I appreciated the perspective of examining the cause of the anxiety & resistance vs. the “profound” take in some other books to “stop worrying so much”. I found it gave advice that was immediately actionable, though at time it was surface level: it is a book not therapy.

The reviews are all over the place for this one but I thought it was really very chilling & sinister.

An action packed read. Sveta inherits a fortune -& a cult- from her “spiritual leader” uncle, but her uncle’s wife contests it. Torn between staying and dismantling the organization & taking a cut of the money & heading back to NYC, she soon realizes that the cult is more dangerous than she thought.

Slow to start, but the characters make the journey worth it. the slow climb pays off once the boss battle nears.As someone who had the both difficult & rewarding task of caring for an aging relative(when at times I barely knew how to take care of myself) I found Lucky &her grandmother Stella’s interactions sweetly (& painfully)familiar. Very pretty, with an interesting & inclusive magic system, &anti-patriarchy overtone. Loved it.

 

Foley has a formula for her mysteries for sure, dark secrets, old friends, “the help” & scenic locations & a holiday. This one had twists on twists. I loved it. 

Stunning. I continue to be amazed by how timelessly Miller writes. she can give life & heart to mythology’s-while well known- moments that only have gotten a passing glance previously. I could lament endlessly on how perfect. I paused when reading it because I didn’t want it to be over. I can’t think of a single thing I would change. 

While it is a short read, it is certainly slower paced, you have to be patient the way David was with the mermaid. It’s a layered poetic story highlighting ethnic identities in the Caribbean with Deaf & 🏳️‍🌈 rep, but it’s also a very straightforward fairytale. Not an easy thing to do without feeling forced, but it hits the mark.

Gladwell examines different factors that impact success across cultures, acknowledges what some won’t admit - sometimes a key factor to success is being born in the right place at the right time. While at times explanations were surface level; I did excitedly talk to several people about the chapter called “The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes.” The “Harlan, Kentucky” chapter seemed wholly out of place. But overall a cohesive & entertaining read. 

Initially I was not enjoying, but I came around. 

There are a few things that were incredibly unrealistic for the sake of the plot (like how online banking works). 

I liked the mental illness representation, & appreciated the vulnerability & at times villainy of the characters. 

Based on Russian history an folklore and does an excellent job of splitting time between the 2. It was compelling, entertaining and beautiful a deftly plotted story, both delicate, complicated and the reader has gains a good understanding of motivation for the characters.