Sweet readers, thank you for joining me for this edition of Title Talk 04.2025. Happy to be sharing my current and recent reads with you in today’s post. You might remember that I have signed up for a few book reading challenges. The 52 Book Club 2025 Challenge and the Historical Fiction Challenge 2025. Again this year, I am doing the Goodreads Challenge and upped my goal from last year’s 56 books (which I barely met) to a whopping 63 books for 2025. Are you participating in any reading challenges this year?
Hey, are WE friends on Goodreads, yet? Find me, here.
Title Talk 04.2025
In this post, I am sharing my recent reads. I’ve been in the process of finishing up a handful of books as we move into May. And my book club, Come Read with Me, just voted on our book of the month. Read on to see what the group selected.
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Recent Reads
I was reading great guns until all of a sudden I wasn’t. Not sure what happened. I think some of my sudden lack of interest was just all the feelings that came from being on the jury for the murder trial earlier in April. Every night I just came home numb and nervous and unable to focus on much of anything.
But I am back at reading as of this week. Have finished 3 books that were hanging fire and my online book club just voted for our May book of the month. And, in a nod to my word of the year (WOTY), I am even allowing myself time during the day to read or listen to books. How about that?
Below are (some) the books I have read since my last Title Talk post, here. I have read a couple of good picture books, too, and a children’s fiction chapter book. Will list them at the bottom of the post.
“Broken Country” by Clare Leslie Hall
4.60 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.43 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: available on Goodreads
My thoughts: I would encourage you to check this one out. Broken Country has something for everyone. A little bit romance, some historical fiction, part mystery and thriller all in a beautifully written book. The characters are well drawn and if not all completely likeable, readers can certainly empathize with their feelings in the situations in which they find themselves. There is a lesson to be learned about the importance of communication in relationships as much of the drama that occurs in this book could have been avoided had the characters spoken more openly and honestly at the beginning of the book – earlier in their lives. But then we wouldn’t have this heavy yet lyrical love story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quote: “Frank and I dance around each other’s sadness. Any couple who has lost a child will tell you the same. You see it in the other, of course you do, but it’s like you’re on a seesaw of grief, and all you want is to avoid tipping the other one down.”
― Broken Country
“The Housekeeper’s Secret” by Sandra Schnakenburg
4.60 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.27 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: available on Goodreads
My thoughts: this was our book club selection for February. From the title, I expected this memoir to be an account of the life or at least the secret of a housekeeper. So, several chapters in, I was scratching my head and wondering why we were reading so much about the childhood of the author, who was not the housekeeper in question. But had I just been a little more patient, I would have realized it was important to have some background information to make sense of the rest of the story. Lee Metoyer endured a harrowing childhood and adult life and author Sandra Schnakenburg made a promise to write her story of resilience, hope, and endurance. This is that account. At times an uncomfortable look at mental health treatment 75 years ago. But overall, a celebration of a mother’s love. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quote: “I’ve come to accept that people can use only the tools they have.”
― Sandra Schnakenburg, The Housekeeper’s Secret: A Memoir.
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by Victoria E. Schwab
4.50 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.18 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: available on Goodreads
My thoughts: this book first crossed my path a couple of years ago but I was most recently reminded of it when I read a review by my blogging friend Leanne a couple of months ago. This is part time-travel fantasy and love story with bits of historical fiction mixed in. Either I am slow on the uptake or something. Again with this book, it took me a few chapters to figure out why Addie was so deadset on being remembered by someone. But then I realized that was part of the bargain she strikes for immortality. She would live forever but without leaving a mark of some sort. When that dawned on me, the story fell into place. The work-around ways Addie found to leave her legacy were clever and and heartwarming. We all want to know we mattered in some way. Schwab has authored a beautiful piece of writing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quote: “What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.”
― The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
“The Many Lives of Mama Love” by Lara Love Hardin
4.60 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.46 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: available on Goodreads
My thoughts: this memoir was on my book club’s consideration list for 03.2025. I listened to it on Audible and while it kept my attention, it was hard for me to relate to the mess Lara created of her life and the lives of her children. Not that I haven’t had my own messy bits, mind you. Throughout the whole book, Lara professes to have such love for her sons and yet takes the same chances and makes the same mistakes over and over and over again. She does finally get clean and turns her life around, becoming a very successful ghost-writer. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quote: “I would sacrifice my life for theirs, but I couldn’t stop using drugs for them. I don’t know how to reconcile those two truths.”
