The first part of the story felt a little slow for me, but I'm so very glad I stuck with this beautiful The story is 480 pages, and ultimately that felt like an appropriate length for settling into the points This is an intriguing structure for the story: Jesus as a supporting cast member. Jesus's role in Ana's story is as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the time.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading I, Medusa , Ayana Gray's recently published story from the perspective But she catches the eye of Poseidon, which turns the tides (see what I did there?) mine, Madeline Miller's Circe , which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Wonderfully Witchy Stories There was the time he kidnapped a neighbor's pet goose, the time he accidentally aided and abetted a

When Jaryk learns that his father has been killed under mysterious circumstances in India, he travels But he becomes involved in the complicated politics of the time and finds himself stuck between past Time passes, and a young family moves onto Division Street. “If only time could be seen whole, then you could see the past remaining intact, instead of vanishing

nature to many of my gift recipients, and these types of books can often be read a little bit at a time chronicler of ocean life and author of Voices in the Ocean, The Wave , and The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks , traveled the world to accompany scientists Casey shares myths and stories about the ocean deep, along with some of the knowledge cutting-edge technology

Monaghan's excellent seaside rom-com with fake dating in which seeming opposites attract, Dolly All the Time is scheduled for publication August 4, courtesy of NetGalley and Doubleday Books. 02 Dolly All the Time Annabel Monaghan is also the author of books including Nora Goes Off Script, Same Time Next Summer, Summer Romance, and It's a Love Story. 03 The Tapestry of Fate: An Amina al-Sirafi Adventure, Part Two by Shannon Chakraborty I loved every bit of Chakraborty's first story of willful, sometimes grumpy pirate Amina

the point that this all began to feel like distracting filler, rather than developing into relevant story throttle these disappointingly flaky early twentysomething boys, and while it wouldn't work for the story years of their stories we weren't privy to , then Jordan has a poignant if largely unsatisfying reconnection I think if I had understood the interconnectedness of the stories up front, I would have felt positively As it was, I wanted more depth from the story but didn't feel it.

The tone is difficult to pin down; there is dark humor, a dark thread of tragedy, and a story that could He begins wondering about unexplained aspects of his own family history, and when the three of them travel

and so far morbidly funny debut novel Lost Lambs; I'm listening to Anna Johnston's extremely sweet story Madeline Cash is also the author of the short story collection Earth Angel. 02 The Borrowed Life of Frederick bankrupted him) and without any idea of where to go or what to do when he takes a forlorn walk along the river

Chambers's science fiction is full of heart, heartbreak, and hope--with a fascinating backdrop of space travel Chambers's story is science fiction that's full of heart, heartbreak, and hope. The book feels much more focused on the characters--with a backdrop of space travel and otherworldly Much of the story is about acceptance and openness and finding ways to get along.

I'm fascinated by stories in which a woman poses as a man in order to achieve freedoms otherwise not In Pope Joan , Cross offers fascinating, grim, brutal details of life in the Dark Ages to bring the story For more North Carolina stories, check out the books on this Bossy list . Archie begins wondering about unexplained aspects of his own family history, and when he and his aunts travel This aspect keeps the story moving, although it frequently distracted me from the hearty story of Vietnam

Pony Confidential is a cute story of a bond between a pony and its long-ago owner. It's nominally a mystery, but it's mainly a heartwarming story about determination and honoring old loyalties In Pony Confidential 's alternating points of view, Christina Lynch offers a playful story of Penny, We track back in time to her youth as pieces of the mystery are revealed. The story is nominally a mystery, but more so a tale of a pony who is thwarted at nearly all of its headstrong

protagonists must confront and overcome past and present difficulties in order to banter their way through the story one night after a concert, when she was shoeless and in need of a ride home: she chose joking, fun-time-guy Early in this story she had already explored money troubles, death and grief, identity theft and financial I did at times very much feel as though Chris was going too far, taking measures Larissa wasn't asking Larissa is irresistible, and Jimenez takes what feels like an impossibility of a future and ekes out a story

