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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
About- A retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale set in New York City during the Jazz Age.
Why I picked it– I won this advance reader’s copy from Goodreads– thanks Goodreads!
Thoughts- I was looking to forward reading this because generally I enjoy retellings of fairytales. However, I thought this book was only ok. The story is mainly told from Jo’s (the eldest sister’s) perspective, but I would have liked to hear from the other sisters as well, to be able to connect with their characters. The writing was also ok- I found myself comparing this to Rules of Civility, which has a similar setting and features really sharp, witty dialogue. I would definitely recommend that book over this book if the idea of a novel set in New York during the Prohibition Era intrigues you. Overall, it was neither terrible nor amazing, just somewhere in the middle.
Why I picked it– I won this advance reader’s copy from Goodreads– thanks Goodreads!
Thoughts- I was looking to forward reading this because generally I enjoy retellings of fairytales. However, I thought this book was only ok. The story is mainly told from Jo’s (the eldest sister’s) perspective, but I would have liked to hear from the other sisters as well, to be able to connect with their characters. The writing was also ok- I found myself comparing this to Rules of Civility, which has a similar setting and features really sharp, witty dialogue. I would definitely recommend that book over this book if the idea of a novel set in New York during the Prohibition Era intrigues you. Overall, it was neither terrible nor amazing, just somewhere in the middle.
About- Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts.
Why I picked it– In case you missed last month’s round-up, I’m reading the series from start to finish.
Thoughts- I think it’s now a tie between this book and the third one for my favorite in the series so far. The last hundred pages were intense and when I finished the book I was freaking out. I texted a few of my friends something along the lines of “Did that just happen? Whaa? Omg!” I’ll also admit that were some tears. I love the first three books but I feel like that was child’s play compared to this one. It just got real.
Why I picked it– In case you missed last month’s round-up, I’m reading the series from start to finish.
Thoughts- I think it’s now a tie between this book and the third one for my favorite in the series so far. The last hundred pages were intense and when I finished the book I was freaking out. I texted a few of my friends something along the lines of “Did that just happen? Whaa? Omg!” I’ll also admit that were some tears. I love the first three books but I feel like that was child’s play compared to this one. It just got real.
About- Barrett, a middle-aged man living in New York City who’s unlucky in love, and his brother Tyler, who can’t quite kick a drug habit.
Why I picked it– I was curious to read something by Michael Cunningham. I know that he wrote The Hours and that was critically acclaimed, so I wanted to read one of his books and see what I thought.
Thoughts- If you’ve been reading these recaps for a while, you’ll probably know that I prefer a plot-driven novel. There’s not much plot in this one, but I still liked it. I can see why he’s received a lot of praise because the writing was really beautiful. I found myself marking lots of passages and thought that his descriptions were enticing. If elegant prose is at the top of your list of qualities you look for in books, I’d say give this one a go.
Why I picked it– I was curious to read something by Michael Cunningham. I know that he wrote The Hours and that was critically acclaimed, so I wanted to read one of his books and see what I thought.
Thoughts- If you’ve been reading these recaps for a while, you’ll probably know that I prefer a plot-driven novel. There’s not much plot in this one, but I still liked it. I can see why he’s received a lot of praise because the writing was really beautiful. I found myself marking lots of passages and thought that his descriptions were enticing. If elegant prose is at the top of your list of qualities you look for in books, I’d say give this one a go.
About- Lemony Snicket (who’s also a character in the book) attempts to solve a mystery, but unfortunately he asks all the wrong questions.
Why I picked it– My roommate has been telling me to read this for a while and the read-a-thon was the perfect opportunity to do so, since this is a quick, easy read.
Thoughts- I think Lemony Snicket (the author) is very clever. I like his wry humor and the way he slips in teaching moments in a non-obvious manner. A Series of Unfortunate Events was one of my favorite series as a kid and I still prefer those, but this series is delightful too.
Why I picked it– My roommate has been telling me to read this for a while and the read-a-thon was the perfect opportunity to do so, since this is a quick, easy read.
Thoughts- I think Lemony Snicket (the author) is very clever. I like his wry humor and the way he slips in teaching moments in a non-obvious manner. A Series of Unfortunate Events was one of my favorite series as a kid and I still prefer those, but this series is delightful too.
About- A man dies in an attempt to save a little girl and when he reaches heaven he meets five people who were influential in his life.
Why I picked it– I knew this was made into a movie or tv mini series, so I was curious to check out the book.
Thoughts- I was not the biggest fan of this book. I thought that it was so sappy and a little bit preachy. I think this could have been a nice story, but the approach was so heavy-handed and over the top, that I just got frustrated. Anyways, it was a quick read and now I know what it’s about!
Why I picked it– I knew this was made into a movie or tv mini series, so I was curious to check out the book.
