Luanne Oleas
For someone shallow like myself, I've always wondered why people write memoirs. However, the author's introspection was so compelling, it prompted me to consider events and people from my own life that may have shaped who I am and how I think. I could relate to the time period, mostly growing up in the late 1950s and 1960s, surviving Catholicism, my Irish (not Polish) heritage, and what the heck made my parents tick.
I was also intrigued by the journey the writer had with scoliosis. My daughter has it, while I have my own chronic illness to deal with. These lifelong challenges also shape how we act and react to the world around us.
As a reader, I felt the healing that took place on this author's journey through writing made me a little healthier too. There are some events, like my own mother's dementia, that echoed those of the author's. It's not a easy experience to examine and it helped me to see how someone else got through it.
Overall, this little book really spoke to me and I, for one, am glad the author took the time and had the insight to create it. Well done!
I was as impressed with the author's note as I was with the book and that was very impressed.
I didn't think I would like a pandemic-themed book because, well, I'm living the pandemic—STILL. Boy, was I wrong!
This book definitely has three acts. It's a little hard to describe them all without giving away the plot, so if my review sounds vague, it's intentional.
ACT 1 - The book begins just as the pandemic is starting and before anyone knew what COVID was or how it would impact our lives. (Remember those days?) The main character, Diana, has a surgeon boyfriend named Finn. They had planned a trip to the Galapagos Island, where Diana is sure he will propose, as planned. In fact, she basically has her life planned and so far, it's playing out just fine. However, at the last minute, he must stay in NYC to care for the increasing number of COVID patients at his hospital, but he encourages Diana to go on the trip without him. She does and manages to be quarantined there, making her one week trip last several months. Life back home goes on without her and there are several “life events” that happen that she has no control over. It doesn't help that Internet connectivity is nearly non-existent.
ACT 2 - By some miracle, she ends up back in NYC, but she's not the person she used to be. Her time in the Galapagos changed her. Poor Finn is the same, only horribly exhausted and struggling to cope.
ACT 3 - Sorry, I can't give details. All I can say is I loved the ending.
Picoult does an excellent job of taking her pandemic-weary readers to a tropical island for a break and then taking them back to the pandemic and letting them know they are not alone. All and all, an amazing read.
Earlier, I mentioned the author's note. It helped to know that the author was as paralyzed by the pandemic as a lot of us. And that, before she could even write again, she managed to start reading. . . but only romances, because she could only handle happy endings. I feel less embarrassed by all the Hallmark movies I watched because I needed stories that had happy endings.
A thought-provoking read. It could easily have been titled “What to do when you find a Polish peasant from 1825 in your kitchen.” Well, maybe not “easily.”
This novel combines a little magic, a dash of time travel, and a lot of adventure. It's refreshing to have a “real” protagonist with relatable issues who is facing a crossroads in her life. Does she chuck it all and go to another century? Should she grit her teeth and find a way back to her family, even if they've moved on? Neither solution is easy.
Hope to soon read more about Kat/ Kasia/ Katherine/ Katarzyna, a woman who evolves with her name.
This is an awesome international thriller with a well-developed main character. Most female protagonist can be a little lovestruck or self-involved, but Genevieve “Blade” Broussard, an impalement artist (aka knife-thrower) bucks that trend. She's equal parts independent, susceptible, and suspicious
I like that the story moved along an invigorating clip. No long ramp up before the action starts. No saggy middle. Great ending. At times, I found it hard to put the book down and go to sleep. A great problem to have when reading a book.
There were just enough descriptive details to give me a sense of place, but nothing that slowed down the action. The author did a wonder job of describing foreign locales in a fresh way. The supporting characters were intriguing, each an asset to the overall trajectory of the story.
I'm not normally one who likes to read series, but I'll definitely be following Blade's adventures. Great start for a debut author.
