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What an unusual way to tell a story. This was a very thought-provoking story. Even though in its root I don’t think the story was really novel, the way the author told the story was really compelling and kept me interested. I did have to give up worrying about keeping track since that was really hard in the beginning. Totally worth the read and would make a great discussion.
Ethan Joella writes the exact kind of stories that I love to read. His stories are character-driven, quiet and deep. I always end up falling in love with his characters and thinking about them well after I’m done with the book because they are so real and so well developed. This is the story of Maggie and Chip who work at the same hotel for a summer a year apart. Maggie’s brother Chip has since died from cancer and she’s trying to learn about Chip and how he spent his last summer. The chapters alternate between Maggie and Chip at the same place, a year apart. It’s wonderful, life-affirming and exactly the type of stories I want to be reading right now. Thank you Ethan Joella for making life more beautiful with your stories. with gratitude to netgalley and Scribner for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.  First week of February was a mixed bag. In some areas I got more done than I’d intended and in others I just gave up before I even started. Big Goal: I did the first round on the taxes. Several of my forms don’t come out until Feb 21 so I won’t be able to finish it until then but I’ve done most of the work I can on the rest. I have one more task I can do between now and 21st so I will see if I can work on that this week.
I’m proud of all the progress I’ve made. Things are moving. Slowly but consistently. Here’s to another week. Paying attention. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.
The thing with Matt Haig is that he knows how to weave a story that gets to the heart of the matter and knows how to remind us what actually matters. In this story of Wilbur getting to visit the major moments of his life after he passes away, he (and we) gets to see where he made the wrong choices that lead to outcome of a life he wasn’t happy with in the end. A reminder that we can say what we value but unless we actively choose what we value and make those choices intentional, what we say doesn’t matter. And next thing we know, we’ve lost the thing we value the most and end up with a life we didn’t actually want. Alas. For those of us who are still living, it’s not too late to change the choices we make. with gratitude to Viking and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars i liked this one, it’s a bit of a different story in that it shows you how something seemingly inconsequential can cause unexpected amounts of harm
3.5 stars interesting story where it’s less about who did it but more about the impact on the two families.
Enjoyed the main characters in this one. Looking forward to more of the series!
3.5 stars. Good mystery that kept my interest. If you’re a Kubica fan, you will like this fine!  Ok month two, here we go. This is a weird month for me cause I already have some existing commitments and then will be taking a trip in the middle of the month and also have my kiddo coming to visit. So not super consistent schedule the whole month. I will still do the best I can to take some steps onward. Big Goal: Taxes is going to be the big one here. I have to start working on taxes. If i am lucky, I can finish too but rarely do I get so lucky. I still need to work hard to make a meaningful dent here otherwise March will be really challenging.
Here’s to another month. Paying attention. Loving my people. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.  So here we are. The longest month of the year is over. What a terrifying and anxiety-inducing month in the world. It’s been a lot and I am finding myself struggling with understanding how to live in this type of world and the dissonance of the horrifying big and the insignificant-seeming daily life. For my personal plans, January was a good month, I worked hard to do as much as I could. I had some significant progress and other areas that didn’t move much. One Big Goal: I did okay on the food this month. Not as well as I would have liked, but not nothing. I found a few vegetable-heavy meals I loved and plan to cook again. I expect this will be an ongoing journey, but at least dipped my toe in.
I am super proud of all that I did. Good job moving onward, Karen.
Damoff is a truly truly excellent writer. Her characters are the true definition of three-dimensional. They are all flawed and working so hard to become better versions of themselves and jump off the page so well that you find yourself rooting for each of them and missing them so so much when the story is over. This story is filled with so much trauma and grief. How broken we each are regardless of our upbringing (and sometimes because of our upbringing) and how we internalize so much grief and self-blame/shame even when the things that happen to us aren’t because of us and how much harder that makes it for us to then be in healthy relationships of our own. How do we save ourselves and our families and how to we form healthy marriages and families when we have so much of our own work to do? I enjoyed every single second I spent with this book. I felt sad, laughed out loud, full of love and full of frustration but most of all I just cheered them on and on hoping for them to get the healing and happy ending they deserved. What a gift when a book can make you cheer for the main characters so much. with gratitude to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
not sure why i waited so long to read this book. Maybe because I didn’t love Miller’s previous one. But this one was fun and quick even if it was maybe a little too on the nose 🙂 |
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