Quick Lit: February 2025 Edition

Welcome to Quick Lit: February 2025 Edition where I share books I chose for my own reading enjoyment in a mini-review format. These are not books I received for review, but books I’ve wanted to read or that have caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don’t really need a full review. But, I’d still like to give them some space here on the blog, so instead, I’m offering mini-reviews of the books that won’t get full-page space here.

I’ll be linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit link-up. Be sure to head over to see others share their Quick Lit posts.

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Did you know I also regularly review children’s books? Check them out HERE.

I’m heading out on a trip with my sister so I’m not sure how much reading I’ll be able to do. We may actually listen to an audiobook together during the drive. But, I’m hoping to finish up LIGHTHOUSE and THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR.

I recently reviewed SISTERS IN SCIENCE, MY LAST GIFT, and HOW TO SHARE A EGG.

Follow me on Goodreads, HERE.

We watched The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry on Netflix and I thought it was pretty good. It felt rushed and my husband was a bit confused in parts since he didn’t read the book, but overall it was a good adaptation and I loved the characters. I thought they fit what I had imagined them to look like. We also watched Nothing but a Good Time on Paramount +, a 3 episode documentary on 80s hair metal bands like Poison, Winger, Warrant, Extreme, Motley Crue, Guns & Roses, and more. My husband and I really enjoyed it, but it is definitely rated R.

This month’s list includes six books. You’ll find historical fiction, fiction, and non-fiction titles and in those a couple of stellar audiobook listens, and another book added to my all-time favorites list.

LILLIAN BOXFISH TAKES A WALK
By: Kathleen Rooney
Narrated by: Xe Sands
Published: January 17, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Historical Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Libby & eBook purchase

I added this book to my reading list last year and decided to save it to read as the new year began. The book is set on New Year’s Eve in New York City as Lillian heads out for dinner and then decides to walk through the city ending at a party and finally home. Lillian is a spry and accomplished 84-year-old woman. Her character is based on the real-life Margaret Fishback, a well-known poet and author, also known as the highest-paid female advertising copywriter in the world. 

I had both the audio and Kindle versions of the book and read in both formats, preferring the Kindle version. I had a very difficult time with the narrator’s voice. If I was doing anything too noisy, I couldn’t understand what she was saying no matter how loud the volume was. I frequently had to rewind and had to slow my listening speed way down. I think if I had read most of it on Kindle I would have enjoyed it more. 

Lillian’s night in New York City reminded me of my own visits to NYC, especially one where I walked to the financial district by myself (I walked during the daytime) and noted all the people, shops, and sights along the way. I loved her reflection on her life but sometimes it was hard to tell when she was flashing back or when she was in the present. I like reading books when the time or setting is where I am. Even though I wasn’t in NYC, I was traveling through the first few days of a new year and reflecting on years past as well as looking ahead to the future. Lillian is witty and confident and I liked her character. 

THE FROZEN RIVER
By: Ariel Lawhon
Published: December 5, 2023
Publisher: Doubleday
Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback

I have to admit I resisted reading this book for a couple of reasons. First, the story is set in the late 1700s, a time period I don’t typically choose to read. Second, there is a sexual assault in the story which is also a topic I avoid. But, I do love midwife stories, and the more people I saw raving about this book, the more interested I got. I decided I wanted to read it in the winter and chose it for our January book club. Gosh, I am so glad I did. This will easily be a favorite this year as well as an all-time favorite. Ariel Lawhon was also one of the authors who collaborated to write WHEN WE HAD WINGS.

“A woman is never more vulnerable than while in labor. Nor is she ever stronger.”

As the midwife of Hallowell, Maine, Martha Ballard is called to do more than just deliver babies. This particular call involves a dead body, found in the river. What makes this so difficult is that the body is one of the men accused of raping Martha’s friend and the man that Martha’s son had a very public fight on the same night he is found dead.

“I did not take you for the kind of woman who would punish the innocent for the sins of the guilty.”

There are so many things I loved about this story: the relationship between Martha and her husband, the small community they live in, Martha’s quiet and respectful demeanor, her journal entries, Lawhon’s meticulous research detailing this long winter in 1700s Maine, and Tempest, the silver fox in the woods. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end but do not read it until after you’ve finished the story due to numerous spoilers. This story is based on the real Martha Ballard with a bit of creative license. Lawhon expertly places the reader in this river community over the course of a year including a harsh winter where many lives are changed in Hallowell.

“What your mother does not yet understand,” I tell the baby, my voice choked with emotion, “is that there are some losses in this life that we do not live long enough to fully grieve. And I’ll not give her another one.”

NO TWO PERSONS
By: Erica Bauermeister
Narrated by: Rachel Jacobs, Barrie Kreinik, Braden Wright, Jesse Vilinsky, Max Meyers, Gabra Zackman, Stephen Graybill, George Newbern, Cassandra Campbell, Carol Jacobanis
Published: May 2, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Libby

My first Erica Bauermeister book was JOY FOR BEGINNERS. I received it early in my reviewing days back in 2011. I loved it and have had her on my list to keep reading since then. I kept hearing about NO TWO PERSONS and what a great story it was, but then I heard it was fabulous on audio so I added it to my Libby holds and the wait was long. But, my hold finally came in and I couldn’t stop listening to it.

