jenbsbooks's Reviews (2.41k)

I liked this ... I've read a ton of P&P re-imaginings. Here, Darcy has the ability to read minds (at least thoughts about him) and emotions.  It's told in 1st person (past tense) from both Darcy's POV, and Elizabeth's. Sometimes I struggle with getting that personal with Darcy and Elizabeth ... I'm more used to a 3rd person overview. I actually had a harder time with Lizzy's POV than Darcy's.

This was set in the traditional timeframe ... a few new characters, a Lady Cassandra (friend of Lizzie and Jane), a different love interest for Jane (so this time when Darcy tells Bingley that Jane may not be that into him, it is the truth). It felt odd NOT to have the Jane/Bingley dynamic! There was a little backstory about Darcy's previous lover, a widow ... not really at the top of my list for a re-telling.

It was a little too convenience ... SPOILER

Darcy can read minds, and oh look, suddenly Elizabeth can too! They can have complete conversations, even from miles away! A little inconsistent as at one time, Darcy couldn't seem to tell what Lizzy was thinking (I thought that would be an interesting twist) but then no, he can, he just gets a little distracted.

Just basic chapters (no headers/POV listed in TOC). It's listed as a series here on Storygraph, and it is part of a "collection" but it's totally a stand-alone story, so I'm marking it thusly. Needs must. Also indicated both male/female narrator ... not actual "audio" but the characters POV. If it was turned into audio, they'd better have two separate narrators. 

So, I liked it. 3.5 stars. It took me a while to get through, even at just 168 pages, as it wasn't available with audio, so I had to READ it, on my Kindle (on KindleUnlimited, but my subscription expired, but as it was still open, I still had access, but only on that device). 

No language, not explicit, but some thoughts/dreams were a little more spicy than regular JA.

Memoirs are a little hard to rate ... I don't want to say a person's LIFE is good/bad. Even with so much going on ... it's not  a "story" per se, with characters and an arc and a resolution to the action. Here, while of course I've heard of Harry, I remember where we were when Princess Diana was killed. I sort of followed the romance with Meghan (had seen her in suits) and their exit from Royal life ... I'm not a big fan/follower of British royalty.  Still, this book had enough buzz, and as I'm attempting to get more non-fiction into my monthly repertoire, I figured I'd give this a go. I liked it fine, learned a little... I'm not sure how much I'll really remember. 

It was very slow to start ... I was almost wondering if it would be a DNF for me. I went ahead and kept listening and eventually got pulled in enough to keep going and finish.  A memoir is personal, it's that individuals recollection of how things happened, how they perceive events and emotions. It isn't always the truth, even if they believe it to me. I always have to take things with a grain of salt, and wonder what others would say in rebuttal to how things are presented. Wonder how even the author (I know this was ghost-written, but still consider Harry the "author" of the main ideas and presentation) would change the "story" if written later in life, with more time passed. 

Our family is a big fan of The It Crowd TV series ... as Harry started speaking, he sounded so much like Richmond from the show (a goth recluse). And then he'd say things like "we were bonking off" which is SO Moss (an IT nerd). My brain struggled a little with that. 

I also have some issues with drinking/drugs and relating to people who use/abuse them. There's just a wall, a disconnect. It's just another world, it's not something I do. Sometimes I struggle feeling compassion when people get into trouble because of the drugs/drinking ...  I just dislike it so much. It's hard to read about it when it seems to be such a big part of the person's life. 

There was proFanity (x19).  First person/past tense.  Three parts, with chapters that restarted numerically in each part. LOTS of chapters. 

I liked this a lot. Not totally sure it's a 5* read for me, but looking at other recent 4* ... and I liked this so much more, so I guess it has to be! It's also one that is still stuck in my head a few days after reading it. Such a distinct "voice" ... the writing and the narration. Our MC is Nigerian, having learned English as a second language. So it isn't a perfect flow, but it's perfect to tell this story.  I just adore how she says "the mobile of the telephone" ... later on as she improves her English a bit and just calls it a mobile telephone, I was a bit sad. 

This reminded me just a tad of [book:Her Name Is Knight|56985443] by Yasmin Angoe. With the broken English, the young girl ripped from her family, being abused but surviving. Knight  is a little more "Jason Bourne" assassin/spy whereas Louding stays within the realm of what is realistic. 

It was interesting to learn more about Nigeria. Not only within the storyline, but as Adunni is expanding her education and learning "facts" (which she shares with others, and us, the reader). 

