Brittanie's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:56:26 -0700 60 Brittanie's bookshelf: all 144 41 https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)]]> 40605329
]]> 497 Trenton Lee Stewart 0316032115 Brittanie 4 4.29 2007 The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)
author: Trenton Lee Stewart
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2026/09/16
date added: 2026/09/16
shelves:
review:
I actually really liked this book. Quirky and clever. Fun book that I will probably recommend my kids to read. A few slow parts, but liked the ending and how things came together.
]]> Yellowface 62047984
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.]]> 319 R.F. Kuang Brittanie 2 3.67 2023 Yellowface
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2026/09/04
date added: 2026/09/08
shelves:
review:
I did not like this book. The whole book seemed like she was whining and complaining the whole time. The topic of race was overwhelming. Had language. Wouldn't recommend
]]> I Must Betray You 56970272 Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

A gut-wrenching, startling window into communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the number one New York Times best-selling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.]]> 321 Ruta Sepetys 198483603X Brittanie 0 to-read 4.37 2022 I Must Betray You
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Witches of Cambridge (The Witches of Cambridge, #1)]]> 242986071 The brand-new series from the bestselling author of Practical Magic, following two brilliant young women in 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, as they become immersed in a mysterious secret group of witches at Radcliffe known as the Lilith Society.

Once upon a time, women were drowned in the river and the only witnesses were the crows in the trees. The Puritans blamed Eve for the sins of the world. That was when we began to meet in the name of Lilith, Adam’s first wife—banished for refusing to do as she was told.

We Fly Together…

By the 1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts feels far removed from the legendary witch trials that marked its early days as a colony. Ava, a bright young woman from a small town in Maine, arrives for her first year at Radcliffe College. There, she meets Lauren, her opposite in every way—the wild and brazen daughter of a wealthy and well-established Cambridge family. But the two have more in common than they think. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe dating back to colonial times. As they learn more about their legacy, Ava and Lauren form a close bond that is put to the test as they learn to navigate their new power, friendship, and love.

While Radcliffe seems like a safe haven, the shadow of McCarthyism looms large, an ever-present threat to the flourishing creative and intellectual life in Cambridge. And as girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realize the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.]]> 416 Alice Hoffman 1668074648 Brittanie 0 to-read 3.78 2026 The Witches of Cambridge (The Witches of Cambridge, #1)
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Witch 249334199 Some secrets don't die―they wait.

When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family's sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she's there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she's hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear.

Instead, Pemberton begins to unravel her.

Every night, the grandfather clock stops at exactly 3:41 a.m. The lights flicker without warning. And a disembodied voice cries for help outside Julia's bedroom door.

As Julia digs into the house's dark history, she uncovers the story of a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692―and realizes the past may not be finished with Pemberton yet. When decades of family lies begin to surface, Julia must confront a terrifying truth: Pemberton may be haunted by women whose voices refuse to stay silent.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes The Witch, a chilling, twist-filled thriller about secrets―those we inherit, those we bury, and those people will burn to keep silent.]]> 352 Freida McFadden 1464249644 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.29 2026 The Witch
author: Freida McFadden
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel]]> 228974086
The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.

Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice.

And someone is watching from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again. Because it isn’t a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…]]> 304 Lucy Foley 0063376695 Brittanie 0 to-read 3.94 2026 Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
author: Lucy Foley
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Peck & Peck 248296726 The number one bestselling author of global sensation Lessons in Chemistry returns with an irresistible, delightful, and tender story about a young man whose life turns upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive, and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck of New York City.

Batter Gray is worried about his future. Even when he was eleven, his classmates seemed to have settled on a goal: doctor, lawyer, broker, engineer. Good jobs that automatically command respect, security, 401Ks. Now Batter is in his early twenties, living in New York City, and he wants something different; something that alienates some readers and bores most. Poetry. And yet—to him and exactly thirty-nine editors at a company called Peck & Peck—poetry not only represents the power of humanity but holds the key to its survival.

Batter is named after his mother’s heroic dog. An identical twin who lost his brother at birth, he finds himself confronted by the everyday dualities that make up life: right vs. wrong, truth vs. lies, rejection vs. acceptance. It’s almost as if his dead brother is a reminder: there are always two sides to every story.

No, wait. Make that three.]]> 432 Bonnie Garmus 166825106X Brittanie 0 to-read 3.95 2026 Peck & Peck
author: Bonnie Garmus
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Calamity Club 228820257
Eleven-year-old Meg, one of the unadoptable “big girls” at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford on a mission to ask her social-climbing sister to help the struggling family she’s left behind. And Charlie is a woman with a past, running low on luck but driven by fire, fury, and grit. When their fates converge, they come up with an audacious plan to take back control of their lives. Together, they form an unlikely sisterhood—but in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife, women’s freedom is fragile, and making an enemy can have dire consequences, will the price they pay for their outrageous risk-taking be too high?

The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to resilience, friendship, and the fierce, funny women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.]]> 656 Kathryn Stockett 1954118813 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.61 2026 The Calamity Club
author: Kathryn Stockett
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> Mad Mabel 231127044
Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She's lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years--longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else's business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie's past start coming to light. Who was "Mad Mabel" fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?]]> 352 Sally Hepworth 1250284546 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.34 2025 Mad Mabel
author: Sally Hepworth
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell]]> 35995489
Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.

Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.]]> 448 Robert Dugoni 1503949001 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.39 2018 The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
author: Robert Dugoni
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Waiting (Harry Bosch, #25; Renée Ballard, #6; Harry Bosch Universe, #39)]]> 206119050 LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a terrifying serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, with the help of the newest volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter.

Renée Ballard and the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit get a hot shot DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went quiet twenty years ago. The arrested man is only twenty-three, so the genetic link must be familial. It is his father who was the Pillowcase Rapist, responsible for a five-year reign of terror in the city of angels. But when Ballard and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles.

Meanwhile, Ballard’s badge, gun, and ID are stolen—a theft she can’t report without giving her enemies in the department the ammunition they need to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, but her solo mission leads her into greater danger than she anticipates. She has no choice but to go outside the department for help, and that leads her to the door of Harry Bosch.

Finally, Ballard takes on a new volunteer to the cold case unit. Bosch’s daughter Maddie wants to supplement her work as a patrol officer on the night beat by investigating cases with Ballard. But Renée soon learns that Maddie has an ulterior motive for getting access to the city’s library of lost souls.]]> 407 Michael Connelly 031656379X Brittanie 0 to-read 4.12 2024 The Waiting (Harry Bosch, #25; Renée Ballard, #6; Harry Bosch Universe, #39)
author: Michael Connelly
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances]]> 7264975 The Noticer and The Traveler's Gift, New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews now delivers an adventure set sharply against the warm waters and white sands of the Gulf of Mexico in WWII America.

Saddened and unable to abandon her resentment toward the Nazi war machine that took her husband's life, the young and attractive Helen Mason is living a bitter, lonely existence. Betrayed and left for dead, German U-Boot officer Lt. Josef Landermann washes ashore in a sleepy town along the northern gulf coast, looking to Helen for survival.

The Heart Mender is a story of life, loss, and reconciliation, reminding us of the power of forgiveness and the universal healing experience of letting go.]]> 248 Andy Andrews 078523103X Brittanie 0 to-read 4.29 2005 The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances
author: Andy Andrews
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett]]> 50358079 It's never too late to start living.

Infused with the emotional power of Me Before You and the irresistible charm of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Be Frank with Me, a moving and joyous novel about an elderly woman ready to embrace death and the little girl who reminds her what it means to live.

Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion. 

Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of color and sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties. 

While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead. 

But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye? ]]> 372 Annie Lyons 0063026066 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.26 2020 The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett
author: Annie Lyons
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Midwife of Auschwitz (Women of War #1)]]> 60753718
Inspired by an incredible true story, this poignant novel tells of one woman’s fight for love, life and hope during a time of unimaginable darkness.

Ana Kaminski is pushed through the iron gates of Auschwitz beside her frightened young friend Ester Pasternak. As they reach the front of the line, Ana steps forward and quietly declares herself a midwife – and Ester her assistant. Their arms are tattooed and they’re ordered to the maternity hut. Holding an innocent new-born baby, Ana knows the fate of so many are in her hands, and vows to do everything she can to save them.

When two guards in their chilling SS uniforms march in and snatch a blond-haired baby from its mother it’s almost too much for Ana to bear. Consoling the distraught woman, Ana realises amidst the terrible heartache there is a glimmer of hope. The guards are taking the healthiest babies and placing them with German families, so they will survive. And there are whispers the war is nearly over… Ana and Ester begin to secretly tattoo little ones with their mother’s numbers, praying one day they might be reunited.

