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.

I liked meeting Plato in this book. I learned about history and Ancient Greece and the Olympics.

An exciting book full of action on every page. There are immersive mysteries, deep characters, and a world full of exploration. Brandon Sanderson does a great job of drawing you into the world that he's created and leads you to explore the expansive narrative and backstory of the book.

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

Not that easy to follow along with the pictures and instructions, even with a lot of the basic sewing skills.

I read this for a bookclub, and it was not for me. The story follows the life of Isaac Dahl. This book isn’t that long, but the titular character’s life is (as promised) very long. The problem is, I never cared about the characters. They felt stiff. This felt like more of a catalog of events over time. Everything felt like an observation rather than emotion and personality driving action. I appreciate the LGBTQ representation in the first person protagonist but never really got into this audiobook I borrowed via Libby.

A stand-alone title from Strout’s that takes readers into the past when a newly qualified minister and his young wife move to a small village in Maine. Disaster strikes the minister’s young family, leaving them in turmoil. Rumors spread through the village and the minister’s future seems uncertain. This is an engaging story about community, faith, friendship, love, families, and life.

I like this book, but whyyyyy is it sooo short? it is only as thick as a regular chapter book.

Although this book is considered a “middle reader” book, it is a delightful story of a fourth grade girl and her friends response to book banning in the elementary school library. The audiobook narrator was very good. Is the response engineered by Amy Ann, et al something fourth graders could pull off? Maybe. The banned books include Harriet the Spy, Matilda, Is That You, God? It’s Me, Margaret and other classics. This book has been banned in Florida? Is there any other reason necessary to read this book?

It's a cute story about a girl in a wheelchair finding an injured elephant. My favorite part (without spoilers) is when Marshmallow reveals who he really is. They should make a sequel!