Super sad story for the most part, just heartbreaking that anything like this is still happening today. Adunni is a wonderful character, that readers will love and by inspired by. One they cheer on. Love the "louding voice" and how the title is an intricate part of the story. 

There is rape and physical abuse, but nothing super explicit. No language/proFanity. Pretty "clean" although not without triggers and it can be a difficult read at times. There were a lot of questions that didn't really get answered, but that is how life is at times, you move on and you don't really know what happened. 

Simple numerical chapters (56), 1st person/present tense, all from Adunni's POV. The narration in the audiobook was superb! I note when a song is sung in a book ... is it sung in the audiobook by the narrator (or spoken). Here, it was sung. That song stuck with me. I don't know if that is a "real" song or if the tune was created for the book. This is a book that makes me want to research further, look up interviews with the author, read other reviews, etc. There is a short Author's Note and Interview in the Kindle copy (one reason I always try to grab the kindle copy in addition to audio). Also some discussion questions ... which I appreciate, but these ones didn't totally spark discussion ideas in my mind. 

I liked this ... it wasn't "the most wonderful book" as so many seem to be saying. Would I recommend it to others? If they were interested I wouldn't dissuade them at all, give them a thumbs up, but I don't know that I'd really go out of my way, rave about it. It did give me a better understanding of the Vietnam war (the actual war, the protests and feelings in the US), and of women in wartime. I didn't really feel compelled to save quotes, or a huge desire to discuss it with others, or have a copy to keep. I was able to get the audio and kindle copy from the library (although there was a bit of a wait as it's quite popular and a new release). 

Julia Whelan narrating ... I think I'll have her statement of "the women" emblazoned in my brain. 3rd person/past tense ... pretty much all from the MC/Frankie's POV. It stayed chronological throughout. Simple numbered chapters (38 of them). No headers, the book was divided into two parts - the first part is her home/then war/then back home experience, and part two is when she leaves her home to stay with Army girlfriends, working, and getting into protests and such.

There was the romance, first with Jamie Callahan. Things don't really progress because he's married, then shot down. Then Rye, again, not getting involved because he has a girl back home. Then that is resolved, but ...  SPOILERS

boy, I think all the readers HATE Rye in the end! It did feel a little convenient to have Frankie get involved with the prisoners of war campaign, even though she didn't have a loved one in that situation. Except surprise, she does. Rye is alive! And then in the end, surprise, so is Jamie! I was just waiting to have her brother also be a POW, and not KIA as indicated earlier. Why not?

Just for informational purposes, I keep track of proFanity ... 2x. There was a lot of drinking, drugs, smoking. I have some strong personal biases against smoking, just can not stand the smell, and it's such a turn off IRL, it also is in the pages of a book. I just can't quite connect with a smoker because the revulsion is so strong. Similar feelings toward drinking/drugs - I just hate it so much. So, I struggled some, just even liking the character and caring what happened to her. Thoughts of suicide ... another struggle (more that in I agree, sometimes what is there left to stay for?) Maybe TOO much relatability with that one. 

One other thing to admit here - I was a bit "off" during my listen, just some personal stuff going on. That can impact the enjoyment, even the absorption, of a book. So bad timing there, who knows if that affected my feelings ... even I really don't know for sure. 

I think I'll remember and appreciate the information given ... always a little easier for me to absorb in a novel than a list of facts/history lesson.  The Author's Note was short and sweet, not quite as informative as some. No discussion questions at the end (a new trend I've been seeing, and one that I like, they often do make me stop and think, delve a little deeper).

There are some words/phrases I take note of ... one is "mullioned windows" ... I don't remember the first book I noticed it in, but after looking it up, it's one that catches my eye/ear. It was right there on the second sentence (and once more later on). Of no importance, just a term that stands out to me now. Also roiled (it's in 90% of books I think!) and cerulean. There was no smirking!

I liked this a lot. Very cute, clean (there is some sex happening, but all closed door) ... and it had a couple laugh-out-loud moments for me. Featuring the "older" crowd (the three main characters are all in their 70s).  And cooking ... quote at the start "Cooking is love made visible." 

