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Excellent historical fiction novel that was partly made up, partly true. A great reminder of unlikely allies and creative thinking when the obvious paths are not accessible. All the details matter and it pays to think outside the box, especially when others don’t.
Well what a journey this was. I am not sure that I would have finished this book if it weren’t for my friend Lauren. I picked it up because of her and started, despite the length, without knowing anything about it. About an hour in, I decided I had made a mistake and there was no way I could endure this for another 44 hours. I continued for a few more hours and then decided I needed to take a break. I started and finished another book and then checked in with my friend Lauren who was still at it, so I went back and, within minutes, I remembered why I had put it down. I did a few more hours and then put it down again. I felt like it was annoying me disproportionately considering how relatable parts of the story was. After finishing another book, I decided to give it one more try. And I guess third time was the charm because after that I could not put it down. First of all, the audiobook narrator did an extraordinary job. I cannot imagine how hard this book was to do well on audio and she absolutely excelled. This book both had no plot and way way too much plot. It was a perfect representation of the brain’s default mode network. [When your brain is awake but “at rest,” it is actually highly active and generates thoughts not triggered by the outside world. Neuroscientists call these internal cognitive processes stimulus-independent thoughts.] I kept waiting for something to happen. And here’s the thing, when it finally did, I was very much let down. Because, to me, the rest of this book was so much more of what life really is like. A million thoughts all day long that look to be disparate but are connected through the fact that they collectively make up the way the character sees and processes the world. And, in the end, that was so much more powerful than the one big moment. It was so much more revealing. Even if the details of this book don’t stay with me, the reminder that each of us have these full-on tapes inside of us that go on all day long will absolutely stay with me.  Here’s to the official beginning of Summer! I really would like June and July to go very very slowly. Once we hit August, we have to actively worry about several big milestones we have this year and I don’t want to wrap my head around any of that yet. Pretty please. Big Goal: Even though I am tempted to make a goal around food, I am tired of disappointing myself, so I am going to pick a different one. I think my big goal this month is to figure out some plans to go visit D. This involves a bunch of planning and I keep putting it off but I think it will make me sadder not to go. Either way I’d like to have made a decision and plans so I can stop thinking and start doing.
Here’s to another month. Paying attention. Loving my people. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.
What an incredible joy it was to read this novel of three generations of women, each dealing with loss in their own way, thrown together in a tiny apartment and coming to terms with each other and their own journeys. There’s so much heart in this novel that it’s not possible for you not to love it. Even though I felt like Grace (the mom) was explored the least compared to Graziella (the grandmother) and Ella (the granddaughter), I loved all three of them and I loved reading their journeys. I can’t wait to read more from this author. with gratitude to netgalley and Atria books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was an unusual mystery unlike books I’ve read by Pekkanen before. I liked that it drew attention to history of psychological experiments at Duke and it read as a combination of historical fiction and mystery. It wasn’t full of twists and turns and unreliable narrators and all the tricks that appear to be very common. It was interesting and engaging in a different way. I enjoyed it a lot. It was excellent on audio as well!! with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.  Made it to the end of May. This month went by in a blur. It’s annoying that the darker months forever and the brighter months go by fast. I would like the summer to go by very slowly so I can savor every moment. I’d say May was mostly a wash for most things. Even though it started okay, the last two weeks were so so hard that I just need to give myself grace. Alas. Big Goal: I did eat more fruits and vegetables this month. I also ordered out more than ever before and I really don’t like to do that. I did paint and journal regularly. Did a bit more exercise than before. But it was mostly baby steps.
Even with disappointing myself, I did a lot this month. Proud of myself. Here’s to another month. Paying attention. Loving my people. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.
ok this book’s cover is VERY misleading. This book was VERY VERY depressing. It was not dark humor. It was depressing. Once I got over how depressing it would be, I loved it but do NOT be fooled by the cover. It’s not cute and light, it’s heavy and depressing.
This novel delivered what it promised. It was big hearted and for fans of Kevin Wilson. A family that’s struggling through good news and bad news as the balance of power changes and fame and potential fortune wreak havoc. I loved it.
also interesting. her books are compulsively readable for me. her endings always seem to fall short.
interesting and twisty but i somehow kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. and it never did. kept me reading, though.
4.5 stars. I loved this story about two women in alternating timelines. Jo van Gogh working hard to preserve the legacy of her husband’s brother and make him to be the famous and recognizable artist he never was in his lifetime with the helps of an old friend of her husband’s. Emma, a struggling artist, who cleans the home of Stella Swanson, the widow to an art empire who can’t get a penny to her name thanks to the kids of her new deceased husband. The storylines alternate until they inevitably intersect. As with all Piazza novels, this story is about strong women doing hard things. Being underestimated and overcoming odds. I love art so this was an extra special one for me. I loved every minute I spent with it. with gratitude to netgalley and Dutton for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
what a beautiful beautiful story. I have always been a fan of Somerset Maugham and this book made me get (albeit a tiny) glimpse into him. I loved the writing and the story. Loved it. |
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