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wildc's reviews
196 reviews
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
4.0
Loved this book and read it in a few days. It's a quiet, intimate read perfect for a reflective period. The illustrations are perfect.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
5.0
If you like magic realism, you'll love this book. In late 19th century New York a clay woman created by a Kabbalist meets a Genie (Djinni) freshly emerged from a lamp. The story of how they come to be there, their struggles to pass for human - and to make sense of the world of humans - and the characters they meet on their journey is captivating and faultlessly written from the first enticing page to the last sigh.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
5.0
There's perhaps no harder book to write than one about war. To be able to plumb its depths yet still convey hope in a way that isn't trite. Anthony
Doerr has gone way beyond simply managing this feat, and created something of enduring value and exquisite beauty. The kind of book that leaves you satisfied on every level and moved to your core. Five stars just doesn't feel like enough. I'd give it a whole galaxy!
Doerr has gone way beyond simply managing this feat, and created something of enduring value and exquisite beauty. The kind of book that leaves you satisfied on every level and moved to your core. Five stars just doesn't feel like enough. I'd give it a whole galaxy!
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
4.0
I was expecting a productivity-style, how-to, with seven steps to achieving goals. So I was relieved to find that instead Better Than Before isn't that at all; While the book sticks to a logical, underlying structure, it reads as a thoughtful reflection on what habits mean for our lives, and how we can best put them to work for us. - See more at: http://art.cherryjeffs.com/art-blog/better-than-before-surprising-ways-to-form-creative-habits
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
3.0
I know comparisons are odious but compared to All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, the writing in this book felt poor and the characters unidimensional.
That said, the author was brave at tackling the subject and I learned a lot I hadn't known previously about how France came to be occupied in the Second World War and the hardships and deprivations (in some cases near starvation) that the French endured as a result.
Also interesting, was the difference between the behaviour and attitude of the normal German soldiers who originally occupied France and those of the SS who followed later.
That said, the author was brave at tackling the subject and I learned a lot I hadn't known previously about how France came to be occupied in the Second World War and the hardships and deprivations (in some cases near starvation) that the French endured as a result.
Also interesting, was the difference between the behaviour and attitude of the normal German soldiers who originally occupied France and those of the SS who followed later.