Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Il libro dei desideri by Sue Monk Kidd

15 reviews

cassiecarola's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Minor: Infertility

dizzyizzyy's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Abortion

feliciatarantino's review against another edition

4.0

I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this novel, given its content. But I can happily say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. While a few creative liberties were taken here and there, I think that Sue Monk Kidd did an incredible job of filling in the blanks, crafting a story that we as readers could relate to and a heroine that could be admired. Ana was ambitious, resilient, and courageous, not to mention witty and scholarly, in a time where a woman possessing any of those traits was condemned. As a historian, it was especially interesting to see the influence of feminist theology in her writing. Overall, this was a thought-provoking story with an interesting perspective!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Rape, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Sexism and Slavery

jwicks's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

danicakvcs's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Torture

musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? No

3.75

This is the story of Ana, wife of Jesus, but also author, friend, and prophet in her own right.

I quite enjoyed this story and how it wove through the biblical life of Jesus. Despite the subject matter, it never felt preachy and kind of made Jesus more accessible as a man who lived a full life before his crucifixion. 

I enjoyed the characters and felt attached to the story, even though the ending was clear from the beginning (as I suppose it would be given the subject).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Miscarriage

maddiebusick's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Slavery, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Deportation

kelly_e's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-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? No

3.0

Title: The Book of Longings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: March 23 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Tender • Imaginative • Historic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Set in the first century, Ana is a gifted young woman secretly writing stories in a male dominated society. She comes from a wealthy family, and is expected to marry a rich, older widower, but an encounter with 18-year-old Jesus will change everything.

The Book of Longings is the story of their marriage and one women's determination to realize her passion and potential.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was super excited to read The Book of Longings because I had loved Sue Monk Kidd's previous works. When I originally bought this book, I hadn't read the premise, and when I finally did I was hesitant to jump in. On the urging from several book friends to give it a chance, I did just that and here are my thoughts.

It is flawlessly and beautifully written with each sentence flowing into the next.
It is well researched and presented. The author even mentions where she erred on dates in the name of creative freedom to help with flow.
It is imaginative, the plot is definitely unlike any historical fiction I've read before.
It is an ode to fierce females with Ana being one of the most courageous characters in recent memory, especially in a male dominated society.

But...

It was just not for me. I couldn't remove the religious aspect from my experience, and all the biblical detail and reference were hard for me to focus on.

Don't let that deter you. This is hands down one of those cases where it was me and definitely not the book.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
• readers who love a fierce female lead

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"When you're in love, you remember everything." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Sexism

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Blood

death of partner

kcarney86's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Torture, and Grief

Moderate: Blood and Antisemitism

Minor: Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

bandysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is basically the telling of Jesus’ life through the eyes of his wife. She explains her absence from the biblical stories and he’s written in a way that he’s just a normal man, not a deity. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism