This was my book club's pick for March 2024. I've seen this book around for years but never felt the pull to read yet another heavy WWII novel. That was a mistake!
I don't know what else I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. It's beautiful! The writing was like silk. I know that I've been reading a lot of mediocre books when the beauty of prose can literally stop me in my tracks. This book has been highly acclaimed and won multiple awards. All well deserved.
I will sing the praises of this book as have so many other readers. This is fantastic historical fiction. I couldn't put it down. I was haunted, stunned, and filled with wonder. The vivid descriptions and imagery with Doerr's layered storytelling added to the emotional experience of reading. I loved the interweaving of the lives and stories of two richly well-developed main characters. The story alternates between various timelines and between the perspectives of Marie-Laure a blind French girl and Werner Pfennig a gifted orphaned German boy who is part of Hitler's Youth. Their stories eventually intersect. I couldn't put it down. I was emotionally connected not only to Marie-Laure and Werner but also to several secondary characters.
As I followed along and traced their stories threaded through with themes of hope and light in the darkness and incredible scientific and philosophical metaphors I tried to savor the writing, the characterizations, and the vivid descriptions. My heart ached for Marie-Laure and Werner and their horrific circumstances. I anticipated this being a sad and tragic book. It does have those elements but I was surprised even more by finding wonder, hope, and humanity in the pages too.
My sister-in-law recommended this book series to me. I had never heard of them nor the author before. I absolutely LOVED this book and am anxiously waiting for Vol. 2 to come in at the library.
I am a sucker for a story told in a Dear Diary format. I read this quirky and funny book in one night. It was delightful! I love a Regency novel. Volume One is just setting the stage for the series and I cannot wait to see where it goes. I'm invested. I adored this witty and charming book with a wonderful cast of characters.
, that she does with her sister Elizabeth. I heard her discuss her journey into studying the five senses before it became this book. I knew it would be interesting and it was.
Rubin explores the power of our five senses and how they connect us to the world and the ways we experience life. She breaks the book down into five sections corresponding with each of the five senses. In each section she explores in depth the senses and our perception of them. She also includes what she did to experiment with each sense and how she applied this knowledge in her every day life. I thought it was interesting and informative. Rubin gives a lot of ideas and activities that the reader can implement to help experience each of the five senses in more depth themselves. She has lots of practical "try this at home" ideas. Most ideas weren't incredibly novel but some were fun and unique. Some of my favorites were: "Dinner in the Dark" a unique dinner offering from a trendy NYC restaurant where you eat your meal blindfolded, taking perfumery classes, attending Flavor University, and hosting a tasting dinner party for friends. The perfumery classes sounded so cool! I also liked her more easily doable ideas like making a "Book of Now" which is a photo album of things like rooms in your house or places in your neighborhood. I also liked her idea of journaling the sensory profiles of people and places. So intriguing. I loved reading the sensory profiles of her family and herself. Gretchen is a quirky and highly disciplined person. She processes things in unique ways. I enjoy that about her and her writing.
I read this book straight through but you could easily dip in and out of it reading a section at a time. I think this would be a fun book club selection. There are so many interesting topics to discuss. It provided good dinner table fodder in my own home. My husband and I both took Rubin's Five Senses Quiz to see what our most neglected senses were. That was interesting and unexpected. I tried to implement some of her ideas into my daily walk and ask myself...what am I seeing, hearing, smelling etc. I am a fan of anything that helps me to slow down and appreciate and connect with the world around me.
Rubin believes that by sharpening our focus and attention on everyday experiences; we are able to maximize our delight. Noticing small things can enhance our lives and our personal happiness. Our senses should delight us. I love learning things that make life more vivid and that help me to be more mindful and present. This book was a good reminder to not always be in a rush and to savor life, delight in our senses, and to live with gratitude.
4.) Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
I read all of the March family books while in elementary school but the details were very hazy all these years later. I decided to give it a reread.
From Goodreads:
With two sons of her own, and twelve rescued orphan boys filling the informal school at Plumfield, Jo March -- now Jo Bhaer -- couldn't be happier. But despite the warm and affectionate help of the whole March family, boys have a habit of getting into scrapes, and there are plenty of troubles and adventures in store.
