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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
I’ve realized over the years that I’m a sucker for a good family saga and this one certainly delivered. I had no idea what it was about going into it, but ended up reading it over the course of a day because I was sucked into the story (and also I was on a deadline as I picked it up two days before book club!).
This is about family dynamics between mothers and fathers and their children, between sisters, and between friends that become family. I love books that feature sister relationships and I loved learning about the three sisters in this book: Noelle, Margarita, and Diane. They each had such distinct personalities and chose to live their lives differently, but at the end, they are still family.
These characters felt so real, not just the sisters, but many of the characters in the book, and I was sucked into their orbit. I had to know what happened to them. This book is about families and how you can’t always choose them. It also explores childhood trauma and how that shapes people and affects their lives going forward. Are children responsible for the mistakes of their parents? Are they destined to be “bad” people if they come from “bad” stock? But none of these characters is 100% good and 100% bad; this story is far too nuanced for that binary and I appreciated that as it felt true.
We also see how certain choices drastically alter the course of these characters’ lives. And Coster writes about the themes of race and class in this small town in North Carolina. What does it mean to grow up on the “right” side of town and have access to certain opportunities? As the years pass and society changes and things become more inclusive, you still have plenty of people fighting to maintain the status quo and feeling threatened by the changes. In one scene characters are having a conversation about an incident that happened in their neighborhood where some new neighbors were accused of trespassing and not belonging, and the person telling the story couldn’t even say that the new neighbors were Black and that’s why they’d been harrassed. And that’s in 2018. Just another reminder, in case we could forget (but we can’t) that this country has a long long long way to go.
I got lost in this story for a day- it was an excellent read and I feel like I’ll be thinking about it for a while.
This is about family dynamics between mothers and fathers and their children, between sisters, and between friends that become family. I love books that feature sister relationships and I loved learning about the three sisters in this book: Noelle, Margarita, and Diane. They each had such distinct personalities and chose to live their lives differently, but at the end, they are still family.
These characters felt so real, not just the sisters, but many of the characters in the book, and I was sucked into their orbit. I had to know what happened to them. This book is about families and how you can’t always choose them. It also explores childhood trauma and how that shapes people and affects their lives going forward. Are children responsible for the mistakes of their parents? Are they destined to be “bad” people if they come from “bad” stock? But none of these characters is 100% good and 100% bad; this story is far too nuanced for that binary and I appreciated that as it felt true.
We also see how certain choices drastically alter the course of these characters’ lives. And Coster writes about the themes of race and class in this small town in North Carolina. What does it mean to grow up on the “right” side of town and have access to certain opportunities? As the years pass and society changes and things become more inclusive, you still have plenty of people fighting to maintain the status quo and feeling threatened by the changes. In one scene characters are having a conversation about an incident that happened in their neighborhood where some new neighbors were accused of trespassing and not belonging, and the person telling the story couldn’t even say that the new neighbors were Black and that’s why they’d been harrassed. And that’s in 2018. Just another reminder, in case we could forget (but we can’t) that this country has a long long long way to go.
I got lost in this story for a day- it was an excellent read and I feel like I’ll be thinking about it for a while.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
If you loved Bridgerton and you’re looking for something in the same vein, may I suggest this book?! This fun romance gave me Bridgerton vibes (based on the show, I haven’t read any of the books yet) and I’m fairly certain they’re set during the same time period, the Regency era.
This is a friends to lovers/enemies to lovers combination romance (our two main characters are friends but they also kind of can’t stand each other!) with lots of banter, good sexy moments, and enjoyable writing. I liked the way that Diana and Jeremy riled each other up. I mean, who better to push your buttons than those who are closest to you? I also loved the setting of a weeks-long house party in the countryside (how do I get invited to one of these?) that forces our couple into close proximity and allows for all sorts of shenanigans.
In the beginning, it did feel like there were a lot of side characters to keep track of, but I eventually figured out who was who. Another thing I liked was that Diana was living within the confines of this society, with so many rules about how a woman should behave, but she was doing so in her own way, and she was able to carve out a relatively independent life for herself.
This book was so entertaining and just all around a really fun read!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
If you loved Bridgerton and you’re looking for something in the same vein, may I suggest this book?! This fun romance gave me Bridgerton vibes (based on the show, I haven’t read any of the books yet) and I’m fairly certain they’re set during the same time period, the Regency era.
This is a friends to lovers/enemies to lovers combination romance (our two main characters are friends but they also kind of can’t stand each other!) with lots of banter, good sexy moments, and enjoyable writing. I liked the way that Diana and Jeremy riled each other up. I mean, who better to push your buttons than those who are closest to you? I also loved the setting of a weeks-long house party in the countryside (how do I get invited to one of these?) that forces our couple into close proximity and allows for all sorts of shenanigans.
In the beginning, it did feel like there were a lot of side characters to keep track of, but I eventually figured out who was who. Another thing I liked was that Diana was living within the confines of this society, with so many rules about how a woman should behave, but she was doing so in her own way, and she was able to carve out a relatively independent life for herself.
This book was so entertaining and just all around a really fun read!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I’d never heard of caul before I read this book. Just before writing this review, I looked it up to see if it was a real thing, and stumbled upon some photos of caul babies that I was not ready for (so google at your own risk! lol).
I found CAUL BABY really engrossing- I was drawn into this story from the start. In a way, it’s a family saga about the Melancon family and their business of selling caul, and how that affects their community and the people around them. These women were fascinating to me: the way they lived, what they were willing to put up with, their secret desires and ulterior motives.
This is a story about Black motherhood and just some of the struggles that Black women go through when they want to be mothers. It’s also about mother-daughter relationships and the different expressions of motherhood. This book definitely focuses on the women, particularly the Melancon family with their matriarch at the head, and when men do appear in this story, they seem to be a means to an end, and less consequential. Another thing that struck me was the time-old tale of Black bodies being commodified and who benefits from that.
I really loved the writing here. I found it engaging and compelling, with some lovely imagery. It also gave me some gothic vibes with the crumbling brownstone house that is full of spirits. I loved that this was set in Harlem (you know I love a book set in NYC) and appreciated the discussion of gentrification, as we see how the neighborhood changes over the years through these character’s eyes.
There’s a lot of grief and pain in these women’s lives, but I think they do love each other in their own ways. This was a unique and beautifully written novel that I’ll be thinking about for a while.
I’d never heard of caul before I read this book. Just before writing this review, I looked it up to see if it was a real thing, and stumbled upon some photos of caul babies that I was not ready for (so google at your own risk! lol).
I found CAUL BABY really engrossing- I was drawn into this story from the start. In a way, it’s a family saga about the Melancon family and their business of selling caul, and how that affects their community and the people around them. These women were fascinating to me: the way they lived, what they were willing to put up with, their secret desires and ulterior motives.
This is a story about Black motherhood and just some of the struggles that Black women go through when they want to be mothers. It’s also about mother-daughter relationships and the different expressions of motherhood. This book definitely focuses on the women, particularly the Melancon family with their matriarch at the head, and when men do appear in this story, they seem to be a means to an end, and less consequential. Another thing that struck me was the time-old tale of Black bodies being commodified and who benefits from that.
I really loved the writing here. I found it engaging and compelling, with some lovely imagery. It also gave me some gothic vibes with the crumbling brownstone house that is full of spirits. I loved that this was set in Harlem (you know I love a book set in NYC) and appreciated the discussion of gentrification, as we see how the neighborhood changes over the years through these character’s eyes.
There’s a lot of grief and pain in these women’s lives, but I think they do love each other in their own ways. This was a unique and beautifully written novel that I’ll be thinking about for a while.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I’m such a romantic at heart. I love stories about love and I loved this collection.
I loved that these stories were mythological retellings. In my opinion, retellings are not easy to do, but I felt that Babalola really hit the mark with these. I was familiar with a couple of the original stories or had at least heard some of the names. To me, these retellings were really cleverly done and that feeling solidified when I read the author’s note at the end where she discusses why she chose the stories that she did. In terms of the stories that stood out to me, I loved “Scherezade,” “Nefertiti,” “Psyche” (I would watch this rom-com), “Yaa,” and “Orin.”
Some of the stories have these amazing, dramatic, romantic moments that I just ate right up. There was one particular speech from a character that just made me type a bunch of exclamation points in my notes. Swoon!
I really enjoyed her writing as well and appreciated that she chose stories from a variety of places and cultures. I also loved that the women were at the center of these stories and there was a recurring theme of women finding their agency and choosing what they want in life.
I’m such a romantic at heart. I love stories about love and I loved this collection.
I loved that these stories were mythological retellings. In my opinion, retellings are not easy to do, but I felt that Babalola really hit the mark with these. I was familiar with a couple of the original stories or had at least heard some of the names. To me, these retellings were really cleverly done and that feeling solidified when I read the author’s note at the end where she discusses why she chose the stories that she did. In terms of the stories that stood out to me, I loved “Scherezade,” “Nefertiti,” “Psyche” (I would watch this rom-com), “Yaa,” and “Orin.”
Some of the stories have these amazing, dramatic, romantic moments that I just ate right up. There was one particular speech from a character that just made me type a bunch of exclamation points in my notes. Swoon!
I really enjoyed her writing as well and appreciated that she chose stories from a variety of places and cultures. I also loved that the women were at the center of these stories and there was a recurring theme of women finding their agency and choosing what they want in life.
Thank you to the publisher and BookSparks for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
This was a fun one! I read this pretty quickly and it was an entertaining read. I loved the premise of this book: a writer is accidentally mistaken for a contract killer, so she goes from writing about crimes to becoming a criminal herself. But I couldn't shake this feeling that the book was missing something for me and I’m not sure if it was me or the book. I think I was expecting it to be funnier and more of a romp, so perhaps it was a bit more serious than I was anticipating. And I wanted more from the supporting characters (tell me more about Vero!). But overall, this was a pleasant and easy read.
This was a fun one! I read this pretty quickly and it was an entertaining read. I loved the premise of this book: a writer is accidentally mistaken for a contract killer, so she goes from writing about crimes to becoming a criminal herself. But I couldn't shake this feeling that the book was missing something for me and I’m not sure if it was me or the book. I think I was expecting it to be funnier and more of a romp, so perhaps it was a bit more serious than I was anticipating. And I wanted more from the supporting characters (tell me more about Vero!). But overall, this was a pleasant and easy read.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I’ve had one of Katherine Heiny’s previous books, SINGLE, CAREFREE, MELLOW, sitting unread on my shelves for years and years. I’d heard she was a great writer and it was one of those books I would almost pick up every year or so. Well fast forward to today, where I still haven’t read that book, but I have finally read some of her work- her latest novel, EARLY MORNING RISER.
There was a wryness and subtle humor to her writing that I really enjoyed. I love this kind of literary fiction that makes ordinary life seem so interesting. But the writing and her observations about people and the way they interact kept me turning the pages eagerly. She reflects on romantic relationships, friendships, and community and these characters are something else (one thing I know is that I would not want to attend a dinner party with them!).
One aspect that bothered me however was the way that she wrote about Jimmy, a character with a developmental disability. She would mention his "deficiencies" in a way that didn't sit quite right with me. I’ll definitely be looking up reviews after this to see if that’s something I was reading into or if other people felt similarly.
So a bit of a mixed bag, but I did enjoy her writing and I would like to read more of her work (hopefully I will finally pick up SINGLE, CAREFREE, MELLOW at some point soon!).
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I’ve had one of Katherine Heiny’s previous books, SINGLE, CAREFREE, MELLOW, sitting unread on my shelves for years and years. I’d heard she was a great writer and it was one of those books I would almost pick up every year or so. Well fast forward to today, where I still haven’t read that book, but I have finally read some of her work- her latest novel, EARLY MORNING RISER.
There was a wryness and subtle humor to her writing that I really enjoyed. I love this kind of literary fiction that makes ordinary life seem so interesting. But the writing and her observations about people and the way they interact kept me turning the pages eagerly. She reflects on romantic relationships, friendships, and community and these characters are something else (one thing I know is that I would not want to attend a dinner party with them!).
One aspect that bothered me however was the way that she wrote about Jimmy, a character with a developmental disability. She would mention his "deficiencies" in a way that didn't sit quite right with me. I’ll definitely be looking up reviews after this to see if that’s something I was reading into or if other people felt similarly.
So a bit of a mixed bag, but I did enjoy her writing and I would like to read more of her work (hopefully I will finally pick up SINGLE, CAREFREE, MELLOW at some point soon!).
4.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Buckle up because this book is a ride in the best way possible! There were so many turns in this story that I felt like I never knew what was coming next, and I loved that aspect. I went into this book with relatively high expectations and I feel like this book totally delivered on the fun factor I was hoping for.
I loved the family dynamics in this story. Meddy grew up being raised by her mom and her three aunts, and they’re the first people she turns to when she accidentally murders her blind date (woops!). You can tell that there’s so much love between them and they don’t even hesitate to help her when she comes to them with her problem. Reading this reminded me of the joys and downfalls of having a large family: on the one hand she has a lot of support, but on the other hand, everyone’s got their own opinion on how things should be handled. Ahhh, family, you love them, but they can also drive you crazy!
Throughout the book, the author explores themes like mother/daughter relationships and familial duty. I love that Meddy was raised by this strong group of women who’ve always got her back, and I could also relate to her feelings of needing to live her life to please her family. But that’s part of growing up- realizing that family is important, but also that you’re the one actually living your life.
I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese-Indonesian culture. And the wedding setting definitely gave me Crazy Rich Asians vibes. There’s truly so much going on this book that I’m not even sure how to categorize it. Also, based on the acknowledgments, this is being turned into a Netflix movie, which is perfect because I think this will make an amazing movie.
This book was both funny and fun, and I loved the way it kept me on my toes with all its shenanigans. When I finished, I did think that perhaps it didn’t all make sense, but I didn’t really care because it was so much fun. I think this would make an excellent beach read, so if the premise sounds intriguing to you, I’d recommend adding it to your spring/summer reading list!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Buckle up because this book is a ride in the best way possible! There were so many turns in this story that I felt like I never knew what was coming next, and I loved that aspect. I went into this book with relatively high expectations and I feel like this book totally delivered on the fun factor I was hoping for.
I loved the family dynamics in this story. Meddy grew up being raised by her mom and her three aunts, and they’re the first people she turns to when she accidentally murders her blind date (woops!). You can tell that there’s so much love between them and they don’t even hesitate to help her when she comes to them with her problem. Reading this reminded me of the joys and downfalls of having a large family: on the one hand she has a lot of support, but on the other hand, everyone’s got their own opinion on how things should be handled. Ahhh, family, you love them, but they can also drive you crazy!
Throughout the book, the author explores themes like mother/daughter relationships and familial duty. I love that Meddy was raised by this strong group of women who’ve always got her back, and I could also relate to her feelings of needing to live her life to please her family. But that’s part of growing up- realizing that family is important, but also that you’re the one actually living your life.
I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese-Indonesian culture. And the wedding setting definitely gave me Crazy Rich Asians vibes. There’s truly so much going on this book that I’m not even sure how to categorize it. Also, based on the acknowledgments, this is being turned into a Netflix movie, which is perfect because I think this will make an amazing movie.
This book was both funny and fun, and I loved the way it kept me on my toes with all its shenanigans. When I finished, I did think that perhaps it didn’t all make sense, but I didn’t really care because it was so much fun. I think this would make an excellent beach read, so if the premise sounds intriguing to you, I’d recommend adding it to your spring/summer reading list!
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Growing up I loved watching gymnastics during the Olympics (and actually, I love the Olympics in general). I thought the gymnasts were so beautiful and powerful, a winning combination. But I didn’t think a lot about what happened between the Olympics, how they had to train and push and train some more. So when I read that this book was about a young girl who dreams of being an Olympic gymnast, I was really looking forward to reading it.
We follow our main character, Sera, over the course of about fifteen years as she chases her Olympic journey. The story is mainly told from her perspective, although there are a few chapters from her mom’s perspective throughout. I understand what the purpose of these chapters was, but I didn’t like her mom’s chapters nearly as much.
As soon as the famous gymnastics doctor appears on the scene, I felt some dread, as it’s clear that this character was modeled after Larry Nassar and the truths that came to light about him. Throughout the book, she has such a single-minded focus on her goal and we see how it affects the relationships with her family and her best friend, Lucy.
About 2/3rds of the way through, I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go because it felt like the main event had happened, so I do think the book was perhaps a bit too long and could have been tightened. I also encountered my first mention of Covid-19 in a book and I’m not sure how I feel about it!
There’s so much pain and struggle and sacrifice in Sera’s story and the main question is: is it all worth it? It really made me think about elite athletes and everything they put their bodies through in the name of sport. How do they determine if the rewards outweigh the sacrifices? I certainly will never be an elite athlete (just the thought of it makes me lol), but I did like being in the mind of one for a few hundred pages.
CW: sexual abuse, disordered eating
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Growing up I loved watching gymnastics during the Olympics (and actually, I love the Olympics in general). I thought the gymnasts were so beautiful and powerful, a winning combination. But I didn’t think a lot about what happened between the Olympics, how they had to train and push and train some more. So when I read that this book was about a young girl who dreams of being an Olympic gymnast, I was really looking forward to reading it.
We follow our main character, Sera, over the course of about fifteen years as she chases her Olympic journey. The story is mainly told from her perspective, although there are a few chapters from her mom’s perspective throughout. I understand what the purpose of these chapters was, but I didn’t like her mom’s chapters nearly as much.
As soon as the famous gymnastics doctor appears on the scene, I felt some dread, as it’s clear that this character was modeled after Larry Nassar and the truths that came to light about him. Throughout the book, she has such a single-minded focus on her goal and we see how it affects the relationships with her family and her best friend, Lucy.
About 2/3rds of the way through, I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go because it felt like the main event had happened, so I do think the book was perhaps a bit too long and could have been tightened. I also encountered my first mention of Covid-19 in a book and I’m not sure how I feel about it!
There’s so much pain and struggle and sacrifice in Sera’s story and the main question is: is it all worth it? It really made me think about elite athletes and everything they put their bodies through in the name of sport. How do they determine if the rewards outweigh the sacrifices? I certainly will never be an elite athlete (just the thought of it makes me lol), but I did like being in the mind of one for a few hundred pages.
CW: sexual abuse, disordered eating
This is a book that I’ve been wanting to read for a while. Hong writes about being Asian American, about Asians in America, about art and how an artist develops and what it means to be an artist, about her childhood and generational trauma, and much more. Her voice is strong and unapologetic, but she’s also aware of her own flaws.
She writes about how for so long BIPOC authors had to prove they are human beings who feel pain and who they were (are) graded on a pain scale so that only the most traumatic stories are deemed worthy of telling. That passage brings to mind the “racial reckoning” of last summer and the series of murders of Black people that led some people to finally pay attention.
One essay in particular, “Portrait of an Artist,” was such a heavy read that I had to put the book down for a little bit. There were several passages that I marked to write down later in my bullet journal. She’s clearly very intelligent and sometimes her writing did go over my head a little. For me, some of the essays definitely resonated more than others. I think she touches on so many truths in this collection and I’m glad that I finally read this.
She writes about how for so long BIPOC authors had to prove they are human beings who feel pain and who they were (are) graded on a pain scale so that only the most traumatic stories are deemed worthy of telling. That passage brings to mind the “racial reckoning” of last summer and the series of murders of Black people that led some people to finally pay attention.
One essay in particular, “Portrait of an Artist,” was such a heavy read that I had to put the book down for a little bit. There were several passages that I marked to write down later in my bullet journal. She’s clearly very intelligent and sometimes her writing did go over my head a little. For me, some of the essays definitely resonated more than others. I think she touches on so many truths in this collection and I’m glad that I finally read this.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
I found this quiet novel very readable and I flew through it in a few hours. We have an unnamed narrator living in an unnamed city (in Italy, I believe), and we get these little vignettes of/musings on her life. The narrator thinks about her unhappy childhood, her relationship with her parents, and her solitary adult life. There is a melancholy in this book that I felt early on and there’s also a sparseness to the prose. It felt a bit like this woman’s voice was floating above, not anchored to anything.
I’m not certain what to make of this yet and this is my first book by Lahiri, so I’m unable to compare it to her other work. I did think the writing was good. Also, knowing that she wrote this in Italian and then translated it herself, I wondered what that process was like. Although I don’t know how to feel about this novel, I do know that I’d like to read more of her work.
I found this quiet novel very readable and I flew through it in a few hours. We have an unnamed narrator living in an unnamed city (in Italy, I believe), and we get these little vignettes of/musings on her life. The narrator thinks about her unhappy childhood, her relationship with her parents, and her solitary adult life. There is a melancholy in this book that I felt early on and there’s also a sparseness to the prose. It felt a bit like this woman’s voice was floating above, not anchored to anything.
I’m not certain what to make of this yet and this is my first book by Lahiri, so I’m unable to compare it to her other work. I did think the writing was good. Also, knowing that she wrote this in Italian and then translated it herself, I wondered what that process was like. Although I don’t know how to feel about this novel, I do know that I’d like to read more of her work.