M. Suzanne Terry

Time for another update! Here are some micro-reviews of the books I’ve read recently. Those listed as just titles were reviewed in my previous post. 

For the main list of book titles I’ve read for this challenge, see this post.

A

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo – So good! Such a hopeful story, and I love the audio version. The main character won me over early, and I loved cheering her successes throughout the book. Also, it made me so hungry and inspired me to cook, which to me is the ultimate mark of good foodie fiction. 

B

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke 

C

The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood

The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton – It was OK. Disclaimer – I have read a lot of wartime historical fiction, due to one book club’s proclivity toward such things and the fascinating discussions they lead to. It’s not one of my favorite genres, though. But since I have read so many, I was disappointed that this one didn’t really stack up to the rest of them. There were good moments and some interesting elements, but overall? Meh. If historical WWII fiction is your jam, you’ll probably like it. If you just want to dabble, stick to things like The Nightingale and Code Name Verity. 

D

Dear Bob and Sue by Matt and Karen Smith – This memoir recounts the couple’s visits to all 58 (now 59, as they added in one of the last chapters) national parks, as told to their friends Bob and Sue through emails. If you enjoy visiting national parks or hiking or being outdoors a lot, I think you’d really enjoy this book. My favorite part was their humor and their relationship. Reading it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite books about running – My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso and Kathleen Parrish. Both books were full of a whole lot of entertaining stories I am content to hear someone else tell and never, ever personally experience. 

E

Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro – I mentioned in the January TBR post that I feel like I grew up with Laurie Notaro because I read and resonated with a lot of her books in my twenties. This one is no exception. I wheeze-laughed. There were a few parts that I could have done without (e.g., I often bristle at kids-these-days commentary, so those small sprinkles fell flat for me), but most of it? I howled in solidarity. Recommended for anyone whose body is starting to betray them or who is now or will ever go through perimenopause.

F

G

H

How To Be Perfect by Michael Schur – If you loved “The Good Place,” you’ll probably also enjoy this book, as it addresses the same general topic and is written by one of the show’s creators and thus employs a lot of the same type of humor. Added bonus? Some of the cast members read the audiobook. I was taking notes for book club through most of it, so I stuck with the ebook version. It also gives you a pretty decent overview of Philosophy 101 without having to slog through Aristotle and Kant and Sartre (no offense to those dudes, but Schur works in TV. It’s basically his job to be entertaining.). And it sparked a really lively book club discussion, so…solid read!

I

J

K

Writers & Lovers by Lily King 

L

Lucky Turtle by Bill Roorbach 

M

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire – Oh my gosh, the author reads the audiobook, which I usually don’t like, but it’s fantastic. I love the back story of these characters that we met in the first book of the series. Excellent character building, and I’m very excited to read the next one. 

N

O

The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson 

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki – I actually started this one a few months ago. It took longer to finish because I savored it, which takes a little while to do when a book is 500+ pages. Perfect story for book lovers and mental health advocates with some charming magical realism elements. I gave it five stars on Goodreads.

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

X

Y

Z

Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for Your Soul by Najwa Zebian