I felt like the blurb here was a little misleading (and I know it's not necessarily the author writing it, or responsible for it). Yes, this IS about Robert and his little Bake-Off ... but it's his sister Hattie who seems to be the main character, or at least the book starts off with her. It's her wedding in the prologue, then her history and happenings in the first few chapters. It's not until Chapter4 that we meet "a very English gentleman in a pale shirt" ... who is Robert.  It's all 3rd person(past tense), but the POV shifts between the three siblings, Hattie, Robert and Bunty. Bunty joins Hattie at her home, Hattie then goes to visit Robert, then Bunty comes there. Sections feature just one sibling, two together, then all three together, as well as many other secondary characters.  Just basic chronological chapters (38 of them).

My KindleUnlimited subscription was expiring, this was one of the last books I squeezed in (text only) ... the audio was available on Hoopla/Library.  I went with the audio edition, but had the Kindle copy handy for reference and highlights/notes. Single narrator (female/older) and British accent (as it should be). British spellings in text (ie sombre). 

One thing I note, is when a song is happening (sung by characters) is it sung by the narrator, or spoken? Here ... I wasn't really sure, it was rather "rap" type that even "sung" has a spoken feel. This was also my LOL moment ...

"I'm Say-say-say-say-Satan's slave..."
"I'm sorry, that's my daughter Tilda. She has a rock group, they're practising ... it's a bit inappropriate - on a Sunday - in a manse."

Then there were the animal's names ... A little over the top, but adorably so. The chicken's, Dora-the-EGGSplora (I missed this originally in audio, the narrator didn't enunciate the pun enough. Luckily I happened to notice it when I was reviewing the text). There was also Princess Lay-a and Hen Solo.  The goats ... The Great Goatsby and Vincent Van Goat. The cat is Issac Mewton.  

Hattie and lived in a miserable marriage and is finally learning to live on her own. Robert has never married, but excels at cooking/baking, and the older ladies are taking notice. Older woman babe magnet! Bunty ... Bunty, Bunty. I really just wanted to slap her silly. Felt SO sorry for her husband, and didn't quite find that part believable (that he'd be so forgiving). It was a little annoying, the dropped hints about "what happened" in their past that they hadn't gotten over. It's not even a spoiler at all (and was as I guessed, the death of a child) but when "what had happened" is referenced multiple times, but that's as much info as we (the reader) get ... I find it annoying. It is finally revealed, but I don't know why the reveal took so long. 

I'll have very fond memories of this, and plan on checking out some additional books but this author. I'm just in my 50s ... interesting to read about these crazy lives of people 20+ years older than me. 

I got into making sourdough a few years ago. I loved the fiction Sourdough by Robin Sloan ... it was great! I enjoyed Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives by Kitty Tait. I think this was the baker that the previous author wanted to learn from ... I have heard the names; Chad Robertson/Tartine. This was included in KindleUnlimited (also available at the library) - not in audio, as a good portion is recipes, and there were also a lot of pictures included. I needed to read this on my phone/fire or computer, to get the photos in color (although half were in B&W). 

The first portion of the book was the most interesting to me ... telling about how the author got started, his history and travels, how they tested and tried new things and got others involved. Told their stories. I captured some highlights "learning a craft is as much about copying as it is about understanding..." and "baker's signature, the score made with a blade on top" and "listen for a faint crackling sound - the song of the bread" and "a baker's true skill lies in the way he or she manages fermentation. This is the soul of breadmaking."

... not only about baking "having little free times means prioritizing the things he wants to do most" ... too true!

The book shifted more in to a recipe book ... which is what many people prefer I'm sure. Not me though. I've got my system down, so I just enjoy learning about other's experiences and love of baking sourdough. I'm basic and boring, and just stick with plain sourdough... some of the recipes here were SO out there, at least to bland little me. Two of them used stinging nettles. Now I know nettles CAN be eaten (similar to spinach) but that doesn't mean I'm going to attempt to work with them! I don't even know where you get them! Certainly not my local grocery store.

Some interesting info about when commercial yeast was introduced ... "Bakers were aerating the dough instead of fermenting it, sacrificing flavor and altering the very nature of French bread - the soul of the bread had gone from it."  and "historians note that bread consumption in France sharply declined after the 1940s. As bakers adopted yeast, they stopped teaching their apprentices how to bake with natural leaven."

One recipe had 1 TBLS of mature starter, 220 g flour, 220 g water ... WHY the tablespoon, instead of a gram measurement? I've totally shifted to the scale, and besides accuracy, it's so much easier to just tare the scale, drop a dollop of starter in, weighing it, not messing with measuring cups or spoons. I just didn't get why there was this ONE measurement (and that is a HUGE ratio! I do 1:1:1 most of the time). 

The section on the "dry bread" or older bread was interesting (toast, croutons, breadcrumbs and more ... I do the first three already). The "old" bread was listed as "day old" ... which isn't really old. I expect my loaves to last several days at least (I bake three times a week, but not every day, but we eat bread every day). 

So ... I liked the book. There was some good information, but nothing ground breaking for me. I skimmed over most of the recipes.

I liked this ... different, although it had a bit of a similar feel to "Speak" (although Speak wasn't "verse" it still had the short "chapters" featuring different topics). I'd read Speak a couple years ago, and did a re-read for a current book club. I also read the graphic novel, watched the movie, and when I saw this memoir, I figured I should check it out. At the beginning of the 20th edition of the audiobook of speak, the author has a little verse at the beginning of the book, "Make Some Noise" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnqrnPtxrCY). That is not included in Shout, but has a very similar feel.

I went with the audiobook, the author narrating, but also had the ebook and physical book to look at. After listening, as I went through the text, everything was familiar, but I don't know that I could have given an easy "recap" of the read.  As a memoir ... sometimes there isn't the satisfactory "setting/characters/build of action/resolution" because, it's dealing with true events that don't necessarily fit a storyline the way fiction does. While I liked the audio, I feel like I probably need to do a slower read of the text myself, to note/highlight.

The presentation here (told in verse) is not my favorite. Listening to the audio, it doesn't really sound like "poetry" per se, free verse, no rhyme. It was really more like disjointed talking ... a little like Speak presents, although that was in novel form (but still unique with its dialog, "chapters" etc).  My only other experience with free verse (thus far) was Jason Reynolds [book:Long Way Down|22552026] ... which was more of a story (and I also listened, the checked out the physical book and the graphic novel). Jason Reynolds also gives an afterward in the 20th edition/audiobook of Speak. 

There were many references to Melinda (the MC is Speak), and to the book itself, and to the author's events around it. Another reviewer mentioned a couple of Anderson's other books were mentioned ... I haven't read her others, so that wasn't something I noticed. I do wonder if one could appreciate Shout, without having read Speak though. While this isn't a sequel, or even a companion, it is connected. 

I didn't LOVE it ... I don't know that I'll get the in-depth re-read done. That I'll buy a copy to keep, or recommend it to others. I am very glad I looked into it, and I plan to bring it to book club, to share, as we discuss Speak. If I ever discuss Speak with anyone else, I would bring this book up. This was written years after Speak ... but I totally could have seen much of written before, and being the inspiration for Speak (the actual experiences were).  

There were discussion questions at the end - I do always appreciate that. It often gives me a little something to think about that I might not have considered on my own. 

A little more explicit than Speak - there was proFanity and other phrases, depending on sensitivity.

I'd read/listened to the original format of Speak, two years ago (required reading for my son's 10th grade English class) and it was up again now for bookclub. I saw there was a graphic novel ... I'd actually noticed it before, but hadn't been sure I was interested in it. But with the bookclub discussion coming up, I thought I'd grab the physical copy from the library and bring it. It ended up making more of an impact on me than I'd thought. I got started on the graphic novel before I finished my re-read ... and I realized I didn't remember how it ended (final confrontation). The graphic novel really made that stick in my memory! The graphic novel also really brought out the "bunny" symbolism that runs throughout the book. I really noticed it when I went through for my re-read of the original.

Even though the graphic novel is longer (page wise, 384 compared to 220 on the original), it still had to leave a lot out. There were a few spots where I felt it was a little lacking, felt incomplete. Other spots felt MORE ... The "marking period" ... report cards, were very effective illustrated, as was the "writing on the wall" (in the bathroom stall). 

I'd noted the differences in the Table of Contents in the Kindle copy vs the Audiobook (while the headers were still mentioned, only 1 out of every 6-7 were included in the audio TOC ... made it a little more difficult to find my spot from Kindle to Audio). Here, there was NO Table of Contents whatsoever. The "header" would be there (top left of the pages when a new "topic" was introduced) but again, very difficult to find my spot going from the Kindle copy to the graphic novel (I like to compare/contrast the two, see what didn't make the cut, what words were written exactly the same). 

I showed the graphic novel to my son (who'd read the book for class two years ago). He said he didn't like it, because he already had a visual in his head, and it didn't really match. 

I do think the graphic novel would be strong enough to stand on its own, even if one hadn't read the original. There is some language and flow that doesn't come across, but then again the visuals really bring some things to life and make them much more memorable. 

