I love this series- I started with the Wandering Inn Series by the same Author and now listen to this one as well, which diverges to a different continent and plot line in the same magical world. I am hundreds of hours in and still look forward to each new release!

A fiery flight attendant clashes with the NHL’s resident “bad boy” hockey player on their team’s private plane, sparking an undeniable attraction despite their professional boundaries and personal baggage. As a Chicago native, born and raised in the suburbs and having spent a decade living in the city post-college, it will always be my home and one of my favorite places. Chicago is synonymous with sports. So many of my cherished memories are tied to its teams: celebrating three Blackhawks Stanley Cup wins, witnessing Michael Jordan and the Bulls dominate with six championships, and both the White Sox and Cubs clinching World Series titles. I’ve also lost count of the games I’ve attended with friends and family over the years. Given this deep connection, I was so excited to dive into this Chicago sports romance book series. I went into Mile High with high hopes, especially since I’m heading back to Chicago next week (wrote this before) and was eager for some nostalgic vibes. Unfortunately, it simply fell flat. The characters felt largely one-dimensional. Stevie, the FMC, frequently mentioned her weight and body insecurities, but little else truly defined her. Zander, the MMC, came across as primarily interested in material possessions and money, bringing them up entirely too often. With such limited character depth, their instalove connection just didn’t feel genuine, leaving me largely uninvested in their love story, which spanned a lengthy 17 hours on audiobook. It could have been done in 8! The Windy City series includes 5 interconnected standalone books. I’d recommend experiencing Mile High as a physical read. My personal experience with the audiobook fell flat due to the narration, which, unfortunately, lacked the enthusiasm and personality I usually enjoy, especially right after finishing a book with a highly animated narrator. Even for a duet narration, it just didn’t engage me. Despite my lukewarm experience with this one, many readers whose book tastes align with mine absolutely rave about this series. Because of that, I’m definitely giving the next book a chance before I decide whether to dive into the rest of the series or not. Rating: ??????

Outstanding view of Welsh coal mining village with wonderful prose. So touching and full of feeling. I have his next book on hold.

3.5 stars. I loved the setting! So charming and Solomon fully immerses the reader in the culture. In this second chance romance Dani collides with her former love Wouter (pronounced vow-ter) and they embark on a fake marriage. Despite years of no contact (he was previously an exchange student), sparks seemed to fly and they moved right in together as if no time had passed or as if they kept on knowing each other without interval lives. I liked Wouter but Dani seemed a bit all over the place. This was enjoyable but I felt the chemistry/romance was a bit lacking. I listened via audio on Libby.

An intriguing, surprisingly engaging biography of a little-known president. This book shows Calvin Coolidge in all of his understated, but by no means insignificant, glory. Reading this book is the only time I’ve ever laughed out loud while reading a biography—a ringing endorsement indeed!

The story of Hawaii’s colonization and land laws as told by a former writer for the Washington Post, written as she researched her own family history on Maui and her extended family’s responsibility for land parcel deeded to their long-ago Hawaiian ancestor. Includes photos, glossary of common Hawaiian words, and an index. Essential reading for every part Hawaiian person.

They were having a wedding. They didn’t know it was Ms Featherbottom wedding. She lost her necklace, they looked all over for it. Eva knew and she only told Sue. It ended up being Rex that had the necklace.

3.75 rounded up. This was not my favorite Magic Treehouse adventure. It felt a bit hokey. My 4yo had a lot of questions about smoking (cultural Native American representation).

I just started and it already so good (and emotional )

Runciman tries to work a large amount of information into a tight book. He charts a unique comparison of the 'intelligence' function of states, corporations, and the implications of AI. Much of what he says is an argument against the ideas of centralized 'intelligence.' He discusses in some detail the implication on copyright and intellectual property from AI and mostly frames the deleterious effects of AI usage and development from a left-wing lens.