Women’s Fiction spanning thirty five years. The author put a good deal of thought and effort in writing this book. (Hence the two stars) It was easy to get lost and confused as names changed and time periods jumped around. For example: Bear was also Julian and Gordon. It takes place in London, Ireland, Africa, Italy, and Paris, I believe. Not sure if the author was exploring the possible opportunities for a baby boy born in 1984 or the ravages of wife abuse, or the confused experiences of a young daughter. As I started the book, iwasrecommending it to friends who have experienced wife abuse and survived. Then I had to call back and tell them not to waste their time.

This is one of the most famous mysteries of all time. I have to admit I knew most of the story but was surprised by the reveal. I knew the red Herring meant something but it is ironic that the reveal was so revolutionary then and has become borderline cliche now. I can see why it is the standard all modern mysteries are compared to

This novella is from Warner’s point of view after the events of the first book: Shatter Me. I gave this book three stars not because I don’t like it but because there wasn’t anything crazy out of the ordinary about it and I think that had to do with the fact that I read the first three books and then came back to read this novella. I feel like it also got repetitive at times. I really enjoyed it in the sense that we get to see Warner’s feelings after he portrays himself as a tough bad guy in the first book. I think if you really want an element of newness, you should read it directly after the first book when we don’t know so much about Warner from the next books already. However, even though I read it after the first three books, I still enjoyed back tracking and getting to experience the events from the end of Shatter Me and beginning of Unravel Me and everything in between from Warner’s perspective. We also get to see bits from Juliette’s journal that is spoken about in Shatter Me and of course Mafi’s writing and use of similes and metaphors are excellent. It makes you feel the character’s pain.

This book made me laugh, cry, and anxious to read how the characters manage the course of events. I could not put it down. My family had summer bungalow on Long Island (not on Fire Island) for 20 years. It was a small community where wives and children lived at the beach all summer and husbands came out after work on Fridays for the weekend. So many of scenes so beautifully portrayed mirrored my memories. Do not miss reading this book.

This is the fourth installment in the Shatter Me series, and it marks the beginning of a new chapter in Juliette’s journey. It’s fascinating to witness how much Juliette has evolved since the first book. Her character development is one of the strongest elements of the series, and in this book, we see her step into a leadership role in a way that feels both powerful and deeply vulnerable. There were more revelations in this book, pieces that were left out in the first three books begin to unravel here, surrounding Aaron Warner and Juliette’s past. The way these storylines are expanded adds layers of depth and kept me turning the pages. We meet so many new characters and we get to explore them as people as well, which I really like. Tahereh Mafi’s writing continues to shine in this book. Her lyrical, emotional style captures the internal struggles of the characters so vividly that you can’t help but feel their pain and inner turmoil. Overall, I highly recommend this book, especially to readers who’ve been following Juliette’s story from the beginning.

This book follows the life of Susan LaFlesche, the first Native American Doctor in U.S. History. In 1889 she became the doctor f her people. She used her knowledge to assist her people move forward by encouraging them to attend church, avoid alcohol and manage the rush west. This book held my interest throughout as I learned about her family, her tribe, and the fate of Native Americans. Susan worked with government officials to insure her patients /tribe were treated fairly.

I enjoyed this book taking place in the south, nearing the end of the Civil War. A southern woman, her precocious niece, a freed slave who works for her and a wounded Union soldier leads to an intriguing story.

I found this book to be very honest and emotional.

Very interesting story around a true event about a flying race across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii.

This is Alison Bechel’s memoir graphic novel, which was also made into a Broadway musical. I think there were some interesting choices in what words she chose. Some of them were very academic. I am not sure if that was intentional to reference her father’s sophisticated preferences, but it made it a more challenging read. I did find the story interesting and it was a unique way to tell it through words and art. The book is very revealing and heartfelt. It helps tell a story of how we can all struggle with finding who we are.