Again, but Better

Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was cheesy and a bit over-dramatic, but I appreciate Riccio's attempt to portray a more honest college student than so many YA books do. Her protagonist was nerdy and insecure, unaware of how to carry herself, still deferring to her parents, not sure how to interact with boys, etc. The magical realism was an interesting twist.

Not amazing, but entertaining. It would make a good movie. In Rainbow Rowell's hands, this could have been magic.

Happy reading--

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was intoxicating - once I started, I went to back to it every chance I got. I loved that it was a historical fiction that was not about a war or specific event. Instead, portions of the story were simply colored by the time in which the characters lived. I enjoyed too the three narrators, the different locations, and their respective eras. I'm always drawn in by untold stories and artifacts from people who have lived before us, so I appreciated the forgotten letters element. This book took on mental health and post-partum issues in 1950s England - that's certainly not a common story for that era, and so I was drawn in (being pregnant obviously was a factor for me) to Esther's story.

I think this book is worth a read. It made me think of the Hamilton musical line: "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" Ron Chernow and Lin-Manuel Miranda both focus on that concept in their tellings of Hamilton history, but they don't shy away from Hamilton's missteps. The complete story is more important than one that is neat and tidy and ignores the mistakes and dark periods of a person's life. Esther Durrant's full story is worth telling, and so are our stories - even when they are messy.

Happy reading and happy story telling--

A Long Petal of the Sea

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Isabel Allende is one of those authors I've been meaning to read for years. She lives in the Bay Area, and her name seems to pop up all the time. I'm so glad to have finally read one of her books. She's a great writer. I love that she translates her own work, which is exceptionally rare. I love too that she is Chilean-American since my sister-in-law is Chilean and my nephew was born there, and I just don't feel like you read many stories that take place in or around Chile.

This book was a perfect follow-up to Ruta Sepetys' Fountains of Silence as it also deals with Franco Spain. This book, however, with an adult audience takes on a more broad discussion of nationalism and belonging as we follow the main characters as they are exiled from Spain to Chile. The reason this is four star read for me and not a five is that the same fire and engagement I felt at the beginning waned in the middle for me. It ended powerfully, but I felt like it meandered a bit. Still it's a sweeping saga of a story. It would make a great movie, and I love that Pablo Neruda is a character in the story. As Chile's seemingly most prolific poet, it was so interesting to learn more about him through Allende's eyes.

While this book has nothing to do with a pandemic, it still felt a little scary at times amidst current conditions. I only mention that for readers who are feeling more sensitive and need lighter reads for the time being.

As always, happy reading--

Untamed

Untamed by Glennon Doyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been a few days since I finished Untamed, and I'm still debating what I think about it. Perhaps it's because I don't feel the need to be "untamed" at this phase in my life or because it was a less cohesive narrative than I expected. The short version though is that there were chapters in this book that I loved and found myself nodding along and there were others where I felt like I was being preached at while she was saying people shouldn't impose their beliefs on you. When Glennon talks about her personal experiences, the text is better. So, this is a three star book with four and five star portions...

Happy reading and good luck with social distancing--

ps. If you read this, please call me. I'm dying to talk it out.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really, really liked this book. I love the concept of simple moments in time changing the course of our lives a la Sliding Doors, but better. Whenever I question past decisions, I settle on the fact that those decisions led me to the life I have now, so there's no going back. It would be fun though to see where choices or events would have taken you, and that's what we get to do with Lydia.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but there is love and hope...and it's not firmly rooted in reality, which I think is good for us right now. Can't wait to hear what you think!

Happy reading--

The Paris Orphan

The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a thing for books with dual narratives that jump between time periods...it never hurts when one of those time periods is the 1940s. This is not a perfect book, but the story is very compelling. It's 3.5 star rounded up because I liked how the two narratives came together and how Lester built her story off of historical figures. This felt a bit like "Rosie the Journalist/Photographer" (rather than Rosie the Riveter) tells her story. And it made me want to go to the French countryside, which is always a good idea.

Happy reading--