A wonderful book for animal lovers, especially rescued cats. A little slow at times, it does work as a memoir. And architecture lovers will enjoy reading about the unique house Caleb built. And nature lovers will appreciate the vivid descriptions of the Taconic mountain. It's a light summer read, great for small moments. But be ready to cry at the end.

Enjoyed this book the whole way through. I loved to see everyone’s different view point of the family system and their individual dynamics. How certain feelings can be misinterpreted and missed by those closest to you.

I chose this book as part of the 2024 reading challenge for July, a book by an author born outside the Unites States, and it was also in the "New Fiction" area which I always peruse. This was an excellent read by the author who lives in Japan and who had this work translated. The chapters of the book were tales of life stories with life lessons and interconnections told in a very interesting, unique, and moving way. Every tale had a central figure, Mrs. Komachi. She was the local community center librarian with a penchant for felting and selecting just the right book for her patrons. Mrs. Komachi's felting materials were kept in a Honeydome cookie tin which was central to the book. I could continue to write more about how I liked this book, but suffice to say, it really made me think and reflect, and I will be looking for more books by this author if translated!

I like Chase, Ryder, and and the Paw Patrol. I like reading this book with my mommy because it has so many stories. My favorite is Adventures with Grandpa. If you like Paw Patrol, you will like it too!

This book was hard to connect to because the main character refers to everyone around her as a title (ex:the husband, the daughter) and refers to no one by name. She is stuck in a less than perfect marriage and is treated as an outcast for her profession as a funeral cryer, which to many makes her bad luck. As soon as she seems to making some changes for her happiness the story kind of abruptly ends. I really wanted more from the ending. One thing I did appreciate about this book was the glimpse into Chinese culture at the time.

Wicked and delightful! Excited to read more by this author . The story came full circle and without less ends

I read this as part of an all school summer read. The two author voices create an authentic experience providing two perspectives. I appreciated the back and forth of two young people sharing vulnerabilities coming from different backgrounds, using a forgotten medium that allows for a mindfulness that I think young people could benefit from. I did think the novel attempted a lot with all the issues it covered.

Interesting multigenerational historical fiction inspired by a community of the formerly-enslaved, situated in the mountains of Western NC/SC. Nikki (a DC real estate agent) goes to visit her grandmother, Mother Rita, hoping to ease the estrangement between mother and daughter. But instead Rita tells her a story of the land—how her great-great-great grandmother Luella was the queen of a kingdom on the very land Rita is fighting to keep. Touching and interesting, it's a tale of perseverance and hope.

I read this book as an adult, in preparation for giving it to our nephew at Christmastime. I wanted to make sure that the book would be well-suited to him, and also was eager to refresh and deepen my own basic chess skills. I found the writing to be clear and approachable. The sections and chapters of the book are thoughtfully structured and well organized. Illustrative examples and opportunities for practice and application of concepts and skills are interspersed throughout the book in a timely and helpful manner. The author provides a list of resources for further learning and practice as well. I highly recommend this book as a great starting point or refresher for children and adults who wish to play chess!

This was such a cute read! I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. Perfect for a summer day!