― The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing
“The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living” by Clare Pooley
4.70 out of 5 stars on Amazon
4.40 out of 5 stars on Goodreads
Synopsis: available on Goodreads
My thoughts: This is an account of a season in the life of author Clare Pooley (The Authenticity Project, How to Age Disgracefully), whose books I have enjoyed reading. It relates her struggles with alcoholism and her battle to regain sobriety. I feel almost dispassionate or unfeeling to say that like with Lara in Mama Love, I had a little trouble relating to Clare’s substance abuse and addiction. So for the first third of the book, I wasn’t fully vested. But then Clare is diagnosed with breast cancer and all of a sudden, sadly, I could better relate to her story. Not that I have ever had to fight that formidable enemy. But I did have a breast cancer scare. Admirably, Clare used her challenges to help others by writing this memoir and sharing her experiences through her blog. And she is sober and in remission today. My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quote: “Anxiety is a sign that you’re pushing boundaries, moving forward, grabbing the bull by the horns. IT IS GOOD.”
― The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living.
Currently Reading
These are the books I am enjoying my way through at the moment. The cruise hasn’t left me much time to read. But I am not complaining!! Will get back in the routine when we get home.
These are the books that were on my book club’s consideration list for May.
And this is the title the club elected to read, Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. Brand new book. Just getting started on it.
I am happy to call the author of the next book a blogger buddy. You can follow Joanne on her blog at And Anyways and on Substack, here. Purchased Philly Barker Investigates on Amazon a couple of months ago, but am just getting started on it.
And have been working my way through What Happened to the McCrays over the last couple of weeks. Need to finish it up so I can get back to Philly Barker. It was on a book club consideration list several months ago but wasn’t the title selected by the group.
Other Books
A children’s chapter book recommended by my blogger friend Donna at Retirement Reflections. Before Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson examines the health issues caused by sports-related brain injuries.
A beautiful picture written in reverse chronology of the life of the amazing Harriet Tubman, Before She was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome.
And Do You Know Them? Families Lost and Found After the Civil War by Shana Keller. You know historical fiction is my favorite genre, right? I am most drawn to books set during WWII but those set during the Civil War run a close second. I cannot imagine being ripped away from my family and then trying to find them without the use of the Internet, social media, telephone.
Your Turn
What are you reading these days? Do you have a favorite place to read? A favorite time of day to curl up with that book? Hope you will share in a comment below. I am always looking for great book suggestions. As well as recommendations on titles to avoid!! Ain’t nobody got time for a bad book.
Before you go, you can find my Pinterest book boards here and here. And if you would like to join our NO pressure online book club, please holler!! Check it out, here,
Finally finished with this post!! Woohoo!! It has taken me days…actually, weeks. Thought I would do a lot of blog writing and book reading on our cruise but we have been too gloriously busy living the life.
Thanks for spending a bit of your day here with me. Tonight we are exploring Victoria, British Columbia by horse and buggy. The whole trip has been like a fairy tale. Home tomorrow.
Hugs and kisses,
Broken Country is on my “want to read” list. I have a couple books I have started and just haven’t read much of because I am trying to finish William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’ Connor series…there are 20 books in the series and I just started Book 20 today!! Listening to them on Audible- if you have Audible, the first 19 books are free to listen to- the same narrator reads all the books and I especially like that and that I can hear how to correctly pronounce Ojibwe words. Such a great series- set in Northern Minnesota near the Boundary Waters…first book is Iron Lake- HIGHLY recommend!! I also just started reading Heartwood so not too far into it…good so far 🙂
I have not heard of Krueger’s books. Will check them out. I love to read with my ears these days. Can’t be free!! And would enjoy the series, I think. Thank you for recommending it to me. Glad to know you are enjoying Heartwood. It was the title I was pulling for. Need to try to get to it!! Thank you for commenting and thank you for reading with me.
I think you would really like the series Leslie. William Kent Krueger also wrote Ordinary Grace, This Tender Land, and The River We Remember. I have these on my TBR list too 🙂 Not sure if you read Ever Summer After by Carley Fortune but it was one of my favorite books a few years ago- I was totally obsessed with it 😂. She has now written a sequel, One Golden Summer just came out… I love being able to revisit favorite characters- the best part about series or sequels 🙂
I loved the Addie LaRue book once I figured it out. It was sad and sweet at the same time so I guess that makes it bittersweet! I just finished Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go to Funerals Anymore (or something like that). It was just OK. I knew exactly what was going to happen from the beginning which isn’t much fun. I am currently reading Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent which is sort of like a memoir by Judi Dench. It took me a bit to get into it, but it’s fascinating. I’m loving the photos from your cruise on Instagram!
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Hey friend!! Thank you for sharing the books on your nightstand with me. The Shakespeare books sound very interesting. I love love love Shakespeare in Love and Dench’s portrayal of the Queen. Will look for it. We started Grandma Ruth and gave up on it. PC and I went through a short spell where we listened to books together in the hot tub. Grandma Ruth was the last one we tried and when we didn’t either one like it much, the whole listening to books deal fell by the wayside.
Thank you!! We had the best time on the cruise. It was like a fairy tale. Just home last night and both of us are more seasick here on land than we were on sea. Hope to feel back to normal tomorrow.
Hello Leslie,
I thought I’d send a friend request on Goodreads, what a good idea. I’m not taking up the Goodreads challenge this year, but I have done it for several years in the past. Now I just read what I read in a year and I don’t worry about it.
It is interesting to see what books get picked in a book club, I’ve not read any of these choices. While I like the idea of a book club, I’ve never dipped my toe in the waters.
My last few books have been quite an eclectic mix: A book on Fables, an older character romance novella, a young adult fantasy time travel book set in Europe, another about a radio DJ in early 90s Michigan, followed by a medieval romance and I just started a cold war spy story.
Wow, I need to stop by to check out your recent reviews. All of the books you’ve described sound very good. Is the book on fables nonfiction? I am like you, and really want to read what I WANT to read, so I am giving myself creative license in making the books I read fit the 52 Book Challenge and the historical fiction challenge. Life is too short to spend one’s time reading books they don’t like!!
Many of the members of my book club like historical fiction like I do. But there is a smaller contingent who like lighter reads so the choices for this month were mostly a nod to them. I am not a big fan of romance or chic lit. Not even sure how you spell that…chick lit? Chiclit?
Thank you for friending me on Goodreads. Now we are buddies!! And thank you for coming by my blog again.
it sounds like you had a great month of reading. I have heard great things about Heartwood but I probably would have voted for Emily Henry’s book too; I usually enjoy hers a lot. In fact I’m pretty sure I’m waiting for a copy to come in from our local library.
Henry’s book is on a 135 day waiting list at my library. Crazy!! You and I need to get our books written!! Heartwood was more my choice so I hope to read it, too. You always inspire me with the books you read.
I really enjoyed Broken Country, it was a good choice for book club! I can’t get hold of this month’s winner so I’ve downloaded Joanne Tracey’s book instead. I sometimes find books are released later in the UK so I’ll try and get hold of the other one in a few months time. You always choose such a great variety of books for us to vote on!
So glad we are still reading together. I am sorry you couldn’t get this month’s book yet. It is brand new so maybe by this time next month. I probably need to remember to maybe give new releases a month or two before putting them on the list. Hope you enjoy Joanne’s book. She is a great writer.
I’m one of the few who wasn’t totally sold by Broken Country. I’m currently reading The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner.
Broken Country wasn’t uplifting but it was engaging for me. I wanted to smack Beth when she started watching Leo. Of course, that wasn’t going to end well. What do you think of The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits? I was very tempted to put it on the consideration list for May. Will be anxious to read your review.
While I haven’t read any of these I have more than a few on my TBR. Good to hear you liked them.
Hope you will check out Broken Country. Really enjoyed it!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!! I am realizing that I definitely need to set aside some time to read…I hope you are having a great week!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble blog
So man good books. So little time.
The link isn’t working and I don’t seem to be able to find your Thursday post. The civil war book looks interesting. Will check out!
Oh gosh, Leslie, you’ve made me want to read ALL these books and I just don’t have the time! LOL I’ve added The Secret Life of Addie Larue and The Housekeeper’s Secret to my wishlist. The Housekeeper’s Secret has caught my eye a few times but I wasn’t sure it was for me. Maybe I should give it a look. Happy Reading!
What? You were in Victoria, BC and didn’t tell me?! I live less than two hours from there and easily could have met you. (I met Sue Loncaric in Victoria when she had a brief cruise stop there a few years ago). I am currently in Kelowna, BC, so even if you are in Victoria, I have missed you. Next time!
Thank you for joining WOYBS and for the shoutout. Both are greatly appreciated!
We were in Victoria for 4 hours!! Ha!! In fact, we were late pulling into port so it was even less than that. But I am so touched that you would have traveled to meet me. I would have loved meeting you and hugging your neck!! I know you are currently taking a social media/blogging break…bravo!! Hope you are enjoying your time away and making lots of memories in Kelowna. XO
What a great book post Leslie, you are always so insightful with your reviews and I find something I’d like to read from your posts. Thanks so much for joining us for #WOYBS x