Qotd: what have you worked hardest for? . AOTD: for me, it was being a mother. Took years and a lot of pain and loss to finally have my rainbow babies. . In 1900 Sardinia, a young woman’s remarkable talent with a needle earns her a position as a seamstress with a wealthy family. Inside this privileged world far different from her own humble beginnings, the skilled sewer quietly takes measurements, sketches designs, mends hems—and in the silence, hears whispered secrets and stories of all those around her. Through the watchful young seamstress’s eyes, this small Italian city and its residents emerge in all their vitality, vanity, and fragility—flawed yet congenial people who are not quite what they pretend to be. "This feminist fairy tale is sure to be a book-club favorite and will appeal to fans of Laura Esquivel, Adriana Trigiani, and Elena Ferrante." — Booklist . Written in what I like to think of as narrative stream of consciousness, #theseamstressofsardinia is a stark but beautiful story of female strength. . #oliveinfluencer thanks @harperperennial for my copy! #bookstagram #italy #bookreview #booklover #booklovers #instabook #bookrecommendations #booknerd #bookworm #bookwormlife #bookphotography #bookpics #bookish #bookaddict #bibliophile #booklife #novel #bookaddict #booklove #bookstagrammer #prettybooks #instabookstagram #booksaremylife #harperperennial #booksbooksbooks #bookaholic #bookgram #bookphoto #bookclub (at Columbus, Ohio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnkkBeUvcDn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#circleofbookishfriends Day 5: Day Off- Nothing big here. My husband is off today and has commandeered the TV for video games. I'm working on book reviews and checking out my latest #bookmail from @harperperennial, How To Write Like a Writer by #ThomasCFoster. I am sucker for books on writing, so this is right up my alley. #OliveInfluencer #HarperPerennial #howtowritelikeawriter https://www.instagram.com/p/CiK-d_YLZcj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#bookmail! Got a package yesterday from #harpercollinspublishers with A Crooked Tree, the debut novel by @_una_mannion. Driving home one long summer night, Libby's mother is exhausted and fed up with the kids fighting in the backseat, she pulls over and orders Libby's younger sister out of the car to walk home. What no one in the family knows as they drive off leaving 12 yr old Ellen alone in the dark, five miles from home, is what will happen next. The book sounds fantastic and I think this will be a huge hit for Ms. Mannion. #harpercollinspublishers #oliveinfluencer #harperperennial #unamannion #acrookedtree https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUdi7FL-gn/?utm_medium=tumblr

@harpercollins has spoiled me the past few weeks with an embarrassment of riches! I've got some great books to read! #harpercollinspublishers #harperperennial #OliveInfluencer https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWNUWbrdtA/?utm_medium=tumblr

Happy Pub Day Tuesday to Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen! QOTD: What new release are you still waiting for? I'm always excited about new BIPOC women's fiction books. This one sounds like it has issues close to my heart. Who doesn't love a good Black authored read with string, female friendships? The synopsis caught my attention. Thanks to @harperperennial @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy. 🌺🌺SYNOPSIS🌺🌺 The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.”  At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own. With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted. #blackgirlsmustdieexhausted #jayneallen #tlcbooktours #oliveinfluencer (at The Bushwick Collective) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUYVl4QLMaj/?utm_medium=tumblr

Thank you so much @harperperennial and @harpercollins for gifting me with these new titles! A few months back, I reviewed The First Ten Years by @planetoffinks and @ladybash. It was such a great read, so I really wanted to read his new book is based on the new podcast Alice Isn't Dead. Keisha's wife Alice disappears and is presumed dead. But Keisha still sees her in the background of stories from all over America. Keisha follows clues searching for her wife and finds the unexpected. My 2nd book is The Sisters of Auschwitz, based on the true story of 2 sisters who fought Nazi occupiers, risking imprisonment and death to escort others to a safe house called "High Nest." When the safe house and the occupants are betrayed they are rushed onto last train to Auschwitz along with Anne Frank and her family. #oliveinfluencer #Bibliophile #reader #booknerd #AliceIsntDead #TheSistersofAuschwitz #harpercollinspublishers https://www.instagram.com/p/CTqc5QbL2fA/?utm_medium=tumblr

     What I appreciated most about this book was the comical, realistic, and distinct perspectives of two different human beings navigating their way to adulthood while learning what it means to be in a relationship.

     What I appreciated most about this book was the reminder to be more mindful of the moments in time that are often overlooked, seeking out and supporting genuine human beings, practicing self-care, and owning one’s place in the world regardless of things such as job titles and filters on photographs.