This is the follow-up book to Little Women. Let me premise this review by saying that I LOVED Little Women! It is an all-time favorite! I've enjoyed introducing my daughters to that beloved book. I guess I expected Little Men to have more of the Little Women magic. Sadly, it did not. This book didn't fair so well as a reread.
Don't get me wrong, it was cozy and charming and I didn't dislike it, but it lacked the magic of Little Women. Also Jo didn't seem like the same character. Jo didn't seem very Jo-like. That was tragic. I didn't connect with her like I did in Little Women which was disappointing.
In this novel, Jo and her husband are running Plumfield School in the house that used to belong to Aunt March. It is filled with two of their own children, three nephews and one niece, another girl, and several other boys who attend the school. There were so many boy characters that it was hard to keep track of who was who and to get to know any of them in depth. We also don't get nearly enough time with the March sisters and their parents. Laurie makes several visits and only furthers my dismay that he and Jo didn't end up together!
There also wasn't any real plot. Just a collection of vignettes of domestic scenes, moral lessons, children's games and play, with no real depth or story-telling. Even Louisa May Alcott said herself that there was no real plan to the story just descriptions of life at Plumfield. I didn't hate it but I didn't really connect with it either.
My Rating: A bit of a letdown.
5.) The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Bryn's friends are all reading this book and I've seen the book series all over the place. I decided to give it a try. So fun!
From Goodreads:
Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.
I'm only an occasional YA book reader so I did not anticipate this book being such a fun read. It came just when I needed a light-hearted propulsive story. I loved the premise and the mystery. I was immediately drawn in.
A wealthy, dysfunctional, and potentially dangerous family, Knives Out Vibes, a mysterious house that is almost a character on its own, twists and turns, intrigue, secrets, and never knowing who you can trust. What's not to like?!
This is a quick read with very short chapters. I read it in a little over 24 hours. I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery, puzzles, and codes. Not deep but still entertaining with secrets that keep you guessing. This is the first book in a series so, of course, it ends on a cliffhanger. I'm moving on to book two.
My Rating: Entertaining.
6.) Search by Michelle Huneven
I heard about this book on at least four different podcasts. Two were book podcasts and two weren't. Everyone was raving that this was a very unexpected 5 star read. The premise doesn't sound like it would be as interesting as it turned out to be. I'm shocked too.
From Goodreads:
A sharp and funny novel of a congregational search committee, told as a memoir with recipes.
Dana Potowski is a restaurant critic and food writer and a longtime member of a progressive Unitarian Universalist congregation in Southern California. Under pressure to find her next book idea, she’s asked to join the church search committee for a new minister and agrees, resolving to secretly pen a memoir, with recipes, about the experience. That memoir, Search , follows the travails of the committee and their candidates—and becomes its own media sensation. Dana had good material to work the committee is a wide-ranging mix of Unitarian Universalist congregants, and their candidates range from a baker and microbrew master/pastor to a reverend who identifies as both a witch and an environmental warrior. Although she may have been ambivalent about joining the committee, Dana finds that she cares deeply about the fate of this institution and she will fight the entire committee, if necessary, to win the day for her side. This wry and wise tale will speak to anyone who has ever gone searching.
This book was fascinating on so many levels. I loved that Dana, the protagonist, is in her mid-50s and a vibrant and interesting character. She is also a restaurant critic, food writer, and memoirist who is asked to join the search committee for a new minister for her very progressive Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Southern California. A congregation that she has basically stopped attending when the book begins.
The search committee turns out to be a diverse mix of people. Eight members (4 men and 4 women) of varying ages 20s to 80s, backgrounds, races, and sexual orientations. It is an interesting cast of characters...not all are likeable. One character in particular... Jenny...is incredibly annoying. Each of the eight members of the committee have different expectations of what they want in their new minister and their own ideas about how to grow the church in the future. Each member of the committee has their own worldview and life experience that they bring to the table. Things get complicated and frustrating. There are those who make excuses, some who don't pull their weight, contrarians, and those with a particular agenda. Personalities clash and there is friction. Factions rise up and groups try to out maneuver each other. The book covers a year as they meet together and vet the applicants all while bringing out the best and the worst in each other. It is an interesting character study of a group of people who are stuck together and have to work together to come to a compromise.
