Each month I always amaze myself by how many wonderful books I find to read. I always struggle to pick
my favorite book and this month is no exception. I decided to pick a middle grade book because this book
just radiates kindness. I really think we need more kindness and compassion in our world and The Elephant
in the Room is just that book. This book reminds readers to reach out and help those who may seem
withdrawn, down on their luck, different, sad, or in need. It doesn't matter because everyone needs a friend.
Everyone needs a place and a purpose. If you have something to give, give it freely and with a smile. No
matter how big or small, just give what you can.
Fiction
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dead Woman Crossing ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Distant Shores ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Downstairs Girl ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Last Day Alive ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Mothers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Paris Library ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
People We Meet on Vacation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Rose Code ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Middle Grade
The Elephant in the Room ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Starfish ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Soul Lanterns ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nonfiction
Brown Girl Dreaming ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nanaville Adventures in Grandparenting ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 64
The Paris Library
By: Janet Skeslien Charles
Genre: Historical Fiction
“The library is my haven. I can always find a corner of the stacks to call my own, to read and dream.
I want to make sure everyone has that chance, most especially the people who feel different and need
a place to call home.” J.S.Charles
From the moment I saw this garden statue at Epcot Center I knew this would be my book photo for The
Paris Library, even before I started reading the book.
The Paris Library is another dual timeline historical fiction book set during WWII and present day Montana.
Telling the story of Odile Souchet, a young beautiful woman, who is working at her dream job at the American
Library in Paris. She has a handsome boyfriend, Paul, who works for the police.
Throughout the war, Odile tries her best to do what she can to resist against the Nazi occupation. However
after the war, the French turned against those who worked or befriended the Nazis. Odile is not proud of her
behavior at the end of the war. Her words and actions had consequences for her friends.
In Montana in 1983, Lily is a lonely teenager who has lost her mother. Her elderly neighbor, Odile, finds
herself taking care of Lily as well as teaching her French. Lily is struggling within a new family structure and
Odile is there for Lily giving advice and support until Lily crosses the line.
Lily and Odile learn about the importance of trust, friendship and forgiveness. This story is wrapped in book
quotes from other books.. I give The Paris Library ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
Book 65
The Elephant in the Room
By: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Genre: Realistic Fiction
I just finished reading The Elephant in the Room and I loved this book. Each and every page radiates the
message of kindness. Kindness towards others, kindness towards animals, kindness for the environment,
and kindness for yourself. There are so many positive messages throughout this book it is just an amazing
read.
I don’t know which character I liked more, Sila, the quiet main character who is struggling with the separation
from her mother. Yet despite this she still reaches out and takes risks and works to help and make a difference.
Gio is another character I really liked. He is a supporting character, who finds his purpose as the story goes on.
I don’t want to give away the story. It is a middle grade read and it is a thoughtful, kind, happy read. I give it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. This book will definitely be on my top books for the year, I’m sure of it. If fact I purchased
this book, I want this on my bookshelf to share with my grandchildren.
Book 66
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett
By: Annie Lyons
Genre: Women’s Fiction
With all our work on the LFL I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks. As I stamp and organize which books are
going in the library, I was listening to The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett.
This book had a similar vibe to Britt Marie Was Here or A Man Called Ove. Eudora is an elderly woman who
doesn’t have any family or friends. She has a daily routine that she doesn’t like interrupted. When Eudora gets
new friendly neighbors her world is turned upside down. Suddenly she is meeting new people and doing new
things. It is no surprise that her life begins to change as well. I enjoyed this story and gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
Book 67
Soul Lanterns
By: Shaw Kuzki
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
I picked up the book Soul Lantern by Shaw Kuzki because @kathiemacisaac posted about it a few weeks ago.
I was able to get it on Kindle and it was perfect for my vacation. I like having a book on my phone that I can
easily access when I have a few minutes to read at the airport or in other situations. Another bonus of this book
is that it is a middle grade book so the chapters are shorter. However the content of this historical fiction book
was deep and meaningful.
Soul Lantern’s is the story of a young Japanese girl who goes on a journey to learn more about the historic
bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Nozomi, is twelve years old and lives in Hiroshima. She wasn’t born when
the bombing occured, however she has heard bits and pieces of the story. Each year her mother takes her
to the lantern-floating ceremony to honor family members lost. People write names on the bags they release,
however her mother leaves one of her bags empty. Nozomi wonders why? Also her beloved art teacher is no
longer at school. Nozomi, again wonders why? The students in her class decide to honor the people lost in
Hiroshima by creating art pieces to tell the stories of the people lost in the bombing. As the children learn
more about their neighbors it teaches them to be more compassionate for others in the community.