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Go as a River, historical fiction from Shelley Read; I'm listening to the audiobook version of Mary Otis's Burst, a story about a mother and daughter; and I'm reading 01 Go As a River by Shelley Read Victoria is the last surviving female in a family of complicated men When tragedy strikes, Victoria flees into the wilderness as the Gunnison River threatens to flood her Go as a River is based on the true story of the destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado, in the 1960s

is the most recent Kevin Wilson gem; his quirky characters are irresistible, and his heartwarming story His wonderfully eccentric characters and story scenarios might seem self-consciously zany in another But when a stranger who calls himself Rube shows up in a rented PT Cruiser with a story about how Mad As they locate two more siblings and bring them along to find their dad, each shares stories from their Each child ultimately realizes that any resentments, stories, justifications, or hopes they have built

This wonderfully creepy lesbian vampire story is largely about female empowerment, but also about love I loved each time period and the evolution of each strong female character. I loved that the women of each time insist upon creating situations in which they have autonomy and agency Within the female-focused vampirism of the story, women demand even more from their lives, refusing to I enjoyed spending time in each time period.

The story is so compelling, I'm riveted so far. I've got historical fiction/fantasy, royal historical fiction, and a compelling nonfiction story that

But despite the page time we spent with him in The River--when I felt a deeper connection to the character Yet we didn't really need the character in this book to be Jack in order for the story to work. But when things began unraveling in the story, I felt as though the tone of the book shifted abruptly I love Peter Heller's books, including his thrilling, character-driven story The River, the meditative yet decisively action-oriented The Painter, and his post-apocalyptic story The Dog Stars, which was

Emiko Jean's young adult light fiction Tokyo Ever After is the story of Izumi (Izzy) Tanaka, an everyday The only thing more outrageous is that she's asked to travel to Japan to meet her father and the rest of her royal family for the first time. Jean's story is lighthearted, romantic, and sometimes poignant with frequently silly, teenaged comments And for young adult royal stories, try Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series.

In Heart, Be at Peace , Donal Ryan shares the story of a small town in Ireland. The story is told from 21 interconnected points of view, and I had trouble differentiating between the characters and their voices from time to time. More Donal Ryan and Irish Stories Donal Ryan is also the author of The Queen of Dirt Island ,  The Spinning

She evokes the words of James Baldwin, recounts some of her late husband's life story in "My Refugee, " notes her time speaking at President Obama's inauguration, digs into our nation's more distant past additional exploration and further wise reflections from Alexander, and I yearned for her to spend more time

Strout also wrote the wonderful interconnected short story collection Anything Is Possible. The details of running the Canadian river, traveling and camping, and Jack and Wynn's friendship itself Heller also wrote the wonderful dystopian story The Dog Stars, as well as The Painter. I was most struck by the character-driven WWII stories, which were haunting and lovely. This story was so much more than I expected, but thankfully Napolitano didn’t rely solely on her book

I bought O Caledonia  at Powell's Books the last time I visited my best friend in Oregon and am finally Boarding school leads to further ostracization and irritating demands upon Janet's time, when she'd prefer darkly funny, with a surprisingly startling and tragic setup for O Caledonia 's immersive, atmospheric story the stage for (and close the loop on) a character's demise distracting, but I was captivated by the story More Gothic Tales For Bossy reviews of other Gothic stories, please check out the titles at this link

the relatively slow pacing throughout felt suited to an insular island life that exists outside of time Why does it exist within a time vacuum so that those living on it don't age? No clue. I don't know why time moves strangely against its shores. Ellie supposes: "Maybe Clay's broken heart severed time, cracked it like an egg. I was intrigued by the early story, willing to put aside any temporary impatience about the pacing of

Cloud Cuckoo Land to Doerr's beloved and quite different book All the Light We Cannot See, and the stories I didn't feel immediately connected to Doerr's story because of the various timelines and characters, but as he began to deeply interweave the stories across time, he also set up rich glimpses into characters for what is sure to be contagious fascination. 05 These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett “Any story Dutch House, Bel Canto, The Patron Saint of Liars, Commonwealth, The Magician's Assistant, This Is the Story

The Books I'm Reading Now It's Green Books time! grown-up magical school tale, The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones; I'm listening to Jessica Guerrieri's story the midst of a local woman's disappearance, Both Things Can Be True; and I'm reading Marjan Kamali's story Only time will tell whether the crisis will usher in a new era of honesty and support.

