We will all die and the universe will carry on without care. All that we have is that shout into the wind – how we live, how we go, and how we stand before we fall.
Pierce Brown, Golden Son
Apparently this year is going to start off with books that I didn’t expect to read and enjoy. Similar to the last review on Heir of Fire where I was surprised that the book suddenly got so much better than the previous books in the series, I didn’t actually like the first book in this series, Red Rising, as much as I liked this one – Golden Son. It was ok, but nowhere near what I was expecting after my best friend told me it was one of her favorite series ever and seeing the rave reviews. But Golden Son was a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.
It felt like Red Rising was a lot of set up, and it really only focused on a single character – Darrow. The world was interesting, combining the concepts of an extreme hierarchical society and the science fiction of living on other planets and serious technological jumps forward. Unfortunately, as heart-breaking and rich as the set up was, the rest of the book felt dishearteningly uneventful. Golden Son, though, was full of action and started to really draw a more complex world and introduce the revolution in full.
Home isn’t where you’re from, it’s where you find light when all grows dark. – Pierce Brown, Golden Son
The series follows Darrow, who was born into a society where the “color” you were born into defines your role within the universe. As a Red, his life is filled with mining and labor, and he is considered one of the lowest classes. The ruling class is the Golds. Through a series of circumstances, which I’ll skip in case you haven’t read Red Rising yet, he finds himself leading a revolution from the inside of the Gold society.
We finally get to see some real depth from some of the characters who aren’t Darrow. One of the things I can’t stand in a book is having a main character – no matter how good they are – who is the only character that you get to know or the only one who has any good in them at all. Relationships and emotion are almost always linked to our interactions with others. I was so happy to see that in Golden Son, some of the characters that were introduced before finally got some nuances to them and truly became part of the story. And perhaps one of my favorite things is that all of the characters, including Darrow, are so much more complex than they initially appear. It kept me on my toes and wanting to know more.
You meet a man, you know him. You meet a woman, she knows you. – Pierce Brown, Golden Son
The other thing that finally happened was some ACTION. For a series about a revolution, the first book was disappointing in its action. There is some, but because it was set up as training, it felt like it wasn’t really moving the story forward or the revolution towards a reality. Golden son includes some political intrigue and some well-written sabotage and battles.
After reading this one, I can finally understand all of the hype. The writing is very well done, it’s descriptive and almost lyrical. Pierce Brown doesn’t back down from the hard issues, and the complexity of the book combined with the fantastical world he has built doesn’t disappoint. I will say that the book broke my heart over and over and over again. I’m kind of a glutton for punishment in my reading sometimes. But I also know that it means I was fully engaged.
I’m now very impatient to read Morning Star!
Nuggets of Gold in Golden Son by Pierce Brown
You meet a man, you know him. You meet a woman, she knows you.
Home isn’t where you’re from, it’s where you find light when all grows dark.
We are not our station in life. We are us – the sum of what we’ve done, what we want to do, and the people who we keep close.
Wise men read books about history. Strong men write them.
We will all die and the universe will carry on without care. All that we have is that shout into the wind – how we live. How we go. And how we stand before we fall.
Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.
— Jean Rhys
So, this was the first year that I’ve done a book challenge. I have been an avid reader my entire life, but I found that I was falling into patterns where I was reading the easy stuff, the books I knew that I would like, and I was craving a push to get me outside of my comfort zone. I found the PopSugar Reading Challenge, and I’m so glad that I did. This has been a journey that has me reading all sorts of different books – some that I loved, some that I very much didn’t . It also connected me to more readers, and genres I didn’t even know existed.
I feel like this pushed me and pulled me in the best possible ways. Below are mini-reviews of the first 9 books I read for these prompts.
the woman in the window by A.J. Finn
A book becoming a movie in 2019: Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
I would rate this 3 out of 5. I know that I’m probably in the minority here, based on other reviews that I have seen, but I just didn’t find this book particularly compelling or surprising. In the psychological thriller, an agoraphobic believes she has seen a crime through the window, but can’t get out of the house to figure out what is happening. A fairly predictable set of strange circumstances follow. The book has its moments, and is an interesting look at agoraphobia, but overall it isn’t high on my recommendation list.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Englea
A book that makes you nostalgic: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
No matter how many years it has been between readings, this book will be a 5 of 5 for me. I haven’t read this classic tale of family and magic in many years, but when I thought of nostalgia, it came immediately to mind. I feel like everyone has already read this book, but if you haven’t, you should.
Just Kids by Patti Smith
A book written by a musician: Just Kids by Patti Smith
I can only give this 3.5 of 5 stars. I’ll be honest, this really isn’t my genre, so my rating may be low for those who enjoy autobiographies. Patti Smith is an interesting character who clearly lived a really unique life. The book is written fairly lyrically. Despite that, there just wasn’t enough meat to the story or connectivity to really hold my interest through the entirety of the book.
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
A book that should be turned into a movie: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Unlike the previous book, this is firmly in one of my favorite genres. Mostly because of its potential, I’d rate it as 3.75 of 5 stars. The premise is that there is a hidden library and librarians that move through time and worlds to retrieve dangerous and powerful books. The underlying world is a fascinating idea. Unfortunately there was too much setup in this first book of the series for it to truly shine. I haven’t read any more of the series, but I suspect that there is great potential for the next books to turn into a really great fantasy series.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A book with at least 1 million ratings on Goodreads: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I unexpectedly fell head over heels for this book and give it an easy 5 of 5. Set in World War II, it follows the life of a little girl and her adoptive family. It is narrated by death. When I first started the book, I was struggling with some of the stylistic aspects – it seemed abrupt and a bit disjointed. But that soon faded and I fell deeply in love with this heart-wrenching story and the characters within. By the end the style made complete sense and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
A book with a plant in the title or on the cover: Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
I’m glad I gave this book a chance, and would rate it at 4 of 5. Part romance, part ghost story, part a tale of heartbreak, part a tale of finding family where it grows. When a woman is recovering her life after the death of her husband, she moves south and gets a job in a gardening store. In the process of healing and watching over her sons, she just may find love if the resident ghost doesn’t stop her. My sister is a HUGE fan of Nora Roberts, but I’ve never really read a whole lot of her books. I really enjoyed this one. The characters are a bit too much to to be realistic, but the story is sweet and throwing in a haunted southern house and a lot of gardening and southern charm made the read so enjoyable that I went on a detour from the challenge and read the rest of the trilogy.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Re-read of a favorite: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Given the prompt, it should be no surprise that I’d rate it 5 of 5. There is a reason this is a classic and a favorite. Re-reading it did me some good and reminded me just how lovely this story is.
