Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for September 2025 were.

Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Here are mine - not a bad month!

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm pleased with my reading month.

The Eagle Catcher--Margaret Coel. This is the first in a long series, set on & near the Wyoming Wind River Reservation. I liked it but one can see "romance" ahead. Unrequited, one presumes, because the male member is a priest. The mystery seemed solid to me.

Excellent Women--Barbara Pym. This was for my '50s Challenge. It's a humorous novel, wherein a number of single women's lives are mentioned. I'd read more by her,

I Am the Messenger--Markus Zusak. An engaging bildungsroman, wherein the main character seems directed as playing cards are sent to him with names or addresses are on them. He must figure out what it means & what he needs to do. I really liked this one.

The Drowned World--J.G. Ballard. Planet Earth's lands are being submerged as the Arctic & Antarctic ice melts. This book i set in London, where scientists are measuring the changes in temperature (110 days are the norm), as well as flora & fauna. Interesting ideas are covered, despite the fact it was written over 60 years ago.

Thinking In Numbers: On Life, Love, Meaning, and Math--Daniel Tammet. Ostensibly about math, as the author sees it. However, when he began throwing in poetry & literature, i was more engaged. LOL, that's me, though.

The Museum Detective--Maha Khan Phillips. Set in Pakistan, this was an interesting mystery with an archeologist as the main character. For me, you can't go wrong when that is the case.

The Woman in the Library--Sulari Gentill. A very good mystery with elements of a book within a book to it.

madrano wrote: "I'm pleased with my reading month.

The Eagle Catcher--Margaret Coel. This is the first in a long series, set on & near the Wyoming Wind River Reservation. I liked it ..."


Wow! A female Pakistani archeologist!

John wrote: "Here are mine - not a bad month!

You had a solid 3 star month, John.

I enjoyed reading your reviews. I like how you balance the good with the bad in your reviews.

I've read about the Mitford family and saw the first season of Outrageous on Brit Box. I would watch the second season if there is one. The family certainly was eccentric to say the least. Though their infatuation with Nazi Germany is a bridge too far.

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction. However I did enjoy
The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict which I gave 4/5 stars.

I've not read any of Nancy's books. Since the one you read is heavy on the romance I think I'll pass. Jessica's book, The American Way of Death Revisited on the funeral business might be intersting though dated now.

madrano wrote: "I'm pleased with my reading month.

The Eagle Catcher--Margaret Coel. This is the first in a long series, set on & near the Wyoming Wind River Reservation. I liked it ..."

A very nice reading month, Deb.

I've put I Am the Messenger in my TBR notebook.

madrano wrote: "I'm pleased with my reading month.

[The Drowned World--J.G. Ballard. Planet Earth's lands are being submerged as the Arctic & Antarctic ice melts.....Interesting ideas are covered, despite the fact it was written over 60 years ago..."

It's sad that some people still don't believe this disaster could happen.

Here are my September reads.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated 3/5 good
This book was was shortlisted for the Booker prize. The main protagonist is Isabel. She lives a small, solitary repressed life after her mother passes away. Her brother Lewis has to go away on business. His latest girlfriend, Eva, ends up staying with Isabel at the family home, much to Isabel's annoyance. I thought the writing style was very good. Particularly the use of diary entries in the later half. The novel may not be for everyone as it does have a chapter or so of graphic lesbian sex. For me, it went on a bit too long. I would have preferred more history and less romance.

How to Meditate by Lawrence Leshan (1-Sep-1999) Paperback by Lawrence LeShan
Format: eBook
Non Fiction
Rated: 2/5
This book was published 1974. Unfortunately, for me, the book doesn't live up to the title. There was a "how" to meditate chapter. Really the only take away I got was that you have to mediate on a consistent basis, much like one needs to go to the gym and workout on a regular basis to see results. The other chapters explore psychology, mysticism and the paranormal. I was not looking for a book on these topics.

John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger
Non fiction
Rate: 5/5
Format: Trade paperback and audiobook
I did an immersive reading. That is I read the text as I listened to the audio. The audiobook was well done by Johnny Heller.
John Quincy is the son of John Adams, who is the second president of the United States. After serving as the first Vice President under President George Washington, John Quincy became the sixth president of the United States. He served one term, from 1825 to 1829. I thought this biography was well written. It begins when John Quincy is just a young boy and takes the reader right up to his passing at age eighty. John Quincy was a very accomplished man and his life makes for intersting reading.

Hope: The Autobiography -Pope Francis
Non Fiction
I started listening to the audiobook and listened to about 60% when my library loan ran out . So I requested the eBook which had a shorter wait. I thought the audiobook was well done by Peter Ganim. The book was translated from Italian to English by Richard Dixon. Pope Francis's grandparents and their only son, Mario, who would become Jorge Mario Bergoglio's father, set sail in 1929 for Argentina after missing the doomed SS Principessa Mafalda, which sank off the coast of Brazil. In this autobiography we follow Pope Francis from his childhood through his papacy. He passed away 21 April 2025 at the age of 88. I think Catholics, and lapsed Catholics will find the book inspirational. Others may find parts towards the end a bit sermon like. Still, I think it is a good read and would appeal to many.

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated: 3/5 good
This story is told in three acts. What can be a bit confusing as this thoughtful story is told backwards. The plot ultimately centers around the Walt Whitman poem, Song of Myself. It contains the line, "I am large, I contain multitudes." Stephen King writes in the intro, What if it isn't a library that burns when a man dies? What if it's a whole world? His world?" This was recently made into a movie. I would like to see it when it's streaming.

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
Fiction
Format: eBook & audiobook
Rate: 4/5
I read the eBook and followed along with the audio book. The audio was done exceptionally well by Raphael Corkhill . He added a lot to my enjoyment. Elderly German bookseller Carl Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time. Working in his friends bookstore has been his whole life. Along the way a spunky ten year old girl decided she is going to accompany him. The book is heart warming tale about books and friendship. Is the book totally improbably? Yes. Still, I was moved by this feel good book and looked forward to reading it.

Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Fiction
Format: eBook
Rate 4/5
This short novella was written in 1938. The story is a epistolary novel. It is told in an exchange of letters between Jewish art dealer Max Eisenstein, who lives in San Francisco, and his friend and business partner, Martin Schulse. Martin has decided to returned to Germany to raise his family. The time is November 1932, just as Hitler is coming to power. It is well written and packs a punch.

Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it here.

Basically, the plot of this one involves a girl named Monica trying to figure out what really happened to her sister Jen and Jen's friends.

I'll admit. This is actually one of the better YA Mysteries I've read thus far, especially compared to stuff like Pretty Dead Queens and One of Us is Lying. However, it's not exactly what I would call fantastic.

Now, credit where credit is due, there were quite a few things that were genuinely great. For example, the way that Monica was determined to get to the bottom of things, but was afraid of getting in trouble or being judged acted as a believable flaw, a believable way to not get all the information she needed, and as a great jumping off point for character growth. Also, Ginny was absolutely a standout, retaining a heart of gold despite her less than stellar family and basically giving off more lighthearted and hopeful energy to balance out the darker elements. I also liked that there was a good but not overwhelming variety of plausible suspects too. Oh and I have to give a shout out to the big reveal. I'm not gonna spoil the exact details here, but essentially, it cleverly utilizes previously established information to create a twist that's mind-blowing in the moment, but logical in hindsight.

However, there are also quite a few things that just got on my nerves. For one thing, the chapters told from Jen's point of view completely disrupt the flow and don't reveal much of anything that we couldn't have already gotten from Monica's chapters. It's as if the book doesn't trust the reader or Monica to put two and two together, which is made especially worse by the fact that crucial information is either revealed right when Monica and the reader are discovering it or right before. Also, the worldbuilding, especially when it comes to Monica's hometown of Sunnybrook, is atrociously inconsistent. To quote my review, "In short, if you were explaining what a "Show, Don't Tell" violation was to someone, this would be a prime example to use." But even when the book does try showing and not telling, its attempts are flimsier than wet cardboard covered in bullet holes. On the subject of inconsistency, there are moments where the book just seems to bungle Monica's character. Like, there's a moment where Monica says something super judgemental despite the fact that she was still afraid of getting judged and still wouldn't make sense even if she had no fear of getting judged and, for whatever reason, the book also just seems to forget Monica's post-abortion struggles despite the fact that they were a major obstacle for her.

Rating: C+

Book number two for September was I Need You to Read This by Jessica Maxwell. Full review here.

An advice columnist named Francis is brutally murdered and after a lady named Alex applies to be her replacement, Alex finds that not everything seems quite right and decides to seek out the truth of what happened to Francis.

I really, really did not like this one.

Now, to be fair, there were some things I enjoyed. Like, the prologue was awesome! Great buildup, fantastic and horrifying payoff, and just all around a master class in how to hook the reader. I also think the way Alex decided to apply for the job out of curiosity and how the pro and cons of the job itself were explored, as well as why the company would even provide such a cushy job package to Alex, were very clever and very well thought out.

Sadly, that was about the extent of the good stuff. Now onto the bad.

First off, it completely screws up its handling of its "Powerful Men Can be Bad" theme. At best, the book acts like the reader isn't smart enough to understand it without near back to back reminders and at worst, actively turns the theme into a complete waste of time that opens up a can of plot holes and takes no time to explore how damaging knowingly false accusations can be for both survivors of this stuff and the falsely accused in the quest to achieve a shocking plot twist. Like, what the hell? Oh and don't even get me started on how most of the male characters are either too perfect, abhorrent, or just don't get enough time to shine. There's also this infuriating character-related plot twist that literally had zero set up, yet the book has the balls to insist that it was something that should've been obvious to Alex and reader. I also really hated how the murder mystery plot was forced to fight with the "settling into a new job" plot for page time and how there were very, very few plausible suspects.

Rating: F+

Another book I read for September was Magician by David Kempf. You can check out my full thoughts on it here.

Now technically this is more of a short story than an actual book, but I'll just call it a book for now. Anyway, I wrote a blurb for Magician and I'll post it here: "A struggling magician discovers a peculiar cloth. But when his attempt to use it to save his failing career results in the seemingly irreversible disappearance of his assistant, the magician must put aside his fear and self-pity to try and rescue her."

To me, Magician really excels at creating fun and intriguing characters and really knows how to be subtle without being incomprehensible.

Honestly, my only real problem with it was the occasional grammatical error.

Rating: A

My final September book was Weird Massachusetts: Your Travel Guide to Massachusetts' Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Jeff Belanger. My review can be found here.

It's a book that shares some weird, funny, and macabre stuff about Massachusetts.

Highly recommend this one! It's got some great humor, doesn't waste your time with gimmicks or filler, and isn't afraid to include regular people's stories along with stories from experts and the author himself, which in turn, gives the book a communal feel. Though, some of the text placement could've been handled just a little better as to not disrupt and confuse the reader.

Rating: A

Overall, I think it's safe to say that September was kind of a mixed bag for me.

My September reads:

4+ stars (not quite 5s)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop: an easy to read "cozy" Japanese novel about a coffee shop run by cats that shows up when needed to help people think through problems they've been having, usually involving gaming decisions. My favorite customer learned that she likes comforting homes and would be happier if she tried to fix up her new, "downgraded" apartment . The weakest was advice on asking out a co-worker who may or may not be gay

Sandwich: a realistic slice of life about the week in the life of a new England family on their annual summer trip, featuring a raging hormonal mom, dad, 2 young adult kids, and a set of grandparents. They all have secrets that are revealed during the trip.

4 stars:
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List: The best part of this book is the wide variety of genres he covers, including children's, essay collections, history, science, poetry, plays. I was not happy with the number of religious texts and the the way they were "pushed"

Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World: I loved the parts of the book that were actually about fabric. It was prevented from being a 5 by the interspersions of the author's working through her grief over her parents' deaths and the last, bizarre chapter that all about her mom's death and not fabric

3 stars:
Atmosphere: I thought the first half was a little boring and the astrophysics was a little too simplistically explained. Characters were in depth. I did like that the book lived top to its subtitle: it is a love story without being a romance, and the love story is between two women without hitting you over the head about it except in the disapproval of the 1980's society they lived in

Snowdrops in Spring: A Tale of the Sleeping Beauty: a retelling of sleeping beauty featuring a feisty princess, a huntsman she teaches to read, and the embittered son of the king's former fiancee who enchants the king and poses as a prince to take the kingdom he believes should be his. The twist is the princess pricks her own finger and her true love that can awake her is the huntsman not a prince.

Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing my studies and reading at the same time. Today, I'm going to share with you the books I read last month!🥳

MY SEPTEMBER READS
• The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden - 5 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎀This is the last book in the Housemaid's series, and this series never failed me. I love how it is still solving crimes and mysteries. I love Freida McFadden's writing style, and I've been binge-reading her books lately. So, I didn't disappoint on this one.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

• Key Player by Kelly Yang - 5 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻Key Player by Kelly Yang is the 4th book in the Front Desk Series. I still remember when I read the first book in the series, and I immediately loved it. Although I love the series, it's just really how this book captures my interest. I would love to read the next book immediately!
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

• Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly - 4 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐
💌Another middle grade book I read this month, and I want to read more middle grade because it's bringing back nostalgia to me. It reminds me of my childhood memories and how I loved reading for the first time. This book captures my heart and interest, although it sometimes lack of depth on some parts. But this book is so interesting that I've learned something new.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it here.,..."

I hope October is a better reading month for you, Hailey.

Denise wrote: "My September reads:

4+ stars (not quite 5s)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop: an easy to read "cozy" Japanese novel about a coffee shop run by cats that shows up when needed to help peop..."

Overall a very nice month for you, Denise. Thanks for sharing these titles with us.

Patricia wrote: "Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing my studies and re..."

Happy October to you, too, Patricia. I'm glad to see you were able to fit in some very good reads.

John wrote: "Here are mine - not a bad month!

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review..."

John, my opinion of That Affair is similar to yours. I read it because this was the first female detective novel. I'm glad i read it but nothing about it led me to want to read another by Green.

I enjoy reading older novels, so appreciate your comments on those you read. I must admit that sometimes it's the old-fashioned covers which draw me to the older books. Like you, the little Mitford i've read left me with no desire to read more.

Thanks for sharing your reviews here.

John wrote: "Wow! A female Pakistani archeologist!..."

Yes, totally unexpected. It's funny how i search for novels about archeologists, then one falls into sight. I didn't know the MC was in that field until i began the book. lol

Barbara wrote: "It's sad that some people still don't believe this disaster could happen..."

I wish more people would read this one. To read about it toward the end of the complete covering of the Earth's cities and nations is to look at things differently.

The author goes a step further & suggests that as the world flooded & more old flora & fauna were restored, thanks to the heat & humidity, human minds would change as well. I felt that was a curious component to the story, as well. Actually, i gave that almost as much thought as the drowning planet.

Thanks for your comments. Alias, thanks to you, as well.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my September reads.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated 3/5 good
This book was was shortlis..."

Alias, i appreciate that you offer us a recap of your month's reading, even though you've already shared them earlier. It really helps me when i want to locate a title/review.

You had a pretty decent month of reading, woman!

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it here.

Basically,..."

I love the way you began your first review, the longer version. "Well... it could've been worse." Too funny! Your comments sound on-target, though, and i agree. I haven't read enough YA mysteries to compare but appreciate your observations, Hailey.

You gave very good reasons for the F rated Maxwell novel. Thanks for that.

I'm glad you month ended with two winners. I'm adding the Massachusetts book to my TBR, as we like the state & would enjoy learning more.

Thanks for sharing here, Hailey.

Denise wrote: "My September reads:

4+ stars (not quite 5s)
The Full Moon Coffee Shop: an easy to read "cozy" Japanese novel about a coffee shop run by cats that shows up when needed to help peop..."

Thanks for sharing your comments here, Denise. I recall your full reviews in the Book Salon, but it's good to see them here. The way you've organized it allows us to see what sort of star month you had, too.

Patricia wrote: "Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing my studies and re..."

Thank you for the nice wrap-up of your September books, Patricia. It's great to see your enthusiasm for Kelly Yang books. Lucky for you, she is still producing, too.

I really liked the quotes you shared at the end of your review about Song for a Whale. Particularly, "A lot of people think that Blue 55 is lonely. But I wonder, do we believe that because we’re the ones who are lonely?" I often feel this way when i read books about animals, that we project our loneliness onto them. Thanks for sharing that.

You had a nice month of reading, Patricia. I hope October is as rewarding!

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my September reads.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Format: eBook
Fiction
Rated 3/5 good
This book was was shortlis..."

Great assortment of books! I was a bit underwhelmed by The Safekeep myself, but would read more from the author. Glad you liked the Adams bio, I've spent a lot of time in the Boston area, but not made it to the historic site. I read of bio of JQ's wife which mentioned she was close to JQ's father, but a bit intimidated by his mother.

#22 John wrote:

Great assortment of books! .."

Thanks, John.

The Adams family certainly was very important and also make for very interesting reading.

I'm now reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

In it, Adams tell Jefferson why Jefferson should be the one to write the Declaration of Independence.

Adams can be quite the character. :) You can't say he wasn't self aware. LOL

"Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can."

madrano wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing ..."

Thank you, Madrano! I hope you too as well:)

Alias Reader wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Happy October, readers! September has been a good month for me, and I really enjoy some of the books I chose. Last month was pretty busy for me, but still, I've had time balancing ..."

I did, Alias! I I'm glad to read those books, and enjoys them as well. Thank you!

Patricia wrote: "Thank you, Madrano! I hope you too as well:)..."

I appreciate that, Patricia.

Alias Reader wrote: "

I'm now reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

In it, Adams tell Jefferson why Jefferson should be the one to write the Declaration of Independence.

Sometimes I do things on a whim and I got Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History by Andrew Burstein from Netgalley.

On Goodreads, it appears no one read this book. Ha ha ha. I hope it's okay. 😊

BTW, I rate books "the Goodreads way"
1* = I didn't like it (I usually abandon these);
2* = It was OK
3* = I liked it. These, I liked but I know they won;t stick in my memory long.
4* = I really liked it
5* = It was amazing (I rarely rate books 5*, They must be truly outstanding in my opinion to get 5*)

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (And 7 Other Traditional British Mysteries): Boxed Set - 4 stars
NB I can't find the book I read on Goodreads. I just had The Mystery of a Hansome Cab
This was an intriguing mystery at first although it became somewhat predictable by the end, but there were still enough intriguing elements to hold my interest. It had an antiquated attitude to women, but when you read a book first published in the 19th century, you are going to read some 19th century views. The plot moved on swiftly enough, with the occasional melodramatic scene. The characters were fairly well described, but mostly "types": The hero, the rogue, the innocent woman etc. They were OK however, especially as this book was plot-driven.

Harraga - 3 stars
I liked this well enough to give it three stars, but I mostly remember criticisms. It concerned a woman living in Algiers. She had no family and few friends. Her situation was contrasted with her brother, who was a harraga, someone who burns their papers to seek asylum in Europe. He was portrayed as living in exile, in a kind of limbo. However, it seemed to me that the main character was too. She was living in Algiers, but she had practically no contact with her local community and on the whole, didnt seem to enjoy the little contact she did have. She also seemed to be living in a kind of limbo. Her life seemed unchanging from year to year. The book ended on a note of hope for her, but the way the author brought it about had me rolling my eyes, for more than one reason. I can’t expain why without creating spoilers.

Jeremiah Bourne in Time - 2 stars
This was OK, but I was expecting to rate it higher when I started it. I liked the idea of it: a young man who time travelled by accident and had to figure out how to return to his own time, while avoiding agents of a mysterious committee in the future. Although it was full of incidents, the real plot moved very slowly and there wasn't really any tension. The villain was a bit stereotypical and although it was fairly amusing, it had the feel of a book written for a young, pre-adult audience.
There were also a lot of distracting footnotes, which were ostensibly a fight between the author and the editor and they were amusing, but reading about the author and his editor took me right out of the novel, which may be partly why I never really got into the plot.

Wicked Lovely - 2 stars
This was a good idea, but I was disappointed by how it was executed. The two main characters had conficting desires, but neither of them wanted bad things. However, rather than focusing on that aspect of the plot Ms Marr wrote it to be a bland "Special teenage girl, being chased by two hot guys." Oooh, which one will she choose? Yawn.
Ms Marr did introduce a cookie-cutter villain, who fitted all the typical "baddie" stereotypes, except she didn't twirl her moustache (probably because she didn't have one). I think this was an attempt to introduce some tension, but it failed. Maybe 2 stars was a bit generous.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - 2 stars
I am glad this wasn't the first Bill Bryson book I'd read because if it was I probably wouldn't read any more. I was expecting gentle, mainly self-deprecating humour, but the humour in this book had a mean streak that I didn't enjoy. I also began to get bored towards the middle of it as well. I guess there's a limit to my interest in reading about someone walking through woodlands and the subject Mr Bryson introduced to try to inject some variety into the book didn't really engage me. I was starting to think about abandoning it when it became more like what I was expecting and I decided to finish it. I'm not entirely sure that was a good decision, but it was a book club book and I wanted to be able to discuss all of it.

Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide - 2 stars
The authors wrote this for researchers into how people learn, teachers, students and parents of students. I think that that was too wide an audience and as a result it seemed to repeat the same information over and over again, albeit with slightly different emphases every time. The descriptions of the research done into the techniques were interesting, but many of the techniques still don't seem to be well understood.
I also found the illustrations very distracting. I understand they were trying to convey the information in 2 ways - through words and images, but a lot of the time the images didn't convey any information to me. Sometimes even with the captions, I didn't see that they added anything to the text. I wanted techniques to help me learn German, especially the grammar, but I already know about and use spaced repetition, the main technique they described. Even after reading the book I can't see how to use the other techniques they mention. Possibly this is because they were writing for full time students and I learn in small bursts of time. Overall, I was disappointed.

Once Upon a Broken Heart - 4 stars
I wanted something light and entertaining and this delivered in spades. I liked how Ms Garber played with fairy-tale themes throughout the book. The main character was well described and she grew in believable and interesting ways through the story. Some of the other characters were less well described but that made sense. The reader only knew what Evangeline (the main character) knew about them, including whether Evangeline thought she could trust them or not. Ms Garber made really good use of this uncertainty and although you knew some of the characters in the book definitely had agendas, you were not always sure what the agendas were, or how Evangeline fitted into them. In other cases, Evangeline had doubts about whether or how much she could trust other characters and she changed her mind as the plot developed.
The plot was fun and was fast moving. When I think about all the character development that went on, I am amazed that Ms Garber fit all that in with a plot that bounced along at a really good pace. This was a real page-turner for me.

# 27 Barbara wrote:
Sometimes I do things on a whim and I got Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History by Andrew Burstein from Netgalley..."

I look forward to your thoughts, Barbara. He certainly lived in interesting times.

I see the books Publication date ‏ is ‎ January 13, 2026.

Besides all the historic events going on he also had some very sad personal things happen. Several of his children died in infancy or childhood. His wife, Martha, also suffered multiple miscarriages.

When you read bios of this era, they all mention illnesses such as small pox and dysentery. Also cancer really had no remedy. So many people died of diseases or simple infections that we now don't hear about or aren't deadly. Living in that era wasn't easy at all.

Barbara wrote: "Sometimes I do things on a whim and I got Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History by Andrew Burstein from Netgalley.

On Goodreads, it appears no one read this book. Ha ha ha. I hope it's okay...."

I look forward to your comments about this one, Barbara. Years ago, Fawn M. Brodie wrote Thomas Jefferson; An Intimate History, which i read. She was one of the first to give public purchase to Sally Hemings & their children. At the time, many were outrages at the suggestion. However, history continues to support this notion. A visit to Monticello includes her & their offspring prominently.

So, i'm curious about what Burstein shares. Brodie went through much criticism when her book was published, i want to add. I find it interesting that Burstein has included the word "Intimate" in his title, too. This was one of the points critics of the time disliked about Brodie's work.

KeenReader wrote: "BTW, I rate books "the Goodreads way"
1* = I didn't like it (I usually abandon these);
2* = It was OK
3* = I liked it. These, I liked but I know they won;t stick in my memory long.
4* = I really ..."

So, a two isn't really bad. I see. This explains why you had a number of 2 star ratings, KeenReader. I know i've read their star criteria previously, but i don't think they followed reviews which used so many. This helped. Thanks.

And thank you for the reviews. While i can see how the footnote marked pages would be distracting, i find i actually have appreciated the few i've read. That written, the "real" story kept me interested, too, which may be why i wasn't distracted by them. Of course, i'm going to have to give this Planer novel a try, even though i already know i'll dislike the story. LOL--distracting enough, eh?

I am with you on the Bryson book, but it was my first from him. My biggest beef is that he didn't really walk the trail. Heck, i walked some of it but wouldn't at all write a book about it.

I appreciate your recaps, KeenReader. Thanks for posting them here.

#28 KeenReader wrote:

Harraga - 3 stars
I liked this well enough to give it three stars, but I mostly remember criticisms. It concerned a woman living in Algiers. She had no family and few friends. Her situation was contrasted with her brother, who was a harraga, someone who burns their papers to seek asylum in Europe. He was portrayed as living in exile, in a kind of limbo. However, it seemed to me that the main character was too. She was living in Algiers, but she had practically no contact with her local community and on the whole, didnt seem to enjoy the little contact she did have. She also seemed to be living in a kind of limbo. Her life seemed unchanging from year to year. The book ended on a note of hope for her, but the way the author brought it about had me rolling my eyes, for more than one reason. I can’t expain why without creating spoilers...."

I never heard of the term harraga. Interesting.

Sorry the book wasn't great. It sounds like it had good potential.

Thanks for explaining your ratings as we all tend to do it differently.

#28 KeenReader wrote:

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - 2 stars
I am glad this wasn't the first Bill Bryson book I'd read because if it was I probably wouldn't read any more. I was expecting gentle, mainly self-deprecating humour, but the humour in this book had a mean streak that I didn't enjoy. I also began to get bored towards the middle of it as well. I guess there's a limit to my interest in reading about someone walking through woodlands and the subject Mr Bryson introduced to try to inject some variety into the book didn't really engage me. I was starting to think about abandoning it when it became more like what I was expecting and I decided to finish it. I'm not entirely sure that was a good decision, but it was a book club book and I wanted to be able to discuss all of it.

I read this one a long time ago. I recall enjoying it.

Keen Reader, I hope your book club discussion is a good one.

#28 KeenReader wrote:

Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide - 2 stars
The authors wrote this for researchers into how people learn, teachers, students and parents of students. I think that that was too wide an audience and as a result it seemed to repeat the same information over and over again, albeit with slightly different emphases every time. The descriptions of the research done into the techniques were interesting, but many of the techniques still don't seem to be well understood.
I also found the illustrations very distracting. I understand they were trying to convey the information in 2 ways - through words and images, but a lot of the time the images didn't convey any information to me. Sometimes even with the captions, I didn't see that they added anything to the text. I wanted techniques to help me learn German, especially the grammar, but I already know about and use spaced repetition, the main technique they described. Even after reading the book I can't see how to use the other techniques they mention. Possibly this is because they were writing for full time students and I learn in small bursts of time. Overall, I was disappointed...."

Sorry this was a disappointment. One thing I find annoying is when authors repeat something more then twice. Then it begins to seem like filler.

I admire you trying to learn German. I wish I had a facility for languages.

I've listened to a few YouTubers who give helpful study tips. If you are interested, it is my post #62 in the Audio Books, Podcasts & YouTube thread.

Alias Reader wrote: "I've listened to a few YouTubers who give helpful study tips. If you are interested, it is my post #62 in the Audio Books, Podcasts & YouTube thread.."

Thanks, I've made a note of them to check out later. I'm visiting my mother next week, so I probably won't have a chance to watch them until I get back, but hopefully I will pick up some useful ideas.

KeenReader wrote: "BTW, I rate books "the Goodreads way"
1* = I didn't like it (I usually abandon these);
2* = It was OK
3* = I liked it. These, I liked but I know they won;t stick in my memory long.
4* = I really ..."

Wow - great descriptions! Travel narrative a favorite genre of mine, but not much of a Bryson fan. His nonfiction At Home: A Short History of Private Life, however, I often recommend. Harraga seems a very interesting premise.

John wrote: "KeenReader wrote: "BTW, I rate books "the Goodreads way"
1* = I didn't like it (I usually abandon these);
2* = It was OK
3* = I liked it. These, I liked but I know they won;t stick in my memory l..."

At Home is one of my favorite nonfiction books. I am also generally a fan of Bryson though. I often also recommend his One Summer: America, 1927

John wrote: "Wow - great descriptions! Travel narrative a favorite genre of mine, but not much of a Bryson fan. His nonfiction At Home: A Short History of Private Life, however, I often recommend. Harraga seems a very interesting premise."

I really don't know whether I'd recommend Harraga or not. Some of it was great. The description of life in Algiers was amazing. Mr Sansal described a very different culture, but I understood the main character's reactions to events and recognised that I would feel very similar in the same situation. The reflections on the Harragas, the people who burn their papers and seek asylum in Europe were eye-opening. I was just disappointed in the way Mr Sansal ended it, but I can't say anything about that without it being a massive spoiler. I did give it three stars though, which means that overall I liked it.

I had not heard of Harragas previously and still am surprised that one would burn their papers when seeking asylum. I guess i'm too much of a hoarder to do that. Of course, i have no fears something might be uncovered later, either.

Your review was eye-opening, KeenReader.

madrano wrote: "I had not heard of Harragas previously and still am surprised that one would burn their papers when seeking asylum. I guess i'm too much of a hoarder to do that. Of course, i have no fears somethin..."

People burn their papers, or in the case of coming to Britain by boat, chuck them in the English Channel, because it makes it harder for authorities to return them to their native country if their asylum claim is refused. That can give them additional time (possibly years) in the country they want to stay in. In the UK they can't work or start to build a life though and I think it's the same in other European countries. I've always thought it must be a bleak situation to be in and Harraga confirmed that, if anything.

#40 KeenReader wrote: "People burn their papers, or in the case of coming to Britain by boat, chuck them in the English Channel, because it makes it harder for authorities to return them to their native country if their asylum claim is refused. That can give them additional time (possibly years) in the country they want to stay in...."

Thank you for sharing that information, KeenReader. It makes sense. And even a hoarder would not want to take stuff like that with them on a life-or-death voyage of that sort.

KeenReader wrote: "madrano wrote: "I had not heard of Harragas previously and still am surprised that one would burn their papers when seeking asylum. I guess i'm too much of a hoarder to do that. Of course, i have n..."

In Germany it depends of the state of origin, which is one reason to burn / destroy papers in order to claim, you are from a country that has a high percentage of acceptance; but then you are stuck in limbo; you can work after some time in Germany, but only with repeated checks every 3 months, if you manage to receive a passport again, it depends on your local magistrate; some will use this moment to put you on the next plane, so many refugees will not procure passports; but many are simple unable to get passports, because their former countries will not issue passports to this ethnicity

Alias Reader wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone, I read four books for the month of September.

First up for September was The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. If you're interested, you can read my whole review on it he..."

I hope so too, Alias.

Sophie wrote: "if you manage to receive a passport again, it depends on your local magistrate; some will use this moment to put you on the next plane, so many refugees will not procure passports; but many are simple unable to get passports, because their former countries will not issue passports to this ethnicity. ..."

Thank you, Sophie. I had no idea how complicated the process could be.