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).

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.

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

Yeah I could basically read this series forever, endlessly delighted by robots and this is such a fun depiction of 'em

I read this book because it was an Indie Next pick for May and I wanted to mix it up with a memoir/nonfiction read. I was unfamiliar with the author’s podcast but I loved the idea of a bookseller’s book. I felt like Annie was relatable. I appreciated her perspective on church. Overall, I thought she had a clear voice that will resonate with some but maybe not work for others. I listened to the audiobook on Libby.

I gobbled up this book in a day! This fun romance is just the type of escapist chick lit I crave. The man is stern, handsome and ridiculously wealthy. The woman is a maid in the service industry who has her head on straight. The two share banter, physical chemistry and a believable emotional connection. Author Lynn Painter does such a great job with this genre. The audiobook narration was great!

I read this book with my 4.5 year old. In this story, Jack and Annie go to the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans in Plymouth. Squanto was the strongest presence but otherwise I felt this was a lot of unrealized potential.

Fun to look at the pictures

A series of short stories from the past and present told from the viewpoints of some of Strout’s familiar characters. Most of the stories connect to others in this book, tales of love, life, and forgiveness. Great for fans of Strout, but not an ideal book to introduce her characters.

This was one of the best books I have ever read. There is 6 stories in one book, so it always keeps you interested! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story!