Category: Book Review

My March Reads & Listens

We welcomed spring to the mountain in true New England style this month – four seasons in one day. March was filled with a mix of snow – lots of snow, wind – 58 mph wind at one point, and sunshine. There were days where it was 10ºF and other days it was 48ºF. I was reading when I wasn’t outside snowshoeing with Mark and the dogs or bringing in firewood. I still haven’t been able to bring myself to draw – a creative dry spell that started months ago now. Reading and writing have been a saving grace for me as I am still just a few months out from my dad’s death, and the grieving process takes time.

Gunner takes a break in the snow

I finished five books in March: two hardcover – The Plot and The Hidden Life of Trees – Illustrated Edition. I listened to two audiobooks – A Grief Observed and The City We Became and finished Alice Walker’s collection of short stories in her book In Love & Trouble on my kindle. I am really enjoying reading short stories; I think great writers say as much in a short story as mediocre authors can in an entire book.

In Love & Trouble: Stories by Alice Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Alice Walker’s Love & Trouble: Stories is a powerful and moving collection of thirteen of her short stories, which I highly recommend. Published in 1984, each story is rich in imagery, symbolism, and themes. “Everyday Issue,” “The Revenge of Hannah Kemhuff,” “Strong Horse Tea,” “Roselily,” and “To Hell with Dying” were just some of the other stories demonstrating the talents of Walker’s ability to say so much in short story form. Each story is filled with emotion and insightful narratives revealing how racism, sexism, and classism have affected black women.

Mysteries are some of my favorite books, and The Plot was a highly praised book when it first came out, which enticed me to put it on my TBR list initially. A few friends read and liked it, so I was excited to finally turn my attention to what I hoped would be a juicy mystery.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a story about a book and writers and a mysterious story. I loved the story within a story and applaud the structure, including chapters of the main character’s best-selling novel, Crib. However, I was not a fan of the main character. The start of the book was slow for me, like how a roller coaster slowly makes its way up the first ramp. But once it reached the top, the ride has one twist I didn’t see, but I saw the final one too soon.

Sometimes I think some books get so over-hyped that they let some readers down because they fall short of what they sell. I struggled a bit during the month with grief and wanted to read something I could relate to. Many years ago, I read the entire Narnia series and was a fan of Lewi’s writing, so I was intrigued when I tripped over A Grief Observed.

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Recently I have been very acquainted with death and thought I would find something – I am not sure what – in CS Lewis’s A Grief Observed. Lewis has many of the same questions we all have when faced with death and listening to someone else work out these thoughts about love and death; compiled in his notebooks – the title A Grief Observed – not Grief Observed indicates that Lewis recognized that grief is a very individual and personal experience. No two people experience grief in the same way.

I listened to A Grief Observed, narrated by Ralph Cosham, whose monotone and subdued voice seemed fitting given the topic. Good thing the book is only 1 hour and 50 minutes, however. There is only so much that one can listen to. If you are a fan of CS Lewis and interested in reading his entire catalog, perhaps this book is for you if you are grieving and hoping to find answers or some insight to help you get through your grief – maybe. Not that Lewis has the answers, but for some, it helps to know that we all struggle when we lose a loved one; even a famous author doesn’t hold the answers.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for Goodreads

Most mornings, I sit at the kitchen table sipping my second cup of coffee while figuring out Wordle, Quordle and Octordle, to which I share my results on my family’s Wordle text thread. Afterward, before sitting down on the mat to meditate – I usually crack open the book I have strategically left there for me to read. I love learning about nature and walking in the woods throughout the year. So I was really excited when at Christmas, I received The Hidden Life of Trees – The Illustrated Edition.

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a beautiful book! The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben is an illustrated companion to his non-illustrated book of the same name. Wohlleben beautifully and simplistically presents his case for the unseen ways trees work within our environment in this abridged version. This book is for anyone interested in our environment, forests, and trees to enjoy. The photos are transcendingly magical, immediately transporting you to the woods no matter where you are sitting. You will want to go outside and be with the trees after reading.

