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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
Believe the hype, guys, believe the hype. The novel begins in eighteenth-century Ghana with two girls, Effia and Esi. Although the two are sisters, their lives take very different paths. Effia is married to a prominent white slave trader, while Esi is sold as a slave. This book spans hundreds of years as we follow the descendants of these two young women.
First of all, let me say that I’m impressed. This is a debut novel with an ambitious scope. Not only is it beautifully written, but Gyasi weaves through the lives of various characters with ease. Everyone in this book is flawed, from the white traders, to the village chiefs who assist the slave traders, to the villagers themselves. We see Effia and Esi’s descendants struggling and striving and trying to survive.
Aside from the writing, my favorite part about this book was the characters. We are constantly being introduced to new characters, but each character is alive and fully-formed. I could have spent a lot more time with each character, or even read a full novel about each one.
This book is so necessary and important and demonstrates the way that black people have been struggling for hundreds and hundreds of years, without sugarcoating anything. I’ve added this to my list of books that everyone needs to read, which also includes Americanah and Between the World and Me. That’s all I’m going to say, folks, because I want you to stop reading and go pick up this book right now.
First of all, let me say that I’m impressed. This is a debut novel with an ambitious scope. Not only is it beautifully written, but Gyasi weaves through the lives of various characters with ease. Everyone in this book is flawed, from the white traders, to the village chiefs who assist the slave traders, to the villagers themselves. We see Effia and Esi’s descendants struggling and striving and trying to survive.
Aside from the writing, my favorite part about this book was the characters. We are constantly being introduced to new characters, but each character is alive and fully-formed. I could have spent a lot more time with each character, or even read a full novel about each one.
This book is so necessary and important and demonstrates the way that black people have been struggling for hundreds and hundreds of years, without sugarcoating anything. I’ve added this to my list of books that everyone needs to read, which also includes Americanah and Between the World and Me. That’s all I’m going to say, folks, because I want you to stop reading and go pick up this book right now.
Thank you to Doubleday Books for the free book! | What a book! The Sorensons are quite the family. First of all, I want to applaud Claire Lombardo because this is such a strong debut and I really enjoyed it.
I knew that this book had been called a family drama and it definitely delivered on that front. At first, I had some troubling remembering who was who, but once I got used to the rhythm, I totally got sucked into their family life.
I wouldn't say that they're all the most likeable characters (I'm looking at you, Violet!) and there's a lot of privilege in their lives, but their family dynamics are fascinating. I was considering the relationships between the parents and the children, as well as the relationships between the siblings, and it made my grateful for my family.
This book is a study of the Sorensons over the course of a year, but it also dips back in time to when David and Marilyn, the parents, first met, and continues on from there. It was so interesting to discover how events from the past informed and had ripple effects on the future.
I was dipping in and out of this book (as I was also reading The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks), but I never lost interest in the Sorensons. Once I got settled into their family life, I was quite happy to be a fly on the wall observing the situation. I wanted them to make better decisions and when their lives were turned upside down, I was hoping they'd be able to get back to right side up.
I think my favorite part of the book was the journey of David and Marilyn's marriage over the years. They have this immense love for each other, but it shows how their marriage takes work, despite how rock solid it may appear from the outside.
I knew that people were raving about this book, but I wasn't expecting to get sucked in by the Sorensons as much as I did. For that, I give credit to her writing which made them seem like such fully realized characters. They're certainly not perfect, but they are especially human and I admire the way that Lombardo brought them to life. If you enjoy family dramas and really delving into the lives of the characters, then this book might be for you.
I knew that this book had been called a family drama and it definitely delivered on that front. At first, I had some troubling remembering who was who, but once I got used to the rhythm, I totally got sucked into their family life.
I wouldn't say that they're all the most likeable characters (I'm looking at you, Violet!) and there's a lot of privilege in their lives, but their family dynamics are fascinating. I was considering the relationships between the parents and the children, as well as the relationships between the siblings, and it made my grateful for my family.
