I read this book because I’m a fan of the Meant to Be series in which various authors retell Disney princess stories. This modernization of Mulan was ok. I kept thinking how I might have made different choices as the author, but I did get a kick out of Mushu. This book was a bit forgettable for me. I listened to it on Audible using my monthly Amazon Music Unlimited credit.

EVERY TIME I GET IT I LOVE IT

For readers who have met New York author (and eventual resident of Maine) Lucy Barton in Strout’s other books, this is an interesting deep dive into her life. It focuses on a period in. Barton’s life where her children were young and she is in the hospital for nine weeks with a severe infection following routine surgery. Not sure if I would have enjoyed this story if I hadn’t read about Barton in Strout’s other books.

This was a silly book. I liked when they fell into the water ??

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.

I devoured this book. In my opinion, it’s an extremely well-written triumph of a ghost story that is perfect for foodies who enjoy magical realism. I heard about this book when it was listed as a June Indie Next pick and its premise piqued my interest. I listened to the audiobook on Libby and would be eager to read more from debut author Daria Lavelle. This captivating and haunting culinary masterpiece was *chef’s kiss!

2.5 stars. I listened to this audiobook in one sitting as it’s quite a quick read, clocking in at 4 hours. I picked this up because I was looking for books that would satisfy a “two books with the same titles” bingo square, and there’s at least three other Forget Me Nots that I have/will read. As an Oregonian, I was intrigued by the historical romance set in Baker City. I don’t often read Christian fiction, but it’s also nice to mix it up. In this second chance romance, Julia and preacher Seth rekindle their former flame after seven years apart. This book’s first turn-off was how Julia went from not recognizing this apparent love of her life to instantly feeling infatuated as if no time or intervening events had passed. I really struggled with the Chinese immigrant representation. It felt so stereotypical with too much emphasis on the white savior. Maybe the stilted broken English speech on the audiobook exaggerated the effect, but I felt there was a missed opportunity to humanized these underrepresented characters. I appreciate what the author is trying to do (as evidenced in the author’s notes), but I think she misses the mark in execution. Maybe this book would be better as a full-length novel in which their story gets fleshed out a bit more. I almost rounded this book up on the rating because I think the intentions are good, but as it currently stands, I would recommend skipping this.

my fav part was when he fights petey

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.

Ali Cross by James Patterson is a very good mystery book. It has a wonderful and suspenseful plot that always made me want more