When the month started I had already started listening to my next selection which I chose since it had been on my TBR list for over a year and was a Goodreads Choice Award and Nominee for Best Fantasy (2020).

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin is an urban fantasy about major cities becoming sentient through human avatars. It’s a wild leap into a confusing, chaotic, multidimensional, supernatural world focused on New York City. A lot is going on in this book – just like the city – there are multiple characters with the narrative jumping around numerous POVs. There are various themes – too many to list.
I wanted to like this book more since I was born and raised in Manhattan and love books about or that take place in the city, but I had a tough time getting into this story. I liked the idea that a human avatar would embody the borough it’s from. I chuckled at how Jemisin includes how each borough feels about the other boroughs – particularly how they all felt about Staten Island. But the setup was slow and many times, I wasn’t sure what was happening; plus, I didn’t find any of the characters likable, which always makes loving the story more difficult. I like the premise, but it fell short for me.
I listened to the audiobook, which lasted 16 hours and 12 minutes. The narrator, Robin Miles, does an excellent job with the many voices. 3 Stars.

So far, at the end of March, I have finished reading 20 books and completed 34% of my goal of 59 books. Currently, I have six books that I am reading in rotation. One is the Bible which I have been trying to read and finish for about two years. I am reading along with “The Bible in a Year” podcast with Father Mike Schmitz on Audible. I’m only on day 90, but we have just started reading Judges and the Book of Ruth, so it’s exciting for me to be this far in. 

I am also chipping away at The Art of The Short Story and The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I have so many reading goals that I have set for myself. The little challenges get me excited about reading. I hope these reviews help anyone in selecting their next book to read and perhaps get them psyched for their next read or listen.

“Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.”

George Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist)


View all my reviews on Goodreads

February Reads & Listens

It’s been a rough month – it only being the second month since my father’s death; he was our sole surviving parent. My mother passed away less than two years ago. Everything is still hard to give my complete focus and attention. Grief smacked me upside the head as I stared down at a knife the other day while unloading the dishwasher. Tears sprung from my eyes as my mind taking me to my parent’s kitchen and their utensils and knives. My parents have had the same knife that caused this floodgate to open –if no one in the family takes it, the knife will be donated along with the rest of the cutlery and everyday plates. No wait, I grabbed the dishes. My feet sink into what feels like sand, hoping to find firm ground.

One of the rocks I’ve been able to cling to during these stormy times has been my books. My pace has slowed, along with everything else. I surprised myself as I completed reading six books, also reading a few short stories as I continue working through The Art of the Short Story. I am reviewing the individual stories but will do so in a separate post. Writing is more difficult these days.

I followed many different themes this month, helping to guide me in making my literary selections. Sometimes I find that to be one of the greatest challenges – what do read next. February celebrated Black History, and I looked to my TBR List to see what fit the bill. Octavia Butler’s Kindred had been sitting on the list for too long, and I was excited by the time-traveling aspect of the story. I love a good time-traveling tale.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction, and I love time travel stories. So, I was excited to read Octavia Butler’s Kindred finally. The story focuses on two interracial relationships, with the protagonist, Dana, at the center of both. When the story begins its 1976, Dana, a 26-year-old African American writer, is living in Los Angeles with her white male husband, Kevin, who is 12 years her senior. Although Dana is thrust back to antebellum Maryland in 1815, quite a shock for a 20th-century woman. The story follows the developing relationship of Dana with her ancestor, Rufus, the son of a plantation and slave owner, Tom Waylan. Kindred explores ancestry, slavery, and interracial relationships and is a riveting story about family, gender, and power. Butler is a fantastic storyteller who creates interesting characters and relationships. Initially published in 1979, it has withstood the test of time to have been made into a TV mini-series in 2022. I haven’t seen the mini-series, but hopefully, it will prompt others to read the original book themselves. My criticism about the book is that the time travel aspect wasn’t consistent, and the mechanism/portal was unclear to me; other than that, I highly recommend it. I listened to the Audiobook narrated by Kim Staunton, who successfully brings the various characters to life. 10 hours 55 minutes.

Recently I have been intrigued by reading graphic novels. There was something appealing to me about looking at pictures that told a story. Perhaps it was the inner child in me trying to reach back for the comfort of my picture books. It’s a genre I have only just begun to dip my toes into its deep waters. Robin Ho’s Almost American Girl and Isabel Greenberg’s The Encyclopedia Of Early Earth were a promising way to wade in.

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Moving is one of the most stressful things people do in life. We’ve all experienced it at one point or another, and if you haven’t – at some point, you will. But most people don’t move to a new country, and for those who do, the experience is even more scary and filled with barriers such as the language. Almost American Girl is a touching YA graphic novel about a middle-school-aged girl being uprooted by her mother from her home in Korea to live in America. Robin Ha’s honest and poignant portrait of her relationship with her mother is powerful and relatable on many levels. I loved Ha’s illustrative style, and the format was an inviting framework for her memoir. This story is pertinent in many ways to more than just the young adult reader. 4.5 Stars rounded to 5 for the Goodreads star system.


The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Encyclopedia of Early Earth is a graphic novel with interesting and imaginative woodcut-style illustrations by Isabell Greenberg. The nested story style is one that Greenberg is comfortable with, and I have seen her use it in other graphic novels. The story follows the journey of a boy from his home at the North Pole to the South Pole, where he finds true love. The stories are all retellings of well-known biblical and mythological tales, and after a while, I started to get a bit bored. The last two stories seemed out of sequence with the rest of the book, although it is an “encyclopedia,” which isn’t necessarily sequential. This was the second book I have read of Isabelle Greenberg’s, although this was her debut novel. There were many similarities between the two books, and what I found unique and exciting the first time wasn’t as much so the second time around.

One of my reading goals is to read my way through the collection of various favorite authors I have. My parents were both huge fans of Agatha Christie and they were the ones who introduced me to her murder mysteries when I was a teenager. This month I chose to focus on Christie; I was excited to return to the beginning with her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sisters can challenge us like no other, and we tend to rise to the occasion when they do. Madge Christie dared her sister, Agatha, to write a mystery that the reader couldn’t figure out the murderer – thankfully, Agatha was up for the challenge. As a result, she wrote what would be her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which also featured the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Poison was her first weapon of choice; Christie had an extensive understanding of medicines and poisons from her volunteer work in the dispensary in the Torquay hospital during World War I.

I enjoyed reading this mystery – silly me thought I was clever enough to figure out the murderer since I have read several of her books. That is the beauty and the genius of her mysteries that make them so enjoyable. The Mysterious Affair at Styles proved to be an excellent stepping stone.


Finally, I read two more books – one on my Kindle – The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential. I have followed Wim Hof on Instagram for several years and wanted to start incorporating cold therapy into my life more than I have with deep breathing and meditation. The Life Fantastic: Myth, History, Pop and Folklore in the Making of Western Culture was a book selected by the Literati Joseph Campbell Myth & Meaning Book Club, and I was excited to sit down with this finally.

The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential by Wim Hof

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Must Read-

I have followed Wim Hof for many years now on social media, so it was a real treat to read the Wim Hof Method. It’s filled with valuable information to help teach the many techniques which Wim Hof uses. Backed by science,Wim includes the results of many of the experiments done on him – strengthening his case for why his method works. Highly recommend to all.


The Life Fantastic: Myth, History, Pop and Folklore in the Making of Western Culture by Noa Menhaim

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My To Be Read List grew exponentially while reading The Life Fantastic: Myth, History, Pop, and Folklore in the Making of Western Culture by Noa Menhaim. I love reading books like this, and although the format at first took me some time to get used to, in the end, I found the pop-up bubbles to be valuable prompts. I needed a magnifying glass near me since my eyes aren’t great. This book is all about connecting the dots in understanding where modern culture was influenced.

