Share Your Shelf March 2026

Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:

Set in England, this book centers around Will, a quadriplegic, and Louisa, a young lady who isn't very ambitious. After losing her job at a bakery/deli due to its closing, she's tried various jobs (such as working at a chicken factory at night) but can't find the right fit. And then she is presented with being a companion to Will, who comes from a well-to-do family. Louisa's family is just scraping by, so they are glad when Louisa is offered the job. It's a good job with excellent pay, but it's only for 6 months. Louisa, who overhears a conversation, learns why it is only for 6 months. She feels betrayed, but then determined. 

I really liked this book; it met my criteria for a good book: it made me cry. If you haven't read it, it's a good one!

Lulu is a housewife in 1950's suburbia. She plays the part of the perfect wife, although she's struggling. She has a son, and at the beginning of the book, finds out she's pregnant. She's going through the motions, trying to be the wife she thinks she's supposed to be. Then Bitsy & Gary move in across the street, but something isn't right with them. While Gary manipulates himself into Lulu's husband's life, Lulu finds out their secret. 

This book had a twist I didn't see coming. It was a very quick read for me; it only took me 2 days to read it. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I'm just glad it had a happy ending!

This is the fourth book in a series of seven. I thought it was the second one (I read the first one last month), so I'm not sure where I messed up. But I didn't need to read 2 & 3 to know what was happening. Melanie is a realtor who specializes in selling older homes in Charleston, and she sees dead people. When I read the first book, I didn't think too much about the whole "seeing dead people" thing, because I know of people who actually can. While that creeps me out a little, this book seemed to get more into the "spirit world" thing: furniture moving, people being hurt. For that reason, I won't be reading any more of this series. Even though the book itself was good (I read almost all of it in 1 day), some parts made me very uneasy. I was definitely disappointed that the author felt the need to go that route.

This is the 2nd installment of the "Me before You" trilogy. I had to read it after reading Me Before You to see what was going to happen next. Is Lily really Will's 16-year-old daughter? What's really going on with her? Will Will's parents accept her, or will they send her away? And what about Lou??? How does she get her life together after what she's been through? Will she honor her promise and do what he asked her to do, or will she stay in the rut of a life that she's been in? So many questions! While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one, I did like it. I immediately borrowed the next book from Libby.

I had to read the last book in the Me Before You trilogy. This book was much better than the 2nd one. Lou finally finds herself after some missteps, and there are a couple of teary moments toward the end. If you've read Me Before You, I'd recommend taking it a bit further and reading the series.

This book came up during last month's linky. Well, it was another one by the same authors, but this one was on Libby without waiting, so I snagged it. I used to read a LOT of James Patterson; it's been a long while since I've read anything of his. I think the last ones I read were when Alex Cross came out. Anyway...I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cyberterrorism...it's a scary thing. And then you have a traitor on top of that (of course!) and a professional assassin; all of the elements needed for a page turner. If it wasn't for the President's Political Speech at the end (which, in all honesty, I glossed over), I would have given it 5 stars. You won't be wasting your time with this one!

This was the Abiding Together Podcast's Lenten Book. Fr. Jacques is just incredible. All of his books are short and very easy to read...and they have a ton of good advice. This book is based on a retreat he gave. In January's Share Your Shelf post, I shared St. Therese's "The Story of a Soul". These are both wonderful books, no matter what your religion is. 

Hop Shelf Book Reads

This is the book I read for the brewery book club this month:

We decided to do something different: we brought the title of a book that had been made into a movie. The titles were placed on a spinning wheel app, then the wheel was spun. Luck of the draw (since it's March)! There were a lot of good suggestions, but when the wheel stopped, Little Women it was. We had 3 weeks to read it, and then we had a movie night out on the patio. 