The Renaissance soul by Margaret Lobenstine
A book about a hobby: The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine
This was probably the book where I started adding a lot of self-help type reading to my year, because the book truly inspired me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I give it 5 of 5. This might be pushing the category a bit, but when I was thinking about my many and varied hobbies – none (other than reading) that I can say I’ve really gotten into enough to want to read a book about it – I realized that what I really wanted to think about was how to narrow down my hobbies and find what I was really passionate about. I found this book, and it describes my soul to a tee. If you’re a person who is constantly wanting to do new things, try new things, and can’t find that one passion everyone talks about, this book is for you. Time to stop feeling guilty or empty because you’re interested in many things all at once.
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
A book you meant to read in 2018: Start with Why by Simon Sinek
I’d give this 4 out of 5, which is really quite high for me, as I’m a businesswoman and very particular about business books. The book fits nicely with my recent obsession with exploring myself and my passions more thoroughly, particularly as they fit with my work life. I was introduced to Simon Sinek’s work through a business leadership program I was in, and I loved the TedTalk. So I picked up the book in 2018, but didn’t get around to reading it until 2019. It’s a great treatise on why businesses succeed long-term, and why they don’t. It really emphasizes the need for people to not just work for a paycheck, but for a business to succeed the employees and managers must know why and believe in why they are coming to work every day.
That’s the first part of the list! Stay tuned for the next part of the list, and don’t forget to follow the blog and drop me a line if you’ve read any of these books, want to read them, and what you think of them!
Nuggets of gold from the first 9 of the PopSugar Challenge 2019 1. My head was once a filing cabinet. Now it’s a flurry of papers, floating in a draft. – A.J. Finn, The Woman in the Window
2. Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. – Mrs. Whatsit – Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
3. I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be. – Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
4. The artist seeks contact with his intuitive sense of the gods, but in order to create his work, he cannot stay in this seductive and incorporeal realm. – Patti Smith, Just Kids
5. The atmosphere of the place soothes her automatically; the rich lantern lights, the sheer decent of paper and leather, and the fact that everywhere she looked, there were books, books, beautiful books. – Genevieve Cogman, The Invisible Library
6. Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness. – Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
7. People observe the colors of a day only at its beginning and ends, but to me it’s quite clear that a day merged through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. – Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
8. If you never changed your mind, what was the point of having one? It seemed to Hayley she’d known too many people who were stuck in one way of thinking, and how could that be using the brain God gave you? – Nora Roberts, Blue Dahlia
9. I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience. – Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.
Sarah J. Maas, Heir of Fire
I started off 2021 with something rather unusual happening, as it relates to my reading, and it was reading this book! For those of you who haven’t read this series before, this is the third book in the Throne of Glass series. I had absolutely zero intention of reading this book…and my TBR list is long enough, I didn’t need to add anything to keep myself entertained! And yet I’m glad I did, it was a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me, much to my surprise and delight.
So…what happened? Well, I heard really good things about the Throne of Glass series, and I picked up the first book. I was…underwhelmed. It was just kind of dull and almost formulaic. But the world building was good enough and my desire for Celaena (the main character) to be what she was billed to be was strong enough that I picked up book 2. And I barely made it through it. I wanted so badly for it to be better, but it just wasn’t.
I know, I just made reading book 3 seem super smart, right? Fortunately for me, I have a friend who shares my taste in books closely enough that I usually listen when she recommends things to me. We both read the first two Throne of Glass books at basically the same time and both felt the same way. But she pushed on and told me that it was so much better, so I (slightly doubtfully) gave it one more chance. And yay! She was right.
Because what she represents, and what your son represents, is what you fear most: hope. You cannot steal it, no matter how many you rip from their homes and enslave. And you cannot break it, no matter how many you murder. – Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
The tone, pace, and plot of this book were all different than the first two in the series. It follows Celaena as she leaves the king’s lands while heartbroken and perhaps just plain broken inside. This book is far more about building the characters than the weak mystery plots of the first two, and it was a relief to finally get to know the characters better!
Celaena has always been billed as a strong, if brutal woman. The kind of woman who can kill you incredibly efficiently, but deep inside has a heart of gold – conflicted gold, perhaps, but gold nonetheless. This book you finally get to the heart of her. It’s like the author finally decided they actually like the character, and is going to fully invest in her, and that allowed me as the reader to invest in her as well.
You cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love. -Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
There is still an underlying mystery, a world at war, magical dealings, and intrigue at universe-altering levels. All of which I love, and because the characters finally became people I could root for, it made it all the better.
And Celaena isn’t the only one who grew more interesting during this third book in the series. The prince – whom I have really liked through the first two books but have also found impossibly confounding in his strangely conflicting actions – finally shows his colors. Chaol, too, although still somewhat wishy-washy and whiny finally takes a stand. Heir of Fire also introduces characters that weren’t in the first two books that add a tremendous depth of possibility and emotional entanglement. Between her new magical trainer, the queen of the fae, an unstoppable allegiance from her cousin, and an odd witch with tremendous potential for both conflict (and possibly unexpectedly saving the world in future books? Pure speculation on my part here…), the world became much bigger, broader, and more interesting.
It would not take a monster to destroy a monster – but light, light to drive out darkness. -Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
The book was definitely a slow burn. But by the end of the book, I was ready to become part of Celaena’s court myself. I think every time I see a strong female character come into her own and finally say “Enough, now I’m ready.” I will cheer. She was absolute fire by the end, and I cannot wait to see her lay siege to the world in the next book.
Have you read the series? If so, let me know what you think!
