75 Books...More or Less! discussion

Challenges and Goals:
📚 Finish series I've started and are done being written: Series to Finish Challenge
📚 Read as many pre-owned books as possible: Mount TBR Challenge / Read Your Shelves Challenge
📚 And keep track of borrowed books: Virtual Mount TBR Challenge
📚 Keep up with ARCs: NetGalley ARCs Challenge
📚 Read books that have been on my Goodreads 'Want to Read' shelf since 2012: Beat the Backlist
📚 Read more horror: Castle Macabre's I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge
📚 Read more Canadian authors: 15th Annual Canadian Book Challenge
📚 Read more BIPOC authors: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYHpyJILapX/ #20BooksByBlackWomen
📚 Keep up on reviews! Write reviews AS SOON AS BOOK IS FINISHED!

1. One of Us Is Next (One of Us is Lying #2) - Karen McManus 3/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
Not as good as the first book. Did not care for the ending twist at all, c'mon. That was dumb. But I did enjoy seeing what the Bayview Four had gotten up to as well as getting to know minor characters from the first book as they became major characters in this book. But it didn't quite compete with the surprise of the first book. It'll be interesting to see where the final book goes...

2. A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry #1) - Laurell K. Hamilton 5/5
Home Library Hardcover.
This is more than my second time reading but I don't know how many. I love this first book, this introduction to Merry and the Unseelie Court. I haven't read ACOTAR but from what I've seen/heard, this is better. This is the OG faerie porn. lol. Sorry not sorry. I will be continuing my reread of the series ending in a first read of A Shiver of Light, which fans seem to hate. Eep! I fear that Hamilton's ideas for Merry have been exhausted.

3. The Once and Future Witches - Alix E. Harrow 2/5
Audible.
Sorry folks, unpopular opinion here. I did not enjoy this book. It reminded me of Erin Morgenstern whose writing I just don't jive with. If you love The Night Circus and The Starless Sea, you'll probably love this journey as well. Maybe I just shouldn't listen to these tomes because clearly something is not working for me. I did enjoy The Ten Thousand Doors of January when I listened to it a year ago but do I remember anything about it? Not really. So yeah, maybe these books aren't meant to be listened to. I just felt so disconnected from this story. I didn't care about Agnes, Bella, or Juniper at all. It was all very boring and my mind must have strayed a lot. This was disappointing and a waste of my time. I will be getting my money (credit) back from Audible.

4. The Little Library Christmas - Kate Young 5/5
Home Library Paperback.
I just found out that Kate Young is a celebrity stylist. I thought she was a chef as she has two cookbooks. I haven't obtained The Little Library Cookbook but after reading this one, it's on my list. I loved the coziness of this cookbook. I tagged a bunch of recipes to try, including some gifting ideas for next Christmas. I read this cookbook cover-to-cover, I like to do this the first go-round and then go back to the recipes I'm interested in trying.

5. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind 4/5
Library Hardcover.
Whoa whoa. You may be ick-ed by the plot but the words! The writing was just *chef's kiss* Imagery and sensory overload, this book is viscous. You feel it. I didn't think I would be giving 4 stars to this book after unsuccessfully trying to listen to the audiobook several times. I thought I would dredge through it and give it 2-3 stars. But I'm glad I sought it out in an alternate format and gave it a chance. Seriously, the writing is mesmerizing. I've never smelled so much from the pages! The ending was a bit weird, what happens to Grenouille, but what an olfactory journey!

Elyse wrote: "5. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind 4/5
Library Hardcover.
Whoa whoa. You make be ick-ed by the plot but the words! The writing wa..."


THIS IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK! I've lost count of how many times I've read it (in German). I was weary of reading it in English because it would be so hard to translate but I have to say I loved the translation. I will forever recommend this book to everyone!

Juli wrote: "Elyse wrote: "5. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind 4/5
Library Hardcover.
Whoa whoa. You make be ick-ed by the plot but the words! ..."

I didn't love it but it was very interesting.

Elyse wrote: "Juli wrote: "Elyse wrote: "5. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind 4/5
Library Hardcover.
Whoa whoa. You make be ick-ed by the plot bu..."

