Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)2 Comments

Hannah Martin’s twenty-nine years have not been without bumps. After living in many cities (and many jobs), Hannah moves back to her hometown to stay in her best friend Gabby’s guest room.
In celebration of Hannah’s return, a fun evening out leads to an encounter with her ex-boyfriend Ethan. When Gabby says it is time to go, minutes later, Ethan offers to drive Hannah home as well…
And…


I’m sure you know the name Taylor Jenkins Reid…I mean, she’s like another great Taylor – like Taylor Swift- hit after hit after hit. Her books, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six, Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto is Back, and of course, the newest one, Atmosphere, have been some heavy hitters… and as I have said before – I started reading her when her books were more chick lit… so this makes this review interesting…

First, I must have had some sort of brain malfunction, as for some reason, when looking for my next listen, this popped on my radar, and I thought it was a new book by Reid. Fun, I thought it looked like she was going back to her writing roots….And… honestly did not catch it was an older title until I went on Goodreads this morning and see that I had already marked this as read in 2015.
*sigh*
In my defense… I’m sure I do not recall a lot from 2015, so let’s just call this a new read to me, as I recall nothing.
That true confession of a forgetful reader out of the way, listening to this book was unique and interesting. In alternating chapters, Hannah’s story continues with her going home with Gabby AND – going home with Ethan. The books split into two very different story lines, continuing what would have happened in both choices.

Do you recall those old choose-your-adventure books where you decided what choice was made before you turned the page and then followed that outcome? Kinda like that.

Honestly, it’s hard to explain how I felt about this book other than agreeing a little less than my 4-star review of 2015. While definite points for uniqueness, on audio, some of the chapters felt a little repetitive… and admittedly, as there are big outcomes due to each choice, I found that at times I was a bit confused (could have been audio vs book).
In the end, I liked it.

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: yes
Read Author Again: Yes she has quite a few of the newer titles that I have not read yet

Book Club Worthy – mmm… I think so. A big discussion could be about choices we make and paths not taken ( we enjoyed this very much in Summer House) … and of course… There would be cinnamon rolls 🙂

Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M Night Shyamalan

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

New York Architect, Tate Donovan, is due for a reset. After dealing with an all-encompassing depression with the loss of his sister Sylvia, he is now going to Cape Cod to design a home for one of his good friends. The break, Tate feels, will be good for him – putting his mind on something else and staying busy.
While staying at a historical Bed and Breakfast as the only guest, Tate is surprised to find a young woman named Wren who says she is also staying there. Wren is funny and kind and easy to talk to, and Tate finds himself immediately drawn to her, although his friends assure him no one else is staying at the house. When pressed to come up with evidence of Wren, there is none to be found… the puzzle she is working on, the wine glass she is drinking from… all gone.
Tate is shaken to his core when he finds out the woman he is describing is actually someone his friends knew, and through articles online, Tate is forced to come to terms that Wren had died in an accident where he is staying, two years ago. As Tate starts to look at what happened that fateful night, and why Wren is there now, only for him to see, he begins to discover that maybe that accident two years ago was not an accident at all …

And someone isn’t about to let Tate dig too deep.

Set to be a movie in 2026

I’m going to be (brutally) honest here…. I probably would not have picked this up if this were a Nicholas Sparks book alone. It was really the combo of Sparks with Shyamalan that caught my attention, and I bet that will be the case for many – so for that, well played Nicholas… well played.

Where Sparks is usually (FME/from my experience) a lighter sort of sweet and Hallmark-style of romance read, Shyamalan brings a supernatural injection… So while I am not a romance reader… imagine The Notebook meets The Sixth Sense….
And here we are.


Curiosity of what this combination of Authors could create had me digging in – and … not disappointed. I enjoyed the blend of a friendship encounter with the supernatural twist. I loved that it felt believable – like any one of us could walk into a quiet Bed and Breakfast and find our own ghost friend 🙂
I listened to this on Audio and really enjoyed the pace – the only reason this is not a 5-star is a couple of small details that I will not disclose because I DO want you to read this book and come up with your own opinion.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: both separately – yes
Read Author Again: if these two paired up again, I think I would 🙂

Book Club Worthy – yes, what a fun discussion you could have around the paranormal – (have you ever had an encounter, or know someone who says they have; do you believe such things are possible, what do you think of the title – what woudl you name this book, what do you think of this trend of well-known authors creating duel authorships (either with known or unknown names), does it work or put more pressure on the duo to create something incredible…

