RTC17 s Debbi379 100

Having read The One In a Million Boy and When We Were The Kennedys, I was very excited to read this author's new book. I was not disappointed. The focus is on forgiveness and second chances. The characters are well developed and engaging. Violet is a young woman we meet as an inmate participating in a prison book club. Harriet is the 64 year old woman who runs the book club and Frank is a handyman who is also the husband of the woman violet killed in a drunk driving accident. The way the character's lives come together is at the center of the book. As an animal lover I found the Grey African Parrots that Violet works with in her first job after her release adorable. Definitely worth the read.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy15 s3 comments Joanna Flynn9 2

If I waited, I could write a more coherent review. But instead I want to record the way this book made my heart feel full, and warm, and overflowing with light.

Few books manage to capture the human condition so clearly. Few stories maintain their realism while showing that life is hard. It is unfair. And it often takes more than it gives. But it DOES give. And there is good. And you find it in the most unusual places.

This book taught me love and compassion anew.

Each characters viewpoints revealed different aspects of being human. They were each unique and believable and real. And I love them all. (Especially Ollie).

Read the book. 15 s1 comment Nicki53 12

From the award-winning author of The One-in-a-Million Boy, How to Read a Book will take your breath away.

Having read and loved The One-in-a-Million Boy, I was extremely excited to read Monica Wood’s new book. It surpassed my expectations. This is the story of a young woman recently released from prison, the husband of the woman she killed, and the woman who leads the prison book club. With chapters alternating among the three, we get deep insight into each of these characters, but ultimately, this is Violet’s story.

Toward the end of the book, I slowed the pace of my reading. I wanted to savor each word and not let it end too quickly. Few books show such empathy for the entirety of the human spectrum. Neither our best moments nor our worst moments singularly define us.

This book is so gorgeously written, that I found myself highlighting passages, a thing I don’t typically do when reading. This is no doubt one of the best books I’ll read all year.

How to Read a Book is a story of second chances, compassion, and human connection and will leave you feeling happy and deeply satisfied. You will fall in love with the characters, including the talking parrots (yes, there are talking parrots; not a joke and totally relevant to the plot). I cannot recommend this book more strongly. It comes out on May 7th. Pre-order a copy today!
7 s2 comments Emily419 16

This book was sooo sweet. I came into it not really knowing what to expect and came out of it being, surprisingly, interested to read more about Parrots! A soaring, tender book about human kindness, forgiveness, and second changes.4 s1 comment Tatyana Naumova1,368 159

???????????)2024 adorable russia ...more4 s2 comments Linda McCutcheon1,089 6

"...I honestly don't know how to accept your forgiveness."

"Apologies require acceptance...but as I understand it, forgiveness flows in one direction."

The beautifully written How To Read A Book, by brilliant empathetic author Monica Wood, is filled with profound thoughtful quotes.

Violet's only solace in prison is the book club run by retired English teacher Harriet. Volunteering at the prison gives Harriet purpose, "Retired people were often thought to be lonely, but it wasn't that. It was the feeling of uselessness, of being done with it all."

After serving time for manslaughter, killing a Kindergarten teacher in a car crash, Violet is lost. Her mother dies while she's incarcerated, her family disowns her, and no one hires her. A trip to the bookstore changes her life. Harriet's there, buying books for bookclub, and so is Frank, the husband of the woman she killed.

Violet is trying to be better, "I am a person trying to face my mistakes." How Violet, Harriet and Frank navigate their relationship, who they are now after the death, after Violet is free, and how the story is not always what it seems and isn't over until the end, is a life changing experience.

The line that broke me, "I know how it feels to believe you are loved when you're not," made me believe the writer knew my life. Knew the pain of betrayal, of loss, of profound grief and feeling alone.

But just life there are moments of pure joy, especially with Ollie, an adorably smart parrot, who exemplifies that all living beings need kindness, grace, love and compassion in their lives and second chances can lead to fulfillment.

How we read a book should be how we respectfully treat others; with care, understanding and knowing every person, every book has its own story.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.3 s1 comment Kelly Green Hicks92 19

I am a huge fan of Monica Wood's The One-in-a-Million Boy, so I was ecstatic when I saw that she had a new book coming out. This book definitely did not disappoint!

This book is about a young lady that was just released from prison for a car crash while driving drunk that kills a school teacher, a retired teacher who runs a book club in the prison, and the husband of the victim. They have a chance encounter in a bookstore that starts a redemptive process for all three characters.

This is such a wonderful book of second chances! I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced digital copy of the book.books-about-books net-galley3 s1 comment Maya Bailey208 8

this book was exactly what i expected- very sweet little fic book about books set in maine and i loved it!! the characters were really loveable and i loved how wholesome it was- a little underdeveloped at parts and the end was kinda funky but overall would recommend- 4??2024-new-books lit-fiction may-tbr ...more3 s1 comment Donna246

Monica Wood has a knack for creating deeply human characters who evoke empathy in the reader. How to Read a Book is a story about loss, regret, and beginning anew. It's about the transformative power of forgiveness of others and self. And it shows the impact books can have on our lives.

This book releases in June 2024... put it at the top of your TBR. In the meantime if you haven't read Wood's One- in-a- Million Boy, read that to tide you over until this one releases.2024 arc book-hangover-inducing ...more3 s1 comment Kim McGee3,227 80

4 1/2 stars
A young woman makes a mistake that takes the life of someone's wife and mother and she goes to prison. Violet is fresh out and is looking for work and a fresh start. A chance meeting with her beloved leader of the prison book club helps land her a job she is well suited for. She also accidentally comes face to face with the man most affected by her past. Violet must accept that she has paid her dues and can start over but still feels that she will forever try to atone for that one night. This is a deep soulful story of second chances, forgiveness and family where you least expect to find it. As a bonus you learn so much about the intelligence and personality of parrots. Fans of THE READING LIST will enjoy this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy. 3 s1 comment Jennifer Termaat118 3

There are not enough stars to sum up this book. This was the first work by Monica Wood that I’ve read but she has now become one of the most talented writers I’ve ever seen. This story is a true work of art and one that I’ll look forward to reading again. Absolutely beautiful! 2 s2 comments Jennifer221 5

Speechless. All of the stars. 2024-all-read2 s3 comments Meghan4

Thanks to Goodreads and Mariner for the ARC.
This is a feel-good story about the power of forgiveness and human connection. It'll make you consider your relationship with mercy, shame, grief, and resilience. I'm a sucker for books about books and unly friendships...and apparently now talking parrots.goodreads-giveaway-winners2 s Margie Bunting621 25

It's impossible to overstate what a special book this is. On the strength of Monica Wood's earlier The One-in-a-Million Boy, which I adored, I was thrilled to take on How to Read a book, her latest novel. The plot features three strong protagonists who are realistic, believable, and relatable.

Violet is a 22-year-old who spent almost two years in prison for drunk-driving manslaughter. Harriet is a retired teacher who leads a book club in the prison in which Violet is incarcerated, and retired machinist and current bookstore handyman Frank is the husband of the woman killed in Violet's accident. All three are trying to come to terms with problems in their past involving family issues, unhappy relationships, and/or disastrous mistakes, and through a series of coincidences and choices, they find themselves ultimately a sterling example of "found family."

This is a quick and easy read, less than 300 pages, but there is so much remarkable content in those pages. The book club scenes with the female inmates are unforgettable and sometimes hilarious, as Harriet tries to find books that they will enjoy and to immerse them in conversations and exercises that allow them to express themselves in ways their normal prison life does not allow. Violet's evolution after leaving prison and her scenes with the African gray parrots who are the subject of her employer's research are extraordinary and delightful. I didn't want them--or the book--to end! The supporting characters of family members and employers are also beautifully depicted, but it is the three main characters who carry the story with deeply felt emotion as they discover what they really want out of life and set a path to achieve it. The epilogue where we find out about the rest of Violet's life is very moving and satisfying. This is a gem--highly recommended.1 1 comment Maryann Forbes187 14

Thank you to NetGalley, Mariner Books, Harper-Collins Publishing and the author, Monica Wood for the opportunity to read and review How To Read A Book. How To Read A Book is a delightful novel about 3 people who meet, and in time their lives become intertwined in unusual yet touching manners. Harriet Larson is a retired teacher, a widow and facilitates a Book Club at a nearby prison. The women she interacts with affectionately refer to her as Bookie., Harriet meets Violet Powell, a member of her reading group, 22 years old, incarcerated for manslaughter. Violet receives an early release, and while she has never forgiven herself, she wants to positively rebuild her life. Her estranged sister drops her off at an apartment in Portland, and gives her a bit of money and the sparsely furnished apartment, rent paid for a year. Her sister departs telling Violet she doesn't want to see her again. The third major character is Frank Daigle. Frank is a retired machinist, a widower, father of a grown daughter. He isolated himself following the death of his wife, in a violent car crash, and the trial of the driver, however is now working 25 hours a week in a bookstore as a handyman, and enjoying his new, yet somewhat lonely life. How To Read A Book is a lovely tribute to the human spirit of these 3 characters. It is about healing, moving-on, and becoming the best a person can be. The characters came alive on the pages, and have stayed with me. I highly recommend How To Read A Book; this review reflects my honest opinion. 4 stars.1 1 comment Ruby164 13

After being released from prison for manslaughter, 22 year old Violet must learn how to live a life after having taken one.

With that unfolds the most remarkably beautiful story of redemption, forgiveness, what it means to make a family with the people with whom you share no blood, and most importantly, forgiveness.

Harriet, the retired teacher who volunteers and hosts a book club in a women's prison where Violet was sentenced and Frank, the widower of the in a drunk driving accident. And birds, gloriously beautiful and brilliant birds.

This is a book about redemption, starting over, compassion, and perhaps most importantly, the power of forgiving oneself.

I have never read anything more heartfelt, and I can not remember how many chapters made me glassy eyed, weepy, or ugly cry. I gasped. I laughed. I wanted more than anything for this to just keep going and going.

This was so marvelous that I could barely find my words. This is the book I have been needing in my life. I will never not sing it's praises and I absolutely can't recommend this enough to anyone wanting to read something positive and redeeming. Every book club in the world should pick this up. I do not reread books as a rule, but I know this will be an exception to that.

Definitely now in my top ten favorite books of all time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this unpaid review.1 1 comment Anne Marie46

SO! GOOD! A beautiful depiction of the idiosyncrasies that come with being incarcerated. It’s a fictional story with nonfictional emotions, scenarios, conversations, & implications. This novel is a raw testament to the heartache of incarceration, no matter what level it is experienced, and spotlighted just how fine the line is between “us” & “them.” If you have any interest in or heart for prison ministry & incarcerated persons & their families—this is a must read. This might be my best book of 2024
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