Sara Rodgers

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Sara Rodgers rated a book it was amazing

Pathways to Wholeness: Connecting to the Power of Now Through Mindful Meditation

by Janet G Nestor

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Jun 16, 2026 03:27AM

Sara Rodgers rated a book it was amazing

Bailie Beach

by Joseph Peter Krupski (Goodreads Author)

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Sara Rodgers said: " I finished this book some days ago, and I still can't shake it. That doesn't happen often. Most novels fade from memory within a week, characters blur, plot points soften, emotions settle. But this particular title has planted itself somewhere deep, I finished this book some days ago, and I still can't shake it. That doesn't happen often. Most novels fade from memory within a week, characters blur, plot points soften, emotions settle. But this particular title has planted itself somewhere deep, and I suspect it's going to stay.

Let me start with what drew me in: the setting. I didn't grow up on Long Island. I've never been to Mattituck or Riverhead or any of the towns that populate these pages. But by the time I was fifty pages in, I felt like I had. The novel is very detailed. The music, the cars, the drive-in theaters, the diners, it's all so lovingly rendered that I found myself Googling "1962 Chevy Bel Air" just to see what Tommy's car actually looked like. That's immersion.

Reading Bailie Beach is like looking at an old photograph of someone you used to know. There's warmth. There's nostalgia. There's also this quiet ache, because you know what happened after the picture was taken.

I found myself caring about these people more than I expected. Tommy frustrated me. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and tell him to stop being such an idiot. But I also understood him, the rush of being young and desired, the inability to say no to something that feels good in the moment. He's just a kid making mistakes that adults pay for later.

The women in the book Joan, Mary, and Debbie, each left a mark on me in different ways. I won't say more than that, because I want you to discover them for yourself. But I will say that one of them, in particular, has lodged herself in my heart in a way I didn't expect. She's the kind of character you wish you could warn. The kind you wish you could protect.

Tommy and his best friend's friendship anchored the book for me. When everything else got complicated, I could always count on their dynamic to feel real.

The sense of place is extraordinary. I've never been to Bailie Beach, but I can picture it clearly. By the end, it felt like I had been there myself, sitting on that blanket, watching the sky change colors.

We read thousands of words every year, maybe millions. Most of them slip through our fingers like water. But some words stick. Some stories burrow under your skin and stay there. This is one of those stories.

I think about Joan. I think about Tommy. I think about that beach, those rocks, that sunset. I think about the weight of choices, the cost of hesitation, the way summer can feel endless until suddenly it isn't. ...more "

progress:

(page 337 of 444)
— Jun 17, 2026 03:56AM

Jun 17, 2026 03:47AM · see review

Sara Rodgers rated a book it was amazing

Love on the Rebound

by Joseph Peter Krupski (Goodreads Author)

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Sara Rodgers said: " I picked up Love on the Rebound, looking for an engaging read to fill a quiet weekend. What I found was a novel that consumed my thoughts for days afterward the kind of book that makes you cancel plans, stay up too late, and feel genuinely bereft whe ...more "

progress:

(page 134 of 262)
— Jun 17, 2026 03:56AM

Jun 17, 2026 02:49AM · see review

See all 4 books that Sara is reading…