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!

Thank you to @netgalley and @marinerbooks for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'll be posting my review to GoodReads today and to Instagram on May 6th @nicki_rachlin

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this e-book. It was delightful and I loved the story except for one small bit. I'm not revealing that because it's a personal prejudice and may not affect you at all.

Violet is in prison and every day is pretty much the same except the day they have book club with Harriet Larson, a volunteer. She brings books alive for the inmates and they call her "Bookie." When Violet gets out, Harriet's niece helps her get a job with a professor who studies and trains African Grey Parrots. These birds are a "hoot." Violet falls in love with them instantly.

The story is very well written, captured my attention and stayed with me even after I finished the last page. It's mainly about relationships, which I almost always enjoy. It is also thought-provoking. I highly recommend it to any reader.

5.0 stars
HIGHEST recommendation

Wow, just WOW!

I loved this book! It is about second chances, taking the chances that life gives you, and forgiveness. I loved the main characters whom I found to be exactly how I remember Mainers - warm, kind, and hospitable.

This is the first book that I have read by Monica Wood. She is a master of storytelling, character development, and beautiful writing!

I enjoyed this book as I read it in less than 24 hours. I hope that you will too!

It has been almost 8 years since I read The One in a Million Boy, but it stuck with me in such a way that when I saw Monica Wood had a new novel, I knew it would be excellent. I was not wrong! Wood has an exceptional ability to make her characters come to life in both a warm and friendly way but also in a deeply thoughtful way. This book is about forgiveness, found family, the consequences of our choices, marriage, and getting older. I thought the plot hummed along, and I was never bored. Despite two of the narrators being in their sixties, the tone of the book was completely fresh and unique. I really loved it!

I am a sucker for books about books, books in the title, and books on the cover. So maybe that is what initially drew me to How To Read A Book. This book was really lovely and the characters felt like real people you could know. Violet Powell was a young 22 year old recently released from a 22 month prison sentence for killing a woman while drunk driving. She if full of shame from her mistake and feeling guilt for her mother dying while she was in prison. She can't seem to forgive herself. Harriet Larson, "Bookie" is retired from her English teaching job and is volunteering at the women's prison running a bookclub. Her daughters are grown, she is a widow, and she takes great pride in finding books for the women prisoners who come to discuss the books. Frank Daigle is a retired machinist, who is trying to come to terms with the trouble in his marriage with the kindergarten teacher that Violet had killed in the car crash. Their lives intersect again when Violet walks into the bookstore where Harriet is buying books for bookclub and Frank is working as a handyman. Their relationships start to transform and grow through kindness, forgiveness, and embracing second chances.
I found the story easy to follow and just fun to read. I enjoyed reading about the characters and their pasts and their individual story. I found the book to be comforting.
Thank you NetGalley, Mariner Books, and Monica Wood for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of what is my favorite read of the year so far. Ms. Wood has delivered a story with beautifully developed characters, each dealing with life’s challenges in different ways. Among them are Violet who is serving a 15 year prison sentence for manslaughter, Harriet, the ‘Book Lady’, the widowed retired teacher who runs a book club at the prison, and Frank, the retired machinist who is trying to find purpose after his wife was killed in an auto accident. Their lives intersect in interesting ways. Violet and Harriet become acquainted through the prison book club where “Every Friday, two hours, books, books, books. We get to keep them after we’re done, and that’s no small thing, a stack of triumphs under the bed”. “Despite Harriet’s selections, the women came to Book Club anyway, never missed a Friday morning, week after week, in part because the had nothing else to do and in part, Harriet hoped, because being together in a room discussing even the most unacceptable book made the prison disappear.” Their mantra was “I am a reader. I am intelligent. I have something worthy to contribute.”

The book really comes to life when Violet finds herself on the ‘Outs’—outside, released from prison—working with a professor who is studying avian cognition with a group of African grey parrots. A true star of the book is Ollie, one of the parrots. This is a well-crafted, moving story of second chances, forgiveness, and friendship. I loved it.

Young Violet, under the influence of a bad boyfriend, made a bad mistake... and she paid for it dearly.
After a drunk driving accident left a woman dead, Violet paid her dues and did her time in prison.
After that, however, Violet begins to live. As she meets crucial people, who teach her what unconditional love is.
She has made mistakes, her family and friends abandoned her, and she feels lost. Then she becomes friends with Harriet, who was the volunteer book club leader when she was in prison, and Frank the husband of the women she killed in the drunk driving accident.
A unique and true frienship blossoms between the three.
This is a story of forgiveness, and a story of love.
I felt sorry for Violet, she knew she did a terrible thing and she took responsibility for it.
Most of all, I adored Frank. The loving, loveable man who showed such forgiveness.
Well written, a lovely book.