I think I read Little Women when I was young, but I really don't remember. I had a hard time getting through it. At one point, I stopped reading, and I cheated: I listened to some of it. Then I alternated reading and listening, and I read the ending. All the "goodie 2-shoes" really got to me. And I kept getting distracted by Jo...she was a tomboy, but I kept thinking about how the book would have been different if it had been written in the present. Yep, girls can't be a tomboy anymore. That's all I'm going to say. Honestly, I found Mrs. Dalloway easier to read than Little Women. Let me just say that I'm not a big fan. Funny enough, only 2 of us read the book: me and the lady who suggested it! The 2019 version of the movie was horrid. It kept jumping time periods, so those who hadn't read the book had no idea what was going on. The girls looked the same in the different periods, which led to more confusion, even for the 2 of us who read it. The costumes were amazing, but Timothee Chalamet was not manly enough to play Laurie...and not Italian-looking enough. My advice: watch an earlier movie and skip the book!

If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:

Slices of Life

Not in Jersey

Share Your Shelf February 2026

 

Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:

This is the first book by Virginia Woolf that I have read. I read a couple of books with references to Mrs. Dalloway, so I felt like I needed to give it a try. The description says that it's about a woman (Clarissa) getting ready for a party in London. I expected it to be about her day as she went through the day to get ready. But that wasn't it. It was more about the people you come across in your daily life. It may be a random person you pass on the street, or someone in your past who has come to visit, stirring up past memories. It made me think about how everyone has something going on in their lives. Someone may be dealing with depression or dealing with a loved one with mental illness. Someone may be frivulously flitting throughout her day without thinking about others. In the end, there was a connection with all of the attendees at the party. 

At the beginning of the book, I struggled with figuring out what was going on because the characters seemed to jump from one to the other without a lot of segues and without any kind of break in the page. Once I got used to the style of writing, I found it quite enjoyable. I will definitely read another of her books, especially since another one was mentioned in a book in the Seven Sisters Series that I read. 

This is actually a re-read for me. I was about halfway through the book, and I kept thinking it sounded familiar. I wasn't sure if it was similar to another book or if I read it before. I checked my Libby app, and sure enough, I read it in 2022. I didn't remember how it ended, so I kept reading.

Owen and Hannah have a great marriage. Owen's daughter, Bailey, is 16 and isn't too keen on having a stepmother. Hannah receives a cryptic note from a 12-year-old who said some man gave her $20 to deliver the note to her. Then, Hannah's world falls apart. The company where Owen worked is raided (think "Enron"), and Owen disappears. As Hannah & Bailey try to figure out what happened, they find out that Owen isn't who they think he is, and neither is Bailey. 

This was an excellent book; I would highly recommend it. It's definitely a page-turner!

I thought I read Alice Hoffman before, but after checking Goodreads & Libby, I don't think I have. I can sum this book up in one word: Tragic. Gretel's family has gone through 1 tragedy after another, and the members of the family don't deal well with it. The book touches on Gretel's life from the time of her parents' breakup until she is in her 20's, a college graduate, and making a life. In the end, Gretel is the only member of her immediate family who gets it together.

I have to be perfectly honest: at the beginning of the book, I wondered if this was Alice Hoffman's first book (it isn't) because the sentences seemed short and choppy. I don't know if it got better as I read further in the book, or if I just got used to the writing style. I was able to read the book in 1 day, so it was a quick read at only 197 pages. My opinion is that the book is just "okay". I'll probably read another one of her books just for comparison. A friend recommended one of her books, but I haven't read it yet, and I can't find her recommendation. 

I'm pretty sure this is the first Agatha Christie book I've read; it's definitely the first Hercule Poirot book I've read. It was a fairly quick read, and it was very good. I thought for sure I knew who did it, but I was surprised at the very end to find out who murdered Roger Ackroyd. If you like a good murder mystery, I'd highly recommend this one.

Melanie is a successful realtor in Charleston who specializes in old homes. She also sees dead people. When she inherits an old house from a man she met just a few days before his death, she's left with costly renovations (but he also left her a hefty bank account to use) and a mystery. Why did his mom leave him when he was a child? Why is his mother (who is dead) urging Melanie to discover the truth? And who is the evil man trying to keep her from it? History, mystery, bad guys, romance, and Charleston. What's not to love? The author did an excellent job with the descriptions of everything in the book. It may sound a little creepy (with the ghosts), but it wasn't. Another very good book! This is the first in a series, so I've already put a hold on the next book. 

This book started off really slowly; it took me a while to read it, even though it's only 374 pages. Perveen is the first lawyer in India. There are chapters dedicated to the backstory of her becoming a lawyer, including a very tumultuous marriage. When a man with 3 wives dies following an illness, the inheritance must be discussed with his 3 wives. The problem is that the women live in a separate part of the house where no man is allowed. In order for the wives to speak confidentially, Perveen is able (as a female lawyer) to discuss their options with them. As is the custom, there is a male in the household who has taken over the management of the house and the women. After his murder, the book takes on a deeper mystery. Who killed him? Was it one of the wives, or was it one of their children? Or an employee?

Reading about the different Indian cultures in the early 1900's was fascinating. Women basically had very little rights. It was an interesting read, but I don't know if it's one I would recommend to anyone.

Based on a true story, We Were the Lucky Ones follows the Kurc family, a Jewish family in Poland, during WWII. The author found out at 15 years of age that her grandfather escaped the horrors of the Jewish extermination, but had no contact with his parents and 4 siblings for close to a decade. 

The resilience of the Jewish people during this time fascinates me. All of the family (including spouses) surviving WWII is indeed extraordinary. If you're a crier, keep the tissues handy. This is definitely one to read if you're interested in this time period.

Hop Shelf Book Reads

These are the books that I read for the brewery book club this month:

We took 2 club meetings to read this since it's around 500 pages. It didn't take long to get involved in this book. The main character has different names, with none of them being gender-specific...for a reason. She's been on the run for 3 years and has had a few attempts on her life. When she is asked to run one more operation, she is suspicious, but she does it. (Spoiler: She should have gone with her instinct.) 

After the first book meeting, several of us had different opinions on what was going to happen. As it turns out, we could have written a better ending than the one Stephenie Meyer did. The book was excellent; it was probably the best book I've read so far this year. The ending was a little anticlimactic. This is definitely a page-turner. I would highly recommend!

If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the host's blog:

Slices of Life

Pancakes & Ashes Hodgepodge

 

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? Will you be giving something up or adding something to your life in this Lenten season? 

Of course I do! I'll be going to Mass to receive my ashes. I'm over the age that the Church requires for fasting, but we're to do something extra on that day as a replacement. Last year, I gave up Amazon (and saved a lot of money), so I'm planning on doing that as well plus social media. I have a couple of different things I'm doing this Lent: a book study through the Abiding Together Podcast, journaling daily with Crux, and doing the Stations of the Cross at the outside Stations at my church on Fridays at 3:00. The parish does Stations but I find that I get more out of it if I do it by myself at the outside Stations. 

2. Pancakes...are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week? 

I love pancakes with syrup! I'm good with just plain, but I'll usually spread some peanut butter and maybe some Nutella. Fat Tuesday=pancakes. I'm planning on making "Danish pancakes", which are crepes with bananas, peanut butter, and Nutella in the middle.

3. Tell us about a time recently when you felt 'spread too thin'. 

Oh, gosh! I don't know that there's been a time recently. That's the nice thing about being retired...no pressure!

4. What's your favorite jewel or gemstone? In terms of your wardrobe would we find more gem tones, pastels, black and white, or primary colors? 

I'm not much into jewelry, so I don't have a favorite jewel or gemstone. I think more neutral colors are in my closet.

5. What responsibility do you think is hardest about being in charge?

In charge of what? Right now, I'm finding it stinks to be responsible for my house. I've handed over the responsibility of my boys to them since they're grown men.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I think I have a problem:

But, I guess there could be worse problems to have!

Share Your Shelf January 2026

Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:

This book was just okay. I've had it in my Kindle for a long time, and I hope to empty it out so I can fill it back up. There were a lot of storylines in this book, all of them coming together as the characters came to live in the boarding house. After her grandparents, who raised her, passed away, Mary Kate moved to Dublin and had to work menial jobs and live in horrible boarding houses. Just as she is about to throw herself in the Liffey, the postman comes running toward her with a letter. Mary Kate finds out her mother died and left her a lot of money. Everyone loves Mary Kate, and she uses the money for good. In my opinion, the characters weren't able to be fully developed; they were really shallow. Perhaps if there weren't so many characters, it might have been better. 