The Widow by John Grisham

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

Simon Latch is a small-town Lawyer in Virginia. While not what you would call a lucrative practice, Simon scrapes by while going through a divorce and trying to maintain a civil relationship with his soon-to-be ex-wife, mainly for the sake of their two children.
Enter Eleanor Barnett, an elderly woman whose husband has recently passed, leaving her with a fortune that she wants to be certain is not left in the wrong hands. She has no family she cares to speak of, no close friends, and no charities she wants to give a windfall. She has a will, but is not happy with it or the lawyer who wrote it, and is looking for someone new to assist her with her many assets.
Simon can not believe his luck and has visions of dollar signs and a future without financial struggles as he takes her on as a client and finalizes the new will with a hopefully undetectable small print provision to himself as well.
When Eleanor is hospitalized after a car accident and subsequently dies under mysterious circumstances, Simon finds himself accused of murder. Simon admittedly is many things – but a killer is not one of them. To clear his name, Simon must race against time to uncover the truth of what happened to Eleanor before he is put away for life.

Ahhh…. Grisham. It’s like opening the window for the first time in the spring. What a nice revisit of this author.
If you follow my reviews, you will see I have been quite heavy in recent years on the psychological thrillers – loving the chase… loving the twists – and loving the wild ride. While always a fan of a good mystery, it seems like I have not dug into this genre as much as I used to.

Enter this book, The Widow. I was looking for a good audio to listen to while going about my day-to-day ( cooking, cleaning, car time…), and this one caught my eye. I’m so glad I chose it.
The Widow has a nice pace to it. I liked the more focused and detailed style of Grisham that didn’t have so many moving pieces and characters to follow. He really nailed it on the small-town feel in the setting as well as in the characters.


The narrator, Michael Beck, had the perfect voice for this book – he totally felt like Simon to me and was wonderful at changing it up to distinguish between the other characters.


The storyline flowed nicely, I enjoyed our protagonist, Simon, and found him to be real… while not perfect – he was not a killer and gathering the pieces along the way, let me as the listener, take part in solving the crime. While I did not love the ending ( a little out of nowhere IMO, to the point I had to Google to explain it to me) it was still a delicious listen. And now… I kind of want to try my hand at Ginger Cookies. ;P
Grisham? Still relevant.

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: yes
Read Author Again: probably

Book Club Worthy – yes, definitely some things to unpack here – themes of integrity, trust, and more could lead to a good discussion.




Future Boy by Michael J Fox

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments
Version 1.0.0

In 1985, Michael J Fox was a household name. He was the star of the TV series Family Ties, the Movie Teen Wolf, and the Secret Of My Success… but most of us know him (no matter what your age) from the movie Back To The Future.

Michael shares what it was like to be filming a TV series from 6 am to about 6 pm, jump in his car, and get from Paramount Theatres to Universal Studios to be ready to start filming by midnight for his role as Marty McFly from Back to the Future and filming until 2 or 4 in the morning where he would grab a couple hours of sleep and do it all again.

I am so glad I listened to this one on audio – Michael has many guests from his past- co-stars, producers… speak into the audio, sharing what that time was like. I found it fascinating to think that the fellow actors for Back to the Future would need to sync their schedules to his – meaning they were all up to the wee hours of the morning for filming.

While Michael J Fox focuses mainly on this small time period and does not go into his personal life, etc.. it was enough. Like a little sampler platter from my past, this revisit was just right.

Rated: 3 out of 5
Read Author Before: No
Read Author Again: Unsure

Chilly Weather Reading

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Hey all, I am in a bookish mood. While we are having a lovely weekend in Central Minnesota (50s yesterday!) I am in no way delusional to think that this will remain.

So….

I’ve been looking to see what the reads are going into this season that are grabbing my attention, as well as looking at what is coming up in the next couple of months, AND compiled a little ( well…. maybe not so little) video…
Grab some coffee…
And if you are not seeing the video – it seems like I am struggling loading it here – you can see it on my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17TeFfwtED/

In other things I am doing…
I am organizing the Costume Room – it usually gets a bit ripped up in October
In the process of making my own sauerkraut – I am kind of fascinated with gut health right now
I made my first overnight oats last night… a combo of Rolled Oats, Greek Yogurt, Chai Seeds, Cinnamon, Milk (of choice or water), and Honey. This morning I get to add my fruit of choice (thinking Blueberries!) and am excited to see if I like this…
If I can get on the trail for a walk today… I am considering bringing out the bike as this may be the last opportunity to do this yet this year.

Happy Sunday, Ya All!