One-time, my folks took the family in our travel trailer to Portland, OR from California. When we reached out destination, my parents gathered us four kids around and asked us to put any money we had on the table. We needed gas money to get home. My sister and I had a couple of bucks, my brothers were too little to have any money.
This was my one and only brush with poverty. In essence, I was clueless. I grew up with two parents, my own bed at night, and a meal on the table.
This book opened my eye. WIDE. I can't imagine surviving a childhood like the one described in GIRLZ ‘N THE HOOD. A single mom, a house burned down, riding the bus all night with multiple siblings. My white, privileged self read this book with my jaw dropped.
*
Get woke! Read this book. It will haunt you for days and make you count your blessings. Yet, with a punchy, detailed style, the author makes you smile as well as cry. You'll be glad she got “all up in grown folks' business” and remembered it well enough to write this book.
What an eye-opener of a book! I wasn't sure what to expect when the back cover said, “Alan Horne's soul has walked out on him” and wonders if he can persuade it to return. So starts the quest of the protagonist of [b:Soul Flight: An Outcast Adventure 48761627 Soul Flight An Outcast Adventure William Albert Baldwin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573614995l/48761627.SY75.jpg 74136459] by [a:William Albert Baldwin 19728316 William Albert Baldwin https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. The journey Alan takes includes a myriad of characters, all unique in his/her/their own way and a lesson in acceptance that goes beyond what most readers ever encounter.Alan Horne leaves the US and flies to Germany, probably the last place he felt truly connected to his soul. As someone who was raised mostly in the Christian West, I had learned to live by the main mantra is “you live in a body, you are a spirit, and you have a soul.” I wasn't familiar with the concept of misplacing your soul. Soul-searching was something you did within, but not Alan.Alan's journey taught me that finding your lost soul starts with connecting to people who come your way. You can try to avoid them, but you won't find your soul that way. This philosophy leads Alan into a thicket of new friends and a high stakes game of being yourself at all costs. As a woman and mother of a queer offspring, I know a little about the safety of venturing out alone when you aren't normal. And really, as we learn from [a:William Albert Baldwin 19728316 William Albert Baldwin https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], no one is normal. But most of us have the needle pointing a little closer in that direction that the polyamorous, bisexual, pagan priest, cross-dressing, human rights advocate, and unitarian that is Alan Horne. Face it, there is someone who is going to disagree with at least one of those beliefs/lifestyles/vocations/philosophies.The intricacies of the plot almost seem random at times, but the author never quite gets us lost. He's a master at laying out all the threads of the plot, then pulling them together to make a cohesive fabric with a dazzling pattern.If you lived through the time before 9/11, you'll recall the historical events mentioned in this tale. If you didn't experience them then, it's important that you learn them now. They are signposts of what we can learn from history if we stay aware.Oh yeah, if you are a fan of Wagner, you have double the reasons to read this book. Even if you aren't (and many characters weren't,) you're still in for a treat. It's like no other books I've ever read, but it might be a cross between [b:Trinity 42696 Trinity Leon Uris https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388450323l/42696.SY75.jpg 363317] by [a:Leon Uris 19708 Leon Uris https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1342561418p2/19708.jpg] with its culture clashes and [a:John Steinbeck 585 John Steinbeck https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1182118389p2/585.jpg]'s [b:Travels with Charlie in Search of America 33617956 Travels with Charlie in Search of America John Steinbeck https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 1024827] where the author ventures into his past to understand his present. Neither of those books have a leg up on the issues explored in [b:Soul Flight: An Outcast Adventure 48761627 Soul Flight An Outcast Adventure William Albert Baldwin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573614995l/48761627.SY75.jpg 74136459].
When I first started reading this book there was no way I was going to give it 5 stars. All it seemed to be was the story of a dysfunctional family and a stranger. I didn't like them. Didn't care about them. Even the strangers was, meh. And none of them seemed to be able to maintain a relationship. And most of the books I read are all about relationship. They interest me.
Fast forward a couple hundred pages and I started to get intrigued. Yes, started. Not bowled over.
By 300 pages, I was all in, couldn't wait to read the next chapter. I'm not really sure what changed. I guess the fact that the mother was missing didn't really bother me. But when it looked like she might have been murdered, it peeked my interest. Ok, maybe I'm shallow. Nothing like the possibility of a dead body to up the stakes.
This was my first Liane Moriarty book, but I don't think it will be my last. She's an astute storyteller with a really sense of what makes people tick. Even the fact that the timeline jumped around a bit didn't bother me because she did a great job of keeping the reader informed of exactly where they were.
In the end, the relationships made sense, which only goes to prove that you don't know what you don't know. I'm glad I stuck with it.
Reading [b:Walking on Air 22979647 Walking on Air Christina Jones https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411047042l/22979647.SY75.jpg 1768413] by Christina Jones was an undertaking. At 581 pages, it did take a while to get through the story. That said, it was worth it to me. I've been to the part of England where the book is set. I've even flown off a grass strip there. I'm also semi-versed in aerobatic jargon, or at least airplane parts, because my husband was a cropduster. I've also visited England enough to know some of the colloquialism used. I do wonder if those outside of England who don't know much about airplanes would enjoy, or even understand, parts of the books as much as I did. Billie Pasco is trying to escape her past and make something of her future. But something keeps dragging back to her big mistake of having an affair with a married man. At first, it seems her boss at the taxi company is the one constantly hounding her about her indiscretion. But even when she leaves his employ, he continues to remind her of it. It takes the bulk of the book to find out why, and you aren't going to guess it. I didn't. I thought for sure that the married man was being blackmailed by Billie's boss, who knew about the affair after picking them up as a cab fare. If Billie decided at some point, she didn't care if that secret got out, then the blackmail would stop being paid. Boy, was I WAY OFF. I enjoyed the on/off/on interest in the local pilot/airline owner/aerobatic enthusiast. As someone married to a pilot, I have to say the author nailed the obsession with flying and being around planes. Until you've lived it, you don't know it. However, there were days I wished I had landing gear instead of legs so maybe my husband would be obsessed with me.This is truly a fun book, full of crazy characters, each fraught with their own personal issues. I admit some of the comparisons to celebrities mentioned didn't make sense to me because I don't watch much British TV. However, it didn't have any overwhelming impact on my understanding of the story. I'm sure it would have made the writing even more colorful/colourful for me if I had understood those references.If you have a few days—it took me five—you should read this book. I'm glad I did.
In my quest to read all thing Lipman, I just finished [b:The Ladies' Man 459335 The Ladies' Man Elinor Lipman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400877157l/459335.SY75.jpg 902700]. Let's just say that the main character is one of those guys you love to hate.The premise is that 30 years previous, Harvey Nash walked out on Adele Dobbins just before their engagement party. Then, he went to Hollywood, inverted his name (to Nash Harvey) and began writing jingles for commercials with questionable success.In fact, questionable pretty much described everything Nash does. He can pretty much lie his way into and out of everything. Even when the going gets tough, Nash has a story for that. But Adele's not buying, even when he returns to Boston to apologize for standing her up. I'm glad she's suspicious. More characters should be. The crazy jams the characters (added by wacky family members) encounter only moves the story forward at an hysterical pace. Again, Lipman has brought out what we all live through, then takes it to the next level. Can't wait to read her next one.
Owen Johnson and Amanda Daily have a thing going on. However, some bad luck and a lack of communication stands between them being together. The storyline in OWEN'S OBJECTIVE leads the reader on a chase (on Owen's end) and an attempt to escape (on Amanda's part.)
The overall story travels at a good pace, keeping this reader involved from the first line. The cast of supporting characters lends colorful qualities to the story that are both entertaining and enriching. The author does a wonderful job of exploring both Owen's and Amanda's understanding of what their relationship is and where it should go.
