Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Mini Book Reviews: March 2023

Disclaimer: I received a PRC of Choosing to Run from the publisher and NetGalley. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

I started March's reads with a winner! Des Linden's memoir was compelling reading. While I waited for some library holds to come in, I hit the backlist for Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First, which had great reviews. I didn't love it and eagerly opened my first library hold, Stone Cold Fox. I could not put it down and it kept my heart pounding! Big Swiss was hilarious. Just hilarious. But it might not be for everyone. Speaking of everyone, Pineapple Street is the must-read of the moment. I found it to be just ok. Another popular read right now is Maame, which I enjoyed. 

I read a 7th book this month as well, but I am going to do a full review on the blog. Kara Goucher's memoir, The Longest Race, gave me all the feels. I could not put it down. I have a lot of thoughts on this one and will share my post next Tuesday. Stay tuned for that!


Desiree Linden is the kind of runner who appeals to us recreational runners. She's a workhorse with a quiet humility that in the past has made people underestimate her abilities. That all changed when she won the 2018 Boston Marathon, a race that was run in horrible conditions. In her memoir, Choosing To Run, Des tells the story of that race and how her mental toughness propelled her to outrun her opponents. She doesn't tell the story all at once though--sharing tales of her rise from a young runner to becoming an elite marathoner. These stories are interweaved throughout the book. Des worked with a ghostwriter but was completely involved, wanting the voice of the story to be true to herself. While I was impressed with her thoughtful approach to racing and running, what stood out most to me is her unwavering desire to stay true to her principles. She shares her thoughts on the Nike Oregon Project doping scandal and how she spoke out about it, even though she was concerned she was risking her long-term relationship with Brooks Running. I liked her before I read her memoir--after reading it, I like her even more. She is a true legend. To be released on April 4, 2023.

In between books, I pulled Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First off the backlist. The author, a former 'mommy blogger' and therapist invites the reader to be more open in their relationships with others. She provides 10 prompts to help readers dig deep and explore situations that can help them open up and relate to others. To get the ball rolling, she shares her own experiences. This book felt more like a memoir than a self-help book. I didn't really get a lot out of this book. Maybe I wasn't the right audience for this book. I'm a bit older than the author and have worked through a lot of the situations she shares. I've cultivated friendships where I can be more vulnerable and have really cut off the superficial ones. I hope that this book is useful to women struggling to connect with others.


Wow! It's been a hot minute since I've read a book that sucked me in and wouldn't let me put it down. Stone Cold Fox is the story of a young woman, raised by a cold, conniving mother, who uses the skills she learned to snag a naive old money bachelor. She's hidden all of her past and is ready to sink her claws into him and his fortune. But there are a few glitches including a very worthy adversary who is her fiancĂ©'s childhood BFF and hopelessly in love with him. This twisty novel has it all and it left me turning the pages as fast as I could to find out what would happen next. I thought I had it all figured out until the next twist! And how about that ending? 



Greta is a transcriptionist for a sex therapist. She makes up names for the clients and provides hilarious commentary that made me laugh out loud. She also finds herself increasingly intrigued by one of the clients, a tall, Swiss woman she calls 'Big Swiss'. When the two women accidentally meet at a dog park, they begin an affair. Of course, Greta can't tell Big Swiss that she knows all her deep, dark secrets, which makes for some entertaining dialogue. Greta also has past trauma, but the author deftly uses humor to deflect from the serious themes that are pervasive throughout Big Swiss. This was a really engaging and entertaining read and gave me lots of food for thought after I finished it. I also learned that it is being adapted into an HBO max series--but of course, you must read the book because the book is always better!


Pineapple Street
 is about an extremely wealthy family living in Brooklyn. The narrative alternates between the three children and the reader gets to know each of them well. Nothing earth-shattering happens, rather the story is more of a chronicle of their lives and how they handle the curveballs that come their way. Family dynamics provide some low-key drama, but mostly this was just a pleasant read about people with money. I'm not sure it deserves all the hype it's been receiving, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.




