Super good and really good for birdwatching.

Great book, took a long time to read, descriptive dialogue. For more matured readers.??????

I like it because it has a lot of details and it is also funny

At the insistence of her ex, writer Lucy Barton leaves NYC at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and moves with him to a seaside house in Maine. There they spend weeks in lockdown, visiting their children only sporadically. We see pandemic restrictions through their eyes: empty store shelves, masking, washing hands - and clothes after a trip to the grocery store - and distrust of outsiders. As weeks turn to months, each ponders their shared future, their past in NYC, and the complications and unhappy surprises as 2020 becomes 2021. Readers need not have read other Strout novels to enjoy this book, but those who have already met Lucy will appreciate this deep dive into her life.

Hard to put it down. The mystery unfolds gradually.

3.75 stars rounded up. I find this book very hard to rate as much of the merit comes from its status as a classic. Mark Twain’s novel is full of adventure, boyhood mischief and depictions of the racist antebellum Southern US. I’m very familiar with the story and probably have the strongest memory of the Elijah Wood portrayal on film. There’s nostalgia that comes with taking that trip down the river with Huck and Jim and revisiting their stops along the way. Yet, during this reading, I was shocked at the preponderance of vernacular and ear-piercing slurs (specifically the n-word) that made it rather hard to listen to on audio. If this book were written today as historical fiction, I’d probably be rounding down the rating, but I can’t ignore where this text stands in history. Tom Parker’s narration felt rather fast-paced, but his voice felt authentic though his occasional vocal clicks stuck out a bit.

I read this book because I was looking to fulfill a book bingo challenge to read a book published in 1985. I have seen the movie a couple times so it was fun to revisit Kiki’s magical world in audiobook form. This is a short, cozy, whimsical read.

Great book - great personality! This book really spoke to me as a 57 year old mom of two - it was like being on a long girls weekend with your super-cool, chic, well read and well-spoken best friend!

I’m personally interpreting this as a metaphor for sudden disability. The way Gregor is hindered in all of his tasks and has to get used to his new body. His family is ashamed of him and keep him locked in his room and they feel relieved when he dies. It’s honestly really sad.

3.5 stars. I feel torn about this book. It had a strong start introducing the brainy healer FMC and the MMC assassin who begrudgingly turns to her for a cure to an illness that is slowly sealing his fate in death. The premise has so much promise! I felt like the chemistry was under-delivered and the overarching plot felt rather underwhelming to me. I wanted more adventure and magic but instead there were brothels and boredom. I think I’ll skip future books in this romantasy series.