Category: Fiction

5 Reasons Magical Realism is Awesome

January 20, 2015 Fiction, Magical Realism, Review, Women's Fiction 27 ★★★★★

5 Reasons Magical Realism is AwesomeTitle: Garden Spells
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Source: paperbackbookswap
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

 

I’ve only read two books by Sarah Addison Allen (this and Lost Lake), but I can already tell that I like her style. As with my first review, I should say that this book is tailor made for me. It has everything I love in a book and was the perfect light read for while I was (am!) busier than ever writing the first paper for my thesis. That said, this book will probably work best for you if you share my love of quirky characters, interconnected stories, and plots where everything works out neatly. SAA does all of these things well. She also does an exceptional job incorporating all of the things I love about magical realism in general, which include the following: Read more »

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More YA in Mini-Reviews

December 27, 2014 Fiction, Gothic, Re-telling 4 ★★★★

More YA in Mini-ReviewsTitle: Ironskin
Author: Tina Connolly
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Retellings are a trend that never gets old for me and I often especially love books like this, which are more inspired by the original than they are faithful retellings. The names are obviously inspired by Jane Eyre and there are some other close parallels – Jane Elliot as the governess of a child she’s uniquely qualified to understand, falling in love with her dark mysterious employer. My favorite parts are the less obvious inspiration this book takes from the original, turning the slight references to mystical activity in the first into a world in which the fey are very real for example. There are a few other less obvious connections which I can’t share without spoiling the story, but I will say that I found the whole thing a very fun and playful way to interact with the source material. The book was enjoyable on its own as well, with interesting characters and novel world-building. I enjoyed it and while I’d particularly recommend it to readers looking for a unique twist on Jane Eyre, I think most fans of YA will find something new to love here.
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YA in Mini-Reviews

December 26, 2014 Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Thriller, Young Adult 4 ★★★★★

YA in Mini-ReviewsTitle: Mortal Heart
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

20522640Like the previous two books in this series, I loved Mortal Heart. The premise of assassin nuns was obviously awesome from the very beginning and the writing is beautiful, but what I think makes these books so perfect is the world building and character growth. As in the previous two books, the main character has lived through some difficult times and isn’t quite comfortable with who she is. She’s also questioning her faith, particularly her role serving the god of death. As Kelley points out in her review at Oh, The Books!, part of the reason this series is successful is because the author makes you feel for the main character. I also particularly love that at the end of every book the author has managed to surprise me with new information about the mythology of the world she’s created. Seeing this wonderfully creative mythology intersect with the main character getting a happy ending is something I’ve found enjoyable and heart-warming in each of her books. They always leave me smiling. Thanks to Christina at You Book Me All Night Long for the giveaway of this great book!
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Well-Written Fiction in Mini-Reviews

December 7, 2014 Fiction, Literary, Review 22 ★★★★★

18428067This is one of those books where the writing is so beautiful, I feel like the writing in my review will be inadequate to describe it. If I could tell you exactly how the author achieved the effects he did, I’d be a best-selling author myself. Instead, I can only give you my impressions. The writing was very concise but every word the author used seemed meaningful and carefully chosen. The author often repurposed common words and phrases to give them fresh meanings which made me think about the world in new ways. The author also juxtaposed the poignantly sorrowful and upliftingly hopeful in a way that made my heart ache. If I haven’t convinced you to pick this up, I hope you’ll at least check out the many other rave reviews in hopes they’ll convince you instead. Read more »

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Us

November 17, 2014 Fiction, Review 20 ★★★★★

UsTitle: Us
Author: David Nicholls
Source: TLC Book Tours
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

Summary: I loved this book which completely swept me up in the main character’s emotions and left me with a delightfully hopeful feeling.

“Douglas Petersen understands his wife’s need to ‘rediscover herself’ now that their son is leaving home. He just thought they’d be doing their rediscovering together. So when Connie announces that she will be leaving, too, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again. The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed.What could possibly go wrong?” (Source)
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Hello From the Gillespies

November 13, 2014 Fiction, Review, Women's Fiction 12 ★★★

Hello From the GillespiesTitle: Hello From The Gillespies
Author: Monica McInerney
Source: NetGalley
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:three-stars

Summary: I loved the characters and the setup of this book, but the ending felt like simplistic wish-fulfillment.

