Waiting on Wednesday: Great Big Beautiful Life

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Due out: April 25, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.

Friday Five: Spring Break, Here I Come!

 

This week has been tough.  My school district is having to make huge cuts everywhere - and it was announced at Monday's board meeting that the fifteen of us teacher librarians in the district will be cut to only four.  I could write a book on how wrong this is, how negatively this will impact students, but at this point I still have a job to do.  And I'm going to pray a lot.  I have loved every minute (almost) of my job, which is probably a rarity.  And I just can't imagine not getting to talk to kids every day about books.  

I'm trying to focus on something besides my job, but I haven't been able to read at all.  And I probably better not spend money if I might not have a job.  

And yet, I did find time to endlessly look at Instagram and Facebook and find things I'd love to buy.  Here's what's caught my eye this week:

1.  Gender Inclusive New Balance 9060 Sneaker

2.  Short Shirt Sprightly Stripe

3.  Ariane Slide Sandal

4.  Elan Crochet Zip Up Cardigan

5.  Rachel Denim Short Sleeve Shirt

6.  Belted Denim Jumpsuit

7.  Gabi Sweatshirt

8.  Goldenstar Platform Sandal

9.  USA Graphic Sweatshirt

10.  Everyday Tee

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Correspondent

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Due out: May 6, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

“Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding. Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible. That change, like this novel, turns out to be a cause for celebration.”—Ann Patchett

A woman tries to heal old wounds and make sense of the world the only way she knows how—through letters—in this charming, laugh out loud debut novel about a life fully lived.

“Dear Ms. Van Antwerp,
There is a movie coming out this month and I saw the trailer and it made me think of you. It’s about an old woman who lives alone like a hermit. She is eccentric and rude….”

Sybil Van Antwerp is a mother and grandmother, divorced, retired from a distinguished career in law, an avid gardener, and a writer of letters. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books.

Because at seventy-three, Sybil has used her letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. But as Sybil expects her life to go on as it always has, letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life.

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel that is a testament to the power of the written word.

Monday Mini-Reviews: March Madness of The Bookish Kind

 March reading has started off a little slower than the first two months of 2025.  But the quality has been exceptional.  In fact, it's been so good that I fear a reading slump may soon set in.  The bar is high right now, and not every book is going to be five star worthy.

However, this past week THREE books in a row were all so, so good.

I started with Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell. I've had this one for a bit, and generally enjoy what she writes. Goodreads rates it at 3.68, which I feel is low overall. But for me, the love story between Shiloh and Carey was just so perfect.  This book moves between Shiloh and Carey's high school years when they were best friends to the present.  The two fell out of touch with each other, so Shiloh's young children and recent divorce are new to Carey who has spent his life in the navy and has remained single.  They both struggle with communication and sometimes that was just so painful to read, but it also seemed so realistic. I loved this one so much, and let myself take my time reading and not just rush through.

After I finished Slow Dance, I next picked up Broken Country a debut novel by Clare Leslie Hall. This one has been all over social media, and the praise it has been getting is well deserved.  I loved this one.  The story begins when Beth's brother-in-law shoots a neighbor's dog after it attacks their sheep.  Gabe Wolf was the dog's owner - and also Beth's first love.  Despite the fact that she is happily married to Frank, this encounter with Gabe brings him back into her life.  Beth and Frank are already grieving the loss of their son, who is close in age to Gabe's boy, Leo. Beth is drawn to Leo and when Gabe asks her to spend time with him, she happily agrees. But this is putting Beth in a precarious position, unable to let the past go.  And when someone is shot during a drunken argument, a murder trial follows.  It isn't until the very end that things are revealed and the wait is well worth it.

I tried a few books after Broken Country, but it's hard to pick up something after two great reads in a row. After starting and stopping some books, I settled into Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.  This has also been everywhere lately and deservedly so.  A remote island close to Antarctica is the home to a father and his three children who are closing things down at a seed vault, a place where they are storing seeds of millions of species of plants in the event of a devastating event on earth ever occurs.  When a woman washes ashore the family take her in and cares for her until she recovers.  She is looking for her husband who had been stationed on the island as the director of the seed vault, but he isn't there and although the family tell her he left on a boat, she feels as though they are hiding things from her. There's suspense with this story as the island is flooding and the group of five people must wait for a boat to come and rescue them. All their communication tools have been sabotaged, and it's hard to know who to trust.  In addition to my interest about seed vaults being piqued, this story is so well written, I'd love to read this with a book club and discuss it.

Next week at this time I'll be in Key West, Florida, for spring break.  I'm excited for the warm weather, but also am hoping I have a lot of good books on my kindle to entertain me. 

Friday Favorites

 I am so excited that it's March, and yet this week we've had a snow day and a delayed start.  My middle daughter is leaving on a road trip tomorrow to Nashville with college friends.  And next week Little Sister and I are going to Key West with another mom and her daughter.  

I don't have a ton of nice (or even somewhat nice enough to wear in public) warm weather clothing so I really need to figure that out this weekend.  

Here are things I found to share this week.  And just like last week, I'm linking up to a new Friday Favorites group.

1.  Gazelle Bold X Liberty London Shoes

2.  Chunky Knit Sweater Vest

3.  The Niki Bubble Sweatshirt by Pilcro

4.  Women's High Rise Sailor Wide Leg Jeans

5.  Modern Rib Cropped T-Shirt

6.   Ribbed Jersey Top

7.  Pilcro Stamp Printed Tee

8.  Linen Blend Belted Jumpsuit

9.  Fate 3/4 Sleeve Smocking Detail Button Down Top

10.  Linen Shirtdress

That's all for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: Fun For The Whole Family

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Fun For the Whole Family by Jennifer E Smith   

Due out April 15, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

A breathtaking, joy-filled novel about the people we love, the secrets we keep, and the enduring power of family, from the bestselling author of The Unsinkable Greta James.
 
The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country.

Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years . . . until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. They’re each at a crossroads: Gemma, who put her own ambitions aside to raise the others, now isn’t sure if she wants to be a mother herself; Connor, a celebrated novelist, is floundering after his recent divorce and suffering from an epic case of writer’s block; and Roddy, at the tail end of a professional soccer career, is dangerously close to losing his future husband for the chance at one last season.

Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together—but appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets . . . each of which could change everything. 

A captivating journey and an ode to forgiveness that takes readers across all fifty states, Fun for the Whole Family brims with heart and resonates long after the final page.

NonFiction Tuesday: Becoming Caitlin Clark

I can't begin to tell you how much fun it has been to watch Caitlin Clark play basketball these past several years.  And while Caitlin is a phenomenal basketball player, she is also an outstanding human being.  Her parents have done a good job of raising someone who is humble and smart, who is not afraid to praise her teammates and opponents for their accomplishments, and who is gracious.

I am so looking forward to reading this book, and am ready to watch Caitlin hit the court again this season.

 

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

Combining modern reportage with historical revelations, a multifaceted portrait of Caitlin Clark's game-changing superstardom and the cultural foundation it was built upon

Caitlin Clark has established herself as one of the global faces of the WNBA and has ignited popular interest in women's sports. Her ascent to dominance and international celebrity represents the continuation of a surprisingly deep lineage for women's basketball in the state of Iowa where Clark was born and raised, and where she wrote her name throughout the NCAA history books as a Hawkeye.

Spanning 100 years and several generations, Becoming Caitlin Clark traces the arc between the revered women who played the wildly popular game of 6-on-6 basketball in the 1920s and Clark in the 2020s, examining her fame and style of play in the context of her predecessors, while telling the story of the basketball-loving community that rallied behind her in college and beyond.

