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mhinnen's reviews
377 reviews
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well written very light novel about a wealthy family living in Brooklyn. The adult kids are pushing back against their generational wealth but are continually defined and benefiting from it. There were enough little twists to keep me reading but I didn’t care at all what happened to the characters.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
"Frankie had been told often enough by her girlfriends, by Finley, by Jamie, that she was unyielding in her morality, and it was true. Deep down, she was still the good Catholic girl she’d been in her youth. She believed in good and evil, right and wrong, the dream of America. Who would she be if she chose to look away from the wrongness of this war?"
I was born the summer that Frankie, the main character, came back from Vietnam. My early childhood nightmares often stemmed from news footage about the Vietnam War. As impacted as I was, I cannot imagine what it was like to live through the trauma of war - particularly one like this. Hannah writes about Frankie's experiences with intensity and compassion. Most of the first part of the book is her growth as a nurse in Vietnam. She is a hero. Men go home because of her. She sees the humanity of each person she is tasked with caring for.
The intensity of the war then shifts as Frankie comes home and she is not recognized as a hero. There is no place for her as a veteran. Her skills are not valued. She is diminished and confused - surrounded by garden parties and champagne. It is painful to read this young woman's journey into despair, "the walking dead." The shame and the pain of the decisions she makes while in the midst of PTSD. And I was so grateful for the friends who surrounded her and guided her - refusing to give up on this young woman who is only in her 20s.
I would have liked to see more of the relationship between Frankie and her brother Finley. Clearly, they were close, but I didn't have a frame of reference to really know what it was rooted in. The love affair could have been edited down and not have had as many twists and turns.
It was important to note the impact of how the Vietnam War forever changed the US - especially the soldiers who fought and died and the lifelong struggles they faced in body and spirit. This is true for those who volunteered and those who were drafted. However, the ongoing impact of war is not unique to Vietnam. My grandfather was institutionalized and given electro-shock treatment after WWII and his father died from mustard gas poisoning. I also think it's important to recognize the devastation the US caused to the people of Vietnam and the generational impact of Agent Orange that we are responsible for - talk about a weapon of mass destruction.
It was infuriating and frustrating that the VA didn't offer her support or recognize her sacrifice. But I also felt like the rejection from the male combat veterans was justified - unlike Frankie, they had participated in killing as well as witnessed atrocities that Frankie hadn't seen- she was a healer. But it was unfortunate how they seemed to lack any compassion for her or at least gratitude for her role.
Overall, I loved this book. I read through it in just a few days . . . mostly in tears. Hannah offers a complex perspective on war, love, and friendship. The war protests from the veterans are particularly moving. And as always, she highlights the strength of women that comes through strong relationships and resilience. The ending was satisfying and left me with a feeling of hope.
Thank you @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @kristinhannahauthor for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of #TheWomen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite books and I love everything I have read by her. The Women was no exception.
"Frankie had been told often enough by her girlfriends, by Finley, by Jamie, that she was unyielding in her morality, and it was true. Deep down, she was still the good Catholic girl she’d been in her youth. She believed in good and evil, right and wrong, the dream of America. Who would she be if she chose to look away from the wrongness of this war?"
I was born the summer that Frankie, the main character, came back from Vietnam. My early childhood nightmares often stemmed from news footage about the Vietnam War. As impacted as I was, I cannot imagine what it was like to live through the trauma of war - particularly one like this. Hannah writes about Frankie's experiences with intensity and compassion. Most of the first part of the book is her growth as a nurse in Vietnam. She is a hero. Men go home because of her. She sees the humanity of each person she is tasked with caring for.
The intensity of the war then shifts as Frankie comes home and she is not recognized as a hero. There is no place for her as a veteran. Her skills are not valued. She is diminished and confused - surrounded by garden parties and champagne. It is painful to read this young woman's journey into despair, "the walking dead." The shame and the pain of the decisions she makes while in the midst of PTSD. And I was so grateful for the friends who surrounded her and guided her - refusing to give up on this young woman who is only in her 20s.
I would have liked to see more of the relationship between Frankie and her brother Finley. Clearly, they were close, but I didn't have a frame of reference to really know what it was rooted in. The love affair could have been edited down and not have had as many twists and turns.
It was important to note the impact of how the Vietnam War forever changed the US - especially the soldiers who fought and died and the lifelong struggles they faced in body and spirit. This is true for those who volunteered and those who were drafted. However, the ongoing impact of war is not unique to Vietnam. My grandfather was institutionalized and given electro-shock treatment after WWII and his father died from mustard gas poisoning. I also think it's important to recognize the devastation the US caused to the people of Vietnam and the generational impact of Agent Orange that we are responsible for - talk about a weapon of mass destruction.
It was infuriating and frustrating that the VA didn't offer her support or recognize her sacrifice. But I also felt like the rejection from the male combat veterans was justified - unlike Frankie, they had participated in killing as well as witnessed atrocities that Frankie hadn't seen- she was a healer. But it was unfortunate how they seemed to lack any compassion for her or at least gratitude for her role.
Overall, I loved this book. I read through it in just a few days . . . mostly in tears. Hannah offers a complex perspective on war, love, and friendship. The war protests from the veterans are particularly moving. And as always, she highlights the strength of women that comes through strong relationships and resilience. The ending was satisfying and left me with a feeling of hope.