Soul Lanterns reminded me of the story Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.
It would be interesting to have a discussion comparing the stories. Both stories focus on the same event,
the bombing of Hiroshima. Both stories tell of the horrific consequences of war. I learned a lot from reading
this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star story and highly recommend it.
Book 68
Starfish
By: Lisa Fipps
Genre: Middle Grade/ Realistic Fiction
This bleeding heart plant is one of our favorite plants of spring and to tell you the truth we have nothing to do
with it. I’m going to try to press the heart flowers and make a bookmark.
I read the book Starfish because it is the June selection for #middlegradereadersbuddyread. I requested it
from the library and to my surprise it came in immediately. So I had to read it.
The story is about a young girl, Ellie, who has been bullied about her weight by her school friends and
family since her fifth birthday. To deal with the bullying, Ellie has developed her own Fat Girl Rules.
Rules she has developed to help her navigate life.
What I found hard to read was Ellie’s mom attitude towards Ellie’s weight. As someone who has always
struggled with weight issues I could identify with a lot of Ellie’s feelings. It is hard to surround yourself with
positive people. You can not change your family. I loved that her father found her the support she needed.
I was also happy to see the change in her sister and the conversation that took place between them. I think
the book has a lot of good discussion points but I only give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
Book 69
Dead Woman Crossing
By: J.R. Adler
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
I think lilacs are one of my favorite spring flowers. I love their smell. I have three bushes in my yard and I
love opening my windows so their scent can drift into my house.
I think I found another mystery series to read beside the #louisepenny books. Unfortunately there are only
two in the series so far. Thank you #thereadroverbookclub for introducing me to this author. I read this
book because it is the first in the series and the second book Last Day Alive is the May selection for the book
club.
I really enjoyed this book, although I felt like the book spent a lot of time introducing the main character and
her background. Hopefully that will not continue in future books. I have to admit I did not guess who the murder
was. So that made the book interesting to me. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. I am definitely interested in
reading the second book.
Book 70
Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds
By: Phillip Schmidt & Little Free Library
Genre: Non-Fiction
I have a secret. I have been renewing the book, Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds from the library for the last
two months. I think my husband and I each read this book at least three times. It is extremely helpful if you
are considering building your own little free library. Lots of ideas of how to get started to actual construction ideas.
I highly recommend this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star book to you if you plan to build your own library.
Book 71
The Rose Code
Kate Quinn
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Rose Code is the book selection for two of my book clubs this month.
(#readersacrossoceans & ckteachersbookclub). And rightly so, The Rose Code is such a beautiful historical fiction book.
It has everything you are looking for in a great book: strong women, mystery, romance, royal sandal/wedding,
and WWII. I was supposed to stop at the midpoint for our Buddyread but I just could not stop.
I had to read all the way to the end of the book. I highly recommend this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star book.
Book 72
Last Day Alive
By: J.R. Adler
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Last Day Alive is the May selection for the @thereadroverbookclub. I really enjoyed this mystery book
much more than the first book, Dead Woman Crossing. Chief Deputy Kimberly King is on the case of a
murdered girl and her missing friend in book 2. As Kimberly and her boss Sam investigate the case it
is clear they are interested in each other, but of course they are trying to deny it and keep the workplace
professional. However, there is a new character, Caleb who is interested in Kimberly. Now fans of this
book will have to wait until book 3 to see what happens in this love triangle.
Book 73
Nanaville
By: Anna Quindlen
Genre: Non-fiction/self-improvement
“Reading connects us. Always and forever.”
“There are really only two commandments of Nanaville: love the grandchildren, and hold
your tongue.”
“A lucky woman gets to trade her MOM mugs in for a NANA mug.”
I purchased Nanaville, a couple of years ago when we were in Seattle on vacation and never got around
to reading. I picked up the book this week and just started reading it. I found it very humorous and true.
I enjoyed Anna’s writing style. It was like you were having a conversation with the author. Her advice is
right on, I agreed with a lot of what she said. I highly recommend this book to grandparents.
In the picture above I was trying to teach my grandson to draw a colorful flower. He had other plans.
He wanted to draw a creepy porcupine flower with no colors.
Book 74
The Downstairs Girl
By: Stacey Lee
Genre: YA / Historical Fiction
I read The Downstairs Girl along with the #mmdbookclub this month. I finished just in time because
tonight is the interview with the author with the book club. I cannot wait to hear more about the story.
