4.5 Stars. This is another desperate end-of-year reading challenge grab that paid off. I’d never even heard of this book but I started trolling through an “Epistolary novel” list, comparing it to what was available as an audio download from my library, and landed on this. I loved it. I don’t know exactly what my reaction would […]
4 Stars. This book got a little dark! I was surprised! The Penderwicks have always had their childhood troubles but as an adult listening, they don’t seem insurmountable to me. My heart ached for Batty now. Poor thing. She’s always been the baby of the family, so I guess I’m used to thinking of her that way. I had a hard time […]
4.5 Stars. Mostly what I took away from this book is humor and grace. Somehow Rick Bragg’s first memoir is the last one I’ve read and I have literally laughed ’til I cried in every one. I’ve read my family members bits here and there and retold stories I remember and made everyone listening to me laugh too. Maybe they’re just […]
3 Stars. When I first read this, I thought it was another solid four-star book from Sarah Addison Allen. But now that months have passed, it’s faded away and I’m only left feeling that it was a decent entry in her body of work. I’m bumping it back to three stars. Devin may have been my favorite character. She’s a bright child […]
4 Stars. I love this series. It’s just so innocently fun! The girls are funny but caring, as are their circle of friends. Girls in their “tween” years should love these books as well. This installment was just as much fun as all the others. I missed having Rosalind around but without her guidance, the three younger Penderwicks […]
3.5 Stars. This didn’t quite have the charm and originality of the first book, but it was still good. I think this one felt a bit too dark for me. I typically steer clear of books that involve children’s deaths. I know it happens, but I prefer to read in a world where it doesn’t. I guess I like to keep my head in the sand. The […]
4.5 Stars. Oh my goodness. How did I not know about this? I’ve come across vague statements about how many millions of people died under Stalin’s regime in the past. I didn’t realize the scale of it, if that makes sense. I somehow thought it was smaller groups of “dissenters” killed across many, many years and across a vast […]
4 Stars. I just love the Penderwicks. They are all so cute! Rosalind feels older than twelve, but in her circumstances, I think that’s right. She’s stepped up to be a mother figure to the younger children. Skye is so abrasive and intelligent, Jane is so dreamy and unintentionally funny, and young Batty is just adorable. I love […]
4 Stars. As with almost any anthology, there were stories that I loved and some that just didn’t do anything for me. I was a little afraid that it would start to get depressing (star-crossed love just doesn’t sound happy, now does it?) but there was a good balance of happy and sad endings. Favorite story: “Hurt Me” by […]
4 Stars. I loved this book. I met author Pamela Duncan at a book festival a few years ago and just chattered away at her. I never do that. I’m usually all tongue-tied at author signings and rarely get out more than “Please” and “Thank you.” But it just felt like she was one of my kind of people and so I rattled on while she […]
4 Stars. I listened to this ages and ages ago, but I remember that I loved it. I don’t even recall the sisters’ names, but as I listened they each had a distinct personality and I was easily able to differentiate between them. There is no big plot here, it’s just a series of little adventures that these sisters have on their […]