This is another book I have in my Kindle Unlimited that I'm trying to clear out to make room for more. The setting is Gdansk, Poland. Kasia (Katarina) has been in Warsaw and involved in the Resistance. She moves back to Gdansk after her father, the owner of a chocolate factory, suddenly passes away. Sebastian, her father's partner, takes over the factory since the Gestapo will not allow a woman, especially one who is half-German, half-Poland take over. Kasia's father had plans for Sebastian and Kasia to wed, but she had other ideas. Once Sebastian takes over the factory, Kasia has to act as if she's interested in him in order to keep her Polish mother and her brother safe. She didn't plan on falling in love with a Resistance fighter,  but she did. 

Kasia continued to work for the Resistance, using her new position at the factory to their advantage by delivering coded messages in the chocolate boxes. This period of time is fascinating to me; there were so many little pieces of the puzzle that had to come together for the Resistance. If you're looking for a quick, interesting read that is about WWII, this would be a good one to put on your "To Read" shelf.

This is a "coming of age" story set in Cornwall, England. When Judith's mother and little sister leave to meet her father in Colombo, Ceylon, she finds herself in a boarding school. She meets and becomes friends with Loveday, and instantly becomes one of the family. Judith is only 14 when she begins boarding school; her parents are thousands of miles away and moving farther away. She won't see them for 4 years! I can't imagine being left alone without my mother for that long, especially at that stage of life. Obviously, Judith is a much more confident, stronger teen than I was. 

This book took me a long while to read. I thought it was a good book, but it was easy to put down, do something else, and then pick it back up later. It definitely wasn't a "page turner", in my opinion.

Last month, I shared a Matthew Kelly book that I read during Advent. This short book is all about "The Saint James Master Plan", based on James 3:2b-18. In a nutshell, it's all about being careful what you say, when you say it, how you say it, and why you say it. As in most of Matthew Kelly's books, he repeats things that I've read before. There were some "nuggets" in there, especially the chapter on "Talking to the Devil". Spiritual warfare is real, y'all. As he says, "one immutable truth when it comes to temptation: Don't dialogue with the devil-you cannot win that conversation", and, "Don't surrender the peace in your soul. Keep yourself busy. Pray. The temptation will pass. Learn to prize the peace in your soul above all else." It's not anything I didn't already know, but it was an excellent reminder.

This is a quick read, with, as I said, some real nuggets in there worth highlighting and reviewing.

For Catholics, this book is a must-read classic. This month, it was my "cheat book". There is a podcast called "Catholic Classics", and this was the book that was read and reviewed a couple of series ago. Before the reading of the section of the book, there is a preview of what is going to be read. After the reading, there is some discussion about what was read. So, a lot of chances for retaining! Saint Therese of Lisieux is one of the four female Doctors of the Catholic Church. She is also called "the little flower," and many miracles are attributed to her intercession. She was a Cloistered Carmelite Nun (meaning that she stayed in the monastery and had no contact with the outside world) who died at the age of 24. I've read this book before on my own, but reading it with the podcast brought more meaning to it. It was interesting to read about her younger self (she was a bit of a brat and a definite "daddy's girl"), as well as her life in the monastery. 

Hop Shelf Book Club

The brewery book club that I belong to read 2 books this month. After the last 2, we all decided we needed something light to read. 

Two authors who knew each other in college reunite over the summer. Her editor is anxiously awaiting the new book (which she can't seem to get started). She is a romance writer who is questioning whether love can truly exist; he writes literary fiction and has no belief in "happily ever after".  They make a deal: she will write literary fiction, and he will write a romance book. They agree to write during the week and take the weekend to educate each other on their research techniques. 

