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bookmaddie's reviews
1036 reviews
Wild and Distant Seas by Tara Karr Roberts
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
A recent read from my whale historical fiction era (which I think is over for now...) that got better as it went along! This novel follows multiple generations of one family, going from mother to daughter. Each woman has a special power—foresight, being able to see other people’s memories, etc—that helps them along the way. Each woman is searching for something, even if it might not bring the closure they so desire.
While the story begins with a mother’s grief and a daughter’s search for a lost father, their story is lost, and the rest of the women search desperately for a past they feel but can’t remember. The tone is very whimsical and nostalgic, bringing the windswept shores of Nantucket and the boisterous ports of Brazil and Italy to life.
I was charmed by the setting and writing, but I felt as if I was leaving each woman’s story just before the conclusion. It got a bit old to be dragged from story to story with no closure to the prior narrative. Also, a lot of these women misunderstand their moms so much, in a way that reads so naive and brash on the page. It didn’t make sense to me, and felt really repetitive. I felt that the whole root of their inherited trauma was never addressed and kept a secret for way too long. I wanted some emotional heart-to-hearts and character development that happened marginally, rather than all at once at the very end.
I think the structure of the book hindered the character development, but the sweet ending still delighted me. All the loose threads got knotted together, and I finally got the closure I was after! If you’re in the mood for an adventurous, sweeping story, then this is a good debut to give a try. I’ll be curious what Roberts writes in the future, as there’s lots here to love and I think her writing can only get better!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Waves by Ingrid Chabbert
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
4.25
Really powerful. Beautifully told and illustrated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death of parent
Call Me Nathan by Catherine Castro
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
expressive art style, a beautiful story of trans joy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
All's Well by Mona Awad
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Just not vibing with the main character, nor all the Shakespeare content.
The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Homelessness
There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
This was my first Abdurraqib book, and it definitely won’t be my last. I now know what I’ve been missing out on!
Through the lens of basketball, this essay collection explores the connection one can have to a city, to its people, and the perseverance and faith required to go on living. Abdurraqib makes a beautiful, spiritual plea for remembrance, love, and hope, ensuring we can’t forget values necessary for life. The power in Abdurraqib’s words blew me away—it almost felt holy in some moments (this coming from a very non-religious person).
Just genius—beautiful, endlessly touching, and full of love. I highlighted so much, but won’t share any quotes as the advanced copy I read isn’t final. Make sure you have your highlighters/pencils/pens ready for this one.
Thanks Random House and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy.
Through the lens of basketball, this essay collection explores the connection one can have to a city, to its people, and the perseverance and faith required to go on living. Abdurraqib makes a beautiful, spiritual plea for remembrance, love, and hope, ensuring we can’t forget values necessary for life. The power in Abdurraqib’s words blew me away—it almost felt holy in some moments (this coming from a very non-religious person).
Just genius—beautiful, endlessly touching, and full of love. I highlighted so much, but won’t share any quotes as the advanced copy I read isn’t final. Make sure you have your highlighters/pencils/pens ready for this one.
Thanks Random House and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
The Sitter by Angela O'Keeffe
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Gorgeous and heart-rending.
-
“It’s not as if always is never true. It’s that it wears thin. It’s that it can’t cover every situation, every deed. It’s that always is seldom always.”
This is one of the books I got on my recent trip to Aotearoa New Zealand and I’m so glad I picked it up!
This slim novel follows a writer and her muse, Marie-Hortense Fiquet, the wife of Cézanne, who appears to her as a ghostly presence. The novel is told from Hortense’s perspective as she watches over the writer during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a tad hesitant to read a pandemic novel, but this story blends history and memories into the narrative, helping it rise above the fear of the early days of the pandemic. However, COVID-19 does play a very large role in the present-day narrative, so beware if that could be triggering for you.
I really loved the historical parts that explored Hortense’s memories of her life and her husband. O’Keefe brought her to life beautifully, and gave her the agency and space for understanding that she lacked during her life. The writer’s own story—told through a short story she writes while ill—was equally beautiful and paralleled Hortense’s story in interesting ways. Plot aside, this novel sings with a quiet elegance, yet feels warm and comforting, even when the story takes a darker turn. You can feel Hortense’s love for the writer, who has given her a second chance in many ways.
This is a story of healing and connection, honesty and recollection. O’Keefe’s writing charmed me and I’m eager for more!
-
“It’s not as if always is never true. It’s that it wears thin. It’s that it can’t cover every situation, every deed. It’s that always is seldom always.”
This is one of the books I got on my recent trip to Aotearoa New Zealand and I’m so glad I picked it up!
This slim novel follows a writer and her muse, Marie-Hortense Fiquet, the wife of Cézanne, who appears to her as a ghostly presence. The novel is told from Hortense’s perspective as she watches over the writer during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a tad hesitant to read a pandemic novel, but this story blends history and memories into the narrative, helping it rise above the fear of the early days of the pandemic. However, COVID-19 does play a very large role in the present-day narrative, so beware if that could be triggering for you.
I really loved the historical parts that explored Hortense’s memories of her life and her husband. O’Keefe brought her to life beautifully, and gave her the agency and space for understanding that she lacked during her life. The writer’s own story—told through a short story she writes while ill—was equally beautiful and paralleled Hortense’s story in interesting ways. Plot aside, this novel sings with a quiet elegance, yet feels warm and comforting, even when the story takes a darker turn. You can feel Hortense’s love for the writer, who has given her a second chance in many ways.
This is a story of healing and connection, honesty and recollection. O’Keefe’s writing charmed me and I’m eager for more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I am finally sick of Alice Hoffman’s writing—it’s too saccharine and dreamy for me. I have finally realized it !!! Also this plot was BONKERS like why is Mia’s self worth tied so strongly to her love for a man, why did she fall in LOVE with a dead author and WHY is Nathanial Hawthorne written as a raging feminist???? Even if he was liberal for the time, I cannot believe this.
A Thread of Violence: A Story of Truth, Invention, and Murder by Mark O'Connell
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder