The Big Finish

★★★★ 

I went into The Big Finish totally blind and really enjoyed it! I loved the story development and the quick writing. Duffy, the curmudgeon, anchored the story and became such an endearing character. You know me and grumpy old men! Can’t get enough!! 

I thought the middle lagged a bit, but I was so impressed with how everything came together by the end. I’d love to see where Josie and Anderson are now. There were so many beautiful moments of second changes and new beginnings. 

If you’re looking for a sweet book to read this winter, look into this one!

Target Book Basket Haul!

There are a few questions that my followers ask that circulate weekly and one of them is what I do with our library books and books my kids keep in their room. Honestly, that is a losing battle trying to keep things neat and tidy and organized, but one thing I am vigilant about is keeping their books in something. Either a bookshelf, basket, bin, bag, ledge, whatever keeps them off the ground. Our dog has been known to chew up books and nothing else brings me into a rage faster than a chewed up book. 

I was at Target earlier this week and found so many great baskets! If you're looking for better storage for your books, I have a tip for you: Grab books at the store and try them out in the basket! This is super helpful especially with children's books. Grab the biggest book they have and see which baskets work. Every book lover knows the frustrations of books not fitting where you want them and children's books are always an awkward size.

LINKS:

1. Braided Seagrass Crate 2. Wire Stackable Basket 3. Metal Storage Bin 4. Woven Banana Folio Bin 

5. Stackable Wood Storage Bin 6. Braided Hyacinth Leather Handle Basket 7. Rattan Storage Basket

Recapping 2022

Whenever New Years rolls around, I am not ready to roll out my goals and resolutions. I am always envious of the people who are so put together and ready to hit the ground running at the turn of the calendar and year. But give me the start of a new school year and I am full of goals and resolutions. 

Let's recap 2022 before diving into my 2023 goals. I am very proud of myself that my total finished books last year came to a whopping 106 books. It was so much fun going through my year of books and pulling out my favorites. Landing on a top 10 was harder than I thought and even after, I left out a new favorite that I finished in December. 

The book I would add to this list (no surprise here) is This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. I read it after I compiled this list and immediately regretted it because This Tender Land absolutely was a favorite book of 2022! Keep an eye out for my full review because WOW, just wow. 

Do you see any of your 2022 favorites on this list? Two of my favorite moments were interviewing Clare Pooley and Shelby Van Pelt. I had stars in my eyes! It is such a privilege any time I have the opportunity to connect with an author. It makes all this book stuff worth it and I love being able to get to know them better. I cannot wait to see which authors come my way this year!

Where the Lost Wander

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this incredible book? I’m kicking myself for taking this long picking up an Amy Harmon book and now I’ve stacked my TBR with all over her backlist titles for the next little while.

Where the Lost Wander is primarily about the May family traveling across the Overland Trail in 1853, but there is so much in this story that captured my heart. 

The development and detail of every character was so rich, but the character that I loved the most was John Lowry. John was the guide for the May family, but we learn bits and pieces about John and his upbringing throughout the beginning of the story. We learn about the relationships between the Indian tribes and their people. 

There is a lot of tragedy along this treacherous trail but the people crossing were so courageous and determined to make a better life for their families. I have always admired the strength of the early settlers. My own family has history of crossing the plains and settling in Canada and this gave me a bit of insight into the difficult road they chose and the many things and comforts they sacrificed in order to create a better life. 

One of the pieces of this story that caught me off guard was how connected I would feel to the Indian tribes and their beautiful traditions. John Lowry was the bridge to connect both worlds and I found Harmon’s writing to be so beautiful and respectful as she approached these conflicts. History is difficult to understand at times, but there is always something to be learned and I learned so much.

Wow! This story is going to stick with me for awhile! All the stars!

 

January- Meagan's Book Club Pick

 

We are kicking off the new year with Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro! I am thrilled to be back to monthly book clubs. I have missed you all so much! Last year, as we know, was a bit bananas with my family moving. I knew that I wasn't able to sustain 12 book clubs with my personal life happening in background, but now things have settled and stabled and I am ready to get back to it. 

For the synopsis:

"Signal Fires opens on a summer night in 1985. Three teenagers have been drinking. One of them gets behind the wheel of a car, and, in an instant, everything on Division Street changes. Each of their lives, and that of Ben Wilf, a young doctor who arrives on the scene, is shattered. For the Wilf family, the circumstances of that fatal accident will become the deepest kind of secret, one so dangerous it can never be spoken.

On Division Street, time has moved on. When the Shenkmans arrive—a young couple expecting a baby boy—it is as if the accident never happened. But when Waldo, the Shenkmans’ brilliant, lonely son who marvels at the beauty of the world and has a native ability to find connections in everything, befriends Dr. Wilf, now retired and struggling with his wife’s decline, past events come hurtling back in ways no one could ever have foreseen.

In Dani Shapiro’s first work of fiction in fifteen years, she returns to the form that launched her career, with a riveting, deeply felt novel that examines the ties that bind families together—and the secrets that can break them apart. Signal Fires is a work of haunting beauty by a masterly storyteller."

I hope you read a long with me this month and carve out time every month this year. I have the next three months planned out and they are good! If you are interested in following me on instagram, you can find me here. I will also say that the majority of the book club content will be conducted through the subscription on instagram and you can sign up there if you are interested in being part of the end of the month discussion.