This was a good choice for the book club. I missed the discussion meeting because I was under the weather, but I can't imagine that there was anyone who didn't like it. I did get a little tired of the whole "I've got wounds", but other than that, it was a good read.

This is a book that I wouldn't normally read, mainly because of the title. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. Nell considers herself to be (as the title would suggest) something less than she thinks she should be at this stage of her life. She just broke up with her fiancé and moved back to London from California. She's trying to get her life back together: she finally lands a part-time job, finds a room to rent, and meets Cricket, an 80-something new widow. While friends her age are in her life, the friendship between Nell and Cricket is what makes the book. The ending wasn't a surprise at all, but getting there was fun. And the quotes (mostly by Cricket)!!!

• Don't worry about getting older, worry about becoming dull.
• And yet how can the world keep on turning, business as usual, without them in it? As time moves on, the further away you become from the last moment you saw them. They retreat into your past as you travel into the future. The distance between you growing as their voice fades and the memories blur.
• Embrace your sense of humor, don't ever take yourself too seriously, every day is another chance to laugh instead of cry, and when nothing is certain, everything is a hell of a lot less scary when you make fun of it. Amen.
• The way I see it, you can grieve for someone and the past, but you've also got to live.
• It's true what they say: life does go on and joy does return, and often it's in the most unexpected of places, but you never get over losing someone; you just get better at coping with it.
• Don't worry too much about people liking you; liking yourself is far more important.
• The best anti-aging secret is to stop looking in mirrors.
• You never own a book; you just get to look after it until you pass it on to the next person.
• There is no age limit on adventure. You're not too old, it's not too late, and yes you can.

This is next month's first book; we have another 2-book month in February. Phoebe is an adjunct professor of Victorian Literature and is married to a Philosophy Professor. After he has an affair and leaves her, she tries to go on, but decides to visit a hotel she always wanted to visit and end her life. But...it just so happens that the hotel is having a wedding that weekend and the bride has booked the hotel. They meet in the elevator, and Phoebe tells Lila (the bride) of her plan. Lila is a Bridezilla of the worst kind, but somehow, they form a friendship. Phoebe meets the groom while sitting in the hot tub, and, not knowing he is the groom, strikes up a conversation and finds herself attracted to him. The rest of the book explores the bride & groom's relationship, and Phoebe (being the wise professor) becomes the counselor for everyone. She's a bit of a goody-two-shoes (in my opinion); not very realistic, but it works for the story plot. 

This book was okay; it's not one that I would tell people they must read, but it was okay.

If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the host's blogs:

Slices of Life

Share Your Shelf December 2025

 

Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:

Book Six of The Seven Sisters Series by Lucinda Riley. I didn't feel a connection with this sister (Electra), but what a mess she is! Of course, (spoiler alert) she gets her act together and ends up contributing hugely to society. I didn't think this book was as good as the other ones; we'll see how the next book turns out.

I wasn't sure if I was going to get to this book this month, but I did. And I'm glad I did! I thought the Sun Sister wasn't up to par with the others in this series, but this was definitely was. It finished with a real cliffhanger, so I had to read the last book in the series:

Harry Whittaker is Lucinda Riley's son. He wrote the book for her since she passed away before the book was published. He explains in the Forward that she had notes but hadn't planned on organizing and writing the book, but she ended up getting it in order, and he wrote it after she passed away. Well done, Mr. Whittaker! All of the questions in the previous books are answered.

I'm obsessed with WWII and the Resistance, but I haven't read a book from that period in a while. This book did not disappoint. Based on a couple of real people, this book follows 3 young ladies: 1 in New York, 1 in Poland, and 1 in Germany. The NY and German were real people; the German was a doctor at Ravensbrück. At one point, all of their lives intertwine. I read some of it before I went to bed one night, and I couldn't go to sleep because I kept thinking about the situation. It was tough, for sure. It was an excellent book; I would definitely recommend it. 

