Jan's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 13 Jun 2025 21:27:47 -0700 60 Jan's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned]]> 37797957 M*A*S*H? You have exactly 16 pages to do so, and guess what: It's one of the least entertaining parts of the book. But should fans of the award-winning actor-writer-director avoid this slim memoir? Not in the slightest. Slyly humorous and open-hearted, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is a breezy, most enjoyable read. Alda's ability to recall his childhood (including backstage at raunchy vaudeville shows), school years, stage struggles and successes is as entertaining as one of his Emmy-winning teleplays. Alda is inordinately attune recalling life's crystallizing moments: when religion no longer worked for him, how something in his pocket made him forever a better actor, or his mother's painful descent into dementia. Alda's ever present humor is a great asset whether telling a charming love story on meeting his wife Arlene or a life-threatening illness in a remote part of Chile ("I am in and out of consciences, but I never take a break from the screaming. The show must go on."). Like Alda's persona, his book is more human and less flash. What would be filler in most books is often the mot entertaining and revealing here; especially Alda's dynamic relationship with his parents. Really, who else would name his memoir after an unfortunate trip to the taxidermist? The year the book was published during a revival for the 69-year-old; he was nominated for an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony in the same year. --Doug Thomas]]> 272 Alan Alda Jan 0 currently-reading 4.10 2005 Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned
author: Alan Alda
name: Jan
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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If I Were You 48712769 From bestselling and eight-time Christy Award-winning author Lynn Austin comes a remarkable novel of sisterhood and self-discovery set against the backdrop of WWII.

1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve's secrets--and the complicated history of their friendship--to the surface.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve's mother served as a lady's maid for Audrey's mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat--Nazi invasion--reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey's brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.

This sweeping story transports readers to one of the most challenging eras of history to explore the deep, abiding power of faith and friendship to overcome more than we ever thought possible]]>
460 Lynn Austin 1496437314 Jan 3 4.41 2020 If I Were You
author: Lynn Austin
name: Jan
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2020
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[You Could Make This Place Beautiful]]> 61940694 “Life, like a poem, is a series of choices.�

In her memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself. The book begins with one woman’s personal heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes. With the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself. The power of these pieces is cumulative: page after page, they build into a larger interrogation of family, work, and patriarchy.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful, like the work of Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, and Gina Frangello, is an unflinching look at what it means to live and write our own lives. It is a story about a mother’s fierce and constant love for her children, and a woman’s love and regard for herself. Above all, this memoir is “extraordinary� (Ann Patchett) in the way that it reveals how, in the aftermath of loss, we can discover our power and make something new and beautiful.]]>
316 Maggie Smith Jan 0 currently-reading 4.21 2023 You Could Make This Place Beautiful
author: Maggie Smith
name: Jan
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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Isola 213047729 A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this epic saga of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.]]>
368 Allegra Goodman 0593730097 Jan 5 4.21 2025 Isola
author: Allegra Goodman
name: Jan
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[Empress of the Seven Hills (The Empress of Rome, #3)]]> 54465301 A tale of love, power and intrigue from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Briar Club.

Powerful, prosperous, and expanding ever farther into the untamed world, the Roman Empire has reached its peak under the rule of the beloved Emperor Trajan. But neither he nor his reign can last forever...

Brash and headstrong, Vix is a celebrated ex-gladiator returned to Rome to make his fortune. The sinuous, elusive Sabina is a senator's daughter who craves adventure. Sometimes lovers, sometimes enemies, Vix and Sabina are united by their devotion to Trajan.

But others are already maneuvering in the shadows. Trajan's ambitious Empress has her own plans for Sabina. And the aristocratic politician Hadrian—who is both the Empress's ruthless protégé and Vix's mortal enemy—has ambitions he confesses to no one, ambitions rooted in a secret prophecy.

When Trajan falls, they all will be caught in a deadly whirlwind that may seal their fates, and that of the entire Roman Empire...]]>
505 Kate Quinn Jan 0 currently-reading 4.30 2012 Empress of the Seven Hills (The Empress of Rome, #3)
author: Kate Quinn
name: Jan
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[To Live & Die in Dixie (Callahan Garrity Mystery, #2)]]> 6258174
The first day on the job she and her crew discover the bloodied body of a young woman in a bedroom -- and are soon on the trail of a priceless Civil War diary stolen by the killer. As if two crimes aren't enough, deadly serious collectors, right-wing radicals, and impulsive teenagers make the case even more difficult to tidy up ... and more dangerous.]]>
288 Kathy Hogan Trocheck 0061842206 Jan 2 4.09 1993 To Live & Die in Dixie (Callahan Garrity Mystery, #2)
author: Kathy Hogan Trocheck
name: Jan
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1993
rating: 2
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<![CDATA[This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods: A Practical Guide for Healing Past Intergenerational Stress and Trauma]]> 209022332
During prolonged periods of chronic stress, family traumas, or dysfunctional family dynamics, your young brain likely created deeply ingrained physical and mental habits to help you survive. Unfortunately, these habits and core beliefs work against your adult life and relationship goals.

Even if you did not directly experience childhood abuse or neglect, you have likely felt the harmful effects of intergenerational (generational) trauma from your family, inherited as genetic issues or passed along through skills deficits and dysfunctional relationships. When these ancestral issues go unaddressed, we hand them down to the next generation. Natural responses to childhood stress can anxiety symptomsUnhealthy, chaotic, or toxic relationshipsSurvival-based thinking (short-term, defensive, distrusting)Personal or family substance abuse (or addictions like gambling, work, porn)Unstable work lifeThese perfectly normal reactions to a painful childhood do not automatically go away when you grow up! Recovery from such childhood experiences is challenging but quite possible when motivated survivors utilize self-education, therapy, and skills building to empower themselves.

This book presents 20 key concepts for comprehensively thriving past your stressful childhood. While many books focus on two to three of these issues in depth, they typically leave out entire concepts critical to beast-mode thriving! This book offers guidelines for you to develop yourself as an individual before moving on to enhancing your interpersonal functioning. Each chapter explains key concepts before offering solutions with realistic healing exercises to develop healthy habits that will help you heal and ultimately thrive! Here are just a few of the 20 lies are just that...LIESWe must slow down to speed upPractice treating yourself in a self-loving and self-respecting fashionWe are responsible for the decisions that we are aware ofIt's us against trauma worldThis encouraging and reality-based guide was authored by Ernest Ellender, PhD, who has worked directly with trauma survivors from all walks of life since 1995. He combined insights from his clinical psychology doctorate education and career with training methods from his martial arts career (Jiu-jitsu black belt instructor) to create this comprehensive and effective curriculum for those on a healing journey toward emotional wellbeing.

Clients benefiting from this curriculum have included those struggling with mental health instability; those in codependent and dysfunctional relationships; single parents wanting to do better for their children; divorced parents struggling with healthy co-parenting; clients diagnosed with C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depression, or dissociative disorders; clients whose prior therapists were poorly trained in trauma counseling and cptsd treatments; and parents seeking parenting tips to strengthen their family to prevent or minimize the impact of future traumas.

Following the guidelines of this book will lead to...More control, stability, and self-esteemA daily life free of toxic shame!Empathic and mature self-care and coping skillsAdvanced self-advocacy and communication skillsHealthier, mutually supportive, and deeply engaged relationships when]]>
274 Ernest Ellender Jan 0 currently-reading 4.75 This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods: A Practical Guide for Healing Past Intergenerational Stress and Trauma
author: Ernest Ellender
name: Jan
average rating: 4.75
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<![CDATA[My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1)]]> 38457091 New York Times bestselling Neapolitan quartet about two friends growing up in post-war Italy is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted family epic by Italy’s most beloved and acclaimed writer, Elena Ferrante, “one of the great novelists of our time.� (Roxana Robinson, The New York Times)

Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its protagonists, the fiery and unforgettable Lila, and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflictual friendship. Book one in the series follows Lila and Elena from their first fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence.

Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists.

“An intoxicatingly furious portrait of enmeshed friends,� writes Entertainment Weekly. “Spectacular,� says Maureen Corrigan on NPR’s Fresh Air. “A large, captivating, amiably peopled bildungsroman,� writes James Wood in The New Yorker

Ferrante is one of the world’s great storytellers. With My Brilliant Friend she has given her readers an abundant, generous, and masterfully plotted page-turner that is also a stylish work of literary fiction destined to delight readers for many generations to come.]]>
387 Elena Ferrante Jan 3 4.05 2011 My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Jan
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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The Night Tiger 41124373 A sweeping historical novel about a dancehall girl and an orphan boy whose fates entangle over an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers.

When 11-year-old Ren’s master dies, he makes one last request of his Chinese houseboy: that Ren find his severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and reunite it with his body. Ren has 49 days, or else his master’s soul will roam the earth, unable to rest in peace.

Ji Lin always wanted to be a doctor, but as a girl in 1930s Malaysia, apprentice dressmaker is a more suitable occupation. Secretly, though, Ji Lin also moonlights as a dancehall girl to help pay off her beloved mother’s Mahjong debts. One night, Ji Lin’s dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir: a severed finger. Convinced the finger is bad luck, Ji Lin enlists the help of her erstwhile stepbrother to return it to its rightful owner.

As the 49 days tick down, and a prowling tiger wreaks havoc on the town, Ji Lin and Ren’s lives intertwine in ways they could never have imagined. Propulsive and lushly written, The Night Tiger explores colonialism and independence, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and first love. Braided through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order.

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380 Yangsze Choo 1250175445 Jan 3 4.03 2019 The Night Tiger
author: Yangsze Choo
name: Jan
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/12
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<![CDATA[While the City Sleeps (Women of Midtown, #1)]]> 181857660
Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her. And throughout it all, Jonathan fears what will happen should Katherine ever learn his deepest secrets.

Join award-winning author Elizabeth Camden for a sweeping and romantic adventure of dangerous secrets and wounded hearts fighting to overcome the darkness while the rest of the city sleeps.]]>
352 Elizabeth Camden Jan 3 4.16 2024 While the City Sleeps (Women of Midtown, #1)
author: Elizabeth Camden
name: Jan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/05
date added: 2025/05/05
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The Rose Arbor 201156640 An investigation into a girl’s disappearance uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II in a haunting novel of suspense by the bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Paris Assignment.

1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case.

Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.

As Liz digs deeper, she finds herself drawn to the village of Tydeham, which was requisitioned by the military during the war and left in ruins. After all these years, what could possibly link the missing girls to this abandoned village? And why does a place Liz has never seen before seem so strangely familiar?]]>
349 Rhys Bowen 1662504209 Jan 3 4.18 2024 The Rose Arbor
author: Rhys Bowen
name: Jan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Southern Table: A Memoir and Cookbook]]> 36199550 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � Part cookbook, part memoir, these“rollicking, poignant, sometimes hilarious tales� (USA Today) arethe Pulitzer Prize-winner’s loving tribute to the South, his family and, especially, to his extraordinary mother. Here are irresistible stories and recipes from across generations. They come, skillet by skillet, from Bragg’s ancestors, from feasts and near famine, from funerals and celebrations, and from a thousand tales of family lore as rich and as sumptuous as the dishes they inspired. Deeply personal and unfailingly mouthwatering, The Best Cook in the World is a book to be savored.]]> 562 Rick Bragg Jan 5 4.53 2018 The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Southern Table: A Memoir and Cookbook
author: Rick Bragg
name: Jan
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/05/01
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<![CDATA[Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors]]> 23905939
Hugh Howey launched the idea on Kboards, a forum for Kindle readers, but also the meeting place of an active community of indie writers.

The result is this anthology of 101 very short stories by 101 authors.

To make it more attractive for you, the reader, we set ourselves a limit of a thousand words. You should be able to read each story in under five minutes � on your desktop computer, laptop, or tablet at home or in the office, but also on your smartphone, on the go, while you are commuting or waiting at a coffee shop for your significant other to arrive.

We included as many genres as we could. We hope that maybe, with only five minutes of your time on the line that would otherwise be wasted anyway, you'll be tempted to venture outside your comfort zone and try out some new genres and new authors.]]>
437 Andrew Ashling Jan 0 currently-reading 3.39 2014 Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors
author: Andrew Ashling
name: Jan
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/29
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The Mighty Red 204982648
Gary Geist, a terrified young man set to inherit two farms, is desperate to marry Kismet Poe, an impulsive, lapsed Goth who can't read her future but seems to resolve his.

Hugo, a gentle red-haired, home-schooled giant, is also in love with Kismet. He’s determined to steal her and is eager to be a home wrecker.

Kismet's mother, Crystal, hauls sugar beets for Gary's family, and on her nightly runs, tunes into the darkness of late-night radio, sees visions of guardian angels, and worries for the future, her daughter’s and her own.

Human time, deep time, Red River time, the half-life of herbicides and pesticides, and the elegance of time represented in fracking core samples from unimaginable depths, is set against the speed of climate change, the depletion of natural resources, and the sudden economic meltdown of 2008-2009. How much does a dress cost? A used car? A package of cinnamon rolls? Can you see the shape of your soul in the everchanging clouds? Your personal salvation in the giant expanse of sky? These are the questions the people of the Red River Valley of the North wrestle with every day.

The Mighty Red is a novel of tender humor, disturbance, and hallucinatory mourning. It is about on-the-job pains and immeasurable satisfactions, a turbulent landscape, and eating the native weeds growing in your backyard. It is about ordinary people who dream, grow up, fall in love, struggle, endure tragedy, carry bitter secrets; men and women both complicated and contradictory, flawed and decent, lonely and hopeful. It is about a starkly beautiful prairie community whose members must cope with devastating consequences as powerful forces upend them. As with every book this great modern master writes, The Mighty Red is about our tattered bond with the earth, and about love in all of its absurdity and splendor.

A new novel by Louise Erdrich is a major literary event; gorgeous and heartrending, The Mighty Red is a triumph.]]>
384 Louise Erdrich 0063277085 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.02 2024 The Mighty Red
author: Louise Erdrich
name: Jan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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Letters to an American Lady 61387469 On October 26, 1950, C. S. Lewis wrote the first of more than a hundred letters he would send to a woman he had never met, but with whom he was to maintain a correspondence for the rest of his life.

Ranging broadly in subject matter, the letters discuss topics as profound as the love of God and as frivolous as preferences in cats. Lewis himself clearly had no idea that these letters would ever see publication, but they reveal facets of his character little known even to devoted readers of his fantasy and scholarly writings—a man patiently offering encouragement and guidance to another Christian through the day-to-day joys and sorrows of ordinary life.

Letters to an American Lady stands as a fascinating and moving testimony to the remarkable humanity and even more remarkable Christianity of C. S. Lewis, and is richly deserving of the position it now takes among the balance of his Christian writings.

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146 C.S. Lewis Jan 0 currently-reading 4.58 1966 Letters to an American Lady
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Jan
average rating: 4.58
book published: 1966
rating: 0
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A Calamity of Souls 198513577 Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1�New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.�

Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.

Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era. �

Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.

Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.]]>
487 David Baldacci 1538765055 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.59 2024 A Calamity of Souls
author: David Baldacci
name: Jan
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Engaging And Uplifting Short Stories For Seniors: Heartwarming and Easy To Read Nostalgic Tales For Baby Boomers And Elderly Women And Men (Nostalgic Books And Gifts For Seniors)]]> 227866911 This Book Has Been Known To Trigger Memories That Evoke Intense Feelings Of Joy, Happiness and Nostalgia!Do you remember the thrill of your first Polaroid? Watching the moon landing? The joy of neighborhood baseball games? This book is your ticket back. ⚾️

Get ready to laugh, reminisce, and feel the magic with 50 heartwarming and engaging short stories that will touch your heart.

Readers Have Reported The Following Side Spontaneous Smiling (even in the middle of a crowded coffee shop.)

Happy Tears (the kind that fills your heart with joy.)

An Urge to Share Stories (some memories are too good to keep.)

Sudden Cravings for Childhood Snacks (you will Google where to find them.)

A Strong Need to Call an Old Friend (you have to tell them what you remembered!)

Time-Traveling Daydreams (did you just hear the ice cream truck?)

A Newfound Appreciation for 'The Good Old Days' (they were better than you remembered!)

Feeling Like a Kid Again (nostalgia is the best time machine!)

You Will Also Receive These EXCLUSIVE 🤣 20 Funny Short Stories For Seniors- A collection of hilarious stories guaranteed to make you laugh out loud!

🧩 20 Interactive Nostalgic Word Search Puzzles- Stimulate your mind with a collection of puzzles that you can play online or print off at home!

Perfect ✔️ Baby Boomers, Seniors & Nostalgia Lovers.

✔️ Parents & Grandparents Looking for a Meaningful Gift.

✔️ Fans of Uplifting, Feel-Good Storytelling.

Are you ready to relive the past? GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY and return to the moments that made life unforgettable!]]>
171 Candice Gail Jan 0 currently-reading 3.43 Engaging And Uplifting Short Stories For Seniors: Heartwarming and Easy To Read Nostalgic Tales For Baby Boomers And Elderly Women And Men (Nostalgic Books And Gifts For Seniors)
author: Candice Gail
name: Jan
average rating: 3.43
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rating: 0
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The Last Juror 50401105
Daring to report the true horrors of the crime, Willie makes as many friends as enemies in Clanton, and over the next decade he sometimes wonders how he got there in the first place. But he can never escape the crime that shattered his innocence or the criminal whose evil left an indelible stain. Because as the ghosts of the South’s past gather around Willie, as tension swirls around Clanton, men and women who served on a jury nine years ago are starting to die one by one—as a killer exacts the ultimate revenge.]]>
514 John Grisham Jan 5 4.54 2004 The Last Juror
author: John Grisham
name: Jan
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2004
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies]]> 40265869 Joining the ranks of Hidden Figures and In the Garden of Beasts, the incredible true story of the greatest codebreaking duo that ever lived, an American woman and her husband who invented the modern science of cryptology together and used it to confront the evils of their time, solving puzzles that unmasked Nazi spies and helped win World War II

In 1916, at the height of World War I, brilliant Shakespeare expert Elizebeth Smith went to work for an eccentric tycoon on his estate outside Chicago. The tycoon had close ties to the U.S. government, and he soon asked Elizebeth to apply her language skills to an exciting new venture: code-breaking. There she met the man who would become her husband, groundbreaking cryptologist William Friedman.

In The Woman Who Smashed Codes, Jason Fagone chronicles the life of Elizebeth Smith who played an integral role in our nation's history for forty years. After World War I, Smith used her talents to catch gangsters and smugglers during Prohibition, then accepted a covert mission to discover and expose Nazi spy rings that were spreading like wildfire across South America, advancing ever closer to the United States. As World War II raged, Elizebeth fought a highly classified battle of wits against Hitler's Reich, cracking multiple versions of the Enigma machine used by German spies. Meanwhile, inside an Army vault in Washington, William worked furiously to break Purple, the Japanese version of Enigma--and eventually succeeded, at a terrible cost to his personal life.Fagone unveils America's code-breaking history through the prism of Smith's life, bringing into focus the unforgettable events and colorful personalities that would help shape modern intelligence.]]>
464 Jason Fagone Jan 5 4.26 2017 The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies
author: Jason Fagone
name: Jan
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/23
date added: 2025/04/23
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Getting into Practice 23822973 183 Edward Vernon 1904001084 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.26 2014 Getting into Practice
author: Edward Vernon
name: Jan
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/13
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Three Days in June 213248309 A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant an inept mother of the bride attempts to navigate the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

Gail Baines is long divorced from her husband, Max, and not especially close to her grown daughter, Debbie. Today is the day before Debbie's wedding. To start, Gail loses her job—or quits, depending who you ask. Then, Max arrives unannounced on Gail's doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband-to-be. It will not only throw the wedding itself into question but also send Gail back into her past and how her own relationship fell apart.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer at the height of her powers.]]>
156 Anne Tyler 0593803493 Jan 3 3.97 2025 Three Days in June
author: Anne Tyler
name: Jan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 3
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The Stolen Queen 211051568 From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.� Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.]]>
349 Fiona Davis 0593474295 Jan 4 4.17 2025 The Stolen Queen
author: Fiona Davis
name: Jan
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 4
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The Emperor's Children 8792553 448 Claire Messud Jan 0 currently-reading 3.47 2006 The Emperor's Children
author: Claire Messud
name: Jan
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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The Lost Wife 58951645
During the last moments of calm in prewar Prague, Lenka, a young art student, and Josef, who is studying medicine, fall in love. With the promise of a better future, they marry—only to have their dreams shattered by the imminent Nazi invasion. Like so many others, they are torn apart by the currents of war.