You'll sit on a bit and I'll ask you again sometime later lol

6. Like Cats and Dogs (Whitman Street Cat Cafe #1) - Kate McMurray 3/5
Hoopla Audio.
Yes, much like other reviewers, the chemistry between Lauren and Caleb is just not...there. It's not believable. It takes enemies to lovers to a bad-tasting level, there's too much enemy for my taste. I just didn't fall in love with the characters or their relationship. Some parts were cute but what also turned me off was Evan being so stereotyped. Not every gay man is OMG girlfriend, overly dramatic. That's not how you tell us he's gay. You just have him say another man is hot. Boom, we know he likes other men. I'm not a gay man so I have no right to be offended but I can be ick-ed and I am ick-ed by Evan's portrayal. We'll see if Paige's book is better.

7. What the Cat Dragged In (Whitman Street Cat Cafe #2) - Kate McMurray 3/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
Umm yeah. While I did like Paige and Josh's dynamic more than Lauren and Caleb's, these are still very flat characters. And what the hell is Ch 20 when Paige and Evan are at the singles cooking mixer and "Paige looks around and saw a lot of mixed up gender pairings, same and opposite sex, and a few non-binary couples, which made her smile." Oh ok. Didn't know you could just tell a non-binary person on sight. What do they look like exactly? 🙄 Oh but box checked, the author managed to get "non-binary" in her book! Yay diversity! That was just REALLY weird.

Evan should be who the third book is about but I have a feeling it will be about Lindsay, who was not even in the first book but all of a sudden is part of the crew and Lauren, Lindsay, and Evan have known each other forever...

8. Love in the Library - Maggie Tokuda-Hall 3/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
A bit awkward to be an audiobook but of course, for those who have eye problems, this will be beneficial. It just seems odd that a publisher would pay to have such a short picture book become an audiobook. The author's note at the end was better than the book. The book was cute but I don't think it will help anyone reading it learn too much about Japanese people in concentration camps. *shrug*

9. Out of a Jar - Deborah Marcero 4/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
A bit awkward to be an audiobook but of course, for those who have eye problems, this will be beneficial. It just seems odd that a publisher would pay to have such a short picture book become an audiobook. But unlike the previous picture book I read, this one has value and merit for children to learn to control their emotions because everyone knows children are volatile. Llwellyn has to learn how to deal with his emotions.

10. Princess Princess Ever After - Kay O'Neill 5/5
Kindle Unlimited.
😭😭 OMG I loved it!!! The best fairy tale! I wish it were longer!! Sadie and Amira are goals. Oliver is adorable and umm..shoot Amira's unicorn's name which is now escaping me! But this was the CUTEST.

Elyse wrote: "10. Princess Princess Ever After - Kay O'Neill
Kindle Unlimited.
😭😭 OMG I loved it!!! The best fairy tale! I wish it were longer!! Sadie and Amira ..."

I will definitely have to read this!

Juli wrote: "Elyse wrote: "10. Princess Princess Ever After - Kay O'Neill
Kindle Unlimited.
😭😭 OMG I loved it!!! The best fairy tale! I wish it were longer!! Sa..."

Yes! It was the best!

11. Shattered Midnight (The Mirror #2) - Dhonielle Clayton 3.5/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
A 3.5 because I wanted much more from the magic aspect. Like why it was there, why some people had it but most didn't, any sort of magical history, gimme the deets! I really liked Zora but I feel like the storyline was unfinished and that was a little disappointing. Zora was just at the beginning of her story! I've been to New Orleans twice and love it so I liked having some familiarity with the surroundings. I have not read the first book but decided since this is a companion series set in different time periods, it would be okay. I feel like it was but I will be reading the first book in February when I get my Hoopla borrows back!

12. The Young Woman and the Sea - Catherine Meurisse 4/5
NetGalley ARC.
This was a very sweet little graphic novel/comic. A French woman goes to Japan to train in art and sees so many things she has in common with Japan and the Japanese people and also the differences. "Are we call connected by our relationship to the earth?" Yes! I loved that line. The landscape artwork was breathtaking while the people leave a lot to be desired. I liked the back and forth with the coloring, using it where it counted, to show those rich landscapes. Though fair warning, there is a penis statue and some testicles? A little bizarre. lol.