`Sheila

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

A life in correspondence… and what a beautiful journey. ~ Sheila

Sylvia lives a life of letters. At the age of 72, retired and with plenty of time, Sylvia is up and writing by 10 am most mornings. She writes to her brother, to her friends, a young man, to authors to share her thoughts on their books, and she writes often to someone she can not mail the letters to.

Life would (should) go on day to day, pleasant as always for Sylvia, but when letters from someone in her past force her to think about the most painful period of her life, Sylvia has no choice but to take a hard look at the highlights of the years, as well as the ones she would prefer not to revisit.

Honestly wow. Always a fan of unique writing styles and something that does not feel like a cookie-cutter version of a popular title, The Correspondent hit me a bit by surprise. In all the good ways. Here you will not find a crazy twist, nor will you find an unreliable narrator, a psychological thrill, murder, or any of the other things that are drawing people to books these days –

Instead, I found a book that was like a palate cleanser, just a nice, moving read. I fell in love with the flow of the letters back and forth – as well as this lovely character created in Sylvia. But it’s not just a book about letters; there is life in between – happenings, and remembrances that all lead up to a delightful read.

I discovered this book through social media when I kept seeing it pop up as a great read for book clubs, and descriptions that made me want to take a closer look.

I’m so glad I did.

Rated: 3.8 out of 5
Read Author Before: New to me
Read Author Again: I would
Book Club Worthy: I think a discussion about the book, as well as the lost art of writing, would make for an interesting time. Evans’ book is unique in so many ways – yet readable, and that is not always the case.

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

How do you not read this book? Two fan favorites in one! ~Sheila

Maggie McCabe has been to the top of the mountain with an incredible career as a highly skilled surgeon – living by her rules …
Until one day, she wasn’t.
When life takes a turn, Maggie’s time on the mountain is now a landslide of having her medical license revoked, more debt than she can dig herself out of, and a low that she has never experienced before.
When a plastic surgeon/old colleague connects her to an elite group who value her skills, offering Maggie a chance to not only clear all her debt, but have more money than she has ever had, it is impossible to pass on the offer. This is her olive branch, and she has to take it. All she has to do is keep everything quiet – she can not tell friends or family where she is going or what she is doing.
Halfway across the globe, Maggie enters a state-of-the-art personal hospital room for her to use and a world of insane luxury she could have only imagined. Maggie fully plans to uphold her end of the agreement – but when the patient she is working on disappears, and Maggie finds things are not adding up and she is now on the run.

Photo from the Book Expo In New York
You all know I have a soft spot for Harlan… for that matter, Reese as well. Finding these two writing a book together… BRILLIANT.

I listened to this one on audio and enjoyed a different spin on a thriller that had a medical background. I enjoyed Reese’s narration and found the storyline to be unlike anything I have read/listened to.
I was engaged all the way through – admittedly not my favorite ending nor my favorite setting … but again…
It’s Harlan and it’s Reese!!!!

Little background if you are not familiar with Harlan Coben – first, he usually writes alone. I have been reading him since my 20s, and one of the few authors I can say that I have always enjoyed. I refer to him as a lighter version of Dean Koontz.
What I love about this author is that I have read him for 3 decades, and to see his Netflix movies based on his books is so exciting – AND a True Crime CBS Series that will launch on January 7th called Final Twist.

https://youtu.be/EXNOkyYfupI

Rated: 3.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes!
Read Author Again: Yes

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

Hana lives a quiet life in Minnesota and likes it that way.

Yet when she becomes aware that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows her past has come to pay an unwanted visit.

Thirty years ago, Hana was someone completely different. She was a teenager growing up in war-torn Bosnia, and her name was Nura Divjak. When her entire family was murdered before her eyes, Nura was thrown into a war she did not want, and a side of her emerged in ways no one could foresee.
Now her past is coming, and the only way to survive is to bring Nura back. No matter what the cost.

A long-time fan of Allen’s books, I was excited to get my hands on this book and purchased it this past May at the Words by the Water author event I helped the Friends of the Brainerd Public Library with.
Of course, as it often happens, the book went to my TBR stack and hung out there until this past month when the Bookies Book Club chose it for their November read. I have to say, I am glad I waited – reading this with a group of 17 ladies made for a much richer experience.

Admittedly, for myself, it was a heavier read than I was planning on. I’m used to a different style from Author Allen Eskens, and at first, I personally struggled engaging with the book. Let’s just say – Bookies to the rescue. After talking with a few of our members over the past few weeks and hearing things such as “I can’t put it down,” “I can’t wait to get back to it!_, “Usually when a book goes back and forth, I like one storyline better than the other, but in this case – I love both!”, as well as “The book is making me think of my own life and where I was at in the early to mid 1990’s and how different my life was…” And a personal favorite comment,
“This is why I joined this book club. To read books like this that I would have never picked up on my own.”