Now a successful obstetrician in America, Josef has never forgotten the wife he believes died in the war. But in the Nazi ghetto of Terezín, Lenka survived, relying on her skills as an artist and the memories of a husband she would never see again. Then, decades later and thousands of miles away, an unexpected encounter in New York leads to an inescapable glance of recognition, and the realization that providence has given Lenka and Josef one more chance.

From the glamorous ease of life in Prague before the occupation to the horrors of Nazi Europe, The Lost Wife explores the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit, and our capacity to remember.]]>
353 Alyson Richman Jan 5 4.57 2011 The Lost Wife
author: Alyson Richman
name: Jan
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2011
rating: 5
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Last Twilight in Paris 212368742 A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, fromNew York Timesbestselling authorPam Jenoff

London, 1953. Louise is still adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a secondhand shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before—and that it holds the key to a friend’s mysterious death from when Helaine worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe. Following the trail of clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boss Ian, with whom she shares a romantic history. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever.

Paris, 1943.Helaine and her husband, Gabriel, have just settled into marriage when the Germans invade France. The couple is soon torn apart, and Helaine, a Jew, is sent to the Lévitan—a once-glamorous department store that now serves as a Nazi prison. Here, she must endure the atrocities of war and decide how much she is willing to risk to reunite with her husband once more.

Inspired by the true story of the Lévitan,The Department of Stolen Heirloomsis both a gripping mystery and anunforgettable story about sacrifice, resistance and the power of love to transcend in even the darkest hours.

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329 Pam Jenoff Jan 3 4.16 2025 Last Twilight in Paris
author: Pam Jenoff
name: Jan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 3
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<![CDATA[In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #6)]]> 6475151 THE NO. 1 LADIES� DETECTIVE AGENCY - Book 6

Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies� Detective Agency series, the basis of the HBO TV show, and its proprietor Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor—not to mention help from her loyal assistant, Grace Makutsi, and the occasional cup of tea.

Precious is busier than usual at the detective agency when she discovers an intruder in her house on Zebra Drive—and perhaps even more baffling--a pumpkin on her porch. Her associate, Mma Makutsi, also has a full plate. She's taken up dance lessons, only to be partnered with a man with two left feet. And at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, where Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is already overburdened with work, one of his apprentices has run off with a wealthy older woman. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is a visitor who forces her to confront a difficult secret from her past.


From the Trade Paperback edition.]]>
252 Alexander McCall Smith Jan 4 4.39 2004 In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #6)
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Jan
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2004
rating: 4
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By Any Other Name 203337138 From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring� (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.]]>
528 Jodi Picoult 0593497228 Jan 5 4.11 2024 By Any Other Name
author: Jodi Picoult
name: Jan
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[That's So Dad: The Essential Collection of Dad Jokes and Puns]]> 223241150
In this ultimate collection of dad jokes, you’ll find over 200 groan-worthy classics organized by topic, making it easy to find the perfect quip for any occasion. These jokes share the essential qualities that make dad humor so

Clean jokes you can share with anyone, from your kids to your coworkers.Playful Clever puns and punchlines that are deceptively simple yet surprisingly witty.Short and Perfect for quick laughs and leaving a lasting impression.Guaranteed The type of humor that might not always get a laugh but always leaves an impact.Whether you’re a seasoned dad-joke aficionado or someone looking to spice up their humor repertoire, this book has something for everyone. It’s perfect for lighthearted moments at the dinner table, a quick laugh on road trips, or impressing (or annoying) your family and friends with your comedic genius.

This book also makes an ideal gift for dads, soon-to-be dads, or anyone with a love for classic, clean humor. So, dive in, start laughing (or groaning), and the best dad jokes are the ones you can tell over and over� much to everyone’s dismay.

Get your copy now and embrace the joy of timeless dad humor!]]>
51 Joe Geisler Jan 3 3.90 That's So Dad: The Essential Collection of Dad Jokes and Puns
author: Joe Geisler
name: Jan
average rating: 3.90
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rating: 3
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The Keeper of Stories 62057985 A charming, uplifting debut novel—full of humor and depth—that has taken readers around the world by surprise.

Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?

She can’t recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always done so, but now it is different, now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her �

Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people’s stories that you really get to know them. From recently widowed Fiona and her son Adam to opera-singing Geordie, the quiet bus driver Euan, and the pretentious Mrs. “YeahYeahYeah� and her fox terrier, Decius, Janice has a unique insight into the community around her.

When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs. B—a shrewd and prickly woman in her nineties—she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn’t have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share.

Mrs. B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye. What is she hiding? After all, doesn’t everyone have a story to tell?]]>
311 Sally Page Jan 3 4.25 2022 The Keeper of Stories
author: Sally Page
name: Jan
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 3
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Chance Developments: Stories 28113895 From one of our most beloved authors—and in the style of his Trains and Lovers�comes a new collection of thematically linked short stories on the subjects of love and art, each one inspired by an intriguing old photograph.

While gathering material for a photography book about Edinburgh, Alexander McCall Smith found himself inspired to create stories about the people captured in a number of particularly striking photos. A smiling girl leading a younger girl astride a pony, and a boy in a kilt on a tricycle beside them, gives rise to a story of a lifelong romance between the two riders. A dapper, roguish-looking man perching on a lady's knee sparks the story of a ventriloquist and an animal handler who work in a circus, and who, under the most delightfully unexpected circumstances, fall in love. The image of a woman haloed by light in a train station becomes the lighthearted tale of a nun's decision to leave the sisterhood and discover what the big city has to offer. Charming and poignant, this collection is brimming with the flourishes of grace and humor that could only come from the pen of Alexander McCall Smith.

(With black-and-white pictures throughout.)]]>
238 Alexander McCall Smith 1101871261 Jan 5 4.22 2015 Chance Developments: Stories
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Jan
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel]]> 139485491 Bestselling author ReShonda Tate presents a fascinating fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood’s most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars—and the first Black person ever to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the critically acclaimed film classic Gone With the Wind .

It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the pinnacle for which she’d worked all her life. And as Hattie McDaniel took the stage in 1940 to claim an honor that would make her the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, she tearfully took her place in history. Between personal triumphs and tragedies, heartbreaking losses, and severe setbacks, this historic night of winning best supporting actress for her role as the sassy Mammy in the controversial movie Gone With the Wind was going to be life-changing.
Or so she thought.

Months after winning the award, not only did the Oscar curse set in where Hattie couldn’t find work, but she found herself thrust in the middle of two worlds—Black and White—and not being welcomed in either. Whites only saw her as Mammy and Blacks detested the demeaning portrayal.

As the NAACP waged an all-out war against Hattie and actors like her, the emotionally conflicted actor found herself struggling daily. Through it all, Hattie continued her fight to pave a path for other Negro actors, while focusing on war efforts, fighting housing discrimination, and navigating four failed marriages. Luckily, she had a core group of friends to help her out—from Clark Gable to Louise Beavers to Ruby Berkley Goodwin and Dorothy Dandridge.

The Queen of Sugar Hill brings to life the powerful story of one woman who was driven by many passions—ambition, love, sex, family, friendship, and equality. In re-creating Hattie’s story, ReShonda Tate delivers an unforgettable novel of resilience, dedication, and determination—about what it takes to achieve your dreams—even when everything—and everyone—is against you.]]>
421 ReShonda Tate 0063291096 Jan 5 4.07 2024 The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel
author: ReShonda Tate
name: Jan
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
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The House of Eve 61435577 From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.]]>
372 Sadeqa Johnson Jan 3 4.35 2023 The House of Eve
author: Sadeqa Johnson
name: Jan
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 3
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Women's Hotel 205952857
The Beidermeier might be several rungs lower on the ladder than the real-life Barbizon, but its residents manage to occupy one another nonetheless. There’s Katherine, the first-floor manager, lightly cynical and more than lightly suggestible. There’s Lucianne, a workshy party girl caught between the love of comfort and an instinctive bridling at convention, Kitty the sponger, Ruth the failed hairdresser, and Pauline the typesetter. And there’s Stephen, the daytime elevator operator and part-time Cooper Union student.

The residents give up breakfast, juggle competing jobs at rival presses, abandon their children, get laid off from the telephone company, attempt to retrain as stenographers, all with the shared awareness that their days as an institution are numbered, and they’d better make the most of it while it lasts.

As trenchant as the novels of Dawn Powell and Rona Jaffe and as immersive as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Lessons in Chemistry, Women’s Hotel is a modern classic—and it is very, very funny.]]>
265 Daniel M. Lavery 006334355X Jan 0 currently-reading 3.00 2024 Women's Hotel
author: Daniel M. Lavery
name: Jan
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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Daughters of Shandong 195887444 An Instant USA Today Bestseller, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and a People Book of the Week!

“Throw open the doors of your heart for the lionhearted girls of Chung’s gripping debut…they are heroines for the ages."
‱DZ


A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters� harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story

Daughters are the Ang family’s curse.

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.]]>
400 Eve J. Chung 0593640551 Jan 5 4.54 2024 Daughters of Shandong
author: Eve J. Chung
name: Jan
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 5
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Looking for Jane 61343733 #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

This “powerful debut� (Hello! Canada) for fans of Kristin Hannah and Jennifer Chiaverini about three women whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose—inspired by true stories.

2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code Jane.

1971: As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for “fallen� women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption—a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had.

1980: After discovering a shocking secret about her family, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates “Jane� and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network’s ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her.

Looking for Jane is “a searing, important, beautifully written novel about the choices we all make and where they lead us—as well as a wise and timely reminder of the difficult road women had to walk not so long ago� (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).]]>
384 Heather Marshall 166801369X Jan 4 4.38 2022 Looking for Jane
author: Heather Marshall
name: Jan
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2022
rating: 4
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The Girl Who Chased the Moon 8129927
Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. Such as, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? And why did she vow never to return? But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew—a reclusive, real-life gentle giant—she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor bakes hope in the form of cakes.

Everyone in Mullaby adores Julia Winterson’s cakes—which is a good thing, because Julia can’t seem to stop baking them. She offers them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also in the hope of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Flour, eggs, milk, and sugar . . . Baking is the only language the proud but vulnerable Julia has to communicate what is truly in her heart. But is it enough to call back to her those she’s hurt in the past?

Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.]]>
280 Sarah Addison Allen Jan 3 4.04 2010 The Girl Who Chased the Moon
author: Sarah Addison Allen
name: Jan
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2010
rating: 3
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American Prometheus 8131063
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE UPCOMING MAJOR MOTION PICTURE OPPENHEIMER

In this magisterial, acclaimed biography twenty-five years in the making, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin capture Oppenheimer’s life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War. This is biography and history at its finest, riveting and deeply informative.

“A masterful account of Oppenheimer’s rise and fall, set in the context of the turbulent decades of America’s own transformation. It is a tour de force.� � Los Angeles Times Book Review

“A work of voluminous scholarship and lucid insight, unifying its multifaceted portrait with a keen grasp of Oppenheimer’s essential nature.... It succeeds in deeply fathoming his most damaging, self-contradictory behavior.� � The New York Times]]>
754 Kai Bird Jan 0 currently-reading 4.58 2005 American Prometheus
author: Kai Bird
name: Jan
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space]]> 199898189 From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster based on fascinating new archival research and in-depth reporting—a riveting history that reads like a thriller. On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of a crew including New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th century history—one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told. Until now. Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, An American Tragedy follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It’s a compelling tale of optimism and promise undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public. Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster as well as the designers, engineers and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger brings to life a turning point in history—and the result is an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.]]> 570 Adam Higginbotham 1982176636 Jan 5 4.59 2024 Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
author: Adam Higginbotham
name: Jan
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 5
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The Vaster Wilds 75252590
A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark of god that burns hot within her. What she finds in this terra incognita is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief in everything that her own civilization has taught her.

Lauren Groff’s new novel is at once a thrilling adventure story and a penetrating fable about trying to find a new way of living in a world succumbing to the churn of colonialism. The Vaster Wilds is a work of raw and prophetic power that tells the story of America in miniature, through one girl at a hinge point in history, to ask how—and if—we can adapt quickly enough to save ourselves.]]>
272 Lauren Groff Jan 0 currently-reading 3.91 2016 The Vaster Wilds
author: Lauren Groff
name: Jan
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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Saturday 8136757 NATIONAL BESTSELLER � The Booker Prize winner and bestselling author of Atonement follows an ordinary man through a Saturday whose high promise gradually turns nightmarish in this “dazzling [and] powerful� novel (The New York Times). Henry Perowne—a neurosurgeon, urbane, privileged, deeply in love with his wife and grown-up children—plans to play a game of squash, visit his elderly mother, and cook dinner for his family. But after a minor traffic accident leads to an unsettling confrontation, Perowne must set aside his plans and summon a strength greater than he knew he had in order to preserve the life that is dear to him.Don’t miss Ian McEwan’s new novel, Lessons.]]> 306 Ian McEwan 0307277011 Jan 0 currently-reading 3.86 2005 Saturday
author: Ian McEwan
name: Jan
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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All the Broken Places 61168459 The sequel to the phenomenal bestseller, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, this is John Boyne's latest novel for adults.

1946. Three years after a cataclysmic event which tore their lives apart, a mother and daughter flee Poland for Paris, shame, and fear at their heels, not knowing how hard it is to escape your past.

Nearly eighty years later, Gretel Fernsby lives a life that is a far cry from her traumatic childhood. When a couple moves into the flat below her in her London mansion block, it should be nothing more than a momentary inconvenience. However, the appearance of their nine-year-old son Henry brings back memories she would rather forget.

Faced with a choice between her own safety and his, Gretel is taken back to a similar crossroads she encountered long ago. Back then, her complicity dishonoured her life, but to interfere now could risk revealing the secrets she has spent a lifetime protecting.]]>
400 John Boyne 0593653076 Jan 4 4.61 2022 All the Broken Places
author: John Boyne
name: Jan
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2022
rating: 4
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The Ways We Hide 60631344 From the New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday comes a sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British Intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path

Raised amid the hardships of Michigan's Copper Country, Fenna Vos has learned to focus on her own survival-even now, with the Second World War raging in faraway countries. Though she performs onstage as the assistant to an unruly escape artist, behind the curtain she's the mastermind of their act. After all, her honed ability to control her surroundings and elude entrapments, physical or otherwise, reliably suppresses the traumas of her youth.

For all her planning, however, Fenna fails to predict being called upon by British Intelligence. Tasked with creating escape tools to thwart the Germans, MI9 seeks those with specialized skills for a war nearing its breaking point. Fenna reluctantly joins the unconventional team as an inventor. But when a test of her loyalty draws her deep into the fray, she discovers no mission is more treacherous than escaping one's past.

Inspired by stunning true accounts, The Ways We Hide is a riveting story of love and loss, the wars we fight—on the battlefields and within ourselves—and the courage found in unexpected places.]]>
536 Kristina McMorris 1728249783 Jan 3 3.98 2022 The Ways We Hide
author: Kristina McMorris
name: Jan
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/17
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Hold Strong 209035148 From Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree comes an epic and inspiring novel—based on true events—about love, heroism, and resilience during the darkest chapters of World War II.

Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white—for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps, Sam is one of 1,800 starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called the Arisan Maru, his survival doubtful.

Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy’s mission is sink the Arisan Maru and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.

Anchored in an extraordinary true story and breathlessly recreated, Hold Strong is a one-of-a-kind novel that explores faith, courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds.]]>
503 Robert Dugoni 1662516320 Jan 5 4.65 2025 Hold Strong
author: Robert Dugoni
name: Jan
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/11
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<![CDATA[All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me]]> 63142344 A best book of the year from New York Public Library, NPR, the Financial Times, Book Riot, and the Sunday Times (London). A fascinating, revelatory portrait of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its treasures by a former New Yorker staffer who spent a decade as a museum guard.Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two million square foot treasure house. Caught up in his glamorous fledgling career at The New Yorker, Patrick Bringley never thought he’d be one of them. Then his older brother was diagnosed with fatal cancer and he found himself needing to escape the mundane clamor of daily life. So he quit The New Yorker and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew. To his surprise and the reader’s delight, this temporary refuge becomes Bringley’s home away from home for a decade. We follow him as he guards delicate treasures from Egypt to Rome, strolls the labyrinths beneath the galleries, wears out nine pairs of company shoes, and marvels at the beautiful works in his care. Bringley enters the museum as a ghost, silent and almost invisible, but soon finds his voice and his the artworks and their creators and the lively subculture of museum guards—a gorgeous mosaic of artists, musicians, blue-collar stalwarts, immigrants, cutups, and dreamers. As his bonds with his colleagues and the art grow, he comes to understand how fortunate he is to be walled off in this little world, and how much it resembles the best aspects of the larger world to which he gradually, gratefully returns. In the tradition of classic workplace memoirs like Lab Girl and Working Stiff, All The Beauty in the World is a surprising, inspiring portrait of a great museum, its hidden treasures, and the people who make it tick, by one of its most intimate observers.]]> 239 Patrick Bringley Jan 5 4.34 2023 All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me
author: Patrick Bringley
name: Jan
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
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The Women in the Castle 59046876 Three women, haunted by the past and the secrets they hold

Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined—an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding.

Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows.

First Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naive Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resister’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war.

As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war—each with their own unique share of challenges.

Written with the devastating emotional power of The Nightingale, Sarah’s Key, and The Light Between Oceans, Jessica Shattuck’s evocative and utterly enthralling novel offers a fresh perspective on one of the most tumultuous periods in history. Combining piercing social insight and vivid historical atmosphere, The Women in the Castle is a dramatic yet nuanced portrait of war and its repercussions that explores what it means to survive, love, and, ultimately, to forgive in the wake of unimaginable hardship.

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365 Jessica Shattuck Jan 0 currently-reading 4.02 2017 The Women in the Castle
author: Jessica Shattuck
name: Jan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Anything Is Possible (Amgash #2)]]> 210488543 Olive Kitteridge in its richness, structure, and complexity, Anything Is Possible explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others.

Here are two sisters: One trades self-respect for a wealthy husband while the other finds in the pages of a book a kindred spirit who changes her life. The janitor at the local school has his faith tested in an encounter with an isolated man he has come to help; a grown daughter longs for mother love even as she comes to accept her mother’s happiness in a foreign country; and the adult Lucy Barton (the heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton, the author’s celebrated New York Times bestseller) returns to visit her siblings after seventeen years of absence.

Reverberating with the deep bonds of family, and the hope that comes with reconciliation, Anything Is Possible again underscores Elizabeth Strout’s place as one of America’s most respected and cherished authors.]]>
274 Elizabeth Strout Jan 0 currently-reading 4.00 2017 Anything Is Possible (Amgash #2)
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Jan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #1)]]> 8162167
a) worked behind a cosmetics counter—and gotten sacked after five hours
b) started to fall for a quite unsuitable minor royal
c) made some money housekeeping (incognita, of course), and
d) been summoned by the Queen to spy on her playboy son

Then an arrogant Frenchman, who wants her family’s 800-year-old estate for himself, winds up dead in her bathtub. Now her most important job is to clear her very long family name.]]>
348 Rhys Bowen 1101207361 Jan 3 3.98 2007 Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #1)
author: Rhys Bowen
name: Jan
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/03
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<![CDATA[Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir]]> 204358959 A powerful memoir that reckons with mental health as well as the insidious ways men impact the lives of women.

In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients and experienced profound breakthroughs, such as when a doctor noted, “There is a you inside that feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside.�

In Men Have Called Her Crazy, Tendler recounts her hospital experience as well as pivotal moments in her life that preceded and followed. As the title suggests, many of these moments are impacted by unrequited love in high school; the twenty-eight-year-old she lost her virginity to when she was sixteen; the frustrations and absurdities of dating in her mid-thirties; and her decision to freeze her eggs as all her friends were starting families.

This stunning literary self-portrait examines the unreasonable expectations and pressures women face in the 21st century. Yet overwhelming and despairing as that can feel, Tendler ultimately offers a message of hope. Early in her stay in the hospital, she says, “My wish for myself is that one day I’ll reach a place where I can face hardship without trying to destroy myself.� By the end of the book, she fulfills that wish.]]>
304 Anna Marie Tendler 1668032368 Jan 0 currently-reading 3.72 2024 Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir
author: Anna Marie Tendler
name: Jan
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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A Happier Life 177059676
1976: Rebecca “Becks� Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.]]>
378 Kristy Woodson Harvey Jan 0 currently-reading 4.42 2024 A Happier Life
author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
name: Jan
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Winding Ways Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts, #12)]]> 8189479 Jennifer Chiaverini's bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series continues with The Winding Ways Quilt, in which the arrival of newcomers into the circle of quilters heralds unexpected journeys down pathways near and far.Quilters have flocked to Elm Creek Manor to learn from Master Quilter Sylvia Compson and her expert colleagues. There's Sarah, Sylvia's onetime apprentice who's paired her quilting accomplishments with a mind for running the business of Elm Creek Quilts; Agnes, who has a gift for appliqué; Gwen, who stitches innovative art quilts; Diane, a whiz at the technicalities of quick-piecing; and Bonnie, with her encyclopedic knowledge of folk art patterns. But with Judy and Summer, two other founding members of the Elm Creek Quilters, departing to pursue other opportunities, will the new teachers be able to fill in the gaps created by the loss of their expertise—and more important, their friendship? "When I think of all the different paths I could have followed in my life, all the twists and turns that could have led me anywhere," muses incoming teacher Gretchen, "it's something of a miracle that I ended up here, surrounded by loving friends." But what of friends departed? As Sylvia contemplates a tribute to the partnership of the Elm Creek Quilters, she is reminded of a traditional quilt pattern whose curved pieces symbolize a journey. Winding Ways, a mosaic of overlapping circles and intertwining curves, would capture the spirit of their friendship at the moment of its transformation. Will Sylvia's choice inspire the founding members to remember that each is a unique part of a magnificent whole? Will the newcomers find ways to contribute, and to earn their place? The Winding Ways Quilt considers the complicated, often hidden meanings of presence and absence, and what change can mean for those who have come to rely upon one another.]]> 324 Jennifer Chiaverini Jan 3 4.40 2008 The Winding Ways Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts, #12)
author: Jennifer Chiaverini
name: Jan
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2008
rating: 3
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Dashing Through the Snow 36681412 Savor the magic of the season with #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber’s newest Christmas novel, filled with warmth, humor, the promise of love, and a dash of unexpected adventure.

Ashley Davison, a graduate student in California, desperately wants to spend the holidays with her family in Seattle. Dashiell Sutherland, a former army intelligence officer, has a job interview in Seattle and must arrive by December 23. Though frantic to book a last-minute flight out of San Francisco, both are out of luck: Every flight is full, and there’s only one rental car available. Ashley and Dash reluctantly decide to share the car, but neither anticipates the wild ride ahead.

At first they drive in silence, but forced into close quarters Ashley and Dash can’t help but open up. Not only do they find they have a lot in common, but there’s even a spark of romance in the air. Their feelings catch them off guard—never before has either been so excited about a first meeting. But the two are in for more twists and turns along the way as they rescue a lost puppy, run into petty thieves, and even get caught up in a case of mistaken identity. Though Ashley and Dash may never reach Seattle in time for Christmas, the season is still full of surprises—and their greatest wishes may yet come true.

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258 Debbie Macomber Jan 3 3.88 2015 Dashing Through the Snow
author: Debbie Macomber
name: Jan
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/27
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The Glassmaker 200468547 maestros spend their lives learning to handle.

Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take a lifetime.

Skipping like a stone through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss.

The beads she creates will adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna � but will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her?

Tracy Chevalier is a master of her own craft, and The Glassmaker is vivid, inventive, a virtuoso portrait of a woman, a family and a city that are as everlasting as their glass.]]>
416 Tracy Chevalier 0525558284 Jan 5 4.18 2024 The Glassmaker
author: Tracy Chevalier
name: Jan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/26
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<![CDATA[The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #8)]]> 59084333 THE NO. 1 LADIES� DETECTIVE AGENCY - Book 8

Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies� Detective Agency series, the basis of the HBO TV show, and its proprietor Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor—not to mention help from her loyal assistant, Grace Makutsi, and the occasional cup of tea.

There is rarely a dull moment in the life of Precious Ramotswe, and on Zebra Drive and Tlokweng Road many changes are afoot. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni wants be put in charge of a case involving an errant husband, and Mma Makutsi is considering leaving the agency, taking her near perfect score on the Botswana Secretarial College typing exam with her. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe has been asked to investigate a series of unexpected deaths at the hospital in Mochudi. Along the way, she encounters other tricky mysteries, and once again displays her undying love for Botswana, a country of which she is justly proud.




From the Trade Paperback edition.]]>
242 Alexander McCall Smith 0375422730 Jan 5 4.47 2007 The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #8)
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Jan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
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Sisters Under the Rising Sun 86511090
Sister Nesta James, a Welsh Australian nurse, has enlisted to tend to Allied troops. But as Singapore falls to the Japanese she joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship. Only two days later, they are bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia, and in a matter of hours, the Vyner Brooke lies broken on the seabed.

After surviving a brutal 24 hours in the sea, Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps. The camps are places of starvation and brutality, where disease runs rampant. Sisters in arms, Norah and Nesta fight side by side every day, helping whoever they can, and discovering in themselves and each other extraordinary reserves of courage, resourcefulness and determination.

Sisters under the Rising Sun is a story of women in war: a novel of sisterhood, bravery and friendship in the darkest of circumstances, from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and Three Sisters.]]>
416 Heather Morris 1250320569 Jan 5 4.15 2023 Sisters Under the Rising Sun
author: Heather Morris
name: Jan
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
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Pastor Jokes 223504455 Pastor Christian Puns and Jokes to Charm a Church, Laugh with Friends, & Ease the Soul
Not just for pastors!

Do you enjoy cringing at dad jokes? If the answer is yes, you'll have a ball with pastor jokes! They're like dad jokes, but with more Christ in them. A book that any Christian can enjoy. But it can also make a magnificent gift for a pastor you know.

What's 120+ jokes, short and long-form📖 Bible references💌 Write a gift message (paperback & hardcover)
What's great about Clean humorGroan and laugh with friends and familyLearn a thing or two from the Bible
For your viewing pleasure, this Kindle edition displays one (1) joke per page.

Pastor Bringing people back to laughter and back to Christ.]]>
137 Stephen Fide Jan 5 3.50 Pastor Jokes
author: Stephen Fide
name: Jan
average rating: 3.50
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rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
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<![CDATA[The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club]]> 196839661 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

It is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or—horror—a governess, she’s sent as a lady’s companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. Despite having only weeks to find a permanent home, Constance is swept up in the social whirl of Hazelbourne-on-Sea after she rescues the local baronet’s daughter, Poppy Wirrall, from a social faux pas.

Poppy wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women, and runs a ladies� motorcycle club (to which she plans to add flying lessons). She and her friends enthusiastically welcome Constance into their circle. And then there is Harris, Poppy’s recalcitrant but handsome brother—a fighter pilot recently wounded in battle—who warms in Constance’s presence. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked.

Whip-smart and utterly transportive, The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is historical fiction of the highest order: an unforgettable coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a portrait of a nation on the brink of change.]]>
423 Helen Simonson 1984801325 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.22 2024 The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club
author: Helen Simonson
name: Jan
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/14
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<![CDATA[Now or Never (Stephanie Plum #31)]]> 207595570
While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitives from justice. There’s Eugene Fleck, a seemingly sweet online influencer who might also be YouTube star Robin Hoodie, masked hero to the homeless, who hijacks delivery trucks and distributes their contents to the needy. She’s also on the trail of Bruno Jug, a wealthy and connected man in the wholesale produce business who is rumored to traffic young girls alongside lettuce and tomatoes. Most terrifying of all is Zoran—a laundromat manager by day and self-proclaimed vampire by night with a taste for the blood of pretty girls. When he shows up on Stephanie’s doorstep, it’s not for the meatloaf dinner.

With timely assists from her stalwart supporters Lula, Connie, and Grandma Mazur, Stephanie uses every trick in the book to reel in these men. But only she can decide what to do about the two men she actually loves. She can’t hold Ranger and Morelli at bay for long, and she’s keeping a secret from them that is the biggest bombshell of all. Now or never, she’s got to make the decision of a lifetime.]]>
316 Janet Evanovich Jan 5 4.56 2024 Now or Never (Stephanie Plum #31)
author: Janet Evanovich
name: Jan
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/14
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<![CDATA[The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife]]> 203928080 For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a warm, life-affirming debut about a zany case of mistaken identity that allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family.

‘Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.'

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family.]]>
336 Anna Johnston 0063397315 Jan 4 4.40 2024 The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
author: Anna Johnston
name: Jan
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
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A Time of Gifts 12225254 This beloved account about an intrepid young Englishman on the first leg of his walk from London to Constantinople is simply one of the best works of travel literature ever written.At the age of eighteen, Patrick Leigh Fermor set off from the heart of London on an epic journey—to walk to Constantinople. A Time of Gifts is the rich account of his adventures as far as Hungary, after which Between the Woods and the Water continues the story to the Iron Gates that divide the Carpathian and Balkan mountains. Acclaimed for its sweep and intelligence, Leigh Fermor’s book explores a remarkable moment in time. Hitler has just come to power but war is still ahead, as he walks through a Europe soon to be forever changed—through the Lowlands to Mitteleuropa, to Teutonic and Slav heartlands, through the baroque remains of the Holy Roman Empire; up the Rhine, and down to the Danube. At once a memoir of coming-of-age, an account of a journey, and a dazzling exposition of the English language, A Time of Gifts is also a portrait of a continent already showing ominous signs of the holocaust to come.]]> 340 Patrick Leigh Fermor 1590175174 Jan 3 4.02 1977 A Time of Gifts
author: Patrick Leigh Fermor
name: Jan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1977
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
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<![CDATA[A Year with C. S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works]]> 37761231 Beloved author C. S. Lewis is our trusted guide in this intimate day-by-day companion offering his distinctive and celebrated wisdom. Amidst the bustle of our daily experience, A Year with C. S. Lewis provides the necessary respite and inspiration to meet the many challenges we face in our lives. Ruminating on such themes as the nature of love, the existence of miracles, overcoming a devastating loss, and discovering a profound faith, Lewis offers unflinchingly honest insight for each day of the year.

These daily meditations have been culled from Lewis's celebrated Signature Classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and A Grief Observed, as well as from the distinguished works The Weight of Glory and The Abolition of Man.

Throughout this elegant daybook the reader will find poignant biographical com-mentary about C. S. Lewis's life that offers a remarkable portrait of Lewis in the context of his work. As each day unfolds, we embark on a path of discovery with a friend by your side. A Year with C. S. Lewis is the perfect com-panion for everyone who cherishes Lewis's timeless words.

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416 C.S. Lewis Jan 5 4.49 2003 A Year with C. S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Jan
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
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The Storm We Made 218484140
Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.

A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.� Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them.

Spanning years of pain and triumph, told from the perspectives of four unforgettable characters, The Storm We Made is a dazzling saga about the horrors of war; the fraught relationships between the colonized and their oppressors, and the ambiguity of right and wrong when survival is at stake.]]>
350 Vanessa Chan Jan 4 3.96 2024 The Storm We Made
author: Vanessa Chan
name: Jan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
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<![CDATA[Mornings with Jesus 2025: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul]]> 216587052
Each uplifting and inspiring daily devotion is a quick read that will help you rest and recharge your spirit by putting your focus on the Living God. You'll begin with a thought-provoking Scripture, followed by a moving and powerful story that brings out the deeper meaning and comforting relevance of His words and reveals how Jesus' teachings apply to your life today.

At the end of the day's reading, you'll find an easy, fun, and valuable "Faith Step" that will help inspire and challenge you to apply the day's message to your own life.

With humor, humility, and grace, our talented team of writers shares relatable insights and reflections that will uplift and challenge you. These thoughtful women are mature in their faith and sincere about sharing their joys and struggles with you as they walk with Jesus each day.

The 2025 edition of Mornings With Jesus

365 all-new devotionsTrue stories and Scripture focused on Jesus' words, teachings, and miraclesThis year the theme is 1 Chronicles 16:11Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.Each reflection is grounded in Scriptural truthSpecially written by women for womenNo matter where you are on your faith journey, if you seek a deeper relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus 2025 can help you get there.

Life can be hectic, and it's often easy to lose sight of the wisdom, truth, compassion, kindness, and gentleness of Jesus' teachings. But with Mornings with Jesus 2025, you can begin or end your day connected to Jesus in a heartfelt way and stay attuned to the One who loves you and wants to bless you in all circumstances]]>
703 Guideposts 1961126478 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.92 Mornings with Jesus 2025: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul
author: Guideposts
name: Jan
average rating: 4.92
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<![CDATA[Daily Guideposts 365 Spirit-Lifting Devotions for Women: Inspirational Christian Guidance for Women of All Ages and Walks of Life]]> 44909148
365 Spirit-Lifting Devotions for Womenforms a tapestry of life's emotions - joy and laughter, heartache and healing, lessons to be savored and explored. Tailored to the spiritual needs of women, it reaches out with insights that will speak to your heart.

Each entry begins with a Scripture verse to help shape your devotional time. It then draws from a treasury of inspirational stories from Daily Guideposts favorites such as Debbie Macomber, Marion Bond West, Sharon Ewell Foster, and more with unique and varied perspectives on the challenges faced by modern women of all ages and situations. The authors share their experiences with down-to-earth glimpses into their own daily lives, ending with heartfelt personal prayers for strength and growth.

You owe it to yourself to take a few minutes of quiet time each day to nourish and restore your spirit. Experience the comfort and guidance offered each day in365 Spirit-Lifting Devotions for Women.]]>
383 Guideposts Editors 0310357357 Jan 5 4.74 2011 Daily Guideposts 365 Spirit-Lifting Devotions for Women: Inspirational Christian Guidance for Women of All Ages and Walks of Life
author: Guideposts Editors
name: Jan
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/11
date added: 2025/01/02
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<![CDATA[What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life]]> 18814559 Six-time Emmy Award-winning funny man Tim Conway—best known for his roles on The Carol Burnett Show—offers a straight-shooting and hilarious memoir about his life on stage and off as an actor and comedian.In television history, few entertainers have captured as many hearts and made as many people laugh as Tim Conway. What’s So Funny? follows Tim’s journey from life as an only child raised by loving but outrageous parents, to his tour of duty in the army, to his ascent as a national star. Conway’s often-improvised humor, razor-sharp timing, and hilarious characters have made him one of the funniest and most authentic performers to grace the stage and studio. As Carol Burnett, who also provides an intimate foreword to the book, has said, “there’s no one funnier� than Tim Conway. What’s So Funny? shares hilarious accounts and never-before-shared stories of behind-the-scenes antics on McHale’s Navy and The Carol Burnett Show as well as his famous partnerships with entertainment greats like Harvey Korman, Don Knotts, and Dick Van Dyke; and his friendships with stars like Betty White and Bob Newhart. Filled with warmth, humor, and heart, What’s So Funny will delight and inspire fans everywhere.]]> Tim Conway Jan 5 4.36 2013 What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life
author: Tim Conway
name: Jan
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/02
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<![CDATA[HEALTHY COOKBOOK FOR TWO: Discover Easy Swaps, Simple Ingredients, Know What's in Your Food, and Start a Healthier Life Journey.]]> 198358855
Dive into "Healthy Cookbook for Two," where you will



Masterful Food Discover how to replace less nutritious ingredients that could quietly sabotage your health with smarter alternatives. Making healthier choices doesn't mean sacrificing taste.Simple and Accessible Ingredients: No need to search for specialty stores or complicate your grocery list. The recipes feature easily accessible ingredients found in your regular grocery store, saving you time and effort.Nutritional Transparency: Make informed dietary choices effortlessly with our detailed nutritional breakdowns. Each recipe provides a clear overview of calories, fat, fiber, carbs, protein, cholesterol, and sodium content.Say goodbye to unnecessary leftovers and complicated measurements; the recipes are all portioned for two persons.Quick and Effortless Preparation: This cookbook is your ally in the kitchen, offering quick and easy recipes that seamlessly fit into your busy schedule.Empowerment through knowledge: "Healthy Cookbook for Two" is more than just a collection of recipes; it's your passport to secure and enriching food choices. Gain the knowledge to make wise choices and protect your well-being, as numerous testimonials attest to the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle.Unlock the power of healthy food with "Healthy Cookbook for Two!" Enjoy the journey of nourishing, health-preserving choices, and order now before the price changes!

The following versions are currently

B&W and Color Version]]>
0 Danielle De Mayo Jan 0 5.00 HEALTHY COOKBOOK FOR TWO: Discover Easy Swaps, Simple Ingredients, Know What's in Your Food, and Start a Healthier Life Journey.
author: Danielle De Mayo
name: Jan
average rating: 5.00
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rating: 0
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Southern Girls Always Survive 203860493 Southern Girls Always Survive is an empowering tale of a young woman's journey to reclaim her strength and define her own destiny. Hilly Garland's dream of leaving her small Virginia town for the promise of college life is overshadowed by a harrowing encounter with a privileged peer. Yet, this Southern belle's indomitable spirit is not so easily broken. As she steps into the halls of the University of South Carolina, a sisterhood of enduring friendships awaits—the "12th Floor Girls." Together, they weave a safety net that allows Hilly to heal and grow, rediscovering the confidence and self-respect that was once shaken.

Amidst the tapestry of college life, Hilly finds love in the arms of Cole Harrison, a relationship that blossoms into a decade of joy before tragedy strikes once more. In the face of loss, Hilly's resilience is tested again, but the legacy of love endows her with an unexpected fortune, providing a shield against the high-profile dangers of Martha Mitchell, the treachery of Ted Bundy, and the allure of Jackie Kennedy.

Her journey comes full circle when she returns to her pastoral roots, only to confront a chilling reality—evil has ascended to power, cloaked in the guise of Rolle Gilchrest, a congressman with a dark past. Standing on the soil of her ancestors, just a stone's throw from the nation's capital, Hilly Garland faces the ultimate test of to challenge the sinister force that has haunted her beginnings or to remain silent. Southern Girls Always Survive is not just a story of survival; it's a testament to the unyielding strength of a woman's heart.]]>
493 Rocky Yost Jan 0 currently-reading 4.11 Southern Girls Always Survive
author: Rocky Yost
name: Jan
average rating: 4.11
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<![CDATA[The Proof of the Pudding (Royal Spyness #17)]]> 110964807
Georgie, back home at her estate in Eynsleigh, impatiently awaits the birth of her baby. But she has plenty to occupy her: her new chef, Pierre, has arrived from Paris, and Sir Hubert, who owns Eynsleigh, is back from his latest expedition. It's time for Georgie to throw her first house party to celebrate his return and show off her new chef. The dinner party is a smashing success. Sir Mortimer Mordred—famous author of creepy Gothic horror novels—is one of the guests. He recently purchased a nearby Elizabethan manor nearby because it has a famous poison garden. After the dinner, Sir Mortimer approaches Georgie and asks to borrow her new chef for his upcoming party, and Georgie and Darcy, her dashing husband, are invited!

The tour of the poison garden is fascinating, as is Sir Mortimer’s laboratory. But after the meal, one of the guests does not feel well. She collapses and is rushed to hospital, but it's too late. An autopsy reveals she was poisoned, by a rare plant from the garden, administered in one of the desserts. Georgie has to find the culprit to save her new chef and her own reputation—all before her bundle of joy arrives!]]>
304 Rhys Bowen Jan 4 4.37 2023 The Proof of the Pudding (Royal Spyness #17)
author: Rhys Bowen
name: Jan
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[We Three Queens (A Royal Spyness Mystery, #18)]]> 207610766 New mother Lady Georgiana "Georgie" Rannoch finds herself trying to separate fact from fiction when a murder occurs while a film is being made on the grounds of her estate in a new Royal Spyness Mystery from beloved bestselling author Rhys Bowen.

It's late 1936, and King Edward is in turmoil, having fallen in love with the scandalously divorced and even more scandalously American Wallis Simpson. He wants to marry her but knows that doing so will jeopardize his crown. Edward confides in his dear friend Darcy, Georgie's husband, and the couple agree to hide Wallis in their home while Edward figures out what to do.

But unbeknownst to Georgie and Darcy, Sir Hubert, the owner of the estate, has given a film crew permission to shoot a motion picture about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn on the grounds. Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson hidden while raising a newborn baby seems like it couldn't be any more stressful for the Rannochs, until one of the stars of the film is found murdered on set. Georgie must solve the murder for king and country before scandal threatens to envelop them all.]]>
331 Rhys Bowen Jan 4 4.32 2024 We Three Queens (A Royal Spyness Mystery, #18)
author: Rhys Bowen
name: Jan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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Roses 40193549 609 Leila Meacham Jan 4 4.39 2010 Roses
author: Leila Meacham
name: Jan
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
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A Town Like Alice 8530701 262 Nevil Shute 0307476979 Jan 5 4.30 1950 A Town Like Alice
author: Nevil Shute
name: Jan
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1950
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/20
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<![CDATA[Aunt Erma's Cope Book: How To Get From Monday To Friday . . . In 12 Days]]> 19114202 Erma Bombeck’s hilarious guide to using self-help books to prosper or—more likely—to perish

As far as Erma can tell, her life is going well. Her children speak to her, her husband smiles at her, and she’s capable of looking in a mirror without screaming. But her friends know better. No matter how happy Erma thinks she is, she’s in need of help, and the only way to fulfillment is a ten-foot stack of self-improvement books. From Sensual Needlepoint to Fear of Buying, Erma will try them all.
One book recommends bringing roleplay into the bedroom, so she dresses up in her son’s football pads. She tries to meditate but gets stuck in the lotus position. She spends more time in the kitchen but only succeeds in melting her son’s retainer. No matter how hard she tries to improve her family life, her schemes keep backfiring. As she soon learns, you may not always be able to fix what’s not broken—but with enough self-help books, you can break anything you want.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erma Bombeck including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s estate.
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225 Erma Bombeck Jan 5 4.26 1979 Aunt Erma's Cope Book: How To Get From Monday To Friday . . . In 12 Days
author: Erma Bombeck
name: Jan
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1979
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[The Best American Short Stories 2019]]> 43308285 New York Times best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Doerr brings his“stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors� (San Francisco Chronicle) to selecting The Best American Short Stories 2019.
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853 Anthony Doerr 1328467120 Jan 0 currently-reading 3.70 2019 The Best American Short Stories 2019
author: Anthony Doerr
name: Jan
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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Hard to Kill (Jane Smith #2) 201915571 Jane Smith is being hailed as James Patterson’s greatest character yet, a tough-as-nails attorney up against a relentless killer.Hard to Killfeatures possibly the author’s most stunning twist ever.

Attorney Jane Smith is mounting an impossible criminal defense.

Her client, Rob Jacobson, is the unluckiest of the unlucky. No sooner is he accused of killing a family of three in the Hamptons than a second family is gunned down.

It’s not double jeopardy. It’s not double murder. It’s doubletriplehomicide.

Jane’s career has spanned from NYPD beat cop to Hamptons courtroom. She’s tough to beat. She’s even tougher to kill.

The defense mayneverrest. ]]>
371 James Patterson Jan 0 currently-reading 4.15 2024 Hard to Kill (Jane Smith #2)
author: James Patterson
name: Jan
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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The Shadowy Horses 36172888 The Invincible Ninth Roman Legion Marches from York to Fight The Northern Tribes. and then Vanishes from the Pages of History.

Archaeologist Verity Grey has been drawn to the dark legends of the Scottish Borderlands in search of the truth buried in a rocky field by the sea.

Her eccentric boss has spent his whole life searching for the resting place of the lost Ninth Roman Legion and is convinced he's finally found it—not because of any scientific evidence, but because a local boy has "seen" a Roman soldier walking in the fields, a ghostly sentinel who guards the bodies of his long-dead comrades.

Here on the windswept shores, Verity may find the answer to one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time. Or she may uncover secrets someone buried for a reason.]]>
430 Susanna Kearsley Jan 0 currently-reading 4.22 1997 The Shadowy Horses
author: Susanna Kearsley
name: Jan
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1997
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Spirit Crossing (Cork O'Connor, #20)]]> 199898174 A disappearance and a dead body put Cork O’Connor’s family in the crosshairs of a killer in the twentieth book in the New York Times bestselling series from William Kent Krueger­, “a master storyteller at the top of his game� (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

The disappearance of a local politician’s teenaged daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman—but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police. As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, it’s clear that Cork’s grandson is in danger of being the killer’s next victim.]]>
336 William Kent Krueger Jan 5 4.40 2024 Spirit Crossing (Cork O'Connor, #20)
author: William Kent Krueger
name: Jan
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[Decameron (Vintage Classics Book 322)]]> 19288903
J. G. Nichols’s new translation, faithful to the original but rendered in eminently readable modern English, captures the timeless humor of one of the great classics of European literature.

A brilliant new translation of the work that Herman Hesse called “the first great masterpiece of European storytelling.�


From the Hardcover edition.]]>
690 Giovanni Boccaccio 0307773639 Jan 0 currently-reading 3.56 1349 Decameron (Vintage Classics Book 322)
author: Giovanni Boccaccio
name: Jan
average rating: 3.56
book published: 1349
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World]]> 208880879 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.

As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution insures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.�

As Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.� The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that “hoarding won’t save us, all flourishing is mutual.”]]>
124 Robin Wall Kimmerer 1668072254 Jan 4 4.38 2024 The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
name: Jan
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer]]> 59237292
“No matter how many Holocaust stories one has read, this one is a must, for its impact is so powerful.”� School Library Journal , Starred

A Book Sense Top Ten Pick

A Publisher’s Weekly Choice of the Year’s Best Books

A Booklist Editors Choice]]>
302 Irene Gut Opdyke Jan 5 4.74 1992 In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer
author: Irene Gut Opdyke
name: Jan
average rating: 4.74
book published: 1992
rating: 5
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The Blessings of the Animals 8786340




“A marvelous page-turner, a story of an unexpected heartbreak and the unexpected blessings that result. I didn’t want to put this book down!”� Ellen Baker, author of Keeping the House











“Wonderfully poignant characters and a deeply satisfying exploration of love in its many incarnations…make this novel Katrina Kittle’s most insightful yet.”—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Tomorrow River











From Katrina Kittle, the critically acclaimed author of The Kindness of Strangers, comes The Blessings of the Animals—a wry, engrossing, and moving story of a veterinarian’s journey through the aftermath of divorce amidst a motley crew of beasts.]]>
410 Katrina Kittle 0062006797 Jan 4 4.28 2010 The Blessings of the Animals
author: Katrina Kittle
name: Jan
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2010
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[La's Orchestra Saves the World]]> 8531026 305 Alexander McCall Smith 0307378667 Jan 5 4.16 2008 La's Orchestra Saves the World
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Jan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[The Boy From The Forest: The Heart-Wrenching WW2 True Story of a Holocaust Survivor]]> 63323778
While the Nazi systematic annihilation of Jews begins to spread, Shmuel escapes into the nearby forest. With nothing but birch trees and death to surround him, Shmuel begs, cheats, and steals in order to survive. For the span of two long years, Shmuel witnesses the kindness of Jewish and gentile strangers; the hostility of the local villagers experiences the cruelty of the Nazi soldiers; and shares his fellow survivors� uncanny will to live another day.

The Boy From The Forest is the riveting account of Shmuel Sucha’s story of survival in the desolate Ukrainian forests. A story of betrayal and revenge, despair, and ultimately � hope.]]>
185 Shay Efrat Jan 0 currently-reading 4.12 The Boy From The Forest: The Heart-Wrenching WW2 True Story of a Holocaust Survivor
author: Shay Efrat
name: Jan
average rating: 4.12
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The Berlin Letters 186508520 384 Katherine Reay 1400243076 Jan 4 4.37 2024 The Berlin Letters
author: Katherine Reay
name: Jan
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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The First Ladies 62924014
The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly oncivil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.

Thisis the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in whichtheir singular friendshiphelped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.]]>
400 Marie Benedict Jan 5 4.32 2023 The First Ladies
author: Marie Benedict
name: Jan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2023
rating: 5
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<![CDATA[Daily Guideposts: 25 Devotions for Advent: 25 Devotions for Advent | Softcover]]> 32738139
Advent is a sacred time of preparation, a time of wonder and anticipation, and a time to ponder the miracle and mystery of Christ's birth. This year, rekindle the hope of the Christmas season withDaily 25 Days for Advent.

In just five minutes each day, these devotions will provide you with a timeless Bible verse, a personal story, and a prayer to help you apply the day's message. For each of the 25 days of Advent, Daily Guideposts invites you to

God's heart for redemptionThe gift of hopeThe promise of God's loveTravel with Rick Hamlin as he finds joy in the Advent season through small moments. Learn with Daniel Schantz how the little things we take for granted played important parts in the story of the world's most extraordinary birth. Find out how Brock Kidd and his family celebrate the birth of Jesus. Learn how Patricia Lorenz increases her joy by giving the gift of herself. And join Mary Brown for a special journey as she ponders the seven "I am" sayings of Jesus.

Join the community of over a million Daily Guideposts readers on this remarkable and deeply personal spiritual journey as you learn to take off those things that we do not need and wrap ourselves in what is the Light of the World.]]>
60 Guideposts 0310349435 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.61 Daily Guideposts: 25 Devotions for Advent: 25 Devotions for Advent | Softcover
author: Guideposts
name: Jan
average rating: 4.61
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The Answer Is No 219876684 In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.

Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?

Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.

Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.]]>
68 Fredrik Backman 1662526520 Jan 4 3.93 2024 The Answer Is No
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Jan
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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Whiteout 51857282 As a blizzard descends from the north on Christmas Eve, several people converge on a remote family estate in Scotland. Stanley Oxenford, director of a pharmaceutical research company, has everything riding on a drug he is developing to fight a lethal virus.
A Brewing Storm
Several others are interested in his success his children, at home for Christmas with their offspring, have their eyes on the money he will make; Toni Gallo, forced to resign from the police department in disgrace, is betting her career on keeping the drug safe; and a local television reporter, determined to move up, has sniffed the story, even if he has to bend the facts to tell it.
A House Under Siege
A sinister gang spots an opportunity to use one of Stanley’s children against him and steal the virus. As everyone takes shelter, it becomes apparent that being inside the house may be more dangerous than the storm outside, especially when a lethal virus might be on the loose . . .]]>
374 Ken Follett Jan 0 currently-reading 4.16 2004 Whiteout
author: Ken Follett
name: Jan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2004
rating: 0
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Answered Prayers 19232104 Answered Prayers careens from a louche bar in Tangiers to a banquette at La Côte Basque, from literary salons to high-priced whorehouses. It takes in calculating beauties and sadistic husbands along with such real-life supporting characters as Colette, the Duchess of Windsor, Montgomery Clift, and Tallulah Bankhead. Above all, this malevolently funny book displays Capote at his wittiest and most observant.]]> 178 Truman Capote Jan 0 currently-reading 3.34 1986 Answered Prayers
author: Truman Capote
name: Jan
average rating: 3.34
book published: 1986
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Boy at the Top of the Mountain]]> 28196299 The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, is another extraordinary historical fiction about World War II and innocence in the face of evil. When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy Austrian household. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler.Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's wing and thrown into an increasingly dangerous new a world of terror, secrets, and betrayal from which he may never be able to escape. This title has Common Core connections.]]> 269 John Boyne 1627795421 Jan 4 4.32 2015 The Boy at the Top of the Mountain
author: John Boyne
name: Jan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[Other Voices, Other Rooms (Vintage International)]]> 19250748 At the age of twelve, Joel Knox is summoned to meet the father who abandoned him at birth. But when Joel arrives at the decaying mansion in Skully’s Landing, his father is nowhere in sight. What he finds instead is a sullen stepmother who delights in killing birds; an uncle with the face—and heart—of a debauched child; and a fearsome little girl named Idabel who may offer him the closest thing he has ever known to love.]]> 187 Truman Capote Jan 4 3.61 1948 Other Voices, Other Rooms (Vintage International)
author: Truman Capote
name: Jan
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1948
rating: 4
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The #1 Lawyer 182811127
Stafford Lee Penney is a small-town lawyer with a big-time reputation for winning every case he tries. In his sharp suits and polished Oxford shoes, Penney is Biloxi, Mississippi’s #1 Lawyer and top local celebrity.

