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sarahkorn's reviews
159 reviews
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
This book did not fully live up to the hype for me. I appreciated an older, divorced heroine and complicated family dynamics. The celebrity romance element was sweet but under developed in my opinion. Leo could have been the movie's camera guy and the storyline could have still worked. Nora's character was easier to connect with, I am glad she got her HEA but I also wish she had more of a redemption arc separate from Leo. At a point I was kind of waiting for either her to realize that she's worthy on her own or for them to reconcile, but it took a while to pick a lane and once it did it wrapped everything up a little hastily in my opinion.
Revival Season by Monica West
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Religious bigotry
The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
There were times in the last hundred or so pages the storylines became somewhat convoluted and hard to follow, but overall I loved this book and can respect Loesch's intent to leave room for many interpretations. I can see how it may be unsatisfying to some readers but it does represent the messy unfolding of Russia's past, present, and future. There is a certain sadness in the fight for a fairy tale that could never come true. The writing was beautiful and I loved getting to learn more about this critical time period.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
Changed from 4.5 ⭐ to 5 ⭐ because I can't stop thinking about this book.
This book had everything. Lone women. Creepy old timey cowboys. Montana.
This book is atmospheric to the hilt, and a little bit absurd in parts, like David Lynch meets the Montana Hi-line. The whole book felt surreal and ghostly. I went to college in Montana and the small, disappearing towns across the mountains and prairies are chilly reminders of what was once a booming wild west. There's a lot of room for the imagination to run and ghosts to appear.
There were times where the weaving storylines were hard to follow but it didn't take long to catch back on.
This book had everything. Lone women. Creepy old timey cowboys. Montana.
This book is atmospheric to the hilt, and a little bit absurd in parts, like David Lynch meets the Montana Hi-line. The whole book felt surreal and ghostly. I went to college in Montana and the small, disappearing towns across the mountains and prairies are chilly reminders of what was once a booming wild west. There's a lot of room for the imagination to run and ghosts to appear.
There were times where the weaving storylines were hard to follow but it didn't take long to catch back on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
When in Rome by Sarah Adams
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.75
I needed a palate cleanser after reading a bunch of dark books, and this one was recommended. Sadly it fell really short for me.
I think it was trying to be a little spicy, but the spice level is incredibly mild. Fine, if it weren't for the other big issues I had:
I love a good famous/non-famous person romance but for the Princess of Pop, Amelia seemed a bit...bland.
Noah (reminds me of another iconic grumpy southern love interest of the exact same name...somehow I've met this character before) is a bit too perfect, but what really got me was he didn't want people to feel bad for HIM for having to care for his elderly grandmother that he will just let them think she DIED. Like we are just glossing over that weird bit?
Other than Mabel, the other characters didn't captivate me. Noah's youngest sister is 26 but is characterized like a little child.
The villian storyline with Susan in the last 1/3 of the book was a bit out of place. I understand how it was supposed to function as part of the plot, but honestly I just didn't really care.
I think it was trying to be a little spicy, but the spice level is incredibly mild. Fine, if it weren't for the other big issues I had:
I love a good famous/non-famous person romance but for the Princess of Pop, Amelia seemed a bit...bland.
Noah (reminds me of another iconic grumpy southern love interest of the exact same name...somehow I've met this character before) is a bit too perfect, but what really got me was he didn't want people to feel bad for HIM for having to care for his elderly grandmother that he will just let them think she DIED. Like we are just glossing over that weird bit?
Other than Mabel, the other characters didn't captivate me. Noah's youngest sister is 26 but is characterized like a little child.
The villian storyline with Susan in the last 1/3 of the book was a bit out of place. I understand how it was supposed to function as part of the plot, but honestly I just didn't really care.
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Rachel Hawkins is a mixed bag for me (loved The Wife Upstairs, did not like The Ex Hex), and this book is too. However, I overall really liked it and think it would make an excellent book club pick because there is so much to discuss and interpret.
I've never said this about a book before, but I wish it were 100 pages longer. I really liked the setting and characters, especially the frenemy narrative and the characters' relationships to fame and power. It's a short and fast book, and could have been a lot more atmospheric and intense with different pacing.
I've never said this about a book before, but I wish it were 100 pages longer. I really liked the setting and characters, especially the frenemy narrative and the characters' relationships to fame and power. It's a short and fast book, and could have been a lot more atmospheric and intense with different pacing.
The Royal We by Jessica Morgan, Heather Cocks
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
It took 50-60 pages to really get into it, but then I was hooked on the loveable cast of characters, the cheeky humor, and the engaging story. Some might dismiss it as fluffy, but it was pure pleasure reading and I loved it. The characters are also surprisingly developed for a "chick lit" romance - more than most popular romances today!
Honestly, even though there's a HEA, the romance was often more frustrating than sweet, but I don't think the story would have been as good if the romance was less messy.
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
A fantastic debut. I was engrossed and read it in it's entirety over a weekend.
I only docked it a half star because I felt like the pieces of Daphne's story, The Great Commission, were too few and far between. The historical nature wasn't really fleshed out, which made those parts blend in too much with the rest of the story. I think if the historical aspects of the book were more developed and Daphne's world made more vivid, it would have helped.
I also think other reviewers have legitimate criticisms over the main character development and the ending, they just weren't deal breakers for me personally.
I only docked it a half star because I felt like the pieces of Daphne's story, The Great Commission, were too few and far between. The historical nature wasn't really fleshed out, which made those parts blend in too much with the rest of the story. I think if the historical aspects of the book were more developed and Daphne's world made more vivid, it would have helped.
I also think other reviewers have legitimate criticisms over the main character development and the ending, they just weren't deal breakers for me personally.
A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
I knew the gist of what happened at Jonestown but it was remarkable (and incredibly sad) to read the People's Temple's chronological history in vivid detail.
Scheeres has a very compassionate take that these were just people so hurt by society seeking a more just world, which I can now see, and which makes the story of Jonestown even more tragic.
Scheeres has a very compassionate take that these were just people so hurt by society seeking a more just world, which I can now see, and which makes the story of Jonestown even more tragic.
Corrections in Ink: A Memoir by Keri Blakinger
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0