This was the Advent read by Matthew Kelly, who is the founder of Dynamic Catholic. Dynamic Catholic hosts yearly Best Advent Ever and Best Lent Ever. During Advent, he took a section of the book and talked about it in short (usually less than 5 minutes) videos. It took me all month to read, but there are some good nuggets in there. The basis of the book is that finding joy is all about slowing down. It made me realize that, since CH's passing, I have learned to slow down. Well, maybe not as much as I should, but I've got a good start on it.

I can sum this book up in one word: WOW. Cam is a literary agent; Luke is a ghostwriter. They have a 9-month-old baby girl, and it's Cam's first day back to work after maternity leave. The day starts off strange when Luke isn't there to help her get Polly ready and take her to daycare. It gets weirder when there's a commotion (with a lot of police), and Cam discovers Luke is involved...and not in a good way. She keeps repeating that Luke is a good person, so how could he have been involved? There are quite a few twists in this book; I guessed one of them correctly, but it didn't take away from the excitement. This is another must-read!

I picked up this book in the bookshop at the Skellig Experience during my trip to Ireland in June. If you know anything about Skellig Michael, this is a must-read. If you don't know about Skellig Michael, you can click here to learn about it.

Eliza is married to James, a Principal Keeper who has been assigned to Skellig Michael. They have 2 young sons, and soon after arrival, discover Eliza is pregnant. The conditions are harsh; in the book, they only have each other until an Assistant and his wife join them. Then the drama begins. I always say that I know it's a good book if it makes me cry, and this one made me cry. It was a fairly quick read; I read most of it in 1 day. 

And now, what (I'm sure) everyone has been waiting for: The Hop Shelf Reads Book.

It is very rare that I would not recommend a book. This one is it. After the first 200 or so pages, I didn't like it. For the next meeting, I actually read over the required number of pages because I had to know what was going to happen. Suffice it to say, that feeling didn't last. Even one member, who said she really liked the book, changed her mind after the third meeting. I have no idea why Mr. Lamb put in some of the things he did; they have no bearing on the book. Suddenly, there would be some random act of perversion that did not need to be included. One lady (who was away for this book) told our facilitator that she read the book 3 times, and told her to encourage us to keep going because the end was worth it. It was not. All I can say is that I'm glad we're done with this one!

If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:

Slices of Life

My Joyful Life

Memphis Bridges

Share Your Shelf November 2025

 

Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:

This book was about one of the Seven Sisters. I read the second book in the series last month, so I continued on to the next book in the series. I love how Lucinda Riley intertwines past history in her books, taking me back to another time (and place). Star's (the main character) love for books and the rekindling of my love for books grabbed my attention.

I couldn't stop with book 3, and since Star (from book 3) and CeCe (from this book) are so close, it was natural that I wouldn't have stopped. Again, I found something that's happening in my life that coincided with something going on in the character's life. I really wanted to read book 5, but I made myself move on to something else.

This was a quick read. I read half of it Thanksgiving night and finished it the next morning. The book club leader (who is a reading teacher) is reading it to her class, and almost every member of the book club (if not every one of them) has read it. They talk about it every time we meet, so I figured I'd better read it so I wouldn't be shunned! Obviously, it was a good book because I finished it so quickly. The club members talked about how they "ugly cried" reading it. I don't know if it's because I was expecting something to happen (because that's all the members talked about) or if it was something else, but I didn't experience the crying. I did tear up at one part; I knew what was going to happen to one of the characters (I just didn't know which one), I figured it out early in the book, so I may have just been ready for it. 

I'm currently reading my book club book. We meet every other week; our assignment is to read 200 pages each time. 200 pages to go before we finish the book, but you'll have to come back next month to see what it was & what I thought of it. 😁

I read one more book this month! I don't listen to audiobooks, so what I'm reading, I'm actually reading. No judgment, though. Listening to books puts me to sleep; I have to actually see it to retain it.

If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:

The Other Side of the Road

Slices of Life

My Joyful Life

Memphis Bridges

Share Your Shelf October 2025

 

Thanks to Joyce for making me aware of this blog linky. Now that I'm back to reading, I hope my lists will grow each month. But for now, this post is going to be pretty meager.

