I was recommending this book to friends before I even finished it, which I don't think has ever happened to me before.

This book was so lovely, so warm, and so redemptive. I love a feel-good story, and this is definitely one of those.

Not without sorrow, it follows the path of Violet, who is in prison for vehicular manslaughter. While inside, she joins a book club led by a sweet older woman named Harriet.

Harriet makes literature come alive for the women of her book club and the fact that she leads a group of inmates with such care and effort is delightful to read.

The story follows Violet after her release from prison and also includes the way she accidentally meets the widow of the victim of her car accident.

It is an emotional and beautiful story about second chances, what it means to be loved, and learning that things are not always as they appear.

A truly sweet and beautiful book, I recommend it 100%!

Thank you to #Netgalley for this ARC of #howtoreadabook

One of my favorite books of 2024! I have been recommending this to all types of readers. This compelling story has a heart of gold. I loved all of the characters - Violet, Harriet, and Frank might be the main characters, but the secondary characters are just as amazing. I did not want this one to end. This book will give you all of the feels - you might even shed a few tears. Highly recommend! I can't wait to see what is next from Monica Wood.

3.5, but I round up.

This book was a heartwarming read. I really appreciated the characters and their interactions with one another, particularly the relationship between Violet and Frank, which was very paternal and made me feel happy for both of them.

Because I have not read the anthology mentioned in the book, the ending was a little out of nowhere and hard to relate to, but other than that, I loved this book.

After reading The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood, I knew I wanted to read anything else she wrote. I was so thrilled with How to Read a Book was published. I fell in love with the beginning of the book and the concept of Harriet leading a women's book club at a prison. As the story progressed, I enjoyed how Violet, Frank and Harriet's characters all grew and developed. They surprised me at times and frustrated me at times, all hallmarks of well written characters.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but was slightly disappointed with the ending. Perhaps it was because I wasn't ready to let go of the characters.

I hope that the author will continue to write books with memorable and unique characters because I will be there for that every day.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WARNING: WARM AND FUZZY OVERLOAD IF YOU READ THIS (in the best possible way).

THIS IS YOUR VACATION READ!

This author was new to me. I loved this book so much that it made me look up her prior books (many awards!). This one is a sweet, tender novel with an escapist feeling and yet meaningful. This book defines heartwarming! I wanted to give it all the props and stars. After I finished and it stayed with me in thought, I realized it had a few issues, which I will recount at the end. But still, I would recommend it for many readers. However, if you like absolute realism and/or a touch of gritty, this would not be for you.

On the other hand, if you are a lover of books, you will enjoy how much this figures in.

This is, amazingly, the third book in a row I've read where a character coincidentally running into someone the character knew from elsewhere, was key to the storyline. In this case there are 3 main characters and they all wind up together in a bookstore in Portland, Maine…each knew one of the other ones but the story rests on the three beginning to braid their lives together.

Violet, young and just out of jail; Harriet, who leads a book group in the jail; Frank, whose wife was killed when Violet hit her car while drunk driving (hence Violet’s jail time).

Each chapter is titled with the name of the person who is the focus, of these three. Violet’s parts are in first person, Frank and Harriet’s in 3rd. I loved this approach. It made this easy-to-read book even easier.

Second chances is a big theme. Violet in her 20’s will find out about second chances after jail time by doing the right things. "I am a person trying to face my mistakes."
Harriet and Frank, both in their 60’s, will find out about second chances for happiness later in life.
So it’s a story of hope.

Forgiveness is also a big theme, and done in such an uplifting manner. Other themes include guilt, betrayal, aging, family, friends, handling mistakes, and much more. The author weaves a compelling story than meanwhile shows us that humans are messy, imperfect…but that we can forgive others and ourselves.

The book somehow balances the hard with the soft, the dark stuff with the lighter. Never do we get really bogged in the heavy things. But for example:

-The prison system is represented here as the horrible cruel mess it is, though we don’t get anything really gritty and dark.
-Frank’s mixed feeling about his wife dying.
-Questionable people such as difficult controlling adult children.
-Very questionable people such a crappy men manipulating women through sex appeal or other factors.
-Unforgiving families
-Extremely narrow-minded judgy people

But then we see the other side, and boy do we see it:

-The power of forgiveness
-The power of friendship
-The power of animals for healing…specifically here, the amazing African Grey Parrots! That was such a joy how these parrots heal the soul of Violet. (Great to see the endnotes explaining how the author got involved with these birds).
-The power of books
-The power of love

I don’t like to repeat publishers blurbs nor give too much story away, but let’s just say that watching how lives will be redeemed, and how the three characters will evolve together…was just pure pleasure.

