Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Broken Country My Rating: 4.9

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

Much to my surprise, I truly loved all of the characters — even when I disagreed with their choices or questioned their decisions. That, to me, takes a gifted author: someone who can draw you so deeply into a character’s humanity that you care about them anyway.

If you enjoy character-driven stories that stay with you long after you finish, I HIGHLY recommend Broken Country. It’s the kind of book that makes you think, feel, and keep turning the pages late into the night.SO GOOD! Thank you to @shoegaljeanna for this great recommendation.

Michael Jordan The Life by Roland Lazenby

Michael Jordan My Rating: 4.6

 The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names. When most people think of him, they think of his beautiful shots with the game on the line, his body totally in sync with the ball -- hitting nothing but net.

But for all his greatness, this scion of a complex family from North Carolina's Coastal Plain has a darker side: he's a ruthless competitor and a lover of high stakes. There's never been a biography that encompassed the dual nature of his character and looked so deeply at Jordan on and off the court -- until now.

Basketball journalist Roland Lazenby spent almost thirty years covering Michael Jordan's career in college and the pros. He witnessed Jordan's growth from a skinny rookie to the instantly recognizable global ambassador for basketball whose business savvy and success have millions of kids still wanting to be just like Mike. Yet Lazenby also witnessed the Michael Jordan whose drive and appetite are more fearsome and more insatiable than any of his fans could begin to know.

Michael Jordan: The Life explores both sides of his personality to reveal the fullest, most compelling story of the man who is Michael Jordan. Lazenby draws on his personal relationships with Jordan's coaches; countless interviews with Jordan's friends, teammates, and family members; and interviews with Jordan himself to provide the first truly definitive study of Michael Jordan: the player, the icon, and the man.

During our commutes between our homes, we decided to listen to Michael Jordan: The Life on audio. I’ll admit, I went into this book a bit skeptical—I’m not a huge sports fan, and biographies about athletes aren’t usually at the top of my list.

Much to my surprise, I ended up really enjoying it. The author tells Jordan’s story in a way that feels both objective and deeply human. Rather than just listing career highlights and stats, it dives into the complex layers of his life—his upbringing, struggles, triumphs, and relentless drive.

What struck me most was how the book balanced admiration with honesty. It doesn’t shy away from showing the intensity and at times controversial sides of Jordan’s personality, yet it never loses sight of what made him such an extraordinary figure—not just as an athlete, but as an individual with vision and determination that pushed him to legendary heights.

Even if, like me, you’re not a sports enthusiast, you may still find this biography surprisingly compelling. It’s a story of discipline, sacrifice, and what it really takes to become the best. Listening to it on audio made the commute something to look forward to, and it sparked a lot of great conversations afterward.

If you’ve been curious about Michael Jordan beyond the highlights reels—or if you enjoy biographies that really dig beneath the surface—I’d recommend giving this one a try.