And what story—even one with a tortured romance—would be complete without a ‘whodunnit' factor? Because Amanda witnesses a crime with extenuating circumstances that rule out contacting the police, a third-party security service gets involved. This ratchets up the tension even further.
All-in-all, this engaging story is worth recommending and would be getting five stars from me if the editing had been better. The details about exotic dancers' live styles and military and police security culture are spot on.
Occam's Razor... you come for the adventure, you stay for the voice. The author has such crisp delivery for each character, the reader doesn't need the dialog tags. It's some cross between street slang and English professor. Don't ask me how that works. If I knew, I'd write best sellers.
Oz's backstory (the main character, Oscar Reyes) really drives his journey. A promising football star whose career ends before it begins in a senseless bar fight... over the woman he loves, of course. And also, she's the one that got away.
His lack of luck in love spills over into his unreliable boss' need for some shady help for her wayward son, now in prison. Is he innocent, or is his mother just crazy. Oz may die answering that riddle. Can't wait to read Clifford's next book.
“One morning I woke up and felt something was amiss.” That's the opening line from [b:A Bug on the Internet: How to Succeed in the World After Turning into a Giant Bug 75018258 A Bug on the Internet How to Succeed in the World After Turning into a Giant Bug (Bugiverse Book 1) Yulin Wu https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1671754009l/75018258.SY75.jpg 100401084] by [a:Yulin Wu 2797430 Yulin Wu https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], It only gets better from there.How would you react if you woke up and found you'd been transformed into a human-sized beetle? I liked Gregory's reaction. “In a panic, I ran in circles on the ceiling for the next three minutes. . .” But Gregory, aka The Bug Guy, is nothing if not resourceful. He's a dedicated employee (going to work the same day he turns into a bug) and applying all the rich philosophy he's learned through reading self-help books. So with a little positive thinking and ramped up confidence, he proceeds into a world that doesn't want him. . . until it does. Whether it's Gregory drunk-bug video going viral on social media or his unfortunate comment about Domino's pizza, he's soon an antennae-waving, tuxedo-wearing superstar with a taste for well-rotted garbage. I never could have imagined how one might deal with this unlikely transformation, but it's all laid out in a deliciously dry humor in this book. Each page contains another gem that pokes fun at our modern existence. Would HR really give diversity training to teach other employees to be sensitive to Gregory's needs (while giving him an office in the basement?) It's a brisk fun read that had me laughing all the way through as well making me ponder the metaphysical side of our current culture. Grab this book if you have a chance. It's a hoot!
[b:The Red-Hot Blues Chanteuse: A Viola Vermillion Vaudeville Mystery 195877195 The Red-Hot Blues Chanteuse A Viola Vermillion Vaudeville Mystery Ana Brazil https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696822412l/195877195.SX50.jpg 197850761] provides a rollicking good romp through the early 1900s in San Francisco! The twists and turns were numerous and unpredictable. Viola Vermillion (formerly Viola Clark) is the center of this murder mystery with her fellow vaudevillians providing a load of color and suspicion.When Viola first hits town with her lover/pianist Stu, she's over the moon having her name on the marquee at the Pantages Theatre. Her enthusiasm is short-lived when she finds her accompanist in the balcony, dead. Suspicion immediately falls on Viola, but she soon realizes, she doesn't know Stu half as well as she thought she did.Troubles mount exponentially. Stu's mysterious past only seems to get murkier the deeper Viola digs. Soon she's wondering how it all connects to her sister's untimely death, her own bout of the flu, and a red notebook. To compound her troubles, her act is about to be cancelled, i.e. her livelihood, if she doesn't find another pianist FAST. She's a little wary of the good-looking Jimmy Harrington, who uncannily knows how to play most of her songs already. Still, she's out of options and hires him against her better judgement.Author [a:Ana Brazil 17217287 Ana Brazil https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1507682441p2/17217287.jpg] captures the time period and location perfectly. Not only does she describe the landmarks of San Francisco with period accuracy, but she give the reader a historically correct perspective of the USA in the post-WWI era. The country, reeling from both the war and the Spanish flu pandemic, gives rise to vaudeville and a lust for entertainment that weary citizens desperately need.Whether you enjoy a first-class mystery or a story with an historical perspective that explores the plight of employees who have no clout, either in the theatre realm or in the labor force, you'll thrive on this book. Crooked munitions tycoon Thaddeus T. Rutherford plays a fierce villain with more hateful characteristics than most. It's no wonder Jimmy keeps his connection to Rutherford under wraps as long as possible.I was delighted to reach the end of this book and find that there would be more mysteries for Viola and Jimmy to solve. The unrequited sexual tension between the two was undeniable. . . but how long could it be denied? Well-placed inconveniences and interruptions kept this reader guessing and ready for the next book in the saga. Well done!
This author ([a:Joe Clifford 3461130 Joe Clifford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1701358885p2/3461130.jpg]) has got game and a distinctive voice to go with it. While trying to gallop along with plot of [b:Skunk Train 49045976 Skunk Train Joe Clifford https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575250740l/49045976.SY75.jpg 74473807], I often had to step back to take in the setting. The depiction of the places intrigued me as much as the characters themselves.Not only is 15-year-old Kyle out of his depths when it comes to large amounts of money, crooked cops, and the Mexican cartel, his upbringing in a small northern California town didn't prepare him for much. Maybe smoking pot and riding his bike. Certainly not dealing with the seedier sides of San Francisco and Los Angeles. And nothing had prepared him for someone as cool as Lizzie.A story that starts with a gruesome murder and progresses with a balls-to-the-walls chase is enough to keep anyone reading into the wee hours. It doesn't seem like the place an innocent love story might bloom. But wait... these characters have depth. Their backstories are deftly woven into the storyline so slyly, it's almost unnoticed, but so crucial. I've read several of Clifford's books, but this is one of my favorites. Definitely worth a read. You can go to the bad side of town without the risk, but with all of the color.
I loved the multi-cultural aspect of this book. It starts with an American family and an Iranian family (now in the US) both waiting to adopt babies from South Korea. The two families only come to know either other because the babies to be adopted are coming to the US on the same plane. It starts in the airport with the boisterous greeting by the adoptive American family and the quiet, but equally happy, greeting by the Iranian family. Because of this common thread, the two families become friends.
One of my best friends escaped Iran when the Shah fell, so having the main characters both American and Iranian made me curious about the veracity of the story. Could Tyler, obviously an American author, pull of a tale that reflects the understanding and depth of another culture? In my book, I think she has, but I'm passing my book to my Iranian friend for the litmus test.
It was interesting to see how Iranians viewed Americans. . . not far off from how I view them, but definitely adding some insight. It's true we are more likely to noisily celebrate anything American than to be excited about something from another culture. It was interesting to see how this was perceived by “outsiders,” as the Iranian emigrants viewed themselves, even after becoming US citizens and living in American for decades. This one viewpoint held true with what I know about my Iranian friend.
It's a good to view your culture from the outside from time to time, and I think this book does this well while telling an excellent story. The vast number of characters became daunting at times, but overall, just remembering the two main families was all that was important. The author was good about keeping the reader reminded about how the minor characters fit into the storyline.
I particularly liked the ending, when I was almost certain it wouldn't be fulfilling. Well done!
I have to admit curiosity lead me to read this book. I saw it on the NY Times best seller list last year, which isn't common for a romance. Then, after seeing it stay there for a while, I read the description.Son of the US President falls for the Prince of England. Say what???So, initially, I thought, not for me. Not my thing. But, I kept seeing the title and became intrigued. Who wrote it? A man? A woman? I looked up the author who prefers the pronoun they, so my question went unanswered. But, did it matter? As an author myself, I've written from the male and female points of view (though I admit writing from the guy's perspective is harder for me.)Then, I wondered, how different is a guy-on-guy romance from a guy-on-gal romance? I know from seeing my gay friends, that the guys relate way differently from how my husband and I do. There's a roughness they have that I don't share with my spouse. I even remember asking who does what in the relationship. I mean, we don't strictly follow a normal gender roles, but I do the dishes. My husband handles the care maintenance. I asked my gay friend how they divided the labor and he said, “Whoever is better at something handles that task.”So, then, like most books, you need to do a little research about experiences you haven't lived in order to write the book. How did the female-looking author ([a:Casey McQuiston 17949486 Casey McQuiston https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1608160367p2/17949486.jpg]) research the intimate scenes? As a woman, I wouldn't have a clue how guys approach one another, get intimate, and even kiss. And then was the rest of the setting as well. I don't think the author ever lived in the White House or Kensington Palace.Well, it's all there in black and white if you want to know. I think from what I know, the author captured it well—and not just the sex. There's the politics, the royal protocol, and even the ins and outs of “The Residence” aka The White House living quarters. I'll say I learned a lot, again not just about sex. I found it unputdownable, always a positive quality in any book I read. If you're curious, like I was, give it a read.
Holy cow! The fact that [a:Joe Clifford 3461130 Joe Clifford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1701358885p2/3461130.jpg] survived his ordeal with addiction and still possessed with enough brain cells to write a complete book is nothing short of a miracle. However, if you've every had even the remotest contact with an addict, the family members of an addict, or just read about them, you can start to understand the reasons for the behavior by reading [b:Junkie Love 17656909 Junkie Love Joe Clifford https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1365639108l/17656909.SY75.jpg 24643936].The fact that the author has a foreword that warns that he thinks (but isn't sure) that most of the story is true is borne out in the story itself. He recounts details of places and actions that probably would be best forgotten by most of us. The fact that he had the wherewithal and fortitude to recall and write down the details serves as a warning to us all. Not only is this nearly a horror story in living color, it's also well written with imagery that evokes every sense. You can see the dilapidated surroundings of his place in Hepatitis Heights in San Francisco. You can feel the heartache and shame. The wild cast of characters is an array of diversity that oddly enough, can make you both laugh and cry. You can smell the bus rides and showerless days and sense the hopelessness in such vivid detail that at times, I had to stop reading. Still, the books was unputdownable. Even when I agonized over the latest low that author hit, I soon picked up the books again. I knew he must have survived the ordeal since he wrote a book about it and he's still alive. Still, there was nothing in the story that guaranteed he would make it, especially when the mathematical odds were given. They definitely weren't in his favor. This should be required reading for anyone affected by addiction, which really means everyone alive.
This is my second attempt to read THE NIGHT CIRCUS. This time I finished it. And I have to say, I don't get what all the fuss is about. There's rave reviews everywhere. But for me, I was just lost for most of the story. I couldn't figure out the POV in any chapter, none of the characters really cared about others until near the end, and when push came to shove in the plot, a new illusion/magic trick appeared which made it impossible to make sense about what would happen next.
I think I'll go read some other reviews and hope I'm not completely alone in feeling this way about the book. Other readers convinced me to give it a second chance. They said the ending was worth it. Well, I don't think so. I can usually finish a long book like this in 2 or 3 days. This took me twice that long.
God, I loved this book. (Warning: this is totally NOT an impartial review.) I'm a writer myself, so the premise of this book—the antagonist of the author's fiction coming to life—really spoke to me. Not just spoke. It pulled me places I couldn't wait to go. The thought of having a flesh-and-blood conversation with a character born in my imagination was more than intriguing. It was pulled me in like a magnet. To say I couldn't put the book down was an understatement. I dragged it with me to every room in the house.Lainie, the main character of [b:When Lightning Strikes 836944 When Lightning Strikes Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348968429l/836944.SY75.jpg 822553], is a romance writer, who through mysterious circumstances, ends up in the Old West (1896) with all her emotional issues to confront her outlaw character while he's in the middle of a bank robbery. From there, the story is off at a gallop across the desert with Killian, the foe, kidnapping Lainie. It seems like Lainie would rather have been kidnapped by the protagonist, Joe Martin, who appears constantly on the horizon, not near enough to help. Kristin Hannah true gift is her ability to take us into the minds of the important character. She makes us understand why they are reacting in opposition way that (I) think they should. And to the way that they might actually help themselves. That kept me believing the unbelievable situation all the way to the satisfying end.I just wish I could reread this book for the first time.
