“Nothing changes, Vasya. Things are, or they are not. Magic is forgetting that something ever was other than as you willed it.”
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Th 4 stars!
“Nothing changes, Vasya. Things are, or they are not. Magic is forgetting that something ever was other than as you willed it.”
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The Bear and the Nightingale is a retelling of folklore set in medieval Russia. This is about young Yasya, whose mother dies when she is born and a few years later her father remarries. But her new stepmother has Christian beliefs and does not believe in the old gods. That and a new priest in the village causes unrest, with Vasya facing claims of being a witch.
“Wild birds die in cages.”
I really enjoyed this book. I am a bit surprised because it is slow going and very intricate, but I found myself completely sucked in with the lyrical writing and the storytelling. Vasilia the Brave/Beautiful is a tale I have only recently become aware of in the past few years, but I really enjoyed this take on it.
This book is very much an adult fantasy novel. I've seen some youtube reviews calling it YA and I would disagree. I wouldn't say it's inappropriate for YA readers, but I do not believe they are not the target audience this book was written for.
“Sleep is cousin to death, Vasya. And both are mine.”
“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”
Wow, what a story. I picked this book up this morning and didn' 4.5 stars!
“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”
Wow, what a story. I picked this book up this morning and didn't put it down until I was done. That's when you know you've read something special.
Where the Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya, a young girl who lives with her odd family in the marsh outside of town. When Kya is six, her mother leaves. And slowly after that so does the rest of her family until she's alone and trying to survive in a marsh. Fast forward many years later and Kya is accused of murdering the town golden boy, and we as the readers follow along with the story of how Kya got there and the mystery of what happened.
“Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.”
First off, this has been bugging me. How can so many people abandon a child? My heart continuously broke for Kya because so many people left her and never looked back. A whole town ignored her! (With the exception of like, 3 people).
Such a beautifully written story, lush words and unforgettable characters. Delia Owens made a bang with her fiction debut and I for one cannot wait until she releases another book. I would say more, but honestly I just finished the book and am floored. It was marvelous, what more is there to say?
“I wadn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full.”
This was a 5 star read until about 150 pages in when the writing began to be tedius and I no longer cared what happened to the characters. Is therMeh.
This was a 5 star read until about 150 pages in when the writing began to be tedius and I no longer cared what happened to the characters. Is there such a thing as a book being too detailed? I think this is Chokshi's weakness because both book I've read by her now are too flowery of prose for my liking. It's a shame, this book had a lot of potential but it just wasn't for me.
“We love broken, beautiful people. And it doesn’t get much more obviously broken and more classically beauti Audiobook reread June 2022
4.5 stars!
“We love broken, beautiful people. And it doesn’t get much more obviously broken and more classically beautiful than Daisy Jones.”
This book chronicles the events of the band Daisy Jones and the Six from the 1960’s to the present. The story of how a young girl became a songwriter and then a member of the band on its way up to fame, The Six, led by Billy Dunne. Billy and Daisy clash dramatically at first. But when two people have something to be strongly passionate about, the two of them become iconic and sweep the nation.
“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.”
Every time I read a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid the same thing happens: I finish the book late at night with tears in my eyes and way too many emotions for my body to handle. Daisy Jones followed in the same pattern.
I’ve been a fan of TJR’s work since her sophomore novel After I Do. Every year I wait and hope that she write’s faster than is humanly possible so I can devour yet another one of her books. And with every single release, TJR grows as a writer and delivers a story that knocks me off my feet. What makes TJR’s books so special are her characters. In every single book I swear the characters become real, to the point that I want to google them because I am convinced they exist in my own reality and not that of the book.
The format in this book is very interesting, the majority told in an interview format. At first I was skeptical (I don’t know why) but by the end I was impressed that this story was told so well in that way. It’s an amazing writing accomplishment.
The research done on Los Angeles at the time (in the 70’s) was so amazingly done as well. I knew all the landscapes and even accuracies such as gas problems were included but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story, it added to it. Very reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac and other bands of the 70’s; I also found myself thinking a lot about the film Almost Famous (my favorite film btw).
So now begins the game of waiting for Reid’s next book. I’d go all Misery on her but that seems a bit extreme (or is it?)
“Don’t ever doubt Daisy Jones.”
ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley. All/any quotes in this review came from an advance unedited copy and may be subject to change in the final product.
“Never in any Jane Austen novel did the love interest pretend to be a fortune-teller," Helen said, "Why would someone do that?”
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^^ 4 stars!
“Never in any Jane Austen novel did the love interest pretend to be a fortune-teller," Helen said, "Why would someone do that?”
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^^Just kidding. But in this book she can see ghosts.
I really enjoyed this book, it's a fanciful retelling of Jane Eyre that is so aware of itself and also pokes fun at itself. In My Plain Jane, there are people who can see ghosts and Jane Eyre is one of them. Growing up starving at Lowood school, Jane jumps at the chance to be a governess in a new position. But there is a society of ghost hunters who wish to recruit her and well, it's all shenanigans from there.
