
Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo and Lynn Vincent
Book
"A beautifully written glimpse into heaven that will encourage those who doubt and thrill those who...

Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions
Book
In this unprecedented view from the trenches, prosecutor turned champion for the innocent Mark...

Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I
Book
January, 1649. After seven years of fighting in the bloodiest war in Britain's history, Parliament...

Postcards from Checkpoint Charlie: Images of the Berlin Wall
Book
Between 1945 and 1961, an estimated 2.5 million people fled East Germany in search of the political...

Breach
Olumide Popoola and Annie Holmes
Book
In the refugee camp known as The Jungle an illusion is being disrupted: that of a neatly ordered...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone, #19) in Books
May 15, 2021
Cold cases can make excellent novels, and this is a perfect example. It is obvious early on that Kinsey is gaining new information, but how that is going to play out keeps us guessing until the end. I was certain I knew who it was, but I was wrong. Still, the ending did make sense to me. The characters are strong as always. Kinsey spends much of the book out of town, so we don’t see much of the regulars, which was disappointing, but a minor issue. While all the “modern” 1987 scenes are narrated from Kinsey’s first-person point of view, there are sections from other character’s point of view back in 1953. As good as some of those scenes are, sadly, there are some very graphic scenes in them. We could have easily done without them and it wouldn’t have impacted the story at all. I’m taking a star off for that. If you are a fan, be prepared to skim those scenes and you’ll still enjoy the book overall.

Carrie Brownstein recommended track Told You So by Miguel in War & Leisure by Miguel in Music (curated)

The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days: Recipes to Make Every Day Special
Book
The bestselling, hugely popular Hummingbird Bakery is back with a wonderful new collection of easy...

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Since You've Been Gone in Books
Mar 25, 2021
When Emily's best friend Sloane disappears, right on the cusp of the epic summer they have planned, she feels adrift. Sloane is outgoing while Emily is shy, and she doesn't know what to do without her friend. But then a letter arrives from Sloane, with a list of things Emily should do over the summer, such as "kiss a stranger," "dance until dawn," "hug a Jamie," and more. Very little on the list are things Emily feels comfortable with--they are more Sloane-esque--but she embarks on them anyway, hoping they will bring her friend back. Soon she has the unexpected help of Frank Porter, an upstanding fellow classmate and not normally a friend of hers, and her summer is off to an interesting start.
This is a fun and fluffy book, with a small but lovable cast of characters. I really liked Emily and adored Frank. I especially identified with Emily due to her shyness and her intense dislike of horses. Somehow the crossing items off a list concept was fresh and intriguing here. It's a very summery book, filled with all those fun summery things: ice cream, road trips, pizza parlors, falling in love, and more.
It is a little concerning that no one seems to worry that Sloane and her family has been kidnapped, when she just disappears, but maybe kidnapped people don't have access to stamps?
Overall, this is a sweet book focused on teen friendship. It's cute and romantic and will make you long for warm summer nights and falling in love for the first time.
