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thenovelstitch's reviews
277 reviews
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
emotional
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
If you're looking for a sweeping story that tackles topics like gender, culture, war, trauma, friendship, forgiveness and tradition, then you will love The Island of Sea Women.
Young Sook and Mi-Ja are best friends from the moment they come into each other's lives. As baby divers in their all female sea-diving collective. Haenyeo are the mothers, sisters and daughters of Jeju island that carry out the dangerous and rewarding work of diving without any gear, a tradition that has been a part of Jeju Island for centuries. As Young Sook and Mi-ja grow up, they experiences tragedy, hope and desire, until one fateful day when their worlds are fractured apart. Can time heal all wounds? Or are some just too deep for even time to touch?
I really enjoyed this book, even though the story was very difference from how I thought it was going to be (in a good way!). I loved listening to this as an audio book, highly recommend that format if you like audiobooks!
Young Sook and Mi-Ja are best friends from the moment they come into each other's lives. As baby divers in their all female sea-diving collective. Haenyeo are the mothers, sisters and daughters of Jeju island that carry out the dangerous and rewarding work of diving without any gear, a tradition that has been a part of Jeju Island for centuries. As Young Sook and Mi-ja grow up, they experiences tragedy, hope and desire, until one fateful day when their worlds are fractured apart. Can time heal all wounds? Or are some just too deep for even time to touch?
I really enjoyed this book, even though the story was very difference from how I thought it was going to be (in a good way!). I loved listening to this as an audio book, highly recommend that format if you like audiobooks!
Sucker by Daniel Hornsby
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
It’s like the worst guy at the party telling you a story.
A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Talent For Murder is a fun and engaging thriller that is actually book 3 in a series (oops!) but could easily be read as a standalone (that's how I did it!).
What would you do if, after a lifetime of dating "the wrong guy", you finally find Mr. Perfect? You'd probably marry him, right? Ok, so what do you do when Mr. Perfect starts acting more and more bizarre, and you start to expect he actually might be a serial killer? You do what any of us would do --phone a friend. A friend who you know can match the energy of any man, in any situation. This is what Martha Radliff is going through at the start of the book. She is convinced her husband is killing women at his work conferences, and calls her old friend Lily Kinter for help. Lily begins to tail Martha's husband, and suddenly realizes they have bigger problems than if Martha's husband is a killer or not.
This was a perfect palate cleansing thriller during a fairly "meh" overall reading month. I'm definitely going to go read the first two books of the series!
What would you do if, after a lifetime of dating "the wrong guy", you finally find Mr. Perfect? You'd probably marry him, right? Ok, so what do you do when Mr. Perfect starts acting more and more bizarre, and you start to expect he actually might be a serial killer? You do what any of us would do --phone a friend. A friend who you know can match the energy of any man, in any situation. This is what Martha Radliff is going through at the start of the book. She is convinced her husband is killing women at his work conferences, and calls her old friend Lily Kinter for help. Lily begins to tail Martha's husband, and suddenly realizes they have bigger problems than if Martha's husband is a killer or not.
This was a perfect palate cleansing thriller during a fairly "meh" overall reading month. I'm definitely going to go read the first two books of the series!
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Me the whole book: Yes queen give us nothing 😍
I was severely disappointing in Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, but I think that was because I loved her first book Once There Were Wolves sooooo much was hoping for something exactly like that, which is not fair of me.
Wild Dark Shore is a story about a family of four who live on an isolated island near the Antarctica and are caretakers of a UN Seed Vault. One stormy day a body washes up on shore, broken, bruised, and yet still alive. The family nurse this newcomer, Rowan, back to health while also trying to keep the secrets of their island and their family hidden away. Rowan, also harboring deep secrets of her own, realizes that this family might not be as trustworthy as she thought.
This book felt like it had all the potential but lacked full execution. There were many moments where I thought I was reading a first draft. The story and narration is jumpy and incohseive and it makes the reading experiencing really disjointed. However, that could be the point, as the points of view jump between the woman who was rescued and the family members, you the reader stay just as confused as everyone else. For some reason that just didn't work for me in this story.
