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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I wanted to start the year with a nice, easy read, and this book fit the bill (plus, I’m all for a seasonal read). In the beginning we find out the main character’s parents are going through a divorce, which is why she and her sister are sent to Vermont after Christmas, and I appreciated that the book acknowledged that the holidays can be a hard time for people. I thought this was a cute, YA read and a fun book to read on New Year’s Day.
I wanted to start the year with a nice, easy read, and this book fit the bill (plus, I’m all for a seasonal read). In the beginning we find out the main character’s parents are going through a divorce, which is why she and her sister are sent to Vermont after Christmas, and I appreciated that the book acknowledged that the holidays can be a hard time for people. I thought this was a cute, YA read and a fun book to read on New Year’s Day.
I had high hopes for this thriller, and in the end, I liked it, but it never really sucked me in the way I wanted it to. I believe this book is meant to be really atmospheric. I liked the idea of a wedding held on a remote island, and the juxtaposition of the wedding finery with the natural landscape. However, I didn’t properly feel that atmosphere or feel that I was transported to that location.
This is told in multiple perspectives and the characters were distinct enough that I was able to tell them apart. But I did feel that this was perhaps a bit too long and my least favorite chapters were the ones in third person. I feel like I could have done with less flash forwards to the wedding night as they didn’t really drive the plot forward.
I have listed quite a few complaints, but I did still like this thriller. I believe I did gasp aloud at one point and it did get pretty juicy in the last third. All in all, a solid read, but not as great as I hoped it would be.
This is told in multiple perspectives and the characters were distinct enough that I was able to tell them apart. But I did feel that this was perhaps a bit too long and my least favorite chapters were the ones in third person. I feel like I could have done with less flash forwards to the wedding night as they didn’t really drive the plot forward.
I have listed quite a few complaints, but I did still like this thriller. I believe I did gasp aloud at one point and it did get pretty juicy in the last third. All in all, a solid read, but not as great as I hoped it would be.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for ages and I’m so glad that I finally have. Crossing off my first backlist read of 2021!
I just finished it a few minutes ago and consider my mind blown. This is a book that requires concentration because the world that N.K. Jemisin has created is so detailed and complex. I discovered there was a glossary about thirty pages in and thank goodness for that glossary! I forget that sometimes with fantasy books it takes a little while to get acclimated to the new world that’s described in the book. And it did take me a little while to get settled, but about 100 pages in I was feeling less confused and eager to follow the various storylines.
The writing is so good and I’m amazed at how Jemisin was able to craft this world and this story. Because this book requires some focus, it didn’t sweep me away like I thought it might, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s almost like I had to flex my reading muscles to get a grip on what was going on, and it’s fun to have that kind of intellectual stimulation. It is such a rich story and the ending left me with more questions than answers. Good thing this is a series!
I thoroughly enjoyed this and definitely want to read the remaining two books. I need to know what happens next! I’m not a huge rereader, but I imagine you would gain a lot from rereading this book, and build upon your knowledge from the first readthrough. I also think this would be a great book to buddy read because there is just so much going on in this world to discuss.
I just finished it a few minutes ago and consider my mind blown. This is a book that requires concentration because the world that N.K. Jemisin has created is so detailed and complex. I discovered there was a glossary about thirty pages in and thank goodness for that glossary! I forget that sometimes with fantasy books it takes a little while to get acclimated to the new world that’s described in the book. And it did take me a little while to get settled, but about 100 pages in I was feeling less confused and eager to follow the various storylines.
The writing is so good and I’m amazed at how Jemisin was able to craft this world and this story. Because this book requires some focus, it didn’t sweep me away like I thought it might, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s almost like I had to flex my reading muscles to get a grip on what was going on, and it’s fun to have that kind of intellectual stimulation. It is such a rich story and the ending left me with more questions than answers. Good thing this is a series!
I thoroughly enjoyed this and definitely want to read the remaining two books. I need to know what happens next! I’m not a huge rereader, but I imagine you would gain a lot from rereading this book, and build upon your knowledge from the first readthrough. I also think this would be a great book to buddy read because there is just so much going on in this world to discuss.
