When I first finished this book back in January, I rated it 3 stars. I roughly translate that to "good enough but forgettable." Yet here I am in April, going for walks on the beach every morning, mesh bag over my shoulder, picking up every tiny piece of litter I see along the water line. I don't want whales to accidentally eat [...]
Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share ten "Books I'd Throw into the Ocean." I interpret this to mean books that are just so terrible (in my humble opinion) that I think they belong at the bottom of the ocean. A few weeks ago, I shared ten books I gave away and most of those could go on this list. I'll avoid duplicates though. I didn't finish reading many of these so most links will go to the Malaprop's bookstore website. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn--The book that started my aversion to thrillers with the word girl in the title. I started listening to it on audio, loathed every character, and returned it to the library. I know there's supposed to be a mind-blowing twist but I just don't care enough to find out what it is. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins--The book that sealed the deal on girlish thrillers. An unreliable narrator who I would avoid at all costs if she were a real person? No thanks. I quickly gave up on this audiobook too. McTeague by Frank Norris--I had to read this as an example of realism in my American literature class in college. I almost never liked required reading. The plot was stark, violent, and depressing. That may be one aspect of real life, but there are moments of beauty too. This book and its "realism" just don't fit my worldview very well. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer--I loved Twilight and then this book about whiny, heartbroken, depressed Bella came along. The endless blank pages that illustrate her empty days pushed me over the edge. It took me a long time to stir up any interest in continuing the series but I did eventually read Eclipse. I liked it better but…
Welcome to my weekly update for April 4, 2021! Happy Easter to all who celebrate! I got my first COVID vaccine on Wednesday! I truly thought it would be summer before I was eligible but Florida opened up to everyone age 40+ so I jumped at the opportunity. Florida's law requiring that I prove seasonal residency had me a bit worried but my husband's work contract, hospital ID badge, and our housing receipts were enough to get me in. What a huge relief! As I write this on Friday morning, my only complaint so far is a sore arm and I really only notice that when I'm reaching above my head into our kitchen cabinets. For your viewing pleasure this week, I present what I believe is a calico crab on Siesta Key. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not sure if it was alive but I thought I saw movement in its eye/mouth area. Posted: The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty--3 Stars Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, written and read by Jill Heinerth--4 Stars Ten Places in Books Where I'd Like to Live Hint: They're all fantasy worlds. 6 Degrees of Separation from Shuggie Bain to Room Read: Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran--4 Stars. The pacing was a bit off for me but I enjoyed learning about Queen Lakshmi, "India's Joan of Arc." I expected to learn about her conflict with the British who were taking over her country. That part happened very quickly, with the book focusing instead on Sita (one of the queen's female guards), Sita's path to the palace, and her impressions and conflicts when she first arrived. It was still an enjoyable book though. Station Eleven by Emily St. John…
Hosted by Books Are My Favourite and Best on the first Saturday of every month, this meme asks us to start with one title and create a chain of bookish connections to see where it takes us. This month we're starting with Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart and I'm ending at Room by Emma Donoghue. I haven't read Shuggie Bain but when I read the description, I immediately thought of Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. I considered going down the path of memoirs featuring difficult childhoods but I didn't want to start with fiction and go down a nonfiction chain. So instead I formed a chain of emotionally-difficult fiction titles featuring children as narrators. According to the synopsis, Shuggie is a child who has to care for his beautiful, alcoholic mother. That made me think of... Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Ceecee's mom is an aging beauty queen who seems to have a mental illness. Ceecee does her best to take care of her. This book is definitely more lighthearted than the others I've chosen but this unstable mother came to mind as I read about Shuggie's mom. That's the initial connection I formed but there's more of a theme than a chain connecting the rest of these titles. This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash--Twelve-year-old Easter Quillby is one of several narrators in the book but she's another girl who has to care for her addicted mom and her younger sister. Things only get more complicated when their deadbeat dad shows up. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee--Scout is a well-loved little girl but she shares the story of a Black man's unfair trial in Alabama. She can see the truth of the matter and doesn't understand why adults are muddying the waters with their prejudices. The Dry…
4 Stars. I don't even remember why I added this to my library wishlist but I'm so glad I did! I'm not a very good swimmer, much less a diver, but I still found Heinerth's experiences fascinating. She writes beautifully about what keeps her going back in the water, even after many of her friends have passed away on dives. She [...]