Angela Gillespie has been sending out her annual Christmas letter for the last 33 years. Every year, she writes a cheery letter which highlights the best part of their lives until one year, she’s had enough. She writes the unvarnished truth, including her worries for each of her children and concerns about her marriage. Just when it seems Angela’s family might forgive her for the letter, an accident leaves her with amnesia and leaves her family to figure out how to fend for themselves without Angela worrying over them. Read more »

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The Hilltop

November 11, 2014 Contemporary, Fiction, Review 12 ★★

The HilltopTitle: The Hilltop
Author: Assaf Gavron
Source: NetGalley
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:two-stars

Summary: Although I enjoyed the understated humor in this story, the plot and characters were unengaging and I found much of the story too dark and gritty.

“On a rocky, beautiful hilltop stands Ma’aleh Hermesh C, a fledgling community flying under the radar. According to the government it doesn’t exist; according to the military it must be defended.[…]One of the settlement’s steadfast residents is Gabi Kupper, a one-time free spirit and kibbutz-dweller, who undergoes a religious awakening. The delicate routines of Gabi’s new life are thrown into turmoil with the sudden arrival of Roni, his prodigal brother, who, years after venturing to America in search of fortune, arrives at Gabi’s door, penniless. To the settlement’s dismay, Roni soon hatches a plan to sell the “artisanal” olive oil from the Palestinian village to Tel Aviv yuppies. When a curious Washington Post correspondent stumbles into their midst, Ma’aleh Hermesh C becomes the focus of an international diplomatic scandal and faces its greatest test yet.” (source) Read more »

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The Missing Place

October 27, 2014 Fiction, Review, Thriller, Women's Fiction 10 ★★★★★

The Missing PlaceTitle: The Missing Place
Author: Sophie Littlefield
Source: NetGalley
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

Summary: The plot and characters in this book felt fresh and new. I loved the raw emotions and difficult moral questions the author brought vividly to life.

“Twenty-year-old Taylor Jarvis and Paul Carroll go missing in Weir, North Dakota, where they have been working on rigs owned by Oasis Energy. The mothers of the two boys come to Weir to find out what happened to their sons and form an uneasy alliance. Shay Jarvis, a 41-year-old single [mother], has more grit than resources; for wealthy suburban housewife Colleen Carroll, the opposite is true. Overtaxed by worry, exhaustion, and fear, they question each other’s methods and motivations – but there is no one else to help, and they must learn to work together if they are to have any chance of breaking through the barriers put up by their sons’ employer, the indifference of an overtaxed police department, and a town of strangers with their own secrets against [the] backdrop of a modern day gold rush.” (slightly modified from here)
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The Silent Sister

October 18, 2014 Fiction, Review, Thriller, Women's Fiction 9 ★★★

The Silent SisterTitle: The Silent Sister
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Source: NetGalley
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:three-stars

Summary: This was a fun, fast-paced read, but the mystery was a bit predictable and the I didn’t find the characters emotionally engaging.

Riley and her older brother grew up in a family shocked by their sister Lisa’s death. Riley has always been told Lisa committed suicide, but when her father dies twenty years later, she finds hints in his belongings suggesting that Lisa might still be alive. As she digs deeper, the secrets she discover will challenge everything she thought she knew about her family. Read more »

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Gutenberg’s Apprentice

October 13, 2014 Fiction, Historical Fiction 23 ★★★★

Gutenberg’s ApprenticeTitle: Gutenberg's Apprentice
Author: Alix Christie
Source: TLC Book Tours
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: Although this story was slow-paced, I loved how the author captured the way people would have thought and acted at such an interesting time in history.

When Peter Schoeffer’s foster-father insists he return to Munich, abandoning a promising career as a scribe in Paris, he’s dubious about Gutenberg’s invention. He doesn’t believe that a machine can replace a scribe and at first thinks the idea borders on blasphemy. However, as he is able to add some beauty to Gutenberg’s process, he begins to see the potential of the printing press. However, Gutenburg’s volatile temper and warring political and religious factions threaten what Peter has come to see as a divinely inspired project he must complete.
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