Here’s where I had some issues:

-Violet getting involved with her boss Mischa was so clearly a big mistake. The power of lust, as well as how a lover can be a nurturing mother substitute (so well described!) made it a little more believable but not really…it just seemed so incredibly off that she would have feelings for this weirdo.

-Dawna at the end…just no no no. That was weird and creepy and seemed a big distraction from the story. I am not sure what the author was trying to do with that—bring back some “realism” so no one could accuse her of a sappy ending? It did not work.

-The other misstep by the author in my opinion, was so much emphasis on Spoon River Anthology. If one does not know the book, many of the points go over one’s head. Both the quotes from the characters as well as the meaning of the “meanwhile” part. I actually read this whole part twice and still didn’t get it.

Back to the good:
I so loved how the book ended, with the last chapter by Violet. Reminded me of the book Violeta by Isabel Allende (interesting, two Violets reviewing their lives). Beautiful and poignant and fills in all the blanks and questions of where everyone goes from here. Really well done.

I recommend this book. It helps to not be in a super critical mind mode when reading, but be in the mode for something soothing, that will feel like a warm bath on a cool night.

My great thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Instant love for this book! Loved the premise, characters, mature romance angle, everything! I was already recommending it to colleagues and friends mid-read. Thank you NetGalley for the advance ecopy.

It took a little bit for me to fully dive into this one, but once I was in, I was hooked! I thought the characters were likeable and I felt like the plot/story kept me engaged and wanting more. I could definitely see the patrons at my library LOVING this one. I will recommend this be added to our catalog ASAP.

I generally love books about book clubs. But this one was was DNF for me. I couldn't relate to any of the characters. I might be bias but I also don't think Violet was sorry for her action or that she had changed. I also don't think that 22 months was a long enough sentence for killing someone while driving drunk. To me that wasn't an accident. Accident happen most of the time through no fault. Choosing to drive drunk is premediated because you made the choice to drive drunk..

Wow.
This was delightful and still powerful.
Harriet is a dowdy older woman inspired to lead a book club among women in prison.
Violet is an unfortunate young woman who had a bright future and needs to negotiate the “outs”
Frank is a handy older man whose life has been upended in unexpected ways.
They filled my heart and increased my empathy for those who have made mistakes and paid for them.
The depiction of prison is not the usual - and feels very authentic - while still be disturbing and heart breaking.
The parrots - oh, the birds - what a lovely element.
This book took a dip for me when Violet made some stupid choices in the back half - but by the end, I got it and appreciated this. So - read on and do not DNF this one!

This will be one of my top picks for 2024-I just know it. I am so excited to share this beautiful book with our patrons. I wish I could buy copies for my reader friends-it's that good. I can't believe I haven't read Monica Wood before-looking forward to reading her other books!!

This was my first book by this author, definitely had a feel good theme throughout.

I liked thinking about what it might feel like to be in Frank's position - the forgiveness vs. bitterness.
Harriet was amazing, and I really loved her character.

I will say that the bird part, while it might be fascinating to someone, was a lot and I skipped very large chunks of those pages.

I wanted to love this book, but felt it was just ok.

This novel blends guilt, redemption, and the power of literature. Unexpected twists and witty moments keep the reader engaged. I loved it.
Many thanks to Mariner and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks, Mariner Books, for the early review copy via NetGalley. (Available now!)

Second chances, found family, and how books bring people together—put that all together in a huggable story with characters you care deeply for, and warn your friends and family. I wept, laughed, sent phrases to friends, and lost sleep, stopping only when my Kindle ran out of battery.

Violet has just been released from prison and is trying to start her life alone in Portland. She runs into Harriet at a bookstore, whom she knows from the book club Harriet (“Bookie”) ran at the prison. Together, they meet Frank, a retired machinist turned handyman who fixes little things here and there for the store. “These kids, who had acres of poetry committed to memory and the mechanical skills of an aardvark, they needed him.”

