Lisa
From “Between the World and Me”:
Then the mother of the murdered boy rose, turned to you, and said,
“You exist. You matter. You have value. You have every right to wear your hoodie, to play your music as loud as you want. You have every right to be you. And no one should deter you from being you. You have to be you. And you can never be afraid to be you.”
So this book is getting a lot of hype... It deserves it. I found the characters of Lotto and Mathilde fascinating. Throughout the reading of this novel, I was so invested in the uncovering of who they were. It has been compared to Gone Girl. I guess the comparison is hard to resist. But I think it is a little unfair. Amy Dunne in Gone Girl is just evil. There is not love between Amy and Nick. In “Fates and Furies,” Lotto and Mathilde have depth. Sometimes the layers are unattractive but as you follow their lives, the layers make sense. And no spoiler... this is the story of the ups and downs of marriage.
Enjoyed this book a lot - I think it will be one of my favorites from 2015.
In “In the Nature of the Beast” - a young boy discovers a secret in the woods that causes a ripple effect in Three Pines. Although Inspector Gamache is retired, he takes part in resolving the issues caused by the discovery.
One of the things I enjoy about Penny's novels is the little touches - the quirky characters, the food descriptions and the special nature of Three Pines. I enjoyed this novel and would recommend the Three Pines series to readers that enjoy mysteries and unique characters.
4 stars
Second reading: The first time I read this, I hadn't read the series in order. In light of reading the whole series - I am upping my rating to five stars. Penny has grown this series into such amazing heights. I love everything about it.
Really great book. Read it for my 4th - 5th grade book discussion group. Looking forward to the kids input.
This book deals with the loss of Suzy's best friend, Frannie, and Suzy's efforts to understand why and how Frannie died.
I enjoyed this book - it is far more a memoriam than a cook book. The recipes are explained to you like you are in Reichl's kitchen watching her cook. Some readers might be put off by it because it is not very exact. The other thing that can be off putting is that she has access to ingredients that aren't found in your local market. But neither of those elements bothered me.
I liked the format of how Reichl made it through a tough year through reconnecting to the joy of cooking and rediscovering herself.
Very good read. I will be trying out some of her recipes soon.
One of this year's favorites
I found this memoir very interesting. Macdonald tells her story of raising her tomahawk, Mabel, while going through the loss of her father. She also spends a lot of time reflecting on T. H. White's novel, The Goshawk. The combination of these themes created a compelling narrative that I enjoyed very much.
Read this book very quickly - It is the story of Beryl Markham - a woman raised in Africa who went on to become an accomplished horse trainer as well as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She also had a lot of interesting relationships in a time where it wasn't very acceptable.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories about strong independent women. Looking forward to the book discussion tomorrow.
Not a book I would recommend. The story had promise but it just didn't deliver. Despite the book's flaws, I read it quickly and wanted to see where the story went.
It was ok. Just felt that there was no good resolution to the many issues that were going on.
Listened to this book on a long drive...I probably wouldn't have finished it if I had been reading it. The main character drove me a bit crazy. His obsession with his next door neighbor was twisted and made me uncomfortable as a reader/listener.
I feel the author saved the novel with the final few chapters but barely. (I only got to the ending because of the fact it was a long trip & I didn't have other options.)
Could not stop reading this book - very twisty plot that firmly held my attention. I gave it a 4 star rating because there were a couple things that happened at the end that seemed a little too neat and tidy.
Despite the elements I didn't like, it is a book I would recommend.
Wow....Best book I've read in 2015. Once I started it, I couldn't stop reading. I found it spellbinding. I have read a lot of dystopian novels. This one stands out. Mandel creates characters that are special and make you care what happens to them. I highly recommend this novel to anyone. :)
Excellent novel about two sisters who take different paths in German occupied France. Highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction.
Love the way Alford approaches the life of Joni Mitchell. It took me a while to finish because it was easy to come and go with it being written in the form of essays. But it was a great way to process the many facets of Joni Mitchell. Excellent read in you are interested in Mitchell.
“A socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.”
A sweet quick read about a divorced couple reuniting for their daughter's wedding. I really liked it. Strong recommendation! Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review it.
I might have read this when I was young but I don't remember.
Great classic fantasy. Strong recommendation if you want to start reading classic fantasy.
read for my 4th and 5th grade book discussion group - loved it. A great picture of what english life was like in WWII.
Loved the characters and the setting. The kids had a great time discussing it.
Not a happy subject but I am a strong believer in knowing the past so that it isn't repeated.
Helm did a very good job of telling what happened at Ravensbruck - the horrors and tales of courage in the face of the horrors.