Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme that was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is now currently being hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and give the reasons why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Blurb from Goodreads

The new novel from the bestselling, National Book Award-winning, Oprah Book Club-picked, Barack Obama favourite James McBride.

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows.

As these characters’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community-heaven and earth-that sustain us.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday everyone! I can’t believe it is Monday again. This means I have to return to the office after a week’s worth of vacation. Unfortunately, I have been under the weather so, without design, I had to take the day off. I have been coughing like crazy. I hope it will get better tonight. How about you? I hope that you are all feeling well. I hope the remaining days of the year will be filled with aplomb, good news, and blessings. I am also praying that everyone will be spending the holidays with their loved ones. For those who had to deal with unkindness throughout the year, I hope that the rest of the year will be kind to you and to everyone.

Wow. 2023 is really slowly rolling its curtains. I must say that the year has been a very productive reading year, way above my expectations. When 2022 ended, I thought I wouldn’t repeat what I achieved during the year: reading over 100 books in a year. Lo and behold! I did and I even reset my personal record for most books read in a year. I am reading Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful, my 127th book this year. For comparison, I ended 2022 with 103 books. During the year, I also read my 1,000th and 1100th novels. Despite this, I have lagged behind in some of my reading challenges. I finally completed the two reading challenges that are high on my list. I have now turned my attention to reading books from my 2023 Top 10 Books I Look Forward To List.

In the past few years, it has been my resolve to read more new works; I have always been the backlist type of reader. This is the reason for the most anticipated release list. I have also set a target of at least 15 new books. Unfortunately, I have been less successful this year compared to previous years. Hello Beautiful is just my eighth this year although I have more lined up in the coming days. I am just hoping I will be able to read them. One of the new books that recently piqued my interest is James McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, a book that was released during the second half of the year (August 8). The book’s title was more than enough to capture my attention. The sheer creativity of it resonates with me.

The book has also been listed by many as one of the most anticipated releases during the second half of the year. For good reason. If there is one reason why I really wanted to read the book, it would be because The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store has been listed by several literary magazines and pundits as one of the best reads of the year. It has been receiving praise from everyone, pundits and readers alike. To be honest, I thought it would be a light story. However, upon reading the blurb, I received quite a shock to the system. It was not what I thought it was; I guess I should never judge a book by its cover. Nevertheless, I am more than looking forward to what the book has in store.

For now, I want to obtain a copy of the book. I hope I get to read it before the year ends. How about you fellow reader? How was your Monday? What books have you added to your reading list? Do drop it in the comment box. For now, happy Monday and, as always, happy reading!