I'm a HUGE Mistborn and Steelheart fan ... this however, just didn't quite click with me (despite references to it being a bit similar to The Princess Bride, another favorite). I was able to check out the audiobook from the library, and grabbed the ebook copy too ... NOT in Kindle format. Big disappointment to me, I'm a Kindle snob. Just so used to how it works, I love my highlights all kept together, etc. That can play a part in my feelings toward the book overall. It shouldn't ... but it often does. 

Six "Parts" with multiple chapters in each. Numbered chronologically, each chapter also had a header (which was included in the Table of Contents - thank you!) This was very conversational in tone, felt 3rd person for the most part ... the narrator did shift and speak TO the reader (you), and turns out the narrator is one of the characters (so actually 1st person when he is involved in the storyline, but mostly feels like 3rd person, telling a story about the other characters). 

Honestly ... it was all just a little TOO much. This completely different world, where the seas aren't made of water (in fact water/liquid reacts with the sea substance), there are kings and princes and pirates and talking rats and so many Dougs. I don't know if I was a little distracted while listening ... or wasn't able to access the text easily (not Kindle, I hate reading in Libby and if I'm listening in Libby then I actually have to stop, exit, change book formats, more work than it's worth and it makes me onery). While I feel like I had a basic grasp on the characters and the story, I never fully connected, didn't love them, didn't really care what was going to happen and how it would turn out. 

The narration was good ... a little over the top in spots, but not sure if that's the narrator or the writing. Some strange/silly voices were almost required, based on the characters. 

A couple words I track ... scowl, detritus
Quotes - "Knowing is not always believing" and "if not a red flag, at least a fuchsia streamer" and "The Dougs were shocked to hear she didn't know this. You might be too, as it was mentioned earlier in the story as clever foreshadowing" (pretty funny, if a little too much!) 
I'll have to check out the quotes section here on GoodReads - I'm sure there were other quotes worth highlighting, but ... no Kindle copy, as mentioned. 

Funny note, the day I started this (and don't go checking actual dates, because I 'may' have backdated this in my Goodreads record a bit) but I was doing the NYT Times Connections puzzle. We have a small family group chat, and my BIL struggled with the puzzle then wrote TRESS? Simple, it went with curl, lock, ringlet ... a bit of hair. He seemed unfamiliar with the word. Seems common in my reads "her golden tresses" type of thing. Just a funny coincidence in the timing.

This book is included in Kindle Unlimited, read and listen (text and audio). I went with the audio version. It was good, but as we have three distinct POVs (Vandy, Rani and Mallika) I think I was expecting three narrators. While Mallika was in 1st person (present tense) ... Vandy and Rani were in 3rd person (past tense) so I can't be too critical of the single narrator choice (if Vandy/Rani had also been 1st person, then I would have! They would have NEEDED their own voices). Mallika is pretty "American" as is her mother Vandy ... it IS noted that Vandy has an "American accent" but I think I wanted to feel more "Indian/English" than the audiobook had. A few of the characters did speak that way, but overall, it was very American. Even Rani's POV/memories and early years. I think I needed, at least wanted, more of an accent to associate with those parts. I may adore an India accent... and was expecting more than I got.

This stayed consistent with a Vandy/Mallika/Rani rotation of POVs. Vandy is in the present (although told in past tense), Mallika is about a week behind the "present" (but told in present tense) and Rani's storyline starts when she is a child and then moves chronologically through time. Vandy's storyline has some flashbacks.

I don't think there were any surprises ... it was pretty obvious (at least to me) what was going to happen, and what would be uncovered. I liked the story, it kept my interest ... I'm not sure how much I'm really going to remember (which could be a bit of a problem as this is for book club, and it doesn't meet for a few weeks). I made a few highlights/notes.   A Vandy-ism "dropping the fight is stopping the fight" (I'm sure that will be discussed), "whether someone screamed in your face or whispered into it, the whoosh of alcohol was just as overpowering" (true ... I despise drinking, the smell) and "You run from the truth so it doesn't ruin the version of truth you've chosen to believe" ... interesting (and talking of the agent, she was "not the kind of person who uses ellipses without cause" (I may be guilty of overuse of ellipses). 

Looking forward to bookclub discussion - I really appreciated the bookclub questions included here at the back of the book (in kindle, not in audio). They really do give me extra things to think about, delve deeper.