13. The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) - Kay O'Neill 4/5
Kindle Unlimited.
14. The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) - Kay O'Neill 4/5
Kindle Unlimited.
15. The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3) - Kay O'Neill 4/5
Kindle Unlimited.
This was a quick, cute little graphic novel/comic series. The second one felt odd to be second, chronologically. It's about the younger lives of a couple of characters in the first one. But overall, the illustrations were the cutest!! I want my very own Tea Dragon please!!

16. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. Schwab 4.5/5
Home Library BOTM.
4.5 rounded up.

Stop. Stop it. My heart physically hurts. It's aching for Addie. And the could-have-beens. And the meant-to-bes. And the what-ifs. The writing in this book is so beautiful. I love ADSOM trilogy. And now I love The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. This is a book to savor, not to rush through. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with the ending, I'm not sure I will re-read this like I will definitely re-read ADSOM, but I will be keeping the book.

I'm not getting the same love/feels/vibes for Vicious though. Have you ever simultaneously read two books by the same author? It's kind of weird. It's like Addie could've just been an EO from the Vicious universe.

I also relate this book to the Winternight trilogy, if you've read that trilogy and this book, you know. Morozko. Luc. Very similar.

17. Vicious (Villains #1) - V. E. Schwab 4/5
Kindle Unlimited.
It was weird simultaneously reading two books by the same author. I was reading this and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I gave Addie 5 (4.5) stars. She could've been an EO in this universe. This wasn't quite as good, not quite as beautifully written but certainly very interesting. I had a hard time getting into it because of the constant timeframe swapping.

18. The Cousins - Karen M. McManus 4/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
So far this is my favorite McManus novel. I started out reading the e-book but switched to audiobook because it fit into my life better. And I really enjoyed the audiobook! Different narrator for each POV is always nice. What twists there were! Completely unexpected but so very interesting! And then it got really sad, after the last twist was revealed. Unfulfilled.

19. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell 4/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
Fanaticism yes. That is what makes a cult. Doesn't matter what a group of people is fanatic about. I definitely fell prey to a couple of those pyramid schemes, just purchased from them, never "worked" for them but I did have friends who were reps. Nightmares! lol. It's scary how easily people can get sucked into the vortex, mostly to feel a sense of community and camaraderie.

20. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek #1) - Kim Michele Robinson 4/5
BookishFirst.com ARC through NetGalley.
The hill people of Kentucky struggled through a lot in the 1930's. This book takes place in 1936 when a new program was created to bring literature to the Kentucky hills. Book Women would travel from house to house throughout the hills to deliver books and magazines to the people that lived too far away from any town centers.

Cussy Mary is a Blue, one of the last. Her skin flushes blue instead of red like a white person and she is actually treated worse than the Black people in the area, she is a Blue Devil, she is tainted, odd, afflicted. But Cussy Mary just wants to bring books to people and talk about books.

Instead she becomes a rape survivor and then a science experiment. I really did not like her Pa. He didn't do anything for her and didn't listen to her! He sold her from one man, Charlie Frazier, to another, the Doc. But Cussy Mary persevered and used her tribulations to help more people.

Slower pacing but overall SO enjoyable. I knew nothing of the blue-skinned people that lived in the mountains of Kentucky. They were This book was heartbreaking but also uplifting. I should've read this 2 years ago when I got the ARC! I'm so looking forward to the sequel about grown-up Honey! I got denied on NetGalley. 😭

I feel like reading especially Addie and Vicious would get confusing because they both jump around so much. 😅

Shelby wrote: "I feel like reading especially Addie and Vicious would get confusing because they both jump around so much. 😅"

I found it easier to track Addie vs Vicious. Probably because the chapters are a little longer and centuries apart so there were more identifying factors to keep track of where I was in time. lol.

Elyse wrote: "20. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek #1) - Kim Michele Robinson 4/5
BookishFirst.com ARC through Net..."

Loved this book. Am looking forward to the sequel. May be a good candidate for a buddy read?

