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thisreadingcorner's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Authenticity Project aka the secret of the traveling notebook, follows a motley crew of unlikely friends brought together by sharing their stories in a notebook and then passing it on (purposefully or accidentally) to the next writer.
The crew:
* Julian - octogenarian artist finding that his glamorous youth can’t compensate for a lonely retirement
* Monica - compulsive cafe owner wondering if her ticking clock means her best has come and gone
* Hazard - retired finance douchebag attempting to turn over a new leaf
* Riley - wandering Aussie gardener “going with the flow” through life and love
* Alice - girl boss turned IG mom/trophy wife wondering if her best and come and gone
* Lizzie - admitted busybody hoping to alleviate some of the glaring dysfunction in these folks
* Mary - ******’s **** come to set the record straight
* The background cast, especially Mrs. Wu and her tai chi
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and there’s not too much I can say without spoiling all the fun, but I really enjoyed this. I found myself rooting for Hazard by the end when he was everything I hate at the beginning (it was the grovel for meee). I loved Monica the whole time. Julian was a menace. Riley was predictably self-involved (dictionary definition Himbo), and the other ladies were window dressing. Alice’s sections made me realize I’m good on reading that brand of reflection on motherhood as someone entirely divested 🤷🏾♀️
Read it and tell me what you thought!
The crew:
* Julian - octogenarian artist finding that his glamorous youth can’t compensate for a lonely retirement
* Monica - compulsive cafe owner wondering if her ticking clock means her best has come and gone
* Hazard - retired finance douchebag attempting to turn over a new leaf
* Riley - wandering Aussie gardener “going with the flow” through life and love
* Alice - girl boss turned IG mom/trophy wife wondering if her best and come and gone
* Lizzie - admitted busybody hoping to alleviate some of the glaring dysfunction in these folks
* Mary - ******’s **** come to set the record straight
* The background cast, especially Mrs. Wu and her tai chi
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and there’s not too much I can say without spoiling all the fun, but I really enjoyed this. I found myself rooting for Hazard by the end when he was everything I hate at the beginning (it was the grovel for meee). I loved Monica the whole time. Julian was a menace. Riley was predictably self-involved (dictionary definition Himbo), and the other ladies were window dressing. Alice’s sections made me realize I’m good on reading that brand of reflection on motherhood as someone entirely divested 🤷🏾♀️
Read it and tell me what you thought!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Infidelity
viwilliams's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Cancer, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Grief
ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Drug use
Moderate: Infidelity and Outing
Minor: Vomit
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, Abandonment, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content
imreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I enjoyed the first half of the book, I found the rest of the half took a very different turn. I grew to despise the character I once either enjoyed or liked in the beginning. I usually try to not DNF a book, but at many times I was tempted. I feel horrible disliking a somewhat positive book, but my dislike for the some of the characters made it impossible to enjoy.
I hated how Mary was alive the whole time and the book was build on lies. I did, however, enjoy seeing things through her perspective and she seemed to have agency. I, however, despised the rushed last minute relationship, they (Hazard and Monica) have are the most incompatible pairing in this book. Hazard, who I found infuriating through this book from time to time, doesn't need a relationship. He needs therapy and Narcotics Anonymous! You can't got cold turkey on an Class A drug, it's very dangerous and difficult thing to do.
Riley was done dirty, the only character I really liked by the end. I felt awful for how constantly undermined and patronised he was. The lesson on (just paraphrasing, don't you'd this against me) "just because he's a happy person doesn't make him simple or sweet" whatever it was.
Monica, who I actually liked at the beginning of this book, has some unresolved internalised misogyny. I don't know if I'm misread anything, but I found her hostility to some of the women in this book as frustrating, and her view on feminism is extremely flawed. I can't help but feel bad for her. To anyone who needs to hear this, it's okay if you want a baby; it doesn't make you less of a feminist or a woman if you want those things.
Lastly, as much as I hate Max, Alice deserved to have her ending and leave Max. <\spoiler>
I'm not sure if didn't enjoy this book so much because my expectations of it were too high and I expected it to be something that it wasn't, if so. My bad. This might be the book for you,
I unfortunately didn't enjoy it. And as for the author, I'm sorry for the 1 star review.
Riley was done dirty, the only character I really liked by the end. I felt awful for how constantly undermined and patronised he was. The lesson on (just paraphrasing, don't you'd this against me) "just because he's a happy person doesn't make him simple or sweet" whatever it was.
Monica, who I actually liked at the beginning of this book, has some unresolved internalised misogyny. I don't know if I'm misread anything, but I found her hostility to some of the women in this book as frustrating, and her view on feminism is extremely flawed. I can't help but feel bad for her. To anyone who needs to hear this, it's okay if you want a baby; it doesn't make you less of a feminist or a woman if you want those things.
Lastly, as much as I hate Max, Alice deserved to have her ending and leave Max. <\spoiler>
I'm not sure if didn't enjoy this book so much because my expectations of it were too high and I expected it to be something that it wasn't, if so. My bad. This might be the book for you,
I unfortunately didn't enjoy it. And as for the author, I'm sorry for the 1 star review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Misogyny
Misogynistic tones can be picked up from time to time. The other content warnings are very detailed and appear very frequently.annir's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Outing, and Pregnancy
therobinjoyce's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I loved the multiple POVs that we got to follow and how diverse in age, gender, nationality, sexuality and background each character was. Watching the relationships grow between them all and the found family emerge throughout the pages of the book was just wonderful and Clare Pooley’s writing style just tickled me sometimes, really adding life and soul into these characters.
I will say, I wasn’t a fan of Julian even from the start, but the whole cast together was just lovely. I especially adored Monica, Hazard, and Betty Wu. Alice’s story really struck me on a personal note and just made the whole experience that much more touching.
I would definitely recommend this read to anyone who loves a cosy contemporary fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, and Addiction
Moderate: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Cancer, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Cursing, Sexism, and Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia
wanderingtales's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent and Homophobia
kp_writ's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
cherryvillegirl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Homophobia and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer and Death
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