Awake* by Jen Hatmaker - This is one of my favorite memoirs ever. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it, but I thought it was an amazingly honest and vulnerable work about a devastating time that somehow manages to be hopeful and loving and positive. I also found it inspiring, and I'm working to be more vulnerable and true to myself now.
Love is the Way* by Bishop Michael Curry - After I finished Awake, I listened to a bunch of Jen's podcasts. One of them was from the end of 2021, when her guest was Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry. I loved his message, so I then listened to his book. It may have changed my life. The message wasn't new - of course love is the way - but there was a practical aspect to the message that worked for me. I'm now trying to "sow seeds" everywhere. That's all. And that's everything.
Village Library cozy mysteries* by Elizabeth Spann Craig - I love when I read the first book in a series and enjoy it so much that I just keep going with the rest of the series. That's what happened with these books.
Somehow* by Anne Lamott - I've seen Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird* recommended by every writer, but I've never read it. (I think I tried it once but didn't get very far.) So I'm not sure what I expected when I listened to this book, but I ended up delighted - not just by the uplifting message that somehow life is good, but by her absolute deadpan delivery of absurd events and sentiments.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men* by Caroline Criado Perez - I've learned so much about gender disparities in the last five to ten years, but this book was the first to explain the subtle but real harms in a way that I understand. Just one example that resonated was the prioritization of snow plowing: For years in one city, the first streets plowed were the routes from residential areas to downtown, i.e., commuter routes for cars (driven mostly by men, who established the priority of plowing). And emergency room visits from people injured by walking escalated during this time. When the streets were plowed in different order with walkers in mind (who tended to be women running errands, walking kids to school, etc.), the emergency room visits plummeted.
Domestic Diva Mysteries* by Krista Davis - This is a delightful cozy mystery series with a fun cast of characters. The protagonist is someone I'd like to be friends with and aspire to be more like (she's an entertaining diva), plus she's got a great dog, good friends and a real frenemy.
Paws & Claws Mysteries* by Krista Davis - I actually read this series first, and enjoyed it so much that I found the Diva series. The true stars of this series are the animals - they solve the mysteries - and I absolutely love it!
Amelia Peabody series* by Elizabeth Peters - Set in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, this series is about English Egyptologists and stars a ridiculously independent and self-confident woman and her family and friends. There are history lessons in it too, and not just archaeological. I loved this series so much that I was devastated when I got to the last book and discovered that the co-author was a friend who finished it for the author because she had died. I would have loved more stories in the series.
City of Promises* by Victoria Thompson and Ellen Thompson - I just read this book and since I borrowed the digital version from the library, I barely glanced at the cover and didn't realize until the afterword that there was a co-author. I loved both of Victoria Thompson's Counterfeit Lady* and Gaslight Mysteries* series, and I was delighted at the crossover in City of Promises. So I was crushed in the afterword when again, I discovered that there was a co-author because the author had died. But at least this book felt like a finale.
Legends and Lattes series* by Travis Baldree - The first book in this series was recommended by a friend, and it's the first fantasy series I've enjoyed in a long time. The characters and stories are hilarious, and since there are only three novels, I really hope there are more to come.
The Art of Gathering* by Priya Parker - I wish I had read (or rather, listened to) this book years ago, when I was running PTA meetings and even before I started meeting with high school students over Zoom. It's full of practical advice on making meetings actually useful and parties more meaningful.
Maisie Dobbs series* by Jacqueline Winspear - Set in early to mid 20th-century England (mostly), this series taught me a lot about pre- and post-war life and politics in a way I'd never thought about (perhaps because I'm so American). The protagonist of this series is so unique and so very likeable yet also enigmatic. I was very sad when the author made it clear that Book 18 was the final book in the series.
Ruth Galloway mystery series* by Elly Griffiths - The characters are so marvelously flawed and human, but also still good people, and the mysteries are solid puzzles. I'm enjoying these books very much (currently on The Man in Black,* which is an interlude between books 12 and 13).
Last but definitely not least, Probable Caws* by Donna Andrews - I will be absolutely devastated when Donna Andrews stops writing the Meg Langslow* series. It's my favorite series of all time, I re-read the books all the time, and I can't wait for the next story.*