I couldn't believe how complicated the whole process was of how new pastors and ministers are found and hired in many religious denominations. Who knew?! The look behind-the-scenes at church search committees was so intriguing. I will think about this book for a long time! I knew absolutely nothing about the Unitarian Universalist Church or its beliefs and core principals. That alone was fascinating and put me on a deep dive about Unitarians. They welcome parishioners of all faiths: Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindus, Muslims, Pagans, Atheists, and Agnostics. They don't subscribe to any one faith or doctrine. They welcome people of every background, orientation, and identity. They are are big LGBTQ supporters and social justice warriors. They are a liberal and progressive church. They describe themselves this way: "We are people of many beliefs and backgrounds: people with a religious background, people with none, people who believe in a God, people who don’t, and people who let the mystery be...We are people of all sexual orientations and gender identities...Our beliefs are diverse and inclusive. We have no shared creed." Most don't believe that Jesus was divine. Like I said...just reading about the Unitarian Church was interesting enough THEN add in this quirky church search committee and the eccentric candidates that they are vetting and interviewing as they narrow down the applicants to find the person to lead their church!!
The plot was surprisingly propulsive. I had to find out who they were going to choose! The writing was quirky. There were fabulous food descriptions (recipes included) as the committee members met together or went with Dana to various restaurants that she was reviewing. It is also kind of a meta book within a book. It's fiction written like a memoir told from Dana's perspective describing her experience as a committee member so you don't know if what you are reading is what is happening in the present or if it is the memoir that she is writing!
Then you also have the frustrating group dynamics. People trying to get along and build consensus in a complicated group setting. This is relevant to so many different situations in life and was unexpectedly compelling. The dangers of consensus. People with contrary and polarizing opinions and how to deal with them. It was fascinating and frustrating all at once. I felt genuine tension in the last meeting as final votes were cast!
This is a great character driven novel despite a weird and somewhat dull sounding premise. I would've never picked this book up on my own but I am so glad that I read it. It sent me down so many interesting rabbit holes and had me googling and driving past Unitarian churches in my town and looking up famous Unitarians...ie...Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Quincy Adams, Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, Paul Revere, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Herman Melville, and Paul Newman just to name a few! So interesting. I learned so much! I am shocked at how this book has really stuck with me. It would be such a great book for a book club discussion!!
My Rating: A unique reading experience!
7.) Quiet by Susan Cain
I heard about this book on the podcast 10 Things to Tell You with Laura Tremaine. It sounded intriguing.
From Goodreads:
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society. In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
The author explores introversion as a personality trait. She clarifies that introverts aren't necessarily shy or reclusive but it's where you draw your energy and motivation from. This book was informative and fairly interesting. Well-researched and thorough. Cain presents a lot of facts, statistics, case studies, and research.
It was interesting to read about how in the United States our culture has come to be biased toward extroverts. The Extrovert Ideal. We value the extroverted personality from elementary school through high school, college, and on into the career world, and beyond. Cain discussed how introverts/extroverts succeed and struggle in the business world and in school and in different environments. How your office/classroom is arranged ie open formats can have a considerable impact on productivity and success.
There were interesting sections on sensitivity, small talk, public speaking, education, business, creativity, marriage, parenting, and leadership. 'Quiet leadership' is not an oxymoron. Introverts can be highly effective leaders. They listen more attentively, empower their team members, and make thoughtful decisions based on careful analysis. In school and in professional settings we need to create environments that support and nurture introverts allowing them to thrive and contribute. The current business and educational culture are heavily geared toward benefiting the extrovert to the detriment of all others including the business or educational system. We need to find balance.
Surprisingly, what really stood out to me though was a small section on introverts and extroverts in religion/church. Spirituality should not be measured by sociability.
“Evangelicalism has taken the Extrovert Ideal to its logical extreme...If you don't love Jesus out loud, then it must not be real love. It's not enough to forge your own spiritual connection to the divine; it must be displayed publicly.”
"The evangelical culture ties together faithfulness with extroversion... because every person you fail to meet and proselytize is another soul you might have saved."
The introvert who quietly reflects on their faith and serves in their own way is as much a true believer as the extrovert. We can love and serve others in our own ways. We shouldn't feel shame for not living up to the extrovert ideal. Introverts can live and minister in ways consistent with their own personalities. The church/religion needs both introverts and extroverts. I love this so much!
While mostly interesting I felt like the book was a tad too long and my attention began to wane toward the end. I also wish that there were more practical takeaways but it was still an enlightening read and one that I am glad to have read.