Nuggets of Gold from Heir of Fire
Because what she represents, and what your son represents, is what you fear most: hope. You cannot steal it, no matter how many you rip from their homes and enslave. And you cannot break it, no matter how many you murder. – Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
You cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love. – Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
It would not take a monster to destroy a monster – but light, light to drive out darkness. -Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
With the baseless arrogance that so often plagues young men, Yule never once considered the possibility that Adelaide would not be waiting for him.
— Alix E Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
January has been a good month for reading so far. It felt like a good time to be reading this book, so aptly named. I was first attracted to the book because of it’s absolutely gorgeous cover. Then I kept seeing great reviews and that it won the Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy and for Debut Novel in 2019. So, during my vacation this last week I took it on.
I would rate this book as 3.75 / 5 stars. I really wanted it to go higher, given all of the hype and the lyrical writing, but I can’t in good conscience say it merited a 4 star or higher rating for me. There are distinct high and low points to the book. The writing, as I said, is lyrical and descriptive in a compelling way. It also puts a great premium on words and books, which is always a selling point for me (don’t we all feel a compulsion to love things that show similarity with ourselves?).
The biggest problem is that the plot was pretty boring. It got a lot more interesting about halfway through the book, and then most of it was pretty good for plot line. It just took so long to get there, that it felt more like dreaming your way through a book than reading.
Words and their meanings have weight in the world of matter, shaping and reshaping realities through a most ancient alchemy. – The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The book follows January Scaller through her childhood into early adulthood. January’s life is unusual – she’s a bit of an odd color (which can be a significant problem in the early 1900’s), but she lives with an eccentric benefactor who collects odd things while her father travels the world to collect these oddities. She is a wild and willful child, who eventually is reigned in by her very white, very rich surrogate father.
The world changes for January when she finds a strange book, and her father disappears. She begins to discover the world isn’t what she thought, as doors begin to open for her.
As I said earlier, after the world changes the book’s plot emerges and it becomes part romance, part a tale of coming into your own, and part science fiction. It’s a lovely blend, and the author clearly feels the power of words and weaves them gracefully throughout the story.
On the other hand, I really wish that more of the story emerged earlier. Additionally, the only character that was really well drawn was January. She has companions, but they aren’t particularly interesting and they aren’t explored well. They play relatively large roles in the conclusion of the story, but aren’t described well enough to care much one way or another.
I did enjoy the book after I stuck to it long enough to get to the meat. The dreamlike quality of the beginning is also interesting, as it is well written. If you’re ok with taking some time to just kind of acquaint yourself with a world, peaking around like you’re an observer people watching, rather than being pulled along by the plot, then this won’t bother you at all.
What did you think? Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to follow my blog!
Nuggets of gold from The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow 1. Those of you who are more than casually familiar with books – those of you who spend your free afternoons in fusty bookshops, who offer furtive, kindly strokes along the spines of familiar titles – understand that page riffling is an essential element in the process of introducing oneself to a new book.
2. There’s only one way to run away from your own story, and that’s to sneak into someone else’s.
3. The truth is: Adelaide was the most beautiful being I have seen in this world or any other, if we understand beauty to be a kind of vital, ferocious burning at a soul’s center that ignites everything it touches.
4. One does not fall in love; one discovers it.
5. “Maybe,” he said slowly, “Maybe I did not make myself clear before, when I said I was on your side. I meant also that I would like to be at your side, to go with you into every door and danger, to run with you into your tangled-up future.
Hamartia is a personal error in a protagonist’s personality, which brings about his tragic downfall in a tragedy. This defect in a hero’s personality is also known as a “tragic flaw.”
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
In the not so distant future, people are dying and disappearing in droves. A mysterious disease called Metagenesis has emerged and it is incurable. Metagenesis happens when your would detaches from your body. Grace and Marc’s son 9-year-old son is dying from this disease, and they couldn’t be more desperate to fix it. And then Grace is offered a chance to do just that – she can travel back in time and take part in a secret (illegal) clinical trial. She can save her son.
Of course, if she saves her son, she kills her husband. And she just might trigger something even worse.
What follows is a pulse-pounding, page-turning intrigue. When I say page-turning I mean it. I gobbled this down in 2 sittings (the only reason it wasn’t one is I was visiting my in-laws and sort of figured it would be rude if I spent the entire day buried in the book). I mean, I kept thinking – I need to go and workout after this chapter – and then I read just ONE more….
I’d rate this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I’m not much of a sci-if junkie, and this is one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in the genre in a long time.
I was intrigued by the description of this book, but was also a bit hesitant. I sometimes struggle with sci-fi books. Especially if they involve time travel. For one thing, I get confused on the timelines. More importantly I find that there are often conflicting storylines or that the authors spends so much time on the scientific details and explanations that they forget to really draw out the characters.
I had none of these problems with this book. Yes, there are times where the time travel is confusing, but it is well compensated for with the characters and plot. There are difficult subjects being dealt with – divorce, the death of a child, suicide, love, and choices that can affect all of humanity (Literally). They’re also dealing with this in the midst of time travel, mysterious stalkers, and gunshots.
These subjects are woven skillfully into the fabric of the sci-fi texture of the novel. The characters are very well drawn and compelling. Their conflict is real, and they’re nowhere near perfect. Their motivations make sense.
It also made me think quite a bit about the concept of souls. There is a lot of discussion around soul mates and what a soul is made of. I don’t have anything profound that I came up with while reading the book or writing this review, but it is an interesting concept.
The only reason that I couldn’t give the book a 5 out of 5 is that there are some issues with the time travel that are unexplained and confusing. Also, at times the prose gets a bit heavy-handed. But as I said earlier, these were just blips and it certainly didn’t stop me from turning page after page. I was fascinated and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
If you haven’t read this yet, and have any interest in sci-if, I recommend this fast-paced thriller. If you have read it, what did you think? Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to follow my blog!
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Mansons
Often the only difference between a problem being painful or being powerful is a sense that we chose it, and that we are responsible for it.
— Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Happy New Year! Whether you believe in the start of a new year (or in this case decade as well) as a marker for new experiences or not, there is something very compelling about that page in the calendar turning over. I hope everyone is having a great day. I’ve managed to fit quite a bit into my day already, including two things I love – getting my workout in, and finishing a good book. (Disclaimer: I don’t love working out, but I do love the way I feel after a good sweat session)
I know I’m behind the eight ball on this book, I remember that a couple of years ago this book took the world by storm. Recently there has been a spate of books that use irreverence and outlandish statements and titles to grab attention, but this is one of the earliest that I can recall hearing about in recent memory. Of course, I’m fairly new to this blogging/social media thing, so it’s entirely possible that I missed out.