At the close of the month, I have completed 22% of my Goodreads Challenge with thirteen books finished. I’m currently working on a few more including Alice Walker’s collection of short stories and an interesting mystery called The Plot to name a few. Until next month, enjoy reading.

January 2023 Reads & Listens

January started out rough for me with my father’s death on January 2nd. I had to drive down to Connecticut to join my siblings for the service so I knew I would be in the car for at about 8 to 9 hours, so I decided to pick a long one a story that could take my mind off of my long drive and all that awaited me. Kaikeyi is a saga that over 17 hours, I started to listen to a few days before driving down, on the drive there and back and finished a few days after my return home. Zen in the Archery I found on a recommendation which now escapes me. Which makes me want to keep better track of where the recommendations I follow come from in the first place. I have always been interested in is nature and nothing makes me feel better than walking in the woods. I had seen a lot of buzz about Finding The Mother Tree which I read on my Kindle, so highlighting and keeping notes is easy. Finally, Bomb Shelter was a Literati recommendation I started at the end of December but wasn’t able to focus on reading a lot with my father’s failing health.

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once again, I seem to be on the other side of the fence regarding popular opinion about a book. December was rough for me, but I don’t think that had anything to do with why I struggled to finish Bomb Shelter: Love, Time and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott. It’s a collection of essays about life’s milestones that Philpott experiences broken up into six parts: the Prelude, Parts 1-5, and One Last Part. The book didn’t flow for me, and I could only read 5% at a time. Thin threads are weaving these essays together; some pieces are humorous and relatable, yet the story overall was disjointed. I expected more of a cohesive memoir from the reviews that would touch me to my core, but that didn’t happen.


Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not for everyone

My interest in nature and forests led me to read Finding The Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard. Luckily, I have a strong interest, as I needed it to be able to finish the book. Explaining ecological experiments and discussions of observations and findings is challenging to make enjoyable for a broad audience. Simard’s personal story is intertwined with her journey to finding the mother tree and the forest’s interconnectivity. I think the book is worth reading, albeit a struggle—it took me two months to read because I could only read about 20 pages at a time. I enjoyed the book, but it’s not for everyone. 3 stars.

Zen in the Art of Archery: Training the Mind and Body to Become One by Eugen Herrigel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel is a short book I plan to read over and over. Even though it’s a short book that could be read in a day, I took my time reading a little bit at a time. Anyone working on trying to master a skill, from physical skills like archery, martial arts, and yoga to non-physical crafts such as flower arranging, painting, and photography – it doesn’t matter – would benefit from reading it.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Kaikeyi retells one of the ancient epics in world literature – The Ramayana – although with a feminist twist and dash of mysticism and magic. Vaishnavi Patel’s novel focuses on Kaikeyi, the stepmother of Rama, who, in The Ramayana, is forced into a 14 yr exile. However, Patel’s Kaikeyi narrates her story, so it’s not necessary to know the original fable — which is something I looked up only after enjoying this imaginative tale. Narrated by Soneela Nankani at a length of 17 hrs and 22 mins.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The 100 Nights of Hero is a beautifully illustrated, delightful retelling of literature’s ancient tale, One Thousand and One Nights but with a feminist twist. In the same way, Scheherazade cleverly tells her stories to save her life, Isabel Greenberg’s Hero tells her nested tales to protect the virtue of her lover, Cherry. Each story is more riveting than the last; they weave a visual tapestry of the misogynistic world of Midgal Bavel. I enjoyed this book and was enchanted by Greenberg’s unique, whimsical style and gift for captivating her readers. 4 Stars

Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature by Nathan W. Pyle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Review of only the Audiobook Version

There are some books that don’t transfer to audiobook format as well as others and for me, Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature is one of them. The story is fun and humorous but when viewing the sample version of the hardcover and Kindle versions of this story – I would recommend the focus stay on the visual graphics which add so much to thie children’s story.

The Lion’s Den by Anthony Marra

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by the title The Lion’s Den, the third installment of Inheritance, “a multi-author collection of 5 stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations” by Amazon. It sounded interesting, and I loved the first story in the series, Everything My Mother Ever Taught Me, by Alice Hoffman. But what I found in Anthony Marra’s father-son drama was dull and cliché, barely holding my attention. The story was short at 40 minutes – thankfully, but it was also short on style and substance. If it had been any longer, I would have shelved it.


Despite a rough start to the month, I have managed to stay on track for this year’s Good reads Reading Challenge. Fifty-nine books is this year’s goal and now I am 7 books in at around 11% of my goal. I’ve have enjoyed escaping into the world of the graphic novel with Isabel Greenberg’s 100 Nights of Hero, so plan to continue to explore this genre this year. I will add that to my ever growing list of ways to tackle my TBR list. I will expand on that thought in another post in the future. Until then, enjoy your reading.

“The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.”

Mark Twain 

2022 Best Books Read in Review

Despite 2022 being a bit of a tough year for me, it had its highlights too. The high for me was publishing my memoir – Xine’s Pack of Strays & Others, and having my father read the book. The lows – there were a few, including two deaths. My ex-husband and father of my two children died suddenly of a massive heart attack in June. And for a good part of the year, my father was battling congestive heart disease and was in and out of the hospital, having stent procedures and mitral valve clips inserted…He spent most of December in the hospital and was released into home hospice six days before passing away peacefully on Jan. 2, 2023. It was not a great way to end or start a year.

I put many of my books in the Marleywood little library for which I am the steward.

Throughout last year, I was able to rely on books to help take my mind off my troubles and escape into some other world and someone else’s life. A few years ago, I decided to turn off the TV and read and listen to books more. Since then, I have increased my reading goals, expanded my interests in topics and genres, and achieved my reading goals. I read an increasing number of physical books, eighteen books last year which made up 24% of the total number of books I read. Have really enjoyed my physical book selections which many were suggested by my Literati Book Club which sadly is no longer operating and my Book of the Month Club membership. Both clubs have introduced me to wonderful author and stories. Many of the books I read were based off recommendations from friends and family, including my Dad. I read The Rose Code because I saw that he was reading it. I’ll miss being able to talk about books with Dad.

I also read faster than I used to, proving that my English teachers were correct and that my reading would improve with practice. Too bad it took me so long to listen to them. Better late than never; you are never too old to start something new. I love curling up on the couch with the dogs, bookending me as I lose myself in a book. I’ve also started to read more on my Kindle again this year.

I love statistics – I think it may be a family thing. This is one of the reasons I love using the Goodreads website and joining their annual Reading Challenge since they tell you how many pages you read and all sorts of stats about the books you read during the year. For instance, I surpassed my goal of 57 books by reading 75 books – 129% of my goal! The shortest book was Lying at 47 pages, and the longest was The Rose Code at 624 pages. You can visit my author profile by following this link.

When I started on the Goodreads website a few years ago, I would rate a book simply by assigning a star rating. But I realized as I aged and read more and more that I would sometimes forget why I liked or disliked a particular book. So, I decided to start writing book reviews as a writing exercise and a memory one.

My average rating for 2022 was 3.5 
13 books rated 5 stars   (17%)
33 books rated 4 stars   (33%)
12 books rated 3 stars   (16%)
15 books rated 2 stars   (20%)
  3 books rated 1 star      (4%)

My 2022 Five Star list (in the order read during the year)

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is a moving story about family and the power of the names we give our children.

Unleashed: Poems by Writers’ Dogs by Amy Hempel and Jim Shepard – a humorous and heartwarming poetry collection dedicated to our dogs.

A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas – A powerful memoir that blew me away

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe – Classic collection of stories

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut – Another classic that still holds the test of time.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert – fascinating historical fiction rich with character

The Power of Neuroplasticity by Shad Helmstetter – Scientific stuff broken down to easily understand

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite– powerful novella packs a punch!

Verity by Colleen Hoover – Late to the game in getting to know Colleen Hoover – I became an instant fan after this book!

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams – I loved this so much about this book.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn – Awesome historical fiction about Bletchley Park masterfully told.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams  – An unforgettable story about family, community, and grief

Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Ogunyemi Omolola Ijeoma

I realized that I have never explained my criteria for rating books, so I have separated my Rating Criteria into a post describing how I arrive at my star rating, which I include in my Goodreads and Amazon reviews of books and audiobooks.

Overall, I read a bunch of books which I really enjoyed. Learned about some authors that I was unfamiliar with, became a big fan and look forward to read more from them. Our lives are inundated with reading this, that and the other thing in quick snippets everyday thanks to the internet and social media. attention spans are shortening. Which is why disconnecting from all that noise and diving into a book feels so good.

Enjoy your reading!

My Star Ratings Explained

Over the course of the past two years, I have dedicated a significant amount of time to the exploration of literature, both in terms of consuming various written works and articulating my reflections through the craft of writing book reviews. In the midst of this journey, I have come to a pivotal realization – that I have not yet taken the opportunity to expound upon the specific criteria and considerations that underpin the rating process employed in these literary evaluations. Therefore, in an effort to rectify this omission and offer transparency to my audience, I am compelled to embark upon a detailed exposition of the principles that inform my book ratings.

Books that receive a 1 Star rating are books that I thought have several issues:

  • They are predictably dull and full of cliches
  • The writing style is challenging to get through- no flow
  • The characters have no depth
  • The overall unenjoyable reading experience
  • Poor narration – making it difficult to listen
  • I would NOT recommend

Books that receive a 2 Star rating are books that I thought were just okay.

  • I won’t reread 
  • It wasn’t good, wasn’t bad 
  • The writing style is hard to get through
  • The characters weren’t anything special – they lacked depth
  • It has an interesting premise but disappointing execution
  • I probably wouldn’t recommend

Books that receive a 3 Star rating are books I thought were good.

  • They have an exciting premise, but the execution could have been better
  • The characters lack depth and complexity
  • The plot is superficial
  • The themes could have been handled better
  • There is some momentum – slow in parts but overall good
  • It is not a particularly memorable story
  • I would probably recommend it with caveats

Books that receive a 4 Star rating are books that I like, and thought were very good.

  • I enjoyed the book from start to finish
  • The writing style flowed well – great momentum
  • The characters were solid and had depth
  • There are deeper themes -thought-provoking
  • But it is missing the cherry on top – it didn’t blow my socks off entirely.

Books that receive a 5 Star rating are books that I absolutely LOVED and thought they were great.

  • I can’t stop thinking about the book and the characters. I thought about them when I wasn’t reading them and continued to think about them afterward.
  • The story filled me with emotion, making me think about things, laugh, cry, or both.
  • There are memorable, multifaceted characters with distinct voices – I would be sad my time ended with them when the story was over.
  • A great writing style that brings everything to life in multisensorial ways.
  • It is a unique or exciting plot or story that’s well executed
  • The ending is satisfying, yet it makes me want more time with the characters.
  • The story transcends its genre.

May Reads & Listens

This month I listened to six books and continued to make snail-like progress in the physical books I chose to read. Thirty-three books at the half-year mark isn’t a bad situation, considering I am 57% towards finishing my yearly goal of 58 books. I find that I continue to either choose home runs only to follow it up with a strike or a foul ball. Ok, maybe they are base hits and just feel like strikes after hitting homers.

I began the month coming off of a strike last month with My Year of Rest and Relaxation and choose Brood to begin the month with. I figured I could relate to another chicken tender.

Brood by Jackie Polzin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed listening to Brood by Jackie Polzin and narrated by Rebecca Lowman. Brood is more than a story about a woman’s experience with her four chickens. At the core, this is a book about loss and grief. So from that perspective, the book has a depth that some may not be able to fully relate to.

Despite the sadness that the reader can hear in the author’s voice, there is humor in the story. Where there are chickens, there is usually something to laugh and smile about. I have four chickens of my own just like the author, so I can relate to her experiences with them. I learned a few new things too which as a chicken owner is always helpful. Much like parenthood, I had no idea what to expect from raising chickens, so also like parenthood, it’s helpful to see how others do things.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has chickens, loves animals, or is interested in a quick good read.


I decided that I would like to read/listen my way through the entire Agatha Christie collection. As a young girl who struggled reading, I found I was always interested in reading an Agatha Christie mystery. I have read And Then There Were None many times. So to begin my journey through the Christie Collection I thought I would start at the beginning.

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I aim to read/listen to all of Agatha Christie’s books, starting with this early work (1925), The Secret of Chimneys. This story is filled with a large cast of characters, some of who pop up in later works of Christie’s. Superintendent Battle is introduced, although he plays a more supporting role.

A lot is going on in this book, so I found myself confused for a good portion of the story and not in the good murder-mystery way. Upon doing some reading afterward, I discovered Agatha Christie admitted that when it came to ‘Chimneys,’ she made the mistake that many young authors do by trying to put “far too much plot into one book.” This explains my confusion. Overall, this wasn’t a favorite of mine and it was just okay.


I was disappointed that one of my favorite go-to authors let me down. But to keep it in perspective, it was her first novel and there was plenty of room for improvement which we know she achieves throughout her career. We can’t always hit home runs, particularly early in our career.

I choose The Henna Artist next, as it had been on my TBR list for some time and in following along with exploring authors from other countries and cultures, I picked this novel next.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Henna Artist submerses the reader/listener into a colorful world of saffrons and cinnamons, her words making you smell the curry and cumin wafting in the air as you learn about Lakshmi and her world. Alka Joshi’s debut novel paints a vivid picture of 1950s India and the challenge for women, particularly in a world controlled by men.

The story focuses on the life of Lakshmi, a woman who has fled an abusive husband and reinvents herself to gain her independence. Life becomes more challenging for Lakshmi as her past catches up to her and threatens to unravel all she has worked so hard for.

Trigger warning: two themes that may disturb readers/listeners are abortion and infidelity

I like this book and highly recommend it to readers and listeners. Sneha Mathan does a magnificent job narrating the book and giving life to various characters.


I felt it was time to switch things up and I discovered that Audible has a fantastic series out called Words + Music. I actually listened to one of the first in the series with the James Taylor: Break Shot two years ago. Each one is about 90 minutes long and narrated by the musician. The Who is touring this summer and I have never seen them. I don’t plan to, my concert days are behind me. But I do enjoying sitting down and listening to the artist tell their stories about the music and their lives.

Somebody Saved Me by Pete Townshend

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed listening to Pete Townshend’s Somebody Saved Me; it felt like you were sitting in a room with Pete as some instruments surrounded him while he talked about his career. I have always liked The Who’s music so learning a bit about the man behind the music and some of the songs that I grew up with is always a treat. Fans of The Who will appreciate spending a couple of hours with Pete. Well done, Audible Originals – I hope there will be more memoirs like this produced where the musician can play their music as they are talking about it. I realize ASCAP/BMI prohibits that a lot, but it adds to the overall experience of listening to the tunes, like in this wonderful Audible Original with Pete Townshend.



I decided from there to revisit a genre that I hadn’t in a while – the world of fantasy. I am a fan of fantasy books and so going back to my trusty TBR list, I checked out the Fantasy collection and selected Piranesi which had been on my list since 2020.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Suzanna Clarke’s Piranesi is a story centered around the title character, a likable man in harmony with nature and his surroundings. I was struck by the feeling of having gone through the wardrobe ala C.S. Lewis and ending up in a world like the Eagle’s Hotel California. “Such a lovely place…There’s plenty of room at the Hotel California…You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!”
In the fantastical world in which Piranesi inhabits, the House is an ever-expanding one, filled with endless halls and marble statues, the ocean floods its basement, and the clouds engulf its top floors. The narration is mainly through Piranesi’s journals which he meticulously keeps, so we discover and untangle the mystery along with him. He is an engaging character whom I came to care about as I saw his patience and fortitude. I also keep journals, so I was amused at his indexing system and thought it somewhat clever. The few characters in the book add to the isolation of Piranesi’s world. The story is not just one of fantasy though but also one of dark mystery challenging the reader/listener.
Clarke borrows the name from the 18th-century artist, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, known for his etchings Carceri d’Invenzione, (Imaginary Prisons). It’s not essential to know this upon reading the story; however, it helps in being able to interpret the larger picture. There are multiple layers to this book, rich in imagery and symbolism; you’d probably see something you missed the first time in each reading.
I listened to the unabridged version from Bloomsbury Publishing on Audible which was wonderfully narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor. It’s a quick listen at 6 hours and 58 minutes. 4.5 stars

So far it had been a good month of listening. My dog needed surgery so I was stuck at the house for a couple of weeks since we were literally tethered to one another via a 6-foot leash the entire time. I made some headway reading Smile by Sarah Ruhl. I haven’t even touched There, There by Tommy Orange all month, as I was trying to finish Smile before moving on to another physical book. This month for my Literati club, I switched to the Atlas Obscura club and have added to the TBR List The Puzzler by A.J. Jacobs. I love puzzles and games, so I could not miss the opportunity to read this book. Which I will – hopefully soon.

To close the month I went to another book which had been on my TBR list for about a year – Hamnet.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Hamnet is a story of a multigenerational family and their domestic life in late 16th century England, around the time of the Plague. Grief is a central theme explored. The story revolves around how the individual family members deal with their grief and how that grief affects their relationships within the family.

The narrator, Ell Potter, does a beautiful job with the lyrical prose of Maggie O’Farrell. I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I was expecting more after reading some of the initial reviews, which caused me to put it on my TBR list. I found myself initially very confused; knowing I was reading a fictional account of the marriage of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway; it was hard to recognize them. Anne is only referred to as Agnes, and William is barely mentioned by name. The title character, Hamnet and Hamlet, were interchangeable at that time. This, coupled with the multiple viewpoints which make up the narration, made things even more unclear.

However, somewhere three-quarters of the way in, maybe sooner, I became more invested in the characters and what they were experiencing. Hamnet is a story of a marriage and a family who endure life in a time when survival was at its most challenging; sacrificing themselves for others, surviving separation when it is necessary, and finding love can bring about the greatest heartbreak of all. This isn’t my favorite piece of historical fiction, but it was a good story in the end. 2.5 Stars

Oh, well – we can’t always pick winners. So where now will I turn my attention? I have a lot of things going on here. I am working on having my book published which is very exciting and a huge undertaking. I have my garden to finish planting and seeding for this season. There will also be plenty of weeding to do since it’s been raining here for the last few days and things are getting lush. I’ll need a good book to listen to as I weed, it makes that chore so much more enjoyable! I wish I had a wheel I could spin that contained all the names of the books on my TBR list that at a push of a button would spin and reveal the title of my next book to read or listen to. Sometimes I find selecting a book to be the biggest challenge of all.

Let me know what you are reading or listening to this summer. I am always looking for new titles to add to my ever-growing TBR list. Until next month, happy reading and listening, everyone!