life_full_ofbooks's reviews
1949 reviews

The Postcard by Anne Berest

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This is a must read book for everyone! While it is categorized as a novel, the majority of it is nonfiction and is as close as one can get to hearing about the atrocities faced by Jewish people before, during, and after the Holocaust from someone who actually lived it. 

In January of 2003 Anne Berest finds  a postcard from an anonymous sender in the mail. Written on the postcard are the names of her great grandparents and two of their children: Ephraïm, Emma, Noémie, and Jacques- all who perished at concentration camps during the Holocaust. Over the next 15 years, Anne continues to wonder who sent this card and why and she finally decides to start doing some deep research to find out more about her family. Her mother, Léila Picabia, has boxes of papers that she has gathered over the years and together they go on a quest to find who sent the postcard and why. 

This is one of the most moving books I’ve ever read. Because the nonfiction part is both memoir and family history, Ms. Berest gives a very detailed accounting of a Russian Jewish family just trying to live in peace. As someone who is Jewish I found parts of this to be extremely hard to listen to and there were some parts I listened to several times just to make sure I was soaking in everything. 

As far as I’m concerned, categorizing this as a novel is doing a real disservice to this book. The fictitious parts, as far as I can see, are of what happened to Myriam’s family after she hid the night the French police came to arrest her Noémie and Jacques since there is no actual accounting for what happened to them in Paris, on the cattle cars, and in Auschwitz. While Myriam wasn’t there when Ephraïm and Emma were arrested, Anne and Léila were able to find the papers that showed they were, but again there is no accounting as to what happened to them after that, though what is written in this book is a good guess, knowing they were older. The historical fiction genre is flooded with stories from WW2 and this family’s haunting past shouldn’t be muted by the clutter. Regardless of the genre under which this is categorized, it should be read and talked about since the only way to prevent history from repeating itself is to talk about it. 

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

I think it’s ironic that the premise of this book is that a 33 year old woman doesn’t want to date a man her Mom wants her to due to her perception that the man is boring, because boring is exactly how I’d describe this. 

Emily Hung is 33 years old, the second oldest of 5 sisters, and the only one who isn’t married. On the day of her youngest sister’s wedding, Emily’s mom informs her she has invited Mark Chan to the wedding as Emily’s date. One glance at Mark tells Emily everything she needs to know about him and she is definitely not interested in this boring fuddy-duddy of a man. She doesn’t want her Mom to continue to hound her so she comes up with a scheme to pretend to date Mark. Mark is game to play along and somewhere along the way fake starts blending with real. 

I really wanted to like this book, but it’s just so bland. While the premise is cute and the characters seem lovely, it doesn’t feel like there’s any real substance and the characters feel two dimensional, instead of popping off the pages. I was actually quite shocked to find this isn’t the author’s first or second novel because the writing just isn’t that of a seasoned author. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy of this. Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies hit the shelves on May 7th. 

Street Corner Dreams: A Novel by Florence Reiss Kraut

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love Jewish historical fiction, especially when it’s not your typical WW2 setting. Street Corner Dreams takes place in NYC from the mid 1910’s up until the start of WW2 and that’s what drew me to this. 

Italian gangs and Jewish gangs were of New York  Morty, the baby, grows up on the streets of Brooklyn trying to stay away from both the Italian and Jewish gangs. When something happens that has him asking an old friend for money he finds himself in the middle of one of the biggest crime laden Jewish gangs in all of New York. Unable to escape he ends up deserting the only life he knows- including his family and the girl he loves, leaving them to think he died a gangster. 

I really loved the idea of this book since books about Jewish families set in the 1920’s-1940’s in New York always make me think of my grandparents as children. I enjoyed pretty much all of it but endings can often break a book and this ending certainly did. In the acknowledgments, Ms. Kraut mentioned this was a work of fiction heavily inspired by a real family member. It left me wondering, did she end the book as abruptly as she did because she didn’t know what happened in real life or did she end it so abruptly because she ran out of time or steam? In either case she should have had an ending that tied things up instead of leaving loose ends. 

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for an advanced copy of this. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. Street Corner Dreams hit the shelves on November 13, 2023. 

Adventures of an American Medical Student: A Novel by James Champion

informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.25

I was drawn to this book because my husband is a doctor and I met him during his fourth year of medical school. When I learned the author is a DO I was excited because my husband is also a DO. I figured this would be like Samuel Shem’s House of God, which is a satirical novel chronicling 6 interns first year of residency, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

This “novel” chronicles James Banks’ third and fourth years of medical school- the clinical years where he does monthly rotations with different specialties. This is not a novel. If anything perhaps it can be categorized as a fictionalized memoir, as Dr. Champion makes sure to note at the beginning that some names (but not all) have been changed. 

While the bits about the patients he saw were interesting, I was extremely turned off that every woman he met was described as either attractive, cute, or obese and the men were described as either handsome or overweight- this was the same regardless of whether the person was a patient, a patient’s family member, the attending doctor, a nurse, a drug rep, or a fellow medical student or resident. 

By the last quarter anytime I read the words, “Wow, you’re tall!” or the like spoken to James by an attending or “I’m a Christian” spoken by patients, James, and practically every other person, I audibly groaned because we get it- you’re tall and you are Christian living in a Christian area.

In the beginning he mentioned going home and logging his patient encounters in a journal and the majority of this reads like it’s that journal that was published along with some context of the rotation. While he mentions his wife in nearly every chapter, it feels like she was an afterthought and perhaps added to give this book less of a journalistic feel. All in all, the big takeaway here is not anyone can be an author. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Roundfire Books for an advanced copy of this. Adventures of an American Medical Student hit the shelves on May 1st. 

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was recommended to me by a friend for my 12 Recs by 12 Friends challenge and I had to wait nearly 4 months for my hold at the library to come up, but it definitely was worth the wait. 

Billy Perkins is a single Dad living in Baltimore who gives piano lessons out of his small apartment above the record store Charm City Rocks. One night he and his 18 year old son, Caleb, are watching a Netflix documentary on music and when the music of the aughts is featured he mentions that he had a huge crush on Margot Hammer, the drummer of the old band Burnt Flowers. Caleb, thinking his Dad is sad and lonely, creates a scenario to try to bring the reclusive Margot to Baltimore and into the arms of his Dad.

This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the end. Matthew Norman has written the perfect contemporary romance peppered with just the right amount of humor. All of his characters are wonderfully charming and the writing style was absolutely perfect. I will definitely be checking out Mr. Norman’s backlist since I definitely need his books and characters in my life. 

Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano

emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I was so excited to see a new book by Ann Napolitano since I loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. I quickly discovered this is actually a republishing of Ms. Napoliatano’s first book which was originally published 20 years ago.

This family drama chronicles the lives of the McLaughlin/Leary family during a 9 month period through the eyes of matriarch, Catharine; her oldest daughter, Kelly; Kelly’s two daughters, Gracie and Lila; and a nurse, Noreen. Everyone is dealing with their own drama and instead of working as a cohesive unit, each is so focused on their own issues that no one is able to help one another, until Lila’s eyes are opened by someone unexpected and she realizes that there’s more to life and family than what they all seem to think. 

Normally I love family dramas, but this one just didn’t work for me. I don’t mind a dysfunctional family, but when there isn’t a single likable character within the pages of the book it makes it really hard to feel any kind of empathy for the characters and for the issues which they are all having. 

After I read Hello Beautiful (having read Dear Edward a couple of years before) I was thrilled that Ms. Napolitano was able to write books that were so deep yet vastly different. It turns out I thought that only because I hadn’t yet read Within Arm’s Reach. I guess it’s a good thing I hadn’t read this one first because I never would have picked up her other two books. I can’t fault the 29 year old author for not writing a book with as much compassion as the 45-50 year old author did since time brings maturity, but I that doesn’t change how I feel about this debut novel. 

While I wasn’t fond of this book, I loved Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful and I’m glad I had a chance to read Ms. Napolitano’s debut as it shows how much she’s grown as an author over the last 20 years. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this republishing. Within Arm’s Reach hit the shelves (again) on April 30th. 

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

I’m not always a big fan of time loops so I wasn’t really sure I wanted to read this one. My youngest daughter (14) read this and thought it was ok (more on that later) and my middle daughter (18) read this and loved it. In fact, this was the first book she has read in a while and she read it in a day. I thought it would be fun if I read it so we could discuss it and I was right!

Emilie Hornby has had the worst Valentines Day of her life. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong so she goes to her grandma’s house to sleep there and get a little comfort. She is shocked when she wakes up the next day in her bed at home and even more shocked to discover it’s Valentines Day again. After weeks of this she decides to live life pushing her boundaries knowing that everything will reset “tomorrow”. In doing this she finally learns who she really is and discovers there’s more to life than just trying to make others happy. 

I really enjoyed the concept of this but like my youngest daughter, I found the things Emilie did while pushing the boundaries to be anxiety provoking, which made it a bit less enjoyable. My middle daughter didn’t have any of the same anxiety issues we had and found it to be quite enjoyable. 

While this is only the second book I’ve read by Lynn Painter she’s quickly become one of my favorite YA authors and I’m looking forward to reading her backlist books. 

Northwoods: A Novel by Amy Pease

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I’ve had this ARC since January. I requested it because I had heard good things about it, but after reading the synopsis, I got scared and let it sit. I finally put a hold on the audiobook version and after months of waiting, it finally came up and I listened to it yesterday and today. All I can say is I’m kicking myself for not reading it back in January, because it was just as wonderful as I’d heard. 

Eli North’s life is fallen apart and he knows he’s to blame. The only way he can deal with his trauma from his tour in Afghanistan is by drinking, but his drinking has led to his losing both his marriage and his job. He ends up getting a job with the Sheriff’s office (because his mother is the Sheriff) and one drunken night he stumbles upon the body of a teenage boy. Working with his mother and a young FBI agent he hopes this puts him on the path to redemption he so desperately needs. 

As I was listening to this book I kept seeing this in my head as a police procedural show. I tend to shy away from suspense books, but I love police procedural shows (go figure) so I found this to be extremely entertaining. I never saw the twist at the end coming and that just added to the fun of this book. 

I am shocked that this is Amy Pease’s first novel; with a debut like this, I think she has a very long career in front of her and I can’t wait to see what else she’ll give us in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of this; I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. Northwoods hit the shelves on January 9th. 

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame: A Novel by Olivia Ford

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

In addition to reading, I love baking and I love watching the bake off shows on Food Network, so when I see that a book is about a bake off show, I generally jump to read it. Olivia Ford has given us so much more than just your typical bake off book. Like a good croissant, this book is filled with layers and will have you laughing and crying. 

At the age of 77 Jenny Quinn hasn’t done anything remarkable with her life. While she and her 82 year old husband, Bernard, are a doting aunt and uncle, they have no children of their own and Jenny is beginning to feel like she has nothing for which people will remember her after she dies. On a whim she decides to secretly audition for the upcoming season of Britain Bakes in hopes of doing something big with her life. She gets picked as one of the eight contestants and in addition to tackling the different bakes each week, she finds herself having to deal with long suppressed memories of a secret she’s been hiding for the last 60 years. 

This was one of the sweetest (no pun intended) books I’ve read in a very long time. I loved Jenny, but I adored Bernard. He is my new favorite fictional octogenarian and his character will stay with me for a long while. Every wife deserves a husband as sweet and caring as Bernard. Ms. Ford has created such charming characters and such a lovely story and I can’t wait to see what else she has for us in the future. 

Only the Brave: A Novel by Danielle Steel

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

1.5- Danielle Steel is one of the most prolific authors in recent times and while I’ve never read anything by her before I have heard how popular she is. When I saw she had a new novel, and a historical fiction one at that, I jumped at the chance to read it. If I had to sum up one word to describe this book it would be “blah”. I can only assume this was ghostwritten under Ms. Steel’s name since there is no way an author as seasoned as she is could have produced such drivel. 
This starts at the beginning of WW2 and follows the Alexander family through the tragedy of the death of matriarch, Monika, leaving behind her husband, surgeon Thomas, and her two daughters, 16 year old Sophia and 14 year old Theresa. Everyone handles her death differently- Thomas throws himself into his work, taking care of several top officers in the German army. Sophia finds comfort and solace with the nuns in the local convent and the resistance meetings she attends twice weekly, and Theresa finds comfort in the arms of Heinrich, the man whom she loves. As Hitler rises to power Theresa and Heinrich discover he’s a quarter Jewish, Thomas is asked by the top officers of the Reich to help with their cleansing program to rid the country of inferior races, and Sophia joins the convent. Over the next four years Sophia faces tragedy, but rises to the challenge of surviving and helping others along the way. 
This could have been great, but it was so boring. I felt like I was reading something written by someone who had to write a historical fiction story for a class- and if it was ghostwritten then perhaps it was, though if it was Ms. Steel shouldn’t use this writer again.
Between all of the repetitiveness and the inconsistency of plot lines I can only hope that this advanced copy was put on NetGalley before an editor saw it. Even so, given Ms. Steel’s expertise in writing I’m shocked even her advanced copy would have so many errors. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for an advanced copy of this. Only the Brave hits the shelves on April 30th.