Overall, this was really enjoyable. I thought it got a bit slow in the middle and I worried that I was going to be emotionally unready to handle the ending, but I finished the book feeling uplifted and thankful for everything in my life. There were laugh out loud moments and times when I needed a corner of a tissue to dab away tears (but not a whole box of tissues, don't worry!).

Full of practical advice that I'm working hard to put into place! It was hard hitting, but it didn't feel as judgmental or preachy as some of the other financial books that I've been reading recently. He has a lean towards Christianity, but it wasn't overboard or too in my face. Definitely recommend if you feel like you're drowning in debt with no way to get out - he offers hope!

I loved this audiobook. The first chunk of it was focused on our money memories from childhood and what gets in the way of making good financial choices now. It's something I've been thinking about a lot since hearing it and am hoping that it leads to a breakthrough with my overspending!

Once I got about 1/3 of the way through this book, I absolutely couldn't put it down. Was Anna Anderson actually Anastasia Romanov? This story is told through two timelines: Anastasia's story starting in 1917 leading up to the firing squad that killed her family in 1918, and Anna's story starting in 1970 and leading back to that historic night.

This was completely engrossing, yet difficult to read in many places. People are so savage and you can feel the pain on the pages.

A more thoughtful conversation has been posted to my blog: https://katiegilley.com/i-was-anastasia-by-ariel-lawhon/

Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday books for an advanced copy of this novel.

I LOVED this book! Rich in atmosphere and witch lore, this book is not to be missed by those who wish that magic was real. Full of magic, fairies, and supernatural visions, I looked forward to settling in with it every night. I loved the description of the time period, imagining what it would be like to create my own tea from my very own herbs, and itching to play with my tarot cards to unlock the mysteries of my own life.

Lately I've noticed a trend of books written as a stream of consciousness - short little vignettes that describe a scene in a very singular and personal way. This is one of those books, but the best that I've read yet!

30 year old woman returned home to help take care of her father who is living with Alzheimers. It was such a touching tribute to the memories we hold on to and how we make new ones. I laughed out loud through most of the book, but at one point I caught myself with tears streaming down my cheeks. Not all out sobbing, but incredibly touched by the way Khong told this story. Stunning.

I loved, loved, loved this book! What an interesting take on a fascinating time. Count Rostov is punished for writing an anti-Revolution poem in 1920s Moscow. His sentence is house arrest in the glamorous Metropol hotel. I loved reading about life in the hotel, which had an adult Eloise feel. But I also loved seeing Rostov's take on the changes in his country, which he could only see from the inside of his hotel. Street names changing, buildings being constructed, the starvation of the proletariat -- his insulated existence kept him from truly experiencing any of this.

I loved this book, but one things really bothered me: Towles is addicted to alliteration!!!!!!!!

What a weird and creepy little series! This was the second in the Wayward Children series and focused on identical twins, Jack and Jill. This is their "behind the door" story, which was quite disturbing.

This was a great handbook to guide one through getting rid of all sorts of crap - not only physical piles of things in your home, but also digital messes. Most helpful to me were the links for PaperKarma (to unsubscribe to unwanted snail mail) and the reminder to utilize unroll me (to unsubscribe to unwanted email). Nothing earth shattering, but written in a down-to-earth and funny way.

Kristin Hannah knows how to pull my heartstrings, let me tell you. This was about a family of homesteaders in Alaska in the 70s. The father was a POW in the Vietnam war and they ran away to Alaska hoping to leave behind all of the triggers that made him scary and violent. It didn't work.

The relationships in this book were exceptionally well written - the complexity of domestic violence was displayed like no other book that I've read before. Hannah did an incredible job of bringing the Alaska wilderness to life and allowing the reader to feel like they were sharing the tiny cabin in the woods with the Allbright family. This book was AMAZING. Just make sure you have tissues.