Quick read, interesting characters who loves intersect and benefit from each others presence. Set in Maine interesting discussions of books.

Positively loved this story about second chances, new beginnings, unlikely friendships and forgiveness. And of course, what reader doesn’t love a story about the power of books and stories (and bookstores)! This book is sharp, thought-provoking and simply wonderful. I was sad to read the last page because I miss the imperfect, yet lovable characters (including the birds)! So well done!

Writing: 4/5 Plot: 4.5 / 5 Characters: 5+/5

Violet, a young woman released from jail after serving 22 months for manslaughter for driving while intoxicated and killing an elementary school teacher; Harriet, a retired librarian who runs the best book group in the world (IMHO) at the local prison where Violet has been incarcerated; and Frank, the retired tool & die guy whose wife was the one killed. A chance meeting in the local bookstore brings these three together in a pretty wonderful way.

This book was well-written, hits the sweet spot between humorous and deep, and is overall uplifting. I love uplifting! Especially when it isn’t stupid (honestly what isn’t better when it’s not stupid?). With broad themes of forgiveness and regret along with kindness (the genuine kind, not the saccharine type which is far more focussed on the person being kind than the person in need of kindness), the book is full of dynamic dialog, slowly gained self-understanding, and relationships — the good, the bad, and the ugly types. Also some capital F fun-to-read sections that aren’t essential to the plot but are engrossing and plot-supporting. For example, Violet ends up with a job supporting a crazy / crotchety professor studying the higher cognitive abilities of African Parrots (based on the real life research of Dr. Irene Pepperberg (www.alexfoundation.com). Absolutely fascinating. I also LOVED every scene concerning the book club at the prison. From Harriet’s planning and selection process to the questions she asked and the way the (female) inmates responded to the emerging personality of the club itself. Some questions she asks: If you were God, would you alter the facts for these characters? Do books change, depending on when and where we read them? Why do people tell stories? Or more specifically, if Gatsby had a brother like Ethan Frome, would he have made the same mistakes?

While probably not the primary purpose of the book, it did make me consider the (always muddied) purpose of our justice system. I wish we had a better understanding of the goals of prison: Punishment? Deterrence? Rehabilitation? Safety (in case of recidivism) of the public? Sometimes sentences just don’t seem to make sense. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions after reading.

Lastly, though there is little in common in terms of messaging or plot, the style and tone reminded me of Lessons in Chemistry. Really enjoyed this book.

Quotes:
“From her years in the classroom, Harriet understood that any group, no matter how diverse, eventually acquired a personality; Book Club had decided they were misunderstood souls born to the wrong era, and William Butler Yeats was their proof.”

“… the days when the place feels not like a dementia unit on Mars, but like an animal shelter filled with calm dogs. I can almost see them, our Reasons, small smoky thicknesses in the air. Like guardian angels, in a way. Guarding our memory of them. They float among us, quiet and uncomplaining, and they refuse to disappear.”

“Lorraine fell for Frank the defensive lineman, but he was a team chaplain at heart. He’d given her love, patience, stability, and her only child. These gifts had turned out to be the wrong gifts.”

“But these kids, who had acres of poetry committed to memory and the mechanical skills of an aardvark, they needed him.”

“Was Baker shucking the chains of patriarchy, or emulating a pop singer? Harriet genuinely wanted to know.”

“The youngster had a cuddly laugh; if hamsters could laugh, they would sound this way.”

“She’d begun their marriage as lead, soft and pliable, elastic and forgiving, but over the years she’d transformed herself into a high-carbon steel, strong and hard and resistant to wear.”

“They remained in this magical silence for a little while, as their separate pasts floated harmlessly between them”

“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.”

I loved every page of this beautiful, smart and quiet novel. Redemption and grief are sometimes difficult to marry, but this was beautifully done. Told from 3 perspectives, this novel is a portrait of life’s worst moments and what can be done with them. It’s a portrait of humanity, and love, and redemption. The last chapter took my breath away because I didn’t expect it, but it was absolutely perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have never read a book by Monica Wood but the premise of this book really intrigued me! This book explores the unlikely relationships with a focus on forgiveness and second chances. The protagonist, Violet, is fresh out of prison and forms and unlikely bond with the lady that ran book club while she was in prison as well as a man whose wife's death was the reason Violet went to prison.

At times it felt almost impossible that this level of forgiveness exists within us, but then this book kept reminding me how complex humans are. The human condition is filled with so much gray area - nothing is black and white. I really believe in second chances and I was routing for Violet to succeed even knowing what she had done.

Pulling the curtain back on what it could be like in prison and really humanizing inmates was so interesting for me. The book made me think and contemplate over my feelings over the characters time and time again. It did drag at times, which is why I'm docking the rating a bit but would love to read more from this talented author!

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.

I adored this book about forgiveness, second chances, compassion, basic humanity, and seeing people for who they are and who they can be. Violet, Harriet, and Frank are such delightful characters, as are the women in the book club. (Sophie was borderline intolerable and I loathed Kristy; I'm glad we didn't suffer more of them than what we did.)

I especially enjoyed the parts about the work with the African Grey parrots. (Ollie stole the show!) It was fascinating to learn how brilliant these birds are, and I plan to learn more about this research.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The theme of this book seemed like one that perhaps we’ve seen before – women in prison have a bookclub. But Wood puts in so many characters you will fall in love with and so many incredible comments about the simple act of reading that it was an absolute joy to read. She asks why do people tell stories and instructs us to slow down when we read a book as you notice more (guilty of not following this one-too many books, too little time). The overall plot may not be unique, but the way she has it unfold certainly is and I may, just may, slow down when I read my next book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins Publishing for an early copy of How to Read a Book

There's the story and there is the "meanwhile" in every book.

These words of main character Harriet Larson, a retired school teacher now volunteering as Book Club leader at a women's prison, focus the participants in the book club as they maneuver J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Edgar Lee Masters's Spoon River Anthology and the poetry of Maya Angelou with growth and change from within and toward each other.

When one of the female inmates, Violet, is released from prison a few months from completing her sentence for involuntary manslaughter/drunk driving, she will seek out Harriet. From there, the intertwined lives of the variety of people in Harriet's orbit reflect the thoughts and actions that become the "meanwhile" as the story continues.

And the birds! Prepare to learn of the remarkable work that animal behaviorists/scientists have conducted in demonstrating the intelligence particularly of parrots.

How to Read a Book will be a frequent recommend for those seeking a unique and uplifting reading experience along the lines of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry and A Man Called Ove.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review, appearing on Goodreads.
We are all caged by something. A bad marriage, circumstance, or our own hesitation to become.
A prison book club turns into friendships and ‘capers’ and much fun in this book by Monica Wood. Harriet volunteers as a book club leader in a women’s prison but when her outside life collides with her volunteer work, we see the characters grow and change.
And birds…lots of birds who are the perfect metaphor for the women in prison. These are intelligent feeling creatures who are passed off and overlooked but have so much to share.
I know why the caged bird sings, writes a famous poet. You will too.
A darling read of friendship, mercy and forgiveness.
3.5 rounded up to 4

This story about a young woman newly released from prison, who befriends the husband of a woman she killed in a drunk driving accident, has all the “feels”. It is at once charming and lovely, yet bittersweet and at times brutally honest. Just when one chapter would make me smile and laugh, the very next would tug at my heartstrings so hard as to bring me to tears. This is a book about books, a book club and birds; but it’s also about the value of hope, patience, and forgiveness. I will most likely have a hard time choosing my next book to read—I miss these characters already!

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants to learn how to read a book, stories about research into animal intelligence in a bird lab, or loves a good redemption. A retired English teacher who volunteers to lead a book group of imprisoned women manages to break most of the prison boundary rules. She helps a released felon start a new life. A crime victim has the empathy to extend mercy and forgiveness, bringing about healing in his own life and those around him. The book ended in a perfect, gentle twist that perhaps I should have seen coming, but didn’t. Monica Wood, with beautiful writing and original narrative, weaves together themes of agism, misogyny, and restorative justice. This is a work of serious, realistic fiction. I especially love the instructions for readers, that is how to think about and understand a book, many in the form of questions. Wood even throws in a few writing tips! I love Wood’s novels and was very excited to be selected to receive a NetGalley ARC of this book. Seems like it was on my TBR for nearly a year.

This was perfectly lovely and my whole heart was invested in the three main characters finding peace, healing, and hope for the future. Thank you for a beautiful book, Monica Wood.