I picked this up on a whim because I’d been meaning to read one of Alyssa Cole’s romances for ages, and I really enjoyed it. I pretty much devoured it in a day and thought it was such a fun read (with a good amount of steam too).
I loved that the main character, Naledi, was a woman in STEM, as I feel like I’ve only read a couple of books featuring a Black woman in STEM and I love seeing that representation. In that same vein, it’s great to read a romance where the two main characters are Black.
I also loved Naledi as a character overall. She’s had a tough childhood bouncing around from home to home in the foster care system, and we see that she has walls up around her personal life for that reason. But we also get to see her be vulnerable and open up a bit, which felt rewarding as a reader. I also enjoyed Thabiso as a character and laughed at the descriptions of him experiencing certain NYC things for the first time, such as riding the subway.
Cole’s writing really drew me in. It felt very approachable and pulled me into the story pretty much immediately. I liked the way she explored themes of family, identity, sexism in STEM, and more. I’m so glad I finally read one of her romances and I have a feeling that she might become one of my go-to romance authors.
I loved that the main character, Naledi, was a woman in STEM, as I feel like I’ve only read a couple of books featuring a Black woman in STEM and I love seeing that representation. In that same vein, it’s great to read a romance where the two main characters are Black.
I also loved Naledi as a character overall. She’s had a tough childhood bouncing around from home to home in the foster care system, and we see that she has walls up around her personal life for that reason. But we also get to see her be vulnerable and open up a bit, which felt rewarding as a reader. I also enjoyed Thabiso as a character and laughed at the descriptions of him experiencing certain NYC things for the first time, such as riding the subway.
Cole’s writing really drew me in. It felt very approachable and pulled me into the story pretty much immediately. I liked the way she explored themes of family, identity, sexism in STEM, and more. I’m so glad I finally read one of her romances and I have a feeling that she might become one of my go-to romance authors.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Say hello to my first five-star read of 2021. I loved this book!
Some of us may have learned about the heroes of the Trojan War: Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, etc. But what about the women? This book tells their stories, for although it was the men’s war, it was the women’s war as well.
I was very into Greek and Roman mythology as a kid. I found it fascinating. When I read CIRCE a couple years ago, I remembered how much I loved mythology, so I had a feeling that this book would be right up my alley.
The book is written with multiple perspectives and I loved seeing the war through the eyes of these women. Through them, we see the chain of events that led to the fall of Troy and I thought that these stories were so cleverly woven together. It reminded me of HOMEGOING a little bit, another book I loved, in the sense that even though we only see these characters for a short amount of time, they still felt lifelike and real.
We may think we know this story well, but the author shows us that we don’t know it all because we likely hadn’t heard from the women, until now. Before, the women were relegated to the sidelines, or mentioned in passing, but here in this book, they are front and center.
War is brutal and we see some of that in these pages. But there is also love and bravery, fear and grief, revenge, death, and life. Even if you’re not into mythology, I think there is something very compelling about the way the stories of these women are told.
I thought this was such a masterful book and I can’t wait for more people to read it!
Say hello to my first five-star read of 2021. I loved this book!
Some of us may have learned about the heroes of the Trojan War: Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, etc. But what about the women? This book tells their stories, for although it was the men’s war, it was the women’s war as well.
I was very into Greek and Roman mythology as a kid. I found it fascinating. When I read CIRCE a couple years ago, I remembered how much I loved mythology, so I had a feeling that this book would be right up my alley.
The book is written with multiple perspectives and I loved seeing the war through the eyes of these women. Through them, we see the chain of events that led to the fall of Troy and I thought that these stories were so cleverly woven together. It reminded me of HOMEGOING a little bit, another book I loved, in the sense that even though we only see these characters for a short amount of time, they still felt lifelike and real.
We may think we know this story well, but the author shows us that we don’t know it all because we likely hadn’t heard from the women, until now. Before, the women were relegated to the sidelines, or mentioned in passing, but here in this book, they are front and center.
War is brutal and we see some of that in these pages. But there is also love and bravery, fear and grief, revenge, death, and life. Even if you’re not into mythology, I think there is something very compelling about the way the stories of these women are told.
I thought this was such a masterful book and I can’t wait for more people to read it!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I don’t even know how one goes about reviewing Toni Morrison, so let’s not think of this as a review, but a reflection on my reading experience instead.
I had no idea what it was about going in, but I soon learned that it’s about a mother who will do anything to protect her children, and about a house haunted by a spirit that’s been wronged.
It goes without saying, but Morrison’s writing is exceptional and I was intrigued by the way that she experimented with a few different writing styles throughout the book. There are these minute details that she includes that add a richness to the story and transport you to a time and place.
It’s not an easy read and Morrison doesn’t shy away from the horrors of slavery. But at the same time, you know that she’s only showing us the surface of the atrocities that were committed against Black people. There were many passages that I read and had to read again to understand what she was saying between the lines.
What does motherhood mean? How does a mother behave? These are just a couple of the questions that Morrison explores in this book. I was also struck by the juxtaposition of freedom and slavery, and what it means to escape.
I wish I’d been taught this book in school and I did feel that some of this book went over my head, which led to me seeking out articles and other explanations of the book to learn more about what I’d missed.
This book is based on a true story. In the foreword, Morrison writes about how she wanted to make the slave experience intimate, and it certainly felt that way to me. I won’t be forgetting these characters anytime soon.
I don’t even know how one goes about reviewing Toni Morrison, so let’s not think of this as a review, but a reflection on my reading experience instead.
I had no idea what it was about going in, but I soon learned that it’s about a mother who will do anything to protect her children, and about a house haunted by a spirit that’s been wronged.
It goes without saying, but Morrison’s writing is exceptional and I was intrigued by the way that she experimented with a few different writing styles throughout the book. There are these minute details that she includes that add a richness to the story and transport you to a time and place.
It’s not an easy read and Morrison doesn’t shy away from the horrors of slavery. But at the same time, you know that she’s only showing us the surface of the atrocities that were committed against Black people. There were many passages that I read and had to read again to understand what she was saying between the lines.
What does motherhood mean? How does a mother behave? These are just a couple of the questions that Morrison explores in this book. I was also struck by the juxtaposition of freedom and slavery, and what it means to escape.
I wish I’d been taught this book in school and I did feel that some of this book went over my head, which led to me seeking out articles and other explanations of the book to learn more about what I’d missed.
This book is based on a true story. In the foreword, Morrison writes about how she wanted to make the slave experience intimate, and it certainly felt that way to me. I won’t be forgetting these characters anytime soon.
4.5 stars
That novella though! I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories + a novella that explored the topics of race, family, and relationships, among other things. I give Evans a lot of credit because I felt like the characters she created were memorable, which is not easy to do in a short story when you have a limited amount of time to grab the reader.
This was so well-written; the stories are tight and sharp. My favorite story was “Boys Go to Jupiter” and “Alcatraz” really jumped out at me as well, because I’d just been discussing with some of my cousins how family history can be so complicated and layered and unknown. But the novella really stole the show for me. I thought it was pretty much perfect. Sure, I would love to read more about those characters, but it felt like Evans gave us exactly what we needed to know. Wow, yes, I’m still reeling from how good the novella was!
If this collection is not already on your TBR, then go ahead and add it to the list because it is that good.
//
The novella!!!!!! Full review to come.
That novella though! I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories + a novella that explored the topics of race, family, and relationships, among other things. I give Evans a lot of credit because I felt like the characters she created were memorable, which is not easy to do in a short story when you have a limited amount of time to grab the reader.
This was so well-written; the stories are tight and sharp. My favorite story was “Boys Go to Jupiter” and “Alcatraz” really jumped out at me as well, because I’d just been discussing with some of my cousins how family history can be so complicated and layered and unknown. But the novella really stole the show for me. I thought it was pretty much perfect. Sure, I would love to read more about those characters, but it felt like Evans gave us exactly what we needed to know. Wow, yes, I’m still reeling from how good the novella was!
If this collection is not already on your TBR, then go ahead and add it to the list because it is that good.
