Not ashamed to say this book stole my heart and leapt joyfully away with it. 😭 Lovely, thoughtful, and tender, it would make a wonderful read for pretty much anyone.

3 Quotes I Loved:

"Through the leveret, I had rediscovered the pleasure of attachment to a place and contentment that can be derived from exploring it fully, rather than constantly seeking ways to leave it and believing satisfaction can only lie in novel experiences." (129-130)

"The leveret defied ownership, belonging only to itself." (143)

"I return often in my mind to the question of whether or not a hare can be domesticated. I now see that this is not really the point. To domesticate is to alter the nature of an animal in order to fit it into our way of life as humans. For innately wild animals such as the hare, a better way is to coexist.

For the first time in my life, I have had cause to study animals rather than people, and to see that we are not diminished by making way for them. Coexistence gives our own existence greater poignancy, and perhaps even grandeur." (265-266)

This is a great memoir. I was especially touched by the intimate look at her marriage; they are a phenomenal example of partners who support one another's giftings, push one another to be better, and sacrifice for one another and for their family. I think Michelle did a good job not sugarcoating how hard that can be, at times, and yet how ultimately rewarding. I also found so much relatability as a mom who also works. All the struggles, especially mental/emotional, that she describes are relatable. In another life, I'd like to imagine we would be friends. :)

One thing that Stephen King does excellently is character development. You leave a story carrying his characters in your very bones, perhaps your very heart. He does it so well, here, that I almost stopped reading a few chapters in. The dad, mom, and little son were too, too real. I could relate too much, to each of them, in different ways, and it was raw. Not gonna lie. King has a knack for holding up a mirror and you think it's for his characters to see themselves but really more than half the time it's to see YOURSELF. I digress...

But I'm glad I pressed on.

This book is for you if...
- You like horror in which a house (hotel) is its own character.
- You like horror in which the real trauma, or horror, is what was inside of you all along.
- You identify with being intuitive or knowing things you shouldn't, especially when you were young.

Beware that this might be difficult to read if you've experienced abuse, addiction, or domestic violence. All are present. All are explored and understood deeply. Which is...wait for it...quite horror-ible. 🙃 But that's what King does best. 

And he sticks the landing, in my opinion. I was reminded strongly of how I felt at the end of IT, though The Shining is much shorter lol. So if you want to experience King at his finest but are intimidated by length, maybe give this one a go?

This is a gritty book, and I'd squarely place it in the older YA section. The main protagonist, Shreve, is certainly an antihero. I found myself cringing often at his language/choices, AND YET he and his partner (in crime? in heroics?) are honestly so lovable. I I sure do enjoy a solid morally "gray" character, I find. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, as the paranormal/mystery of it all is well done. 

This one is difficult for me to rate, so I won't. I didn't enjoy the graphic sex descriptions, nor some of the protagonist's ambitions. I did thoroughly appreciate the exploration of agency, the determination to show the protagonist as her own person versus just someone cast as part of a group called "disabled," and the critique of societal attitudes (and policies) toward disabled people. I also appreciate that the author shares the same condition as the protagonist.