The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mary Beth Keane’s characters stay with you long after you’ve finished reading her novels. The Half Moon is no exception. Malcolm, the bartender, and his smart lawyer wife, Jess make a place in your heart that is soft and permanent.
This novel takes place during a giant storm and in one week. It moves back and forth in time and covers the complexities of what it means to be family. What it feels like to grow up in a small town where everyone knows each other and everyone knows each other’s business.
It covers the pain for not being able have life work out the way you’d hoped and the reality of how much is outside of our control in life. How we can want something with all our soul and still not have it and how our dreams can destroy our lives, our marriages, and our souls.
And despite all that how resilient we can be.
An absolutely beautiful story with characters you won’t forget.
with gratitude to Scribner and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom by Sharon Salzberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life.”
The quote above personifies why I love Sharon Salzberg. She does not try to create an alternate reality of what life is. She doesn’t feel like someone that’s so far away from my life that I couldn’t connect to her words. She reminds us that we get to choose how things affect us and we get to choose our spaciousness and the way we look at life. We get to choose to be full of love.
“This is what I’m calling Real Life. Real Life is about what happens when we fully engage with our everyday lives, whatever shape our lives take, whatever challenges and obstacles that life may bring.”
Reading Salzberg reminds me that I can be more than I am and that I am perfect just the way I am. It reminds me that I can grow and change and be expansive. She reminds me of the power of love, the power of kindness and of being good-hearted.
“Joy is exactly what’s happening, minus our opinion of it. . . . This is freedom. Love is the ultimate expression of joy and freedom. Joy, freedom, and love could be considered synonyms for each other, and for belonging.”
Joy is my word for 2022 and as I look to 2023 and think about how to be more expansive and more open and free, I know Salzberg’s words will guide me as they always do. I loved every moment I spent with this book and I expect I will read it again and again.
with gratitude to netgalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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The World of Urban Sketching: Celebrating the Global Revolution of Drawing on Location – New Inspirations, Approaches, and Techniques for Seeing the World One Drawing at a Time by Stephanie Bower
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This might be my favorite of all the Urban Sketching books. Even though it’s not focused on a particular “skill,” there is so much inspiration and so many different styles in this book that it reminds you again and again that there’s no one way to be or do if you’re interested in urban sketching. It also was interesting to see how many of the sketchers have architecture as their background. I loved the time I spent with this book and found it to be super inspiring.
with gratitude to quarry books and edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“Mary tries to see her children as belonging to God: only borrowed. She and Mathew have agreed, finally, that there will be no more of them.”
This is the story of a six-year-old boy, in 1883 in Australia, Denny, who is lost and the whole town starts looking for him in different ways. The story involves his sisters, mother and father, policemen, trackers, maids, farmers and more who all explore their own relationships as the events unfold.
This story was slow for me in the beginning and the atmosphere felt stifling (I’m sure on purpose.) I kept thinking the boy would be ok but then worrying he wouldn’t be. As I kept reading I got more and more attached to the characters and I really loved the ending.
A majestic story, beautifully told.
with gratitude to netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed all of Lia Louis’ previous books so I knew I was going to like this one, too, and I was not disappointed!
This is the story of Natalie who lost her husband two and a half years ago and she’s still mourning him and is stuck in a house that is falling apart and a job that she doesn’t love. She gave up her musician past but now she regularly plays the piano in a subway station where no one knows her. Until someone starts leaving her the notes for songs that are meaningful between her and her dead husband.
There aren’t a lot of characters in this story so the “mystery” isn’t hard to guess. But of course this story is not about the mystery. It’s about moving on, about friendship, betrayal, about living others’ lives. About friendship and honesty and beautiful characters that will stay with you long after you’re done reading.
Loved this story.
with gratitude to Atria Books and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
Not sure why I waited so long to read this. It was absolutely excellent. Great characters, fantastic dialogue and really great audio. If romance is your genre, you will love this one.
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All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A sad and affecting story about Vietnamese immigrants in Australia and a girl trying to understand what happened to her murdered brother. Beautifully written, great character development and absolutely heartbreaking.
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Lighter than My Shadow by Katie Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A powerful, deeply honest story about abuse and eating disorders. Does not shy away from unflinching truths. Even though it deeply affected me and was tough to read, I am so glad I read it.
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The Answers Are Within You: 108 Keys to Unlock Your Mind, Body Soul by Amber Rae
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don’t follow Amber Rae on insta so I hadn’t seen any of these. Nothing completely new here but excellent reminders and beautifully arranged.
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Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Loved this cute story of women spies that are retired and suddenly find themselves in the middle of danger as there’s a hit placed on their heads. Books need to have more kick-ass older women.
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The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
O’Farrell can write characters unlike any other. Even though I don’t tend to favor historical fiction, I love her books because the writing is so excellent and the characters are so memorable and this one is no exception. And the strong women are a bonus 🙂
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Honor by Thrity Umrigar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Really interesting juxtaposition of two stories taking at the same time in India about two different types of couples, showing the drastic range of mentalities in one country. I loved this story.
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projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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