This was really cute and uplifting. I loved these stories. It's a fairly quick read--I finished it in a day--but each story was unique and empowering.This was really cute and uplifting. I loved these stories. It's a fairly quick read--I finished it in a day--but each story was unique and empowering.
This one was okay. I felt like it was really slow to start, and then the back 50% of the book felt very rushed. I felt like the story was there, but tThis one was okay. I felt like it was really slow to start, and then the back 50% of the book felt very rushed. I felt like the story was there, but the character development wasn't. As with most books, there's a lot of sudden explanation at the end. I couldn't decide for most of the book if Teddy would be either silly and stupid throughout the book, or if we'd learn how truly sharp and cunning she is by the end. I had to read the first chapter 3 times before I remembered what happened. I can see this being a popular book club selection, and maybe I'd get more out of it at a second read. It's a quick, easy summer book, but it feels rushed and a bit all over the place.
Many thanks to the publisher for my copy. I received this in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review....more
I really enjoyed this. The structure was a little different than I thought; pretty much each chapter had aI received this book as part of a giveaway.
I really enjoyed this. The structure was a little different than I thought; pretty much each chapter had a different POV, and there were a number of townspeople to cover. I thought it was well-written and the dialogue wasn't halting or clunky (and y'all know that's a big sticking point for me.) There is a twist at the end that you can see coming if you've been paying attention and it's a little melodramatic, but still fun. I didn't find it as hilarious or satiric as others, but it does punch up and it makes a strong statement. ...more
This is good. At times I wished it was more of an anthology than a memoir, but I appreciated the look back at names I didn't know and was less familiaThis is good. At times I wished it was more of an anthology than a memoir, but I appreciated the look back at names I didn't know and was less familiar with. I was hopeful for insight and information on Rissi Palmer, and was happy she was featured in the book. Randall's writing style made for some long or strange narratives at times, but I still enjoyed this overall.
I received my ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway....more
This was a quick read. It's fairly engaging, and it's easy to pick up. It absolutely reads as a long-form obituary, and there were more details that IThis was a quick read. It's fairly engaging, and it's easy to pick up. It absolutely reads as a long-form obituary, and there were more details that I wished had been fleshed out a bit more. There were several passages that were redundant and deserved more time and attention than were given to them. (Specifically, mental health awareness and the US military.) By my count, there were 3 references to people "straight out of Central Casting." Lots of repetition in that respect. It felt like maybe the authors were hoping that they could use the same phrases several times to describe several different characters and hope no one would notice.
A few times, I felt like this was a little exhausting to read because Shannon, who clearly lead a driven, impressive life, is held up as a paragon of virtue and at times felt like a prop in her own story. She's perfection, she's impressive, she's amazing, but she was also human. I feel like it's okay to see her humanity and acknowledge someone's faults while respecting and admiring their accomplishments. I was glad to hear that her life made a difference in 1,000 different ways, and she was able to posthumously change legislation so future commissioned officers didn't face the same roadblocks she did. I think she would've made a remarkable military psychologist.
I probably would not have picked this up if I hadn't received it in a giveaway and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. That said, after a quick Google search and learning more about Shannon and her surviving spouse, this feels like less of a way to honor Shannon's legacy and more of a talking point for her far-right surviving spouse and his political aspirations.
*I received an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own....more
This was wild. I kept reading and thinking, "That's it? She just walks out with money?" Apparently folks in the Gilded Age had a lot more trust in oneThis was wild. I kept reading and thinking, "That's it? She just walks out with money?" Apparently folks in the Gilded Age had a lot more trust in one another.
This was a quick read. Pretty fun, and the story kept moving. At times it felt like a work of fiction. The two things that annoyed me most were the timeline and the unfinished paragraphs. Maybe it's b/c I had an ARC but there are chapters that took place before others, so time jumping was annoying (Why am I reading about Dec. 1898 and then jumping back to June 1898? And then the next chapter is January 1899?) It just felt sloppy and didn't lend itself well to untangling Cassie's story. The next thing I disliked is that some paragraphs felt unfinished. I kept waiting for more of an explanation or more detail, but it never comes. In terms of nonfiction, it felt like just a mostly detailed explanation of what happened, and at the end the author tries to tie it back to other crimes and swindlers.
It's a good story, and not one I was familiar with. I wouldn't read it again, but it's a good vacation read about someone who is probably grateful she's been mostly lost to history....more
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I was really excited to read it, especially as a member of the generation that grew up hearing of Belushi's greatnI won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I was really excited to read it, especially as a member of the generation that grew up hearing of Belushi's greatness but never getting to witness it firsthand. In Chicago, 40+ years after his death, he's still a legend.
This was really well-written and researched. It has the blessing of Dan Aykroyd and Judy Belushi. There are a few time jumps that threw me, and there's occasional confusion with Dan Aykroyd and Sean Daniels, and a few other characters named John. Overall, if you're a Belushi fan, OG SNL fan, or John Landis fan (or all three) you'll enjoy this....more
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway; many thanks to Goodreads and the publisher.
Overall, I liked this one. I tend to really like books of esI received this book in a Goodreads giveaway; many thanks to Goodreads and the publisher.
Overall, I liked this one. I tend to really like books of essays. They're easily digestible, and essays mimic my own writing style overall. (Or maybe I mimic them?) Not all the essays landed for me. I felt like some of them transitioned abruptly or ended awkwardly. Specifically, My Life in Dogs and her EMT essay felt awkward to me. I felt like there were pivots in those essays that made the endings abrupt. Still, I enjoyed this book. I'd never read anything by Ann Leary and wasn't familiar with her work. I laughed out loud at several essays and embarrassed my daughter in the process. If you liked her other work, you'll probably like this too....more
I got this as an ARC from Celedon; many thanks for this, and I think my book club will really enjoy it.