This book is a study of the Sorensons over the course of a year, but it also dips back in time to when David and Marilyn, the parents, first met, and continues on from there. It was so interesting to discover how events from the past informed and had ripple effects on the future.
I was dipping in and out of this book (as I was also reading The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks), but I never lost interest in the Sorensons. Once I got settled into their family life, I was quite happy to be a fly on the wall observing the situation. I wanted them to make better decisions and when their lives were turned upside down, I was hoping they'd be able to get back to right side up.
I think my favorite part of the book was the journey of David and Marilyn's marriage over the years. They have this immense love for each other, but it shows how their marriage takes work, despite how rock solid it may appear from the outside.
I knew that people were raving about this book, but I wasn't expecting to get sucked in by the Sorensons as much as I did. For that, I give credit to her writing which made them seem like such fully realized characters. They're certainly not perfect, but they are especially human and I admire the way that Lombardo brought them to life. If you enjoy family dramas and really delving into the lives of the characters, then this book might be for you.
This was the first book I’ve read by Liane Moriarty. It was a long time coming! Originally I’d planned to read Big Little Lies before watching the TV series, but I couldn’t resist watching the show before reading the book. So I think subconsciously, I was comparing the TV adaptation of Big Little Lies to this book a little bit. Nine Perfect Strangers wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I kept waiting to get to the really exciting and juicy bits, but we never got there.
It follows nine people who meet at a health resort. This isn’t a conventional health resort though, and some of the treatments that the guests participate in are a bit… unorthodox. The experiences that these strangers have together will bond them together for life.
I thought the characters were well-written and I felt like I had a good sense of who they were as people. The book is written from multiple perspectives, so we’re able to get into each character’s head. However, I thought the plot was a little bit all over the place, especially in the second half. I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of book this was trying to be.
This being set at a health resort, there’s definitely some commentary on society’s obsession with health and wellness, and the lengths that people are willing to go to achieve peak health.
I was a bit unsure of my feelings when I finished this book, as it didn’t really match up to the idea of it I’d had in my head. I really want to read another one of Moriarty’s books though. Based on my conversations with others, it seems that Nine Perfect Strangers is quite a bit different from her other books, and it’s possible that I’d enjoy one of her previous novels more. If you’ve read this one and any other Moriarty books, I’d be really curious to hear your thoughts!
It follows nine people who meet at a health resort. This isn’t a conventional health resort though, and some of the treatments that the guests participate in are a bit… unorthodox. The experiences that these strangers have together will bond them together for life.
I thought the characters were well-written and I felt like I had a good sense of who they were as people. The book is written from multiple perspectives, so we’re able to get into each character’s head. However, I thought the plot was a little bit all over the place, especially in the second half. I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of book this was trying to be.
This being set at a health resort, there’s definitely some commentary on society’s obsession with health and wellness, and the lengths that people are willing to go to achieve peak health.
I was a bit unsure of my feelings when I finished this book, as it didn’t really match up to the idea of it I’d had in my head. I really want to read another one of Moriarty’s books though. Based on my conversations with others, it seems that Nine Perfect Strangers is quite a bit different from her other books, and it’s possible that I’d enjoy one of her previous novels more. If you’ve read this one and any other Moriarty books, I’d be really curious to hear your thoughts!
Such an eye-catching title, right?
First of all, I have to thank @casebounder for generously sending me a copy of this book so that I could read and review it. Book people are the best!
As you can deduce from the title, Korede's sister is a serial killer and Korede is constantly being called upon to help her sister deal with her messes, aka murders. The word that keeps coming to mind for this book is "quirky" (which isn't very descriptive, but that's all my tired brain can come up with right now!). Yep, there's definitely some murder committed in this book, but there's also a somewhat humorous tone as Korede deals with her sister's situation.
Korede harbors some resentment towards her sister. Not just because of the murders, but also because Ayoola is the favored one. She's beautiful, charming, and can literally get away with murder. Korede is torn up over each death, but Ayoola seems to be completely unaffected. Korede carries the emotional burden for them both, which naturally takes a toll on her.