Thank you @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @kristinhannahauthor for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of #TheWomen
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
This was a really well written and researched book about the life of Henrietta Lacks. So many profited from her cells and lives have been saved, yet her family can't afford medical care. I appreciated the care and respect that Skloot took to tell the story of the family, their memories of their wife and mother, and the very traumatic and difficult life that they led. Holding Henrietta at the center of the story and then weaving in the scientific, societal, and medical stories, honored who she was as a human being and honored the voice of her daughter as the author gained her trust. It also did not shy away from the racist institutional practices in the medical and research fields. The week that I was reading it, the family reached a settlement agreement with one of the companies who profited from Hela cells.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
I can’t stop thinking about and talking about Demon Copperhead. Barbara Kingsolver is an incredible storyteller as she draws us into the life of a child growing up in Appalachia. He keeps reminding those around him included the reader “I’m just a kid”. And time after time the system not only fails him but conspires against him. Everything seems to be against him but there are bright lights of hope and promise that carry him through.
This is such an important read that uncovers the realities in a culture that is often mocked and dismissed by many in the US. Kingsolver puts faces and names to the struggles and joys, values and complexities of lives who too often buried and marginalized.
The targeting by the pharmaceutical industry sparking the opioid epidemic is particularly infuriating.
I mostly listened to the phenomenal audiobook and bought a hard copy about halfway through because I want it on my bookshelf. There are so many turns of phrase and tender moments that I want to revisit.
This is such an important read that uncovers the realities in a culture that is often mocked and dismissed by many in the US. Kingsolver puts faces and names to the struggles and joys, values and complexities of lives who too often buried and marginalized.
The targeting by the pharmaceutical industry sparking the opioid epidemic is particularly infuriating.
I mostly listened to the phenomenal audiobook and bought a hard copy about halfway through because I want it on my bookshelf. There are so many turns of phrase and tender moments that I want to revisit.
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
Was brutal at times and hard to finish. But wow! So well written and shows the potential for resilience through community if we continue into the slow apocalypse of our future.
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Murder mystery. Thought I had it figured out. Then I thought I figured it out again. Eventually I was right about the who. But not the why. Everyone is a suspect because the dead girl was a piece of work. Actually I didn’t care about any of the characters. Every other chapter gives you more insight into the past. It did keep me guessing until the end.
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
- 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
3.75
Tender father/daughter story with a twist. I’m not sure I would want to go back to my 16th birthday but if it meant revisiting time with my dad knowing what I know now, I think I would do it in a heartbeat. It would mean the world to ask him questions and really connect in a way that didn’t take for granted a lifetime to come.
How do we know when our life is on the right track? What would we do differently if given the chance? And what are the subsequent shifts that would occur? Well done time travel book and really it felt like the time travel was secondary to the relationship between Al and Lenny (and her bff Sam). As someone who spent a good amount of time since the late 80s in NYC, it was fun to catch the details of now and the 90s.
How do we know when our life is on the right track? What would we do differently if given the chance? And what are the subsequent shifts that would occur? Well done time travel book and really it felt like the time travel was secondary to the relationship between Al and Lenny (and her bff Sam). As someone who spent a good amount of time since the late 80s in NYC, it was fun to catch the details of now and the 90s.
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Not really my kind of book. It was more of an anthology with each chapter a short story about different characters who are loosely connected. The timeline was confusing and it was hard to keep track of the individual story lines. Some of the chapters were in different styles using different points of view (you, I , she, etc) and one chapter was a PowerPoint which was different but added to the confusion. It was written in 2010 so ending in the future was also confusing since it was nothing like what the future actually was. The overall writing was good but I would have enjoyed it more as a straight chronological narrative.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Loved it. Perfect summer mystery thriller. You don’t have to think to hard, but do pay attention to the details. Chapters are short and each from a different character’s perspective.
Each apartments seems to hold secrets. The residents each are motivated to protect their own selfish interests.
Good plot twists and a satisfying ending.
Each apartments seems to hold secrets. The residents each are motivated to protect their own selfish interests.
Good plot twists and a satisfying ending.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A few weeks ago I was at a writing retreat at a gorgeous estate in the mountains. I commented near the end of the week that I could understand how someone could forget that there are people struggling in the world if they experienced this kind of environment most of their life.
As I sat and devoured this newest novel by Rachel Hawkins (the first I’ve read by her), that is exactly what the McTavish family lives out at Ashby House, “A haunted house where the ghosts hadn’t had the courtesy to die yet.”
What a self centered, pathological, vicious family! And I could not stop turning page after page to untangle the lies and deceit (some I figured out sooner than others). This is a crazy family drama told from different perspectives including newspapers & tabloids, confessional letters from the now deceased family matriarch, and Jules and Cam who are determining their future with the house they have inherited in spite of other family members who seem like they will stop at nothing to claim this ancestral home. It’s hard to go into any detail without spoiling the ride, but if you’re looking for a good vacation read, I suggest picking up The Heiress. I read most if in a day at the beach.
While not the kind of book I usually care for, I loved the writing style so much and Hawkins can spin quite a tale. I could definitely see this made into a limited tv series.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC
As I sat and devoured this newest novel by Rachel Hawkins (the first I’ve read by her), that is exactly what the McTavish family lives out at Ashby House, “A haunted house where the ghosts hadn’t had the courtesy to die yet.”
What a self centered, pathological, vicious family! And I could not stop turning page after page to untangle the lies and deceit (some I figured out sooner than others). This is a crazy family drama told from different perspectives including newspapers & tabloids, confessional letters from the now deceased family matriarch, and Jules and Cam who are determining their future with the house they have inherited in spite of other family members who seem like they will stop at nothing to claim this ancestral home. It’s hard to go into any detail without spoiling the ride, but if you’re looking for a good vacation read, I suggest picking up The Heiress. I read most if in a day at the beach.
While not the kind of book I usually care for, I loved the writing style so much and Hawkins can spin quite a tale. I could definitely see this made into a limited tv series.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC