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 illustrated chapter book was such a delight! In this meta collab between two powerhouses, fifth graders J and K go from rivals butting heads to friends who work together to win the annual writing contest. This book is insanely clever, fun for readers of all ages, and memorable. Some moments have just the right amount of cringe- other moments are surprisingly tender and kind. I loved the dialogue, the vocab infusion, the art, and the humility of it all. This is just the book I wanted to read with my elementary daughter!

Evil spy school is a very good book.

My favorite part of this romantasy is the angsty relationship between Odessa and the Guardian. This book is filled with terrifying magical creatures, a mysterious rage-inducing sickness, blood oaths, betrayal and secrets. I loved the first 75% and then once the romance storyline transitioned, it lost a bit of steam but the action of the book soared in the final chapters (A blood bath! Big reveals! Cliffhangers!). I really enjoyed the narration though some of Samantha Brentmoor’s male voices blended together. I listened to the audiobook on Libby and am already looking forward to the next in the series.

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.

Great book! Colleen does a great job at writing another story that you just can’t put down.

my fav part was when he fights petey

3.5 stars. This book seemed to have quite a bit of buzz when it was first released and made it back on my TBR with the recent paperback release (and Indie Next pick). I listened to this relatively short book on Libby. I struggle with rating this book because I have mixed feelings. A lot of the family interactions and loose plot fell flat for me. The timeline bounced around a bit, confusing me at times in reference to her daughter’s age for example. The humor around menopause was a highlight for sure! The discussion of motherhood, pregnancy and loss was complicated and thought-provoking.

It is really good. I like the whole series????

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