This book was recommended by a coworker and I listened to the audio via Libby. Overall, this book gave me a lot to think about regarding current comforts, personal physical challenges, and mental fortitude. While I may not follow through with all of the book’s calls to action, I do think I’ll try to embrace some of its spirit.

(4 year old’s review) I like everything in this book. It’s about Little Blue Truck and I love him. And it’s about spring. Toad gets to drive Little Blue Truck and I don’t. They get to meet a lot of friends.

Another visit to Olive Kitteridge’s corner of Maine, but this time she is not the total focus of the story. Instead the reader is introduced to a number of previously untold stories from the town’s past, a murder is exposed, and various characters explore love and the meaning of life.

It is a really cool and funny book.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in politics, economics, sociology, religious studies, etc. WWZ is a masterful look into a post-Collapse society following a zombie outbreak. I've recommended this book to people from all sorts of backgrounds and fields of study/work. Each one finds something in the book which pulls them in. However, some people don't like zombies or anything which could be considered scary so that's okay too.

A stand-alone title from Strout’s that takes readers into the past when a newly qualified minister and his young wife move to a small village in Maine. Disaster strikes the minister’s young family, leaving them in turmoil. Rumors spread through the village and the minister’s future seems uncertain. This is an engaging story about community, faith, friendship, love, families, and life.

3.75 stars rounded up. I find this book very hard to rate as much of the merit comes from its status as a classic. Mark Twain’s novel is full of adventure, boyhood mischief and depictions of the racist antebellum Southern US. I’m very familiar with the story and probably have the strongest memory of the Elijah Wood portrayal on film. There’s nostalgia that comes with taking that trip down the river with Huck and Jim and revisiting their stops along the way. Yet, during this reading, I was shocked at the preponderance of vernacular and ear-piercing slurs (specifically the n-word) that made it rather hard to listen to on audio. If this book were written today as historical fiction, I’d probably be rounding down the rating, but I can’t ignore where this text stands in history. Tom Parker’s narration felt rather fast-paced, but his voice felt authentic though his occasional vocal clicks stuck out a bit.

The Deadlands: Survival is a book about adventure, heroism, and finding a place to belong. I enjoyed reading this book because I like dinosaurs and it had an interesting concept. The author knows a lot about dinosaurs, a little bit more than I know about dinosaurs. Just the tiniest bit more. The start of the book was so good that I really wanted to keep reading and barely put it down. I would recommend The Deadlands series to people who like dinosaurs and adventure.

This Magic Treehouse book was very informative- covering the harsh conditions and cruelty of the Civil War. Jack and Annie meet Clara Barton and (mild spoiler) a distant ancestor. My 4.5yo thought this book was tragic but interesting.

This has been a great book for taking the moral judgements out of not having a clean house. It also contains some great cleaning hacks and makes you realize that clean enough is truly enough.