I think because of this I also struggled with staying attentive to the book. I definitely felt bored through most of it and would skip whole paragraphs near the end just to move it along. The big twists at the end fell so flat for me because I was already just so over the story, which sucked because the reveals were pretty wild.
All in all, I gave this book a 3/5 stars because the writing was beautiful despite it feeling so lumpy, McConaghy does a great job of writing weather and setting so you really felt you were in the icy water or the rocky shore or hiking up the mountains. I think the story premise was really interesting and original.
I was severely disappointing in Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, but I think that was because I loved her first book Once There Were Wolves sooooo much was hoping for something exactly like that, which is not fair of me.
Wild Dark Shore is a story about a family of four who live on an isolated island near the Antarctica and are caretakers of a UN Seed Vault. One stormy day a body washes up on shore, broken, bruised, and yet still alive. The family nurse this newcomer, Rowan, back to health while also trying to keep the secrets of their island and their family hidden away. Rowan, also harboring deep secrets of her own, realizes that this family might not be as trustworthy as she thought.
This book felt like it had all the potential but lacked full execution. There were many moments where I thought I was reading a first draft. The story and narration is jumpy and incohseive and it makes the reading experiencing really disjointed. However, that could be the point, as the points of view jump between the woman who was rescued and the family members, you the reader stay just as confused as everyone else. For some reason that just didn't work for me in this story.
I think because of this I also struggled with staying attentive to the book. I definitely felt bored through most of it and would skip whole paragraphs near the end just to move it along. The big twists at the end fell so flat for me because I was already just so over the story, which sucked because the reveals were pretty wild.
All in all, I gave this book a 3/5 stars because the writing was beautiful despite it feeling so lumpy, McConaghy does a great job of writing weather and setting so you really felt you were in the icy water or the rocky shore or hiking up the mountains. I think the story premise was really interesting and original.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Honestly, what don't I love about a Grady Hendrix book?? Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is no different. The story, the characters, the conflicts, the resolution -- chefs kiss.
Fern is 15 and pregnant, and in 1970 there is nothing worse that could happen to you. Her parents ship her off to a "maternity home" where dozens of girls have gone before her to have their pregnancies in secret, give birth in secret, and return home with a secret. Fern is terrified of birth, being apart from her parents, and all the agony of pregnancy. As she makes friends, she realizes that maybe something sinister is going on at the house, or at least in the world, and maybe girls united can have unimaginable power to create change, if they only know the right spell.
Even though Grady is a white man with no kids, he very clearly spent a lot of time talking to and listening to the lived experiences of women in his life. His own aunt was sent to a maternity home when she was young, and the horror and trauma of that experience inspired him to write this book to bring awareness to something most of us forgot or didn't know about. I think I knew about homes like this in theory, but I had no idea the actual scope of them. How young mothers were coerced into giving up their babies, and there was no paper trail so there could be no reunification later (although many did reunify). The terror and fear and shame and trauma these young women went through resonates through the book -- it is real life horror. Highly recommend.
Fern is 15 and pregnant, and in 1970 there is nothing worse that could happen to you. Her parents ship her off to a "maternity home" where dozens of girls have gone before her to have their pregnancies in secret, give birth in secret, and return home with a secret. Fern is terrified of birth, being apart from her parents, and all the agony of pregnancy. As she makes friends, she realizes that maybe something sinister is going on at the house, or at least in the world, and maybe girls united can have unimaginable power to create change, if they only know the right spell.
Even though Grady is a white man with no kids, he very clearly spent a lot of time talking to and listening to the lived experiences of women in his life. His own aunt was sent to a maternity home when she was young, and the horror and trauma of that experience inspired him to write this book to bring awareness to something most of us forgot or didn't know about. I think I knew about homes like this in theory, but I had no idea the actual scope of them. How young mothers were coerced into giving up their babies, and there was no paper trail so there could be no reunification later (although many did reunify). The terror and fear and shame and trauma these young women went through resonates through the book -- it is real life horror. Highly recommend.