Having said that, even I heard about this book from my cave, and now I know what all the hype was about.
Certainty is the enemy of growth. – Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Mark Manson is writing about a serious subject – happiness and self-worth – but is irreverent and funny while doing so. It’s obvious that he cares very much about the subject, he is truly passionate about it, but uses sharp wit and off-color humor to keep the reader engaged.
The book’s premise is that in order to be happy, we have to choose what we care about. There is also a strong theme of letting negative and painful experiences teach us, and that by trying to avoid these situations, we are actually harming ourselves. And the other strong message is that entitlement is not ok, and taking responsibility for our lives is the only way to move forward and be happy.
I’d give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars. A lot of what Manson says is a reflection of things I’ve been feeling and saying. Some of it – such as you can’t learn if you think you know everything – are words that have come directly out of my mouth more than once. (Usually this is directed at my oldest son, who is amazing and also an arrogant 14-year-old).
I like that Manson also addresses how the Internet and social media is affecting the fabric of our society. It’s not inherently bad or good, but it is profound in how it is changing our perceptions and interactions. He gives very specific examples of what he means by each point he makes, which is helpful. A lot of self-help books tend to make broad statements, leaving the reader to wonder if they even know what was meant. He also gives very specific instructions on what he means and what questions to ask – again, a lot of self help books don’t do this. Instead they make a lot of statements about what you should do, but aren’t always very helpful in figuring out HOW to do it. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck doesn’t do that.
The only reason the book didn’t get 5 stars is that it did become a bit repetitive by the end. It’s a short book, but a lot of the points seemed to be repeated ad nauseam. Granted, sometimes it takes people many repeated times of hearing something before it sinks in, but it still lessened my enjoyment of the book by the end.
What did you think? Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to follow my blog!
Nuggets of gold from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson 1. Charles Bukowski was an alcoholic, a womanizer, a chronic gambler, a lout, a cheapskate, a deadbeat, and in his worst days, a poet.
2. Being open with your insecurities paradoxically makes you more confident and charismatic around others. The pain of honest confrontation is what generates the greatest trust and respect in your relationships. Suffering through your fears and anxieties is what allows you to build courage and perseverance.
3. In other words, negative emotions are a call to action.
4. I wanted the reward and not the struggle. I wanted the results and not the process. I was in love with not the fight but only the victory. And life doesn’t work that way.
5. Often the only difference between a problem being painful or being powerful is a sense that we chose it, and that we are responsible for it.
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.
— George R.R. Martin
The quote above from George R.R. Martin is truly one of the most famous and one of my favorites about reading. I really feel this way about reading. Each time I get a glimpse into another world, I learn something about that world and usually learn something about myself as well.
Christmas has now passed, and in the wake of the joyous hubbub, I am looking towards the next year. As I think about what I want from the next year, though, I’m also reviewing the past year. This year saw a definite uptick in the books I read, especially those not as audiobooks. And it’s been great.
I have loved reviewing the books I read specifically for the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019. I’m seeing the worlds I lived in for a brief while through the year and am still amazed and grateful for the variety this book challenge brought to my life this year.
I’m looking forward to the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2020, but before that here are some more mini-reviews from this past challenge. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your thoughts! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at booktreasures.15.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
A book you see someone reading on TV or a movie: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
3.5 / 5 stars. This was an interesting book for me. I am sure many people are familiar with the book from the TV show that has followed on to it (I haven’t actually seen it, but that’s how I heard of the book). I got into a mood and started cleaning my kitchen with fury – I took out everything from the cabinets, I was throwing things away like crazy. It was deeply satisfying, so I started this book. There are many pieces of advice I really like. In particular, I like the perspective Marie Kondo brings to letting things go. It can be hard to let our material things go, and a lot of what she says makes a lot of sense and was helpful to donating and throwing away things.
On the other hand, my two biggest issues with the book are that it is clear this was written for Japanese houses or people without kids. A lot of the methodology just doesn’t work for me with two active boys in the house and a fairly large house. I also can’t quite see myself thanking the inanimate objects in my house every time I turn around.
Overall, though, it definitely kept me motivated to tidy some more rooms and helped me to let go of some things in a healthy way.
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
A retelling of a classic: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
3/5 stars. Ok, so I love a good retelling, and I absolutely love anything Jane Austen. Unfortunately, as excited as I was about this book, I was kind of meh on it. The book is set in Cincinnati. Liz and Jane are home from NYC to take care of their father after a health scare, Mary is a truly unlikeable character with a habit of collecting degrees and being rude, and Kitty and Lydia are CrossFit junkies. The set up is there, but I just didn’t buy the characters. But I think my biggest let down was that I didn’t like Darcy at all! It wasn’t a terrible book, but even though it tried to modernize Pride & Prejudice, it just didn’t do it or the original characters justice.
Whose Body? By Dorothy L Sayers
A book with a question in the title: Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers
3/5 stars. The premise for this book is really quite interesting. There is a murdered, naked corpse in a bathtub. It’s not his bathtub. Into this walks Lord Peter Wimsey. Wimsey is an interesting character, and this is the first book that features him. There is definitely some inspiration from Sherlock Homes here. Wimsey is flighty but brilliant. A bit aggravating to those around him, but he sees things others just don’t see.
I think it shows that this is the initial novel. Despite a good setup for the mystery and an interesting main character, there’s a bit too much jumping around. A bit more cohesiveness to the story would have quickly moved the story to more stars. I also found the ending a bit too quick and anticlimactic. But I’d bet the series gets better and that Lord Peter Wimsey is an interesting hero amateur detective.
Supernatural Academy: Year One by Jaymin Eve
A book set on a college campus: Supernatural Acaddemy: Year One by Jaymin Even
5/5 stars. I just loved this book. The supernatural YA romances are my secret love, and this one hit all the marks. Maddison James is introduced to the world of the supernatural, and is pretty much forced to go back to school to learn the new world and how to use her powers. She meets Asher Lock, the kind of the school, and sparks and intrigue follow.
The world is vividly described. Jaymin Eve always does a good job of drawing strong women characters. It is, of course, completely unrealistic that the two most powerful beings are going to meet, be so perfect, and fall in love. But it really doesn’t matter, the book is exactly as it advertises and for anyone who enjoys these types of books like I do, it’s a winner.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
A book told from multiple points of view: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
5/5 stars. The Flatshare is designed around a meet cute. Tiffy is escaping a bad relationship with a bad boyfriend. Leon needs some additional funds. Tiffy works days, Leon works nights and stays with his girlfriend on the weekends. So, Leon rents out his flat to Tiffy for the times that he isn’t there. They are never supposed to meet.
They couldn’t be more different – Leon is a classic introvert, Tiffy a classic extrovert. But they start leaving each other Post-It notes, and it turns out that despite being so different – or perhaps because they’re so different – they click. What follows is a love story.
This book, based on its setup, shouldn’t have had as much depth as it does. The love story is touching, but so is the stories interwoven about friendships and family. I fell head over heels for this book.
Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare
A book that includes a wedding: Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare
3.75/5 stars. I truly loved reading the first in the Castles Ever After series. Again, the historical romances are a particular guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t read a ton of them, but in a certain mood it’s all I really want to read. Say Yes to the Marquess was certainly a guilty pleasure, but not as good as the first in the series.
Clio Whitmore has been waiting for her fiancé Piers Brandon for 8 years. But no more. She has inherited a castle, and she is determined to user the knowledge she has gained to be suitable for Piers to make a success of running the estate. Unfortunately (or, rather, fortunately), his brother Rafe is determined not to let that happen. Rafe is the ultimate bad boy – a boxer with a bad reputation.
The story follows pretty much as you would expect it to. Rafe and Clio fight to stay apart, and then fight to stay together. The main characters were quite good, it was the supporting cast that was lacking in this particular book in the series. Also, the ending was abrupt and a bit unsatisfying. But the romance was there, and it’s always great to see a strong woman in a historical romance.
Whispers by Shayne Silvers
A book whose author’s first and last name start with he same letter: Whispers by Shayne Silvers
5/5 stars. This is the third book in the Feathers and Fire series. I really enjoyed the first two books (thus, I read the third). This was definitely the best book in the series. Shayne Silvers has done a wonderful job of building worlds off of his fantastic Nate Temple series. In this one, Callie and Roland are connected to a secret society that works for the Vatican and protects the supernatural world.
In this third book, Callie is hearing Whispers in her mind while she and Roland must travel to the Vatican to defend friends who are accused of killing one of the Vatican’s most infamous Shepherds. With Nate Temple and the Antipope mixed into the mystery, Callie and Roland have their hands full protecting themselves from dangerous supernaturals and, perhaps more dangerously, playing a deadly political game.
Callie seems much more grown up and herself in this book than in the previous books. Her sass is still fully present, but her decisions – though inventive – seem better. The overall flow of the book was just better, and I truly enjoyed the journey through this world.
The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly
A ghost story: The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly
4/5 stars. This book was really a very enjoyable murder mystery. Penelope Thornton-McClure moves to a small town in Rhode Island with her son to run a bookstore after the death of her husband. In her very first book signing, the author drops dead.
The store has always been rumored to be haunted. It turns out it is, by a quintessential hard-boiled PI from fifty years ago. And, Penelope can hear him. Between the two of them and a hilarious group of small town Rhode Islanders, they hunt down the killers – despite the fact that Mrs. McClure is pretty sure she’s going crazy. Hearing a dead PI’s voice in your head flirting with you can do that.
The book was just light-hearted fun to read. The characters made me smile. The lead characters make you want to cheer for them, the supporting cast makes you laugh, and the villains make you want them in jail. It is a delightful way to modernize the 50’s hard-boiled private investigator genre.
Red Lily by Nora Roberts
A book with a two word title: Red Lily by Nora Roberts
4/5 stars. I’ve reviewed the first two books of the In the Garden trilogy earlier in my PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019 reviews. This was a very solid ending to the series. Hayley Phillips knows that she shouldn’t be falling in love with Harper. Harper is the son of the woman that took her in and gave her a job, a place to live, and ultimately family when she was an unwed mother looking for a new start. But she can’t help herself.
Neither can Harper, though he knows that Hayley should be off limits. Hayley and Harper are just about the only ones who think they shouldn’t be together, except the resident ghost. The Harper Bride has been part of the household for as long as people can remember, but as romantic matches are made in the house, she has gotten more and more aggressive. This becomes untenable in this final book in the series as the Harper Bride seems to be actually taking over Hayley.
As with the other books, it is a beautifully described novel. The characters are a bit unrealistic, and sometimes their choices seem very strange for normal people. But they seem like good people that you want to root for. It’s a satisfying finish to the series.
That’s the part 4 of the list! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. If you missed any of it, start with part 1, check it out here. Stay tuned for the next part of the list, and don’t forget to follow the blog and drop me a line if you’ve read any of these books, want to read them, and what you think of them!
Some of the treasures I found in this set of books are below.
Nuggets of gold from some of the PopSugar Challenge 2019 1. The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. – Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
2. The space we live in should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past. – Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
3. Liz felt the loneliness of confiding something true in a person who didn’t care. – Curtis Sittenfeld, Eligible
4. I’d think, One of the times she leaves will be the least time I see her. It destroyed me. I didn’t want us to have a last time, and that was how I realized I’d fallen in love with you. – Curtis Sittenfeld, Eligible
5. I always think the franker you are with people, the more you’re likely to deceive ‘em; so unused is the modern world to the open hand and the guileless heart. – Dorothy L Sayers, Whose Body?
6. Being nice is a good thing. You can be strong and nice. You don’t have to be one or the other. – Beth O’Leary, The Flatshare
7. I had entered that critical stage in a woman’s life – that place when emotion starved to death and the only two options left to fill that void was to become a serial killer or to take a long, hot shower. – Shayne Silvers, Whispers
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
— Joseph Addison
For me this year has been a time of trying to get some of my ducks in a row. When I see those memes about how I don’t have ducks, I don’t have rows – I have squirrels and they’re at a rave, I totally understand it. I have been feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, so I decided to do something about it.