I'm tempted to read other reviews before writing mine. I was pretty much flummoxed by this book almost the whole way. The inverted timeline threw me for the first loop. The unusual formatting of the dialog in the first 2/3rds of the book—but not the final 1/3rd—really confused me.
So, it turns out that Tom and Linda are 52 in the beginning of the book, seeming to be old lovers who are meeting again. In the middle of the book, they are 26 and having an affair. At the end, they are 17 and starting to date.
So much of what happened in the book turns out not to have happened in real life, but you have to read the whole book to understand why that's important. It's definitely and unusual concept even if you like books with time travel type timelines.
Overall, it's a well-written book, hence the four stars, but somewhat unsatisfying in its logic, to me anyway. The ending did and didn't surprise me. I think I caught on to what would happen halfway through the final third of the book.
I think I've given 5 stars to almost all of Hannah's books, and this is no exception. For this book, I felt like a peeping Tom, sticking my nose into the most intimate moments of a marriage. No not the stuff in the bedroom. The stuff where they try to decide if they could stay together. Realistic, hot stuff.
For those who've had rough patches in their marriage, here's a wise tale you should read. Almost everyone married long enough, at one point or another, has wondered if separation or divorce would be the answer to their troubles. I think Hannah does an excellent job of covering what that might look like without the reader actually having to end their own relationship to find out.
Elizabeth and Jackson Shore have seemed to have survived everything life could throw at them. Raising daughters, job loss, frequent moves, death of family members. But what might be visible to those outside the marriage isn't what's really transpiring inside.
Jackson has dreams of making it big again. Elizabeth believes it's now “her turn” to direct where they live and how. They both have valid points, but those points send them in opposite directions. Away from each other.
Elizabeth longs to “find herself” again after years of putting everyone else's needs first. Jackson is trying to recreate his youth. We, the reader, go along for this journey of discovering whether they can live more happily apart than together. It's well worth taking the trip.
So my goal is to read everything Kristin Hannah wrote. However, starting from her first book, A HANDFUL OF HEAVEN, wasn't possible. The cheapest copy available on Amazon is almost $70. My husband collects books and he hasn't found it much cheaper anywhere else. So. . . on to book #2, THE ENCHANTMENT.
Her style has evolved, but it's evident this is Kristin Hannah from the get-go. She has the deep characters and phenomenal settings, as always. It's a little heavier on the side-stories than her writing has now, but even that is classic Hannah.
Wall-street maven Emmaline has just gone bust. Her hard-earned journey out of poverty just came to an abrupt end when the market takes a downturn in 1893. (Who even knew there was a crash in 1893?) One of her last acts as a rich women was to fund a research excursion to New Mexico for Larence Digby, a intelligent, but folly-filled scientist at Columbia University who believes in a city of gold hidden for centuries in the mesa-strewn landscape. When hard times hit Emma, she decides to recoup what she can from his expedition.
A long and arduous trip across the unforgiving landscape by two unlikely companions starts out badly and goes downhill from there. It's a trip that tests both their mettle, but mostly Emma's, since she isn't looking at the world through rose-colored glasses like the fanciful Larence. (Yes, it's really spelled that way.)
How the journey unravels both travelers gives insight into both their pasts, neither good, and their compensations for said pasts. His was to take the high road. Hers to take the one with the most money.
I won't spoil the ending, but I thought it was well worth the read. Of course, Hannah adds lots of time-sensitive details about clothing, plants, and culture that enrich the story to my mind.
