I tried to get into this but I just didn't. The sisters all sounded similar to me and the alternating between them and now timelines did not help diffI tried to get into this but I just didn't. The sisters all sounded similar to me and the alternating between them and now timelines did not help differentiate. It just made my brain dissociate a bit more.
Weird seeing as I just read a Kate Alice Marshall that I enjoyed and gripped me even though it was bizarre. This was the opposite - perhaps a bit bland so it lost me. Bummer....more
This was alright. It was a well written story about a woman whose husband died at the beginning of the war and ends up taking care of a Jewish orphan.This was alright. It was a well written story about a woman whose husband died at the beginning of the war and ends up taking care of a Jewish orphan. Throughout the story, she ends up caring for the girl as her own, falling in love with someone unexpected, and coming to terms with issues in her marriage. She also has to deal with negative pushback from her community for treating German POW workers with civility.
I'd say it held my attention for about 75% of the way through. By that time, it felt like the story was supposed to end and that there were random wrenches being thrown into the mix to keep the story going. Fine for a one time read.
Merged review:
This was alright. It was a well written story about a woman whose husband died at the beginning of the war and ends up taking care of a Jewish orphan. Throughout the story, she ends up caring for the girl as her own, falling in love with someone unexpected, and coming to terms with issues in her marriage. She also has to deal with negative pushback from her community for treating German POW workers with civility.
I'd say it held my attention for about 75% of the way through. By that time, it felt like the story was supposed to end and that there were random wrenches being thrown into the mix to keep the story going. Fine for a one time read....more
I'm disappointed. I think the premise was so interesting and unlike anything I've ever read. A typewriter that types back and helps solve a myself? YeI'm disappointed. I think the premise was so interesting and unlike anything I've ever read. A typewriter that types back and helps solve a myself? Yes please! Chapters also told from the typewriter's POV? Amazing!
However, I was very underwhelmed. The story seemed half formed and the big reveal was quite lackluster. I'm so bummed because this was a fantastic idea that could have really gone somewhere and it fell short. Very short. Sigh....more
So this was a cheesy sci-fi with a fake dating trope to throw off their rivals. It had a secret mission as well as a secret one rNot great, not awful.
So this was a cheesy sci-fi with a fake dating trope to throw off their rivals. It had a secret mission as well as a secret one romantic lead was keeping from the other. There were synthetics (robot people) and a team of teen geniuses that of course are the best at anything dealing with technology.
Jane is the reason Zach was sent to juvie, but not really. She gave the police his name as someone who has written a paper about a quark detector but also stated that there was no way he could have been the one to steal the machine. This is the "big secret." She doesn't want Zach to find out she had anything to do with his sentence. Meh.
Then there's a lot of stuff that happens with this magical machine that could fix the ozone, but not really fix the ozone because bad guys would rather use a machine like that to blast Montana. I'm not kidding. Montana. They're hoping if they blast some guy's home, maybe it'll give him a heart.
It was a short fast paced book and even if I wrote a bunch of spoilers here, you'd never know because everything happens so fast that the spoilers wouldn't even make sense until you read it. Maybe the paragraph above could even be construed as a spoiler, but it also doesn't give anything away about this book, does it? No. Because it sounds bizarre. An evil plot to blast Montana. Sounds like an episode of Pinky and the Brain.
I didn't hate it so I'm not giving it 1 star, but I definitely didn't enjoy it so it's a firm 2 stars.
Merged review:
Not great, not awful.
So this was a cheesy sci-fi with a fake dating trope to throw off their rivals. It had a secret mission as well as a secret one romantic lead was keeping from the other. There were synthetics (robot people) and a team of teen geniuses that of course are the best at anything dealing with technology.
Jane is the reason Zach was sent to juvie, but not really. She gave the police his name as someone who has written a paper about a quark detector but also stated that there was no way he could have been the one to steal the machine. This is the "big secret." She doesn't want Zach to find out she had anything to do with his sentence. Meh.
Then there's a lot of stuff that happens with this magical machine that could fix the ozone, but not really fix the ozone because bad guys would rather use a machine like that to blast Montana. I'm not kidding. Montana. They're hoping if they blast some guy's home, maybe it'll give him a heart.
It was a short fast paced book and even if I wrote a bunch of spoilers here, you'd never know because everything happens so fast that the spoilers wouldn't even make sense until you read it. Maybe the paragraph above could even be construed as a spoiler, but it also doesn't give anything away about this book, does it? No. Because it sounds bizarre. An evil plot to blast Montana. Sounds like an episode of Pinky and the Brain.
