Waiting on Wednesday: Bachelor Girl

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I share a soon to be released book that I can't wait to read.

This week's pick:  Bachelor Girl by Kim Van Alkemade
Due out: March 6, 2018

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Orphan #8 comes a fresh and intimate novel about the destructive power of secrets and the redemptive power of love—inspired by the true story of Jacob Ruppert, the millionaire owner of the New York Yankees, and his mysterious bequest in 1939 to an unknown actress, Helen Winthrope Weyant.

When the owner of the New York Yankees baseball team, Colonel Jacob Ruppert, takes Helen Winthrope, a young actress, under his wing, she thinks it’s because of his guilt over her father’s accidental death—and so does Albert Kramer, Ruppert’s handsome personal secretary. Helen and Albert develop a deepening bond the closer they become to Ruppert, an eccentric millionaire who demands their loyalty in return for his lavish generosity.

New York in the Jazz Age is filled with possibilities, especially for the young and single. Yet even as Helen embraces being a “bachelor girl”—a working woman living on her own terms—she finds herself falling in love with Albert, even after he confesses his darkest secret. When Ruppert dies, rumors swirl about his connection to Helen after the stunning revelation that he has left her the bulk of his fortune, which includes Yankee Stadium. But it is only when Ruppert’s own secrets are finally revealed that Helen and Albert will be forced to confront the truth about their relationship to him—and to each other. 

Inspired by factual events that gripped New York City in its heyday, Bachelor Girl is a hidden history gem about family, identity, and love in all its shapes and colors.

TLC Book Tour: Modern Loss

Modern Loss is perhaps not one would think of as an uplifting read. However, at some point in time all of us will experience losing someone we care about.  Just reading the introduction to this book sucked me in.  

For me, Soffer and Birkner hit on what it felt like to have no one really understand what you are going through.  My dad has Alzheimers and has spent the past six years in a nursing home.  When he was first diagnosed, my mom tried various support groups.  But because he was so young, everyone else at these groups was from her parents' generation. She really didn't feel like they understood what she was going through.  They had had some good retirement years.  She and my dad had none.  Anyway,  the support group thing wasn't very helpful for her.  She wanted to talk to someone in her age bracket that was going through the same thing.  Soffer and Brikner provide plenty of people who really do "get it."  

In Modern Loss we get to hear from a collection of authors who have lost someone and share their experiences.

The stories/chapters aren't particularly long, and are organized by topic. Although I did read several in one sitting, this is not necessarily a book that I would tell readers to breeze through. I've been reading a few each day now for a week, and still have a few left to go before I finish all of this book. 

There are many things I appreciate in Modern Loss. First off, I think this book will appeal to younger readers who are experiencing loss.  I'm not sure that I've seen another book geared toward this demographic about the same topic, yet it is something that many young people do experience.

It's written in a way that's entertaining and thoughtful.  There are some illustrations by Peter Arkle sprinkled throughout that give this book a little bit of a lighter feel.  Every chapter I've read provides me with a story that is interesting (and sad) and leaves me glad I read it. I appreciate learning from others' first-hand experiences and the honesty in each of their stories.  

This is a book I will be holding onto. Modern Loss is something that can be turned to time and again to read and re-read. 

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of this book for my review. All opinions expressed are, as always, my own.

For more information, please visit the HarperCollins website.

Monday Mini-Reviews: Social Media and ALS

My 2018 reading has been top notch.  This has been another week of some great books.  I always think it is interesting when you can read two books that seem unrelated and make a connection between them (this happened with the YA books I read).  

Lisa Genova has a new book, Every Note Played, coming out in March. I really enjoyed Left Neglected and Inside the O'Briens by her (and I've read all but one of her books). Still Alice still sits on my shelf since it hits a little too close to home.  This new book is good. Genova does a great job of showing how ALS affects a person - all the ways Richard loses parts of himself slowly to this disease.  Genova is so good at giving information without it seeming preachy or educational, yet readers will leave with a greater understanding of how this disease impacts people.  Richard's story is heartbreaking in that he is so young- just 45 at the time of his diagnosis - and his entire life revolves around his career as a concert pianist.  The disease strips him of his ability to make music, his passion in life. It also forces he and his ex-wife into contact again as he is in need of care and without anyone else close enough to help him.  I tore through this book in just a day and predict that there will be plenty of readers who fall in love with Genova's newest book.

Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman is the 8th grade girls latest book club pick.  I started it on Tuesday and by Wednesday morning a girl stopped to tell me she was nearly halfway through- and there were some twists I should be prepared for. I stayed up late on Tuesday to finish it.  Basically  a high school girl who has low self esteem and had some rough times in junior high is finally finding some happiness. A guy she is friends with on Facebook has been chatting her up for a while and then drops her suddenly.  His rejection turns her life upside down and after her suicide attempt, the police start investigating this online "friend."  This is where the story begins to twist and turn - and will leave you with plenty to talk about. I can hardly wait until Tuesday to talk with the girls about this read. At this point their lives revolve around social media so hearing their take on it may be interesting.

Randy Ribay's After The Shot Drops comes out in March. This book is narrated by Nasir and Bunny, best friends who are struggling with their friendship as Bunny attends an elite private school and Nasir is left at their public school. Bunny is the star of his school's basketball team - a standout as a sophomore already heavily recruited by colleges. Yet he doesn't feel like he fits in at his new school.  Nasir is angry Bunny left, and trying to help his cousin, Wallace, who lives with his grandmother and is facing eviction.  Wallace is a hot mess - and makes bad decision after bad decision.  It won't surprise readers at all to know that he is rooting for Bunny's team to lose - and that social media is involved in his plot to make that happen.  This book fits right in with Jason Reynolds' books and Dear Martin by Nic Stone.  It is fantastic.

I've been trying to slow my reading down a bit this year. I'm still reading far more than most people, but I've also been giving myself some time to watch a few things on Netflix and relax in that way.  I've been loving rewatching season one of West Wing, and have so many things on my watch list, that I'll never catch up.

Happy Monday, everyone.  

Friday Five

Today it is supposed to be fifty degrees here.  That's a wonderful treat for a Friday in January in Iowa. I will admit that I'm getting excited about spring.  I love that it is still light now at 5:30 in the evenings, and am happy to have a little break from the cold winter weather even if this is only a January thaw and more winter awaits us.  

Anyway, I found some fun things online this week that have me thinking of spring, even if we're not quite there yet.

1.  Textured Knit Cocoon Open Front Cardigan Sweater-  this sweater is one of those items you can throw on with shorts, jeans, or dress pants. I feel like I might own something like this already, but you can't ever have too many of them.

2.  Stripe UNeck Raglan Pullover Sweater - I have a wool sweater that's striped but this one look so springy that I can't help but want to have it.

3.  The Perfect Shirt - gingham was big last year, so I am betting it's back this spring.  I think this would look great with white jeans and my hot pink Tieks.

4.  Up For Anything 7/8 Tight - The color of this tight is called On Fire. How could you not want to have them? 

5.  Lucy Women's Inner Purpose Long Sleeve - I love all things Lucy and this is on sale for $39.  

6.  Lucy Beam Bright Hooded Long Sleeve Sweatshirt -and this is also on sale for $39. 

7.  Women's Laura Chukka - I know I featured these once a few months ago.  I actually saw someone wearing something similar with their cropped pants and really liked how it looked.  Eddie Bauer has them in their spring catalog.

8. French Terry Joggers With Zip Pockets - I have yet to own a pair of joggers (unless joggers are really just sweatpants), and I may have to bite the bullet and get a pair. These look so soft. 

9.  Vea World Recipe Seed Crackers - I tried these crackers last weekend, and the bag didn't last long.  Of course they are supposed to be healthy, but if you eat the whole bag in one sitting, I'm not sure there are many health benefits.

10.  Women's Work podcast - I love Tsh Oxenreider's The Simple Show. I've only listened to one episode of her new podcast, Women's Work, but she interviewed Annie B. Jones, who hosts From the Front Porch, another podcast I listen to, so it was a win/win for me.

So how about you? What's caught your eye this week?

Agape Reads

A friend of mine has been reading her way through my "best" lists of 2017.  Her book club is meeting in February to discuss an "agape" read.  She is looking for a book about friendships between women.  

Initially I thought I could come up with a list in no time flat. But when I started thinking about it and looking through my journals of book I'd read, it was harder for me to do than I thought it would be.  

None of the ten books I found for her are brand new.  But all of them definitely focus on women's friendships.  

1.  Waiting to Exhale by Terry Macmillan - I love Macmillan's writing; and I love these four African American friends who are waiting for the perfect man to come into their lives.


2. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - four women in California, all recent Chinese immigrants meet to eat dim sum and play mahjong. Over the years they share joys and sorrows and children who struggle to be American, not Chinese.


3.  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fanny Flagg - Southern.  Mrs. Threadgoode recounts the wild and crazy days of her youth and a pair of good friends


4.  The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs- once a week a group of women meet at a yarn shop in New York City to work on their knitting. As they spend time together, friendships are forged.


5.  Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rosemary Wells -Vivi is upset about the way her oldest daughter has portrayed her in a play she wrote.  When Vivi shares a scrapbook about her friendships with daughter. we get to see a more accurate (but still flawed) account of these friendships.

6.  Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik - this book club began in the 60s and continued on through the years.  We see children grow up, marriage struggles, and every other life event of these friends who get together to talk about books.


7.  The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood - one of my favorites by Hood; similar to Friday Night Knitting Club, but I loved the main character who has joined this group to help cope with the death of a her child.


8.  The Summer Sisters by Judy Blume - Victoria becomes friend with Caitlin, a wealthy girl who introduces Vix to a different world than the one she is used to.


9.  A Train In Winter by Caroline Moorehead - non-fiction, women who had worked for the Resistance from all different walks of life were imprisoned together and eventually sent to Auschwitz.  Story of how they came together as friends.


10. Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett-Patchett writes of her friendship with Lucy, a woman she met at the Iowa Writer's Workshop.  She traces the ups and downs of their friendship over two decades, and what happens when one friend dies, leaving the other alone.

I know there are tons of other great friendship books out there. If you have a title in mind, please leave me a comment.

Waiting on Wednesday: All We Ever Wanted

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post where I feature a soon to be released title that I can't wait to read.

This week's selection: All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
To be released: June 26, 2018

Synopsis taken from Goodreads:

Two very different families collide in the new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, The One & Only, and First Comes Love. When scandal threatens your loved ones, how far would you go to protect them?

Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into Nashville's elite. Her husband's tech business is booming, and her son, Finch, is bound for Princeton. 

Thomas Talone is a single dad working multiple jobs. His daughter, Lila, was recently accepted to Nashville's most prestigious private high school on a scholarship. 

Then one devastating photo changes everything. Lila passes out at a party, drunk and half-naked. Finch snaps a picture, types out a caption and--click--sends it out to a few friends. The photo spreads quickly, and before long, an already divided community takes sides, throws blame, and implodes. And in the midst of it all, Nina and Tom are forced to question all their assumptions about love and loyalty.

In this riveting novel, Emily Giffin tells a story of characters who face impossible choices--but emerge to live more truly to themselves than they ever have before.

Monday Mini-Reviews: Three Adult Reads

I will be the first to admit that having the flu (and working despite feeling crappy) did put a little damper on the amount of reading I got done this week.  Luckily I had some free time this weekend where I could really relax and curl up with a good book.  

The first book I spent much of the work week reading was Sophie Kinsella's newest book, Surprise Me, which will be out just in time for Valentine's Day.  This story is typical  Kinsella: a little convoluted, yet sweet, with a tidy ending.  Sylvie and Dan have been married for a decade.  When they see the many decades of wedded bliss stretching out before them, they decide to try and keep the happiness alive in their marriage by incorporating some surprises. And the surprises never quite work out as they envision.  But when Sophie becomes suspicious of Dan and thinks he might be cheating on her, she takes matters into her own hands.    Fans of Kinsella will enjoy whatever she writes....I have read all her books, and like some more than others.  This one is not her best, but it's also not her worst.  This is just a fun, easy read.