Then, early one morning, Ana notices the small bump under Ester’s thin striped clothing…]]> 348 Anna Stuart 1803142685 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.50 2022 The Midwife of Auschwitz (Women of War #1)
author: Anna Stuart
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Midwife of Berlin (Women of War #2)]]> 181585412
An incredible story of one woman’s courage and determination to reunite her family in the aftermath of surviving Auschwitz.

1945, Ester Pasternak walked out of the gates of Auschwitz barely alive. She survived against devastating odds, but her heartbreaking journey is only just beginning. In the camp, Ester gave birth to a tiny fair-haired infant, only for her precious baby to be snatched from her and taken to a German family. Now the war is over, Ester longs to find her little girl.

But Europe is in chaos, Jewish families have been torn apart and everyone is desperately searching for their loved ones. In every orphanage and hospital she visits, Ester searches the faces of tear-stained toddlers; each mop of blonde hair and pair of blue eyes she sees sets her heart racing…

But as the months and the years tick by, the possibility of finding her daughter shrinks smaller and smaller. And Ester starts to wonder if little Pippa is even safe, or whether the miracle that saved her has now put her in even more danger?

Will Ester ever be able to find the child whose tattoo matches her own? Or is she already too late…

A completely gripping and emotional WW2 novel of one woman’s bravery and determination to hold on to hope in a world torn apart by war. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz , The Alice Network and The Nightingale .]]> 395 Anna Stuart 1837907412 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.33 2023 The Midwife of Berlin (Women of War #2)
author: Anna Stuart
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> America's First Daughter 25817162
From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.

It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.

Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.]]> 606 Stephanie Dray Brittanie 0 to-read 4.17 2016 America's First Daughter
author: Stephanie Dray
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> My Dear Hamilton 41014257 New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.

A general’s daughter…

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father’s wife...

But the union they create—in their marriage and the new nation—is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all—including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution…

When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle—to understand the flawed man she married and the imperfect union he could never have created without her…]]> 652 Stephanie Dray Brittanie 0 to-read 4.32 2018 My Dear Hamilton
author: Stephanie Dray
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Surgeon's Daughter (Nora Beady, #2)]]> 58810867 New from the USA Today bestselling author of The Girl in His Shadow!

Women's work is a matter of life and death.

Nora Beady, the only female student at a prestigious medical school in Bologna, is a rarity. In the 19th century women are expected to remain at home and raise children, so her unconventional, indelicate ambitions to become a licensed surgeon offend the men around her. Under constant scrutiny, Nora's successes are taken for granted; her mistakes used as proof that women aren't suited to the field.

Everything changes when she allies herself with Magdalena Morenco, the sole female doctor on-staff. Together the two women develop new techniques to improve a groundbreaking surgery: the Cesarean section. It's a highly dangerous procedure and the research is grueling, but even worse is the vitriolic response from men. Most don't trust the findings of women, and many can choose to deny their wives medical care.

Already facing resistance on all sides, Nora is shaken when she meets a patient who will die without the surgery. If the procedure is successful, her work could change the world. But a failure could cost everything: precious lives, Nora's career, and the role women will be allowed to play in medicine.]]> 384 Audrey Blake 1728228751 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.16 2022 The Surgeon's Daughter (Nora Beady, #2)
author: Audrey Blake
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/26
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Girl in His Shadow (Nora Beady, #1)]]> 54717137 The story of one woman who believed in scientific medicine before the world believed in her

Raised by the eccentric surgeon Dr. Horace Croft after losing her parents to a deadly pandemic, the orphan Nora Beady knows little about conventional life. While other young ladies were raised to busy themselves with needlework and watercolors, Nora was trained to perfect her suturing and anatomical illustrations of dissections.

Women face dire consequences if caught practicing medicine, but in Croft's private clinic Nora is his most trusted--and secret--assistant. That is until the new surgical resident Dr. Daniel Gibson arrives. Dr. Gibson has no idea that Horace's bright and quiet young ward is a surgeon more qualified and ingenuitive than even himself. In order to protect Dr. Croft and his practice from scandal and collapse Nora must learn to play a new and uncomfortable role--that of a proper young lady.

But pretense has its limits. Nora cannot turn away and ignore the suffering of patients even if it means giving Gibson the power to ruin everything she's worked for. And when she makes a discovery that could change the field forever, Nora faces an impossible choice. Remain invisible and let the men around her take credit for her work, or let the world see her for what she is--even if it means being destroyed by her own legacy.]]> 384 Audrey Blake 1728228727 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.08 2021 The Girl in His Shadow (Nora Beady, #1)
author: Audrey Blake
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We Who Will Die (Empire of Blood, #1)]]> 225910699 Instant New York Times Bestseller! Featuring duet narration from Meg Sylvan and Troy Duran

From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…]]> 423 Stacia Stark 006343671X Brittanie 0 to-read 3.98 2025 We Who Will Die (Empire of Blood, #1)
author: Stacia Stark
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/26
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Crown (The Selection, #5) 26074181
Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.]]> 278 Kiera Cass 0062392174 Brittanie 4 3.61 2016 The Crown (The Selection, #5)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/22
date added: 2026/08/22
shelves:
review:
Predictable. I see why the ending happened how it did but I wish she would have ended up with the guy I wanted her too.
]]> The Heir (The Selection, #4) 22918050
But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.]]> 342 Kiera Cass Brittanie 4 3.63 2015 The Heir (The Selection, #4)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/22
date added: 2026/08/22
shelves:
review:
Like the daughters storyline. Entertaining
]]> The One (The Selection, #3) 18635016 323 Kiera Cass 0062059998 Brittanie 4 4.13 2014 The One (The Selection, #3)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/21
date added: 2026/08/21
shelves:
review:
I liked this one better than the 2nd one, but still didnt love the back and forth with the men. Got to be a little much. Still enjoyable and entertaining though.
]]> The Elite (The Selection, #2) 16248068
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059963 Brittanie 4 3.94 2013 The Elite (The Selection, #2)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/20
date added: 2026/08/20
shelves:
review:
Entertaining and clean. I felt like she was more whiny and immature in this one. Didnt like how she treated the men. But all in all, it was entertaining and kept my attention.
]]> <![CDATA[Rebel Summer (Falling for Summer)]]> 210209498 Every good summer has a little bad...

I wasn’t supposed to be in Sunset Harbor for more than a weekend. But thanks to, let’s just call it—an unforeseen act of stupidity on my part—I’m here for the whole summer. And for the first time in my life, I’m in a whole lot of trouble.

The sentence? Community service paid toward the person I accidentally wronged.

The problem? That person happens to be Dax Miller. The guy who always spent more time fighting the law than obeying it. He's also the guy I once told to have a nice life amounting to nothing.

So…it’s been fun being court-ordered to serve him now.

Except the more time I spend with Dax fighting and fixing what was broken, the more I remember that sizzling…something…that’s always been between us. Or that smile of his that can get me to do just about anything. Let me be clear, with a politician for a father, I don’t do trouble. But what happens when the temptation to embrace that inner rebel becomes too strong to resist?

And what do I do when the guy who has only dated trouble his entire life, has his sights set on me?]]> 364 Cindy Steel Brittanie 4 4.27 2024 Rebel Summer (Falling for Summer)
author: Cindy Steel
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/20
date added: 2026/08/19
shelves:
review:
Super cute, fun, clean, entertaining book. Fun storyline and I liked the characters. Had a little bit of deeper issues thrown in there here and there which I thought helped the book. Liked this author.
]]> Mrs. Nash's Ashes 62296523
Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.

She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.

After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.

But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.]]> 352 Sarah Adler 0593547799 Brittanie 4 3.97 2023 Mrs. Nash's Ashes
author: Sarah Adler
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/01
date added: 2026/08/19
shelves:
review:
Liked the banter in this book and the characters. I liked how quirky she was. Entertaining. Ending was a little interesting. Had some spice and language.
]]> The Road to Tender Hearts 218460347 A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—from the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already.

But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.

Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also figures he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter, adrift in her 20s, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.

This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a second shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.]]> 384 Annie Hartnett 0593873440 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.32 2025 The Road to Tender Hearts
author: Annie Hartnett
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Everyone Is Lying to You 219848350 The #tradwife murder mystery we’ve all been waiting for. From the bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance and the creator of the Under the Influence podcast comes an explosive thriller about two estranged friends, a grisly murder, a sudden disappearance, and the truly shocking revelation that everyone is lying to you about something . . .

Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, Bex vanished, leaving Lizzie confused and devastated. Fifteen years later, Bex is now Rebecca Sommers, a “traditional” Instagram influencer with millions of followers who salivate over her perfect life on her ranch with her five children and handsome husband, Gray. Lizzie is a struggling magazine writer, watching reels while her young children demand her attention. One night out of the blue, Bex calls Lizzie with a career-making proposition—an exclusive interview with her about her multimillion-dollar business venture and an invitation to MomBomb, the high-profile influencing conference. At the conference, Bex goes missing and Gray is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie finds herself plunged into the dark side of the cutthroat world of social media that includes jealousy, sordid affairs, swingers, and backstabbing. She must learn who her old friend has become and who she has double-crossed to try to find her, clear her name, and maybe even save her life. Piazza’s master storytelling and razor-sharp insight into the world of social media brings us a pulpy, juicy, and cleverly plotted read that will have you guessing all the way through and leave you gasping for more.]]> 336 Jo Piazza Brittanie 0 to-read 3.70 2025 Everyone Is Lying to You
author: Jo Piazza
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Academy (The Academy #1) 223541023 #1 bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand teams up with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, to deliver a dishy, page-turning novel following an intertwined cast of characters over the course of one drama-filled year at a New England boarding school.

It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump – was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.

But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn – and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology – everyone has something to hide.

As if high school wasn’t dramatic enough...As the year unfolds, bonds are forged and broken, secrets are shared and exposed, and the lives of Tiffin’s students and staff are changed forever. The Academy is Elin Hilderbrand’s fresh, buzzy take on boarding school life, and a thrilling new direction from one of America’s most satisfying and popular storytellers.]]> 432 Elin Hilderbrand 031656785X Brittanie 3 3.58 2025 The Academy (The Academy #1)
author: Elin Hilderbrand
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2026/07/30
date added: 2026/07/30
shelves:
review:
3.5 ⭐️ lots of characters and storylines to keep track of. Some of the storylines were a little disconnected to me. Predictable. It was entertaining though. Leaves you wanting to read the next book to see what happens to some of the characters. *Decent amount of language
]]> From Sand and Ash 29638166 Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II.

As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.

Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.

But Eva can’t quietly hide, waiting for deliverance, while Angelo risks everything to keep her safe. With the world at war and so many in need, Angelo and Eva face trial after trial, choice after agonizing choice, until fate and fortune finally collide, leaving them with the most difficult decision of all.]]> 372 Amy Harmon 1503994325 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.40 2016 From Sand and Ash
author: Amy Harmon
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Selection (The Selection, #1)]]> 10507293
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059939 Brittanie 4 4.07 2012 The Selection (The Selection, #1)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2026/07/13
date added: 2026/07/13
shelves:
review:
Read this book years ago and decided to listen to the audiobook. Still good! Hunger Games meet The Bachelor type vibes. Entertaining to me and easy to follow.
]]> Lady Tremaine 231126977 Everyone said she was wicked.
Now Cinderella's stepmother tells her own story...

After the death of her second husband, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two daughters, Rosamund and Mathilde, her simpering stepdaughter Elin, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor buried in the woods.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change their fortunes, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of girls - only for her hopes to be fulfilled by the wrong Elin.

Yet as her stepdaughter's engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn...

Bridgerton meets Circe in this breathtaking reimagining of one of the world's most iconic fairytales, Cinderella.

**Lady Tremaine has stolen the hearts of readers everywhere!**]]> 339 Rachel Hochhauser 1250396344 Brittanie 4 4.13 2026 Lady Tremaine
author: Rachel Hochhauser
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2026
rating: 4
read at: 2026/06/25
date added: 2026/06/25
shelves:
review:
Pleasantly surprised by this one! Audiobook was fantastic. Had very subtle twist on Cinderella. This book held my attention and I liked the outcome. I only gave it 4 stars because it was predictable. But I really enjoyed it! *Had maybe a couple of curse words
]]> <![CDATA[This Story Might Save Your Life]]> 231126887


The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.


Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

]]> 357 Tiffany Crum Brittanie 3 3.86 2026 This Story Might Save Your Life
author: Tiffany Crum
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2026
rating: 3
read at: 2026/06/17
date added: 2026/06/20
shelves:
review:
The audiobook was fun because of the format of the book. I also didnt mind that it would jump timeline. Slow moving for me. Didn't think her husband's character was developed very well and I didnt like his voice in the audiobook. It did have some twists at the end I liked though. It was entertaining. *Has language
]]> Yesteryear 238226942
Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

As darkly funny as it is shocking and gripping, Yesteryear is an electrifying examination of tradition, fame, faith and the grand performance of womanhood, from a thrilling new talent in fiction.]]> 400 Caro Claire Burke Brittanie 0 to-read 3.83 2026 Yesteryear
author: Caro Claire Burke
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)]]> 256008 Lonesome Dove, the third book in the Lonesome Dove tetralogy, is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness of America.

Journey to the dusty little Texas town of Lonesome Dove and meet an unforgettable assortment of heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers. Richly authentic, beautifully written, always dramatic, Lonesome Dove is a book to make us laugh, weep, dream, and remember.]]> 960 Larry McMurtry 067168390X Brittanie 0 to-read 4.58 1985 Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1)
author: Larry McMurtry
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.58
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Money Skills for Teens: 10 Essential Skills Every Teenager Must Know About Personal Finance and Money Management - Your Guide to Making, Saving, Budgeting and Investing Money]]> 209239343 93% of Teens Money Skills Are Needed to Achieve Life Goals! – Business Wire, 2022✅ Do you wish there was a way to make learning about money skills engaging for your teen instead of a chore?
✅ Do you find yourself at a loss for words when trying to teach your teen about budgeting, savings, and investing?
✅ Does the idea of your teen entering adulthood without essential money skills keep you up at night?

You're not alone! A recent survey revealed a staggering 41% of students said they didn't have any financial literacy classes in high school, highlighting a clear gap in our education systems. Money Skills for Teens is here to bridge that gap.

🎁 Bonus Digital Workbook - 25 pages of exercises, cheat sheets, tips & tricks, checklists and more! Downloadable in a convenient fillable or printable PDF format.

IN THIS BOOK, TEENS WILL DISCOVER HOW Elevate their financial literacy with practical, real-world knowledge that schools often overlook.Uncover creative ways to earn money and maximize savings without sacrificing fun and freedom.Set and achieve financial goals, whether saving for college, a car, or their first apartment.Develop skills to make better financial decisions by staying focused and avoiding impulse buys.Build a budget and a financial plan that grows with them through adulthood.Get inspired to invest by true stories of teenagers who made it big with investing.Navigate the ins and outs of credit scores and how to build a solid financial reputation.Understand the basics of taxes and insurance and why they’re important.Boost their self-assurance, allowing them to confidently present themselves and their ideas.
Still concerned your teen might shrug off a book about finances? Money Skills for Teens isn’t just any finance book. Tailored specifically for teenager girls or boys, this book uses a simple and understandable approach to explain essential money concepts. Designed to spark their interests through relatable scenarios with engaging content and interactive workbook exercises that speak directly to them. Watch as curiosity turns into capability, and personal finance becomes a topic they're eager to explore. Help spark their interest and transform their tomorrow!
Give your teen a head start towards success with Money Skills for Teens. Empower them with the necessary tools to confidently navigate one of the biggest responsibilities that awaits them as a young Their Finances!]]> 181 Lindsey Sterling Brittanie 0 to-read 4.87 Money Skills for Teens: 10 Essential Skills Every Teenager Must Know About Personal Finance and Money Management - Your Guide to Making, Saving, Budgeting and Investing Money
author: Lindsey Sterling
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.87
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Money Skills For Teens Made Easy: What They Don't Teach You In School - Master Budgeting, Increase Savings, Understand Investing, And Avoid Debt]]> 210486697 Parents - Want your teenager to learn how to become financially independent?

This guide is your ticket to doing just that.

It's about becoming financially savvy.

Teens and Young We're talking about handling your cash confidently, saving for that big-ticket purchase without breaking the bank, and even making your first investment.

In this guide, you’ll

Easy-to-follow budgeting techniques that can turn your allowance or part-time job earnings into a growing bank account14 tips to grow your money while still young—think more significant savings and smarter spending!The 9 key traits of an entrepreneurial mindset that can set you apart from the crowd ( it’s about more than just making money)The basics of investing with a focus on compound interest… watch your money multiply before your eyes!The 9-step approach to saving money effectively as a teen, paving the way for big purchases and unforgettable experiencesHow to set and achieve your short-term and long-term financial goals—dream big and learn how to make those dreams a realityThe difference between assets and liabilities and why knowing this can make or break your financial future12 cool and creative ways to earn cash as a teen, from online gigs to turning hobbies into incomeReady to take control of your financial future? Don't let another day go by where your finances control you. Scroll up and click “Add to Cart” right now!]]> 166 Nicole Reap Brittanie 0 to-read 4.55 Money Skills For Teens Made Easy: What They Don't Teach You In School - Master Budgeting, Increase Savings, Understand Investing, And Avoid Debt
author: Nicole Reap
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.55
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Finlay Donovan, #6)]]> 231127059
But proving her innocence might be an impossible feat. Vero was the treasurer of her sorority when the money went missing—one of the only people who had access to the cash. And her alibi is a date who ghosted her. With her court date quickly approaching, and her mysterious stalker on her tail, Vero needs to clear her name fast.

Finlay decides a trip to Maryland is in order. After all, Vero stood by her through her darkest moments, and Finlay will be damned if she lets her best friend and children’s nanny be convicted for something she didn’t do. She sets off on a mission to sus out the real thief and bring Vero home.]]> 368 Elle Cosimano 1250337593 Brittanie 4 3.92 2026 Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Finlay Donovan, #6)
author: Elle Cosimano
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2026
rating: 4
read at: 2026/06/07
date added: 2026/06/07
shelves:
review:
I have really enjoyed this series! I love all the relationships that she gathered along the way in this book. *does have a little language
]]> East of Eden 4406
Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aaron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives nurtured by the love of all those around him; the other grows up in loneliness enveloped by a mysterious darkness.

First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.]]> 601 John Steinbeck 0142000655 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.44 1952 East of Eden
author: John Steinbeck
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1952
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/06/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Correspondent 223001257 “Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.

Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

Sybil Van Antwerp’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.]]> 285 Virginia Evans 0593798430 Brittanie 3 4.41 2025 The Correspondent
author: Virginia Evans
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2026/06/01
date added: 2026/06/01
shelves:
review:
Was hopeful I would like this book because everyone is raving about it, but it was lackluster for me. Yes, the writing itself is beautifully done, but I didn't love the format and thought the storyline and characters could have been developed more.
]]> The Burning Side 242977911 From the author of The Bright Years, the story of April and Leo, a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

When April and Leo’s house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to April’s childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication.

As the family reckons with the aftermath—grief, guilt, logistics, and memories scorched and intact—the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leo’s marriage. The novel unfolds in alternating perspectives: from April, who feels the crushing weight of motherhood, marriage, and self-blame; from Leo, a high school history teacher shaped by a lonely, fractured childhood; from Deb, April’s generous and no-nonsense mother who has to contend with her husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis; and from flashbacks that trace April and Leo’s relationship from its earliest days of connection to the devastating decisions that led them here.

A family saga suffused with humor, longing, and heartbreak, The Burning Side is about what we inherit and what we choose, about forgiveness and the ache of being known. It is, above all, about the meaning of home and the costs of long love.]]> 336 Sarah Damoff 1668085011 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.16 2026 The Burning Side
author: Sarah Damoff
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/05/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Spectacular Things 221251808 Two sisters examine what they owe each other and what they are willing to sacrifice to make their family dreams come true.

What would you give up for the person you love most? What would you expect in return?

Mia and Cricket have always been close. The gifted daughters of a young single mother, the “Lowe girls” are well-known in the small Maine town they call home. Each sister has a role to fill: The responsible and academically minded Mia assumes the position of caregiver far too young, while Cricket, a bouncing ball of energy and talent, seems born for soccer stardom. But the cost of achieving athletic greatness comes at a steep price.

As Mia and Cricket grow up, they must grapple with the legacy of their mother’s secret past while navigating their own precarious future. Can Mia allow herself to fall in love at the risk of repeating a terrible history? Will Cricket’s relentless chase of a lifelong goal drive her sister away? When does loyalty become self-sabotage?

A sharply observed and tender portrait of sisters, love, and ambition, Spectacular Things is a sweeping story about the impossible choices we’re forced to make in pursuit of our dreams.]]> 368 Beck Dorey-Stein 0593446283 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.02 2025 Spectacular Things
author: Beck Dorey-Stein
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/05/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Other Bennet Sister 45186556 Pride and Prejudice’s five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own.

What if Mary Bennet’s life took a different path from that laid out for her in Pride and Prejudice? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of The Other Bennet Sister, a debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Austen fans.

Ultimately, Mary’s journey is like that taken by every Austen heroine. She learns that she can only expect joy when she has accepted who she really is. She must throw off the false expectations and wrong ideas that have combined to obscure her true nature and prevented her from what makes her happy. Only when she undergoes this evolution does she have a chance at finding fulfillment; only then does she have the clarity to recognize her partner when he presents himself—and only at that moment is she genuinely worthy of love.

Mary’s destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her. In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is a fully rounded character—complex, conflicted, and often uncertain; but also vulnerable, supremely sympathetic, and ultimately the protagonist of an uncommonly satisfying debut novel.]]> 463 Janice Hadlow 1250129419 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.16 2020 The Other Bennet Sister
author: Janice Hadlow
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/05/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Love Haters 217387810 It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.]]> 309 Katherine Center 1250283825 Brittanie 0 to-read 3.75 2025 The Love Haters
author: Katherine Center
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/05/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Life of Chuck 57213544
Originally featured in the acclaimed story collection If It Bleeds, this unforgettable, mind-bending tale unfolds in reverse, taking readers through the extraordinary life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz.

In a crumbling world plagued by natural disasters, collapsing infrastructure, and mass panic, bizarre billboards and advertisements appear throughout town: "Charles Krantz. Thirty-nine great years. Thanks, Chuck!" Marty Anderson, a schoolteacher, becomes obsessed with these messages as the world, inexplicably linked to Chuck's life, seems to be approaching its end.

Told in three acts, presented in reverse order, The Life of Chuck explores one man's past. We see him in middle age on a business trip in Boston as he is seduced by a busker into spinning a gorgeous sidewalk dance. And we see him as a child, in a house haunted by a terrible secret, learning to dance with his grandmother. In these pages King reminds us that life's quotidian pleasures are even more glorious because they are fleeting: the outrageous good fortune of a beautiful blue day after a string of gray ones; the delight of dancing when every move feels perfect; a serendipitous meeting. King's ability to describe pure joy rivals his ability to terrify us.

Now a major motion picture and winner of the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award, The Life of Chuck is a glorious story about community and about humanity at its best, a celebration of joy, mystery, existential wonder, and the multitudes contained in all of us.]]> 128 Stephen King Brittanie 3 3.93 The Life of Chuck
author: Stephen King
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.93
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2026/05/07
date added: 2026/05/07
shelves:
review:

]]> The Coworker 123423832
Dawn Schiff is strange. At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m.

So when Dawn doesn't show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell—beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running—is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything…

It turns out Dawn wasn't just an awkward outsider—she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who's the real victim?

But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.]]> 362 Freida McFadden 172829620X Brittanie 3 3.65 2023 The Coworker
author: Freida McFadden
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2026/04/18
date added: 2026/04/20
shelves:
review:
Entertaining but not my fav. Over the top, predictable and unrealistic. I like the idea of how it was written with the emails though.
]]> The Paris Daughter 62327255 From the bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names comes a gripping historical novel about two mothers who must make unthinkable choices in the face of the Nazi occupation.

Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.

When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.

More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble—and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York—and to Juliette—one final, fateful time.]]> 384 Kristin Harmel 1982191708 Brittanie 4 4.18 2023 The Paris Daughter
author: Kristin Harmel
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2026/04/10
date added: 2026/04/10
shelves:
review:
Entertaining and clean book. It was predictable to me but it was still good! maybe a little too long but all in all I would recommend this book to others.
]]> <![CDATA[The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley]]> 63354446 She’s out to prove that there’s no such thing as choosing happiness.

Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.

As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.

But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim” makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.

As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere . . . happy.


Contemporary Christian romance
Perfect for fans of Denise Hunter and Rachel Linden
Includes discussion questions for book clubs]]> 358 Courtney Walsh 0840712804 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.11 2023 The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley
author: Courtney Walsh
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/04/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Compound 218460337 Nothing to lose. Everything to gain. Winner takes all.

Lily—a bored, beautiful twentysomething—wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants on a popular reality TV show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards, such as champagne and lipstick, and communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.

The cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: Why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she'll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?

Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.]]> 292 Aisling Rawle 0593977270 Brittanie 3 3.51 2025 The Compound
author: Aisling Rawle
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2026/04/05
date added: 2026/04/04
shelves:
review:
Went into this book knowing nothing about it. Didnt realize it was about a cut throat reality show. It was entertaining enough, but not my fav. Didnt love Lily. Couldn't connect with her character. Ending was lame. *Had language
]]> The Wedding People 198902277
Phoebe is there because she’s dreamed of coming for years. She hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is a nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250899576.]]> 367 Alison Espach Brittanie 3 4.03 2024 The Wedding People
author: Alison Espach
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2026/03/19
date added: 2026/03/19
shelves:
review:
This book started out very depressing so I was worried how it would end up. I actually think this book has some pretty good discussion topics for book club. I do however think there were WAY too many F words and talking about sex. That alone knocked a star off of my rating. It was overkill on the F words😳 I felt like it distracted from the actual topics they were talking about.
]]> Verity 59344312
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.]]> 336 Colleen Hoover Brittanie 3 4.27 2018 Verity
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2026/03/10
date added: 2026/03/10
shelves:
review:
This one was tough for me. While I liked the ending, the rest of the book was extreme in every way. Language, spice and just downright disturbing. I do get where the author was coming from and why it was written that way, but it was not enjoyable to listen to. The only reason I gave it as many stars as I did was because of the ending. Will not be recommending to others.
]]> The Conditions of Will 218568760 THE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF TIKTOK SENSATION MAGNOLIA PARKS

****

London-based Georgia Carter, professional lie-detector and body-language savant, has long been estranged from her infuriating, close-minded, wealthy South Carolina family. After a falling-out years ago, the chasm runs deep between the black sheep - Georgia and her gay, alcoholic brother - and their parents and elder siblings. But when their father dies suddenly, Georgia returns to the States for the funeral ... where she comes face-to-face with Sam Penny, her brother's AA sponsor.

Amid the tensions, dramas and revelations of the family reunion, Georgia and Sam are instantly drawn to each other.

However, Georgia's brother also harbours feelings for Sam, and the last thing Georgia wants to do is hurt the only family she's ever really had.

When their father's will reveals a surprising bequest to a mysterious stranger, Georgia's ability to read people becomes crucial in unravelling her father's hidden past. The delicate balance within the family teeters, and secrets - both old and new - threaten to push them beyond the breaking point.

There are only so many cracks a damaged family can take before it shatters.]]> 464 Jessa Hastings 1464245339 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.23 2025 The Conditions of Will
author: Jessa Hastings
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau]]> 220160204 Two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder...

Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.

But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.

Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.]]> 384 Kristin Harmel 1982191732 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.19 2025 The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
author: Kristin Harmel
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Strange Sally Diamond 62322008
Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past she has no memory of. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.

But when messages start arriving from a stranger who knows far more about her past than she knows herself, Sally's life will be thrown into chaos once again . . .]]> 384 Liz Nugent 1844885968 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.11 2023 Strange Sally Diamond
author: Liz Nugent
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Darling Girls 127280429 SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER... Sally Hepworth’s new novel has it all.

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.]]> 359 Sally Hepworth 125028452X Brittanie 4 3.95 2024 Darling Girls
author: Sally Hepworth
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2026/02/22
date added: 2026/02/23
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this book. It was definitely about very dysfunctional people so of course the storyline is going to be a little crazy. But I thought it was entertaining and had a great twist at the end. *has language
]]> Love and Other Words 36206591 The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother...only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).]]> 432 Christina Lauren 1501190539 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.19 2018 Love and Other Words
author: Christina Lauren
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Where the Lost Wander 51815479 In this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss.



The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.

But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.

When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually…make peace with who they are.]]> 349 Amy Harmon 1542017971 Brittanie 5 4.40 2020 Where the Lost Wander
author: Amy Harmon
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2026/02/13
date added: 2026/02/13
shelves:
review:
Loved this book! The different characters and the many dynamics going on kept my attention. I feel like it gave a great description of what traveling by wagon would have been like. I have really enjoyed Amy Harmons books and she is becoming one of my favorite authors! She does a fantastic job of using real historical figures and events and bringing them to life.
]]> The Ministry of Time 199798179 A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.]]> 339 Kaliane Bradley 1668045141 Brittanie 3 3.51 2024 The Ministry of Time
author: Kaliane Bradley
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2026/02/05
date added: 2026/02/05
shelves:
review:
Liked the idea of the book and was optimistic it would suck me in...but unfortunately it didnt. Was a little all over the place and the characters needed more depth. The ending also fell short for me. Total bummer because I liked the storyline. *Had language and spice
]]> The God of the Woods 199698485 When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.]]> 562 Liz Moore Brittanie 4 4.10 2024 The God of the Woods
author: Liz Moore
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2026/01/27
date added: 2026/01/27
shelves:
review:
A good mystery book. While I liked the different characters and storylines, at times it felt like it bounced around almost too much that it felt disconnected in some parts. I think switching years also didnt help. I did like the main story though. Would be a good movie. *has language
]]> <![CDATA[Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan]]> 27037794
Noted political commentator Michael Reagan, the son of Ronald Reagan and first wife Jane Wyman, has traveled across America, giving speeches and meeting the public. Time and time again, people tell him how much they love and miss his father, and what his presidency meant to them. In a world where role models are few and far between, Ronald Reagan’s legacy stands strong.

In Lessons My Father Taught Me , Michael Reagan looks back over his years with his father and reflects on what he has learned from the greatest man he has ever known—and one of the greatest men the world has known.

When Michael was growing up, his father would drive him out to his ranch. There Ronald Reagan taught Michael how to ride a horse, how to shoot a gun, and much more. As they drove together or did chores together, Michael’s father told him stories and taught him about life, love, family, faith, success, and leadership. Michael didn’t fully appreciate those lessons at the time, but years later he remembered—and he understood.

Now, Michael Reagan shares his father’s wisdom and experience in this inspiring book.]]> 256 Michael Reagan 1630060534 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.30 2016 Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan
author: Michael Reagan
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The One (Dark Future #1) 40670312 How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.]]> 418 John Marrs Brittanie 0 to-read 4.07 2016 The One (Dark Future #1)
author: John Marrs
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Glitch 53066406 A whirlwind adventure about a pair of kids who must break all the rules of time travel.

Regan Fitz and Elliot Mason have been enemies since they started training to become Glitchers—people who travel through time to preserve important historical events. But everything changes when they find a letter from Regan’s future self, warning them about an impending disaster that threatens them and everyone they know.

Will they be able to set aside their past in order to save the future?]]> 384 Laura Martin 0062894358 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.17 2020 Glitch
author: Laura Martin
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> My Friends 217163697 The beautiful new novel that will make you laugh and cry, from the global bestselling author of Anxious People and A Man Called Ove. Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later…

You have to take life for granted, the artist thinks, the whole thing: sunrises and slow Sunday mornings and water balloons and another person’s breath against your neck. That’s the only courageous thing a person can do.

In the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world three tiny figures sit at the end of a pier. Most people don’t even notice them. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers seek refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days together. They tell jokes, they share secrets, and they commit small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into 18-year-old Louisa’s care. Determined to learn how it came to be and to decide what to do with it, Louisa embarks on a cross-country journey. But the closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes.

In this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art, Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect.]]> 436 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.27 2025 My Friends
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Girl Called Samson 58769584 From New York Times bestselling author Amy Harmon comes the saga of a young woman who dares to chart her own destiny in life and love during the American Revolutionary War.

In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure.

Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental Army. Her impressive height and lanky build make her transformation a convincing one, and it isn’t long before she finds herself confronting the horrors of war head-on.

But as Deborah fights for her country’s freedom, she must contend with the secret of who she is—and, ultimately, a surprising love she can’t deny.]]> 405 Amy Harmon 1542039738 Brittanie 5 4.45 2023 A Girl Called Samson
author: Amy Harmon
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2026/01/09
date added: 2026/01/09
shelves:
review:
Amy Harmon does it again! Loved this book! I love that she takes real people in history and makes them come alive. Obviously its not completely accurate but I like where she took the story. The Authors note at the end explained what was factual and what wasnt, which I liked. Pretty clean book too!
]]> The Nightingale 21853621 In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

France, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn't believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne's sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France―a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.]]> 440 Kristin Hannah 0312577222 Brittanie 5 4.64 2015 The Nightingale
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2026/01/06
date added: 2026/01/06
shelves:
review:
I read the physical book a long time ago and wanted to listen to the audiobook before the movie comes out. I still loved it! Another great book by Kristin Hannah! Only had a couple of curse words. mild spice
]]> It's Different This Time 228143079 In this sweeping, second-chance romance, a twist of fate forces two former roommates to move back into their beloved New York City brownstone and face the events that led to their estrangement—and confront their unresolved feelings for each other.

Subject 74 Perry Street

So begins the email that turns June Wood’s entire world on its head. Five years ago, she lived on Perry Street with her former best friend Adam Harper. But why is the management company reaching out to her about it now? 

Still smarting from the news of her hit TV show being canceled, June has nothing else to lose. She boards a plane from Los Angeles to New York City to find out more about the mysterious email and the promised opportunity it alludes to. It turns out that, thanks to an unbelievable legal loophole, if she and Adam can live together in the stunning West Village brownstone for a month, it’s theirs. Any true New Yorker knows you don’t pass up prime city real estate, and that fall in the city is magical—so what’s there to think about?

And yet, though most things have changed in the time since they last spoke, one thing hasn’ June and Adam have unfinished business. They didn’t exactly end on good terms when they each went off to chase their dreams. Now, confronted with the consequences of their choices, they must navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know together.

Every day they move closer to owning Perry Street reveals misunderstandings, long-term resentments, and long-buried feelings . . . which are suddenly feeling very, very not so buried. But they’ve already lost their friendship once before, devastating them both. Can they risk losing it again for something a little different this time?]]> 432 Joss Richard Brittanie 4 3.91 2025 It's Different This Time
author: Joss Richard
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/12/25
date added: 2025/12/27
shelves:
review:
I actually enjoyed this book. Liked their dynamic. There was a lot of miscommunication though that I didn't love. Did have language and a couple spicy parts.
]]> <![CDATA[Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon]]> 223641064 A sentimental advertising creative and a blunt, no-nonsense bar owner find a second chance at love while binge-watching iconic holiday movies in this poignant and heartwarming romance, from the author of Charm City Rocks and All Together Now.

The new year barely began when Grace White and Henry Adler both lost their spouses. Now, nearly a year later, the first holiday season since their "Great and Terrible Sadnesses" approaches. Although their mothers scheme to matchmake the two surviving spouses, it’s clear that neither is ready to date again. Yet no one understands what they're going through better than each other, and a delicate friendship is born.

When Henry sees an ad for a Christmas movie marathon—once an annual tradition for him and his wife—Grace offers to watch some films with him, despite her aversion to a few of his picks. Her two young kids, Ian and Bella, also join in whenever possible—bedtimes permitting, of course.

With each movie, Grace and Henry’s shared grief eases as they start to see a life beyond the sadness. But as they draw closer, other romantic possibilities leave them both uncertain about their future together. Is their bond merely the result of loneliness and shared circumstances, or have they found something that’s worth taking a shot at . . . again?]]> 336 Matthew Norman 0593975057 Brittanie 4 4.24 2025 Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon
author: Matthew Norman
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/12/21
date added: 2025/12/21
shelves:
review:
Such a fun book! I loved the witty banter the characters had with one another, as well as the kids. The only thing I didnt love was the swearing. Totally not needed. Other than that, it was a great book!
]]> Brave New World 5129 Brave New World is a dystopian social science fiction novel by English author Aldous Huxley. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story's protagonist.]]> 288 Aldous Huxley 0060929871 Brittanie 1 3.99 1932 Brave New World
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1932
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/12/19
shelves:
review:
I vaguely remember reading this in high school but didnt remember specifics. I did not like this book. The writing was totally disjointed and all over the place and quite disturbing in parts. There are a few good talking points, but definitely not worth the read in my opinion.
]]> All the Broken Places 61111301
Then, a new family moves into the apartment below her. In spite of herself, Gretel can't help but begin a friendship with the little boy, Henry, though his presence brings back memories she would rather forget. One night, she witnesses a disturbing, violent argument between Henry's beautiful mother and his arrogant father, one that threatens Gretel's hard-won, self-contained existence.

All The Broken Places moves back and forth in time between Gretel's girlhood in Germany to present-day London as a woman whose life has been haunted by the past. Now, Gretel faces a similar crossroads to one she encountered long ago. Back then, she denied her own complicity, but now, faced with a chance to interrogate her guilt, grief and remorse, she can choose to save a young boy. If she does, she will be forced to reveal the secrets she has spent a lifetime protecting. This time, she can make a different choice than before -- whatever the cost to herself....

From the New York Times bestselling author John Boyne, a devastating, beautiful story about a woman who must confront the sins of her own terrible past, and a present in which it is never too late for bravery. ]]> 400 John Boyne 0593653068 Brittanie 4 4.43 2022 All the Broken Places
author: John Boyne
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/12/10
date added: 2025/12/12
shelves:
review:
Even though this book is quite heavy, I thought it was well done. I unknowingly listened to it without listening to the 1st book, and it was easy to follow and didnt feel like I missed anything. Maybe my mind will change on that if I listen to the 1st one. There were some definite shocking parts in this book that I didnt see coming, and maybe that is because I didn't read the first one.
]]> The Keeper of Happy Endings 57429914 An enchanting novel about fate, second chances, and hope, lost and found, by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Last of the Moon Girls.

Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It’s said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline’s world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget.

Decades later, while coping with her own tragic loss, aspiring gallery owner Rory Grant leases Soline’s old property and discovers a box containing letters and a vintage wedding dress, never worn. When Rory returns the mementos, an unlikely friendship develops, and eerie parallels in Rory’s and Soline’s lives begin to surface. It’s clear that they were destined to meet—and that Rory may hold the key to righting a forty-year wrong and opening the door to shared healing and, perhaps, a little magic.]]> 415 Barbara Davis 1542021480 Brittanie 3 4.45 2021 The Keeper of Happy Endings
author: Barbara Davis
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/12/08
date added: 2025/12/08
shelves:
review:
Entertaining book with lots of dramatic twists that almost made it seem so far fetched. Liked the character connections. Pretty predictable. Didn't love the audiobook narrator. Soline's accent was hard to understand sometimes. Thought the magic part of it was a little unnecessary.
]]> <![CDATA[Doing Small Things with Great Love: How Everyday Humanitarians Are Changing the World]]> 227754647 You are most powerful where you live.

Drawing from decades of experience in humanitarian service, Sharon Eubank offers a wisdom-packed guide on how to enact impactful aid in the world and especially in your own backyard. Whether you’re inspired by compassion or looking to enrich your life through meaningful service, this book will change how you approach helping others.

Through powerful storytelling as well as twelve principles of action rooted in her own experiences, Sharon demonstrates how to provide sustainable support and avoid common pitfalls. Her principles cover everything from preserving dignity to asking the right questions to attacking root causes. You’ll learn the importance of finding local solutions, fostering trusted networks, and recognizing that real help is always an exchange of value.

This book isn't just a call to action—it’s a blueprint for effective, ethical, and lasting service. Whether you’re involved in large-scale relief or simply want to make a difference in your community, Doing Small Things with Great Love will equip you with the knowledge and a path to act that empowers you and others to say, “We did it ourselves.”

Start making an impact today in your own community through 12 service principles that can spark anyone into action.]]> 240 Sharon Eubank 1639934286 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.56 Doing Small Things with Great Love: How Everyday Humanitarians Are Changing the World
author: Sharon Eubank
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/12/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Four Winds 53138081 Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250178602]]> 464 Kristin Hannah 1250178606 Brittanie 4 4.27 2021 The Four Winds
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/11/17
date added: 2025/11/17
shelves:
review:
I read the physical book years ago and really liked it. Thought I would listen to the audiobook and see if it was just as good. I really liked the audiobook. Still made me cry a couple of times. Kristin Hannah is just so good at character development and sucking you into the storyline from chapter 1. Definitely another heavy topic, but was educational about that part of US history.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 8]]> 221735399
The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian's. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 339 Beth Brower 1957492031 Brittanie 5 Still so good! 4.70 2024 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 8
author: Beth Brower
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.70
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/11/13
date added: 2025/11/13
shelves:
review:
Still so good!
]]> Katherine 33609 ]]> 500 Anya Seton 155652532X Brittanie 0 to-read 4.19 1954 Katherine
author: Anya Seton
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1954
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Christmas with the Queen 199531640
December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue in the tradition of her late father and grandfather’s beloved Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must move with the times, and the Queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change. 

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, two old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—find themselves reunited for the festivities. A single mother, typist at the BBC, and aspiring reporter, Olive leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, despite self-doubts. When a chance encounter with the Queen presents an exciting opportunity, Olive begins to believe her luck might change. 

Jack, a grief-stricken widowed chef originally from New Orleans, accepts a last-minute chance to cook in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. When he bumps into a long-lost friend, an old spark is reignited.

Despite personal and professional heartache, Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmas seasons and they find themselves growing ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret. 

Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, Olive decides to reveal the shocking truth of her secret, which threatens to tear her and Jack apart forever. Unless Christmas has one last gift to deliver… ]]> 384 Hazel Gaynor 0063276216 Brittanie 0 to-read 3.92 2024 Christmas with the Queen
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/11/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be]]> 59627738 "This book is for any parent who has ever struggled under the substantial weight of caregiving--which is to say, all of us. Good Inside is not only a wise and practical guide to raising resilient, emotionally healthy kids, it's also a supportive resource for overwhelmed parents who need more compassion and less stress. Dr. Becky is the smart, thoughtful, in-the-trenches parenting expert we've been waiting for!"--Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space

Dr. Becky Kennedy, wildly popular parenting expert and creator of @drbeckyatgoodinside, shares her groundbreaking approach to raising kids and offers practical strategies for parenting in a way that feels good.

Over the past several years, Dr. Becky Kennedy--known to her followers as "Dr. Becky"--has been sparking a parenting revolution. Millions of parents, tired of following advice that either doesn't work or simply doesn't feel good, have embraced Dr. Becky's empowering and effective approach, a model that prioritizes connecting with our kids over correcting them.

Parents have long been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn't work. From reward charts to time outs, many popular parenting approaches are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans. These techniques don't build the skills kids need for life, or account for their complex emotional needs. Add to that parents' complicated relationships with their own upbringings, and it's easy to see why so many caretakers feel lost, burned out, and worried they're failing their kids. In Good Inside, Dr. Becky shares her parenting philosophy, complete with actionable strategies, that will help parents move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership.

Offering perspective-shifting parenting principles and troubleshooting for specific scenarios--including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, and more--Good Inside is a comprehensive resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of self-regulation, confidence, and resilience.]]> 336 Becky Kennedy 0063159481 Brittanie 4 4.49 2022 Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
author: Becky Kennedy
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/11/06
date added: 2025/11/06
shelves:
review:
I am not a huge self-help book person, but this one was actually really good. Wish I would have read it before I had kids! While there are a lot of things you can take from this book for parenting teens, its definitely geared more towards younger kids. Still very insightful.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7]]> 185965151
The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 313 Beth Brower 1957492015 Brittanie 5 4.68 2023 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 7
author: Beth Brower
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/10/30
date added: 2025/10/29
shelves:
review:
This volume is probably my favorite one yet! A lot happens and things really start to pick up. Still lots of questions that need to be answered though. I just cant get enough Beth Brower's writing as well as the narration in the audiobook. So well done!
]]> Hamnet 43890641 Hamnet is a luminous portrait of a marriage, at its heart the loss of a beloved child.

Warwickshire in the 1580s. Agnes is a woman as feared as she is sought after for her unusual gifts. She settles with her husband in Henley street, Stratford, and has three children: a daughter, Susanna, and then twins, Hamnet and Judith. The boy, Hamnet, dies in 1596, aged eleven. Four years or so later, the husband writes a play called Hamlet.

Award-winning author Maggie O'Farrell's new novel breathes full-blooded life into the story of a loss usually consigned to literary footnotes, and provides an unforgettable vindication of Agnes, a woman intriguingly absent from history.

A New York Times Notable Book (2020), Best Book of 2020: Guardian, Financial Times, Literary Hub, and NPR.]]> 372 Maggie O'Farrell 1472223799 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.18 2020 Hamnet
author: Maggie O'Farrell
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/10/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Maybe in Another Life 23492661
From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.]]> 342 Taylor Jenkins Reid Brittanie 4 3.76 2015 Maybe in Another Life
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/10/27
date added: 2025/10/27
shelves:
review:
Surprised I loved this book as much as I did. I was worried about keeping track of the 2 different storylines but it was actually easy to follow. Liked the ending. Would be a good book to discuss at book club. Makes you think about choices you make and the different outcomes. *Mild language
]]> Regretting You 44582454
Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.]]> 363 Colleen Hoover 154201641X Brittanie 5 4.10 2019 Regretting You
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/10/23
date added: 2025/10/24
shelves:
review:
This was actually a really good Colleen Hoover book that had some depth to the storyline. Liked how the struggles were overcome by all the characters. Not really any steamy scenes and had some language but wasnt too much.
]]> <![CDATA[Problematic Summer Romance (Not in Love, #2)]]> 228691356 What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.]]> 416 Ali Hazelwood Brittanie 1 started-but-didn-t-finish 3.76 2025 Problematic Summer Romance (Not in Love, #2)
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/10/23
shelves: started-but-didn-t-finish
review:
Had to stop reading a few chapters in. Way too many F words
]]> Tilt 214151301 Set over the course of a single day, an electrifying debut novel following one woman's journey across a transformed city, carrying the weight of her past and a fervent hope for the future.

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there's nothing to do but walk.

Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she's determined to change her life.]]> 229 Emma Pattee 1668055473 Brittanie 1 started-but-didn-t-finish 3.50 2025 Tilt
author: Emma Pattee
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/10/23
shelves: started-but-didn-t-finish
review:
Another book with way too many F words! I don't understand why they need to be used so much. It is so off putting and detracts from the actual story.
]]> The Q 32591947
A dying man with a scheme
A charming smuggler one step ahead of the law
A former foundling with a mangled hand
A family of kingmakers
A printing tycoon
A constable on the trail of justice
An idealistic solicitor with secrets of his own
&
The genius at the center of it all, Quincy St. Claire]]> 592 Beth Brower 0998063606 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.43 2016 The Q
author: Beth Brower
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/10/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6]]> 63027990 There is bedlam, and there is delightful bedlam.
This afternoon touched on the second, much to my pleasure.

The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 249 Beth Brower Brittanie 5 4.70 2022 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6
author: Beth Brower
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.70
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/10/17
date added: 2025/10/17
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this volume! I feel like things are starting to really pick up with the storyline. Witty as ever. Loved the interactions at her job. Can't wait to see what happens in the next volume!
]]> <![CDATA[We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls, #1)]]> 221544394 439 Karin Slaughter 0063336774 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.12 2025 We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls, #1)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/10/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sideways Life of Denny Voss]]> 216625366 A man who is defined by his limitations sets out to fight a murder charge—and discovers unexpected truths about himself, his family, and the world at large.

On the surface, Denny Voss’s life in rural Minnesota is a quiet one. At thirty years old, he lives at home with his elderly mother and his beloved blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. He cleans up roadkill to help pay the bills. Though his prospects are limited by a developmental delay—the result of an accident at birth—Denny has always felt that he has “a good life.”

So how did he wind up being charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate—after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree?

As Denny awaits trial, his court-appointed therapist walks him through the events of the past year. Denny’s had other scuffles with the law, the first for kidnapping a neighbor’s cantankerous goose. And then there was the time he accidentally assisted in a bank robbery. It seems like whenever Denny tries to do the right thing, chaos ensues.

Untangling the events around the murder reveals even more painful truths about his family’s past. He’s always been surrounded by people who love him, but now it’s up to Denny to set his life on a new course.]]> 330 Holly Kennedy 1662525915 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.56 2025 The Sideways Life of Denny Voss
author: Holly Kennedy
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/10/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The River Is Waiting 219319489
Sentenced to prison, Corby struggles to survive life on the inside, where he bears witness to frightful acts of brutality but also experiences small acts of kindness and elemental kinship with a prison librarian who sees his light and some of his fellow offenders, including a tender-hearted cellmate and a troubled teen desperate for a role model. Buoyed by them and by his mother's enduring faith in him, Corby begins to transcend the boundaries of his confinement, sustained by his hope that mercy and reconciliation might still be possible. Can his crimes ever be forgiven by those he loves?]]> 466 Wally Lamb 1668006391 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.24 2025 The River Is Waiting
author: Wally Lamb
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/10/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book Club for Troublesome Women]]> 216052751 Four dissatisfied sixties-era housewives form a book club turned sisterhood that will hold fast amid the turmoil of a rapidly changing world and alter the course of each of their lives.

By early 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb, suburban housewives in a brand-new "planned community" in Northern Virginia, appear to have it all. The fact that "all" doesn't feel like enough leaves them feeling confused and guilty, certain the fault must lie with them. Things begin to change when they form a book club with Charlotte Gustafson--the eccentric and artsy "new neighbor" from Manhattan--and read Betty Friedan's just-released book, The Feminine Mystique.

Controversial and groundbreaking, the book struck a chord with an entire generation of women, helping them realize that they weren't alone in their dissatisfactions, or their longings, lifting their eyes to new horizons of possibility and achievement. Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv are among them. But is it really the book that alters the lives of these four very different women? Or is it the bond of sisterhood that helps them find courage to confront the past, navigate turmoil in a rapidly changing world, and see themselves in a new and limitless light?]]> 384 Marie Bostwick 1400344743 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.01 2025 The Book Club for Troublesome Women
author: Marie Bostwick
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/10/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lakeshire Park (Proper Romance Regency)]]> 49733734 Brighton, England 1820

Amelia Moore wants only one thing—to secure the future happiness of her younger sister, Clara. With their stepfather’s looming death, the two sisters will soon be on their own—without family, a home, or a penny to their names. When an invitation arrives to join a house party at Lakeshire Park, Amelia grasps at the chance. If she can encourage a match between Clara and their host, Sir Ronald, then at least her sister will be taken care of.

Little does she know that another guest, the arrogant and overconfident Mr. Peter Wood, is after the same goal for his own sister. Amelia and Peter begin a rivalry that Amelia has no choice but to win. But competing against Peter—and eventually playing by his rules—makes Amelia vulnerable to losing the only thing she has left to claim: her heart.]]> 320 Megan Walker 1629727342 Brittanie 4 4.12 2020 Lakeshire Park (Proper Romance Regency)
author: Megan Walker
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/10/07
date added: 2025/10/07
shelves:
review:
Clean, entertaining book. Liked the characters. Definitely got cheesy in parts, but I really enjoyed it.
]]> It's a Love Story 218153839 USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV punchline who has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash-course with her past, spending a week in Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Rules for a love story: There are none. It’s all a lie.

Jane Jackson knows that true love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth—you can’t fake a belly laugh. Jane should know, she spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punchline on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studios and she’s living by a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.

Except, she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she opened her mouth and a big fat fib fell out. She claimed that Jack Quinlan, hottest popstar of the moment, has promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.

Now, Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown on Long Island, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan while facing down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but Dan just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?]]> 368 Annabel Monaghan 0593714105 Brittanie 4 3.78 2025 It's a Love Story
author: Annabel Monaghan
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/10/04
date added: 2025/10/04
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this cute love story. Liked their relationship ups and downs. *Had minimal language and spice
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5]]> 59041700 “What a lovely bible,” Mrs. Tribly said.
“Isn’t it just?” I replied, hoping she would not ask me to read a favorite verse aloud.
I do not believe the psalmist wrote,
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 247 Beth Brower 0998063657 Brittanie 4 4.64 2021 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5
author: Beth Brower
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/10/01
date added: 2025/10/02
shelves:
review:
Still don't know exactly where the book is headed, but still entertained.
]]> Theo of Golden 196693307 One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…

His name is Theo. And he asks a lot more questions than he answers.

Theo visits the local coffeehouse, where ninety-two pencil portraits hang on the walls, portraits of the people of Golden done by a local artist. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their “rightful owners.” With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered.]]> 399 Allen Levi Brittanie 0 to-read 4.52 2023 Theo of Golden
author: Allen Levi
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Sorceress Comes to Call 195790847 A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic

Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms, and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend—unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia’s mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away on Falada’s sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia’s mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.

Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.]]> 321 T. Kingfisher 1250244072 Brittanie 0 to-read 4.01 2024 A Sorceress Comes to Call
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Only One Left 62703226 At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.]]> 383 Riley Sager 0593183223 Brittanie 4 4.11 2023 The Only One Left
author: Riley Sager
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/09/23
date added: 2025/09/23
shelves:
review:
A great mystery book! Lots of twists and turns! Kept me guessing the whole time. The only downfall was that it was maybe too much and not realistic. But it was definitely entertaining. *Had some language
]]> <![CDATA[Grace (The Shackleford Sisters #1)]]> 59741656 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here

In this funny romantic series, the Shackleford sisters descend on a Regency society that don’t know what’s hit them…

....Reverend Augustus Shackleford’s mission in life (aside from ensuring the collection box was suitably full every Sunday) was to secure advantageous marriages for each of his eight daughters. A tall order, given the fact that in the Reverend’s opinion they didn’t possess a single ladylike bone in the eight bodies they had between them. Quite where he would find a wealthy titled gentleman bottle headed enough to take any of them on remained a mystery and indeed was likely to test even his legendary resourcefulness.

....Grievously wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nicholas Sinclair was only recently returned to Blackmore after receiving news of his estranged father’s unexpected death. After an absence of twenty years, the new Duke was well aware it was his duty to marry and produce an heir as quickly as possible. However, tormented by recurring nightmares after his horrific experiences during the battle, Nicholas had no taste to brave the ton’s marriage mart in search of a docile obedient wife.

…..Never in his wildest dreams did Reverend Shackleford envisage receiving an offer for his eldest daughter from the newly appointed Duke of Blackmore. Of course, the Reverend was well aware he was fudging it a bit in describing Grace as respectful, meek or dutiful, nevertheless, he could never have imagined that his eldest daughter’s unruliness might end up ruining them all….]]> 184 Beverley Watts 1918274002 Brittanie 0 to-read 3.74 2020 Grace (The Shackleford Sisters #1)
author: Beverley Watts
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/09/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Holiday Club (A Merry Novella)]]> 241146863 She’s lost the holidays she loved. He never wanted them in the first place. But this Christmas, everything could change.

Hollis Hartwell lives for parades on Main Street, matching pajamas, and small-town holiday magic—until a custody agreement hands every Christmas and town festival to her ex-husband. Now, with her magazine column on festive traditions looming and her heart anything but merry, Hollis is desperate for a new way to celebrate.

Enter Jay Randall. A rugged nonconformist who’d rather spend December riding a horse and buggy with his oddball best friend than decking any halls. When Hollis barges into their anti-Christmas plans hoping to prove that traditions matter, she gets more than she bargained for.

Sparks fly, beliefs are challenged, and amid beertending and unexpected pear trees, Hollis begins to wonder if the best traditions are the ones you create for yourself.

(please note, this title contains explicit language and romance)]]> 203 Ashley Manley Brittanie 0 to-read 4.28 2025 The Holiday Club (A Merry Novella)
author: Ashley Manley
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Notes on an Execution 57773248
Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. He knows what he’s done, and now awaits execution, the same chilling fate he forced on those girls, years ago. But Ansel doesn’t want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood. He hoped it wouldn’t end like this, not for him.

Through a kaleidoscope of women—a mother, a sister, a homicide detective—we learn the story of Ansel’s life. We meet his mother, Lavender, a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation; Hazel, twin sister to Ansel’s wife, inseparable since birth, forced to watch helplessly as her sister’s relationship threatens to devour them all; and finally, Saffy, the homicide detective hot on his trail, who has devoted herself to bringing bad men to justice but struggles to see her own life clearly. As the clock ticks down, these three women sift through the choices that culminate in tragedy, exploring the rippling fissures that such destruction inevitably leaves in its wake.

Blending breathtaking suspense with astonishing empathy, Notes on an Execution presents a chilling portrait of womanhood as it simultaneously unravels the familiar narrative of the American serial killer, interrogating our system of justice and our cultural obsession with crime stories, asking readers to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the psyches of violent men.]]> 306 Danya Kukafka 0063052733 Brittanie 2 4.01 2022 Notes on an Execution
author: Danya Kukafka
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2025/09/19
date added: 2025/09/19
shelves:
review:
Not my fav. Got a little too much for me when describing the time period as a kid. Lots of characters to keep track of. Liked the idea of it, just wasn't executed well. A little all over the place.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4 (The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, #4)]]> 56553921 "It all began very innocently. Truly."

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]> 209 Beth Brower Brittanie 4 Love it! 4.61 2021 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4 (The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, #4)
author: Beth Brower
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/09/18
date added: 2025/09/18
shelves:
review:
Love it!
]]> Delirium (Delirium, #1) 11614718 There is an alternate cover edition for this ISBN13 here.

In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the "Wilds" who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?]]> 441 Lauren Oliver 0061726834 Brittanie 0 to-read 3.94 2011 Delirium (Delirium, #1)
author: Lauren Oliver
name: Brittanie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/09/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[House of Ash and Shadow (Gilded City, #1)]]> 193374407 His face sobered. “Then I will jump into the shadows and pull you back to the Light.”

Seventeen-year-old Fallon Bane was born with a devastating curse: a single touch from another person will always cause her excruciating pain. Thus, she has accepted that she will die without ever being kissed, without even hugging her own father.

But when her beloved father falls ill, she breaks into the magical Gilded City to find a healer fae that can save him. When handsome healer Ariyon Madden agrees to help, everything she knows about herself and her curse changes. Because during her father’s healing, Ariyon reaches out and touches her bare skin. She waits for the agony… but it never comes.

For the first time in her life, she imagines a new future for herself. However, that fantasy is short-lived, because not only does Ariyon flee from her in disgust when he learns of her curse; he also reveals her existence to powerful fae who want to hurt her.

Fallon is then swept away to a magical academy, there she learns the terrifying truth about her family history and her dark magic. Her life and the future of fae everywhere hang in the balance, and all the while Fallon is dreaming of being touched by Ariyon Madden one more time before she dies…]]> 306 Leia Stone Brittanie 0 to-read 4.08 2023 House of Ash and Shadow (Gilded City, #1)
author: Leia Stone
name: Brittanie
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/09/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>