this mystery, but this does not dissuade Nancy. Nancy and her friends work together with the ranch owner, Tammy, to find the people who "mean business"-- am I the only one who snickers when they read this!? There aren't as many red herrings in this story, but the motive and the mystery of the horses boggle Nancy's mind until one overlooked clue connects the pieces. I enjoyed the flow of the story, and it did have moments of suspense. I thought George and Bess could have added more to the account, but they were resourceful at specific points. Favorite quote: "That reminds me," McMillan said. "Miss Drew, you rode Renegade last night! I thought he was billed as the horse no man could ride." "He was," Nancy replied with a dimpled smile. "But he wasn...

I loved this story that featured two complicated main characters, unlovable most of the time but had their redeeming selfless moments. Addie, our main character, makes a deal with ‘the devil,’ Luc. The agreement is immortality without any lasting relationships, romantic or otherwise, as nobody remembers Addie. This is not precisely what Addie had in mind, and she lives a difficult 300 years and has a tumultuous relationship with Luc. This is Addie’s life until she meets Henry, a character I sincerely pitied (I won’t go into this). I loved reading about their relationship and what Henry brings to Addie’s life. Indeed a ✨magical story✨, and I look forward to reading more by the author.              Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely Recommend            Author Page:  VE Schwab    

This is the story of three women in 1950s London. Evie, Grace, and Vivien have unique backgrounds and work together at a historically male-dominated bookstore, Bloomsbury Books. In the novel, Jenner tells us of the trials and tribulations of the three women making their way in an ever-changing world post World War II. It is interesting to read about the interactions between the three women and their colleagues at Bloomsbury, their growing relationships, and the changes made at Bloomsbury Books due to their employment. The story was medium-paced and enjoyable for those interested in the post-war period. I loved the character building and the descriptions. Thank you, Net Galley, for the opportunity to read. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommended Author Page:  Natalie Jenner

I selected this book because of my love for the national parks and my interest in learning more about their history. Megan Kate Nelson does not disappoint in her telling of Yellowstone's history. The book covers the Lakota and other tribal homelands, the surveyors, the notion of Manifest Destiny, and how the period of Reconstruction and politics played a role in the formation of Yellowstone. Also of significance is the era of history when efforts were made to preserve Yellowstone's natural beauty and wonder. The pacing was well done, and the book was not just a tome of facts but a connection of different histories and how they affected one another. I would recommend it to those that would like to learn more about the preservation of nature and the history of indigenous lands. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended Author Page:  Megan Kate Nelson

There are so many biographies that I have enjoyed featuring women in history. Here's a short, a really short, list of a few of my favorite biographies.  

  This is a story of mothers and daughters, estrangement and healing. The story centers around Jessica Russo who is called to Miami to meet her maternal grandmother, whom she has never met and her mother has kept this side of her family very private. Curious to learn more about her mother's side of the family, Jessica travels to Miami and bonds with her grandmother, Carmen and her maternal family. She learns a little about her Cuban heritage and the reason for the family estrangement. Jessica returns home to Brooklyn and shares her experiences with her parents. Eventually, this estranged family will reunite and there is a happy ending, one focused on leaving the past in the past, forgiveness, and moving forward. I requested this book from Net Galley as I really enjoy historical fiction. I was actually disappointed to not learn more about Jessica's Cuban heritage. The story really focuses more on the relationships between mothers and daughters, which was not badly done but it wa...

"The world was filled with ghosts. We were a haunted country in a haunted world." "You can't get over things you did to other people as easily as the things they did to you." This is (so far) my favorite book by Louise Erdrich. The story centers around Tookie, a bookstore clerk, that is being haunted by a former customer, Flora. Throughout the story, Tookie tries to solve the mystery of the haunting (which is a fascinating and intricate story) while dealing with the horrible events of 2020. The Sentence is a poignant title as it refers to the sentence that Tookie serves in prison, sentences that we place upon ourselves, and the sentences imprinted in the books, which were a saving grace for Tookie.   I loved the character building, the relationships between the characters, and the insight into indigenous history. This is one of those novels that one should revisit as a reference to the 2020s and how the period impacted society, especially the indigenous people ...

Watching Trevor Noah on The Daily Show and IG, led me to his memoir, which does not disappoint. Trevor Noah's memoir dives into his life, his family life, and the atmosphere and culture pre and post apartheid. All these shaped who he is today and his mother was a strong influence on the man he would become. He's blatantly honest about his life choices and I thought he did an exceptional job describing his life in the hood. I listened on audio, he narrates, and this was also well done (couldn't imagine someone else narrating it really!). Overall, I enjoyed his blunt honesty and insight into his life. Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ More on Trevor Noah: https://www.trevornoah.com/

Frida is a 39-year-old mother who had a "very bad day," she left her toddler alone for over two hours. The state places Harriet, her daughter, into the full custody of her father and his new girlfriend, a Pilates instructor. Frida is shipped off to a school for parents that need to learn to be better parents. The mantra we hear again and again is "I am a bad mother, but I'm learning to be good." While at the school, the reader learns of the struggles of each mother. The reader observes how the women can be supportive or judgmental (catty, really) towards one another. The reader learns about how the system is more lenient towards fathers. What the reader doesn't know... Why does this system exist? What led to this society (a social worker state)? Should the reader feel empathy for Frida because there is a lot of self pity, and I mean a lot! After reading this book, and I finished because I wanted to know the outcome, I thought the book had promise but it lack...

  I chose to read Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals  because I do love animals so very much. What I hoped to take away from the book was to learn about how Laurie Zaleski set up her farm and a bit about the animals that she has dedicated her life to rescuing. I was not disappointed in this regard, any reader will learn about the origins of Funny Farm , the struggles of operating the animal rescue, and a few stories about the animals at the farm. What I was not expecting was to read about the harsh experiences of Laurie's childhood but it really was an important element of the book. Laurie's family, her mother and siblings, were all survivors, much like the animals they saved. One does not miss the impact of this in her memoir. I experienced a range of emotions while reading from laughing to crying to cringing to anger. Would love to visit her animal rescue at some point but am content with following Funny Farm on social media. Thank you NetGalley for this ...

Another cute Nancy Drew caper! Nancy and her friends, Bess & George, aka the Clue Crew are rehearsing for the ballet, Cinderella. The girls are super excited about the ballet but there has been a bit of drama at the rehearsal between practical jokes and tears of envy. In the midst of this drama, a beautiful pair of ballet slippers adorned with tiny rhinestones, have gone missing. The Clue Crew rushes to save the day and the ballet by finding the slippers and the culprit behind the mystery. Adorable illustrations, cute chapter titles, and creative activities at the end of the book make this a win for young readers. 🩰🩰🩰🩰  

This is such a fun site, if you're a geek like me and love pie charts and graphs! I thought I'd share a few of the graphs from my January 2022 reading so you can check it out. And, if you like it, it's available for free. There is a Plus version for $4.99/month. Not sure if it's worth it or not... I'm including a review from a site that I follow THE STORYGRAPH REVIEW: IS IT WORTH REPLACING GOODREADS?   Personally, I like having both GoodReads and The Story Graph for different reasons. I do agree with Chris Arnone that Goodreads is better for the community and The Story Graph is better for (IMHO) the tracking abilities. So, yeah, I would stick with both and I really don't know if I think the Story Graph Plus is worth it, doesn't seem to be, again IMHO. Would love to hear your thoughts... Cool Features: The Story Graph

I love joining book clubs albeit I don't participate in a lot of them, I think (actually I know) I join far too many.  I run my own group, Retro Chapter Chicks on Goodreads, we focus primarily on historical fiction but read other genres and we're a very small group.  We have a preference for active participation v. lurkers, so that's why we're a small group.  Last year, I joined  The Enchanted Book Club  (it has a monthly fee) and the organizer does a great job at setting up virtual events with authors, producers, and the like that relate the monthly book. It's mostly classics or related to classics, so if you enjoy that genre of books and don't mind a small fee, then it's worth it. In the past few months, I found  The Uncorked Librarian  and I have really enjoyed the reading challenges and the lists created by the organizer, a former librarian. I didn't pay a fee for this one and they also have several social media accounts (check out their site for ...

  “I wish someone had told me this simple but confusing truth: Even when everything’s going your way you can still be sad. Or anxious. Or uncomfortably numb. Because you can’t always control your brain or your emotions even when things are perfect.” “Don't compare your insides with someone else's outsides.” Jenny Lawson, again, did not disappoint with this humorous and honest look at mental health and well being. The author provides glimpses of her life, some of the weirdly wonderful and wacky stories are so relatable! I love that she's not all about the picture perfect fantasies that one finds on social media and reminds us not to compare our insides to their outsides. We never really know what is going on in these picture perfect images. I'll definitely continue reading Jenny Lawson's books and her blog. I find her so relatable and love her frankness and her quirky sense of humor. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ More on Jenny Lawson

“For kindness begins where necessity ends.” This is the third work that I've read by Towles and I did enjoy, however I did not love it.  In this story, the reader will find rich character development and beautiful writing. The plot involves 4 major characters that plan a journey across country to start a new life. However, events take a slightly different turn when one character, Duchess, decides he has unfinished business on the east coast. This leads to a bit of a chase, where Emmett and Billy (two brothers and I love Billy), try to get their plan back on course by catching up with Duchess and Woolly. The story is told through the lens of each main player including Ulysses and Sally, minor characters, but important to the storytelling. So, why did I not love this work, I thought the story was lacking in originality and it reminded me of so many other books I've read (e.g.,  Of Mice and Men ,  This Tender Land ). I also questioned the ending for Duchess...   Bi...

