Thank you Mariner Books and Netgalley for sharing this upcoming novel. I enjoyed this story about a young woman struggling with the repercussions of an accident and prison sentence, and her found family of characters, all centered on a bookstore. I really liked the characters as many gave me that warm fuzzy feeling about them and the world. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a feel good gentle story.

The story of Harriet, Violet and Frank and how their lives intersect while finding themselves and forgiveness was heartwarming. I felt like I wanted more, although it was a nice ending. After reading the author's note in the end about the parrots, I thought that was a unique element in the story and was pleasantly surprised it was inspired by real life. I think this book would be enjoyed by book lovers, it tells a story of people coming together around books through a book club but develops into a story that intersects real life and how at times what we least expect is what we needed all along. Thank you to the Book Club Girl Early Read program for an eARC of this book.

This book was amazing!!!! Maybe my favorite of the year so far! It was so heartfelt and moving.

I think about forgiveness very differently after reading this.

The relationship between Harriet Frank and Violet was so sweet. And how do you end a book this good? Just as sweet.

Everyone should read this book!

I just adored this sweet and heartwarming book by Monica Wood. I loved Violet, Harriet and Frank and the friendship they shared. It is a book that will make you smile and leave you feeling happy. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of How to Read a Book by Monica Wood. it was such a wonderful story of forgiveness, love, redemption, and creating a family when your own abandons you. The story begins during a book club meeting in a women’s prison. The club is lead by a retired teacher named Harriet Larson, who is affectionately known as Bookie by its members. The story is primarily about Violet Powell who is released from prison shortly after the story begins., The story really takes a turn when Violet visits a local bookstore to purchase a copy of the book that she did not have the opportunity to finish before she left. This simple act of entering the bookstore, seeing not only Harriet, but also Frank, the widowed husband of the woman she killed in a car accident sets off a chain of events that changes all of their lives. The story is told in alternating viewpoints by Violet, Harriet and Frank. The characters are so well written and the story is so compelling, I could not put it down. If you are looking for your next great read, this is it. Did I mention Ollie? You will love him.

My first book from this author and i liked it well enough. The story is simple to understand and based on forgiveness. I value books and reading so anything around that I am intrigued. Each character highlighted something new about being human through their acts and the books they read. The main character is a prison inmate and that aspect is handled very thoughtfully by the author. Read this book to be steeped in compassion, human spirit, and love.

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.

One word stuck out as appearing many times in Wood’s How to Write a Book. That word is wow. And, that is also my review - WOW with capital letters!

This book! It will enrich you with sensitivity, insight and hard truths. I know that I will be recommending this book far and wide for some time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 I 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 a women's prison where Violet was sentenced and Frank, the widower of the woman killed 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 cannot 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 I can 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.

Monica Wood has written a heart warming book about personal growth and forgiveness. Violet is a prison inmate who gets released early with no family or friends to support her. She was in prison for taking a life while drunk driving. Her sister drops her off in a new city and sets her up with the basics before cutting her off entirely. The author effectively highlights the growth of Violet and her new friends that help her forgive herself while moving forward with a meaningful life. We experience the growth of the secondary characters as they resolve their own issues. Prison life is also highlighted as they belong to a book club that meets weekly at the prison. A retired teacher leads this group and gives them hope for their future. Well drawn characters and storyline!
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collin’s Publishers and Mariner Books for an eGalley of this book.
#HowToReadABook #MonicaWood #NetGalley

"...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 like 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, like 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.

After serving time for a drunk-driving crash, Violet is finding her feet again. Living with the remorse she still feels about the accident, plus reacclimating to life on the "outs," she slowly begins to build a new life for herself. When she runs into Harriet, her book club leader from her time in prison, she finds support and patience that Violet doesn't receive from her own family. Then, when she also runs into the husband of the woman she killed, Violet finds forgiveness and love in the most unexpected of places.

This book is an honest, but not gritty, look at the process of reacclimating to society after prison. It also offers a heartwarming story of found families, and finding oneself while growing into adulthood. A moving and thoughtful story.

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.

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood tells the story of Violet, who is serving time in prison. The only reprieve she has is the book club which is run by Harriet. Violet gets to the heart of guilt, loss, and how to survive on the Outs, when she is paroled. She runs into Harriet at the local bookstore, who becomes a mentor and friend. Frank, the widow of the woman Violet kills while drunk driving, works at the bookstore and becomes involved in Harriet’s and Violet’s story. Friendship and redemption are central themes of the book with some twists and important lessons along the way.

I would recommend this book for all readers. “I am a reader. I am intelligent. I have something worthy to contribute.” These are the words the book club members recite when they meet, this book shows how books are a lifeline when you need them the most. The stories they contain become a part of you and help show you the way when you may not be able to see it for yourself. This is a great book for a book club pick, it would be great for discussion.

Thank you Mariner Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was an excellent read. If you like found family, realistic life situations, and stories that make a strong impact, then this book is for you. Our main character, Violet, is in prison when we first meet her. She is attending a book club lead by "Bookie" as she is fondly called. As the story unfolds, we learn Violet's backstory, as well as watch her future begin to unfold post-prison. There are a lot of ups and downs in the transition process, and she receives some much needed help from some unexpected places. This is a powerful and rewarding story, full of redemption. I won't say any more, as I believe you need to experience this one for yourself to get the full impact. This is well worth the read, and you will not be sorry that you picked up.

How to Read a Book is the first novel that I have read written by Monica Wood! WOW! I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the synopsis. Violet is a 22 year old ex-con, newly released from prison after 22 months. Harriet is a widow, retired teacher who runs the prison book club. Frank is a widower, whose wife died in the vehicular accident when Violet was driving under the influence. This book is so much more. It is about second chances, make one's life better, learning from mistakes and moving on and forward! Let's not forget about the parrots! They pulled on my heartstrings just as much as the characters. Ms. Wood's characters so well written that I felt that I just wanted to hug each one and tell them not to give up hope. I will definitely be reading more of the author's books. Thanks to NetGalley, Instagram's Book Club Girls Early Read Program and Mariner Books for the ARC!

In the end, I wanted more story. What a great book that presents grief, then healing and second chances in such an intriguing way that you won't be able to put the book down. The parrots in the book were such a treat to read about.

Violet: She makes a life altering mistake, causes a man to lose his wife, a daughter to lose her mom and a kindergarten class to lose their teacher. Violet pays for her crime by doing time in prison.

Harriet: AKA Bookie. She starts a book club in the prison where Violet is doing her time. I loved reading the book discussion that the group had.

Frank: Husband of the afore mentioned life that was lost. Man of amazing emotional stamina and love.

This was my first book by Monica Wood. Definitely will recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Monica Wood, and Mariner Books for this arc e-version to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I just finished this book over the weekend and I am enamored with it. It was beautifully written with the lives of three people connecting in unexpected ways. Violet is in prison and is surprised to learn she is getting out early after killing a woman in a drunk driving accident. She has nowhere to go, doesn't know what to expect, and her family wants nothing to do with her. The collision course between Violet, Harriet--the retired teacher who volunteers to run a book club in the prison where Violet is, and Frank, the husband of the woman Violet killed is full of anger, hatred, remorse, grief, love, forgiveness, the loss of innocence, and eventually, acceptance. I felt for every one of the characters and wanted nothing but the best for all of them. This is definitely one of my top books of the year!!

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.