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mhinnen's reviews
377 reviews
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion by Julie Satow
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
It was okay. Didn’t grab me and I had to return it to the library before I finished it. I appreciate the focus on women in business.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I listened to the audiobook. Good descriptive story that was great for long car rides. Would you exchange your soul to escape a life that’s been assigned to you? Addie LaRue escapes her life by making a deal that allows her to live for centuries but no one remembers her nice she is out of sight . . . Until Henry. This book has a lot of words (for example every smell has like five descriptions) so choosing Julia Whalen as a narrator made all the difference.
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
"This is the story of our family, Baz once told her. And their mom, who’d overheard him, said, That’s true, Baz, but not only. Because our history is everyone’s history. Our history is American history."
When I was in college, I took a class on African American history and wrote a paper about the tradition and art of quilting - the familial stories that quilts told and passed on through generations. "Good Dirt" is a powerful novel about six generations of the Freeman family, all connected by a 20-gallon clay jar that serves as a vessel of their stories—stories that encompass enslavement, tragedy, affluence, and collective healing.
When I was in college, I took a class on African American history and wrote a paper about the tradition and art of quilting - the familial stories that quilts told and passed on through generations. "Good Dirt" is a powerful novel about six generations of the Freeman family, all connected by a 20-gallon clay jar that serves as a vessel of their stories—stories that encompass enslavement, tragedy, affluence, and collective healing.
At the heart of the novel is Ebby, who as a child witnessed the tragic death of her brother. In the present day, she finds herself left at the wedding altar, grappling with how to reclaim her life. Wilkerson expertly shifts between the perspectives of various characters, from those who were stolen and enslaved to those who escaped, and from Ebby's parents and grandparents to others connected to the family's history. The clay pot, known as "Old Mo," becomes a symbol of survival, made under forced labor but bearing a literal hidden message that resonates through time.
Wilkerson weaves these complex stories with skill and depth, creating a narrative that is both intricate and moving.
I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book, which is set to be published in January. I highly recommend adding "Good Dirt" to your 2025 reading list.
#GoodDirt #NetGalley
#GoodDirt #NetGalley
Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
3.0
With each chapter the reader gets to know different Palestinian families in Baltimore - work, love, family, joys, traditions, intergenerational struggles, and connections with their home country. It was hard for me to keep track of the different characters and their relationships with one another. It was also hard to keep track of how much time had passed when a character re-emerged. Each chapter featured a different story but didn't really follow it through and the stories of different characters never converge to form a full narrative.
The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
4.0
Perfect end-of-summer beach read. I bought and read this for a book group meeting with the author but wasn't able to finish it in time. I so wish I had made it work because I would love to meet the author of this incredibly sweet book.
Jack is in his early 50s, never married, and running his family's restaurant in a small beach town. We get to know the lives and characters who are in and out of his life. None of his family is alive anymore and he is well-loved by the people in the community, his staff, and others who become like family to him. He's just a "good guy" who is looking forward to retiring even though he can't imagine what life will be like without the restaurant to absorb his every waking moment.
Like all beach towns, there is a sense of resistance and resignation to the obscene corporate development that is changing the unique charming vibe for locals and tourists.
The book follows a year in Jack's life, season by season. I'd love to read the next chapter of his story.
Jack is in his early 50s, never married, and running his family's restaurant in a small beach town. We get to know the lives and characters who are in and out of his life. None of his family is alive anymore and he is well-loved by the people in the community, his staff, and others who become like family to him. He's just a "good guy" who is looking forward to retiring even though he can't imagine what life will be like without the restaurant to absorb his every waking moment.
Like all beach towns, there is a sense of resistance and resignation to the obscene corporate development that is changing the unique charming vibe for locals and tourists.
The book follows a year in Jack's life, season by season. I'd love to read the next chapter of his story.
The Sources of Taize by Roger of Taizé
5.0
This is a beautiful contemplative book with the moving words of Brother Roger who founded Taize. I read a section each morning to reflect on during my daily devotionals.
All The Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley
4.25
"You don’t forget your first visit to the Met," the author states early on, noting the hot dog carts, marble staircase, and tin lapel entry pins. This is beautifully reflective storytelling that brings together life, death, art, and vocation. We get to know the guards and their histories, the appreciation of art and artists, the rhythm of guests who visit the museum with a diversity of art interests. I can imagine The Met has seen an increase in applications since this book came it. It made me realize I am overdue for a visit. This is an easy book - someone slow but intentionally and without dragging. I felt like I wanted to slow down and better absorb the beauty of this city that I love.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
3.0
I read this because there seemed to be some buzz about the movie and I thought I would read the book first. The only other book I've read by Colleen Hoover is Verity which I loved. I knew this would not be the same kind of domestic thriller. Based on the book description, I thought it would be a good end-of-summer romance about a love triangle. And that's what it seems to be as Lily meets the handsome Ryle (who set off so many red flags for me). We learn her backstory through journaling/letters she wrote to Ellen DeGeneres (instead of dear Diary) when she was in high school. Her dad is a prominent community leader who violently and regularly attacks Lily's mom. Teenage Lily was involved in a codependent romantic relationship with a homeless teen.
The current story is about her love saga with Ryle and at the core of their relationship is physical abuse. It Ends with Us is a story of the emotional abuse that too often traps women in cycles of abusive relationships. And yet, it is a light read because so much of it is focused on the passion and the extreme ways that Ryle shows his "love" (red flag obsessions). Still, the emotional roller coaster for Lily feels real. There are times that Ryle would show up and my stomach clenches anticipating what might set him off (even if it ended in a loving gesture instead). And oh my goodness when I realize how young she is, my heart just aches for her.
In this story, Lily has resources. She has maintained financial independence. She has a network of support. Because it is such an important topic, I wish the author had focused a little on the resources available for women who are isolated. I also know it was written from CoHo's very personal experience which gave it a specific perspective. But this could have been a model for an even healthier outcome. Lily could have gone to therapy. Ryle could have been required to undergo therapy and anger management. He committed a violent crime and will likely do it again to someone else if not Lily.
Perhaps if I was more prepared for what I was about to read, I would have gotten more out of the book. Either way, throwing Atlas in the mix as a current romantic tension/codependency was unnecessary. Will I read the sequel? probably not. Will I see the movie? Maybe . . .
The current story is about her love saga with Ryle and at the core of their relationship is physical abuse. It Ends with Us is a story of the emotional abuse that too often traps women in cycles of abusive relationships. And yet, it is a light read because so much of it is focused on the passion and the extreme ways that Ryle shows his "love" (red flag obsessions). Still, the emotional roller coaster for Lily feels real. There are times that Ryle would show up and my stomach clenches anticipating what might set him off (even if it ended in a loving gesture instead). And oh my goodness when I realize how young she is, my heart just aches for her.
In this story, Lily has resources. She has maintained financial independence. She has a network of support. Because it is such an important topic, I wish the author had focused a little on the resources available for women who are isolated. I also know it was written from CoHo's very personal experience which gave it a specific perspective. But this could have been a model for an even healthier outcome. Lily could have gone to therapy. Ryle could have been required to undergo therapy and anger management. He committed a violent crime and will likely do it again to someone else if not Lily.
Perhaps if I was more prepared for what I was about to read, I would have gotten more out of the book. Either way, throwing Atlas in the mix as a current romantic tension/codependency was unnecessary. Will I read the sequel? probably not. Will I see the movie? Maybe . . .
Spiritual Practices for Soul Care by Barbara L. Peacock, Barbara L. Peacock
4.0
good practices. I like the format. Biblical reflections and language a little too traditional for me. Heteronormative
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
slow-paced
3.0
As someone who is close to Rocky, the protagonist’s, age and having cherished vacation memories, there was a lot of this book that resonated with me. She is part of the sandwich generation with barely grown adult children and parents who are living along with the love and worries that accompany this stage of life. She also makes sandwiches daily customizing them for each family member’s preference.
Maybe it’s because I was a single mom and younger than Rocky when I had my daughter, but this nuclear family was so different from my experience of parenting.
Rocky is enjoying(?) the annual vacation in Cape Cod with the familiar reminders that anchor them to past and current experiences - a break from the real world and a reunion of three generations. It was interesting to me that there was not much focus or conversation about work. This was a family that enjoyed being together.
But Rocky has secrets. She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about her reproductive history. I appreciated that she named a lot of realities that women face regarding their bodies and their families. And it was refreshing to normalize the sexuality of Rocky and her husband as well as the sexuality of each of their kids.
There wasn’t really a plot - it was more of a slice of life - the journal of a menopausal woman on vacation with her family, recalling painful secret memories and lashing out at her husband. Her voice is a bit annoying . . . Overusing contemporary expressions like “And also,” “say more,” can you please not,” and “same.” The repeated exclamative “Jesus Christ” was distracting and offensive. The relationship with her children was way too familiar and accepting . . . The way they spoke to her (even though they obviously loved her) was uncomfortable and inappropriate. And also (haha) much of the writing in this story was beautiful, thoughtful, and humorous.
“Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.“
So honestly I don’t know what I feel about this book. It was okay? And I know white women my age who perhaps this would resonate with in a more personal way. But overall, this wasn’t for me.
Maybe it’s because I was a single mom and younger than Rocky when I had my daughter, but this nuclear family was so different from my experience of parenting.
Rocky is enjoying(?) the annual vacation in Cape Cod with the familiar reminders that anchor them to past and current experiences - a break from the real world and a reunion of three generations. It was interesting to me that there was not much focus or conversation about work. This was a family that enjoyed being together.
But Rocky has secrets. She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about her reproductive history. I appreciated that she named a lot of realities that women face regarding their bodies and their families. And it was refreshing to normalize the sexuality of Rocky and her husband as well as the sexuality of each of their kids.
There wasn’t really a plot - it was more of a slice of life - the journal of a menopausal woman on vacation with her family, recalling painful secret memories and lashing out at her husband. Her voice is a bit annoying . . . Overusing contemporary expressions like “And also,” “say more,” can you please not,” and “same.” The repeated exclamative “Jesus Christ” was distracting and offensive. The relationship with her children was way too familiar and accepting . . . The way they spoke to her (even though they obviously loved her) was uncomfortable and inappropriate. And also (haha) much of the writing in this story was beautiful, thoughtful, and humorous.
“Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.“
So honestly I don’t know what I feel about this book. It was okay? And I know white women my age who perhaps this would resonate with in a more personal way. But overall, this wasn’t for me.