My 4.5 year old loved this book and would rate it 5 stars. I thought this was one of the hokier books in the Magic Treehouse and did not find it as interesting and educational as some of the other more historical tales.

Lucy Barton tells us all about her ex-husband’s life, including the collapse of William’s third marriage, the anxiety of having a father who was a Nazi POW, and his discovery that he has an older half sister in Maine. Of course readers also learn more about Lucy and her past and current relationships with William. Great beach-read for fans of Strout’s other books.

Not long enough

A great author can make complex characters come to life even in a short book. Over a long weekend in June, Gail is blindsided by an announcement from her boss, surprised to find her ex-husband on her doorstep with a rescue cat in tow, and confronted by events from her own past on the day of her only child’s wedding. Gail thought she had her life perfectly in control, but is it a happy life?

This book was delightful! I loved the bold colors and quirky illustrations in this juvenile graphic novel. This witty, dark folktale about two sisters had me laugh out loud a couple times. The book conveys several important messages about generosity (vs selfishness and greed), respecting the environment, kindness and more. I think young readers who enjoy a twisted tale and older readers who appreciate unique humor will get a kick out of this book that I borrowed from the local library and read in one sitting.

I listened to this audiobook on Libby because it was picked for the Portland State alumni book club. I enjoyed the various perspectives and unreliable narrators in this tale of a Halloween murder. The plot skips around in time and feels like a tangled web of infidelity, betrayal, and financially motivated deceit. While rather elaborate in plotting and timeline, I did enjoy this twists and felt it was well paced.

This is a very good book for people who like magic, twists and turns, and adventure. Fun and funny!

The last present is about how Amanda and Leo go back in time because Grace Connors sister gets into this coma because Angelina doesn’t want these powers that she’s given because of the vortex selects every century and Grace was one of them Amanda and Leo go back in time and try to help Grace but it turns out Angelina just wanted to get rid of her power .

This book kept popping into my radar as an Indie Next pick for July 2025 and I read about it via The NY Times. I don’t often go for nonfiction memoir/biography but my interest piqued at this tale of a couple surviving adrift for four months after their yacht capsized. It’s a wild story and worth a read. I listen to the short audiobook on Spotify.

Everyone knows Dog Man IS GREAT