Just as Penney notches his latest courtroom victory, his wife is scandalously killed. He spirals into a legal and personal losing streak, damaging his reputation and ruining his career.

That’s when Penney makes a bold decision. He stops trading on his power-lawyer identity and creates a new lawyer lifeguard. Moonlighting at the beach, showing up to court in flip-flops, mentoring a law student, the new Penney is at first unrecognizable.

It’s said that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. But when Penney’s accused of murder, the #1 Lawyer will find a way to triumph.]]>
427 James Patterson 0316499692 Jan 4 4.47 2024 The #1 Lawyer
author: James Patterson
name: Jan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/18
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The Life Impossible 198281421
Grace Winters is a widow and retired math teacher whose life seems to be getting smaller and smaller. She keeps out of the way of people and passes time watching the birds in her garden and doing crossword puzzles. But when a long-lost friend dies in strange circumstances and leaves her a house on the Spanish island of Ibiza, Grace’s solitary drastically changes.

The Life Impossible is a story of wild adventure, deep transformation and gloriously heart-warming characters. It shows how a new outlook can burst into life at any moment and change everything.]]>
368 Matt Haig 0593489284 Jan 2 3.72 2024 The Life Impossible
author: Matt Haig
name: Jan
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/16
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<![CDATA[Best Contemporary Women's Fiction: Six Novels]]> 9950687 Six novels in one volume by today’s most outstanding female writers—includes The Magician’s Assistant, Those Who Save Us, and more. From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Commonwealth and Bel Canto, to the multiple award-winning author of This Must Be the Place, this collection gathers a half-dozen top-notch literary talents in a treasure trove for fiction lovers. Almost by Elizabeth Benedict chronicles the attempt of writer Sophy Chase to come to terms with the death of her almost ex-husband—who may have committed suicide on the New England resort island where she left him just months before. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum follows Trudy, a professor of German history, as she investigates her mother’s past in WWII Germany, combining a passionate, doomed love story; a vivid evocation of life during the war; and a poignant mother/daughter drama. The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss is a heartwarming story of a young woman with the rare talent of “gentling� wild horses, and the unexpected and profound connections between people and animals. The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones takes readers inside the hidden world of elite cuisine in modern China, through the story of an American food writer in Beijing who discovers that her late husband may have been leading a double life. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell is a gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth. The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett tells the story of the death of a secretive magician—and how it sets in motion his partner’s journey of self-discovery. ]]> 1887 Nicole Mones 0547661525 Jan 0 currently-reading 4.24 2010 Best Contemporary Women's Fiction: Six Novels
author: Nicole Mones
name: Jan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/10
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The Lost Story 199928985 The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons� investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.]]>
352 Meg Shaffer 0593598881 Jan 0 currently-reading 3.89 2024 The Lost Story
author: Meg Shaffer
name: Jan
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/09
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Counting Miracles 205181017 Amikor Tanner kíváncsiságtól hajtva az észak-karolinai kisvárosba utazik, még nem tudja, hogy az egész élete megváltozik. Az apja nyomát követve megismerkedik egy, a gyerekeit egyedül nevelő doktornővel és egy magányosan, elvonultan élő öregemberrel. Ha Tanner képes megnyitni a szívét a szeretet és a szerelem előtt, a csodálatos találkozások sora ezzel nem ér véget...]]> 351 Nicholas Sparks 0593449606 Jan 5 4.46 2024 Counting Miracles
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Jan
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/09
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<![CDATA[From Here to the Great Unknown]]> 204880158
A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and grieved.

Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, laid in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran towards his body on the floor. About living in Los Angeles with her mother, getting sent to school after school, always kicked out, always in trouble. About her singular, lifelong relationship with Danny Keough, about being married to Michael Jackson, what they shared in common. About motherhood. About deep addiction. About ever-present grief. Riley knew she had to fulfill her mother’s wish to reveal these memories, incandescent and painful, to the world.

To make her mother known.

This extraordinary book is written in both Lisa Marie’s and Riley’s voices, a mother and daughter communicating—from this world to the one beyond—as they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here to the Great Unknown is a book like no other—the last words of the only child of an American icon.]]>
284 Lisa Marie Presley 0593733894 Jan 4 4.39 2024 From Here to the Great Unknown
author: Lisa Marie Presley
name: Jan
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
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The Lion Women of Tehran 199898012
Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.�

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls� high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

A heartfelt novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.]]>
336 Marjan Kamali Jan 4 4.59 2024 The Lion Women of Tehran
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Jan
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/06
date added: 2024/11/06
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<![CDATA[NO Point Weight Loss Cookbook: Delicious Recipes with Nutritional Value and Health Benefits to Enhance Your Well-Being]]> 218709313 Kickstart Your Wellness Journey with The 2025 No Point Weight Loss Cookbook : 🍴 Enjoy Delicious, No-Fuss Recipes for a Healthier You, Including a Simple 30-Day Plan!

Are you ready to transform your weight loss journey without the stress of counting points?

Want to enjoy flavorful, satisfying meals while still reaching your goals?

Looking for a no-nonsense guide to help you stay on track effortlessly?

Inside this cookbook, you’ll

Over 50 simple and delicious no-point recipes designed to keep you full and happy.

� A carefully crafted 30-day meal plan to jumpstart your weight loss success.

� A mix of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks that prioritize taste and health.

� Easy-to-follow instructions perfect for beginners and busy individuals alike.

� Practical tips to support your lifestyle change and make meal prep stress-free.

"Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. Let this book guide you to a healthier, happier you—one delicious meal at a time."

Ready to start your journey? 🌟 Click "Buy Now" to make healthy eating simple and satisfying!]]>
140 Kathryn Brandl Jan 0 currently-reading 0.0 NO Point Weight Loss Cookbook: Delicious Recipes with Nutritional Value and Health Benefits to Enhance Your Well-Being
author: Kathryn Brandl
name: Jan
average rating: 0.0
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rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/04
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The Touch 56233339 The Thorn Birds has Colleen McCullough written a novel of such broad appeal about a family and the Australian experience as The Touch.
At its center is Alexander Kinross, remembered as a young man in his native Scotland only as a shiftless boilermaker's apprentice and a godless rebel. But when, years later, he writes from Australia to summon his bride, his Scottish relatives quickly realize that he has made a fortune in the gold fields and is now a man to be reckoned with.
Arriving in Sydney after a difficult voyage, the sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Drummond meets her husband-to-be and discovers to her dismay that he frightens and repels her. Offered no choice, she marries him and is whisked at once across a wild, uninhabited countryside to Alexander's own town, named Kinross after himself. In the crags above it lies the world's richest gold mine.
Isolated in Alexander's great house, with no company save Chinese servants, Elizabeth finds that the intimacies of marriage do not prompt her husband to enlighten her about his past life -- or even his present one. She has no idea that he still has a mistress, the sensual, tough, outspoken Ruby Costevan, whom Alexander has established in his town, nor that he has also made Ruby a partner in his company, rapidly expanding its interests far beyond gold. Ruby has a son, Lee, whose father is the head of the beleaguered Chinese community; the boy becomes dear to Alexander, who fosters his education as a gentleman.
Captured by the very different natures of Elizabeth and Ruby, Alexander resolves to have both of them. Why should he not? He has the fabled "Midas Touch" -- a combination of curiosity, boldness and intelligence that he applies to every situation, and which fails him only when it comes to these two women.
Although Ruby loves Alexander desperately, Elizabeth does not. Elizabeth bears him two daughters: the brilliant Nell, so much like her father; and the beautiful, haunting Anna, who is to present her father with a torment out of which for once he cannot buy his way. Thwarted in his desire for a son, Alexander turns to Ruby's boy as a possible heir to his empire, unaware that by keeping Lee with him, he is courting disaster.
The stories of the lives of Alexander, Elizabeth and Ruby are intermingled with those of a rich cast of characters, and, after many twists and turns, come to a stunning and shocking climax. Like The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough's new novel is at once a love story and a family saga, replete with tragedy, pathos, history and passion. As few other novelists can, she conveys a sense of place: the desperate need of her characters, men and women, rootless in a strange land, to create new beginnings.]]>
624 Colleen McCullough Jan 0 currently-reading 4.51 2003 The Touch
author: Colleen McCullough
name: Jan
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/02
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<![CDATA[A Short Walk Through a Wide World]]> 177059684
Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.

When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been.

From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s...

Fiercely independent and hopeful, yet full of longing, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way through a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. A spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible, A Short Walk Through a Wide World reminds us that it’s not the destination, but rather the journey—no matter how long it lasts—that makes us who we are.]]>
399 Douglas Westerbeke 1668026082 Jan 0 currently-reading 3.84 2024 A Short Walk Through a Wide World
author: Douglas Westerbeke
name: Jan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/01
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<![CDATA[When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary]]> 204806821 Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding.

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne's journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.

With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.

In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she becomes a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.

Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life. Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.

Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age.

"Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers' hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost." -- Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars]]>
196 Alice Hoffman 1338856952 Jan 5 4.29 2024 When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Jan
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2024/11/01
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