I didn't hate it so I'm not giving it 1 star, but I definitely didn't enjoy it so it's a firm 2 stars....more
I'm fascinated by cults. I think it's because I just can't fathom how someone can be so brainwashed to think the things they're doing are okay (but heI'm fascinated by cults. I think it's because I just can't fathom how someone can be so brainwashed to think the things they're doing are okay (but here we are living in MAGA world so I guess it's not that far-fetched).
I liked how this story was told - how it slowly laid down the pieces of present day and past day in the cult. It made for an eerie story and I appreciated that. The creepiest thing was how deep Becks (sorry if I'm spelling it wrong - I listened to the audiobook) got in to the point that she was fully complicit in sexual assault and branding. From the outside, that's a clear violation of a person's body. And yet, in the cult, they were taught that it was a test and a way to free yourself. Craziness.
It amazes me that most cults seem to have some element of bizarre sexuality to them and this cult was no different. The only thing I didn't like is that we never got a full explanation for Ben's behavior/intentions regarding the women after pregnancy. I wanted to know what his endgame was and that just seemed kind of left up to interpretation.
This story is for people like me who find cults so interesting and want some fictionalized inner workings and drama. It's a good time....more
I really enjoyed this one! I'm surprised to look through the reviews (well, the English ones that I can actually read) and see several negatives.
Why I really enjoyed this one! I'm surprised to look through the reviews (well, the English ones that I can actually read) and see several negatives.
Why I like this book: I didn't go into it expecting it to be an anthem for all autistic people. I just thought I'd be reading about a girl's personal experiences being autistic which is what it turned out to be. I think maybe because my expectations were spot on, perhaps I was able to enjoy this book for what it was.
I loved the educational information in this book. I'm an SLP interested in neurodiversity-affirming practice so I'm familiar with the debate on identity-first language vs. person-first language, the Asperger Nazi history, and the autistic perspective on ABA. I thought this information was presented succinctly and in an easily readable way that yes, I would recommend others read this one. I also really liked that she hit on the various domains considered for DSM criteria of autism and how autistic traits can be highly variable from one person to the next. Oh and also the mention of the high prevalence of LGBT+ in the autistic community most likely due to not feeling the same pressure (or even caring about the pressure) to adhere to social norms. There's a lot of good info in here.
I keep thinking of other things I liked too but I don't need this review to go on forever. I liked hearing about her personal experiences and the information she gave on autism itself. I flew through this one and found it enjoyable and easy to read....more
I'm not sure how to write this review without talking about the elephant in the room. The elephant happens to be a spoiler and it's something that's rI'm not sure how to write this review without talking about the elephant in the room. The elephant happens to be a spoiler and it's something that's revealed during the trial that makes this book about something else completely. Let's just say that I had no clue that was going to happen and that I was shocked the debate on whether or not this death was the result of a hate crime wasn't at least alluded to in the blurb.
I listened to the audiobook and was thrilled to hear my Gilded Age goddess narrating. The book was easy to listen to and the chapters themselves flowed nicely, but I was kind of confused as to why we were hearing flashbacks in reverse order. There didn't seem to be a point for that and I think it would have flowed better if they kept the flashbacks in chronological order.
And why was there not more about bees?! I thought I was gonna hear about this badass beekeeper mom who fought to protect her son like a worker bee but all we got was some brief bee knowledge that had little impact on the story. Your title is "Mad Honey!" Give me the honey!
Overall, it was readable albeit too long (the audiobook was 14 hours), but I really didn't appreciate not knowing I'd be reading about crimes/abuse against a transgender person. Just felt like I got a bait & switch. I'm into reading books about transgender people and learning about gender roles in society in general, but that just wasn't what I thought I had signed onto....more
I had a good time with this one. I liked the multigenerational parallel and I liked seeing how the parents' experiences mirrored their children's. Of I had a good time with this one. I liked the multigenerational parallel and I liked seeing how the parents' experiences mirrored their children's. Of course, I thought the most compelling duo were Sheryl & Cole so I felt like I was flipping faster just to get to their parts. I probably could've read a story only about them and left all the other characters out.
I thought Cole's story posed an interesting question about nature vs. nurture. Here's this boy who was never raised by his father and didn't know a thing about him... and yet, he starts acting just like him in regards to women. How did that happen? He has a single mom who clearly didn't condone that crap, and yet, he somehow followed on the same path until he found out the truth. That was super interesting to me.
This book wasn't groundbreaking or anything, but it was fun for a one time read....more
This one was sadly a disappointment for me. I remember being so into Missing Clarissa that I was hoping for the same fun mystery, but I found this oneThis one was sadly a disappointment for me. I remember being so into Missing Clarissa that I was hoping for the same fun mystery, but I found this one really hard to follow for some reason. The characters all seemed too alike so I was having a hard time telling them apart and I just found the overall mystery itself confusing and not compelling.
Bummer because I really wanted to like this....more
This book held my attention for the most part, but there were several points near the end where my mind wandered. I was excited for Caraval vibes, butThis book held my attention for the most part, but there were several points near the end where my mind wandered. I was excited for Caraval vibes, but this one didn't pull me in quite like that one. I liked the idea of the Houdini being a living, breathing thing that makes its own decisions, but it seemed to be a catch all for "This doesn't make sense. Must be the hotel."
Also, Anna's "problems" were very trivial, so I didn't really get what pulled her and Max together. Girls didn't like her at a party so she felt alone? Her sister got married and was moving away so she felt abandoned? These are things that just happen to anyone. I'm not sure what makes that so special that a magic hotel foresaw her coming and drew pictures of her for Max. I suppose I should just chalk it up to true love and all that.
This was fine for a one time read as long as you don't feel like overthinking it. The plot and reasoning/motives are loose at best. ...more
So I will admit that I wasn't as crazy about this installment as the others. I'm still giving it 4 stars because I really enjoy how easy these are to So I will admit that I wasn't as crazy about this installment as the others. I'm still giving it 4 stars because I really enjoy how easy these are to read and I love a good Bachelor trope with hints of magic, but the final selection is what made this go downhill for me. I have lots of thoughts, but all of them spoilers. Just know that I'm not the forgive & forget type.
I will say - I didn't know this would be the last installment of the RMC and I absolutely loved the newspaper clippings at the end. It was a nice way to wrap things up without me questioning, "Well? What happened next?" That being said, I'm still bummed there won't be another. I've really been enjoying my time with these....more
You know, it was hard to read this one knowing what I know now having read further on. I think the first time I read this, I found the sexyReread 2024
You know, it was hard to read this one knowing what I know now having read further on. I think the first time I read this, I found the sexy parts kind of hot, but now they were just cringey since Tamlin sucks.
Also. It's weird that Feyre battles a worm. It's weird.
But I still loved the Beauty & the Beast elements in here and I was still really into Feyre's backstory. I tried to look for the layers or foreshadowing in other characters now that I know what paths they have before them and it was fun to approach it that way. I didn't hate Nesta as much this time around and I think it was lost on me last time that she really pursued looking for Feyre. I was actually more annoyed with Elain. Lucien is still precious though.
And now.... onto the best book of the series ...more
I enjoyed this one so much! I tore right through it. The audiobook narration was great and I was never confused over who was talking even though thereI enjoyed this one so much! I tore right through it. The audiobook narration was great and I was never confused over who was talking even though there were several female characters who could have sounded similar. The pacing was good and it was easy to listen to and focus on.
As for the story itself, I really liked this take on Medusa. She was a girl that was forcibly taken advantage of, but she was also a strong character on her own. I also liked that Athena clearly was flawed in cursing Medusa, but that she directed her to use that power for herself. This story was crafted in a way that made you root for Medusa whenever she decided to lock eyes with someone.
And Dionysus? Charming. I loved how he protected his followers and formed a real friendship with Medusa. I hadn't read a depiction of Dionysus like this one before and I really enjoyed it. I also liked how each god seemed to notice another god's flaws, but couldn't/wouldn't speak on it to avoid retaliation. It made their chaotic coexistence more understandable.
Around the introduction of Perseus, I did start to get a little lost with the introduction of several new names at once so I think that particular part needed a little more fleshing out. It didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story though and by the end, I was sucked in so the confusion didn't last for the duration of the book.
Overall, solid Medusa tale that I would recommend to anyone....more
I tried to like this, I swear. I just couldn't connect with the characters and the storytelling itself seemed kind of choppy to me. It held my attentiI tried to like this, I swear. I just couldn't connect with the characters and the storytelling itself seemed kind of choppy to me. It held my attention for the most part, but I had to constantly remind myself who everyone was and it was just kind of bland. I seem to be in the minority here though so give it a try if it sounds interesting to you....more
Thoroughly enjoyed this one too! I'm having such a great time with this series and I really think it's because Claudia Gray has continued on with the Thoroughly enjoyed this one too! I'm having such a great time with this series and I really think it's because Claudia Gray has continued on with the lives of these beloved characters in a way that is so believable. For example, I find it entirely believable that Mr. Collins & Charlotte would have two kids named Catherine (Katy) and De Bourgh (Deb).
But the shining story in here that I felt needed to be told was of Anne & Colonel Fitzwilliam. I've often wondered what happened to Anne after Pride & Prejudice. She didn't marry Darcy as her mom wanted and she was described as kind of sickly so... did she die? I love that this story had Colonel Fitzwilliam (who we met in P&P as a nice guy) married to Anne out of mutual necessity and that their union grew into love. They both deserve that and it was so satisfying.
