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*Audiobook Challenge 2022 : "The Bookshop on the Corner" by Jenny Colgan: I'm so glad I chose this book as one of my challenge listens. It is THE CUTEST story and was just as cute and just sunshiney to listen to unfold. It's incredible to me that a book read almost 5 years ago is still lodged in my subconscious and gives me an opportunity to remember how happy it made me when I read it the first time. There is science behind that, my bookish friends, and I LOVE IT. Rated PG all the way and so stinkin cute.
The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel: This audiobook was a suggestion from my bestie Jo and about 2 chapters in to listening I was 100% positive I had already listened to it, but I liked it a lot so I didn't stop. It could also be that the narrator is one who reads a few other books I love, but I don't think that's the case. Not long after I finished this book Jo sent me a text raving about an audiobook and I said (with a smile on my face) "I'm glad you liked it because I referred it to you." Needless to say, we had a good laugh and we are officially those besties that will have to grow old and senile with each other so we have a new set of adventures to "remember." This book is rated PG-13/maybe R for really strong themes centered around war, marriage without love and the horrific things Nazi soldiers felt they were allowed to do to women.
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to host a dinner party with all the people who inhabit the insecurities and hard feelings in your soul? Well, that is what the author does in this book and it was interesting. I struggled to follow when it was present day vs. subconscious and I think that would have been easier to follow had I read the physical book vs. listening to it. It was still a book that gave a lot of food for thought and had me thinking about who I would invite to my dinner party. My invite list has changed over the years, but I think that is how it is supposed to be. Sometimes we deal with life and relationships better than other times and then we release the trauma and move on. This book is rated PG for language, but nothing too crazy.
The Woman Who Loved Mankind by Lillian Bullshows Hogan: What a beautiful book. I've added some special research to my reading list in 2022 and this was at the top of the list for me. Lillian is one of the few Crow elders who was willing to have her life story published. I was absolutely moved by the stories she recounted and the beauty and simplicity of her life in Crow Country before and after the reservation was established. This book was not thrifted, but a gift from my parental units after a visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Crow Agency, MT. The book is not rated. It is real life.
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin: I've been trying to read or listen to books that showcase different cultures or time periods in the world. Reading is a great way to connect real life to the challenges experienced by those who came before us and how I can be a better human. This book was just such a journey. This is a lovely coming of age tale about an emigrant who wants to go for bigger and better, but her heart is still attached to the home country. I really enjoyed this book and it was another reminder of the sacrifices refugees make to come to a new country in search of something better for themselves and family. This book is rated PG-13 due to life experiences and the challenges that come because of racism and poverty.
A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams: So, full disclosure, this author seems to gravitate to the stories when aristocrats are inclined to have a mistress/outside lover. This was a glittery tale of heroines who seek more than they have in the fast lane of New York City. It's the "behind the scenes" of glitz and glamour and what people did to maintain their place in society in the days following WWI. I enjoy Beatriz Williams descriptive writing style and it feels like you're in the middle of it all. This book is rated lower grade R for well....my first sentence.
There you have it! June was fun and I look forward to sharing what is on the To Be Read list in July!
Until next time, my lovelies!
-R
