Lisa
Rounded up from 4.5
I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed that experience. One narrator but she did all the many voices really well (there were one or two that were annoying but fit the characters personality so...) I also liked how when the MC is talking on the phone that comes through in the audio quality (sounds like a phone call).
This is a romance with depth - really explores the hypocrisy in hollywood for women & women of color as opposed to men and white women. And the the hoops one has to jump through just to ensure they have a future in a career they love. Both Win and Leo will drive you crazy at times but their interactions felt very real and I'm really obsessed with the ending of this book (before the epilogue).
There is an epilogue that wraps everything up. I didn't mind it (and usually don't) but warning for those that don't. I like seeing a peak into where the couple is at a future point in time. If you don't like those you can just skip.
This had been on my list for awhile and I'm glad I finally got to it - will be checking out other books written by this author duo!
This book is very problematic - only looking at a small slice of why we do the things we do and ignoring the bigger reasons (our social structures of race & power). There are some good interesting insights in this book (particularly for me the discussion of how alcohol effects women and men differently and the social constructs around our use of alcohol) but a lot just left me feeling that more of a disservice has been done with this book by not talking about the elephants in the room.
Other reviewers have said it better - read thru the negative reviews on Goodreads...
I read Someone's in Your House and really enjoyed that YA slasher. I was hoping to get that same kind of “fun” slasher horror in this book but sadly it didn't deliver.
The pacing was a bit off for me - the first 50% was focused on the relationship between these two friends - how they are dealing / not dealing with their separation once college starts in the fall, etc. There is a bit of unease felt in the beginning but not much.
When the horror part of the storyline starts it's good, for a bit. And then the book is over. It felt rushed and I wanted to spend more time in the tension. Also, I wanted a bit more from the ending - it felt like their story wasn't quite complete and left a few questions rattling around in my head.
If you are looking for slasher horror, this isn't it. If you want more of an forest adventure story with a bit of unease this might be perfect.
I picked this up on audio specifically because I was driving to Western North Carolina to spend the weekend with my high school best friend. Hoped that would add to the vibe since this books is set in Pisgah Forest with two best friends. That added expectation might have affected my enjoyment of the story as well.
Rating 4.25
This is in the same vane as Thursday Murder club and I enjoyed it a bit more - mainly because of the feisty 77 year old protaganist - I want to be her when I grow up.
I only made it to the second page of Chapter 2 and I had to stop reading - it felt like it was going to be to emotional for me to handle.
This book was everything I thought it would be a more. In the beginning I only read 20 pages a day and was waiting for the time when I could read 20 pages and not cry - which took over 100 pages to reach (and didn't happen often). You will feel the full range of motions when reading this. This is a must read for everyone and would love to see it taught in high school with a teacher that can guide the students thru processing their thoughts and emotions.
I have a love / hate with unreliable narrators. I'm still trying to figure out which books with an unreliable narrator work for me and which don't. One thing I know for sure is that I understand the character may lie to me but I do not like it when the author lies to me.
The narration was fantastic and I liked the back and forth timeline. I was fully invested for the first 75% but the last 25% was not for me - too much whiplash and a blatant lie from the author knocked this book from a 4.5 star rating to a 3.5 star rating.
Elin Hilderbrand books are brain candy for me -very light books that don't require a lot from you as a reader. This was plot driven without much character development. My biggest disappointment with this book is that I feel like the story could have been wrapped up in two books. At this point the characters are grating on my nerves a bit - I most likely will pick up the third (and hopefully final) book so I can find out how it all ends.
I really struggled with the rating for this book - wavered between 2 and 3 stars and settled with 3.
This was hard because I really like the author, will definitely read more and thought the writing was done well. I had more trouble with the story itself. It was a bit slow to start, secrets were kept for 3/4 of the book and then in a rush the speed picked up and everything resolved. I had trouble connecting with the sisters probably because my relationship with my sister is so different. I may have also suffered from my own personal hype - I loved Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows and was so excited to read this and my high expectations may have negatively influenced my actual enjoyment.
On a positive note - I enjoyed the look at India culture. Like Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, it gave me insights into a culture I don't know much about. The descriptions of place put you in India - I could feel the chaos, heat and discomfort felt by women in the street. Also, I like how she weaved the letter from Mum in with the chapters.
I enjoyed the book but it was very slow moving for me - I felt the pace need to be a bit faster and maybe the book could have been shorter. The overall story was good and I loved how books felt like part of the setting.
I absolutely adore Annie Ernaux's writing. I have loved everything she has written and this is no exception.
I loved the book but the ending made me take one star off - I guess I wanted a bit more
I put this book down about half way thru because it felt like too much work. Two books later I picked it back up and finished the last half of the book in 2 days. I am still really confused by what happened in this book but I'm OK with that. I'm glad I went back and finished it. I wish that I had kept better track from the beginning of the book as to the cast of characters and all the bread crumbs that were left.
This was a long book and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I thought it was well written and there were parts of the book that stuck with me, especially in the last chapter. This was a sold 3 star book for me.
This was a fantastic book - I devoured it in 2 days. I read a Man Called Ove and loved it. While this is very different - a little darker and heavier - it is still a great examination of the human condition and community. Fredrick Backman is quickly becoming a favorite author and I can't wait to read the rest of his books.
I liked the writing in this book but it felt a bit long - I feel like the middle could have been shortened some. The last 30% of the book flew by and it seemed like it to forever to get there and then everything happened so quickly. I enjoyed the characters, their relationships and the sociological aspects of life on Raktar. Haven't yet decided if I will read the sequel.
I enjoyed most of the essays while I was reading them but they didn't really stick with me. I appreciate hearing women's stories from the women themselves.
Listened on audio and feel like I have a better understanding of the Myers Brigg especially. Going to go back and read specific parts of the ebook. Enjoyed the overview.
One of my favorites so far is the series - although I feel like I say that with all of them. Whenever I read the new book I feel like I'm coming home to spend time with good friends. I wanted to read it in one sitting but also wanted it to last forever.
I enjoyed this book better than Girl on the Train. I had read prior to starting it that there were a lot of character so I wrote down each character as I came upon them and it helped me track them - didn't get them confused. I found the family relationships interesting and it kept me guessing right up to the end.
Loved this book. I read about 30 pages on November 11th and set aside because I was trying to finish another book. Once I picked it up again I devoured it - finished in 2 days. Fantastic writing and very honest. One of my top books of the year.
I loved this book. The writing is beautiful - the magical realism helps and so much to the story. I had a bit of a problem with the ending - can't really put my finger on what it was about it. I laughed and cried - all the things. Looking forward to reading more by Emily Henry