My Rating: Interesting and insightful.
8.) The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
From Goodreads:
The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions - including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons. Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.
Having enjoyed The Inheritance Games; I quickly moved on to the next book in the series. I liked this book even better than the first. I liked that I already knew the situation and the characters. The storyline picked up where it left off in book one and the plot got moving quickly and in interesting directions. It kept me turning the pages.
Avery is back with her multi-billion dollar fortune that was somehow left to her and more mystery ensues. She and the Hawthorne brothers continue to try to figure out why Avery was left the Hawthorne fortune. There were more fun puzzles and riddles as they try to solve the mystery. I think that the story is stronger in this book and that there was more development. There was finally some insight into the pasts of several characters along with more twists and turns. I was intrigued to find out the truth about Toby especially as the secrets surrounding him began to be revealed.
This is a YW mystery with the typical YW love triangle. Are you team Grayson or team Jameson? I am #teamjameson. I felt like the series could have ended here as a duology. I'm not sure that we need a third book. Things were pretty much wrapped up. No cliffhangers or any real anticipation for the next book...a few loose ends if anything. But given those loose ends...I am kind of dreading where book 3 might go. Maybe I should stop reading here. LOL.
My Rating: A fun bingeable YA series
9.) The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Goodreads recommended this book to me and Goodreads was right! It was just what I needed. So fun!
From Goodreads:
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden. But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place. Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.
I love me a Southern Gothic novel! This one was great! An eerie psychological *thriller* (more a mystery) about estranged and scheming family members, dark family secrets, jealousy, old money, scandal and add to that Ashby House; a beautiful estate with sprawling grounds and woods set in North Carolina and it was a hit for me! I love a good atmospheric novel!
This was a layered, suspenseful, domestic mystery. The blurb calls it a thriller...not sure that is accurate...but it was still an immersive and propulsive read. There are multiple POVs...Camden, his wife Jules, and the deceased Ruby told through her disturbing letters. The timeline jumps from present day to different time periods throughout Ruby's notorious life. We learn about the McTavish family who are one of the richest families in North Carolina but who seem to be beset with mysterious disappearances and deaths. Camden and Jules return to the family estate after Cam's uncle passes away. While there they begin to unravel the sinister secrets of the past and the present.
My Rating: A fun quick read.
10.) The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
From Goodreads:
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability. But be careful what you wish for. . . . Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy. For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
This book sounded like a fun light read and it was for the most part. I thought it had an interesting premise. A reclusive children's author who dwells on a dreamy island off the coast of Maine invites four people to his island to compete for the only copy of his long-awaited final book in his classic Clock Island series. A Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for adults if you will. It's a love letter to cherished children's books and the significant impact that these beloved books can have on our lives and the stories that made us fall in love with reading. It was whimsical and nostalgic. It brought back fond memories of the beloved books and authors of my childhood. So while there were some great elements; other things were problematic.
The first was the narration. I listened to this on Audible and I disliked the way it was narrated by the female narrator. Reading this in book form would have been much better. The second was the main character of Lucy. The way that she was written was so immature. Her actions at times and her dialogue made me absolutely cringe. Third, there was a very unrealistic portrayal of fostering to adopt.
While I loved the setting of Clock Island and how books can be a refuge, escape, and a comfort for so many people with different backgrounds; the plot felt underdeveloped and the writing was juvenile and simplistic. I had to double check that this book wasn't YA. The romance didn't feel believable. I thought the friendship of Hugo and Jack and their pasts seemed like a more interesting story.
Despite all that, this book does exude cozy vibes. There are themes of hope, longing, and found family. The story will touch a chord with anyone who has experienced a difficult childhood and perhaps make them feel less alone especially as those experiences from childhood continue to seep into adulthood. It is also a good reminder of the magic of books and reading that allows readers to escape to a different world and forget their troubles for awhile which is something we often need even long after we have grown up.
My Rating: Okay.
11.) The Maid by Nita Prose
This was my book club's selection for April 2024. This is a book that's been hyped for awhile. I've had it sitting on my shelf for months but never felt a big draw to read it. I saw that it is going to be made into a movie starring Florence Pugh as Molly the maid. Interesting.
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?