The first thing I decided was that I needed to respect that this was a journey (still is). I would be kind to myself, and know that setbacks were bound to happen, and there would be bad days. Then I set out two things to work on – my body and my mind.
For my body I have been exercising regularly and focusing on getting enough water. There are still days where pizza is definitely on the menu, but overall it’s gotten progressively better. For my mind it was to meditate more and delve back into reading more regularly. PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019 fit right in.
My journey isn’t over, but I definitely am doing better. I can’t wait for next year’s challenge and to continue this overall journey. Another set of mini-reviews is below. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your thoughts! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at booktreasures.15.
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
A debut nove: The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
3.75 / 4 stars. This is another mystery/thriller on my list. A baby is missing, and the mother is under suspicion, along with her mommy group of “May Mothers” who all had babies in the same month. There is definitely a lot of intrigue here, and I was moderately surprised by the ending, although I was a bit disappointed that the ending seemed disjointed from the rest of the book. Some of the book dragged a bit, but it was an interesting treatise on motherhood and how lives are shaped, combined with a pretty good mystery.
Connections In Death by J.D. Robb
A book published in 2019: Connections in Death by J.D. Robb
5/5 stars. I just love the In Death series by J.D. Robb. This is the 48th book in the series, and I have loved them all. Set in a future that is just enough like ours to be recognizable and just enough different to be fascinating, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roark find themselves embroiled in interesting cases and surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters. This is one of those worlds in which you wish you could be best friends with the entire cast of characters.
Wicked Never Sleeps (The Hex Files #1) by Gina LaManna
A book that features an imaginary or extinct creature: Wicked Never Sleeps by Gina LaManna
4/5 stars. There is an underworld of magic living in the midst of us. Dani DeMarco lives in this world, and is trying to have as normal of a life as possible amongst the goblins, witches, and vampires. Dani left the police force and has opened a pizza parlor. As these things do, that plan goes sideways.
Her magical skill set is unique and necessary to the case. She also has too much of a soft spot for the victims and the vampire captain of the police force to say no, even though she wants to. There is nothing out of the ordinary or spectacular about this book for its genre, but I like the genre and it was a fun little read in a fantasy world combined with police work.
Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep
A book recommended by a celebrity you admire: Kill The Queen by Jennifer Estep
5/5 stars. I found this on a recommendation list from Tess Gerritsen. I loved this book so much I immediately got side tracked from the book challenge to read the rest of the series. Evie is a very distant relative to the queen. Her distance to the throne becomes much shorter when she’s the sole survivor of a massacre. That’s only the beginning of the trouble she faces. Upon escape, where to go, what to do?
She ends up in a gladiator troupe, and there her journey to recover her life – really to start her life – begins. Evie is a great character, as are the supporting characters. The descriptions in the book are detailed and beautiful, and the author does a great job of giving enough background at the right times to keep the reader intrigued and close to the characters, and holds just enough back to make you want to keep reading to learn more.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
A book With love in the title: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
4/5 stars. When Tate moves in with her brother, she finds herself confused and wildly attracted (physically only) to his best friend Miles, who lives across the hall. Miles doesn’t want love, Tate doesn’t want love. So this works out perfectly for them both, as they engage in hot sex with abandon, and don’t have to worry about emotions getting in the way. Yeah, right.
Naturally, feelings then proceed to get in the way. It’s a story as old as time in the romance book world, but it’s still well-written and Tate and Miles make you root for them the whole way through. Will they find their way through the heart-breaking secrets they’re holding? Of course they will, but it’s a fun ride to go along on.
The Brotherhood of the Wheel by R.S. Belcher
A book that features and amateur detective: The Brotherhood of the Wheel by R.S. Belcher
2/5 stars. I barely finished this book. There is magic in the world, and a secret society with a branch known as the Brotherhood of the Wheel protects the roads and highways for both the normal people who don’t know what the world contains and for the supernaturals. The set up sounds great. The problem is I found the entire thing boring, and it took forever for things to start linking up. I didn’t like the characters. I didn’t even find the monsters particularly scary. I did finish, but will definitely not be reading any more in the series.
Black Rose by Nora Roberts
A book about a family: Black Rose by Nora Roberts
4/5 stars. This is the second book in the In The Garden series (the first is reviewed here). This book is very similar to the first book. I honestly liked this one even better than the first. I think that’s because it features the matriarch of the family, Ros, who is my favorite character in this series. She is a no nonsense woman who has raised her sons, built a business, and thrived in a tough world.
Unfortunately, her house is haunted by a ghost that doesn’t like love. As the make-shift family that has gathered in the garden with Ros tries to figure out the ghost’s history, she hires a genealogist. Love blooms. It is a lovely story, a very easy read with ultimately extremely like-able characters. It makes me want to find a garden and spend my days there.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
A book by an author from Africa, Asia, or South America: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
3.5/5 stars. I heard really great things about this book, and I wavered a lot on my rating. Trevor Noah takes you into a world that is so very foreign from what Americans can really imagine. He vividly describes what it was like to grow up with a black mother and a white father in Apartheid South Africa. The stories are told with detail and a great deal of humor.
The biggest struggle I had with the book is that it seemed very disjointed. It was more like listening to a series of podcasts than a cohesive book. At times the timeline seemed so odd that I could hardly follow what was happening and even caused me to feel like there were conflicting timelines. I also enjoyed the ending of the book a lot more than the beginning and wish there was as much about his teen and young adult years as there was about his childhood.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
A book with a Zodiac of Astrological symbol in the title: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
4/5 stars. This fiction novel is a darkly written piece revolving around a race called the Scorpio Race. The riders brave training on deadly water horses and riding them in a race in which death is not an infrequent occurrence. There has never been a female rider until Puck Connolly enters the race. She doesn’t really want to, but she feels she has to. What follows is a beautifully and hauntingly written exploration of Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick – the returning champion
What makes someone risk their life for a race? How much is someone willing to risk to hold on to what is familiar and dear? The world this is set in is a foreign one, but every word applies to our modern world’s humanity.
