★★★★★ — I have either read it more than once, or it shaped and influenced my thinking, or I find myself thinking about it long after I finished reading it.

★★★★ — Well-worth the time spent reading, may read it again, but haven’t yet.

★★★ — Passed the time satisfactorily, but would not read again nor urge you to read.

★★ — Had a few redeeming moments, but for the most part, a poor use of time.

★ — Deeply regret that I read this. The time would have been better spent staring vacantly out the window.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
fiction, ★★★★ Suzanne Chandler fiction, ★★★★ Suzanne Chandler

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

This is a beautifully-told story of a young family in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1580. The characters and settings are elegantly sketched and their joys and troubles feel personal. The father of the family works at the theater in Shoreditch in London, and though he is never named, we recognize him, and the impact of the fate of his son, Hamnet, on his work.

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“The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies” by Jason Fagone
non-fiction, ★★★★ Suzanne Chandler non-fiction, ★★★★ Suzanne Chandler

“The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies” by Jason Fagone

Have you ever heard of Elizebeth Smith? Well you should have. She’s the woman who cracked the secret codes of Germany’s South American spy rings and foiled many of their plans. Have you heard of Herbert Hoover? He’s the guy who founded the FBI and took credit for Elizebeth’s work.

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