I love the tone and humor in this book. I found myself laughing out loud way too many times. I do think if you know nothing about Jane Eyre, at least watch one of the many movie adaptations to catch up because then you can follow along with where the authors changed things.
I highly recommend if you need a good laugh. I hope these authors write more together.
“Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage.”
The Alice Network takes place during 1915 and 1947. Two characters dealing wi 4 stars
“Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage.”
The Alice Network takes place during 1915 and 1947. Two characters dealing with two world wars and yet both are connected by the past. Eve was a spy in the first world war, and Charlie is searching for her cousin who went missing during the second world war.
“What did it matter if something scared you, when it simply had to be done?”
This was a very engaging and enthralling story. I found with every switch of the year wanting to know more and more about each story. There's a lot of truth in this novel, and some very haunting facts about both wars.
Kate Quinn is a wonderful author and I would gladly read another book by her in the future. I would love to see this book made into a mini-series.
“Fleurs du mal,” Eve heard herself saying, and shivered. “What?” “Baudelaire. We are not flowers to be plucked and shielded, Captain. We are flowers who flourish in evil.” ...more
“Am I dangerous?” “I have a feeling you just might be.”
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I made a resolution to myself last year that I would make more of an effo 4.5 stars!
“Am I dangerous?” “I have a feeling you just might be.”
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I made a resolution to myself last year that I would make more of an effort to read new to me authors when selecting future books. Chanel Cleeton is a new to me author, and when I saw the cover and title of this book I knew I needed to get my hands on it. And man oh man am I so glad I did because I loved this story.
Next Year in Havana is told in present day by Marisol, a young woman grieving her recently deceased grandmother, Elisa, and goes to Cuba to spread her ashes. We also get Elisa’s story in 1958 Cuba, a story of love and a divided country.
That’s all I’m going to say about the plot, but know both stories present and past are beautiful and will surprise you.
“I walk down these streets, and I look out to the sea, and I want to feel as though I belong here, but I am a visitor here, a guest in my own country.” “Then you know what it means to be Cuban.”
Cuba has always been a subject of interest for me, but not one strong enough for me to do some heavy research. Reading this book I felt I learned a lot about the country and its history, its present day happenings as well. At times the characters I felt got a little bit too political and by that I mean I did skim some political stuffs because it was feeling repetitive and preachy, but I honestly didn’t mind it that much because I’m giving it 4.5 stars.
Normally when a book is told from two point of views I find I like one more than the other, but that really wasn’t the case in this book. I loved Marisol and Elisa’s stories equally, wanting to know more about both and never wanting to skip a POV. Both women are caught in impossible situations because of issues beyond their control. They feel powerless, and yet do everything they can for the people they love.
Reading this book I felt as if I was transported to Cuba. I’ve never been but felt I have based on the descriptive nature of this book. Cleeton is excellent at bringing her readers into her story and I honestly can say I am dying for her to write more books like this one.
I know I will remember this book for years to come.
“I want them to know the real story. The real me.” “All right. Show me the real you, then. And I’ll make sure the world understands.”
[ima 5 stars!
“I want them to know the real story. The real me.” “All right. Show me the real you, then. And I’ll make sure the world understands.”
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Evelyn Hugo is an iconic aging actress, famous for her work in the movie industry but also famous for having been married seven times to seven men. Monique Grant is a writer for a magazine, but has been in a bit of a career rut as of lately. On top of that she’s getting divorced, so she jumps on the opportunity to interview the famous Evelyn Hugo. When she meets Evelyn, she discovers Evelyn wants more than a simple article, she wants to tell her life story to Monique for a biography. And Monique is getting the story exclusively.
“I’ve spent a very long time learning how to spin the truth. It’s hard to undo that wiring.”
I absolutely loved this story! Taylor Jenkins Reid has this uncanny ability to suck you into the lives of her characters and never let you go. They feel so utterly genuine, I felt as if I was a part of their lives instead of an outsider reading about them. Reid also does an amazing job developing her characters, I was rooting for all of them to get what they want and to achieve their goals.
I never really know what to expect when I dive into a book by Reid, but I can honestly say this book was full of surprises and twists I didn’t see coming. This book spans from the 1950’s to the present day, and we get to know all of the loves of Evelyn’s life. Evelyn herself was enchanting, I found myself fascinated by her life story, her choices and her perseverance. While love was a motivating factor, to me this was mostly a story about success and survival. Evelyn was always going to do what it takes to be a star and stay at the top, and she would fight for what she wanted.
Hollywood and the film industry can be a ruthless place but it can also be one where greatness can be achieved for the lucky ones. I think Reid captured the industry and the time periods this story took place in perfectly.
This is one of the best books I’ve read all year and I think if you go into it with an open mind and a kind heart, you’ll fall in love with this book like I did.
“If you love someone enough, you should be able to overcome anything.”
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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