5 Star Book – My Virtual Bookshelf

The Phantom Tollbooth

What I read: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Why I picked it up: I loved this book as a kid but couldn’t remember it at all – and then I thought I might give it to a friend’s kid this year for his birthday so I wanted to have a recent read of it.

How I read it: On audio at 1.75x speed – Rainn Wilson reads it, which was a delight. His son even makes an appearance as the 5/8ths child.

What it’s about: It’s an exploration of imagination – and what happens when w pretend. It’s also full of plays on words, definitions, numbers, and delight!

What I liked: It was worth listening to, but I also think it would be worth the read to see how the different words end up.

What I disliked: Nothing.

Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, imagination.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely – gift secured!

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

What I read: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld

Why I picked it up: I was intrigued when I saw it come up as a new release a few months ago – and I’ve been putting on the borrow for months, but decided this trip was the time!!

How I read it: On audio at 1.25 speed – it’s a full cast and included a lot of general conversation. I don’t know how this is a physical book when most of the “full cast” was just clips from the show.

What it’s about: It’s an oral history of the show and a commentary on comedians.

What I liked: I loved hearing all of the different people and getting a highlight of the show!

What I disliked: I couldn’t speed it up – that’s not really a problem, just a commentary.

Genre: Memoir, celebrity.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and sure, it was interesting – although I think you’d regret not listening.

The Winners

What I read: The Winners by Fredrik Backman

Why I picked it up: It’s the 3rd in the Beartown series and really demands to be read as part of that series, but you could get a lot out of reading only this one.

How I read it: On audio at 1.75x speed while driving around Indiana this week. The audio is 21 hours long – and while sped up, it’s about 16 or so hours. A lot of miles beside corn fields!

What it’s about: It’s two years after the event that rocked Mya’s world and the two town’s world. Now there’s a funeral and the young people who fled are about to return. A lot of stories are wrapped up, many people take responsibility for their actions and choose to do better in the future. It’s from multiple perspectives told in short chapters – it’s a work of art.

What I liked: I appreciate the honesty that this book (and the entire series) presents about sexual assault. There’s no easy answer and the cause is varied and deep – and more than just the two individuals involved. The consequences are as well. These three journal entries of Ruth, one of the funerals, helps to lay out some of the problems. It’s late in the book, but not really a spoiler.

What I disliked: I hate that this book could be a memoir of two towns where two young women were raped … it’s fictional only in that the exact situations aren’t based on facts – but the awful truth is that it’s not fictional at all.

Genre: Sexual assault, small town, family saga, friendship.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely – the entire series is worth your time, but if you’re only going to read one, then this is the one.

So Many Steves

What I read: So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steven Martin by Steve Martin

Why I picked it up: I love Steve Martin and was intrigued.

How I read it: On audio at 1.0 speed (that never happens) because it’s more like a podcast than an audiobook.

What it’s about: Adam interviews Steve Martin in a Tuesdays with Morrie style (except without the terminal diagnosis) about his career. It’s a series of discussions over the course of a year or so mixed with old shows. It’s truly a delight to listen to.

What I liked: I loved the insight into this super talented, very funny man who I’ve loved in movies and now Only Murders in the Building.

What I disliked: It wasn’t long enough!!

Genre: Celebrity memoir.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and if you like Steve Martin, yes – if you don’t or don’t care about him, probably want to skip.

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

What I read: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks

Why I picked it up: It was written by Tom Hanks, who I adore. And also recommended by a bunch of people I follow who read books I like.

How I read it: On paper over the course of almost two weeks with a bunch of other books in the middle as “rewards” for getting through long sections.

What it’s about: It’s about making a movie from the start of the idea through the end – and it truly is a delight – but it’s very character-y. It’s written more like an oral history than a plot-y book. It was interesting to see all of the different facets, but it wasn’t plot driven.

What I liked: I loved learning about all of the different aspects of moving making, and seeing it done in a really healthy way. Also the comic books that are inside are a nice touch – which is why I read this on paper rather than listen to Tom Hanks narrate the audio, which I would have LOVED.

What I disliked: I was so annoyed at OKB – and could not have been happier when he dug his own grave and they let him lie in it … so happy that happened, but I hated him, just the worst kind of actor-y jerk.

Genre: Celebrity, finding oneself.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – while it was slow for me, I still really appreciated the story – and would recommend it. I did not go ahead and read the screen play you can get at the end, I’m not a superhero movie person, not really – so I just can’t spend more time in this story.

Rilla of Ingleside

What I read: Rilla of Ingelside by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Why I picked it up: I’ve been working my way through re-reading this series on audio this year and finally finished!

How I read it: On audio at 1.75x speed this week.

What it’s about: Rilla, one of the younger girls in the Blythe family is the main character of this book – it walks through her adopting a war baby, seeing her brothers go to the front in WWI, and catching up on all of our old friends with Anne and Gilbert and Susan

What I liked: I loved going back to see all of our old friends – and really walking through Anne’s story from the first moment she came to Green Gables to being a grown, married woman with adult children.

What I disliked: There were a lot of letters and diary entries, it might have been better on paper, but was still a delight. This is the only one of the series that wasn’t a re-read for me.

Genre: Young adult, historical fiction.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely, it’s best read as part of the series though – if read as a stand alone, you might miss a lot of the extra character adventures.

Practice Makes Perfect

What I read: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

Why I picked it up: I read the first in this upcoming series last year and was excited for the second story of these delightful siblings.

How I read it: On Kindle in an evening and a morning because it is a delight!

What it’s about: Annie has always been the sweet sister, even called “Angel Annie” by her siblings. They love to tease her in this way, but she hates it! She hates being pigeon holed into a lifestyle that is not who she really is. But now she’s decided to get married – only problem is she’s awful at dating. So she enlists her best friend’s bodyguard to be her dating/adventure coach. He’s not into feelings or relationships; the opposite of her – so they can pretend without anyone catching feelings, or can they?

What I liked: The banter, his flower tattoos, her flower shop, the adventures, the kissing practice – all a delight!!

What I disliked: I wasn’t a huge fan of her sisters… But also I think the next two books in the series are about the sisters, so maybe I’ll grow to like them.

Genre: Small town, fake dating, finding oneself, closed door.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and YES. You don’t need the first to understand the second, but I think it helps. Also this is a great example of a fade-to-black closed door story.

The Garden of Small Beginnings

What I read: The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

Why I picked it up: I received this from a friend years ago who read it and said “It was fine, but I’ll never read it again so I won’t make room on my shelf for it.” Then I promptly put it on my shelf and never read it – so I chose it as this month’s book club selection.

How I read it: On paperback over the past few days or so.

What it’s about: Lili lost her husband about 4 years ago and is just now coming through the fog of grief, but then her job goes away, and her kids start asking questions about their dad, and a man with a dutch accent kisses her in her kitchen. Also she’s attending a six week gardening class at the local botanical garden that truly changes everything about where she thought she would be right now.

What I liked: I loved the coming together of many different people to form a new friend group around their new common interest of gardening. The children were super sweet, love was found in many different places, and it was truly a delight to read. Also the gardening tips between each chapter!!

What I disliked: Everything grew in less than six weeks? That has not been my gardening experience … and that felt a little fictionalized/sped up for the sake of the story.

Genre: Grief, finding oneself motherhood.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely! And now I’ve read Abbi’s entire back catalogue and can’t wait for her next book!

Letters to Myself from the End of the World

What I read: Letters to Myself from the End of the World by Emily Simpson Chapman

Why I picked it up: I’ve followed her for awhile and purchased this when they were having a sale and I could pre-order her new children’s book about Mary, but it took me weeks to actually begin.

How I read it: On paper, one letter at a time, even evening during Easter for night prayer/spiritual reading.

What it’s about: It’s a series of letters on holiness, prayer, motherhood, singleness, and more written from 45 year old Emily in the year 2020 to 20 year old Emily in the year 2000. Throughout the book she tells her younger self to be patient, to lean into the Lord, and to keep her eyes open to God’s love. They were such a good reminder about how we learn and grow and how no season is forever.

What I liked: I liked the idea of reflecting back, thinking about what I would tell my younger self to do, not because I have regrets, but because now I know things that would have made her life a lot easier if she’d known them.

What I disliked: It was written during the pandemic, and my pandemic experience was different than Emily’s – I didn’t have quite so much of “the world is ending” right now vibes during 2020, so sometimes it’s hard to read books that do.

Genre: Spiritual reading, spiritual memoir, pandemic.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely. Reading it letter by letter or in a small group to discuss section by section would be a great idea for a young adult ladies study. This would have made a great buddy read!

Bloomed to be Messy

What I read: Bloomed to be Messy by Dineen Miller

Why I picked it up: Emma St. Clair recommended it in her newsletter yesterday so I borrowed it from Kindle Unlimited to read in the future – then I was looking for something to read while eating dinner last night and picked it up.

How I read it: On Kindle Unlimited in an evening after the kids I was watching went to bed – staying up a little too late to finish because “just one more chapter.”

What it’s about: Amanda is called back home when her aunt passes. She’s inherited her shop and her condo – with the condition that she can’t sell it until she’s run it for a year – only problem is her dream is being a designer in New York. So she takes a break from her dream for a year to set up in this small, coastal Florida town. Then the plagues begin and she thinks her new flower shop might be doomed. Kade, her high school nemesis, ends up being quite helpful in all of the rebuilding situations and worms his way into her heart. She’s torn now between pursuing her dreams and following her heart – should she stay or go?

What I liked: Kade’s niece, Eliana, was a delight!! His relationship with her was so precious. She’s so precocious and a gal I’d love to have in my life!

What I disliked: It was a little annoying hearing her declare her dream could only be fulfilled in NYC when she was actually doing it in Florida, but when the mind’s made up, it’s made up.

Genre: Chaste love story, finding oneself, small town.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and it was a sweet read – there’s a sequel coming out in the next year I’ll probably read too!