I’m # 408 on the library queue. I started in the 1300’s. Getting there and hope it’s worth the wait..
Heart the Lover by Lily King. I’ve really liked all of her books but this one takes the cake. I never cry reading books and tears were falling for the last 20 pages. So good.
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I am also really enjoying this book! In addition to being well written, I like her writing style a lot.
@FallGirl : I really think it is!!
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Read @2VU0609 recommendation, Buckeye, and enjoyed it. (Wasn’t tempted to put it down, btw!) Patrick Ryan is a very good storyteller, and the writing is solid and flows easily. This is another one that would be great for a book club. There are many topics themes that are woven into the story (infidelity, mysticism, homosexuality, family dynamics and generational trauma, forgiveness, aging, etc), that would be great fodder for discussion. This is a family saga involving 2 couples, their parents, and their children with enough attention given to each that their interactions and actions seem plausible. My hunch is that this one would be pretty popular with many of the readers on this CC thread.
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I just finished Careless People. I agree it’s very readable and while most of it isn’t new it’s still very powerful. My only quibble is why did she stick around so long? Her excuses for not leaving are not very convincing to me. But it’s a small quibble!
I also recently finished Conspirituality which is about how some in the new age/wellness community got caught up in right wing conspiracy theories /QAnon and how the two groups aren’t really as different as you’d think. Very interesting, written by three journalists /podcasters who all spent significant time in the yoga/wellness world.
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This sounds similar to part of what is described in “Hey Hun” (not a particularly well-written book, but interesting) with MLM and that angle. It was especially interesting to me because I knew someone who got caught up in that after joining a MLM that was going to make her rich (spoiler: it didn’t).
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The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. It sat in my holds list for almost a year. Just wow. I haven’t cried over a story in a very, very long time. This one will stay with me in the same way A Prayer for Owen Meany has, redemption stories both, deeply touching in so many ways. Both go to the core of what makes us human and depict what love really looks like.
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We read that in my book club last year. There were some really endearing aspects to it. But… we all felt overwhelmed by the variety of characters and story lines.
We kindof wished for a movie version, and it may be coming…
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Wishful thinking, but I hope the movie doesn’t edit out a single thing.
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Admittedly I did read the book before I started printing out book character lists for the more complex novels.
Here’s a link in case it helps others - https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heaven-and-earth-grocery-store/characters/
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I just finished Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Good read.
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I recently finished The Wedding People. Wasn’t really even sure what it was about and admittedly read it because “everyone” was reading it!
To be honest, at the beginning I thought it might be a DNF (do not finish) for me. The content of the story at the beginning kind of disturbed me and I guess well written, felt quite real. But I stuck with it and was glad I did. Interesting and good character development and while the heavy topic sort of dissolved, it was a 4+ stars for me.
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I am so happy to see your review on The Wedding People as this one seems in front of me whenever I buy a book - online, in person, etc. Will put it on my list!
Highly recommend The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce. A wonderful family story. Great characters and great plot.
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I felt the same way about Wedding People. I waited months to get it from the library and at first I wasn’t sure I’d get through it. In the end I was glad I kept going.
I just finished the autobiography by Ina Garten. I randomly picked it up and I enjoyed reading about her life.
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I really enjoyed Ina Garten’s book.
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So many books, so little time.
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I really enjoyed this book too. It takes place in an area I am very familiar with (to make this CC relevant, it’s in the Hill Schools backyard 
)
my book club gave it mixed reviews but the more we talked, the more many members called out specific things they appreciated.
Yes, there are a LOT of characters. But that’s what I enjoyed - the humanity of everyone in the book
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I finished The Martha’s Vineyard Beach & Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly yesterday. The story moved really well and I think I would rate it in my top 5 books of the year. Very enjoyable!
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