Review: These Silent Woods

These Silent Woods
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

absolutely beautiful quiet book about a dad and his daughter who live in the woods as runaways until an event causes them to have to reconsider everything. really, really beautiful story about friendship, family, sacrifice.

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Review: Professor Everywhere

Professor Everywhere
Professor Everywhere by Nicholas Binge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unlike anything I’ve read. Hard to even put into words what this book is about, it’s about so many different things. If you like unusual books that mix origin of words with science and a fast paced mystery, you will enjoy this insane story. I loved it.

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Review: The Museum of Rain

The Museum of Rain
The Museum of Rain by Dave Eggers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

beautifully crafted short story about an old man visiting a site he’d started years ago with a group of children. loved it.

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Review: When She Was Good

When She Was Good
When She Was Good by Michael Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Even better than the previous one because we finally get to see what happened to Evie!

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Review: Good Girl, Bad Girl

Good Girl, Bad Girl
Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had never heard of this series but I swallowed both of the books in one shot. I cannot wait for the third. Fantastic character development. Well written and interesting. Highly recommended.

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Review: A Psalm for the Wild-Built

A Psalm for the Wild-Built
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“You’re an animal, Sibling Dex. You are not separate or other. You’re an animal. And animals have no purpose. Nothing has a purpose. The world simply is. If you want to do things that are meaningful to others, fine! Good! So do I! But if I wanted to crawl into a cave and watch stalagmites with Frostfrog for the remainder of my days, that would also be both fine and good. You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don’t know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live. That is all most animals do.”

What a gem of a book! It’s unlike anything I’ve read before. I don’t even know how to describe it. I’d read that this book felt like a hug and it really does.

“We don’t have to fall into the same category to be of equal value.”

I had a hard time getting into this book for some reason but once I did, it captured my heart and I loved every moment I spent with it. What a gift.

“Do you not find consciousness alone to be the most exhilarating thing? Here we are, in this incomprehensibly large universe, on this one tiny moon around this one incidental planet, and in all the time this entire scenario has existed, every component has been recycled over and over and over again into infinitely incredible configurations, and sometimes, those configurations are special enough to be able to see the world around them. You and I—we’re just atoms that arranged themselves the right way, and we can understand that about ourselves. Is that not amazing?”

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Review: Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Lonely Castle in the Mirror
Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Something drew me to this book and I wanted to read it the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb.

This is the story of seven children who find their mirror shining one day and can go through the mirror to a castle where a “wolf girl” tells them that they can visit this place until the beginning of the next school year (which is march in Japan) between the hours of 9-5 every day. They are looking for a key and then a wishing room. Only one wish will come true but that one wish will absolutely come true.

Each of these kids is not going to school. They are all struggling in their own ways. The story is told from the perspective of Kokoro who has been bullied and has quit going to school as a result.

The story is poignant, beautiful, unpredictable and so very full of love. I did not put it down once I started reading it and I will continue to think about it for a long time.

with gratitude to Erewhon/Hachette Book Group and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Seven Days in June

Seven Days in June
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful story of a young love who get to meet each other again after many years. There’s so much explored here about art, being black, love, motherhood and more. Beautiful writing.

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Review: And Yet: Poems

And Yet: Poems
And Yet: Poems by Kate Baer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kate Baer’s poems aren’t subtle. They aren’t for the weak of heart. This collection has many poems about motherhood and each poem is beautiful, raw, and makes you feel more and more seen. I am grateful for Baer’s voice and art.

with gratitude to Harper Perennial and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Someone Else’s Bucket List

Someone Else's Bucket List
Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“You never really have someone,” the speaking pixels said, “not forever. You just get them for a little while, if you’re lucky. And you never know how long you have them for.”

I loved this little gem of a book.

This is the story of Jodie who loses her beloved sister to leukemia way too young. Her sister is a major instagram influencer and has lived life to the fullest. She’s loved by everyone and is sweet and kind. After she dies, she sends a video to her sister asking her to finish the remaining items left in her life list. Varying from “fly over Antarctica” to “be an extra in a broadway musical.” Jodie, unlike her sister, is shy and does not like to be in the center of attention.

But if she completes the list, a corporate sponsor will pay off all of the debts her family accrued. The debts are breaking her family and Jodie can’t in good conscience, refuse.

So begins Jodie’s journey filled with several other charming side characters. It’s hard not to fall in love with all of them. This is a sweet novel that will wrap around your heart like a hug.

with gratitude to Kensington and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: A Flicker in the Dark

A Flicker in the Dark
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fast, interesting, twisty thriller. Some predictable parts and some surprises. I enjoyed reading this.

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Review: The Every

The Every
The Every by Dave Eggers
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I tried and tried but couldn’t get myself to finish this book. Yes there are funny bits and yes I love Eggers’ writing but honestly, I just can’t get myself to read another 700 pages about big tech and how evil it is, even with all the jokes. So little character development means my attention wavers and I have no attachment to the story. Since I DNF’ed this even though I was 65% through, I am not rating it.

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