Carol wrote: "Loved this book. Am looking forward to the sequel. May be a good candidate for a buddy read?..."

Yes!

21. March: Book One - John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell 5/5
Kindle Unlimited.
22. March: Book Two - John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell 5/5
Kindle Unlimited.
23. March: Book Three - John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell 5/5
Kindle Unlimited.
So informative and so interesting. Fuck I'm blown away by the courage and bravery of the people involved in the Civil Rights Movement. It hurts to read about and what hurts even more is the shit that is still going on today. WHAT. THE. FUCK. RIP John Lewis.

24. Up to No Gouda (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #1) - Linda Reilly 4/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
What a riot! What a trip! The ending, you will NOT see coming. It's laughably silly but hell, I enjoyed it. Only one CHEESY pun "my legs felt like melted cheddar." 🤣 I was hoping for a lot more! Definitely want to keep reading this cozy mystery series and I'll have to check out her other cozies as well!

25. The Stranger in the Lifeboat - Mitch Albom 4/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
I'm in no way religious or spiritual but I do enjoy Albom's novels. They're just fantasy novels to me and they're always interesting. I enjoyed this one. Life of Pi vibes but not as harsh. I enjoyed where it ended up. Faith is what you make of it.

26. Misfit City Vol. 1 - Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, Naomi Franquiz, Brittany Peer 4/5
Kindle Unlimited.
This was fun! An all-female Goonies, I love it! Record scratch cliffhanger though and I can't get the second one till February from Hoopla! Booooo!

27. A Letter to Three Witches - Elizabeth Bass 3/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
This was a cute little witchy book. Pegged as romance buuuut not really. It's like a family drama? Kind of cozy mystery? I'm not sure. But it is fantasy. That's all I'm really sure about. A little similar to but THOSE are definitely romance. I like the uptick in contemporary witchy books lately. They're fun! Nothing amazing, a lot still needing explaining (why did we even have a Griz POV?). This *must* be the start of a series because there's a lot to still be explored, especially repercussions. Re Tannith: (view spoiler)[It felt weird to hear so much about Tannith and then only meet her briefly at the end. (hide spoiler)]

Elyse wrote: "27. A Letter to Three Witches - Elizabeth Bass 3/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
This was a cute little witchy book. Pegged as romance buuuut not really. It's ..."

Oh, this one sounds fun!

28. Chew, Vol. 2: International Flavor - John Layman, Rob Guillory 4/5
Hoopla E-Book.
I feel like I should be offended by the art and contents but I'm not. None of this is meant to be offensive, just slightly ridiculous. And it is ridiculous. But very entertaining. Onward!

29. The Good Girl - Mary Kubica 3/5
Audible.
What a TRIP. I got spoiled when I started the book by a comment someone made on a GR friend's review so that's disappointing. But the book has been out for almost 8 years. lol. I did not know this was Kubica's debut novel! And my first Kubica novel! I could've sworn I had read another one but I think that was a Chevy Stevens book.

Anywho, solid beginning, loved the story unfolding between 3 POVs and 2 time periods. Brilliantly done. The end just...nope. Did not like it. I was okay with the judge being a skeezy mofo but who orchestrated the kidnapping, NO. (view spoiler)[And then why didn't Mia tell Colin?! And why did he have to die? (hide spoiler)] This hasn't put me off Kubica as she's written a ton of novels since this one and I've heard good things about Pretty Baby.

30. Crossbones (Kingdom of Bones #1) - Kimberly Vale 3.5/5
Won PDF E-Book ARC from BookishFirst.com!
Crossbones is a swashbuckling first book in a trilogy. At first I felt like there were too many characters to follow but then it narrows down to just three. Three vying for King of Bones. Or Queen. Each looking to win the Trials after the previous king dies unexpectedly without an heir.

The opening sequence is very exciting even though you know this character will not be hanged, obviously. But then the book slows down a lot. The Trials were really cool and the relationships between the characters, and the side characters who help them out, that was fun. But then it kind of meandered about and took some time to get to the point.

The book cover is really eye-catching and interesting, ugly but in a good way, if you know what I mean. I'm looking forward to the next book in the trilogy because I want to see where this story goes and hopefully it will get better as the groundwork has been laid in this book.

31. Chew, Vol. 3: Just Desserts - John Layman, Rob Guillory 4/5
Hoopla E-Book.
This was another wild romp for Chu and his cohorts. We meet a lot more of Chu's family towards the end and...what a cliffhanger! Record scratch! And I do not have access to Vol. 4 yet! I may start my comiXology Unlimited free 30-day trial on Feb 1 and just plow through the rest of this series. I have a couple other series in sight that are available through CU as well. Because my Hoopla borrows (I only get 3/month) are "booked" up for the next few months!

32. Taste: My Life through Food - Stanley Tucci 5/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio & Library Hardcover.
Loved it! I listened to the audiobook and also reserved the hardcover from the library so I can peruse the recipes and photos because unfortunately this audiobook doesn't come with a downloadable PDF. I'm picking the book up today so I'm excited to go through it again because there are probably 15+ recipes in addition to the memoir. I *had* to listen to the audiobook, I love Stanley Tucci's voice! This was a very enjoyable memoir and cookbook and I hope to make some of the cocktails and entrees in the future. I also bought The Tucci Cookbook recently and have made two recipes so far!

Elyse wrote: "32. Taste: My Life through Food - Stanley Tucci 5/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
Loved it! I listened to the audiobook and also reserved the hardcover fro..."

Hard co-sign to all of this. Loved listening to this one, definitely planning to revisit and try some recipes at some point.

Charleen wrote: "Elyse wrote: "32. Taste: My Life through Food - Stanley Tucci 5/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
Loved it! I listened to the audiobook and also reserved the..."

👏👏

33. How To Live Icelandic - Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, Edda Magnus, Gunnar Freyr 4/5
NetGalley ARC.
This was a beautifully put together book with lush photos of Iceland. I've been there once briefly as a stopover to Germany but was too young (high school) to appreciate the stark beauty of the land. This was an informative yet easy read.

34. We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) - Hafsah Faizal 4/5
Won Paperback from BookishFirst.com!
This started off very slowly and I was "reading" it for about 2 weeks (only got to Ch 7) before I hunkered down with it. Once I got about 150 pages in, I was hooked, I was ready to get to the end. I finished it in 2 days after that!

I really liked the concept though some of the magical parts were confusing. I enjoyed all of the foreign words peppered in where you could surmise what they meant by the context but are they all Arabic or are some made up? I had a hard time finding out on Google but I didn't try very hard. I would have preferred the glossary and pronunciation guide to be in the book and not only on the WHTF website.

The dichotomy between Zafira and Nasir was quite vast. She assumes the identity of a man in order to hunt in the magical forest called the Arz, where no one else can enter without disappearing or going mad and he assumes the identity of a hashashin (assassin) and kills whoever his father, the Sultan, says needs to be killed, with no explanation required. Nasir is a bit scary in that respect!!

I enjoyed Altair VERY much and thank goodness for his jocularity or this book would've drowned in sorrow. He is the Kenji (Shatter Me-Tahereh Mafi) of this duet and that was so fun and funny!!

I love the cover and I immediately bought the sequel in hardcover, as opposed to waiting for the paperback release because it does NOT match the original hardcover and paperback. BOO!!

35. The Woman Next Door - Natasha Boydell 3/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
I was looking for a lot more from this book than domestic drama. The Woman Next Door? C'mon that screams thriller! Mystery! Something! The characters were flat and gave me no reasons for doing what they did. I was disappointed. The narration was great though and the ending was actually really good. But the whole middle, the "drama" was not very believable. Seemed extreme for what the characters were going through. And I knew that where she was leading the reader was not where it was going to go. Pretty obvious.

