thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

I’m running out of ways to express how much I love Fiona Davis’ writing. Seriously, if you haven’t picked up a book from her by now, YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT. I am extremely grateful to have gotten an early copy of her newest novel, The Spectacular, which focuses on the historic Radio City Music Hall. Unlike some of her previous novels, there is only one protagonist, and the dual storylines are that character’s past and present narratives. All hail the wonderfully talented Fiona Davis!

(PUB DATE: 06/13/2023)

(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I try to read at least one memoir a month. When picking the title for each month, I look for stories of people who have lived differently than I have. For this month, Local caught my eye as the author was born and raised in Hawai‘i. From her father’s side, she has ancestors who are indigenous to the land while her white mother moved to the island in her young adulthood. With this mixed identity, Machado struggles with feeling like she is a “local” to the islands. I learned a lot about the history of colonialism in  Hawai‘i and its indigenous culture and spirituality from this book. I also enjoyed reading the personal stories Machado shares, even though they dealt with more serious topics. Local is a memoir unlike any other that I’ve read and is a must read for anyone interested in learning about Hawai‘i from a native’s perspective. 

(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW) 

(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.) 

The storyline from Becoming A Queen reminded me of the boulder from Indiana Jones. Mark, the protagonist, deals with big emotions throughout the story. Whether it is working on self-acceptance, facing his internalized biases, or dealing with grief, Mark is constantly running from these feelings, like Indiana Jones runs from the boulder. That is until he doesn’t. This novel blew me away. Clay, the author, shows readers that sometimes the best way to deal with emotions is by facing them head on. The characters in this novel are both multifaceted and relatable, which only added to the overall brilliance of the story. I highly recommend this novel to readers of all ages as I think there is something everyone can take away from it. 

(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW) 

(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley
in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.) 

I am just completely in love with Allen's beautiful writing. While her stories are packed with emotion, her prose comes across as effortless. Other Birds touches upon the topics of loss and grief which readers should be aware of before picking it up. I have not experienced much loss yet in my life (for which I am grateful), but even I shed some tears at the end of this one. I will continue to recommend and read Sarah Addison Allen's books.

If you are into horror movies with the haunted doll trope, you will love this one. I was hesitant to pick up this title as I did not enjoy the last book I read by Hendrix. I sometimes find his writing to be too graphic and that writing style is still present in How To Sell A Haunted House. However, I was able to overcome this dislike as I found myself completely invested in the action happening in this novel. This is a very high “three-star rating”. I went back and forth between giving it three or four stars but decided to go with the former due to the fact I predicted one of the big reveals early on. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future, even if he can sometimes be heavy-handed with the gore.

While the characters in this book may not be the best people, I was fascinated with every single one of them. Shipstead created a cast of characters that felt so real with their individual flaws and that really enhanced my reading experience. I enjoyed how Astonish Me shined a light on the intense world of ballet. I was by no means a professional, but I did ballet for many years growing up and could relate to the themes of competition and tradition. I highly recommend adding this backlist title to your shelf. 

I picked this novel up knowing that it was a favorite read for many people last year. I did not read the blurb (I rarely do when a title comes highly recommended) and therefore did not know what I was getting into. Emezi did a fantastic job writing this story, especially creating vibrant and striking backgrounds for their characters to live in. Without spoiling the plot, I had some moral issues with this story. The protagonist and her love interest get together in a very unconventional manner and I personally had trouble getting over that situation. I can appreciate the gorgeous writing in You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty and understand why other readers enjoyed it more than I did. 

I decided this year was the year I dove into Christie’s Miss Marple series. The Murder At The Vicarage is the first book in that series and it did not disappoint. While Miss Marple takes a back seat in this title, she still plays an integral role in solving the crime that has occurred. As always, Christie’s writing is impeccable and has stood the test of time. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series as soon as I can get my hands on it. 

Allen’s writing is simple yet magical. While this is not my favorite title of hers, The Peach Keeper embodied her signature writing style and therefore kept my attention. Where Allen shines is with her descriptive writing. This skill makes the towns she sets her stories in become characters themselves and allows the reader to get lost within them. I would recommend this title to readers who have already read a book by Allen and enjoyed it. If you are looking to get into her writing, I suggest starting with the The Girl Who Chased The Moon over this one.