3 Stars. This book was an obvious labor of love for Mr. Twitty and his passions shine through the pages. Unfortunately, I don't particularly enjoy cooking or genealogy so the book fell a bit flat for me. I glanced through quite a few reviews on GoodReads before I decided to check this out and saw others frequently complaining [...]
Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share "ten places in books where I'd love to live." This is a fun prompt! I decided to focus on fantasy books. It was surprisingly hard to choose! I didn't want to choose a place like Westeros, where I would probably be killed in a war or burned up by a dragon. So these are books that have fairly safe, fun, fantasy lands. Links go to my review (if I've written one) or to Malaprop's Bookstore. BookWorld from The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde--Okay, this feels a bit like asking a genie for more wishes, but there's no rule saying I can't. In The Eyre Affair, people can enter books and characters can jump between novels. If I recall correctly, BookWorld is the nexus where they all meet and it's the gateway to every book. With access to BookWorld, I could jump in and out of every book at will! Daevabad from The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty--I wouldn't want to live in Daevabad during the time this trilogy is taking place, but going there a few years after things have calmed down? What fun! Magical peoples and creatures all coming together in one city, where magic carpets are a real thing? Let's go! Marsyas Island from The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune--As if the cover and the title weren't enough of a pull, the charming found family and the unquestioning acceptance of everyone is the icing on the cake. The Enchanted Forest from Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede--The Enchanted Forest isn't lacking in drama but the wizards really aren't as bad as they think they are and Cimorene and company easily keep them in check. How awesome would it be to visit…
Welcome to my weekly update for March 28, 2021! My husband and I met his parents at a park for a picnic last Monday. Everyone except me is fully vaccinated and the park was largely empty so it felt pretty safe. It was nice to see them and catch up! We haven't seen them since Christmas 2019. I liked the clouds and the color reflected from the sunrise in this picture, taken on my morning walk on Siesta Key. Posted: A Blade So Black by L. L. McKinney, read by Jeanette Illidge--3.5 Stars The White Queen by Philippa Gregory--3 Stars Read: Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age by Bohumil Hrabal, translated by Michael Henry Heim Slouch Witch by Helen Harper, read by Tanya Eby Currently Reading: Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, read by Kirsten Potter Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells by Helen Scales Reading Challenge Update: I’m including this in an effort to hold myself accountable. I'll try to remember to update at the end of each month. Challenge title links go to my personal progress page and host links go to the relevant sign-up page. Books in Translation Reading Challenge (hosted here at Introverted Reader) Progress: 1/4 Southern Literature Reading Challenge (hosted here at Introverted Reader) Progress: 4/7 New (To You) Narrator Reading Challenge (hosted here at Introverted Reader) Progress: 4/6 Uncorked Reading Challenge (hosted at The Uncorked Librarian) Progress: 2/12 Nonfiction Reader Challenge (hosted at Book’d Out) Progress: 5/12 Diversity Reading Challenge (hosted at Celebrity Readers) General Progress: 10/25; Monthly Progress: 3/12 Audiobook Reading Challenge (hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and That's What I'm Talking About) Progress: 8/20 Book Voyage: Read Around the World Challenge (hosted at The Book Girls’ Guide) Progress: 3/12 Up Next:…
3 Stars. I read The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory years ago and enjoyed them both. I have some understanding of England's history under Henry VIII though and I know pitifully little about the Wars of the Roses. That lack affected my enjoyment of The White Queen a bit. There's a family tree at [...]
3.5 Stars. I really enjoyed this concept and these characters, but I wish the storyline had been tightened up a bit. Alice's whole first mission (Or maybe two? I've waited a bit too long on my review) ultimately felt like filler. There's some setup for the main conflict and the worldbuilding element but that part really could [...]