I loved that the book was set in Nigeria. The setting doesn't play a huge part in the story, but it was still nice to read something set in a different country. I thought this was well-written and I admired the author's ability to tell a dark, comic, yet sad tale in a short amount of time.
I also wondered about Korede's moral compass. Sure, she's not the one committing the murders, but she does help cover them up, which makes her an accessory to the crime. Is she loyal for protecting her sister at all costs, or a monster for covering up her sister's crimes?
Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot. The chapters are quite short, which made for a quick and entertaining read.
First of all, I have to thank @casebounder for generously sending me a copy of this book so that I could read and review it. Book people are the best!
As you can deduce from the title, Korede's sister is a serial killer and Korede is constantly being called upon to help her sister deal with her messes, aka murders. The word that keeps coming to mind for this book is "quirky" (which isn't very descriptive, but that's all my tired brain can come up with right now!). Yep, there's definitely some murder committed in this book, but there's also a somewhat humorous tone as Korede deals with her sister's situation.
Korede harbors some resentment towards her sister. Not just because of the murders, but also because Ayoola is the favored one. She's beautiful, charming, and can literally get away with murder. Korede is torn up over each death, but Ayoola seems to be completely unaffected. Korede carries the emotional burden for them both, which naturally takes a toll on her.
I loved that the book was set in Nigeria. The setting doesn't play a huge part in the story, but it was still nice to read something set in a different country. I thought this was well-written and I admired the author's ability to tell a dark, comic, yet sad tale in a short amount of time.
I also wondered about Korede's moral compass. Sure, she's not the one committing the murders, but she does help cover them up, which makes her an accessory to the crime. Is she loyal for protecting her sister at all costs, or a monster for covering up her sister's crimes?
Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot. The chapters are quite short, which made for a quick and entertaining read.
I think THE TENANT is getting a lot of hype at the moment, but sadly it didn't really do it for me. It begins with a young woman found murdered in her apartment and it turns out the murder exactly follows the plot of the draft manuscript that the building owner is working on. The story is interspersed with bits of the manuscript, which add to the tension and feeling of unease.
I never fully connected with this story, and I think it was because of the characters and the writing. The main detective, Korner, seemed like a bit of a sad sack and I had hard time believing he was capable of solving this murder. Also, the dialogue read strangely to me. It felt stilted and not in line with how people actually speak.
I'll say that this is pretty twisted. The plot kept me guessing and I really liked reading about Copenhagen as a setting. I think my expectations were too high for this one, so it was a bit of a disappointment.
I never fully connected with this story, and I think it was because of the characters and the writing. The main detective, Korner, seemed like a bit of a sad sack and I had hard time believing he was capable of solving this murder. Also, the dialogue read strangely to me. It felt stilted and not in line with how people actually speak.
I'll say that this is pretty twisted. The plot kept me guessing and I really liked reading about Copenhagen as a setting. I think my expectations were too high for this one, so it was a bit of a disappointment.
I’m a fan of Younger. I think it’s a super charming show, I think that Sutton Foster is amazing, and I love that it’s set in the publishing world. So, the backstory behind this book is that it was a fictional book being published on the show. But then, in a brilliant marketing move, they hired a ghost writer and published the book IRL. As a fan of the show, I felt like I had to pick this up!
It’s about a woman named Kate, a stay-at-home mom, who’s feeling stuck and unfulfilled in her daily life. She books an impromptu vacation to Thailand in order to recharge and reset, but she doesn’t tell her husband until after she’s on the plane. She keeps extending what was supposed to be a brief vacation, and before she knows it, she’s been away from her family for a full year. When she finally decides to go back, she has no idea if she’ll be welcomed back or if her marriage is still alive.
The book mostly describes Kate’s life: how she used to be a writer, how she met her husband, and how they got married and had kids. The author shows us how Pauline ended taking a vacation from her family, even though she didn’t initially intend to. It paints a pretty sympathetic picture of Kate, but the whole time, I kept thinking that it’s one thing to abandon your husband, but it’s an entirely different thing to abandon your kids for a whole year. The kids, that’s the part that I couldn’t get over.
Kate is also very privileged, and while she acknowledges her privilege, there are still certain things that she says and does that make her sound very entitled.
It turns out that it was written by Jo Piazza and I do enjoy her writing. It’s engaging and accessible. Considering this as a standalone novel, I’m not sure if it’s strong enough to recommend. The story was a bit lacking and I was hoping the author would delve a bit deeper into Kate’s motivations. I didn’t think that I gained much insight on Kate that I hadn’t already gleaned from the show. However, I think other Younger fans like me will probably enjoy this. It was fun to see the book brought to life and to catch references to characters in the show.
It’s about a woman named Kate, a stay-at-home mom, who’s feeling stuck and unfulfilled in her daily life. She books an impromptu vacation to Thailand in order to recharge and reset, but she doesn’t tell her husband until after she’s on the plane. She keeps extending what was supposed to be a brief vacation, and before she knows it, she’s been away from her family for a full year. When she finally decides to go back, she has no idea if she’ll be welcomed back or if her marriage is still alive.
The book mostly describes Kate’s life: how she used to be a writer, how she met her husband, and how they got married and had kids. The author shows us how Pauline ended taking a vacation from her family, even though she didn’t initially intend to. It paints a pretty sympathetic picture of Kate, but the whole time, I kept thinking that it’s one thing to abandon your husband, but it’s an entirely different thing to abandon your kids for a whole year. The kids, that’s the part that I couldn’t get over.
Kate is also very privileged, and while she acknowledges her privilege, there are still certain things that she says and does that make her sound very entitled.
It turns out that it was written by Jo Piazza and I do enjoy her writing. It’s engaging and accessible. Considering this as a standalone novel, I’m not sure if it’s strong enough to recommend. The story was a bit lacking and I was hoping the author would delve a bit deeper into Kate’s motivations. I didn’t think that I gained much insight on Kate that I hadn’t already gleaned from the show. However, I think other Younger fans like me will probably enjoy this. It was fun to see the book brought to life and to catch references to characters in the show.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free book! | I'd heard about Akilah from my YouTube days, and after listening to her episode on Bad on Paper, I was really curious to check out her book. It's a collection of essays about her experiences growing up as a young, black kid in the south, and also about how she found her career path. I really enjoyed reading this and it's a great book to dip in and out of. I liked hearing her stories and the impression I took away from this is that she seems like she'd be super fun to hang out with (and her mom sounds awesome too)!
I find all of Jasmine Guillory's books so charming. I knew that I was going to love this one, just based on it being set in London at Christmastime. I also loved that it tied into the royal family as well. I didn't think I was that into the royal family, but then I remembered that I watched the entire Harry and Meghan wedding, so who am I kidding?
Anyways, I digress! This features another sweet romance between Vivian and Malcolm, an older couple. I really liked Vivian as a supporting character in The Wedding Party, so I'm glad that she got her own full story in this book. This was a delightful read and it just might be my favorite Guillory book so far!
Anyways, I digress! This features another sweet romance between Vivian and Malcolm, an older couple. I really liked Vivian as a supporting character in The Wedding Party, so I'm glad that she got her own full story in this book. This was a delightful read and it just might be my favorite Guillory book so far!
I’d wanted to read this book for a while because I’ve heard so many people say good things about it. Cassandra is a young teenager living in a run-down castle in the countryside. Her family is rather eccentric and Cassandra wants to be a writer, so this novel is her “capturing” her daily life in her journal. I really enjoyed Cassandra as a character and narrator. She has excellent observational skills and her witty commentary made me chuckle more than once. I didn’t love the book as much as other people do, but I think it’s a good read and I’m glad I finally picked it up.