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sarahkorn's reviews
143 reviews
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
I love a spooky retelling so I tore into part 1. Couldn't put it down. Part 2 dragged and leaned too far into the fantasy realm for me. Maybe it gets spooky again but The Kingdom of Sweets was, indeed, a bit too saccharine. Didn't care for all of the descriptions of gumdrop villages and snow made of powdered sugar, and gingerbread men who can talk. Obvious, uninspired, couldn't get into it so DNFed 150 pages in.
Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Another powerful book from Stephanie Land which will certainly earn overwhelming praise from those who want to see her win, and harsh judgement from those who don't.
Personally, I'm in the first camp, so I'm giving this book a 4* rounded up. Ultimately, sadly, I just think the narrative fell short of Maid. I love that it's Land's story, not her daughters' -- single moms do indeed deserve to follow their own dreams, and not only work in service of others when they already sacrifice so much -- but I dont know if I saw her grow and evolve over the course of the story. Land's personal actions and decisions are not for me to judge, but the way the story was constructed just didn't work for me.
I was at the University of Montana in the Creative Writing Department just a few years after Land, so I knew a lot of the professors and local details mentioned (I've frequented that Bloody Mary bar myself) but I'd be interested to know if it resonates with someone who doesn't have that same context.
Personally, I'm in the first camp, so I'm giving this book a 4* rounded up. Ultimately, sadly, I just think the narrative fell short of Maid. I love that it's Land's story, not her daughters' -- single moms do indeed deserve to follow their own dreams, and not only work in service of others when they already sacrifice so much -- but I dont know if I saw her grow and evolve over the course of the story. Land's personal actions and decisions are not for me to judge, but the way the story was constructed just didn't work for me.
I was at the University of Montana in the Creative Writing Department just a few years after Land, so I knew a lot of the professors and local details mentioned (I've frequented that Bloody Mary bar myself) but I'd be interested to know if it resonates with someone who doesn't have that same context.
Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Fair Rosaline is a feminist story without a happy ending. And it's DARK in parts. But there's still romance and wit to it, which made it an incredibly enjoyable read.
One thing in particular I really liked: the scenes where it played out like a stage (you'll know what I mean when you read it) were incredibly inventive as a plot device. And in some ways, it was narrated so distantly it was like watching a performance, the characters spinning onto the page and then exiting stage left. "All the world's a stage."
I also think the authors' note added a lot and could have been longer/moved to the front of the book (I read it about halfway through). For those of us who remember the original R&J story but it's been a while since we dissected it in English class, the context only added to my enjoyment of the book.
One thing in particular I really liked: the scenes where it played out like a stage (you'll know what I mean when you read it) were incredibly inventive as a plot device. And in some ways, it was narrated so distantly it was like watching a performance, the characters spinning onto the page and then exiting stage left. "All the world's a stage."
I also think the authors' note added a lot and could have been longer/moved to the front of the book (I read it about halfway through). For those of us who remember the original R&J story but it's been a while since we dissected it in English class, the context only added to my enjoyment of the book.
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
As a loyal Bad on Paper listener, I was so excited to read this book! It was tender when it needed to be tender, and lighthearted when it needed to be lighthearted. Hannah and Finn's respective journeys to embrace their evolving friendships and found family was poignant and relatable.
There were times where I thought the pacing dragged slightly, and the characters, while redeemed in the end, were often frustrating. It is presented as an ensemble friendship story but Theo and Priya were definitely secondary characters to Finn and Hannah. I also personally prefer minimal pop culture references because they date the book fast. But these are merely the rough edges of an otherwise lovely debut, and I will be preordering Becca Freeman's next book.
There were times where I thought the pacing dragged slightly, and the characters, while redeemed in the end, were often frustrating. It is presented as an ensemble friendship story but Theo and Priya were definitely secondary characters to Finn and Hannah. I also personally prefer minimal pop culture references because they date the book fast. But these are merely the rough edges of an otherwise lovely debut, and I will be preordering Becca Freeman's next book.
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I was impressed by how deep this book went. I thought I knew a lot about MLMs already but there was plenty of new information here. I also thought Paulson did an excellent job reading her own audiobook.
A lot of other reviews said they found the white supremacy analyisis to be under-developed or a reach, but I thought it made perfect sense and she was right to call it out. Overall I thought her analysis was detailed and thorough, though very much from her own perspective and lens.
A lot of other reviews said they found the white supremacy analyisis to be under-developed or a reach, but I thought it made perfect sense and she was right to call it out. Overall I thought her analysis was detailed and thorough, though very much from her own perspective and lens.
The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Everything I love in a book
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
DNF -- cute, but I've read this trope (city girl returns to hometown and meets country guy) a million times before and it wasn't immediately apparent what makes this unique. Maybe it gets better but there are tons of other books to read and I needed something to capture me faster
Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
I've been burned by some overly saccharine romcoms lately, but this was surprisingly good. The bridesmaiding storyline was delightful, and the romance was sweet. Queer people should feel safe and celebrated no matter if they live in NYC or Tulsa, OK, and I loved that this book centered bible belt queers and their experiences -- more of this, please!
The writing itself is honestly nothing special on a sentence level, but the story was well developed and I didn't have any real complaints about the characters, which is rare for me in the romance genre. I'll definitely keep my eye out for other books by this author.
The writing itself is honestly nothing special on a sentence level, but the story was well developed and I didn't have any real complaints about the characters, which is rare for me in the romance genre. I'll definitely keep my eye out for other books by this author.
Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
Cute! Breezed right through it. It's fluffy, to be sure, but never cringey, and had all my favorite things: a lovable cast of characters, saving a small local establishment, a whirlwind romance in a stunning locale where the female protagonist is her own hero and the man is just the icing on the cake. The spice could have been better, but overall I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would!