As I said in my Back to Reading Post, this is the book that the book club I'm in read and finished in October. I hope that still counts since I didn't read the whole book that month! We started at the end of Sept., met every 2 weeks after reading approximately 200 pages, and finished it mid-October.

I knew the book was going to be good since it was by Anthony Doerr. One participant in the book club (another Speech-Language Pathologist) said that she had to make a graphic organizer to keep up with who was in what time period. The end of the book left me wanting more information. I'll just leave it at that. 

This is definitely one to put on your "must-read" shelf!

This is the 2nd book in the Seven Sisters series. I read the first book quite a while ago and read this one while I was on my last pilgrimage to Greece. There were things that I read in the book that paralleled my life.  One was the "evil eye" pendant that Ally was given. The evil eye (or God's eye in Turkiye) was everywhere in Greece. And, Ally is a flautist. So I had a connection, but that was where the connection ended. 

The premise of the series is that a man (Pa Salt) adopted 6 girls (the 7th girl hasn't arrived on the scene yet for some reason).  Each of the girls is named after a star in a constellation. When Pa Salt (who is a billionaire) dies, he leaves a clue to each girl's heritage; it's up to them to discover it if they wish. 

There is some factual history in the books (which I like), but it is in the nonfiction genre. It is definitely an interesting read.

So...that's it for October. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up more books this month. If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:

The Other Side of the Road

Slices of Life

My Joyful Life

Memphis Bridges

Back to Reading

Photo by Dom J

I'm reading again. Finally. After CH passed away, I tried to read. I ended up frustrated because nothing could hold my attention enough to finish a book. I tried different genres without luck. I was beginning to think I'd never read another book again. I've been a book lover my whole life, so it was a little distressing to not be able to read.

Until a local brewery started a book club. Beer & books? Yes, please! I walked into the brewery with confidence, not knowing exactly what to expect. MS said that the owners had no idea how this was going to go...would it be a hit or a dud? 

I've wanted to join a book club for a while, but I wasn't sure how to go about joining. It seems that most book clubs are already established and not looking for new members. It turns out I'm not alone. Several of the members said the same thing. 

Back to the first night: I joined some ladies already sitting at one of the tables. We ended up with 15 ladies the first night, so I'd say it was a hit. The lady who started the book club is a reading teacher at one of the local schools, and most of the members are teachers. Since most of them are teachers for a different school system than the one from which I retired, I didn't know anyone. And it was okay. I'm getting used to putting myself out there and going places on my own. In fact, I'm actually learning to like it. 

Our "leader" chose the first book: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. His first book was All the Light We Cannot See, which was excellent, so I was expecting great things. I wasn't disappointed. We took 4 weeks to read the book, roughly 200 pages every 2 weeks. It seemed doable, and I liked that the book was broken up like that, so I didn't feel overwhelmed. Cloud Cuckoo Land is one of those books with multiple main characters; each chapter is about a different person. To make things more "interesting", there were 3 different time periods that each lived in. And then there were back stories for each character. The first time we met after reading the first 200 pages, a lot of questions were straightened out. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the book as much if I weren't reading along with a group. I enjoyed it so much that I finished the book even though I missed the last meeting, and then I had to email the leader to let her know how much I liked it. 

This book club has brought back my love of reading. I've read a few other books over the last few weeks and have been able to actually sit down and get lost in them.  I feel like a part of me has been revived. And it feels great!

Awesome Sauce Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. Has March come in like a lion where you live? If not a lion then what animal would you use to describe the weather in your area this first week of March? Does the weather affect your emotions? When did you last feel 'under the weather'? 

We had quite a bit of rain and some very windy weather but thankfully no storms. I don't think weather affects my emotions. I had what I think was a cold a couple of weeks ago but it was kind of weird: I had a scratchy throat & congestion on a Monday and felt like crap, but by Wednesday I felt okay. I guess it could have been COVID; I didn't test because it really doesn't matter!

2. Do you know what your name means? Does the meaning of your name fit with your personality? Do you like your name? If you have children did you consider the meaning of their names before choosing them? 

Mary is a derivative of the Hebrew name "Miriam" or "Mariam". A quick search says it means "beloved", "love", and even "bitter" or "rebellious". I'm not bitter and not very rebellious, so I'll go with the first 2. I love my name! Every now and then, I will come across a child with the name "Mary". It's one of those names that doesn't seem to be used much any more.

When we had our boys, the meaning of the name didn't even come into question. OS was named after CH's father, MS was named after CH's best friend and his middle name came from CH's brother's middle name, and YS was named after both our next-door-neighbors' last names! It's tough to pick a name for your child when you work in a school. 

3. It's National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce? Last thing you ate that used a sauce? 

Shrimp sauce. I don't usually use sauce unless it's shrimp sauce. I don't even use ketchup that much but the last time I did it was on french fries.

4. Something you've seen, tasted, done lately that you'd describe as 'awesome sauce'? 

I really had to rack my brains over this one and didn't come up with anything. I'm just status quo here: I'm in a routine (finally) and haven't done anything out of the ordinary. YS fixed me an amazing swordfish taco a couple of weeks ago. It was incredible!

5. What kinds of things do you love to collect? 

Dust. I'm not a big collector; I've learned through the years to let things go. I do have quite a collection of books that I need to read, though. But they are sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Inspiration for blog posting has hit me hard. In addition to my Great West Adventure posts, I'm also resurrecting my Friday Fotos post on this blog. I also wrote a post on my Not So Perfect Catholic blog on the stages of hope that I've gone through. You can read it here.

Show Us Your Books-January 2022

 

Last year I read 23 books, which isn't too bad considering that most of them were read between October and January. I read 5 just in December, so I don't think I've done too badly. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is another book in the Lowcountry Summer Series. First off, I love the Lowcountry. While a lot of families visit the Myrtle Beach area, we prefer the Charleston area, so there was an immediate connection. I haven't spent any amount of time on Sullivan's Island, though. Back to the book...This series is about 3 half-sisters who are reunited at Seabreeze, their grandmother's home on Sullivan's Island. Marietta (the grandmother) has decided to sell the home and move to a retirement home. She devises a plan to get all of the girls back for a month. They spent summers together until the girls reached their teen years and had other summer interests. Now they're grown up and haven't been in contact with each other in years. The month turned into a summer and the summer is coming to a close. This is the 3rd book in the series and I had to know how the summer was going to end. I really enjoyed this book.

⭐⭐⭐

I usually really enjoy Nicholas Sparks' books, but this one rubbed me wrong from the beginning. As a Speech/Language Pathologist, I almost put the book down after the first couple of chapters because I felt like he didn't research enough. If you're going to have a child whose language is delayed in your book, I expect research to be done. I kept reading, though, thinking he may redeem himself. (He didn't.) The storyline was very predictable; no surprises at all. I was just really disappointed in this book. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was a very nice surprise. I found it through an ad for the top 10 books of 2021. Knowing very little about Indian culture but enjoying learning about other cultures, I found this book to be really interesting. The book briefly deals with what it's like to try to assimilate to another culture (the main character moved to the US from India as a young child) and never really feels like she fits in. When the family travels to India for a cousin's wedding, she has no plans to join them. An accident changes her plan (and her life). 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another nice surprise from the same list. I'm not into plants or gardens, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this. This book has 3 main characters from 3 different eras. It took me a while to keep everyone straight, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the historical aspect, and there was a bit of romance and scandal. I've added more of Julia Kelly's books to my list.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yep. This is the 4th installment of the Lowcountry Summer Series. I started reading this one on New Year's Eve and almost finished it before midnight. I counted it for December because I came this close to finishing it. I had a pretty good idea who was getting married. An additional character was introduced; at first, I thought the chapter introducing him was strange but it all came together rather quickly. There was a huge clue that I completely missed as I looked back on it. There's 1 more book in this series and then I'll have to start Mary Alice Monroe's Beach House Series.

I guess you can tell that a book has to be really, really bad for me to give less than 3 stars. *sigh* I'm joining up with Jana & Steph for Show Us Your Books. Click on the image below to see what everybody read last month.