36. Ophelia After All - Racquel Marie 5/5
NetGalley Audio ARC.
Ok folks. I loved it. It was SO GOOD. The narrator was great, first off. The story was amazing, second off! It was coming-of-age, it was exploring sexuality (or lack thereof depending on the character), it was exploring friendships, it was Cuban-Irish-American, it was amazing. I loved Ophelia so much. Racquel Marie captured being a teenager so well. Most of the characters were so far from my race, ethnicity, and sexuality but so easily relatable because being a teen is being a teen, no matter what you are. And the friend group, oh my I loved them. Agatha and Lindsay and Sammy and Wes and Zack and Talia!! So diverse, so compassionate, so understanding, even amid jealousies, these friendships were so sweet and believable and genuine. And Ophelia's multi-cultural parents 5 stars to them too. This is a must-read of 2022 and what a debut!!

37. We Were Never Here - Andrea Bartz 4/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio & Library Hardcover.
I...umm what? What just happened? What? <--this is my reaction to THAT EPILOGUE. Gimme your suspicions please with spoiler tags! (view spoiler)[Did Emily become Kristen? Are her and Aaron going to murder this lady? Why would she go back to her previous alias? Was it Emily all along? Is the reader being gaslighted? (hide spoiler)] Ok those questions aside, this was a really good book that keeps the reader on their toes!!! What a wild ride! It got a little slow at times but don't worry, Kristen brings it all right back. Yikes. Not sure how much I trust Emily though... Can't wait to read more from Andrea Bartz!

38. Lore - Alexandra Bracken 3/5
Library Hardcover.
That cover though! AMAZING. It looks 3D and I want to touch it!

Update: Only the title is raised. That was disappointing. And so was the book. It could've been a lot better but it was so mediocre. But I'm also not a huge fan of sticking mythology in contemporary times. I prefer my mythology retellings to be in the times they were originally set. And it seems the MC is only 17?? But not in school, no graduation, no mention of caretakers (how long was she with the Odysseides and when exactly did she leave?), had a passport and was in France?!, off the grid, but all flashbacks of "seven years before" it was stated that she was ten years old. It didn't make sense. Am I missing something? I'm definitely no mathemagician but uhh 10 + 7 = 17.

39. (The Radiant Emperor #1) - Shelley Parker-Chan 4/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio & Library Hardcover.

Whew! I'm a bit conflicted! 4 or 5?!

After some time, almost a week, I decided on 4 stars. I didn't quite love the ending, it got really ruthless and Zhu got so ambitious, that kind of put me off. I did love the majesty of this story though. Mulan retelling! Woman takes man's place and pretends to be man to save family/earn glory. Boom done. Not that I'm complaining that it's a Mulan retelling but essentially, that is what it is at its barest. The relationships in this book were so nuanced. Nothing sexually graphic until the last 60-ish pages and then just one graphic sex scene that totally caught me by surprise! Because the rest of the book was -so- tame in terms of sex. The violence is not overwhelming but it's there. I mean, the Mongols were ruthless, Zhu could've fit right in. I loved the dynamic between Zhu and Ouyang and I might've liked Ouyang's journey better than Zhu's! I feel like his journey was less selfish. And more tortured. I also loved the more prominent characters of Xu Da and Ma. If Zhu hadn't had them, she would have been so lost. I will definitely be reading the sequel because whoa, Zhu has PLANS.

Elyse wrote: "5. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind 4/5
Library Hardcover.
Whoa whoa. You may be ick-ed by the plot but the words! The writing was..."


I loved this book - it was just so weird and gross and weird. Did I mention how weird it was? ;-) I am so glad it was a good read for you too!! ♥

Elyse wrote: "19. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell 4/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio.
Fanaticism yes. That is what makes a cult. Doesn't matte..."


I blame you for me having to put this on hold on OverDrive. Thankfully, I still have a 13 week wait so I can get others read before I dive into this one.

Elyse wrote: "21. March: Book One - John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell 5/5
Kindle Unlimited.
22. March: Book Two - John Lewis, Andrew ..."


These books just blew me away. He was such an amazing man - absolutely one I wish I could have met in person and thanked for his vision and sacrifice and belief. Everyone should be reading these.

Elyse wrote: "32. Taste: My Life through Food - Stanley Tucci 5/5
Overdrive/Libby Audio & Library Hardcover.
Loved it! I listened to the audiobook and also reserv..."


OMG I CANNOT WAIT TO GET THIS BOOK. I love him. His cocktail making on Insta during lockdown was what got me through some days.