👶👶: A Short Walk Through a Wide World, by Douglas Westerbeke

I feel like this novel was an attempt to impart some ethereal wisdom that I was supposed to appreciate, but all I can say is, "What the hayl did I just read???!!!" Clearly, I was not intelligent enough to understand what the author was hoping to promulgate. Honestly, it took me FOREVER to finish this book... like 2 months😱!!! I just couldn't get into it, but I never gave up! The bloody scenes were just too much for me to stomach, and such a strange way to move the plot along. The frustration of Aubrey never being able to escape her unbidden reality only ended up frustrating me.

This book was likened to Addie LaRue, which is the reason I chose to read it, but I must respectfully disagree. Whereas I absolutely adored Addie LaRue, I muddled through this one. I feel terrible being so forthright about my feelings with regard to the book because I know this was the author's debut and he poured his heart into it, but I must be honest, it just wasn't for me. 

However, don't discount it just because of my opinion - if your thing is magical realism with moments of horror, and a tinge of mystery, this might be your cup of tea! But beware of a nonlinear and confusing (for me) storyline that will leave you with many unanswered questions.

Truth be told, I just don't think I was the target audience, so Ima go rinse my palate with something light and lovely.

Many thanks to partners, Avid Reader Press & NetGalley for this gifted review copy! So sorry I didn't love it y'all🙈.

Read 5/22/24

👶👶: Atonement, by Ian McEwan

So Mr. McEwan's prose is beautiful, no doubt. He writes in an almost melodic manner. However, at the same time, his writing is incongruent - often jumping from one scenario to another without solid transitions. Also, in both of his works I've read, he's managed to throw in a shocker or two just to throw his readers for a loop. So, I can see why he is such a notorious author; his work sticks with his readers. The couple allusions to incest definitely turned me off, and I never formed any kind of bond with the characters. So, suffice to say, although he's not my favorite author, I can understand his lure!

Read 11/3/23

👶👶: Distant Shores, by Kristin Hannah

Is this really a book by Kristin Hannah, one of my favorite authors of all time? I am just baffled. The novel was frustrating, the characters underdeveloped and oh so clichéd, and the storyline wholly predictable and elementary at best.

I know, super harsh, right? Honestly, if it had been her debut novel, or even one of her earliest novels, I could understand, but she had begun writing novels 11 years prior to this one. Clearly, it took a long time to hone her craft.

I will admit, one of my least favorite topics in a novel is infidelity, and my second least favorite is ingratitude. So, I'm certain that had a lot to do with my assessment of this novel, as it was laden with both. But honestly, there were few redemptive elements to this story, even aside from those personal hot-button topics.

So if, like me, Kristin Hannah is an auto-buy author for you, I'd definitely recommend you skip this one!

Read 10/30/22

👶👶👶: A Woman in Time, by Bobi Conn

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours & Amazon Publishing for gifting me this lovely novel and including me on this book tour!

Mixing magical realism and women's fiction, Bobi Conn's debut novel is as ethereal as it is grimly palpable. Knowing little about the Appalachian way of life prior to reading this novel, the author did a tremendous job of drawing me in to the reality of it all.

Conn imagines women that are strong, but restricted by the time and place they inhabit. In the case of the main female protagonist, that strength is nearly vanquished, which allows the reader to experience her complete sense of dejection. The story is evocative and engrossing, and the setting is incredibly vivid. I found myself rooting for Rosalee, and later Bethany, hoping for reprieve for these poor, sweet girls.

I struggled with the age that these young girls were forced into marriage, but know it was a way of life for many during this time period and beyond. As with any novel that deals in the harsh realities of historical fiction, it was hard to read some of the scenes. The physical and sexual abuse toward women of each generation was a lot to stomach, but sadly necessary to portray the truth.

Kudos to Bobi Conn for a well-written, immersive novel.

Read 9/12/22         

👶👶: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert

 

🌷So I read this book eons ago, before I was ever on Goodreads. As you may recall, I'm a HUGE Oprah fan, and of course, her book club was very popular back then. So way back in 2006, Oprah had Elizabeth Gilbert on to discuss her new Book Club pick: Eat, Pray, Love.

😬First off, you may recall that for whatever reason, it is rare that I have actually liked an Oprah Book Club pick. I've learned that we just have vastly different taste in books, and this one was no exception.

✍️So, don't @ me, but I remember thinking that Gilbert was self-centered, ungrateful, and entitled. I really felt like this was just a glorified account of an indulgent vacation. I never got the impression that she was actually doing the work to promote self-awareness, but instead just having a grand ol' time because she hated her life beforehand. In addition, I never felt like she gave a flying flip about the readers of this "self-help" book, instead choosing to focus on all of her first-world problems. And while self-care is important, so are the relationships that one has cultivated... and sometimes those relationships take hard work, work that Gilbert just wasn't willing to put in, imho.

🙈Can you tell I felt very strongly about this book? I wonder if my opinion of it would change now, 16 years later, but honestly, I just don't have it in me to reread it😮‍💨. So back in the day, I would've given it a 1 star, but as I've softened a bit in my old age, I'll be a little more generous...

For more of my reviews, please follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mamasgottaread

Read 1/10/07

👶👶: You, Me, and the Colors of Life, by Noa C. Walker

This one, from the end of last summer, was a sadly a miss for me.

Some descriptions were just a bit too, shall we say, "unique" for my taste: "At first, he was like a steak defrosting in the fridge after years in the freezer." Ummm🤔...

And my biggest pet peeve in a novel is rhetorical questions, and this book was chock-full of them:

"...but was it also to stay close to Janica? If so, why was he avoiding her?"

"What was holding him back? The fact that Janica found Steffen, not him?"

"Was it wrong of Thomas to interfere, especially when his brother was so fragile?"

Ugh😩, you get the idea... I just can't... as a reader, I prefer to have questions answered, not asked of me🙄!!!

This was also a translation, so it is possible that may have added to the contrived feeling of the story in general.

Read 9/3/21

👶👶👶: No Names to Be Given, by Julia Brewer Daily

This novel follows 3 women, each harboring a life-altering secret. Unwed and pregnant in 1965, they were forced to give up their newborns for adoption, and never look back. As is often the case, their past catches up with them in a serendipitous turn of events.

I liked that this story gives an accurate description of what so many women endured during this time period. If children were conceived out of wedlock (regardless of whether it was consensual or not), and the mothers were not immediately wed to the father, they would be sent to a home in secrecy to give birth and give up their children. I appreciated the author's imagination and character development and really wanted to know the outcome of the women's lives. I was also impressed that this was a debut novel.

I struggled with parts of the storyline that were a bit unrealistic. There were just too many coincidences, and it was somewhat difficult to maintain my suspension of disbelief throughout, but overall, it kept my interest.

Many thanks to @tlcbooktours2 for gifting me with this copy in exchange for an honest review!

👶👶👶: Yours Cheerfully, by A.J. Pearce

🎉🎉🄷🄰🄿🄿🅈 🄱🄾🄾🄺 🄱🄸🅁🅃🄷🄳🄰🅈!🎉🎉

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒃𝒚 𝑨.𝑱. 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒆 is out TODAY!

🌷This was a fun, lighthearted story set during WWII (at least as fun and lighthearted as a war story can be🤷‍♀️). I read it while on vacation and appreciated the levity of the writing, despite the introduction of some heavy topics. AJ Pearce brings to light the difficulties female workers faced during the war, but does it in a resilient manner that makes readers really want to know the outcome for the women involved. These women tried so hard to assist with the war effort, but sometimes too much was required of them, and the reality of their situation with children in tow was often times overlooked. 

I loved the idea of a column in the Woman's Friend magazine to offer advice to women who write in during wartime. I've always been a sucker for "Dear Abby", so this sweet story was right up my alley! The story also really resonated with me as a mom. This novel really is "Yours Cheerfully"!

Many thanks to Scribner Books and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Read 8/9/21



View all my reviews

👶👶👶: The Jetsetters, by Amanda Eyre Ward

This was so far from what I expected! I've really GOT to start reading the author's description before I dive in. I expected a fun, light summer read, and instead it was a somewhat tense, emotionally charged read.

🌷I enjoyed the premise, a 70-year-old lady "wins" an all-expense paid flight and cruise for her and her 3 adult children. However, the angst and bitterness that comes with familial bonds doesn't just "sail away" when they are together, and a bit of chaos ensues...

♥️Overall, it was an enjoyable and heartfelt read, but not what I'd consider a "beach read" which is what I had gone in expecting!

Read 6/16/2020

👶👶: Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo

🙈I know I'm in the minority as far as my distaste for this novel, and I tried to like it, I really did - but I just couldn't do it y'all. 

There were several things that did me in. First of all, there were entirely too many characters for my taste. No sooner would I get to know a character, then I'd have to move on to the next one. This leads me to my second gripe - character development was minimal, at best. I felt no connection to any of the characters, which really bummed me out. 

Something else I took issue with is how the author kept writing lists of everything. Each individual, it seemed, had a list of something or other attached to their individual story: and on, and on, and on, and on... 

Yet another issue: very minimal punctuation- oh for the love of all that is good and holy - how difficult is to use periods properly, I mean really, people🤦‍♀️. For this reason, I tried listening to it instead - but the narrator was so monotone... there was just no way to win with this novel. 

And finally, THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO REDEMPTION FOR ANYONE!!! I hate a story where everything just downright sucks. Their lives were so grim and negativity encompassed it all. At one point there was a positive story, and I was so excited, and then Bam!, something crazy (and downright disturbing) happened in her story. 

So listen, I almost gave it 1 star, but I promised myself I wouldn't do that ever again, because each author put a lot of themselves into their work; and just because I don't love it, doesn't mean it's so awful for everyone else. This is clearly evident with the acclaim this novel has received.

So... I'll just put out the warning to proceed with caution⚠️ and read at your own risk, but 🎶"don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn you🎶."

Read 4/23/21

👶👶 The Lioness of Morocco, by Julia Drosten

What seems like an attempt at an epic novel, succeeds only in length, not in content. First off, I must gripe a bit about the misleading cover. The picture shows an Arab lady with brown hair, when the story centers on an English lady with blond hair (hence the nickname "Lioness")... So, right off the bat, I came in with different expectations. The best part of the novel was the insight into Arabic customs of the time (including harems, polygamy, traditional food, wedding rituals, folklore, and legends). I must admit those elements are what kept me interested in the novel because the plot was rather insubstantial and the characters lacked depth. T0 boot, the plot twist was very predictable. So, while I appreciate the author's ability to educate her readers, I felt as though the novel left a lot to be desired.

Read 11/26/2019

👶👶 The Power, by Naomi Alderman

Hmmm... this one was just a bit too much for me. Too much violence, too much language, too much suspension of disbelief... I struggle with novels that rely so heavily on the shock factor, that one has to sift through it all for the good stuff. The plot was strong enough without all of the egregious additions. Moreover, call me a traditionalist, but some of the behavior the women exhibited in light of their new-found freedom seemed a bit excessive. Yes, there is certainly a portion of the female population that would react in such a manner, but I just don't see the majority in this category.

However, the concept was certainly unique and the novel moved along at a fast clip.

Read 10/4/19

👶👶 A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles

Clearly, I am going against the grain in my review, because although I didn't hate this novel, I just didn't really like it. What a laborious read this was for me! I can't pin down why I never felt invested in the characters' lives, despite getting to know them fairly well throughout this long, drawn-out novel. I understand that part of the lure for many was the fact that it was a 30+year saga, set in a historical hotel, sprinkled with wit and wisdom throughout. However, personally, if I'm going to invest that much time in a book, it has to have a decent payoff, and that just never happened for me.

Although Amor Towles seems to be a skilled writer, his story-telling ability lacked a bit of oomph for me. Firstly, there was little in the way of describing the true horrors that were happening right outside the hotel door, other than a few mentions of friends being sent to prison and a main character disappearing. There were a few comedic nods to some of the absurdity of the Communist regime, but other than that, it was lifeless. Secondly, it was such a task to complete this book, and I often thought to give up on it. The incessant mentions of meals at the Boyarsky, or the stairwells to and fro, just didn't allow for much intrigue. However, because I knew full well the tremendous accolades this novel has received, I trudged along. Alas, I'd have been better off to let it go, as sadly, I feel as though I invested entirely too many hours on a novel that just wasn't my cup of tea.

Read 9/3/19

👶👶 The Nest, by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

From the very first sentence (the longest run-on EVER), I knew it would be a struggle for me to enjoy this novel. The largest hurdle for me was dealing with the abundance of foul language. Honestly, I am no prude. I will even admit that some swear words can add humor and even a didactic element to novels, but Sweeney's excessive use was particularly disappointing.

Sadly, none of the characters were especially likeable, Leo least of all. Francie was surely not a believable character as a heartless mother of four. In addition, the choices the siblings made in their lives were frustrating, to say the least.

The redemptive quality of this novel is the plot. It delves into the repercussions faced by a group of siblings who banked their futures on funding from an assumed inheritance, one that was ultimately taken from them. This idea is great fodder for group discussion.

Read 12/6/18

👶👶 American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner's Legendary Rise, by Joe Drape

I really struggle when giving a book less than 3 stars, as I know each author pours his heart and soul into his or her work. However, I must be honest in my reviews, and must admit that I had a much different expectation about the content of this book. This novel was touted as "the definitive account not only of how the ethereal colt won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, but how he changed lives." Instead, what I read was a verbose explanation of the "behind the scenes" process of breeding American Pharoah, the financial dealings and rogueries of all involved in the horse's success, and the technical details of the medical and training procedures used in his career. It was a very impersonal look at the making of a champion, and had very little to do with how he "changed lives", other than those he made money for (and perhaps a very small portion dedicated his trainers' and rider's relationship with him).

I was hoping for a bit more about how American Pharoah became the sweetheart of the horseracing community, winning the hearts of fans of all ages. I would've liked to learn about his much-publicized gentle personality in private, but agitated demeanor in crowds, from those that truly knew him best. I was hoping for a good story, not a mind-numbing archive.

Read 5/19/18

👶👶 Gather Round the Sound, by various authors

As a free Holiday gift from Audible, I couldn't hold high expectations for this audio book, and for that reason I was not disappointed. This was a mish-mosh of disconnected stories, that really didn't hold my attention, or even add to my holiday cheer, quite honestly.

The first story was the most interesting and heartfelt, which described what happens to the Santa letters that are sent to a particular GE office that has kept up the tradition of writing back. The rest just didn't hold my attention, and one in particular didn't even keep with any Christmas Holiday tradition at all (not quite sure why it was included).

I would certainly not recommend this listen, even though it was free!

Read 2/12/18

👶👶 The Shelf Life of Happiness, by David Machado

As a popular author from Portugal, I was excited to read David Machado’s work. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t at all what I’d anticipated based on the novel’s description. Written as a letter to an old friend, the story plays out through misfortune after misfortune in Daniel’s life. Throughout much of the novel, the reader is expecting a reprieve from the protagonist's constant adversity, primarily based on his insipient optimism, but this thirst is never quite quenched (aside from a dim light at the end of the novel). The cast of characters is diverse, but none of them very endearing or realistic. Perhaps the content for which Machado was awarded literary prizes in Portugal, was somehow lost in translation.

Read 10/2/17

👶👶 My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout

With a minimally developed plot, poorly fleshed-out characters, and little resolution, I struggled with the rating on this book.  I will admit that the author clearly has a way with words, however, I was surprised that this particular novel lacked emotion and substance. It was really just a disjointed stream of consciousness, that constantly caused me to question events that are alluded to, but never resolved.

I'll admit I'm a plot-driven fan, so those that enjoy character-driven narratives might enjoy this more. It's just that the characters were so threadbare, that I really got little out of this one.

Read 9/29/17

👶👶 Funny Amazon Reviews, by Jane Lynch

As a free purchase on Audible, I downloaded this looking for a good laugh. I was surprised by some of the reviews chosen, as they didn’t even elicit a small chuckle. The best part of this was Jane Lynch, of course, as her delivery is always spot-on; but sadly, the book itself had little to offer.

Read 8/7/17

👶👶 The Wright Brothers, by David McCullough

This was a rather tedious depiction of the events that took place during the most critical years of The Wright Brothers’ lives. The novel did little to promulgate what is arguably one of the most amazing inventions of our time. With relentless letter captions and diary entries, it became a constant barrage of superfluous information. Truth be told, I’d rather have read a high school textbook; at least there’d have been bullet points and bolded text to memorize all of the facts.

Read 7/20/17