A young Ghanaian woman, living in England and carrying for her invalid father, moves out on her own when her mother returns to take over. Maddie is very naive, which leads to a very comical night out with her new roommates but also into a relationship with a guy who doesn't have her best interests at heart. She also has mother issues. As the story progresses, Maddie has to deal with the first major tragedy in her life. While this part of the book was pretty sad, she grows through this experience and learns to make better choices for herself in her dealings with others. Maame was a really engaging 'coming-of-age' story. And you know how much I love those!



Have you read any of these books? Do any of them appeal to you? What have you read lately that you'd recommend to me? 

I'm linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.


19 comments :

  1. Just this morning my running buddy Ilona told me that I must read Kara Goucher's memoir. It must be incredible. I'm looking forward to your review!
    Also, thanks for the review of Des Linden's book. I remember that 2018 race, so wet and cold! Des is so relatable and so inspiring. Definitely going to get my hands on that book, too!

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    1. The trifecta would be Lauren Fleshman's book. Another great read!

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  2. I'm still reading those you recommended from last month.

    I wish I had more time to read... but work, running....

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  3. Some great ones here. On the Des Linden and working with ghostwriters: typically a ghostwriter will do up to 20 hour-long interviews with their subject and they or their transcriber will capture the way the subject speaks in order to write it in their voice: that's how the good ones work as I work with them! So I'm glad she had that.

    On Big Swiss, that's hilarious, as no transcriber worth their salt changes names or adds in funny comments as it would drive their client mad! Oh well ...

    On Pineapple Street, yes, I have finished it and I wasn't sure what we were meant to get out of it - was it satire (there were some funny comments and I loved the mum's revenge by making sure that bad guy couldn't get stuff, also the one time Sasha does a themed party look what happens) but also did we just want to feel sorry rich girls get used for their money? The theme of divesting wealth had a minor interest and I did read on to see what happened ... I hope to have my review up tomorrow.

    On Maame, you know I love that book and it was a privilege to meet Jess at her local book signing! My review is here https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2023/02/23/book-review-jessica-george-maame/ for others to see, I am glad it prompted you to push this up your list.

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    1. I really enjoyed Maame!!! Glad you agreed with me on Pineapple Street. I'll look for your review tomorrow!

      Kara Goucher used a 'cowriter' and I'll share more about her book next Tuesday. But it really helped to keep her book unemotional and objective. It's a pretty intense one!

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  4. I'm such a huge fan of Des - will definitely add her book to my list.

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    1. It's so good. I can't say it enough. We are so lucky to have these women sharing their journeys with us.

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  5. I just heard Des and Kara being interviewed on the Running Rogue podcast (not at the same time, two different episodes) and I definitely want to read both books! From the podcast, I know there's a lot in Kara's book that hasn't been revealed until now. I'm looking forward to your review.
    Stone Cold Fox sounds good! I'll see if I can get it from my library.

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    1. I really liked Stone Cold Fox--lots of twists and turns! Let me know if you like it.

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  6. I think I'm most intrigued with Des' book. She's had quite a career and has been a great source of inspiration. A co-worker ran the 2018 Boston; totally a very cold and wet day!

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    1. Des's ability to dig deep and not be affected by the conditions really impressed me!

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  7. I am interested in Des' book! I read part of it in Runner's World and want to read more. I will wait for the library to have a copy ready for me.

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  8. I had Maame in my cart but picked something else instead. That's ok. I'm always down for a good read.

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  9. Funnily enough, my book group used to meet on Pineapple Street at a cafe called Vineapple! I have to look for this book.
    I feel the same about Des, I liked her but now I love her. She's so relatable. I'd like to have a coffee with her.

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    1. I was wondering if any of my NYC readers would mention the real Pineapple Street!

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    2. I mentioned it for the head of our former book group. I think we need a reunion with this book

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