howifeelaboutbooks's reviews
1802 reviews

The Hours Count by Jillian Cantor

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 I’m devouring all of Cantor’s work because I love her twists on historical events. I didn’t know much at all about the Rosenbergs but this story grabbed me and made me research them. It’s wild reading this now, about things that happened in the 50s, while looking around at the mess we’re in now. Talk about history repeating itself in ways but us not learning a damn thing… 

James by Percival Everett

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

  I think I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a kid - probably adapted versions. And maybe parts of them in grad school when I took a class on Mark Twain and humor. And of course I saw Tom and Huck when I was young because JTT was my biggest crush. But I don’t really remember much of the story and kind of liked going into this blind. The book blew me away. I loved James and everything he got into, and how he got out of it. I love Everett’s writing style, too, and want to read more from him. 

An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman

adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

 This book was so fun! Frances and George finally get to go to France... but not for the wedding trip they expected. I loved getting more of George's family involved and thought the case and its surrounding drama was probably the best yet in this series. I can't wait for the next installment since this book will most likely change a lot of what happens in the future. 

Margot by Jillian Cantor

dark emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

 I’m so glad I discovered Jillian Cantor with Beautiful Little Fools because now I’m devouring every book of hers, often in a day. Her approach to historical fiction is fascinating and so accessible. I’ve never been that into it because I can’t get into the characters - it feels too much like studying. But Cantor breathes life into everyone and puts a unique spin on things. This book was absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to read more by her. 

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Reading this during the long lull without Bake Off was perfect. I’ve wanted to read a mystery set on a closed set like that and this was really well done. I think it really captured the baking show vibe and had some intrigue regarding a few of the characters’ pasts. I previously read I Need You to Read This by the same author but loved this one much more and am looking forward to reading more. 

A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I like that Frances and George are growing together and I like seeing how they work together, but this book was a miss for me. I think all the side characters being a previously unknown family made it harder for me to feel invested in the mystery. I did like how Aunt Hetty stepped up again - she's possibly my favorite character! 

A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman

funny mysterious 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? No

4.0

This might have been my favorite book in the series yet! I love seeing more of Frances’s family - they’re all really unique characters. After some of the suspects blending together in the previous two books, this crime and everyone involved really stood out and had me hooked. There were lots of potential suspects yet the reader was able to solve things along with Frances and George. 

A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

After a lackluster third installment, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the progression of the relationship between George and Frances, and liked seeing more of Aunt Hetty. It was also nice that Alicia Stoke-Whitney made a reappearance and developed her character a bit more. I got a bit of Irena’s backstory and family confused throughout the first part of the book, but overall it was a good story and great mystery. 

Great Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder by Richard Daniel Lehan

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I don't think I've ever read a critical book that wasn't for school, and I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, nor did I know what I'd get out of it. But it was amazing, and a lot of it opened my eyes to new layers in the classic text.

My favorite section was Chapter 12, Seeing and Misseeing: Narrative Unfolding, which breaks down the book's timeline. I also appreciated the chapters breaking down characters, including George and Myrtle Wilson. After reading Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor, applying those women's backstories to these straightforward interpretations was incredibly interesting.

While the book does focus on The Great Gatsby, the author also draws parallels between that and Fitzgerald's other works when there are common themes or character traits, so it gives you a broad scope of his writing. I took notes to create a suggested reading list as well.

I knew a fair amount about Fitzgerald's inspiration for the story, which this book addresses, but it also discusses some of his influences and, again, that helped me create a suggested reading list. I think it will be fun to check out some of these other authors (some I've read, some I haven't) and see if I can notice the commonalities myself.

There is also more general information, like this, from Chapter 3, Critical Reception:

It is hard for a reader today to realize that when F. Scott Fitzgerald died in December 1940, all of his books were out of print, including the fourth printing of The Great Gatsby, the 1934 Modern Library edition, which Random House had let go out of print because it was not selling well. Today The Great Gatsby sells over three hundred thousand copies a year, and over three hundred critical essays have been written about it since Fitzgerald's death.

(This book was published in 1990, for context.)

I'd be interested in seeing how many copies are sold annually now, how many more critical essays (and books) have been written, and, in the spirit of my upcoming chapbook, Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle, how many books and retellings it has inspired. 

Perhaps it's time for me to dive into a rabbit hole... 

Green Light: A Gatsby Cycle by Janet Dale, Allison Renner

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm biased as the author of the flash fiction pieces, but I think how this book came together (using the first page of each chapter of The Great Gatsby for found poetry, and one sentence from each of those pages to inspire a flash fiction piece) makes it worth reading even if you're not as attached to it as I am.