This weekend I read two books that I just could not put down.  The first, The Flight Attendant, by Chris Bohjalian had me from early on.  I love Bohjalian, so reading his work is like getting together with an old friend.  Cassandra is a flight attendant who finds herself in a Dubai hotel room with a man she went home with - only to realize as she gets out of bed in the morning that he has been killed.  Although her initial concern is being accused of killing him (something she is pretty sure she didn't do - but she does occasionally black out when she drinks), she eventually realize that the woman who visited with her and her dead one night stand right before his death, might want to get rid of her.  This plot is complex, and I love the way Bohjalian develops his characters.  

And, following that up was hard, but I have seen so much about Karen Cleveland's debut novel, Need to Know, which will be out on Tuesday, that I quickly picked it up for my evening reading.  This is a fantastic psychological thriller worthy of the buzz it's getting.  Vivian works for the CIA, looking for Russian spies in the United States.  When she manages to infiltrate a Russian operative's computer and see pictures of five spies, her entire world is rocked.  And that's pretty much all I can say about this one.  Twists and turns and a jaw dropping ending kept me turning pages. I love that Vivian is a mom juggling her job and motherhood, and despite the fact that her decisions are frustrating, I could at least relate to her choices.  Anyone who loves the show The Americans or grew up in the 80s when we really did fear Russian spies will want to pick this up.

And now, it's back to work this week, and trying to find something to read that can live up to these last two books.  

Friday Five

How did it get to be Friday so soon?  Well, if you spend a week going to work all the while having Influenza B and coming right home to sleep, time passes rather quickly.  I have finally started to feel better, but I did spend last weekend in bed and then forced myself to go to work this week and attempt to function like a regular human.  I still haven't decided if that was a good idea or not.

Anyway, here is what I found online in the few minutes I actually felt like being on a computer.

1.  501 Red New Balance Sneakers - I'm not really a red sneaker kind of gal. But I saw these featured with some black leggings and am surprised by how much I liked that look. 

2.  Canyons Cardigan - Sundance has the most beautiful sweaters.  I usually admire them until they go on sale. This is one I've got my eye on.

3.  Spirit Lake Top - I'm also looking for a nice white top that could be casual or dressy. I love this one - and the jewelry that they've paired it with.

4.  Linen and Modal U Neck Swing T - there are some wardrobe staples I really need to upgrade.  This t comes in a variety of colors. I think it looks a little dressier than a plain cotton t and is also pretty versatile.

5.  Everyday Knit Skirt - This skirt is like the perfect teaching item.  Pockets which are almost a must for me is the first thing I looked at.  Plus it's a pull-on piece of clothing that could be dressed up or down. 

6.  Women's Eddie Bauer Solstice Mid-Boot - a co-worker has these boots. And since they are buffalo plaid I can't help but admire them.  

7.  Women's Hi Neck Tankini Top - only in January can I show you snow boots and then switch to swimming suits. I just got my new Lands End catalog yesterday featuring all of the beautiful new designs for swimming suits for spring and summer 2018.  This is the new pattern I've got my eye on.  

8.  Miranda Ponte Dress - this year I might really need to buy one dressy item.  My daughter is getting confirmed. I didn't get anything when my oldest daughter was confirmed two years ago, and sort of regretted it.  It seems like it is still a fairly dressy occasion and my dress clothes are lacking.  I like this dress from Boden, but I'm not sure I would get a great deal of wear out of it.

9.  Fleece Pullover - this fleece pullover also comes in a dark gray.  I like how comfortable it looks. And JCrew Factory always has great deals.

10.  Crown Heights Movie - while I was busy lying around this week, I did watch an AmazonPrime original movie.  I loved that this was based on a true story. The whole situation was absolutely heartbreaking and I've read a variety of other books and articles about wrongful convictions that has really sparked my interest in the topic.

So how about you? What's caught your eye this week?

Waiting on Wedneday: The Atomic City Girls

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post where I highlight a soon to be released book that I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
Due out: February 6, 2018

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

In the bestselling tradition of Hidden Figures and The Wives of Los Alamos, comes this riveting novel of the everyday people who worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II.

