Review: The Lioness

The Lioness
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Several people said this was their favorite Bohjalian novel so it must be me. I thought it was okay, I enjoyed reading it and I liked the wilderness bits and i liked the hollywood bits but overall, it’s not a story that will stay with me as much as some of his others have.

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Review: Hamnet

Hamnet
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not sure why I resisted reading this one for as long as I did. I think I thought it was going to be far more boring than it was. It was more about being a mother than it was about anything else. I loved it. Maggie O’Farrell is a fantastic writer.

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Review: The Ferryman

The Ferryman
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

“The mind works wondrously; it is capable of astonishing feats. It is the only machine in nature capable of thinking one thing while knowing its opposite. The bright, busy surface of life—that is the key. How easily it distracts us, like a magician who waves a wand with one hand while, with the other, he plucks a rabbit from his vest.”

What a wild ride this book was! It starts in what looks to be a utopian world of people who live in a beautiful and secluded island where life is perfect but it quickly becomes clear that there are issues brewing just below the surface. Class issues, political unrest, and more hidden secrets.

Proctor lives in this beautiful world, married to a stunning woman and has a respected job as a Ferrryman who escorts people who are at the end of their lives to the ferry so they can be retired. Proctor’s dad gets belligerent and utters what seems like nonsense words on the day he is retiring and that starts Proctor’s journey towards unraveling the spool of lies.

“Here is the golden morning, we say; here is the beautiful sea. Here is my beautiful home, my adoring wife, my morning cup of coffee, and my refreshing daybreak swim. We look no deeper into things because we do not desire this; neither are we meant to. That is the design of the world, to trick us into believing it is one thing, when it’s entirely another.”

Unlike the whole world, I have not read The Passage before so this was my first Cronin book and I could not put it down from the moment I picked it up. The world was so vividly portrayed, the characters were so well constructed and it was so clear that something was deeply wrong that it was hard to not want to stay up all night to find out what was behind Prospera.

“It’s all very complex, and it seems to him that within this complexity lies the true essence of loving a child: a joy so intense that it can feel like sadness.”

And when I got to the 70% mark and bits and pieces of the story started unwinding and I started putting together the truth, for some reason, it felt like a bit of a let down. I really enjoyed the author’s creativity and the plot was really one I could not have come up with so it was a pleasant surprise to have it be so unique and wild. I enjoyed every moment I spent with this book.

with gratitude to netgalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Violin Conspiracy

The Violin Conspiracy
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Excellent, well-written story about a Black Violin player whose family heirloom ends up being an incredibly expensive violin. There’s a lot in this story about family, racism, music, fame, and a mystery at its root since the story starts with the violin having been stolen. Loved this one.

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Review: Jar of Hearts

Jar of Hearts
Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I tackled this after “little secrets” by the same author which I loved and many people seemed to like this book more. I sort of guessed the twist so I thought this one wasn’t as good but it was still pretty excellent and fast paced and hard to put down. Hillier is an excellent writer.

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Review: Little Secrets

Little Secrets
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this excellent, excellent mystery in one swallow. Fast-paced, well-written and just fantastic. highly recommended.

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Review: Little Secrets

Little Secrets
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Review: Fighting Words

Fighting Words
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A heart-wrenching and beautifully told story about a little girl and her older sister and the importance of telling your truths, standing with each other and the power of standing up. Really beautiful.

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Review: The Couple at Number 9

The Couple at Number 9
The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this fast paced but also character-driven mystery. Well written and quite the story.

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Review: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another gem. In fact, I might have liked this one even more than the previous one. Monk and Robot continue their adventures as they go back into town, meeting different people. I love these books.

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Review: All the Acorns on the Forest Floor

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor
All the Acorns on the Forest Floor by Kim Hooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a fan of Kim Hooper. I love her writing and I love her characters. I loved these interconnected stories all within the theme around motherhood, pregnancy, infertility.

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Review: People Who Knew Me

People Who Knew Me
People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m a big fan of Kim Hooper, all of her books seem to speak to me. I enjoy her characters and her writing. This, her debut, is no exception.

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