New Releases - June 1, 2021

The 2000s Made Me Gay: Essays on Pop Culture by Grace Perry
3.5 stars

 

I adore books on pop culture, they are always entertaining and cause lots of nostalgia.  While I am a decade older than this author, it just means that I watched a lot of these shows at a later age.  Intermingled with discussions of pop culture are stories from her own gay experience.  I thought this was a good exploration of how these moments in entertainment history affected her life.  At times, it was a bit repetitive but overall an entertaining read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

After the Fall: Being American in the World We Made by Ben Rhodes

4 stars

What happens when the world's super power falls from grace.  What happens to all of its influence and past international actions?  This book examines the United States in the years leading up to Donald Trump's election and what the meant for the country and what that means for the world.  Using a parallel example of Hungary and the descent into authoritarianism that eerily mirrors occurrences in the U.S., this somewhat depressing book takes a hard look at the geopolitical situation.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

New Releases - May 25, 2021

The Day the World Stops Shopping:  How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves
by J.B. Mackinnon
4 stars

When lockdowns happened in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a curious thing happened, cities that were covered in smog noticed clearer air.  It is no secret that the level of consumption that occurs in the world today cannot possibly continue.  There are only so many resources and there is only so much space for the amount of waste this level of consumption requires.  This book examines what it would mean if, as a whole, the world consumed much less than it does.  What would happen to the environment and how would the economy adapt.  It looks at case examples of countries that were forced to consume less due to recessions and at businesses that are making sustainability a cause.  This book had some interesting ideas but also showcased just how overwhelming the problem actually is.  At times a bit repetitive but overall this is an enlightening book.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

 

Historical Romance - Summer Review

The Bachelor Bargain by Maddison Michaels
4 stars

I can usually tell if I am going to like a historical romance novel within the first couple of chapters.  This one, I wasn't quite sure until a little later on as it moves fairly quickly in the beginning.  I came to really like the main characters, though, especially Livvie.  Lady Olivia is considered a "spinster" at the age of twenty-five and has used a cane for her limp since childhood.  Sebastian is the uber successful bastard of nobility whose rough childhood has made him ruthless and violent.  They connect when Livvie approached him about funding a gossip sheet she and her friends want to print in order to find another friend's killer.  I enjoyed this story and the relationship between the two main characters.  I will say that hero's with a rough past is a trope, but this is somewhat taken to an extreme.  Sebastian has had a very violent past, and it is given in detail.  The author's trigger warning page at the beginning should be read if you have concerns.  I'm very interested in seeing what this series does next, as several interesting side characters were introduced.  I received an electronic ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George
3 stars

Most historical romance series can be picked up in any order without taking too much away from the story or the enjoyment.  I wonder if that is just not the case with this one.  I decided not to read the first book in this series, and I felt as if I spend more time catching up on the plot and felt less connected to the characters.  The author described her characters as being one way without really demonstrating it on the pages, so maybe the first book set up these characters personalities more.  I did like the plot tremendously, and liked the evolution of Christian's feelings for Violet over the course of their journey.  People who read this series in order may end up liking it more than I did. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Extraordinary Lord by Anna Harrington
4 stars

Veronica lives a rough life with criminals in the back alleys of London and she has a secret past that she keeps well hidden.  Merritt is a barrister and newly minted Baron who hunts the night for criminals in order to banish his past demons.  Sparks fly between the two but is there a future between and upright barrister and an woman who escaped from prison.  This book has so many elements that I love.  The heroine is tough and independent and not an innocent.  The hero is a bit damaged but definitely intrigued by this interesting woman.  I really enjoyed this book and these two characters.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

New Releases - May 18, 2021

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
4.5 stars

Jeanie and her twin brother, Julius, are in their fifties and still living with their mother in the dilapidated cottage in which they grew up.  When their mother dies early in the book, the twins are left in a tailspin as they attempt to piece together their mother's strange decisions in her final months.  Claire Fuller has become one of my favorite authors.  Her characters are always kind of strange but completely alive on the page, and Jeannie may be one of my favorites.  Her life is such a constant struggle but she remains full of pride and fights for every small scrap that she gets.  This is a beautifully written novel, and one that will stick with me.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

New Releases - May 11, 2021

Katherine Parr, the Sixth Wife by Alison Weir
3.5 stars

I found this entire series to be a comfort read.  They are long, easy to read and gossipy accounts of the six wives of Henry VIII written by a historian very familiar with the time period.  I liked this one mostly because out of all the queens, Katherine Parr seemed the one with the most common sense in her relationship to the king and other royals and Weir does a good job of bringing his last queen to life.  Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a complimentary digital ARC.  

brat: an 80's story by Andrew McCarthy

4 stars

The brat pack movies were about a decade before my time so I don't quite have the nostalgia for them that some people do, but I still found this book completely entertaining and absorbing.  Andrew McCarthy is a good writer and his self awareness of his detachment from the people and the scene of the eighties is interesting to read about.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Heartwood: the Art of Living with the End in Mind by Barbara Becker

4.5 stars

In 2019, we lost three close family members to tragic deaths.  Following closely behind that year, of course, was the beginning of the pandemic and it felt like death was greatly on my mind.  This book was a therapeutic read.  The author talks about her own losses along with her time volunteering on the Hospice floor of a hospital.  She discusses different philosophy and beliefs on dying and coming to accept that all life ends in death.  This was written in a peaceful and soft way (I don't know how else to describe it) and reinforces the notion that everyone will die, and it is our acceptance of that fact that makes life and love all that much more worthwhile. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Word for Word: A Writer's Life by Laurie Lisle
4 stars

The best memoirs are written by those old enough to be able to thoughtfully look back and examine their life.  Laurie Lisle is a distinguished writer in her seventies who explores the writing life of her earlier years and what it means to be a writer when married or when considering whether or not to have children.  This is a beautifully written, if slow, book about writing biographies and memoir and the ways her life has evolved in order to embrace the writing life.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

New Girl in Little Cove by Damhnait Monaghan
4 stars

Rachel went through several bad events that caused her to leave Toronto and accept a teaching position in a small village Newfoundland.  This book is filled with lovely and unforgettable characters and lots of pure coziness.  It also sent me down a rabbit hole of pictures and information about Newfoundland, its history, its dialect and its beautiful setting.  This book was a fantastic escape.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
3.5 stars

Jake is a writer with one quasi-successful book and a career in a downward trajectory.  While teaching at a low-residency MFA program in Vermont, he meets with a student who has the plot for a book that seems like a certain bestseller.  When that student dies, Jake decides to use the plot for a book of his own that sets off a chain of events that spurs the action forward.  I did guess the ending (in a way) but that didn't take away from book as I was curious how it would all play out.  Jake is not the most endearing main character, but his actions did make for an entertaining read.  I'm not a huge fan of thriller's but I did enjoy this one.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

New Releases - May 4, 2021

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel

5 stars

I have enjoyed all of Bechdel's work but I don't think that I have connected to it as much as I connected to this.  She chronicles her relationship to exercise, the outdoors and transcendentalism throughout the years of her life.  How it has helped with anxiety, created an escape or made her feel close to superhuman.  But it is not just about exercising, it is about figuring out what works to get through this life successfully or sometime not so successfully.  Bechdel is two decades older than me but I related to so much of what she relayed here and found it to be a useful blueprint for the future.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

4.5 stars

I haven't read any of Maggie Shipstead's other books but in looking over the reader review,  I noticed that several said that her stories could easily be 200 pages longer in order to add depth.  Well, in what may be her magnum opus, she has written an epic story of over 600 pages.  Marion Graves is a twin, woman pilot, survivor and definitely her own woman born in the years of World War I.  She is such a fully fleshed out character that I feel that I know her down to her bones.  There are other perspectives in this book as well, including Marion's twin brother, Jamie, but it is Marion who comes to life on the page.  This book also has a current day timeline, narrated by the young actress who is playing Marion in a movie about her life.  I was torn about these sections, while it does add to the historical mystery of Marion's life, Hadley herself is a sometimes grating character.  I look forward to when more people are talking about this book in the month to come.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Nine: The True Story of A Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany

by Gwen Strauss

4 stars

This is a well written account of nine European women who were part of the resistance during World War II.  Mostly following their time in concentration camps and a daring escape, it is a good addition to the nonfiction works about the war.  For some reason, I had trouble keeping the women and the individual backstories straight but that didn’t seem to distract from the reading experience.  Many thanks to NetGalley and St’Martin’s Press for a complimentary digital ARC of this book.

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

Publication Date - May 4, 2021
4 stars

Thea's husband destroyed their marriage by having an affair with one of her friends.  Bereft and at a loss, her sudden inheritance of her great uncle's stately home has her fleeing to Scotland.  A trip that is supposed to be temporary turns more permanent as she makes new friends and finds a job at a used bookstore owned by a grumpy ex-aristocrat.  I loved Thea and found her funny and full of common sense.  She deserved to have a happy ending and while Edward didn't seem very worthy at times, I ended up rooting for them in the end.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

3.5 stars

When Andy Weir's first book, the Martian, came out, I inhaled it.  I literally sat down one evening and did not stop reading until it was done.  Since then, I have eagerly picked up his books wanting the same experience, which may or may not be fair.  This book definitely came closer.  Ryland Grace is a scientist whose controversial work cause him to leave academia and become a middle school science teacher.  When an alien organism arrives in the solar system to drain energy from the sun, he is recruited to help solve the problem.  As a result, he is thrust into a coma for a long term space mission that leaves him with amnesia when he wakes up.  As he attempts to recover his memory and save humanity, he also deals with alien beings and catastrophic space emergencies that put his science to the test.  This was a fun book with lots of science and an amazing friendship.  At times, the science was way too detailed (an honestly, just way too skimmable)  but I enjoyed it enough to keep picking up Weir's books in the future.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.