“What you see here, what you hear here, what you do here, let it stay here.”

In November 1944, eighteen-year-old June Walker boards an unmarked bus, destined for a city that doesn’t officially exist. Oak Ridge, Tennessee has sprung up in a matter of months—a town of trailers and segregated houses, 24-hour cafeterias, and constant security checks. There, June joins hundreds of other young girls operating massive machines whose purpose is never explained. They know they are helping to win the war, but must ask no questions and reveal nothing to outsiders.

The girls spend their evenings socializing and flirting with soldiers, scientists, and workmen at dances and movies, bowling alleys and canteens. June longs to know more about their top-secret assignment and begins an affair with Sam Cantor, the young Jewish physicist from New York who oversees the lab where she works and understands the end goal only too well, while her beautiful roommate Cici is on her own mission: to find a wealthy husband and escape her sharecropper roots. Across town, African-American construction worker Joe Brewer knows nothing of the government’s plans, only that his new job pays enough to make it worth leaving his family behind, at least for now. But a breach in security will intertwine his fate with June’s search for answers.

When the bombing of Hiroshima brings the truth about Oak Ridge into devastating focus, June must confront her ideals about loyalty, patriotism, and war itself.

TLC Book Tour: Sunday Silence

I'm always surprised by how many mystery series are out there. And despite reading a lot of different series, how many there are that I have yet to sample.  

Sunday Silence by Nicci French is the seventh (and finale) in this series featuring Frieda Klein, a police consultant.

I am truly late to the party on this series.  Sunday Silence does work as a stand-alone mystery, but for readers (like myself) who enjoy reading a series in order, this book is not the one you should start with.

However, the premise is certainly attention-getting.  Frieda makes a gruesome discovery after her house begins to smell. There is a body rotting under the floorboards of her house.  The murder suspect is a man who many believed died seven years ago.  

The stakes raise even higher when a young boy is taken, returned unharmed, but left with a human ear in his pocket.  

French's novel is full of suspense and is fast moving.  I wish I felt as connected to Frieda and the cast of characters in this book as I do to others from mystery series I read.  Some of that is lack of familiarity at this point with these people, but French's writing is more action driven than character driven.  While I love a good suspenseful plot, the parts of this novel I enjoyed the most were the parts where we got to see Frieda as a friend to others and learn more about her as a person.  I'm curious to see how much more I know about her after I have read all seven books in this series.

French (a husband/wife writing team) is definitely a writer worth reading.  I enjoyed the twists and turns in the story and getting to meet some interesting characters in Sunday Silence.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of this book for my review.  All opinions expressed are, as always, my own.

For more information, visit the HarperCollins website.

Monday Mini-Reviews and MLK Day

I have been looking forward to having this Monday off school for a while. However, I didn't anticipate having the flu (yes, the real flu. I had the flu test yesterday after three days of feeling icky and finally succumbing to a visit to urgent care).  My plans of accomplishing anything have pretty much been dashed. Instead, I am accomplishing a lot of resting up. Napping.  Nose blowing.  A little reading.  A little Netflix watching.  

And since I'm up right now eating some homemade chicken and noodles my neighbor made for me, some blogging.

I've got three books I've read to tell you about, and then it's back to bed for me.

1.  Escape From Aleppo by N H Senzai - set in Syria, Nadia and her family have a normal, middle class life until war comes to their country.  When her family leaves their home just minutes before a bomb hits it and Nadia is inadvertently left behind, she is on her own as she tries to get to the Turkey border where her father will be waiting for her.  Senzai does a nice job of explaining the politics of this part of the world as well as creating a story that's full of adventure and suspense. This reminds me a bit of The Breadwinner series by Deborah Ellis, and the ending is open-ended enough that I'm hoping there might be a sequel.

2. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - I bought this book right when it was published and then put it on my bookshelf without even cracking it open.  When our sixth grade literacy teacher mentioned it to me this past week and a sixth grade student came to get the library copy that same day, I grabbed it off my shelf and read it that night.  It's beautifully written (of course, I expected no less) and I loved reading the story of Woodson's childhood. This book is so deserving of every award it has received. It's a fast read (written in verse), but I had to slow myself down so I could really appreciate the writing.

