Tom Hanks wanes nostalgic in his collection of short stories, with type writer references wittingly interjected in most. I found the book to represent (my impression of) Hanks in real life, charming and good natured. Ultimately I’m just not made for short stories. I need depth that these, and most, short stories just don’t allow. 

Being a woman is hard. Especially in the mid 1600s England in the midst of political strife. Even more so if you are poor and your husband has abandoned you and your children. The situation for Alinor and her children is bleak.  Alinor works doggedly, but it’s never quite enough. Somehow magically, opportunities seem to unfold allowing her children to rise out of poverty. 

Being a woman, I was infuriated over Alinor’s situation. The harsh judgment she constantly met, most of which was because of situations she had no control over, made me want to rally to her aid.  But Alinor is not a character needing of aid. She exemplified great inner strength throughout each ordeal, revealing the ultimate power of love. 

I found the first half of the book to be incredibly slow in pace with an immense amount of superfluous details.  The last part of the book picked up pace and gave a satisfying ending, answering enough questions while leaving a few in place so that the author can continue this story in the sequel. 

Who are you at your core, and how many people know you at that depth? This story is about two broken people full of complex emotion that are misunderstood by almost everyone...until they meet each other. These two broken people become healed and while together. BUT. He is an adult. She is a child. 

BUT.  (Spoilers below)

This would be a beautiful love story if it wasn’t about a child and an adult. The two meet when the girl is 8 years old. Their first sexual encounter happens when she’s 13. THIRTEEN!!!! I understand that everything was consensual. I also understand the difference between Kellan and a pedophile. But it still isn’t right. And a child that age does not have the cognitive depth to truly make decisions like Wavy is making. This story could’ve been written with Wavy a little older. It could’ve had the same message, but without the icky, this is oh so wrong, illegal factor. 

The ending is beautiful. The idea of this kind of love is beautiful. But it didn’t work for me because of the characters ages. 

This is a haunting story that needs to be heard. The horrors that befall these boys (especially the real ones this story is based upon) are inexplicable and unconscionable. Sadly, I just didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. It lacked depth, and I wasn’t able to connect with the characters or the storyline to the degree it truly deserved. 

Would you want a do-over of life? But what would the consequences of that do-over be? Crouch weaves an incredible tale throughout repeating lines of time. It’s creative, thought provoking, and tugs at the heartstrings. Sci-fi is not my go to genre. But Crouch completely won me over with this book. 

Funny, sexy, and quick read. This book is your quintessential rom-com. Two unlikely people are fated to be together, no matter how many obstacles they face. It’s annoying and satisfying and annoying again and then of course it has to end on a satisfying note. Yes, it does follow the exact playbook for this genre. No, there aren’t any surprises or literary marvels. But it’s still a fun, easy, lighthearted read! 

I listened to this book, and it felt like a conversation with Lauralei Gilmore herself. Lauren Graham is silly, sarcastic, and endearing. This book is completely fun fluff, just like an episode of Gilmore Girls. Exactly what this month needed as it’s ending!

Everything you want in a book! Cassie is an easy to love character that you cheer on through each hurdle she faces. This book gave me a chance to laugh and cry while it also covered some important topics (forgiveness, sexism, assault, difficult family dynamics). I won’t say that I didn’t figure out exactly how the story would end because it’s pretty predictable. But it didn’t inhibit the joy I found in reading the ending. This is a great book to read after some deeper/darker literature.

 This book is warm and entertaining. Reading it felt a bit like enjoying a good “tune up” therapy session. Gottleib uses her own therapy experience and that of her patients to give sage guidance throughout the book. 

My one criticism is that this book cannot truly be what it is advertised...nonfiction. Because Gottleib is a practicing therapist and cannot divulge any real details regarding patients, these characters must be just that...characters. While I enjoyed these characters and their journeys, it feels disingenuous to call them real in any way.

A serial killer and her enabling sister. Sounds like a promising, wild ride. But ultimately it all fell very flat and not at all engaging. Had it not been such a short read, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. The chapters are so short they feel stunted, making the overall storyline disjointed and flat. The characters are not fully developed and not all that appealing. Overall this one just didn’t work for me.