‘Cherry’ Ingram: The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms by Abe Naoko

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

Our book group is reading this. The basic subjects are not interesting to me personally: Japanese history, cherry trees, or birds. Getting through much of it was a hard slog. The illustrations and photos helped keep me on track.

Written from Japanese and British points of view, this was and intersection of history, botany, governments, and individuals in the West and East. The book is full of dates and facts, travel descriptions, personal observations, and other data. 

It could be of interest those who love Japan, students of geography, politics, and history, as well as those who revel in details of life in East Asian or the UK a century ago.

The value for me in reading it was to explore the history of a passion.

A Million Little Miracles: a Guided Journal 40 Reflections to Awaken Wonder by Mark Batterson

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
 If you were offered the chance to spend the next 40 days coming alive again, would you invest your time? Batterson offers the opportunity to see life and faith in new ways. Pick up a copy and be prepared to wonder at the beauty and grace of the Good News.

Batterson offers hopeful theology and spiritual practices to bring back your awareness of joy and beauty all around you. There's room to write in your responses and reflections. I suggest that you date your journal so you can use it for several years. Then you can see how your appreciation for God and his world, and his people grows.

Really enjoyed this one.

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
What if you ignored the expectations of culture, let go all the "should"s of others, and lived life to the full? How could you even begin to loosen the grip of obligations to live a full and meaningful life? 

Adachi encourages you to let go of what you're not interested in and live your life to the fullest - the way you're designed and the way you're wired.

She offers practical tips for avoiding overwhelm such as limiting options that can be made habitual, streamlining rituals, and examining traditions. Even the practical footnotes were helpful.

If you're drowning in details, stuck in unhelpful patterns, or need coaching on the next "small step," this one's for you.

What Next?: The savvy woman’s guide to redefining retirement by Jane Moffett

★★★★★ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
 Ah girl, you worked, you climbed the ladder (or found the job you loved), and were a success at work. Now you're in a new season and ... well, what comes next? Moffett coaches the soon-to-be- and already-retired woman through opportunities and relationships that are post-work. How do you find satisfaction and meaning - and give back as a retiree?

This is such a wonderful addition to a woman's library as she approaches retirement or wades through the life she's creating after she retires. I found it useful, informative, and an excellent manual for self-coaching. But it would be even more powerful with other women's input.

This would be AMAZING as a small group resource. I imagine a group of women sitting around a table in the library or public space, coaching each other with the help of Moffett's incredible book.

Such Good People by Amy Blumenfeld

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
What a story. You never know what lurks in the human heart, though most people look like such good people. When students get caught in a spiral of death, law, and ambition, their lives spiral out of control.

Redemption and reconciliation make this a satisfying read. Highly recommended.

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
I tried to stay with the story and couldn't - too much description before and between the action (for me). I'm recommending this book for readers who love depth and relationships and family tales. The consequences of decisions may affect a long line of descendants, so beware.

It's riches to poverty, secrets to disclosure, and grandma to granddaughter ... if you like women's fiction and history, this one's for you.

Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

A Reacher novel I hadn't met yet? This one gathers his entire army crew for a big adventure, which only Lee Child could dream up. 

There's mayhem, danger, violence (of course, Reacher style), romance - or at least passion - and a plot that keeps you turning pages. If you want a thriller with a bad hero who walks away in the end, here you go.