It took me a long time to read Where the Crawdads Sing. Please don't make the same mistake I did.
Why it took me so long to read Where the Crawdads Sing There has been So. Much. Hype. around this 2018 novel by Delia Owens. It was picked up by both Oprah's Book Club and Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club. And, the movie adaptation releases next week. Clearly, Where the Crawdads Sing is a BIG DEAL. So, why'd it take me so...
I suppose that when Emma Donoghue wrote The Pull of the Stars in 2018, the premise of a story set during the 1918 influenza pandemic was pretty darn unique. Not to mention a great way to celebrate the world being free of a crippling epidemic for 100+ years. Enter 2020, the year that The Pull of the Stars was published -- a.k.a, the year COVID-19 overtook the world. Ummm, yeah. Scratch that statement about being epidemic-free.
What's The...
The Bone Houses has one of the best first lines I've ever read: "The evening air smelled pleasantly of a fresh grave." I mean, come on. HOW CAN YOU NOT GET SUCKED IN BY THAT? Talk about imagery. Take notes, fellow writers. This is just one example of author Emily Lloyd-Jones's beautiful writing in this young adult historical fiction/ fantasy / horror novel mash-up. What's The Bone Houses about? The Bone Houses follows Ryn, a...
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was another different type of read for me: fantasy. This creative story by V.E. Schwab is rich and complex; it’s detailed and emotional; it’s sweet and exciting. There are SO many things going on in this behemoth of a novel. What's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue about? The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is about a 1700s French peasant woman, Addie, who makes a deal with a demon to escape an...
Homegoing is one of those novels that I’ve borrowed from the library various times, only to return it, time and time again, unread. It’s been recommended to me by several people, but it wasn’t until my blogger friend Literary Dates posted about this powerful book that I actually cracked it open and began reading. What I loved about Homegoing Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is everything people promised it would be. It's gripping, it's...
I'm not sure how I stumbled across The Girl Who Died. I think author Ragnar Jonasson blurbed another scary book that I'd read and loved. I thought, if I loved that book, I'd probably love books by this author, too. What's The Girl Who Died about? The Girl Who Died, despite its off-putting title, was a really enjoyable read. It's brimming with tension and atmosphere, suspense and mystery. Main character Una spontaneously accepts a...
Calling all Janeites! I’m here to tell you that not only is The Other Bennet Sister worth your time, but that it’s one of the best Jane Austen-inspired novels I've ever read. And I’ve read a lot of them. What's The Other Bennet Sister about? The Other Bennet Sister is about Mary Bennet, who's Elizabeth Bennet's "least eligible" sister in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The Mary Bennet that author Janice Hadlow...
I was fully prepared to hate Daisy Jones & The Six. But, I ended up loving it instead.
Why I decided to read Daisy Jones & The Six I refused to read Daisy Jones and the Six during the first year it was published. Why? For starters, I don't like band biopics. They bore me with their petty dramas and creative differences and substance abuse problems. Drugs and drinking hold no allure for me. Reading...
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Mexican Gothic is the latest bestseller to fall into the DNF pit. Let me start off this book review by saying that I'm not only disappointed by how much I didn't enjoy this Gothic suspense -- but I'm very surprised by it. Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic made HUGE waves last year among bookstagrammers and book bloggers, for its book cover alone! Which is, admittedly, gorgeous. ...
Do yourself a favor and step into the enchanting novel that is The Gown. What's The Gown about? The Gown is a behind-the-scenes story that shines a spotlight on the regular ol' folks responsible for creating the grandeur of then-Princess Elizabeth II's wedding dress, as well as many of the ensembles donned by the regency and aristocrats of that time. Author Jennifer Robson's gorgeous writing draws you immediately into The Gown. It...