As for the mystery, I did guess who right away, but for me, it wasn't the driving force of this story. I was much more interested in the characters themselves and seeing how their relationships unfolded. I also love that Jonathan Darcy was very clearly described as autistic without using the word since that label didn't exist then. Claudia Gray was very clear in describing his attributes and "peculiarities" that this is an autistic character. And the fact that he's out there solving crimes and falling in love with a fellow crime solver is just so positive and lovely.
Two thumbs up! (But I knocked a star since the mystery itself was a no brainer)...more
This one just didn't do it for me. It was a bit all over the place. This girl has visions/sensations of a man drowning and realizes that she experiencThis one just didn't do it for me. It was a bit all over the place. This girl has visions/sensations of a man drowning and realizes that she experienced something that happened in his life. This leads to her examining her beliefs and starting to become a healer because she can feel people's auras. During this journey, we also learn about a miscarriage and a past sexual assault which resulted in her clinging to her husband's family, and then this husband's mom also has some magical properties. I think I was supposed to be feeling the bond of sisterhood by the end, but I was just kind of confused as to how we ended up where we did.
On the positive side, it did hold my attention and I wanted to know what happened next, but I think that's because I was really hoping for some sort of overall explanation (which didn't happen). ...more
This was okay. It held my attention for the most part, but I found myself getting bored several times. I'm sure that's easy to feel in a book where thThis was okay. It held my attention for the most part, but I found myself getting bored several times. I'm sure that's easy to feel in a book where the plot is a repeated day for weeks on end, but I think the coup or siege or whatever you want to call it should have captivated me more.
I didn't feel much about the romance in here since it was only progressing on one size. I know she couldn't help that since she was caught in the time loop and I was glad when she held herself back from progressing further sexually with him in one situation because it was the ethical choice.
There was good stuff in here, but because I've read this trope several times and have seen it done better, it's hard to rate this higher than a 3....more
For the most part, I did enjoy this one as I was reading it and I thought "Man, Fiona Davis just writes historical fiction so well." But I have to admFor the most part, I did enjoy this one as I was reading it and I thought "Man, Fiona Davis just writes historical fiction so well." But I have to admit that it kind of lost me towards the end. I'm not sure exactly what it was - maybe I just didn't like the culprit or maybe the writting became choppy and didn't flow as well as the other 75% of the book. This wasn't a bad book by any means, but it didn't stick the landing and I felt it really left something to be desired.
All that being said, maybe this wasn't a homerun for me, but I will definitely keep picking up Fiona Davis....more
This was adorable. I first learned about prosopagnosia in grad school. It's not a common disorder that SLPs work with, but it makes sense that a persoThis was adorable. I first learned about prosopagnosia in grad school. It's not a common disorder that SLPs work with, but it makes sense that a person with this disability might have accompanying language disorders. But I digress. Let's get to the book.
This was a great rom com for me. I read romances when I need something comfy and predictable. Sure, I know what's gonna happen, but I like the journey there. And a rom com that incorporates a disorder I found fascinating the first time I heard of it? Fantastic. And the cherry on top is that the dude is animal lover. Sold.
I also liked how it made me think a lot about how I would fare if I couldn't recognize faces. How would it impact my job? My hobbies? Would I even be able to brave going outside to events with familiar people? Probably not. But like Sadie, I would be very concerned about whether or not I could recognize my dog's face. I was stupidly so happy for her when she could gain comfort from recognizing Peanut. I'd feel the same about my Sybbie.
So did I know what was going to happen? Of course. Let's a romance. But did it lessen my enjoyment of the journey there? Not at all. This was so cute....more
This book had me from beginning to end. I didn't know anything about this opera singer before reading and now I feel like I know her. I understand it'This book had me from beginning to end. I didn't know anything about this opera singer before reading and now I feel like I know her. I understand it's fiction based on a true story, but she just felt real. I think the author brought Maria to life by displaying reasonable emotions/reactions to all situations.
The book flowed really well and it made me wonder about how other female singers were treated in this time period. She seemed to call a lot of shots in her career and I imagine that would have been rare and a nod to how powerful and beautiful her voice was.
It's also hard to read something like this when you can just tell the guy is a cheating ass and the strong, powerful woman is head over heels and making herself smaller for him. So frustrating. And yet, he ended up nabbing Jackie Kennedy so he was clearly charming in some way.
And now I need to read more on the Onassis-Kennedy marriage to see what that side of the story is. I doubt it'll be as compelling as this one though....more
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