shelleys_book_nook's reviews
448 reviews

The Best We Could Hope for by Nicola Kraus

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was dark and really sad but I liked it. This is a take on what childhood trauma can do to a family and how it reverberates through the generations until somebody stops the cycle. It shows how secrets can destroy an entire family.

There is so much to take in in this short novel. It was just 236 pages on my tablet, yet the author manages to cram in decades of this family's life from 1943 Maryland to 2013 New York. The author did a wonderful job engaging me and packed so much in. I'm glad the book was short because it was so terribly sad, but it didn't feel rushed or undone; it was perfect.

This one will stay with me for a long time because it was poignant and profound. The plot is well constructed, the characters are three-dimensional and the author writes in wonderful detail without getting too wordy. I love how the author paid attention to the
specific time periods, she got the decades right regarding music clothing and TV shows.

This book was skillfully engaging, well crafted and handled some very serious, sensitive topical matters and it was done in a very sensitive way. It was ambitious and overall compelling. I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers as this one is better going in blind. It is not for the faint of heart but I do recommend it. 

Lunch Ladies by Jodi Thompson Carr

emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book reminded me so much of Fannie Flagg’s writing style and I loved it. This one takes place in Hanley, Minnesota. We get different points of view from the three main female characters and some of their family. We also get different timelines from earlier in their lives as well which gives us the back story of important events in each main character’s life.

And just like Flagg’s writing the story is full of humour. It’s about the community as a whole and the individual community members. The author created such a wonderful story here with small-town charm and a few goofy characters, but more serious topics are also involved. There’s plenty of death and loss, but that’s just life and it doesn’t make the book depressing in any way.

The best part of this book was the author’s delivery of complex human characters and their various relationships. Thompson Carr’s book is written with compassion, and because of that, her characters are true to life. She writes an entertaining tale while taking on important social commentary. This is about working women in 1976 Minnesota and these characters will stay with me for a long time. I remember my mom going back to work in the 70s.

This book surprised me in the best way possible, it was heartwarming and enjoyable a wonderful debut that has me asking what will Jodi Thompson Carr come up with next. 

Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay

medium-paced

1.0

No, just no. This was just terrible. It was big on style but short on substance. This is what I would call a popcorn thriller, but not in a good way. I did not enjoy it. It got bogged down with too many characters and not enough information. The ending felt rushed, and a lot of the plot felt unfinished. The book was only 235 pages on my tablet, and it showed. There were no reasons given for how these actions and crimes played out. 

Finlay has had a few misses for me recently. I loved The Night Shift, and we see the same character, FBI agent Keller, in this one, so I thought I'd give this one a chance. He failed miserably. There were too many potholes, and I didn't like any of the characters. I liked the short, punchy chapters from different points of view—that's my favourite format—but it meant not getting fully fleshed-out, well-rounded characters.

The writing was very basic and amateurish and there was no plot twist. I usually complain about it when the details are too many but Finlay doesn't give me enough. My mind is boggled at all the four and five-star reviews of this one. I was left feeling very disappointed and Finlay is selling out in my opinion. He’s cranking books out without any thought behind them. I am done with him now, I have given him plenty of chances after enjoying The Night Shift. 

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

You are fourteen and a girl and have no rights. Tough luck.

I loved Sandra Dallas’ book Where Coyotes Howl and Tough Luck didn’t disappoint. I love the female lead in this one. Let me introduce you to 14-year-old Haidie Richards. After her mom dies Haidie’s older brother sells the farm and puts Haidie and her younger brother, Boots in an orphanage. Well, Haidie is having none of that so she and Boots escape to go west to look for their dad in Denver. She cuts her hair, dons some trousers and decides to be a boy so that she can be allowed to help with the oxen in mules. Haidie is resilient and strong in both body and mind. She was such a wonderful caretaker of her brother Boots, the animals in her care and even the other travellers in her group. She had such courage and belief in herself when trying to find her father.

This is a short book that packs a punch with very long chapters yet they didn’t feel long while I was reading them. This was such a beautifully heartbreaking story and the characters felt like real people I’d like to meet. I came to appreciate how hard it must have been to live through that time period and Dallas always does that with her books. I love the way the plot unfolded and how well the story flowed and the ending left me feeling satisfied. 

Fun for the Whole Family: A Novel by Jennifer E. Smith

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

4.0

There’s no such thing as fun for the whole family. —Jerry Seinfeld

I loved this book, it was so realistic regarding family dynamics and even though the siblings are extraordinary I think everyone will see a bit of their family in this one. There's lots of strife and we get to see every side of every family member. I loved the format of the book each character has a chapter in the past while travelling the different states they went to with their mother on their summer trips and then we get that character’s chapter in the present. 

After not seeing each other for three years the four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude, plus Conner’s two kids and Roddy’s future spouse all go to Colorado for a weekend reunion. While they’re at a cabin they get stuck inside because of a snowstorm and they have no power. There are a couple of surprises sprung on the siblings while they are there and as much as I loved this book I figured out the surprises rather quickly and I found it rather anticlimatic and predictable. This was a five-star read for me until that happened. In my head, I kept thinking I bet Jude did this or Jude says that.

I love a good family drama and this was a wonderfully written story of family dynamics, following your dreams and forgiving the past. The way the characters related to each other and their issues really got to my emotions. Who can't relate to being the eldest, the middle child or the baby of the family? Throughout the entire book, I kept changing who was my favourite and who I didn't like. What didn’t change for me while reading was the fact that I thought both parents (for lack of a better word) were assholes. The parents were both absent. The mother was so stuck on following her dream of being an actress that she left her children and the father was a workaholic who left the rearing of the other three to the oldest daughter and I know what that's like. Overall this was an enjoyable, entertaining read about a bunch of siblings who really love each other, flaws and all.