  “...story is more than just a discarded by-product if your bare experience. Story is its own bare experience. Fish swim in water, unaware that it is water. Birds fly in air, unaware that it is air. Story is the air that you people breathe, the ocean you swim in, and we books are the rocks along the shoreline that channel your currents and contain your tides. Books will always have the last word, even if nobody is around to read them.” “Every person is trapped in their own particular bubble of delusion, and it's every person's task in life to break free. Books can help. We can make the past into the present, take you back in time and help you remember. We can show you things, shift your realities and widen your world, but the work of waking up is up to you.” What is emptiness? In this book, Ruth Ozeki's creative imagination shines thru as she writes about loss/grief and the emptiness that ensues upon losing a loved one. Benny Oh and Annabelle Oh are the main characters of ...

This is a lovely story of friendship that I read via NetGalley in exchange for a review. Immy, a 60ish year young woman writes a column for her local paper. Joan, a 27 year woman, also a writer, writes a fan letter to Immy, and thus it begins, a beautiful friendship between two women. Immy and Joan exchange letters about their life and their loves, their hopes and their sorrows. They learn from one another and live through each others' experiences. The novel is written in epistolary form, a format that I greatly enjoy and I thought the character development was well executed through the main characters' letters to one another. Reading the book, I felt that I truly got to know these two women and I loved reading about their love for food and the support they give one another. I felt so attached to Joan and Immy that I teared up a few times. A great book, definitely enjoyed.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More on the novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58284121-love-saffron

I've seen this book all over IG and I have enjoyed the books that I've read set in NYC during the Gilded Age, so I decided to give this one a go. In this story, we follow the life of Lillian Carter (based on the real life of Audrey Marie Munson--must read this one at a later time- The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel ) and the Frick family, also a real family. The Frick family have an obscene amount of wealth and several members of the family leave a lot to be desired in social skills. The main plot of the story centers around betrayal, murder, and the theft of a pink diamond. It was an intriguing plot and I loved following Lillian's relationship with the Fricks. The artwork and architecture were beautifully described in the novel, another highlight, felt like I was in NYC. I enjoyed all the nods to historical events including the Johnstown Flood (another interesting book on the topic- The Johnstown Flood ). ...

  “Prejudice, a dirty word, and faith, a clean one, have something in common: they both begin where reason ends.” “The time your friends need you is when they’re wrong, Jean Louise. They don’t need you when they’re right” I took my time to read the book that was a buzz when it was first published 7 years ago. This procrastination on my part was because I didn't want to diminish my love for To Kill a Mockingbird. I will say that my love for TKM was not lost in Go Set a Watchman. In fact, I greatly enjoyed Ms. Lee's novel. Go Set a Watchman tells the story of Jean Louise (Scout)'s life as an adult. She travels on her annual sojourn to Alabama to visit her family and friends. On this most recent visit, I will say that a lot of veils drop and Jean Louise learns that her father is not the infallible man that she has placed on a pedestal for her entire life. As another reviewer mentioned, Jean Louise is a watchman of her town in this book, recognizing and calling out the prejudic...

I lived in Florida quite close to USF, when the discovery of the horrors at Dozier were unearthed. So, I was quite interested in reading Colson Whitehead's fictionalized account of Dozier. I must agree that most of what I read in the papers about Dozier were accounts from the white survivors. I had not read a great deal about young black males that were incarcerated at Dozier. The story follows a young man, Elwood Curtis, who always did the right thing and believed in the Civil Rights Movement and the words of MLK Jr., but made a poor decision and ended up at Dozier. While at Dozier, we learn of the brutality and the downright depravity of these so-called educators. I had such a difficult time stomaching what I was reading, it is not for the faint of heart, but I do believe that if we do not know this history and learn from it, we can and do repeat such atrocities. Since this is a fictionalized account, I will at some point read a few non fiction accounts of Dozier and other 's...