Thoughts- I was not the biggest fan of this book. I thought that it was so sappy and a little bit preachy. I think this could have been a nice story, but the approach was so heavy-handed and over the top, that I just got frustrated. Anyways, it was a quick read and now I know what it’s about!
About- One twenty-something trying to make her way in the world and figure out adulthood.
Why I picked it– It sounds like the story of my life.
Thoughts- I liked this book- I thought it was humorous and very relatable. In some areas, her life is a lot like my life, so I could definitely sympathize. I think the title of this book is great and contrary to what it says, at the end of the book I had hope that things would get better. It was a nice reminder that I’m not the only one trying to figure it all out.
Why I picked it– It sounds like the story of my life.
Thoughts- I liked this book- I thought it was humorous and very relatable. In some areas, her life is a lot like my life, so I could definitely sympathize. I think the title of this book is great and contrary to what it says, at the end of the book I had hope that things would get better. It was a nice reminder that I’m not the only one trying to figure it all out.
About- Portraits of famous women in literature and quotes to accompany them.
Why I picked it– I wanted this book since I first heard about it and then several months later, I randomly got a free copy of it at work.
Thoughts- I thought this book was gorgeous. Each of the portraits was so lovely and I enjoyed reading all of the quotes, particularly the ones that I recognized. There were several characters that I hadn’t heard of, which led me to do some googling and look up a few books. I added some books to my ‘to-read’ list thanks to this book!
Why I picked it– I wanted this book since I first heard about it and then several months later, I randomly got a free copy of it at work.
Thoughts- I thought this book was gorgeous. Each of the portraits was so lovely and I enjoyed reading all of the quotes, particularly the ones that I recognized. There were several characters that I hadn’t heard of, which led me to do some googling and look up a few books. I added some books to my ‘to-read’ list thanks to this book!
About- A continuation of the series, Lemony Snicket continues to solve mysteries and fight crime.
Why I picked it– It’s a series (this is book 2 of 4).
Thoughts- This one was also delightful. I spaced out the Lemony Snicket books during my read-a-thon because it was nice to switch between heavier and lighter reads. The third book comes out at the end of September, so I’ll be looking forward to that.
Why I picked it– It’s a series (this is book 2 of 4).
Thoughts- This one was also delightful. I spaced out the Lemony Snicket books during my read-a-thon because it was nice to switch between heavier and lighter reads. The third book comes out at the end of September, so I’ll be looking forward to that.
About- A woman finds out that her husband is cheating on her and she has to decide what she wants to do about their marriage. Oh, and the kicker is that she’s 7 months pregnant when she finds out!
Why I picked it– I went through a Nora Ephron phase a month or two ago and I watched several of her movies. I’d never read any of her books, so I thought it was time to give one a try.
Thoughts- Nora Ephron is so funny. She’s describing a terrible time in this woman’s life and yet somehow the story is still light-hearted and humorous. Rachel, the main character, is a food writer and there are recipes sprinkled throughout the book, which I liked. I loved the writing style- it’s very conversational and feels a bit like someone’s sharing a juicy story with you. I’m definitely going to pick up another Nora Ephron book because this one was great.
Why I picked it– I went through a Nora Ephron phase a month or two ago and I watched several of her movies. I’d never read any of her books, so I thought it was time to give one a try.
Thoughts- Nora Ephron is so funny. She’s describing a terrible time in this woman’s life and yet somehow the story is still light-hearted and humorous. Rachel, the main character, is a food writer and there are recipes sprinkled throughout the book, which I liked. I loved the writing style- it’s very conversational and feels a bit like someone’s sharing a juicy story with you. I’m definitely going to pick up another Nora Ephron book because this one was great.
About- You guys have seen the movie, right? Right?!
Why I picked it– I only found out recently that the movie was based on a book and I knew I had to read it because I love the movie so much.
Thoughts- I think this is one of the rare cases where the movie was actually a pretty good adaptation of the book. The book is a hoot and also has the story within a story set-up that the movie does. Unsurprisingly, the book goes more in-depth to the background story, which I found really interesting. The style is such that the narrator is very self-aware and inserts himself throughout the story, which makes it a little hard to tell what’s real and what’s not! If you liked the movie, I am pretty sure that you’ll also like the book.
Why I picked it– I only found out recently that the movie was based on a book and I knew I had to read it because I love the movie so much.
Thoughts- I think this is one of the rare cases where the movie was actually a pretty good adaptation of the book. The book is a hoot and also has the story within a story set-up that the movie does. Unsurprisingly, the book goes more in-depth to the background story, which I found really interesting. The style is such that the narrator is very self-aware and inserts himself throughout the story, which makes it a little hard to tell what’s real and what’s not! If you liked the movie, I am pretty sure that you’ll also like the book.