Review: Tell Me How to Be

Tell Me How to Be
Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely fantastic book about a mom and a son both telling their stories around the secrets they have had to keep and what it cost them and how to come back to ourselves. Really wonderful story and really fantastic audiobook. Highly recommended.

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Review: What Lies in the Woods

What Lies in the Woods
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fast-paced strong thriller about three girls who are best friends when one of them gets stabbed in the woods by a serial killer. Years later, the killer dies in prison and the girls are now back together when secrets start unraveling.

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Review: A Chance for Us

A Chance for Us
A Chance for Us by Corinne Michaels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved this sweet romance story of a fake marriage turned into real love. If romance is your thing, you’ll like this one. I haven’t read 1-3 in this series and it didn’t make a difference for this book. Loved it.

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Review: Man’s Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I reread this with my husband on a recent trip. The first part of this book is absolutely gut wrenching for me. I cannot listen to it without feeling completely devastated. And it’s also so inspiring how Frankl found a way to survive despite it all and make something so meaningful for himself and for the rest of us.

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Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I put off reading this book for a year. Not sure why. There were mixed reviews and I wasn’t sure I would like it. And while the writing is odd and hard to really get into, the story was really beautiful and the way it all connected in the end was really tender. I’m so glad I read it.

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Review: Gender Queer: A Memoir

Gender Queer: A Memoir
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fantastic graphic novel about a young queer person finding their way and sharing their journey. I love reading these books and learning and growing and I am so grateful that they are willing to share their journey.

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Review: Someday, Maybe

Someday, Maybe
Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars.

I put off reading this book because I knew it would wreck me. And it wrecked me. It was beautiful and raw and hard to read. I loved how true the grief was, how it wasn’t sugarcoated. I love the complicated family. I loved this book.

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Review: A River Enchanted

A River Enchanted
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A beautiful story of family, love, tradition, country and so much more. I really loved Jack as a character and I loved the atmosphere of this story. It was light and fast moving, a wonderful read for a rainy day.

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Review: The Employees

The Employees
The Employees by Olga Ravn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars.

This is a thought-provoking book that takes place in the future but tackles concerns that are all too real today. About human vs robot, logic vs feelings. About what makes life worth living. This was an experience to read.

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Review: You Are Here

You Are Here
You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story brings together a list of characters connected by a mall in upstate New York. There’s a white bookstore manager and his black wife and biracial children who live in a tiny home he built for them to live with minimum belongings. There’s an Asian hair stylist single mother who secretly dreams of being an artist and whose son is into magic tricks. There’s a teenager who works at the mall and dreams of being an actress and the boy who is obsessed with her. And an old widow who lives next door to the biracial couple and gets her hair cut at the mall.

All of these characters’ lives weave in and out of each other as they navigate their lives and try to live and survive as the rumors of the mall closing turn out to be true.

This story covers many topics around race, growing up, work vs dreams, anger and obsession, grief and redemption. At its heart it’s a tender story around human connection and how complete strangers can make deep and meaningful differences in your life.

with gratitude to netgalley and Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Promise Boys

Promise Boys
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Promise Boys is the story of three boys who are wrongfully accused of the murder of their school principal. They band together to try to solve the murder in order to prove their innocence. It’s a powerful story tackling topics around race, poverty, education system, family and corruption.

I can’t recommend enough that you listen to this one on audio. It is performed by a full cast and really makes the story come alive.

Highly recommended.

with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Foster

Foster
Foster by Claire Keegan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Claire Keegan has the ability to hook you into a story in so few words. She makes every word count and her powerful stories always connect with you. This short novella will stay with you.

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