I now understand the hype surrounding this million dollar (literally and figuratively) debut novel. It is awe inspiring how Gyasi creates an epic story in just over 300 pages. It is essentially a collection of interconnected short stories that tell a much bigger story. The book spans seven generations of the descendants of two Ghanaian half sisters, one who is married to a white slave trader and one who is sold into slavery. The narration switches back and forth between one member of Effia and Esi's families as we hear from each new generation, and as I got further and further along their family tree, I kept flipping back to the chart at the beginning. At first I felt a little frustrated at trying to remember who belonged to whom. I have to wonder if it was somewhat difficult to keep the families straight on purpose. Like so very many descendants of slaves, most of the characters had absolutely no way to trace their own family roots, no chart to look upon. So I did not look at it again and just immersed myself in each story. I was overwhelmed with emotion as it came together in the end - poignant and beautifully. Truly a must read.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

This was straight up predictable chick lit. A girl finds out her fiance has a pretty big secret he's been keeping from her. So she dramatically goes home to her family's beloved vineyard days before the wedding to sort out her life, only to find that her father plans to sell the land. She's a little whiny, a little self absorbed, and a little clueless. There were some entertaining moments, but it didn't strike me as anything great. Although I blew through it quickly, and it was a perfect bleary eyed airplane read.

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I had seen this title on NetGalley and was curious, but I ended up requesting All the Ugly and Wonderful Things instead. Wouldn't ya know, both novels ended up being on the selections for my one month trial Book of the Month! I hemmed and hawed over all the interesting sounding selections, but went with Dark Matter (the one they chose for me) and was SO GLAD. Within the first five pages there is mention of a tesseract (A Wrinkle in Time - my favorite childhood book is steeped in tesseract lore) and the story is perfectly set in Chicago! It is sci-fi, yes, but I would hope it does not deter anyone who isn't a fan of that genre. It is also a love story and fascinating food for thought about how our lives are impacted by the choices we make, about the road not taken. it reminded me A LOT of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I wish that Dark Matter was similarly a little longer and the characters fleshed out a bit more. But on the whole, I blew through it in two days and still think about the story.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

As a whole, I thought The Red Rising series was fantastic - full of great characters, vivid world building and so much heart. Alas, I felt the final book could have been reduced by AT LEAST 100 pages. There was too much focus on plots within plots, battle after battle and so many extraneous characters that I could care less about. But, the most compelling part of the book (the story of Darrow and his closest friends) rose to the top in the end and I was glad I persevered. All's well that ends well.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

Hooooo boy. I hemmed and hawed for a LONG TIME thinking about how to talk about this novel. It is extremely inflammatory material (pedophilia). Perhaps on purpose to garner attention. But the writing, character development and story REALLY drew me in - and, yes, also shocked the hell out of me. Wavy is a character that I won't soon forget. Her terrible and highly dramatic 'what-will-happen-next' life, and how it shaped her, felt so very real. It grabbed me from the beginning and never let go.

Essentially, it's about an 8 year old girl and a young man that form an amazing bond under unimaginable circumstances. How that bond evolves over time is simultaneously heartwarming and harrowing. Greenwood expertly gives a full 360 degree view of their lives from their viewpoint, as well as the viewpoint of every unique supporting character. It was so very easy to find the empathy for each, as well as a better understanding of Wavy - from her innocent cousins, her teachers, her college roommate (one of my favorite characters) to her very protective aunt. We are given the events through everyone's eyes and are permitted to make our own judgments.

However unsettling Wavy and Kellen's relationship became, I still found myself rooting for them. A majorly effed up, yet riveting, beauty and the beast narrative. I can completely understand those that give this book a big fat NOPE. I mean, I have a very young daughter of my own. I get it. But, I think it is a worthwhile read either way. If only to reinforce the point that nothing in this world is black and white, and that we cannot begin to understand someone else's life unless we have lived it.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

Yes, we all should be feminists and we should all read this, too. Or watch the TED Talk. I have yet to do so, but I've watched her amazing TED Talk on the danger of a single story. It is also so very worthwhile. Sadly, those who seek her out and hear her brilliance are not necessarily those that SHOULD. Sigh.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

This was one of my most anticipated books of the summer, and I think my expectations were too high. It was certainly fast paced, with a GREAT story - very cinematic and easy to see how this is Hawley's forte (the creator of Fargo, the TV series). A poor artist gets to hitch a ride on a private jet with a bunch of bigwigs (who all have reasons to be murdered) and saves the only other survivor (a little boy) after it crashes at sea. However, in parts it read like a script and felt disjointed. There were a few scenes of dialogue that had me utterly confused and, on the flip side, a number of overly trivial ramblings where I felt as if I was being hit over the head with too much information. One entire page was dedicated to the description of a character's time being on the high school football team, with nary a break for even a new paragraph. Just one big long word wall about how Texas football was their world. There were similar missives on art and it felt like a lot of rambling to make up for the cinematic dialogue. These philosophical tangents seemed to weigh the already good story down. Just the way it unfolded, how it holds a mirror up to current events and how we perceive them still made it worthwhile reading. "...in the war between common sense and marketing genius, marketing is going to win out." Plus, given that the ousting of Roger Ailes at Fox 'news' most definitely happened after Hawley wrote this is rather eerie...

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

I feel like I've been out of the YA game for a few months, so I thought I should catch up on this year's Printz winner and it did not disappoint. It's one of those stories that's hard to describe, and you just have to experience for yourself. There is a small town (Bone Gap), a beautiful stranger who becomes part of the lives of the abandoned Quinn boys and inexplicably disappears. Is it foul play? Did she go back to whence she came? Is evil magic involved...? It's ephemeral, emotional and one of the most interesting takes on an unreliable narrator I've ever read.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

This had been on my to-be-read list for awhile now. I have been intensely curious about the Neopolitan novels, given their popularity and the mystery that surrounds the anonymous author. It took me awhile to finally give it a go because nothing in the description really grabbed me - a sweeping story of two women's friendship. But what happens?? The book sort of lives up to my expectations, wherein everything AND nothing happens. It is an excruciatingly detailed story of a girl named Elena's childhood and her friendship/rivalry with Lena. It hits all the right emotions of youth and that weird best friend obsession girls can have. There are plenty of dramatic moments, but no real compelling drama throughout. I am a plot driven kind of reader. Although it was sweeping, immersive, and brought to life a time and place wonderfully, it just didn't engage me.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)

I'm glad I chose this book as my first by this author, one of her more popular titles, for a summer read. It has a great hook, with Hannah (our heroine) returning to her hometown after breaking off an affair with a married man and reuniting with her first love. Shortly after the characters are established, we see how things play out in two different realities: if she went home with the high school sweetheart that first night she lands home, or tries to take things slow and goes back home with her girlfriend. The alternate reality is not a new gimmick, usually a sci-fi trope, and many have compared this novel to the film Sliding Doors. But Reid creates excellent tension, even if it's somewhat predictable. I also loved the well fleshed out supporting cast of characters. This was a fun and still thought provoking read. I am definitely going to make my way through her other titles.

(For more reviews and bookish musings: http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/)