That’s the part 3 of the list! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. If you missed part 1, check it out here. Part 2 can be located here. Stay tuned for the next part of the list, and don’t forget to follow the blog and drop me a line if you’ve read any of these books, want to read them, and what you think of them!
Some of the treasures I found in this set of books are below.
Nuggets of gold from the first 9 of the PopSugar Challenge 2019 1. That’s how it is when a person develops an attraction toward someone. He’s nowhere, then suddenly he’s everywhere, whether you want him to be or not. – Colleen Hoover, Ugly Love
2. Sometimes not speaking says more than all the words in the world. Sometimes my silence is saying, I don’t know how to speak to you. I don’t know what you’re thinking. Talk to me. Tell me everything you’ve ever said. All the words. Starting from the very first one. – Colleen Hoover,Ugly Love
3. Didn’t it take courage, wasn’t it harder to blend one life with another, to share and to cope, to compromise than to live that life alone? It was work to live with a man, to wake up every day prepared to deal with routine, and to be open to surprises. – Nora Roberts, Black Rose
4. We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and depending on where you came from, your imagination can be quite limited. – Trevor Noah, Born a Crime
5. Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling. – Trevor Noah, Born a Crime
6. There are moments that you’ll remember for the rest of your life and there are moments that you think you’ll remember for the rest of your life, and it’s not often they turn out to be the same moment. – Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races
7. I think every now and then about Sean’s thumb pressed against my wrist and daydream about him touching me again. But mostly I think about the way he looks at me – with respect – and I think that’s probably worth more than anything. – Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races
My Television fed me visions, but I never created my own until I became a reader.
— Barry Lane
There is something so satisfying about going back and looking at all of the books you’ve read over a year. I’m focusing in here on a set I read for the PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019. When reviewing these books, I’m still almost surprised at how many genres I read. If I look at my previous years of reading, it was all fantasy and mystery with perhaps a romance thrown in here or there (although a lot of those were fantasy novels too).
My love of books has done nothing but grow during this exploration. Even the books I liked less brought me something I didn’t even know I was missing. I hope you enjoy the mini-reviews below. I’d love to hear your thoughts and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at booktreasures.15.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
A book with pop, sugar, or challenge in the title: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
I almost always rate books based upon how strongly I connect to the characters. They don’t have to be like me for me to connect, I just want to feel what they’re feeling. I want to cheer for them and cry for them. That is why I would rate this at a 3 of 5 stars. This book is about an unhappy girl who loves her candy, a brash woman hiding in the unhappy girl’s closet, and the boy the unhappy girl falls for. There are family secrets, plenty of humor, and a touching coming of age story. The premise is interesting, and overall it was an entertaining book. There just wasn’t quite enough here for me to really sink my teeth into. I didn’t really connect strongly enough with the characters. But if you’re looking for a twist on an easy to read coming of age story and romance novel, this one will do the trick.
Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts
A book with a piece of clothing on the cover: Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts
This is one of just a handful of Nora Roberts books I have read, and as with the past books I would rate the book at 4 of 5 stars. In this novel, you follow the lives of two people who grew up together in a traveling magic show that sidelines as a high end thieving ring. As you might expect with Nora Roberts as the author, they fall in love and face challenges along the way. As I have found with other Nora Roberts books, the story itself is interesting, and the setting is innovative. However, the characters don’t strike me as quite realistic enough to truly fall in love with them, and there were entire sections of the book that could have been cut out and not affected the story a bit. Having said that, I still truly enjoyed the book.
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
A book inspired by myth, legend, or folklore: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
I rate this at 4.5 out of 5. I love a good myth-based story, and when I ran into a book based on djinn, I knew I had to read it. Also, what a beautiful cover (not that I judge a book by its cover…). While djinn have featured in supporting roles in some other books I have read, I have never read a book based entirely on this mythical creature. The book was long, and heartbreaking, and absolutely gorgeous in its descriptions. I was also fascinated by learning about the different legends surrounding the djinn. The descriptions of Egypt and Egyptian culture was also intriguing.
Overall, the only reason it isn’t rated at 5 stars is because I thought there was too much packed into the book. This is the first in a trilogy, but based on this first book, it should have been a longer series. The many winding characters and story lines made it more difficult to follow and invest in any one plot line. However, I highly recommend this book.
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
A book that was published posthumously: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo a while back when it first took the world by storm. To be honest, I didn’t get why everyone loved it. I decided to give the series another chance with this one and it gets 3.5 of 5 stars. I did like The Girl Who Played With Fire better. The characters were a bit more compelling, and I really enjoyed the intrigue. However, I still just didn’t love it. The book is a bit abrupt and the amount of truly horrible things that happen to people is just a bit unbelievable and too heavy to carry through the entire book with no relief.
Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet
A book set in space: Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet
This book starts with a bang and never really lets you go from there, earning 4 of 5 stars for me. The story follows a spaceship captain, who of course is unjustly classified as a criminal as she fights against the evil emperor of the universe. She and her crew get in deeper than they ever meant to, and she gathers an interesting group of people around her – including a love interest choc a block with reasons they shouldn’t be together. The more you learn of the universe and the characters, the more you get behind the main characters. There are a lot of cliche’s but they’re cliche’s for a reason. It was a fun and entertaining read, just the way I like my sci fi books.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sara Pekkanen
A book by two female authors: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
I know I’m in the minority here, but I thought this book was just ok and rate it at 3 of 5 stars. The story is about two women and their experiences with the same man. I won’t put spoilers here, but the hype on the book is mostly about the way that it is written to keep a plot twist coming to the reader. It really wasn’t very hard to figure out the plot twist. I just couldn’t drum up as much sympathy for the main characters as I wanted to. It wasn’t like I had to drag myself through the book, but there wasn’t anything that would make me recommend it or read it again.
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
A book that has salty, sweet, bitter, or spicy in the title: Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
I’d give this 3.5 of 5 stars. This is a debut novel in a police procedural, featuring Cat Kinsella. Cat has a complicated history with her family that comes to play a very large role in the case she finds herself embroiled in. this adds a layer of complicated personal issues to a complicated case.
I’m fairly picky about my police procedurals – some I absolutely love, some not so much. This one is somewhere in between. I can’t really say that I loved it. There were parts of the book that were very interesting, and it’s well written and descriptive. The first half of the book, though, ragged on. It felt like the same issues and thoughts were replayed too many times, and there was little actual investigating happening. However, the second half picked up and I can see glimmers of how this could be an interesting series – the case itself was riddled with twists and turns. Once the book gained momentum, it was a thoroughly interesting mystery.
The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
A book set in Scandinavia: The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
4 out of 5 stars. Freya helps children through psychological evaluation and support, and in this case she is helping to interview a child who was present when her mother was murdered in a particularly brutal (and inventive) way. The police are faced with a twisting and complicated case that turns out to be a serial killer with a puzzling motive. Oh, and the lead investigator and Freya have a history. Told through various characters, the mystery is compelling and innovative. It isn’t often that I can’t figure out the motive and killer way before the end of the book, but in this case it had me guessing until the end. The only thing I wish is that the investigating part was more prominent in the book, and it was less dependent on serendipity. Overall, a good start to a mystery series.
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
A book that takes place in a single day: Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
Reading the blurb on this book, I was really looking forward to a fascinating journey through many interesting moments and lives, and an introspective journey through Lillian Boxfish’s life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, so I’d rate it at 3.5 of 5 stars. The book follows octogenarian Lillian Boxfish as she walks through New York City contemplating the years past and years to come. Essentially letting the wind blow her were it will, we get insight into her past. She does have a couple of unexpected adventures. I wanted to love the book. I didn’t.
I didn’t really find Lillian herself all that interesting – she just wasn’t a heroine I could get behind. She seemed selfish and her reflections on herself and her life seemed defensive rather than insightful. I found it difficult to finish this one.
That’s the part 2 of the list! If you missed part 1, check it out here. Stay tuned for the next part of the list, and don’t forget to follow the blog and drop me a line if you’ve read any of these books, want to read them, and what you think of them!
Some of the words that touched me during this journey are in the book treasures below.
Nuggets of gold from the first 9 of the PopSugar Challenge 2019 1. Sometimes what’s inside will change your life but sometimes you don’t even have to read it. Sometimes it’s a comfort just to have a book around. – Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
2. It was the best first kiss in the history of first kisses. It was as sweet as sugar. And it was warm. As warm as pie. The whole world opened up and I fell inside. I don’t know where I was, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care because the only person who mattered was there with me. – Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
3. It feels like he’s taken your heart, doesn’t it?…Like he’s reached in and pulled it out from you. And I bet he smiles like he doesn’t know, like he doesn’t know he’s holding your heart in his hand and you’re dying from him. – Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
4. Safe is just another word for scare. – Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen
5. People tell their children there are no monsters in the world. They tell them that because they believe it, or they want the child to feel safe. But there are monsters, Luke, all the more frightening because they look like people. – Nora Roberts, Honest Illusions
6. “Are you ready?” Nahri asked when she and Munthadir were alone. He laughed as he strapped a wicked-looking sword to his waist. “Not in the slightest. You?” “God no.” Nahri grabbed another needle-sharp dagger and flipped it into her sleeve. “Let’s go die.” – S. A. Chakraborty, The City of Brass
7. There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility. – Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Played With Fire
8. But she wished she had had the guts to go up to him and say hello. Or possibly break his legs, she wasn’t sure which. – Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Played With Fire
9. I didn’t want to get caught. But I also wouldn’t stop doing what I needed to do just because I feared the possible consequences. Fear was something I could accept. Abandoning the galaxy to a group of despots was not. – Amanda Boucchet, Nightchaser
10. I was happy, I think, but I wonder now if my memory is playing tricks on me. If it is giving me the gift of illusion. We all layer them over our remembrances; the filters through which we want to see our lives. – Greer Hendricks, The Wife Between Us
11. I thought at times that poetry might be an elegant way of screaming. – Kathleen Rooney, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
The have a sense that the length of a day is mutable, and you can never see the end from the beginning. They have a sense that love changes all things all the time.
That’s what love is for.
— Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star
I love this book so much more than I expected to; 5 of 5. I thought I was getting into a romance book, but I honestly don’t think that category adequately describes the book. It’s character driven, and is more an exploration of how lives interconnect, different perspectives on the world, and how perception and experience colors our world than it is a romance. It definitely is a book about love, but despite the wonderful conversations and philosophies on romantic love, it also is a book about family love and love of those around us and love of life.
The two main characters are very well explored – we get a great look into their thoughts, and spending an entire, emotionally jam-packed day with them, gives plenty of room to learn them and become connected and invested. But perhaps what makes the book truly special is the interludes where the supporting characters – some that are barely a blip on the radar, some that are heavily on the characters’ minds – are given a rich history. These connections make the book into something that transcends a simple romance.
We are capable of big lives. A big history. Why settle? Why choose the practical thing, the mundane things? We are born to dream and make the things we dream about. Nicola Yoon, The Sun Is Also A Star
The entire book takes place in a single day, but oh what a day. Daniel is headed to a college interview he doesn’t want to go to out of obligation to his parents, and Natasha is desperately trying to stop her family from being deported that night. Natasha has lost her desire to dream or find passion in life; Daniel is a dreamer who’d rather be writing poetry than pretty much anything else. On the surface, not only should these two never cross paths, but when they do they shouldn’t even really like each other. But they do, and in a place where they both need someone, they find their way through a roller-coaster day and to each other.
In the mix with these two are the families that come from immigrant backgrounds and various expectations that come with that, the lawyer and his paralegal, the suicidal security guard, the father grieving his lost child, a history of eyes, a history of love, and the fates. All of whom get their own moment in the sun, and who enrich this story so that it becomes a woven tapestry of inspiration, humor, and enough tragedy to keep your feet on the ground. I couldn’t put it down.
This book left me uplifted and curious about the world and lives I encounter every day. Even if romance isn’t your thing, I highly recommend this book.
What did you think? Leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to follow my blog!
Nuggets of gold from The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon 1. Maybe part of falling in love with someone else is also falling in love with yourself.
2. “I don’t believe in love.” “It’s not a religion,” he says. “It exists whether you believe in it or not.”