This is a quirky cozy mystery with a neurodivergent main character named Molly. She is an excellent maid at the posh Regency Grand Hotel. She takes her job very seriously. She is meticulous about cleanliness. She loves tidiness, order, and attention to details. She loves her job! Then one day she finds a wealthy guest dead in his bed.
I liked the character of Molly. I loved her dialogue about crisply cleaning a hotel room and returning it to a state of perfection. It kind of like audible ASMR for me. It was weirdly soothing. I loved her relationship with her Gran and her Gran's little sayings and mannerisms. Their relationship was so sweet and charming. I also liked the characters of Juan Manuel and Mr. Preston the doorman along with his daughter, Charlotte.
I'm not sure how this is getting labeled on Goodreads as a mystery thriller. It is definitely in the cozy mystery genre. It's also very character driven rather than plot driven...so yeah...not a page turning thriller. If you are looking for suspense this isn't the book for you.
Molly is a memorable character. She is likeable, hardworking, and loyal. It was interesting to see the world through her eyes and with her unique perspective. I read a review that called Molly a modern day Amelia Bedelia that gets caught up in a murder mystery. Yes!!! Molly is such a sweet, charming, trusting, and endearing person. I didn't like how people often took advantage of her. These days most modern mysteries seem to have a lot of unlikeable main characters. It was refreshing to have a likeable character that I was rooting for.
This whodunnit has themes of loneliness, invisibility, found family, friendship, personal worth, and finding your place in the world. It's first person narration and the prose is spare and stylistic. It was a quick read. My only slight annoyance was that the location was ambiguous. What city are we in?! The setting sometimes had a New York vibe...then sometimes it felt Canadian...or maybe British? That was a bit disconcerting. All in all, this was a fun and unique book. It also made me want to eat at the Olive Garden!
My Rating: A quirky cozy mystery.
12.) Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Some friends in my book club recommended this book. They were so right! I loved it!
From Goodreads:
"Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life." Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to a rich man--any rich man, no matter how awful. But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all. Unfortunately, he is also the richest. Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actually lose the battle against an ill-mannered, pig-like lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father? Deus! Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!"
This is middle grade/YW historical fiction. The story takes place in medieval times. Our main character, Catherine aka Birdy, is the 13 year-old daughter of a somewhat well off medieval country knight and landowner in England. Her father is trying to marry her off and her mother is trying to make her a lady and she wants to do neither. Birdy fiercely wants to be her own person.
The story unfolds as Birdy writes in her journal for a year as she details her daily life including her hopes and dreams, wishes for adventure, and her hilarious efforts to avoid marrying the terrible suitors that her father has found for her. This is a gem of a book! I adored our spunky and stubborn heroine. Give me all the middle grade/YA novels with a strong female protagonist. Birdy questions everyone and everything around her. She's got all of the typical teenage angst, rebellion, and feeling like no one understands her as she plots to escape her fate. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this charming book!
I loved the details of day-to-day medieval life in a bustling albeit cold, dark, and drafty manor house with all of its discomforts and also happiness and joys. I loved the themes of growing up, having a say in your own destiny, while dealing with bigger issues like social class, gender differences, and marriage. This Newberry Medal Winner was a hit for me! I'm looking forward to watching the movie version of this book.
My Rating: Charming!
13.) I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
From Goodreads:
With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as an older woman. Utterly courageous, uproariously funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a scrumptious, irresistible treat of a book, full of truths, laugh out loud moments that will appeal to readers of all ages.
This book has been out in the zeitgeist for a long time. I love Nora Ephron. This book was a delight! A perfect light read. I loved Ephron's self-deprecating wit and found myself laughing out loud as I read her essays. Her hilarious commentary on midlife and aging was like listening to a conversation between my mom and some of her funny friends but now I am also starting to creep into some of this same territory.
This is a collection of essays about women in midlife. If you aren't a woman in midlife you might not find it as funny as I did. Ephron relates humorous anecdotes and stories about her life, struggles, failed marriages, career, parenthood, aging, menopause, love of cooking, relationships, empty-nesting, and life in New York City. I enjoyed her comedic observations and dry wit as she described the absurdities of life. I found her relatable even while acknowledging that her life as an award-winning journalist, famous screenwriter, movie director, and author is very different from mine.
This book was an enjoyable quick read. I loved so many different essays. Particularly the essay on parenting called "Parenting in Three Stages" followed closely by "On Maintenance" which is all about the endless beauty rituals and upkeep that are needed to look marginally presentable. I laughed reading these essays. Some of my favorite quotes from them are:
"When your children are teenagers it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you."
"Your adolescent is sullen. Your adolescent is angry. Your adolescent is mean. In fact your adolescent is mean to you. Your adolescent is embarrassed by you and walks ten steps ahead of you so that no one thinks you are remotely acquainted with each other. Your adolescent is ungrateful. You have a vague memory of being accused by your parents of being ungrateful but what did you have to be grateful for? Almost nothing. Your parents weren't into *parenting*. They were merely parents."
"...the amount of maintenance involving hair is genuinely overwhelming. Sometimes I think that not having to worry about your hair anymore is the secret upside of death."
“Most everyone wears black--except for anchorwomen, United States senators, and residents of Texas, and I feel really bad for them. I mean, black makes your life so much simpler. Everything matches black, especially black.”
I also laughed while reading her essay about about her time working as in intern at the JFK White House where she amusingly talks about how she is probably the only young woman who worked at the White House that JFK didn't make a pass at.
I enjoyed the glimpses into life in NYC and had to google her apartment building and several other things like cabbage strudel that she talks about in an essay about lost foods. I loved her ruminations on lost foods. There are so many "lost foods" that I am always trying to recreate or find something similar. I loved that she put words to this phenomenon.
I loved her essay on reading called "On Rapture" and related to so much that she was saying. I found myself nodding my head while reading.
“Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.
And her discussion of why books now aren't as good as the books we read as kids; where nearly every book we read was amazing!
"When I was a child, nearly every book sent me into something approaching bliss. Can I be romanticizing my early reading experience? I don't think so."
I also enjoyed the essay called "What I Wish I'd known" which is her wisdom to young women as she looks back on her life and encourages them to be kind to themselves.
Most essays were witty and light but it was the last essay called "Consider the Alternative" which is about death that was particularly poignant and touching especially knowing that Nora Ephron would shortly be diagnosed with cancer and die a few years after writing this book that really got to me. It was haunting to read her words knowing her future. This bright talent died much too early at the age of 71. Only one year later than my mom who died at 70. Another bright talent taken too soon. I loved this book on its own merits but I also loved this book because Nora Ephron reminds me of my mom. They have a similar aesthetic and I loved being reminded of that. I also found it reassuring to find humor in some of the heavier things in life and in evolving relationships.
I loved this memoir/book of essays from the writer and director of so many of my favorite movies. I enjoyed her one-of-a-kind wit and voice.
My Rating: I loved this introspective and amusing collection of essays.
14.) The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
From Goodreads:
To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets and they know her. But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.
This is the third book in The Inheritance Games series. I quickly moved onto this book after book two and then got stuck behind it. I didn't like the direction the plot was taking and I really didn't like the addition of a new character so I stopped reading and then I didn't feel much of an urge to finish it. I almost DNFed it. Then one night I picked it up again and got back into the story.
The stakes were higher in this book as was the drama and intensity. The plot was propulsive once I got back into it. I liked the short chapters and fast pace. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book and trying to figure out who was the villain. The puzzles and riddles kept me turning the pages. I was glad that the love triangle took more of a backseat in this book. (Obviously I am Team Jameson.) I was hoping for slightly bigger twists and more shocking revelations. We (and Avery) are told by Tobias Hawthorne to "Trust no one." I spent the entire book thinking about that and making mental notes trying to figure out who would betray her. I had four strong contenders for who would ultimately betray Avery and then the ending was just...meh. If any one of those contenders would've turned out to be the mastermind behind this murder mystery this book would have been amazing! I wanted a true betrayal!
I was also hoping for more character development of some of the secondary characters. It was disappointing that some loved characters didn't develop more or evolve. Characters like Nash, Alisa, Xander, and Oren. This was supposed to be the last book in a trilogy but now there is a fourth book in the series. I have mixed feelings about the fourth book and where the author is going to take the story.
All in all, this is a fun series and one easy to get pulled into. I liked most of the characters and enjoyed the setting and aesthetic. It's a YA series so it definitely requires some suspended disbelief but I still enjoyed all three books and will most likely read the fourth.
My Rating: Pretty good.