Last night (November 11th, 2025), 15 of us sat in the front room of my house to enjoy a glass or two of wine, delicious food ( we had both Sarma ( a Bosnian dish of cabbage leaves stuffed with beef and spices in a tomato sauce) and Burek ( Hana’s favorite dish – a dough filled patry with beef, potato, onion and spices) as well as so mnay other delicious dishes. The Burek was my attempt, and while it says to roll it in a pastry in a tube shape and then roll up, my dough did not bend well, so tube Burek it was 🙂

Overall – great discussion – very high ratings from the group – on a scale of 1 to 5, the average rating out of the 15 present was 4.75. A crazy high overall rating, and it honestly speaks volumes of positivity about this book. It’s nice to have an engaging read that is not necessarily the easiest, but is definitely a book to consider.
And yes, eventually, I too fell into the rhythm of the read and ended with a personal rating of a 3.75… it was very different than what I was expecting and took me a bit to get into (busy time of year for me too, and I know that contributes) – I am glad I read it.

Rated: 3.75 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes, and I recommend!
Read Author Again: Yes
Book Club Worthy: Yes! This is an excellent discussion book. Most of us were alive during the Bosnia war ( I was a young mom at the time) – it hits a little different when it is during your lifetime and you can recall where you were during that period of your life, as well as admittedly how little ( we anyway) knew about this war or how little we followed it.

Like Eskens? Be sure to check out The Life We Bury

Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)Leave a comment

Alibis and lies… oh my! ~Sheila

The Merton family lives in upstate New York. They don’t come much richer than Fred and Sheila Merton, but no amount of money could protect them when the couple is brutally murdered in their home the night after a family dinner with their three adult children.

As the news is released to Catherine, Dan, and Jenna, they are shocked and devastated.

Or – are they?
Catherine is married to a doctor and is referred to as the “favorite.”
Dan, married to Lisa, has been out of work for quite some time
Jenna, the wild child, believes in creativity over responsibility – and lives off of her parents.

Each – could inherit millions.


Fred and Sheila may have looked good to the outside world, but the children know better. Fred was moody and unpredictable, and Sheila never really wanted to be tied down to the title of mom.
Did one of them snap that night when enough was enough…

or is something far more sinister….



I love books that are recommended by friends (thank you, Jennifer, for this one). I enjoyed this twisted book that cut right to the chase – almost like a synopsis first… and then you are caught up on who these people are/were and what each has at stake.

Alibis and lies!

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: I don’t think so
Read Author Again: Yes
Book Club Worthy – maybe, there is definitely a lot to talk about with all three siblings


The Husbands by Chandler Baker

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

Nora and Hayden are married with one child. Nora, who is up for a partnership in her firm, is under a lot of pressure juggling her career, a child, a home, and all the things in between.
Hayden is a good husband, but does not pick up on the clues of his wife’s exhaustion. He goes to work and comes home to relax or go to the garage to work out, while Nora’s evening has just begun, with picking up their daughter, preparing dinner, reviewing her workload, and keeping up with the house. With Nora pregnant with their second child –

Something has to give.

Wth the new baby coming, Nora and Hayden are looking for a larger home to accommodate their growing family. They seem to find what they’re looking for in an exclusive suburban Neighborhood, just outside Austin, Texas. The area is called Dynasty Ranch, and Nora notices that the husbands in this area seem incredibly supportive, helping out happily with household chores, taking on duties with the kids so the wives can have a break, go out to lunch with a friend, or have a spa day – what is in the water here, and where can Nora sign up?

When one of the local residents, whose husband had died recently in a house fire, wants to hire Nora and have her file a wrongful death lawsuit, while not Nora’s area of expertise, it does create an opportunity to bring in a big client to her firm, which may very well sweeten the pot for her to make partner.
What could possibly go wrong?

The old adage, When something is too good to be true, it probably is, is perfect for this book.
There is a lot of fun here. I enjoyed Nora and could appreciate what she was dealing with – and I found the supporting characters to be well developed- I could picture the neighborhood and these strong women with doting husbands.

A definite refreshing page turner, I wanted to know what was going on in this interesting little neighborhood with a Stepford Husband vibe.

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes – Author of The Whisper Network ( also good)
Read Author Again: Yes
Book Club Worthy: Yes! SO much to unpack here – the roles of husbands and wives in a marriage, wages between women and men, the old idea of a woman’s place, sharing personal stories on relationships, your own, your parents, your grandparents – how the roles have changed.