//
The novella!!!!!! Full review to come.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Well this was a fun ride and good thing the movie rights have already been sold because I think this will make a great movie!
I loved Nora as a character and the way her voice was written. Her personality really jumped off the page and kept me so engaged in her story. Nora’s not perfect (who is?), but I was rooting for her the whole time. And I really liked the side characters as well: Iris, her vintage-loving girlfriend, Wes, her sweet ex-boyfriend, and Lee, her sister who would do anything to protect her.
I felt that the book moved along at a good pace as we flashed back and forth between the past and the present. And there was an adventure/caper spirit in the storytelling that made the situation feel less heavy than it really is. You’ve got a scary bank heist situation where the characters are just trying to make it out alive. Also, the book discusses abuse in various formats and what it means to be a survivor of that abuse.
For me, this was a really entertaining read with depth and a lot of heart. If you find stories around con artists and/or bank heists fascinating as well, then I think you might enjoy this book.
TW: Abuse (emotional, physical, sexual)
Well this was a fun ride and good thing the movie rights have already been sold because I think this will make a great movie!
I loved Nora as a character and the way her voice was written. Her personality really jumped off the page and kept me so engaged in her story. Nora’s not perfect (who is?), but I was rooting for her the whole time. And I really liked the side characters as well: Iris, her vintage-loving girlfriend, Wes, her sweet ex-boyfriend, and Lee, her sister who would do anything to protect her.
I felt that the book moved along at a good pace as we flashed back and forth between the past and the present. And there was an adventure/caper spirit in the storytelling that made the situation feel less heavy than it really is. You’ve got a scary bank heist situation where the characters are just trying to make it out alive. Also, the book discusses abuse in various formats and what it means to be a survivor of that abuse.
For me, this was a really entertaining read with depth and a lot of heart. If you find stories around con artists and/or bank heists fascinating as well, then I think you might enjoy this book.
TW: Abuse (emotional, physical, sexual)
In the beginning of May I was kind of on a classics kick, so after reading this post I decide to reread Little Women as well. I’d forgotten how good this book is. While reading it you just care so much about the characters- you laugh when they laugh and you cry when they cry. I’m still not over the fact that Jo doesn’t end up with Laurie in the end because I think they’re a perfect match.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I’ve just finished this book a few minutes ago and my feelings are still in a tangle. When I first read the premise, I was intrigued, but for some reason it didn’t really come together for me when I actually dove into the story. I was struggling to connect with the characters and understand their motivations for sticking together, but maybe it was just simply that they were both lonely and seeking human connection.
I thought the writing was good and I felt like she treated her characters with care and tenderness. There was one stylistic choice, Emmett’s asides, that didn’t work for me as they kept taking me out of a story that I was already struggling to connect with. Later, I did gain a better understanding of why she chose to include him and how they illuminated his character, but I still didn’t like it, lol.
This book deals with suicide, grief, mental health, and the desire for human connection. I think my main problem was that this novel was mostly character-driven, and since I wasn’t that connected to the characters, I wasn’t invested enough in the story for it to move me emotionally. I think this book could definitely work better for a different reader and I’d be curious to hear their thoughts on this one.
I’ve just finished this book a few minutes ago and my feelings are still in a tangle. When I first read the premise, I was intrigued, but for some reason it didn’t really come together for me when I actually dove into the story. I was struggling to connect with the characters and understand their motivations for sticking together, but maybe it was just simply that they were both lonely and seeking human connection.
I thought the writing was good and I felt like she treated her characters with care and tenderness. There was one stylistic choice, Emmett’s asides, that didn’t work for me as they kept taking me out of a story that I was already struggling to connect with. Later, I did gain a better understanding of why she chose to include him and how they illuminated his character, but I still didn’t like it, lol.
This book deals with suicide, grief, mental health, and the desire for human connection. I think my main problem was that this novel was mostly character-driven, and since I wasn’t that connected to the characters, I wasn’t invested enough in the story for it to move me emotionally. I think this book could definitely work better for a different reader and I’d be curious to hear their thoughts on this one.