Memoir Archives - Novel Visits

Favorite Books of January 2023

Susie — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:00:49 +0000

My January reading has been all over the place. I’ve read 17 books which is an all time high for me. Of those, I’ve truly loved four books, at least a couple already in contention for Best Books of 2023. That’s awesome and I’m excited to share those books, here, but none come out this month, so you’ll have to wait for my February and March posts. Books released in January have had me more in a so-so range. However, the three I’m sharing today were the bright spots among my January books.

For ALL my reviews delivered close to publication, you can follow me on Instagram.………

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Favorite Books of December 2022

Susie — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 11:00:38 +0000

December tends to be a slower publishing month, so I was a bit worried I’d not have three favorites to share this month. Thanks to a couple books I missed earlier this year, plus an absolutely sensational December book, I’ve got three great book recommendations. In case you missed it, I posted both my Best Books of 2022 and My Favorite Debuts of 2022 last week. They’re both fun lists, but I may be biased.

For ALL my reviews delivered close to publication, you can follow me on Instagram.……

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Favorite Books of June 2022

Susie — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 10:00:34 +0000

Well, the end of June is almost upon us and the world seems even more upside down than it did at the start of the month. Nothing surprises me anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m not devastated. We are on a slippery slope and if the “majority” of Americans who say they believe in women’s reproductive rights, who say they believe in same-sex marriage, who say they believe in racial equality, who say they want stronger gun laws, don’t start voting that way, then we are lost. Okay, rant over!

June has been a fantastic reading month for me. I could easily highlight many more books than the three I’ve selected. These each are here because they’re a little different and a lot of fun. I don’t want to leave the others completely out, so am including the titles and links to my Instagram reviews at the bottom of this post to fully cover my favorite books of June….

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July 2021 Audiobook Reviews

Susie — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 10:00:32 +0000

Thanks to a couple long drives this month I was able to complete three (almost four) audiobooks. Of those, it was definitely a mixed bag. All entertained, but the one that truly stood out was a complete surprise to me!

I’ve struggled a bit finding audiobooks I really love this year, so if you’ve got any great recommendations, I’d love you to share….

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February 2021 Audiobook Reviews

Susie — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 11:00:54 +0000

In my post last week I mentioned that I’d have audiobook reviews to share this week and I made it! Things are crazy in my life right now. In my work life, about half of the students in my school are headed into a hybrid model and the other half will be staying online for the rest of the year. That means the make up of ALL our classes are changing. Monday will be like a first day of school…in March. It’s crazy, but I’m happy to be one of the teachers who will continue teaching online. On the home front, I’m in the early stages of a remodel and am spending ridiculous lengths of time checking out things online, ordering samples, getting estimates. Needless to say, my reading/listening time has been impacted, but these three audiobooks were each so good that I flew through them. Even better, they’re ALL debuts, so there are three new authors to keep an eye out for!…

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December 2020 Mini-Reviews ~ Print and Audiobooks

Susie — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 11:00:07 +0000

It’s the last day of the year. FINALLY! Enough said about the woes of 2020, so I’ll move on to five 2020 books that I’ve read in the last month or so. Most are books I missed earlier in the year, and one is a book I returned to after quitting on last summer. (Something I never do.) These won’t be my last 2020 books to share. As I write this I’m listening to another 2020 book, but for the most part I’ve moved on to 2021 releases which I’ll begin sharing next week. Next week I’ll also be looking at My Year in Books 2020, My Goals for 2021, so stop on by and see how I did. Now let’s get on to today’s reviews!…

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DEBUTS ~ My Favorites of 2020

Susie — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 11:00:16 +0000

I’ve always been drawn to debut novels and 2020 was no exception. Of the 110 books I’ve finished as of this writing, 39 have been debuts. That’s 35% of my reading! I feel like so many debuts are really special because the author held their story inside for a long time and then worked so hard to put it on paper for all of us. I may be romanticizing it a little, but I so appreciate that initial effort of getting a first book published. Though many 2020 debuts were excellent, these nine books stand out, and more than one will surely make my 2020 Best Books of the Year. (In order of publication.)…

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A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett | Review

Susie — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 10:00:34 +0000

A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett (debut)
Publisher: Crown
Release Date: September 8, 2020
Length: 336
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

One woman’s remarkable story of how she came to be a powerful force in trying to right the many wrongs caused by the “war on drugs.”…

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September Audiobook Reviews

Susie — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 10:00:05 +0000

The last month has been a crazy time for me. First, I was spending a lot of time trying to get ready for the start of this online school year. Then, it actually began and my days have been so much longer than when we’re actually in school. Top that off with ten days of smoky/hazardous air quality where I couldn’t get outside for a walk, and my listening time has suffered! Still, I’m happy to have three audiobooks to share with you today….

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An Education on Racism in America

Susie — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 10:00:38 +0000

Before the murder of George Floyd, I though I was a pretty good antiracist. I live in a very liberal state and like it that way. I work with a population that includes Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, and White kids. My sympathy and horror have always followed the brutal killings of Black bodies by police. I’ve donated to antiracist organizations. I’ve spoken out about racist comments. I believed I understood racism in America pretty well. I thought I “got it.” Watching the protests that followed Floyd’s murder, reading articles online, taking in the heartfelt words on Twitter and Instagram from Black voices I don’t personally know, but none-the-less heard, all made me realize that clearly, “I don’t really get it.”

It quickly became overwhelmingly obvious that as a privileged White woman in America I had A LOT to learn about racism. So, I set off on a journey to become more educated, to be the student. Today, I’m simply sharing the learning path I’ve been on so far which has mainly been books (of course). These are not reviews, because I am in no position to review books on race. These are just what I’ve read and a little of what I’ve learned from each….

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