This Bright Life by Karen Campbell

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my first book by author Karen Campbell. This Bright Life is the story of Gerard, a 12-year-old boy with the world on his shoulders. His mother is an addict and he is left to look after his younger brother and baby sister. When he sees his baby sister has a terrible rash and that the electricity needs topping up he devises a plan to steal a wallet so he can buy diaper cream and add money to the electric card. What starts out as a simple purse snatching turns into Gerard getting caught after the lady he steals from is seriously hurt. Her name is Margaret and she is an elderly lady who is also a widow. 

What follows is a story of Gerard and his siblings finally getting the help they need and Margaret opening the door to the outside world for the first time since her husband died. And then we have  Claire, who is the one who helped Margaret when she fell, she is also the one who turned Gerard into the police and she too has a whole new world open up to her in ways she couldn't possibly have imagined after her divorce.

This was a fabulously written story that was so engaging I couldn't put it down, it was very realistically raw and true to life. The characters were well drawn and the story itself was poignant and compassionate. It was a very difficult read that was at times depressing but for some reason, I just couldn't stop reading. I felt so bad for Gerard and his brother and sister but in the end, it left me feeling hopeful. I enjoyed it so much that I can't wait to read the other book I have by this author Paper Cup and that’s the best compliment I can give an author I’ve read for the first time. All. The. Stars.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is the story of Gail Baines during the weekend of her daughter Debbie's wedding. It starts off with her quitting her job after being passed over for a promotion. She's also feeling a little left out of the wedding plans. Then her ex shows up at her house as an uninvited houseguest, with a foster cat, no less. Then Debbie shares an intimate detail with her parents that questions whether the wedding should go forward as planned.

This is a short book but as you can tell from the synopsis Tyler packs a lot into it. Gail has a lot to deal with over these three days in June. I love the way Tyler writes about ordinary life. I felt like I was reading about a friend telling me her deepest thoughts and concerns. How the author developed so much of a story into so few pages and did it with such skill is beyond me.

I think any reader especially those of a certain age can relate to Gail and as usual, Tyler writes a wonderful story about a family and one woman's place in it. Gail's expectations of the family and the family's expectations of each other. How can you not love an Anne Tyler book? It's filled with humour, sensitivity and love. It's about the ups and downs of life and how everything can still turn out okay even in the downs. All. The. Stars.

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I loved this book so much. The story is told from Denny’s point of view. Denny is a 30-year-old developmentally delayed man who has a heart of gold and is honest to a fault. The authentic way Denny’s dialogue and internal thoughts were written blew me away. I felt that Danny wasn’t given his due as to how smart he really is. And even though his number is 72 he knows what’s what. But don’t fret, even though our main character is developmentally different this story takes on some heavy topics… gun violence sexual assault and class issues to name but a few. 

The author writes every aspect of Denny, his relationships and the tough topics in a realistic and sensitive manner in a way I’ve never seen before. She has a real understanding of these issues because she has dealt with them with friends and family and it shows.

By the end of the story I was crying and I just wanted to hug Danny and his family so I ended up hugging the book via my tablet instead. I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending, the way the author could have gone the sickly sweet way but she didn’t and it just made me appreciate the story and its characters that much more. It left me feeling hopeful for Denny and his family and I realized just how lucky Denny is. I can’t recommend this one enough, it’s going on my favourites of the year list. All. The. Stars. 

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is written in a way that it feels like you're reading a doctor's case notes and a journal written by one of his patients, and I loved it. It’s told from two points of view, Jane the patient and her psychiatrist, Dr. Byrd. The writing is very dry because it is a very clinical tale but it is also very straight to the point, which was another aspect I enjoyed.

The book is twisty, but not in the way you may think and it's also very intelligently written. It's a very good character study and case study if you will. This was an utterly unique premise that was executed wonderfully. I highly recommend going into this one blind because the less you know the more interesting it will be. I will say it's a multi-genre tale. It's science fiction, mystery, suspense and literary fiction all rolled into one and it’s done extremely well.

I am left wondering if this will be a series and I certainly hope so because I would love to go on another Journey with Jane to see how she and Caleb are doing in the future. That says a lot because I am not into reading series. The blurb says it's a literary puzzle and pieces of the puzzle fit together nicely by the end but you'll still close this book scratching your head and wanting more. That’s why I hope there is another book on the horizon. I was surprised by this one, in a really good way.

I just want to add that I loved the name of the bookstore in the story. I thought it was fabulous that the author came up with that. 

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a hard book to review because the writing was phenomenal but I found the ending rather underwhelming and a tad predictable. If you're expecting anything like The Girl on the Train you'll be sorely disappointed. This is a literary mystery at its finest. It is a slow burn of a book in the best way possible.

The setting of an isolated house in Scotland was brilliantly done and it felt like a character in and of itself. This plot is about a bone found in an artist's work that turns out to be human. Amongst the turmoil that the bone provokes we have the companion of the deceased fighting to keep some of her work, even though it was left in the will to a curator. That sets off an investigation not only by the police but by the curator's assistant.

What I really liked was how much of a character study this book was, even very minor characters are fully fleshed out, well-rounded and have incredible depth. And as slow as the pace was I was never bored. The descriptions, dialogue and internal thoughts had me enthralled. Hawkins is an amazing storyteller, I don't understand the low ratings. I am an outlier once again but on the other side this time, how refreshing. I loved everything about this book but the ending. I am rounding up because the low rating is not deserved.