It started a bit slow for me but once I got into it a bit I really enjoyed it. This book takes place in the
1880’s but the racism and class issues that Jo the main character faces are still issues today. This is
a YA book but really it didn’t have that high school feel to it. Even though the main character Jo, is
only seventeen, has been working for years because she is Chinese. Jo has a lot of life experience
and is quite talented for someone who has not attended school. She can sew beautiful hats, she can
ride a horse well, she can read and write and she speaks both English and Chinese.
I enjoyed reading about Jo’s journey as she discovered the identity of her parents. My heart broke for
her as she was treated poorly by some of the other characters in the book. However, her resilience to
move forward and do better for herself and her grandfather was amazing. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
stars.
Picture Notes: Background from PicMonkey
I picked this birthday cake to participate in #TheReadRovers BirthdayBingoBash. Happy first birthday to
Lauren’s book club. @thereadroversbookclub.
Book 75
And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
By: Fredrik Backman
Genre: Novella
This short story completes my reading of all the books written by Fredrik Backman. Yes I read them all.
Backman’s books are all consistent 4 & 5 star reads for me. I really like how many of his books deal
with relationships between older and younger generations. They have humor and still manage to tug
at your emotions. And Every Morning The Way Home Get Longer and Longer hit a little too close to
home for me because my grandson’s name is Noah just like the little boy in the story. As the grandpa
and Noah share stories and memories throughout the story it reminded me of the conversations I have
with my grandsons.
Here is my ratings of the Fredrik Backman books:
A Man Called Ove ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Grandmother Told Me To Say She Was Sorry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Britt-Marie Was Here ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And Every Morning The Long Way Home Gets Longer and Longer (Novella) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beartown ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Us Against You ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Deal of a Lifetime (Novella) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World (Non-Fiction) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Anxious People ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beartown and A Man Called Ove are my favorite of all his books.
Book 76
Distant Shores
By: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Romance
I read Distant Shores with #khbacklistbuddyread hosted by @thebookclubmom. It is one of her
earlier books written in 2002. It is about Elizabeth who finds herself lost as a person and unhappy
in life and in her marriage. She needs time to figure out where and what she wants to spend the
rest of her life doing.
Honestly I found the story to be very predictable but once in a while it’s nice to have a happy ending.
I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. I’m looking forward to the book discussion tonight.
Book 77
The Mothers
By: Brit Bennett
Genre: Women’s Fiction
I finally read The Mothers by Brit Bennett. This is a wonderful book dealing with an extremely
difficult topic, abortion. All the feelings that go into the decision from the moment the person
makes the decision, to years after. The feelings that linger, the shame you try to hide and the
secrets you may keep from your family and friends. No matter what side of the issue you are on,
this book will evoke emotions from you. As with all good books it will make you think. This book
may not be for everyone but it is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star book.
Book 78
People We Meet on Vacation
By: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
People We Meet on Vacation is one of those books I’ve been looking forward to reading for so
many reasons.
I loved Beach Read.
Julia Whelan is narrating the audiobook. She is amazing.
This book is on the MMD Summer Reading Guide.
I picked this book for BOTM. So now it’s on my unread shelf.
This is the June selection for two of my book clubs:
#mmdbookclub & #readersacrossoceans and it is the July selection for my IRL book club.
It completes another box on my bingo card for #thereadroversreadathonbirthdaybingo.
As I see it, reading this book is a win for me. People We Meet on Vacation is a great summer beach read.
All the happy vibes that you are looking for in a summer read are in this book. I love the banter between Alex
and Poppy. To be honest I don’t know why it takes them twelve years to understand their feelings, but hey
everyone is different. Things I loved about this book: The travel!!! Who doesn’t want to read about travel.
I really want to go to some of the places named in the book. Second, in my next life I’m naming my kids
Parker, Prince and Poppy. Fun names. The other thing I liked in the story was Poppy was thinking of surprises
for Alex to do on vacations. That would be fun to do as well. All and all this book is a fun happy romance book.
I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
Book 79
Brown Girl Dreaming
By: Jacqueline Woodson
Genre: Middle Grade/AutoBiography
I squeezed in one more Middle Grade book this month. @library.laura recommended Brown Girl Dreaming
back in January as a book with high expectations so I had added it to my tbr list. I noticed there was no
waiting on Overdrive, so I grabbed it. First of all I didn’t realize it was Jacqueline Woodson’s autobiography,
that was a pleasant surprise. Hearing her story of growing up in South Carolina and New York in the 1960
and 1970 was extremely interesting to me. I found reading many of the stories she recalled about her
childhood and the racism she felt was not all that different from what people describe today. It’s a great
book to learn and educate yourself and others with. This is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star book. It has a powerful
and positive message.
Photo Note: I’m loving my Peony plant this spring. It has so many blooms on it.
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