I love Aaron Falk stories and I loved the twisty interconnectedness of the characters in Exiles . I wasn't ever sure who was responsible for the multiple tragedies at the heart of the story, and the I'm in for all Jane Harper and all Aaron Falk stories! The tone of the story is shaped by its setting: an unforgiving winter on an Australian island. connected across time.

Mercy. 03 The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre ​ The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War is a wonderfully paced and skillfully recounted Cold War-era story of spy intrigue, Farrow also explores the difficulty the long-silenced victims have in bravely deciding to tell their stories Valley Road by Robert Kolker ​ Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story It’s absolutely meticulously researched and riveting.

There are a few indications of the time period ( Lawrence of Arabia is showing at the movie theater, and Elvis Presley is referenced), but the story feels largely to exist outside of time. This slim story (the book is 176 pages) is eerie and unforgettable.

When a pregnant, storied Queen Joanna arrives in Avignon to stand trial for the murder of her husband Eleanore's sudden access to great figures is overly convenient, but this moves the story along nicely plague, and the city of Avignon feels evident, and I particularly enjoyed the details that made the time The religious fervor, fears, and the queasily specific medical practices of the time (lancing buboes! help the story come alive.

Count me in for Irish-set novels--and for suspenseful, mysterious-past stories that hint at darkness, But Hurtubise builds the true heart of this story around the development of its characters and relationships I also love a story involving a character's mysterious past, and I love a suspenseful story that I'm I blew through this novel, and the whole time I was reading Saoirse , I held my breath that it would And don't miss these stories filled with suspense and stories about art .

They spent their days walking by the river, and to keep Flora entertained and distracted, Hazel made up elaborate stories about a magical, secret world alongside the water. Sutanto Vera Wong is running a largely unvisited tea house, lamenting her grown son's lack of time for Focusing on respect, love, and closure, MacNaughton offers a guide to creating a path through the precious time

In Let Us Descend , she leans on the stories of her warrior female ancestors as she draws increasing Annis leans on the comfort of the presence of this fierce spirit during grim or terrifying times, but The horrifying, specific, dark cruelties throughout the story, which are inflicted upon Black people In order to see the story through, I kept reminding myself that I was bearing witness to a fictional You can find other Bossy reviews of books that tell the stories of enslaved persons here .

I love a sci-fi story about a ragtag space gang trying to salvage a desperate situation. series delivers charming, heartwarming adventure and a cast of characters I can't wait to spend more time I loved how much warmth Thorne injected into this story; bighearted sci-fi is my absolute favorite type I loved the story's coziness and tone, which assured me that everything was going to work out.

claim to the Tichborne family fortune, insisting that he was a long-lost noble son much changed by his time Her voice and point of view are sometimes testy, often incisive, and at other times diminished--a product of the limitations of single women in that time. In the story, much of the populace lines up with the pretend heir, against all known facts and likelihood , as well as essays and short stories.

Science and Nature Book Gift Ideas I spend most of my reading time on fiction titles, but my favorite stock. 01 To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery by Neil deGrasse Tyson Once upon a time Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. , recognized as the most dangerous river in the world. I love a story about strong women in the past braving the wild.

What a satisfyingly rich world and story. , and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories . a smart, intriguing, twisty story that plays with time and offers second chances, revelations, betrayals with time. The story begins with a mother awaiting her teenage son's return home late one night.

The story is sometimes funny, and it's consistently suspenseful and character-driven. This story felt smart, strange, and intriguing. I can't wait to read more books by this author. of the limitations of single women in that time. , as well as essays and short stories. For more family stories you might like, please check out the Bossy reviews at this link .

I liked the unlikely modern-day friendship and depth of connection, and I love a best-friend story, but book club dug into his novel Beartown --and there was a dramatic split between those who loved that story The book repeatedly tracks back in time to that summer that changed everything, and it alternates peeks At the center of the story is a work of art, and in repeated trips back in time, we see the friends' More Stories about Best Friends You might want to check out these other Bossy reviews of stories about

science fiction is full of heart, heartbreak, and hope--set against a fascinating backdrop of space travel Chambers's story is science fiction that's full of heart, heartbreak, and hope. The book feels much more focused on the characters--with a backdrop of space travel and otherworldly Much of the story is about acceptance and openness and finding ways to get along. The present-day story alternates with peeks back in time to life before this space mission, which show

The marching toward destruction of both of these makes for a nerve-racking, heartbreaking story. 's final section held surprises I did not anticipate, and their exposure colors the entirety of the story Four people are connected across time and geography in Richard Powers's sweeping story of their lives Each of the main characters drives the story in a different way, and I was invested in the struggles within a story and the punch that was packed in its reveal.

The appealingly playful love story incorporates issues of body image, job insecurity, and past tragedy The banter made me laugh at times, and I bought the attraction between Katie and Hutch, as well as the Supporting characters are great, colorful, and add nice layers of interconnectedness to the story. not swimming is easily resolved (in convenient fashion, so that the two main protagonists can spend time The famous ex fades away as an issue as the story goes on.

These Bossy favorites from a summer past stand the test of time. And soon I'll post another set of Bossy romantic favorites, this time titles that were published this the Past Year Six More of My Favorite Light Fiction Reads of the Past Year Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading Six More Great Light Fiction Stories Six of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of The True Love Experiment is Fizzy's story.

author says, in what feels like an accurate reflection of his book: “...I saw an opportunity to tell a story Mercy. 03 The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War is a wonderfully paced and skillfully recounted Cold War-era story of spy intrigue, Valley Road by Robert Kolker Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story Thinking back on it, I was probably loopy on that front, but regardless, it is riveting reading.

Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through.

When the trip involves mishap after mishap, the travelers begin to wonder whether the legend of the treasure surprises didn't always feel as though they followed logical paths, I appreciated the mystery-lite story

I felt that knowing the story of the nonspeaking author of this novel added significant depth and poignancy to this big-hearted, heartbreaking story of the clients and staff of an adult daycare center, their personal stories, and their inner lives. communication, which the author well knows can be a fraught, necessarily inventive and flexible, complex, time-consuming Brown's personal experiences lend legitimacy and particular poignancy to the protagonists' stories and

limits, and storytelling through song; The Last Green Valley, historical fiction based on the real story Chambers's story is science fiction that's full of heart, heartbreak, and hope. The book feels much more focused on the characters--with a backdrop of space travel and otherworldly Much of the story is about acceptance and openness and finding ways to get along. In the nine essays and short stories that make up Festival Days, the fantastic Jo Ann Beard explores

the interconnectedness of grief, love, community, and nature in this heartwarming literary fiction story The fig tree shares the story of the young lovers and while exploring the conflicts between Turkish and stranger of an aunt emerges, and with her, the possibility of filling in missing pages of Ada's parents' story Elif Shafak is also the author of There Are Rivers in the Sky, Three Daughters of Eve, The Forty Rules

mystery series with a feminist heroine; a great lakeside summertime romance; a 1980s-set astronaut story by Taylor Jenkins Reid I love an astronaut story, and while Reid spent far more page time on relationships This was exactly the right story for me at the right time, and I hugged it to my chest when I finished I enjoyed spending time in each time period. place and time with rich details.

Early in the story we learn about Bev and Trudy's longtime and somewhat surreptitious love. The story progresses to focus on Nate and his troubles, as well as the middle-aged men of the story and Shannon Bowring is also the author of Where the Forest Meets the River (Dalton, Maine #2).