We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin is one part thriller, one part on the nose commentary about the dangers of conspiracy theories like QAnnon and online forums like 4chan.
Meg and her daughter Lily are reeling from the sudden death of their husband and father, Justin, after a tragic car accident. Meg's father, a once famous bassist in a punk rock band, is convinced that a group of people he calls "the wolves" have been out to get his family and they have successfully killed his son in law. Meg has always dismissed her father's beliefs as the ramblings of an old man who has smoked too much pot, until her bookstore is targeted by bloody vandalism. Meg and Lily must suddenly question who in their world is truly a friend, and who is one of the Wolves, as they race to understand why their family is the target of a decades old conspiracy theory.
I saw this book recommended by Jordy's Book Club and he had said the twists were "unexpected". Usually I love his book rec's (please go follow him on insta!) and I was excited for this. While I enjoyed the pacing and the story, I don't necessarily agree that the twists were totally unexpected or wild.I guessed early on the Carl was one of them, and it felt sooooo obvious. I also had a feeling that Sara Beth was the Bronze Lord long before the epilogue, even though it wasn't made clear if she was. I do think this would be a great movie or limited series, especially with it being so relevant. All in all I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted a good thriller that maybe hit a little too close to home!
Meg and her daughter Lily are reeling from the sudden death of their husband and father, Justin, after a tragic car accident. Meg's father, a once famous bassist in a punk rock band, is convinced that a group of people he calls "the wolves" have been out to get his family and they have successfully killed his son in law. Meg has always dismissed her father's beliefs as the ramblings of an old man who has smoked too much pot, until her bookstore is targeted by bloody vandalism. Meg and Lily must suddenly question who in their world is truly a friend, and who is one of the Wolves, as they race to understand why their family is the target of a decades old conspiracy theory.
I saw this book recommended by Jordy's Book Club and he had said the twists were "unexpected". Usually I love his book rec's (please go follow him on insta!) and I was excited for this. While I enjoyed the pacing and the story, I don't necessarily agree that the twists were totally unexpected or wild.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood
Moderate: Grief, Car accident
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A lighthearted, witty, laugh out loud comedy about the absurdity of the corporate world and how we stay true to ourselves despite it.
Jolene Smith just wants one thing: to keep her head down at work and get through the day without anyone noticing her. She hates her coworkers, they exclude her, snicker behind her back, and try to push her out of every opportunity. When her small act of rebellion is discovered, she is mandated to HR training and monitoring software on her work computer. Except she discovers that IT made a mistake -- she now has access to everyone's work emails, messages and more. Unable to fit the temptation, Jolene gets to reading about her coworkers, and what they think of her.
I thought this book was good in a early aughts rom-com type of way. There is a pretty weak mysterious subplot where Jolene is running from something in her past but they rest of the story is so witty and funny that the subplot falls flat. I didn't really care about it, and honestly I think the story could be told without it and would be completely fine. Jolene is a deeply relatable character, especially if you've ever worked in corporate/government systems. I found myself chuckling throughout the story.
Jolene Smith just wants one thing: to keep her head down at work and get through the day without anyone noticing her. She hates her coworkers, they exclude her, snicker behind her back, and try to push her out of every opportunity. When her small act of rebellion is discovered, she is mandated to HR training and monitoring software on her work computer. Except she discovers that IT made a mistake -- she now has access to everyone's work emails, messages and more. Unable to fit the temptation, Jolene gets to reading about her coworkers, and what they think of her.
I thought this book was good in a early aughts rom-com type of way. There is a pretty weak mysterious subplot where Jolene is running from something in her past but they rest of the story is so witty and funny that the subplot falls flat. I didn't really care about it, and honestly I think the story could be told without it and would be completely fine. Jolene is a deeply relatable character, especially if you've ever worked in corporate/government systems. I found myself chuckling throughout the story.