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Best Books of 2022

December 29, 2022

best books

  I’m going to cut to the chase: it was a challenging year for my reading. Not due to a lack of options, I just lost my reading mojo for a while. However, there were 8 books that broke through my broken brain and gave me all the pleasure I look for in my reading. If you got gift cards for Christmas, buying any of these will ensure book happiness. There’s no particular ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, favorite books, historical fiction, memoir

November Reading Wrap-Up

December 1, 2022

november

November finished and only one month left in 2022. Yikes. I’m thankful for a strong reading month: 15 books and 9 of them were 4 stars or better.  I’m also coming back to myself and able to corral my thoughts to write reviews again which feels good. The podcast is continuing to grow in popularity so the increased number of episodes I co-host do take up more of my book brain, ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: contemporary life, cultural, mini-reviews

August Reading Wrap-Up

September 2, 2022

august

Goodbye to August and to summer 2022. I’m not going to rehash what chaos it was in the Gilmore household, but 2,200 miles later we’re settling back into Seattle. Even better, my August reading ended up being really strong—in quality if not quantity. Out of the 13 books I read, 7 were 4 stars or higher.     I’ve always admired Viola Davis as an actress, but ... Read More...

1 Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature

Lessons in Chemistry

April 20, 2022

lessons in chemistry

It's the 1960s and you’re a brilliant chemist exploring one of the most elusive topics in chemistry—the chemical reaction that led to life. You should be at the forefront of the scientific community. Instead, you’re grappling with your thesis advisor as he tries to rape you and later being called “luscious” by the director of a chemical laboratory where you work. This is ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, historical fiction, humor, women

January Reading Wrap-Up

January 31, 2022

january

What to say about January? A month that went so fast, but didn’t seem to move at all. With subzero temperatures and a broken supply chain that left Costco with no Diet Coke (I can go without my meds, but no Diet Coke is a bridge too far). Those are the lows, but the important news is that January was an outstanding month for reading. Of the 14 books I read 9 were 4 stars or ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature Tagged: dystopia, literary, mini-reviews, mystery, thriller, true crime

My 8 Best Books of 2021

December 27, 2021

  Best is a big word, especially these days when words that have been a part of the lexicon for lifetimes feel as if they’re losing their meaning. The first that comes to mind is “normal”. There is nothing normal about our weather, our politics, America.  There’s a COVID vaccine and a booster, but the virus has remained a partisan issue. Which is to say I went to the ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Feature, Reading Tagged: book clubs, favorite books, literary, racism

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