I listened to this on audio and it was FANTASTIC. At first the lilting Appalachian voice the narrator utilizes took me a little getting used to, but it is used to great effect. This story of a young violinist who finds herself part of a professional ensemble that ends up being a sham (Milli-Violini!), exceeded all my expectations. I thought I was getting into an expose on a well known composer and her descent into this scam, and it ends up being just the backdrop to this woman's absolutely fascinating and inspiring wit and worldliness. From her upbringing in rural West Virginia, to college at Columbia, to her study abroad in Egypt during 9/11 and crisscrossing the country with her ensemble, she uses all of her experiences to make so many profound observations about life and culture. Definitely a favorite book of the year!
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What a surprise this novel was! I went into it thinking I was in for a light romance with a cute concept: two people who share a flat with opposite working hours and never cross paths, except for the clues and post it's they leave in their wake. O'Leary deftly wove in some heavier themes about toxic relationships and how they affect victims and their families, giving this a little more heft. The tone is still upbeat and it is still a very sweet romance - highly recommend.
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There have been pretty mixed reviews on Elin's latest summer novel. I can see how some of the Levin sisters (who's POV we get with each chapter) might be harder to connect with, but I still thoroughly enjoyed her first take on historical fiction. Indeed, from the vantage point of the year 2019, the mindset and choices that some of these women make exactly 50 years in the past seem hard to grasp. But I flew through this story just like all of her other books, and Jessie's account of the summer, as a newly minted 13 year old and all of the big feelings that come with the territory, captured my heart - as did Elin's acknowledgments that included the story of her and her twin brother's birth in the summer of 1969.
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I didn't realize going into this novel that it is straight up Harry Styles fan fiction. I mean, I find him to be pretty darn attractive, don't get me wrong - but, I thought that this was just okay. It was a fun concept of an older woman dating a man nearly half her age, who happens to be the lead singer of her daughter's favorite boy band. There were a lot of cultural themes to analyze. One of the main ones is how we probably wouldn't bat an eye if the gender roles were reversed. But it felt repetitive, leaned heavily on steamy scenes and just sort of fizzled out at the end.
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This was my first Kinsley graphic novel, but will definitely not be my last! This was such a heartwarming, funny, sweet and drool-worthy account of her coming of age through art and food. I especially loved reading about her time in the Chicago foodie scene, obviously.
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Holy moly, was this story compelling! I haven't read a post apocalyptic novel in a long time as I have found that since becoming a mother, it's harder for me to enjoy dystopian books. This could perhaps have to do with the fact that I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy when my firstborn was just a few months old and I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT EXPERIENCE - not in a good way. Despite the fact that After the Flood stares my worst fears of motherhood straight in the eye, Montag's novel has a much more action packed, empowering and, ultimately, hopeful feel than the bleakness and horror that is The Road.
Certainly, there are some harrowing moments as Myra navigates this world of violence, child slaves, pirates, gangs and the concept of breeding ships (shudder). But I felt as if these details illustrated the desperate circumstances of this new world, while also propelling the plot forward. It's impossible to imagine putting myself in her shoes and think of what I might do to survive, to protect my children. And yet Montag's beautiful writing (unsurprisingly, she is an award winning poet) resonates so strongly that I absolutely felt connected to Myra and understood her motivations. I dogeared so. many. pages. Here are a few choice quotes.

"Children think we make them, but we don't. They exist somewhere else, before us, before time. They come into the world and make us. They make us by breaking us first."

"I knew it was sometimes easier to love ghosts than the people who were around you. Ghosts could be perfect, frozen beyond time, beyond reality, the crystal form they'd never been before, good moments to surface in my memory."

"'I keep thinking grief feels like climbing a staircase while looking down,' she said. 'You won't forget where you've been, but you've got to keep rising. It all gets farther away, but it's all still there. And you've only got one way to go and you don't really want to go on rising, but you've got to. And that tightness in your chest doesn't go away, but you somehow go on breathing that thinner, higher air. It's like you grow a third lung. Like you've somehow gotten bigger when you thought you were only broken.'"

I was rooting for Myra and those aboard her ship so fiercely that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to learn their fate, and my heart was in my throat for the last fifty pages that were filled with battles, sacrifices, and surprises I didn't see coming. This was a highly satisfying read on all fronts: fast paced and compelling plot, complex and ever changing character dynamics, beautiful writing, and themes on love and hope that will stick with me for a long time. It will definitely go on my list of favorites for the year.
Many, many thanks to William Morrow for the gifted copy!
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As with any new novel from a beloved author, I go into it with a great amount of excitement and about as much anxiety! What if I'm disappointed? My expectations were even higher than normal for this book, as Patchett's latest is getting so much positive buzz. I can say I found that the buzz was well founded and the more I sit with my thoughts on The Dutch House, the more I feel as if it miiiiight have overtaken State of Wonder as my favorite of her work.
Early in the novel, the story churns with righteous anger on behalf of the protagonists: Danny and Maeve. Creating utterly compelling, authentic characters with rich inner lives is one reason I love Patchett's books so much. Right from the beginning, I feel as if I have a unique understanding of these people based on their actions and idiosyncrasies that are just odd enough to seem completely real.
"The madder Maeve got, the more thoughtful she became. In this way she reminded me of our father--every word she spoke was individually wrapped."
Man, I loved that passage! Individually wrapped! Perfection. The choices Danny and Maeve make as their lives spin outward from the tragedies of their childhood seem outrageous and understandable all at once.
"There are a few times in life when you leap up and the past that you'd been standing on falls away behind you, and the future you mean to land on is not yet in place, and for a moment you're suspended, knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself."
The underlying tension of their inevitable march towards the final conflict in the book propelled me forward in the pages at a rapid-fire pace. I don't rehash plot in my reviews, so I won't spoil any bit of it for potential readers. But I will say that even when I knew what was coming, Patchett still delivers the inevitable with utter gut-punches - another trademark I love.
Beyond the plot, there is so much lovely and atmospheric writing and symbolism to unpack about the architecture of a dwelling and how it mirrors the architecture of our lives, as well as what the Dutch House, frozen in time, represents to each character. There's also a trove of material to examine about love and loss, how the past shapes our present and future, how our perceptions shape our memory, and ultimately what it means to forgive.
Many thanks to the folks at Harper Books for a complimentary advance copy, I will cherish it!
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I started this audiobook during a time of great stress this summer, and it was a soothing balm of a book. There wasn't any earth shatteringly new information inside - much of the research about stress I have read articles about in various web articles over the years. But, it was nice to have it all pulled together and looked at as a whole.
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Another quintessential YA novel from the queen of YA novels! I gobbled this one up just as quickly as the others I've read by Dessen, and I adored the characters in this novel the most. Macy's story also hit home because my father died in a similar fashion, abruptly and while jogging. Though I was much younger (almost half of Macy’s age) so my story was much different, but I think the dynamic between her and her mother really made the book for me - so real and raw. The romance was obvious from the first 15 or so pages, but it's always fun to see how she will fill in the blanks to get to that happy ending.
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Holy cow! This was such an engrossing audiobook told by the woman who was conned by the ‘fake heiress’ of New York. Like listening to a friend spill the tea, I was constantly thinking, OMG what next!? And Williams delivers the whirlwind tale with a lot of reflection and heart. And Netflix has the rights to Anna's story, so this will be the scandal that keeps on giving...
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