I had a hard time acquiring this book as well, but if you can get it, it's worth the bucks to see the near-beginning of an illustrious writer's career.
This is my first [a:Curtis Sittenfeld 6429 Curtis Sittenfeld https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1675721083p2/6429.jpg] book, but it won't be my last. It starts in the backstage chaos of a Saturday Night Live-like show in NYC and ends in Kansas City, MO of all places. What happens in between is the kind of magic we all wonder about.It's all reflected in a comedy sketch that never happened called “The Danny Horst Rule.” It was named after one of the male writers on the comedy show who was average-looking but dating a knockout of a female celebrity. The rule presents the idea that lots of good-looking female celebrities date average (or below-average) looking guys, but rarely does the reverse (good-looking male celebrity with an average-looking woman) happen.Unlike a real romantic comedy—if there is such a thing—Sally, the main character, is a comedy sketch writer who is only average-looking. So, of course, she's attracted to the absolute HUNK of musical host (Noah) for one week's Saturday night show. At times, she even believes he might be interested in her, but she constantly brushes the idea aside because, well, the Danny Horst Rule. Years pass. Just when this reader began to wonder what the almost connection between Sally and Noah was or wasn't, the COVID pandemic intervenes and everyone's life is interrupted in odd ways (as it was in real life.)What happens next occurs through a quick flurry of emails. Without giving away the ending, let's just say Sally and Noah test the Danny Horst rule. Overall, it's a delightful story that presents both the reality of late night, live TV and fame. The realism in the story is quite a departure from most romantic comedies.
I can't believe I'm giving a Colleen Hoover book a four-star rating. She had a cowriter on this one, so maybe that made the difference. I normally gobble up everything she writes in a couple days. This took me longer and I almost didn't finish it. (Yikes!) I'm glad I did. It's a good story with a thoughtful premise and an unanticipated outcome.
Charlie (a girl) and Silas (her boyfriend) have always been in love, but they are only 17. Still, it's a love that is unquestionable until it suddenly falls apart. The reason the relationship ends isn't your normal, high-school stuff. It was much bigger. In fact, it's pretty much thanks to the adults in their lives that their relationship hit the skids.
The characters were well-drawn, with Charlie somewhat more believable than Silas. Charlie had more hardship enter in her life which may be why she has more dimension. Still, Silas has his own quirks that make him real too.
When the book starts, both Charlie and Silas have completely lost their memories. The book tells about their attempts to recover their pasts. This became a real challenge when they would make progress for 48 hours, then lose it all again and have to start over. This also became a challenge for the authors, who eventually handled it by having Charlie and Silas leave themselves clues.
The repetitive nature of memory loss was wearing to read about until the main characters found a way to move forward. I did like how the story ended and it was a truly sweet idea.
After reading [b:On Green Dolphin Street 7479 On Green Dolphin Street Sebastian Faulks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391619787l/7479.SY75.jpg 941638]. I committed to read everything [a:Sebastian Faulks 4229 Sebastian Faulks https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506626382p2/4229.jpg] has ever written. It was THAT good. I'm not so sure it was the story itself as much as the atmosphere and time period it evoked. It did that so well. I was just a kid when the Kennedy/Nixon campaign for president took place, but I was surprised how much this book made me remember. Also, the overlooked aspect of that race was the lingering effects of WWII and the McCarthy era on the outcome.To be truthful, I'm not overly fond of stories where a wife cheats on her husband (or vice versa.) But, I got the impression that Mary really did need to be with Frank, not Charlie. And vice versa. I thought this topic was handled well by Faulks and the ultimate ending appropriate too.Now, I'm reading [b:Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War 6259 Birdsong A Novel of Love and War Sebastian Faulks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349952101l/6259.SY75.jpg 1093016]. It has the same “why did I start reading this” beginning until at some point, I'm so sucked in I can't put it down. Excellent writing!