I received this as a gift from my older sister since it was a best seller the year I was born. I thoroughly enjoyed how this story was told4.25 stars!
I received this as a gift from my older sister since it was a best seller the year I was born. I thoroughly enjoyed how this story was told and was so nervous about the outcome - my hands were actually clammy at the end. I don't think it's a book I'd have come across on my own but I'm so glad I read it!...more
I couldn't get enough of this biographical novel! I knew a little about Mary Wollstonecraft having read about her in college but the basic p4.5 Stars!
I couldn't get enough of this biographical novel! I knew a little about Mary Wollstonecraft having read about her in college but the basic plot of her life was unknown to me, other than the fact that she is the mother of Mary Shelley. I enjoyed the structure of the book immensely! Mary Wollstonecraft is telling her newborn daughter about her life as she slowly dies after a difficult birth with chapters from the point of view of the midwife, Mrs. B, are mixed in.
Ell Potter was a wonderful narrator and brought Samantha Silva's lyrical writing to life. I immediately want to research everything there is to know about this progressive and influential woman.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio-arc!...more
Yellow Wife is a powerful Historical Fiction book set in the South in the mid-1800's. The story follows Pheby Delores Brown's heartbreaking l4.5 Stars
Yellow Wife is a powerful Historical Fiction book set in the South in the mid-1800's. The story follows Pheby Delores Brown's heartbreaking life of slavery, made all the more horrific by being inspired by true events. Sadeqa Johnson did not sugar coat the history so there are a number of graphic scenes, making this an even heavier read due to the heinous treatment of slaves.
This seems to be Sadeqa Johnson's first Historical Fiction book but I hope it is not her last!...more
This was such a delightful read. I was utterly transported to another time and place and couldn't put it down. Jana's life is filled with ad4.5 stars!
This was such a delightful read. I was utterly transported to another time and place and couldn't put it down. Jana's life is filled with adventure, love, loss and heartache. I couldn't imagine being a Company Daughter and the ordeals they faced. This is a must-read for historical fiction lovers!
I'm also so surprised that the entire idea for the story was inspired by a footnote.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!...more
Rebel Daughter is predominantly a story of oppression. As a Jewish women, Esther suffers the oppression all Jews were subjected to by Rome b4.25 stars
Rebel Daughter is predominantly a story of oppression. As a Jewish women, Esther suffers the oppression all Jews were subjected to by Rome but also the oppression all women were subjected to by men. But it is also a story about family and survival.
As I read, it was clear how much research went into it. I have always been interested in Ancient Rome (thanks to high school Latin class) and have read quite a bit of historical fiction set in Rome so it's interesting to see it from a non-Roman perspective. The Author's note reveals that Esther and several other characters were real people and I thought Kaufmann did a wonderful job bringing them to life with seemingly little to go on. This is a great debut overall and I'll definitely be reading more by the author.
Rebel Daughter is being marketed as a YA book but I don't necessarily agree with that. The being said, I think lovers are adult or YA historical fiction will enjoy this.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!...more
What an intense read! I knew immediately that I was going to love this book when I heard Mozhan Marno's voice. She is the perfect narrator for Sitara What an intense read! I knew immediately that I was going to love this book when I heard Mozhan Marno's voice. She is the perfect narrator for Sitara and I will definitely be researching to see if she narrates any other books.
The writing is absolutely poetic! If I'd been reading an e-copy, it would have been full of highlighted sentences that caught my attention. Sitara/Aryana is wonderfully complex and haunted by the trauma of her past and it fills the story with sorrow and heartache. I enjoyed the structure of the story and was glad the past and present weren't unfolding simultaneously. This book is so well-written that it's easy to believe Sitara/Aryana, Antonia and Tilly are real people.
This is the perfect book for fans of The Kite Runner and historical cultural fiction! I've never read any of Nadia Hashimi's other books but that will be changing post-haste.
"Afghanistan’s secret weapon has always been her women."
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio ARC!...more
Ordinarily, I don't think Shoulder Season would have caught my attention but I've been in the mood for a good summer read and I was not disap4.5 Stars
Ordinarily, I don't think Shoulder Season would have caught my attention but I've been in the mood for a good summer read and I was not disappointed! The Wisconsin Playboy House in the 1980's quickly became far more interesting than I ever expected. The life of a Bunny was both glamorous and difficult and it was interesting to see how it contrasted with the Midwest way of life.
The pace and flow of Shoulder Season felt very natural and I was able to lose myself in the story for hours. Sherri spends a large part of the book trying to reinvent herself before she had even figured out who she was resulting in her being lost for most of the book. This made her unlikable at times but also kept me reading in the hopes that she would find herself. Christina Clancy's Shoulder Season the page-turner beach read everyone will be reaching for this summer!
I highly recommend the audiobook version of Shoulder Season when it releases! Karissa Vacker was able to really embody Sherri's character.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio-arc!...more
“My baking skills could use some work . . . But I also have jam, and jam fixes everything.”
The Invincible Summer of JunFull review is on my new blog!
“My baking skills could use some work . . . But I also have jam, and jam fixes everything.”
The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen really caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting to love it so much or get so attached to Ethan and Juniper.
As the description says, this is set in 1950’s rural Alabama which paints a pretty distinct mental picture right off the bat. Ethan Harper is the main character, he’s 14 and was sent to Alabama for the summer by his father for getting into a fight back home in Arcadia, Washington. Ethan faced an incredibly boring summer in the Deep South until whirlwind Juniper “Starfish” Jones blows through his uncle’s malt shop. Juniper is heartwarming to read about and constantly brought a smile to my face. She loves sunflowers, riding her bike as fast as humanly possible, root beer floats and the Fourth of July.
I absolutely loved the friendship that developed between Juniper and Ethan and the bond that formed from being the two town outcasts. Ethan’s struggles were realistic and heart wrenching. He was constantly having to correct those around him and I can only imagine how exhausting that became.
“So much sunshine here in the summer, but God knows this town could use a little light.”
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-arc!...more
Winter by Winter was definitely reminiscent of Sky in the Deep, which is a huge compliment in my book, and could have been a 4-4.5 star read 3.5 Stars
Winter by Winter was definitely reminiscent of Sky in the Deep, which is a huge compliment in my book, and could have been a 4-4.5 star read had it been twice as long. But for only being 120 pages, Jordan Stratford does a decent job of getting the reader invested in Ladda. I would definitely read a sequel or companion book and this made for an enjoyable one sitting read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review....more