The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro | GoodreadsΒ
On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art worth today over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that thereβs more to this crime than meets the eye.
Claire makes her living reproducing famous works of art for a popular online retailer. Desperate to improve her situation, she lets herself be lured into a Faustian bargain with Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner. She agrees to forge a paintingβone of the Degas masterpieces stolen from the Gardner Museumβin exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But when the long-missing Degas paintingβthe one that had been hanging for one hundred years at the Gardnerβis delivered to Claireβs studio, she begins to suspect that it may itself be a forgery.
Claireβs search for the truth about the paintingβs origins leads her into a labyrinth of deceit where secrets hidden since the late nineteenth century may be the only evidence that can now save her life. B. A. Shapiroβs razor-sharp writing and rich plot twists make The Art Forger an absorbing literary thriller that treats us to three centuries of forgers, art thieves, and obsessive collectors. itβs a dazzling novel about seeingβand not seeingβthe secrets that lie beneath the canvas.
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Art, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary
The Names by Florence Knapp | GoodreadsΒ
The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register the birth of her son. Her husband, Gordon, respected in the community but a controlling presence at home, intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and name the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates....
Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of their lives, shaped by Cora's last-minute choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities for autonomy and healing.
Through a prism of what-ifs, Florence Knapp invites us to consider the "one ... precious life" we are given. Full of hope, this is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark. It is the story of one family and love's endless capacity to endure, no matter what fate has in store.
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook,Β Contemporary, Family
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
(fantasy, romance)
Rating: Girl Read It!
Spice: πΆοΈπΆοΈ
Starts slow, people were split on the ending being good, but most agree it is worth the read.Β
π Audio vision: π
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
(historical fiction, medicine)
Rating: Read
Β It is a big book, different from his others, still focused on detailed medical stuff.
π Audio vision: π
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (historical fiction, mystery)
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | π Audio vision: π
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (historical fiction, romance)
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | Spice: πΆοΈπΆοΈ | Β π Audio vision: π
Credence by Penelope Douglas (dark romance )
β Our Rating: We won't yuck your yum | Spice: πΆοΈπ«£πΆβπ«οΈπ€¨ | Β π Audio vision: π
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (sci-fi)
β Our Rating: Skip | Β π Audio vision: ?
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. RosenbergΒ (nonfiction, psychology)
β Our Rating: 50/50 Read | Β π Audio vision: π
Olivetti by Allie Millington (magical realism, family, middle grade reading)
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | Β π Audio vision: π
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (sci-fi, dystopia)
β Our Rating: 50/50 Read | Β π Audio vision: π
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (historical fiction, medicine)
β Our Rating: Read | Β π Audio vision: π
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement, by Sharon McMahon (nonfiction, history, politics)
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | π Audio vision: π
Cream & Amber, Hopkins : more information
Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior : more information
Dream Haven Books, Minneapolis : more information
More places to find books...
Libby App (connects with local libraries for e-books and audio books)
When we meet as a group, we take turns sharing our thoughts on the book and then rate it 1-10. And the ratings change throughout the discussion, or sometimes, later the next month. So it is based on generally vibe and rating from the group.
Girl, read it! = majority of the group gave the book 8-10 rating
Read = majority of the group gave the book 8-7 rating
50/50 Read = almost a perfect split in loving and not liking the book
We won't yuck your yum = some really liked and some really didn't like, lots of graphic sex, or also a "you decide"
Skip = group overall was βmehβ, not a strong rating or dislikedΒ
Spice rating:Β
πΆοΈΒ = there is some physical loveliness
πΆοΈπΆοΈ = there is sex
πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ = there is sex with details
πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ = there is lots of sex with lots of details
π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯ = you get the point
πΆοΈπ«£πΆβπ«οΈπ€¨ = lots and lots of sex... some like, some don't... so "don't yuck my yum"
"If it is printed, we read it" ~ Melissa.Β
Generally we follow the yearly seasons/holidays for selecting books (romance for Feb), but we make quick selections based on what people are interested in or have read recently.