Howard Megdal's storytelling incorporates in-depth conversations with Clark; her coach Lisa Bluder; her Iowa teammates, including WNBA star Kate Martin; the top assistant coach at Iowa, Jan Jensen; the Caitlin Clark of the 1970s, Molly Bolin; vital figures in the growth of Iowa basketball like C. Vivian Stringer and Jolette Law; and even Jensen's grandmother Dorcas Andersen, who scored 89 points in the Iowa state tournament in 1921 and kept journals as she did so, brought to light here for the first time.

From rural auditoriums to the Indiana Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse, this intimate yet kaleidoscopic perspective on the modern game and its newest icon makes this an essential read for WNBA and college basketball fans.

Friday Five: Farewell, February!

 I've been posting a Friday Five post for years, and for many of those years, the icon I used was not even linked to anything.  My friend, Kristin, shared one of the blogs she reads has a weekly roundup, so I'm linking to it today and enjoying looking at the variety of things other bloggers are sharing.

We're at that in-between time of year - not quite winter, and not yet quite spring.  Although I'm ready for warmer weather, there are a few sweaters that I didn't even find a chance to wear this winter.  I will happily wait until next year, though, if the weather wants to stay warm.

Here are the things I found this week that caught my eye:

1.  Mesh Stitch Sweater Tee

2.  Women's Draper James Ruffle Denim Jacket

3.  Women's Steve Madden Verdict Shoes

4.  Short Striped Knit Sweater

5.  Boucle Sweater

6.  Trina Muscle Tee

7.  Ultra Stretch Ponte Cropped Wide Leg Pants

8.  Floral Stripe Scalloped Neck Blouse

9.  Risen Celeste High Rise Star Shadow Boyfriend Jeans

10. No Good Deed on Netflix

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Maid's Secret by Nina Prose

Waiting on Wednesday is weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

Due out: April 8, 2025

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

When a daring art heist takes place at the Regency Grand, Molly’s life is threatened. The question is who’s out to get her, and why? Long-buried secrets will be revealed in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest

A wedding. A heist. A secret.

Molly Gray’s life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As esteemed Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, two good things are just around the corner—a TV taping of the hit antiquities show, Hidden Treasures, and even more exciting, her wedding to Juan Manuel.

When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day the treasure suddenly vanishes. and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory.

But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother’s secrets, how she was born into a wealthy family and fell head-over-heels in love with a young man her parents deemed below her. As fate would have it, Gran’s greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well…

A spirited heist caper and an epic love story, The Maid’s Secret is a spell-binding whodunnit that will capture your heart.

Monday Mini-Reviews: Freida Frenzy

 Just as Colleen Hoover was (and continues to be) everywhere, Freida McFadden is also on the shelves of every Target, WalMart, and Barnes and Noble as well as the New York Times Bestseller list.  

While McFadden isn't going to win any awards for writing, she certainly does know how to appeal to the masses as every book is easy to get into and impossible to put down. 

I resisted reading anything by McFadden for a long time.  But, I also read a lot of nonfiction and books that are a little weightier, and sometimes I need something that is fast and mindless - a popcorn thriller.  

So, I've found myself quickly amassing quite a few McFadden books that I've burned through in one sitting.  

I started with The Housemaid and was impressed with the twists and turns.  Then I took a break from Freida for over a year and a half.  

I have read five more in quick succession.  And, although I like the speed with which I can read them, I have not been thrilled with most of them. 

The Boyfriend was a fast read and one I really enjoyed, as was Never Lie.  But maybe I've read too many too close together, because the other three I've read have been very meh for me.  

And yet, I am sure I will pick another one up at some point.  They are great palate cleansers that work nicely between the heavier stuff I try to read.  They are also great to recommend to someone who doesn't read a lot and is looking for a fast read, something to take along on vacation, or wanting to get back into reading.  

McFadden's popularity doesn't seem to be waning and she continues to churn books out a record pace.  

If you've got a favorite of hers, feel free to let me know.  I already have The Teacher waiting for me in my TBR.