3.  The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekannen and Greer Hendricks - this is an adult novel that will be hard to put down.  It's getting plenty of buzz as a thriller/psychological suspense novel and this author duo has done a great job with it.  It is similar to The Last Mrs. Parrish which I also enjoyed, but even if you've read that one, I still endorse The Wife Between Us.  I did have a few things figured out pretty early on in this book, but there are enough twists to keep your attention and want to read to the very end.   I actually spent a few hours up during the night with this one, unable to put it down.

And, in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a new picture book to come my way Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford is a beautiful picture book, illustrated by James E Ransome.  Each page share an idea of how you can be like Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. The text is short, making this a book that can be shared with young children, but also with ideas and themes in it that are appropriate for older students.  I would use this even with our middle school kids as a springboard for a writing assignment as they try to personalize how they could be like Dr. King.  This is a perfect book to share on King's birthday, during Black History month, or any day of the year.

If anyone has read The Wife Between Us I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Until then, I'm off to do some more resting (and probably a little more reading).  

Friday Five: I'm Starting to Think About Spring

I know it's just the beginning of January, but I am starting to dream of spring.  It warmed up for a few days, but now we're back to sub zero temps. Sigh.

Here are a few things I've seen this week:

1.  Classic Shirt with Glasses Print - the librarian in me is loving this shirt.  Who knew that glasses were such a fashion statement?

2.  Printed Sweater - and more glasses on this sweater.  Boden also has a glasses dress.

3.  High-Rise Floral Print Striped-Calf Compression Leggings for Women - Old Navy has some great new leggings. I love the pattern of these and the different detail on the bottom.

4.  Cozy Karma Dress - this Athleta dress definitely has caught my eye.  It also comes in black.

5.  Book Nerd 3/4 Length T - I ordered myself this shirt.  I'm a true book nerd.  And this is a must have.

6.  French Bulldog Graphic Pullover - last week I shared the Dalmatian sweater. This week I've moved on to bulldogs.

7.  Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Velvet Low-Top - unfortunately converse are too wide for my feet, but once I saw that they come in velvet I got a little sad.  I love velvet.

8.  Sorel Joan of Arctic Shearling Snow Boot - since it's snowy, I have to at least put in a winter boot.  I don't even know where my boots are right now.  





9.  Uniqlo Women's Graphic T-Shirt - Uniqlo has an Andy Warhol line of t-shirts out. I love every single one of them.

10.  Princess Charlotte's First Day of School - and Princess Charlotte starting school?  Adorable.  

So that's what's caught my eye this week? How about you? What have you found this past week?

TLC Book Tour: Family Tree

Susan Wiggs is an author that has been around for a while. And although I've seen her books often, I've never actually picked one up.  Family Tree is my first book by Wiggs. And it won't be my last.

This novel was a perfect women's fiction read. I spent the day at home on Monday with a sick kid, and I had a great day curled up in a blanket on the couch absorbed in this book.

When the novel opens, Annie Harlow has a perfect life. A cooking show on television, a wonderful husband, and the news that she is pregnant.  

In one split second her entire world changes.

Moving back and forth in time we watch as Annie has to move home to Vermont to recover from a nearly fatal accident.  We watch Annie come to terms with her new normal and meet the teenage Annie who fell in love with a hometown boy and wanted nothing more than to marry him. 

We see how that dream fell apart while other dreams were realized and how now, despite everything Annie has been through, some of her dreams may come true after all.

I loved the romance of this novel. I fell in love with Fletcher, the high school boyfriend, who changed from a teenager without a lot of ambition to a man driven to succeed and help his father.  

I loved the Vermont setting, the small-town, the maple syrup production.  

I loved the various subplots Wiggs introduced like the fact that Annie's long absent father reappeared, reigniting old feelings.  

This was pretty much a perfect, easy, women's fiction read. 

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of the book for my review.  All opinions expressed are, as always, my own.

Visit the HarperCollins website for more information about Family Tree.