The story begins with Alice who grew up with a difficult childhood and has been trying to write her novel, THEO for years. In the next chapters, we meet various people who cross the book’s path. Through interconnected stories, we learn about various characters and how the book, THEO, came into their life and affected them…all uniquely special.

“That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go.”

I love stories written in this way, much like OLIVE KITTERIDGE. Each chapter is a new character and set of problems but somewhere along the way, you know it will connect back to the original character, which in this case, is the book, THEO. This one book changes the lives of nine readers and it reminds us that each of us can take something different from a story. Each of us will connect differently, some to one character because we had similar childhoods or others because we feel lost and alone too.

“Books spoke to specific people for specific reasons and it had everything to do with where they were in their lives.”

This book was really beautiful and I didn’t want it to end. The audio narration is a wonderful listen, read by several narrators for each character’s story. I even recognized two of the narrator’s voices, George Newbern from Friends and Father of the Bride and Cassandra Campbell who I’ve listened to several times.

WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS
By: Sy Montgomery
Narrated by; Sy Montgomery
Published: November 5, 2024
Publisher: Atria
Non-Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Audible

I purchased this as an Audible deal. This is a quick listen with just around 100 pages. I’ve long been fascinated by chickens. They are such a smart bird and I’m quick to sing their praises. I enjoyed learning new things about chickens, especially roosters, and their protective nature. Montgomery shares how so many people became chicken owners during the Pandemic and then when it ended, many just dumped their chickens in fields or along the road. Several wandering chickens and roosters found their way to her farm.

Montgomery began her book with “Hello, Ladies!” which is the same way I talk to our friend’s chickens when I am taking them food scraps or collecting their eggs. This book brought a smile to my face.

OUTER ORDER INNER CALM
By: Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
Published: March 5, 2019
Publisher: Harmony Books
Non-Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Libby & Hardcover

I have been a fan of Gretchen Rubin since 2012 after reading THE HAPPINESS PROJECT. I subscribe to her newsletter, have joined in her yearly challenges, listened to her podcast, used her One Sentence Journal, and now have finally read another of her books. OUTER ORDER INNER CALM is perfect for those who need motivation to clean, declutter, or organize their homes…which will essentially bring calm to your lives.

The book is small and has brief paragraphs, quotes, and tips to help you organize your life and home. Her sections include:

• Make Choices
• Create Order
• Know Yourself-and Others
• Cultivate Helpful Habits
• Add Beauty

I appreciated her story of a college friend who lived in an apartment. At the end of the year, she frantically cleaned her apartment only to realize she wished she had done it so much sooner as it would have made living there more enjoyable and so her advice was “Don’t wait to clean your apartment.” Sometimes, making a change (big or small) can improve a situation, a room, a closet, or a shelf, and make it better. This small book packs a punch.

THE WEDDING PEOPLE
By: Alison Espach
Published: July 30, 2024
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Fiction
Format: eBook

Even though I got this for review, I’m sharing it here because there has been so much buzz about this book. People seem to either love it or hate it. In the beginning, it was a bit of a train wreck in the sense I couldn’t believe what I was reading, but I couldn’t stop.

Phoebe is in a deep depression after her husband had an affair and left her for his co-worker. She feels pressured to finish her dissertation. Also, Phoebe’s cat dies. She leaves it all behind and goes to the Cornwall Inn, a place she wanted to go with her husband but they never did. She shows up and is the only person staying there who isn’t part of a week-long wedding soirée. But, don’t think this book is going to be all pretty bows and flowers. There are some tough topics, some really messed up characters, and frankly, it’s a bit ridiculous in spots.

“This is exactly what Phoebe has always hated and loved about life—-how unpredictable it is, how things can change in an instant.”

I was surprised by its R-rated content. In spots, it was pretty raunchy and really felt like it wasn’t necessary, but I can appreciate the author did it to show the character’s mental state at that point. Still, it was a turn-off for me. This story deals with some heavy topics including suicide, infidelity, and infertility. Are there happy moments? Of course! Were there moments that I felt were unnecessary to the story and could have been left out? Yes! Were there some really beautiful moments and great writing? Yes! I found the writing to be smart, witty, insightful, and honest. I loved the character development, how each character seemed to evolve over the wedding week some changing completely and some really not at all.

“This sounds like exactly what she wants, what she has secretly always wanted. To read books she wanted to read. To be sad when she was sad. To be scared when she was scared. To be angry when she was angry. To be boring when she felt boring.”

I would definitely recommend this with a caveat due to its spicy content. The heart of the story is about a woman in her 40s finding herself, a bride who has courage, a groom who just wants to love again, and a family that is so crazy you have to love them. I was worried the ending was going to take a turn that I didn’t want to happen, but thankfully it ended just the way I was hoping it would. This would have been a 5-star read if it hadn’t been for some of the ridiculous content.

Side note: You can be a light in someone’s darkness. A simple smile, a compliment, a genuine thank you, or an “I appreciate you” can be enough to change their perspective and maybe their entire life. Go and be a light!

What good things have you been reading? I’ve also read books that I reviewed for publishers. Check them out, HERE.

You can see all my other Quick Lit posts by clicking, HERE.

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