Tricia Nelson
I was thrown when I began reading this book, because I had read that it was a funny story. I didn't find it funny, and that felt like it kept interrupting me while I read, thinking “Why do people think this is funny”? Now that I've finished, I'm very glad I read it. The story of hope and redemption and the impact that we have on each other's lives is worth reading. We read this for book club, and there is a lot to unpack here and discuss.
This is the second book in the series, and cliffhangers continue! I'm glad I read the first book before reading this one, because I was more invested in the characters and their journey. In this book we hear from Rosie through her diaries, which provides a lot of backstory for her and Russ. The book has you rooting for the characters who are caught in the consequences of actions that were not their own. Can't wait for the final part of the trilogy!
This is a well-written book about a culture and a place that I was completely unaware of, and a story about friendship and community that is common to all women. We were so lucky to be able to chat with the author when we discussed this book in my book club. Ms. See shared with me ahead of time about her friend's tea company and I was able to enhance our book club with a tea tasting and some Korean sweets. It was really fun! (https://www.banateacompany.com/pages/book-club-tea-tasting-kit-korean.html)
This story follows some characters through a lifetime of change - cultural, societal, technological and governmental change. It deals with loss in many ways - death, loss of friendship, loss of a way of life. It was compelling to learn about a society of women Haenyeo who provide so much to each other in a group setting and dynamic that will be familiar to any woman in any culture. The Haenyeo provide protection, food, knowledge, power, purpose, friendship, community, feedback, accountability, laughter and love to each other. It's hard to say what struck me the most about The Island of Sea Women, but perhaps it is the author's skill that wove together a part of history that was new to me with a story about relationships that will resonate with many. This also made this a wonderful book club choice, because there was so much to discuss.
This book was just as good as the first in the series, and a great quick read during the Halloween season! Having visited the Catacombs in Paris, this was especially spooky as I could remember the cold and damp and creepiness of the space. If you are looking for a spooky page-turner, this is a great choice!
I was looking for a good spooky book for October and heard about the second book in this series being published so I grabbed this one from the library. I loved it! The characters and the premise of the story are well thought out and I loved feeling like I was visiting Scotland through the story. If you are looking for a spooky, suspenseful story with an interesting twist, this is a great choice!
I picked this up from the library after seeing it recommended online, and I'm glad I did. I wanted a lighter read after finishing up the last book, and this seemed to fit the bill. Quirky love story, a ‘meet-cute' and a blurb calling this author the new Jojo Moyes all made me want to pick it up. It delivered on all of that and more. There are a few additional storylines running through the book that had a more serious note, but they were handled well and added to the depth of the characters. I particularly loved how friendships were used to prop up and help someone heal on their own time, on their own terms, and by doing that the person healing got stronger.
I'm so glad I read this book. We read it for book club and discussed it tonight, and almost everyone felt the same. One member suggested that it should be required reading in middle or high school. The conflict in Palestine/Israel is a topic that I know too little about, and this story of a Palestinian doctor who grew up in Gaza and raised his children there for a long time gives the reader enormous insight into what some of the more modern history of the area is. It is embarrassing that I was so unaware of the realities of Palestinians, and I'm very grateful for that history lesson in reading the book. I'm also grateful to read about the amazing outlook of this man who has every reason to hate, but instead chooses to love and look for peace and finding a way to live side by side. Great book. Great story. Great book club discussion.
This book is AMAZING. I wish I could pick just one thing I highlighted, or just one takeaway, but there were too many to choose just one. This is a book that steps you through figuring out what you want, what is important to you, and how to set yourself up to get there. How to go from overwhelmed to happy on your individual journey, your story. This is a book I will read again, and keep on the shelf. It's already marked up, and that's before all the extra resources (videos/podcasts) that come with the book. No matter where you are in your journey or life story, this is worth reading. I was fortunate to be able to read this book early (Thank you Harper Collins!) and be part of the launch team. The book comes out 10/1, and there are some great preorder bonuses if you are interested.
This book was really a good read. A plot-driven story with really interesting characters. If you liked this author's winter series you will like this one a lot. I just finished and quickly opened up goodreads to find out when the next one in the series comes out, because this book ends with a serious if not altogether unexpected cliff-hanger. This book has the reader thinking about the complexities of love, and family relationships. Can't wait to read the next one!
What a wonderful story. The author does an amazing job of weaving a story around historical figures and events and the Alice Network of spies that were active in the World Wars. We were so fortunate to Skype with the author during our book club discussion, and Ms. Quinn shared how many of the events in the book were things that did happen. The story brings you along with four main characters, one of whom is pure evil, and the reader roots for the good guys at every turn. I didn't feel like I received a history lesson, but I realize I know a lot more about the history of these women than I did before I read this book. Loved it!
This book is a quick read that carries the reader on a journey to find out who killed a man. The story is told in three parts, from three different perspectives, and I was completely drawn in and compelled to finish to find out what really happened. Just when I thought I knew what the truth was, that knowledge was challenged and more information came to light that made me wonder again. The primary themes for me that stood out were about what would you be willing to do for a loved one? for a child? for a friend? and what is a life worth? a good person's life? a bad person's life? This is a well-written and well-translated book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Really liked this book! The author tells a story of a resilient and strong woman who carries scars from her past and finds ways to heal from them and get to know herself more completely. The book made me laugh and cry, and think about my own experiences and love and forgiveness and strength. It grabs the reader's attention right away and brings them along for a ride.
This book is terrific! It is a very well done thriller that kept me guessing. I can honestly say that every time I thought I had figured things out, I was surprised again. When you start the book, you are instantly drawn into the story and guessing about what has happened and who can be trusted. I can't say a lot without revealing too much about the story, and this is one book that shouldn't be ruined for anyone. In addition to the suspenseful plot, the issues about relationships, parenting, technology, and more had me thinking about these topics and I can't wait to discuss this with friends! This would make for an amazing book club selection, as there is a LOT to discuss. The author does a wonderful job of giving clues to what happened without giving too much away. Once you finish the story, the clues given all make sense and you find yourself thinking “Aha!”. For the record, I didn't guess the end of the story, and that made me like this book even more.
I read the first book in this series at the end of last year, and was so happy to have a chance to read this one. Just like with ‘Solace Island', this book let me dive in and immerse myself in the story and read the whole book (just about) in a day. I love days like this one when I can enter a book and spend the day with the characters. It's a love story and suspense novel in one, and the characters are likeable. The romance is predictable but I liked the way the characters were portrayed as strong and capable in their own right.
I've read all three in the Solace Island series now, and this one delivers on suspense, storyline and surprises. The author is skilled at setting a story that stands alone, but pulls in characters from other novels set in the same place to connect them together. The suspense on this one had me reading and finishing the book in a little over a day.
Loved this book! I can see why she was such a successful food critic because her descriptions of the food she tried and loved had me looking up the restaurant or chef to see if they were still open in NYC. In addition to getting a wonderful insiders view of the life of a food critic in NYC, she also successfully described how it can be hard to slip into and out of disguises without it affecting you and learning, perhaps, more about yourself. I loved the way she explained the ties many of us have with food and our heritage or our history. I found myself hearing my dad talk about how to pick a good piece of meat at the store by looking at the ‘marbling'. The trip through Brooklyn (of the 1990's) and the specialty shops had me wishing I could have tagged along. If the author set out to bring the reader into the life of a food critic and share all the pressures and craziness and wonderful food experienced, she succeeded!
This is a book about a woman who finds out that there is more than meets the eye to know about many people in her life - her husband, her friends, her ex-pat community. This is balanced by the secrets she herself keeps from everyone. The plot is complicated and the story pops back and forth in time, but the author does a good job of answering all the reader's questions. Sometimes you read a book that builds and builds and then just ends in a hurry. This book does a good job of rewarding the reader with an ending that answers questions and isn't too hurried or too drawn out.
I picked up this book because it was on Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2019 summer reading guide and I'm glad I did! It's a quick read written in epistolary format (emails and letters) about two teenage girls who start out horrified that their dads are dating and end up choosing to be sisters of a sort. It's a light read but there is a lot under the surface to think about too. It was fun to read this in one day and about one sitting.
I won an advance copy of this book from Goodreads and it is so good! What a great summer read, with great characters, twists and surprises, and more. What I loved the most, though was the setting in Scotland where my grandparents were born. It was great to ‘visit' there for a few days while I dove into this story. Highly recommend!
I received a copy of this book to review from NetGalley, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This debut novel is categorized as a romance and ‘chick lit', and it is, but it's more. It's about friendships, redemption, forgiveness of yourself and others, secrets, witty banter, and figuring out your path when you are an adult who has to find a new one. The main characters do fall in love (this is not a huge plot spoiler), but they also do the work to find themselves first, and I liked that. Great book! Great summer read! Would also be a good book club choice as there is a good amount to discuss.
I'll be honest. I've had this book since December, as I received it as part of my book club being chosen by Harper Collins during 2018 as one of the clubs that receives monthly books to review. It was one of the generous ‘extra' books we received, so it wasn't lined up for one of our monthly discussions, but now I really wish it had been. For some reason, I think the cover doesn't pull in a reader, but oh my the story does. (I wish the cover had been a close up of the embroidery of the gown.)
What a great book! I found myself completely drawn into the characters and journeys of the three women in the story - one a British woman whose story begins right after WWII, the second a Jewish/French woman who had survived the war during the same time frame, and the third a granddaughter of one who is Canadian and sets out to learn more about her grandmother.
The story alternates between viewpoints, but I didn't get whiplash, as can happen sometimes. I found myself anxious to find out what happened next, and was hoping for good things for the characters.
Great story - perfect one to get lost in over a few days on vacation this summer!
I'm 55, and this book brought me right back to when I lost my mom suddenly at age 17. The author absolutely nails all the feelings that I had, all while navigating high school. The numbness, the feelings, the “just getting from one day to the next”, all of it. I liked the characters, particularly Jessie, and found them to be real and believable. It looks like it's primarily a romance, but ends up being a great coming of age story about a young woman who is trying to figure out her place in the world after her world is upended in multiple ways, and where all these other people fit. The other characters in the novel were also complex, and dealing with their own issues, and likeable. Well done.