In the Bleak Mid Winter (and Spring): Book Reviews

In the Bleak Mid Winter (and Spring) Book Reviews

No, I did not head straight to historical fiction. I made a detour to memoir and the classics and hung out there for awhile. I had months of a reading slump. I started a bunch of books and didn't finish many of them. I just couldn't get into anything. I hate it when that happens. Winter (and Spring) did not prove to be the reading experience that I hoped it would be. That's the way it goes sometimes.

1.) Hungry Heart by Jennifer Weiner

I am not a devout Jennifer Weiner fan. I haven't read all her books. I read her book Good in Bed once for a book club that I was in several years ago and then I read In Her Shoes when I was looking for a quick read. I liked them both but never really felt compelled to read more of her books. So, I am not sure how I heard about Jennifer Weiner's memoir about her life and her writing career but one snowy Saturday I picked it up and read it in a weekend. It was interesting and enjoyable.

From Goodreads:

Jennifer grew up as an outsider in her picturesque Connecticut hometown (“a Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot”) and at her Ivy League college, but finally found her people in newsrooms in central Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, and her voice as a novelist, activist, and New York Times columnist.  No subject is off-limits in this intimate and honest essay collection: sex, weight, envy, money, her mom’s new found lesbianism, and her estranged father’s death. From lonely adolescence to modern childbirth to hearing her six-year-old daughter’s use of the f-word—fat­­—for the first time, Jennifer Weiner goes there, with the wit and candor that have endeared her to readers all over the world. By turns hilarious and deeply touching, this collection shows that the woman behind treasured novels like Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever is every bit as winning, smart, and honest in real life as she is in her fiction.

This book is actually part memoir and part a collection of essays. The first third of the book reads more like a memoir, the middle a collection of essays, and then the end is more like a memoir again. Some parts were humorous, some sad, some interesting, and some parts were just okay. I enjoyed the stories that Weiner told about her family and her grandmother in particular. I also enjoyed learning about how she got her start as a writer and the section about one of her books being made into a movie. That whole process was quite intriguing. I like reading author memoirs.  I am always interested in learning how writers become writers. It's fascinating stuff.  Weiner talks a lot about her childhood and her relationship with her parents. She talks very honestly and candidly about her lifelong struggle with her weight and her low self-esteem. She delves into her marriages, relationships, and motherhood. She writes about sexism, the double standard in the book publishing world, the denigration of the contribution of women writers and the chick lit label. This is the topic that has stuck with me the most after completing the book. Very eye opening.  Weiner tackles a lot of different and difficult issues and deals with them in a sometimes very raw way and at other times in a very humorous manner. Hungry Heart is candid, readable, and relatable. The book is sometimes a little choppy as the timeline jumps back and forth and sideways but it was an interesting journey. Weiner is a good storyteller. I appreciated her honesty and vulnerability especially when at times it didn't cast her in the best possible light and she appeared self-absorbed and occasionally whiny. All in all, it was a good weekend read and I have come away with a better understanding of what it is like to be a female writer in the world today and the challenges that are faced.

"Women's stories matter, the stories we write, the stories we read... They tell us who we are, they give us places to explore our problems, to try on identities and imagine happy endings. They entertain us, they divert us, they comfort us when we're lonely or alone. Women's stories matter. And women matter, too." (pg.4)

My Rating: Good.

2.)  A Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

Since this winter has been one of the coldest, snowiest, and gloomiest winters in a long while I was looking forward to finding out what makes the Danes in their cold and snowy country so darn happy.

From Goodreads:

Denmark is officially the happiest nation on Earth. When Helen Russell is forced to move to rural Jutland, can she discover the secrets of their happiness? Or will the long, dark winters and pickled herring take their toll?  A Year of Living Danishly looks at where the Danes get it right, where they get it wrong, and how we might just benefit from living a little more Danishly ourselves

Helen Russell was a magazine writer/editor for Marieclaire.co.uk living in London with her husband and feeling exhausted and burned out by her job and life when an opportunity presented itself to move to Denmark for her husband's job. He accepted a position working for Lego and they relocated to Denmark for a year. In the book Helen recounts the lessons that she learned during her year of living Danishly.

I thought that this was a fun and interesting book. It reads like part memoir and part travel journal. Very entertaining. I have never been to Denmark so I enjoyed learning about the people and culture along with Helen. The Danish lifestyle and culture are fascinating. Who knew about their love of animal autopsies?! Or that they were so environmentally minded? I loved learning about how the Danes structure their work week and conduct business, their educational system, childcare, holidays, and their social systems. I was intrigued by the importance of hobbies and interests and belonging to groups and clubs in the happiness of the Danish people and especially by the vast difference in the work/life balance from the US and UK. So interesting. There is a lot of research sited and that made the book feel a bit sluggish at times. I was much more interested in her every day life than in the actual statics about Denmark. The book is enjoyable and informative. It was fun to learn about another culture. I completed the book and felt that I had a whole new understanding and appreciation for Denmark and the Danish culture.

My Rating: A light-hearted and engaging look at Denmark and Danish culture.

3.) The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

There has been so much hype about this book. Did it live up to it? No, not even close. So disappointing.

From Goodreads:

In this tightly wound story, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…With surprising twists and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another intense read.

I was super excited to read The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I have been reading a bunch of memoirs and nonfiction lately and I wanted a page turning thriller. The premise was promising and I enjoyed the first part of the book.  The burglary...so freaky. But after that I just never regained much interest. It didn't help that the protagonist was unreliable...this is getting to be a tiresome trope...but add to that the fact that she is also very unlikable and it was the kiss of death for me. The plot was loose, there were a bunch of holes, and there was a cast of characters that I couldn't remember who was who because very little character building was done. I had to keep flipping back to when they were all introduced to keep them straight. The story was ho-hum and the supposed thrilling parts weren't all that thrilling or even good for that matter. By the end of the book I thought that the whole thing was ridiculous and I was glad that it was over.

My Rating: Disappointing

4.) Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

This is another children's book that I didn't read as a child although I have seen the Disney movie starring Hayley Mills many times. The movie is pretty true to the book. There were a few difference here and there but nothing too major. I would definitely recommend both.


From Goodreads:

This is a lovely book with wonderful themes such as being positive and being grateful for what you have and always looking for the best in people. I loved it. Such a nice message for the world today and a great book to read aloud to children. This is a classic, sweet, and entertaining story about the ultimate optimist who teaches lessons of friendship, compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, and empathy along the way. Win-Win.

My Rating: A lovely and sweet story.

5.) The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

From Goodreads:

In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage-clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital—where she has been locked away for more than sixty-one years. Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face. Esme has been labeled harmless—sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit? A gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth.

I enjoyed this book. It got me out of a very long reading slump. I enjoyed the interesting way that the book was written and how the story unfolded. The book skips around with time line, characters, thoughts, and memories...often a section will end mid-sentence or mid-thought or a whole section is just paragraphs of half-finished thoughts. At first I thought the writing would be irritating but by the end of the book I truly appreciated the beauty and uniqueness of the writing. The ending was similarly abrupt but not unsatisfying despite the fact that you have to use your imagination. The constant flashing between Esme and Kitty and Iris and how the story unfolds as you find out more facts and clues from each flash of memory kept me turning the pages until late at night. I don't want to say too much about the plot because putting the pieces of the mystery together is so addicting. This is a wonderfully crafted and tightly styled novel. So tragic and so beautiful.

My Rating: Good. A haunting tale of loss.

6.) Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

I was in a reading slump that lasted for a few months. I just didn't LOVE anything that I was reading. During that time I was trying to read and get into a bunch of different books rather unsuccessfully. I started was reading this as my night time insomnia classic. I knew what I was getting into with this book and I thought that it would put me back to sleep within minutes. What a surprise when it turned out to be the best book that I was reading and that is saying something considering the utterly tragic nature of this book. Despite the depressing story of poor Tess; I liked it.

From Goodreads:

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future.

This isn't a warm and fuzzy book or a cozy read. It is sad and unfair and depressing...not to mention terribly bleak. One of my biggest pet peeves are people, particularly in book groups. who state "I don't want to read anything sad or depressing." What?! Sometimes sad and depressing books are also tragically beautiful and there are things to be learned from them. I would hate to have missed out on this novel despite being warned over and over again about how sad and depressing it was. The story has stayed with me for months now. So despite the subject matter and despite some very unlikeable characters...ANGEL IS THE WORST...he beat out Alec! Who knew?! I am glad to have read it.

My Rating: A great classic...but not for everyone.


7.) Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon

I love the Outlander series and Diana Gabaldon's writing. In my book slump and desperation to find something that I could really get into and enjoy I decided to read her Lord John series. I am not a Lord John fan. In fact, I would say that he has been my least favorite character in the books up until maybe book 7 and then by book 8 I have come to somewhat like and appreciate him. But not enough to read an entire series of books about him. Still... I was looking forward to being back in the Outlander universe despite my lack of love for Lord John.

From Goodreads:

The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London’s Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty’s Army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something still more urgent: the Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade in arms, who may have been a traitor. Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society — and threatens all he holds dear. From the bawdy houses of London’s night-world to the stately drawing rooms of the nobility, and from the blood of a murdered corpse to the thundering seas ruled by the majestic fleet of the East India Company, Lord John pursues the elusive trails of a vanishing footman and a woman in green velvet, who may hold the key to everything — or nothing.

Did I like this book? No. It was boring. I wanted more background information on the Gray family. Lord John's brother Hal and his sister-in-law Minnie play a role in some of the later Outlander books and Diana Gabaldon just assumes that her readers read everything she writes...all series and novellas...so she doesn't really introduce Hal and Minnie to her readers. We are just expected to already know who they are and their back story. That annoys me. So... I was hoping to learn more about Hal but I didn't. He was out of the country and it was just Lord John solving a very dull mystery.

My Rating: Skip it.

8.) She's a Mom--Collection of Essays

I received this book as a gift from my mother-in-law. It is a sweet little book full of encouraging words, stories, and quotes about motherhood. 

My Rating: A sweet and super quick read.