It’s that simple on the surface. But, oh, the feelings. Guilt, forgiveness, transformation, trust: this book cracks the reader wide open but does it with a warm hug, a chuckle, and a pat on the back. Heck, even the author’s note is exceptional. Don’t even get me started on the Grey African Parrots. I miss them already.

I have a soft spot for Maine authors, a softer one yet for those who get the people and landmarks right. Multiply that with my adoration of perfect phrasing, and Monica Wood is one of my all-time favorites. If you haven’t already, read her memoir about growing up in Central Maine WHEN WE WERE THE KENNEDYS. I compared it to A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, except the tree grew in Maine and was made into paper.

“Books won’t solve my problems, Harriet.”
“No, but they give your problems perspective. They allow your problems to breathe.”

How to Read a Book had all the things I enjoy in a bookish book, especially in finding connections with others through books even in the unlikelest of places.

In this case, we have Harriet who volunteers at a women's prison with hosting a book club, Violet who is imprisoned and a book club participant, and then Frank who is a retired widow trying to find his next path in life.

I really enjoyed how the author wove all three of these characters together into a found family.

I do wish the ending hadn't been so ubrupt, I was kind of surprised how quickly it wrapped things up after the main storyline ran out.

I loved this book. Monica Wood’s language is poetic. It is important to read and savor every word. Her sense of place is spot on. I really like the fact that Monica writes what she knows whether it be places in Maine, or jobs people have ( machinist, researcher of birds, Bookclub leaders) she puts in the time to research and write about them with authenticity. The three main characters are fully flushed out. Violet became an insightful narrator over the course of the story. Harriet and Frank were endearing. This book is a Bookclub must read.
I received a copy from NetGalley but I also purchased a copy of this book for my 93 year old mother who loves to read!

This is the touching story of Violet, Harriet, and Frank and how their lives intersect and grow as people through reading, loving, and sharing books Ollie, the parrot, is a character in his own right, and is delightful. In fact, delightful is how to describe the book.

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide 2024

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood has all the elements of a story I expected to love, and while I liked it, I didn’t fall completely in love.

The protagonist, 22-year-old Violet, is serving time for vehicular manslaughter. During her incarceration, she finds meaning in a prison book club run by Harriet. I found the book club scenes and the dialogues within them fascinating and engaging.

Upon her release, Violet forms a friendship with Harriet and Frank Daigle, whose wife died in the accident for which Violet was imprisoned. As Violet struggles to rebuild her life after prison, she begins working with African Grey parrots in a lab, a subplot that felt overly drawn out to me.

A criticism I have is the portrayal of the Correctional Officers and Prosecuting Lawyers. The book does a commendable job highlighting the complexity of human decisions and the juxtaposition of right and wrong for many characters. However, the officers and lawyers are depicted as almost cartoonishly evil, lacking the nuance and humanity shown to other characters. This exaggerated portrayal detracts from the otherwise rich exploration of human nature and taking a look at stereotypes.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I’m so glad a friend brought this book to my attention! I really enjoyed reading this unique story with well developed characters…so much heart in a relatively short book! The pacing was perfect for me, I did not become too stressed about any of the storylines (which happens for me sometimes when I am invested in the characters!) because they resolved with perfect timing. The ending was sweet and satisfying! I’d highly recommend it, as well as, the author’s The One-in-Million Boy!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh boy, I went into this book blind and it was such a doozy. It centers around three characters: Violet, a young woman participating in a prison book club, Frank, who is the husband of the woman Violet killed, and Harriet, who runs the prison book club. The friendship between these three characters was so heartwarming, and I was rooting so hard for all of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for sending me this book!

I loved reading this book. Frank, Violet and Harriet became my friends for a few hours and now days later, I am still thinking of them. Frank, whose wife was killed by a drunk driver has a heart full of forgiveness. He believes "there, but for the grace of God, go I." Violet, the drunk driver, who will not allow her time in jail to be meaningless and comes out having learned a lot about herself. Her remorse will be lifelong. Harriet, a retired teacher, who volunteers to lead a book club for the inmates, which Violet joins. The story begins in the jail and follows Violet as she is on the "outs" and her life intwines with Frank's and Harriet's. This book left me feeling good: it reminded me of faith, forgiveness and redemption. Sometimes you have to look around to see it, but sometimes you just need a reminder that those qualities exist. A true 5 star read. Many thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC. This is my own opinion.