It's a little chick lit, a little contemporaryI got this as an ARC from Celedon; many thanks for this, and I think my book club will really enjoy it.
It's a little chick lit, a little contemporary, and things do tie up a bit too neatly for my taste. Overall, I liked this a lot. I've heard people say that if you loved Hello Beautiful you'll love this. I actually liked this more than HB. Families are messy and complicated, and I appreciated how Mercury really leaned into that....more
Thanks to Versify for the ARC and to Goodreads for hosting the giveaway.
I enjoyed this one and plan to share it with my oldest. It gave me a lot to tThanks to Versify for the ARC and to Goodreads for hosting the giveaway.
I enjoyed this one and plan to share it with my oldest. It gave me a lot to think about in my own education, and grateful for the educators I had who ensured we had more diverse texts to read, that our education did not mirror the world around me. They didn't always do it right, but they pushed us to have uncomfortable conversations earlier in our lives than many people are willing to have even now. ...more
Thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
This was interesting. I feel like I was already doing a lot of the things recoThanks to Celadon Books for the ARC. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
This was interesting. I feel like I was already doing a lot of the things recommended here: scheduling down time, focusing on what matters, etc. Still, it's good to have reminders and some practical strategies moving forward; I know I'll need to return to this book again when life gets overwhelming. It's easy to read and in a nicer, conversational tone. I liked some of the more practical applications suggested. I wasn't family with Ali Abdaal's work prior to reading this, so it was nice (for me) to go in blind and without a sense of who the author is or their motivations....more
**I received my copy in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.**
This one felt like it would tick all the boxes for me. Specifically, i**I received my copy in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.**
This one felt like it would tick all the boxes for me. Specifically, it's magical realism and it had a strong first 100 pages. Then it just started to fall flat. The female characters were especially frustrating. I'd beg the author to have at least one conversation with a woman in his life. It was disappointing that when the two female friends were introduced, the first we learn about them is that they're unhappy with their bodies. One is fairly intelligent, the other is flighty and meant for comic relief. Hey! The chubby one is the funny girl! So very new and different. The book is set up in such a way that you're lead to believe Cassie is your main character, but surprise! It's actually Drummond.
The dialogue got very clunky and awkward after the first 100 pages. The climax was very underwhelming to me. It just....ends. The last few chapters were space fillers, IMO. I feel like they're trying to set up a series, but I wouldn't try to read any follow up books. I think younger audiences might enjoy this; certainly 20 years ago, I'd have gladly looked beyond all the plot holes and poorly written dialogue.
There are two villains, and they're both poorly written. The female villain is just evil for the sake of evil. The male villain has more nuance (but not much.) I feel like this would've been so much stronger had there really only been one magical book, or perhaps two. Instead there are all these other magical books in the story and they work together and also don't and it's hard to keep track of who has what. It felt like the author was trying to set up a whole universe; everything wraps up so neatly in the end. There's no encouragement or incentive to keep reading when the next story is released....more
I have so many thoughts about this book and I don't even know where to begin. The author himself is not Jewish, and the main character (a young JewishI have so many thoughts about this book and I don't even know where to begin. The author himself is not Jewish, and the main character (a young Jewish man in Auschwitz) feels like his Jewishness is just an afterthought. It's not central to him in the slightest. There are several references to his Jewishness, but always under the "guidance" of older Jews advising him to avoid being Jewish in the US, or in Germany. And that's where it ends. The main character seemingly has no complicated feelings about hiding parts of himself.
Another character can just tell the main character is Jewish by how he looks. She tells him later she knew because of his features. Wat now? I thought they were really going someplace--I figured she would be able to "tell" by something he did, or said, like if he said a prayer over the bread in the bakery where they work. NOPE. He just "looks Jewish" to her.
There are some graphic depictions of assault, and they're never described as abuse or assault. I could handle the graphic nature of the book if it was clear that, despite the power dynamic and age differences, it was clear that this is assault. NOPE! They're always described like the main character is a willing participant somehow, making his own choices. It's like Holocaust porn, or major revisionist history.
There were so many parts of this novel that disturbed me, and not for the reasons the author might've hoped. It honestly reads like a Sally Hemmings/Thomas Jefferson fanfic. There's no consensual relationship between these characters, but it's written as though there is. Adding to that, this feels like the author had a very basic understanding of the Holocaust. We're at a 4th grade understanding here. "Jews were murdered for being Jews," but there's NO understanding of what it means to be Jewish.
The final part that made me angry was the Q&A with the author at the end, defending his choices. Sure, you're not Jewish and you can write Jewish characters. Maaaaaaaybe think about doing so respectfully. Maybe think about the depth of faith and how the other elements of a character's life and personality might conflict or complement his Jewish identity. In the end, it felt like the author had done a small amount of research but ultimately wanted to write a story about a gay man during WWII and said, "Aw heck, let's just make him Jewish, too." It would've been a rich story all on its own. The Q&A with the author made me really dislike him because instead of answering with reflection, he was defensive about his choices. This could've been a really strong, lovely story. Instead, there were just SO many gaps and so many instances of fetishizing that I felt really disturbed....more
I'm not the primary audience for this. It's not a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, and most of the characters aThanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
I'm not the primary audience for this. It's not a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, and most of the characters are pretty one-note and flat; they're exactly who they're supposed to be to get to the resolution. It's cute, it does what it needs to do, but it's not a book I think I'd return to even if I was still in the target audience. I really think the title was selected more because of the time period and alliteration, not because of any close ties to Jane Austen. It's fine, but not like a mind-blowing read, even for the YA crowd....more
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