memoriesfrombooks
Memories From Books
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The romance between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning is a renowned one. That being said, I struggled with the narrative of their romance in The Swan’s Nest by Laura McNeal. The book has a multitude of characters and goes into the stories of some of these characters. The side characters become the vehicle for moving the story forward but create a distance from the main story. That paradigm does shift later in the book, but unfortunately too late for this reader.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publishers blog tour.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#review#historical fiction#blog tour#the swan's nest
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A lot about Savor by Fatima Ali & Tarajia Morrell resonates with me - the cultural context; the immigrant story; the power of food to unite; and the story of a young life sadly cut short. Fatima Ali's story is one I was going to remember even before reading this book. Reading this book and learning of the other challenges she and her mother overcame further reinforces that this is a life to remember.
#Savor reviewed for #NetGalley.
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Inspired by the lives of real princesses, The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland presents a picture that tarnishes the image of the charmed life of a princess. It brings out the rules, the requirements, and the constraints of royal life. It paints a very sad picture. Given recent news and requests for privacy, this book takes on a whole new meaning and relevance. The aspect of the book that is perhaps even more fascinating for being unexpected is the view on South African history and politics.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#review#princess#the force of such beauty#barbara bourland
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I love the premise of The Day Tripper by James Goodhand. The first person narration embeds the reader in Alex's confusion and his dilemmas. At the same time, the first person narration makes it difficult for me as a reader to find an anchor or to "get to know" Alex. Perhaps, that is the entire point of the book. We don't know another's perspective. In order or out of order, we see the world as we see it not as it may actually be.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
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The cultural history in The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras is not one I am familiar with. The story weaves back and forth between the present to stories of the past - the author, her mother, Nono, and other relatives. After a while, I stop trying to follow the chronology and float along. With the myriad stories and the lack of a cultural context, I am not sure I completely understand the family story being told, but the tale is a fascinating mythological journey.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
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Seen Heard & Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized by Alan Henry is a "self-help" book about techniques - rules - for marginalized persons to survive and thrive in a workplace. Interestingly, the definition in and of itself does not reference race, gender, religion, age, or any myriad of ways in which marginalization can occur. The tips and techniques, while not new and relatively common sense, are a good refresher.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
#book#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#review#nonfiction#self help#marginalizedcommunities#marginalized groups#seenpaidandheard
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Like Sara Ackerman's other books, the history of The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West is of Hawaii. This is the first I have read that is not centered around World War II. This book builds on 1920s history of the Dole Air Race. The pacing of the book is a little uneven, but ultimately it leaves the memory of a sweet story and a knowledge of a unique little snippet of history.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#historical fiction#review#blog tour#chicklit
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A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen is science fiction meets Groundhog Day, which makes February an appropriate release date. The ending seems rather quick and less developed given the premise about time and space and as compared to the development of the story in 4 day increments with each time loop. Nevertheless, the emotion in it rings true and leaves a lasting image of love and love remembered. That makes the book work for me.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
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Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed is a re-imagining of the stories of the Arabian Nights. This debut novel envisions this tale through the eyes of Shaherazade, the storyteller of the Arabian Nights. I love seeing some of stories of my childhood brought to a new envisioning and perhaps to an audience that may not be as familiar with these tales. However, the book introduces some inconsistencies in the characters and an ending that leaves me unsatisfied for I do not see why or how.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#historical fiction#arabian nights#1001 nights#every rising sun
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More than failures, The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar is all about secrets – family secrets and the resulting trauma that children carry into adulthood and their own journey into parenthood. The book packages this family's entire history from before Remy's birth until his now-middle-age into a neat and tidy ending. This, to me, lessons the impact of this story. Nevertheless, an emotional family story and a depiction of the immigrant experience that will stay with me.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#review#blog tour#the museum of failures#thrity umrigar#bombay#india#adoption
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The idea of the path not taken has been explored in many different books and movies. The approach of creating a personalized library of lives makes The Midnight Library by Matt Haig unique and, as a reader, of course appeals to me. That and the delve into the philosophy surrounding this question makes the book work for me. Because the philosophy delves into self-help, the book did not work from some members of our book club.
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Upon original publication in 2015, the original title of this book by John Marrs was Welcome to Wherever You Are. With John Marrs subsequent success, that title is now being re-released as The Vacation. The connections the author is able to depict between the characters at a hostel in Venice Beach are creative and entertaining. It just takes a while to get there. About half way through, I am ready for the story to all come together.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#review#blog tour#thriller#venice beach#hostel#Thevacation
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Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby exemplifies what I love about book clubs. Its dark, noir setup is not what I normally read and yet the characters and emotions in this book resonate. The main character is a criminal contemplating another crime. He is also an adult abandoned as a child, a husband, and a father. He is a character I find myself cheering for. Book clubs often force me to read beyond my comfort zone, and sometimes that leads to a wonderful new reading adventure.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/01/blacktop-wasteland.html
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The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon is about a small town facing destruction and a scheme to save it that starts with one little lie and then takes on a life of its own. The story is silly, funny, and sweet. Ultimately, it is about people and caring and a community coming together to save its place in the world. As this is a debut novel, I look forward to seeing what Christine Simon writes next.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
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I am drawn in by the title - The Fiction Writer. The description of Jillian Cantor’s novel pulls in a classic - Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. As a reader, I love books about books! I struggle with this story as the descriptions and actions depicted of the main character do not lend themselves to a protagonist to cheer for or one that is interesting enough in their poor choices to watch and follow just to see what happens. Unfortunately, I find myself not the reader for this book.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#review#blog tour#thefictionwriter#mystery#thriller#gothic#rebecca#daphne du maurier
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We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein is a story of the Holocaust. Given that the history in this book is the collecting of stories, a significant portion of the book is narrated through interviews. As such, the story is "told" rather than "shown," and the emotional connection that should be the heart of such a book seems distant. Nevertheless, the book does introduce me to the Oneg Shabbat Archive, an aspect of history with which I was unfamiliar.
Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#historical fiction#review#blog tour#wemustnotthinkofourselves#wwii#holocaust#onegshabbat#poland#warsaw
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Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders fictionalizes the story of the 6888 (6 triple 8) central post battalion. It is a story of incredibly strong, independent women who made a significant contribution to the war. The book introduces romances, which are historically inaccurate, and, to me, irrelevant to that story. The story of the war, the racial inequity, and the sisterhood is enough, and that history is what I will take from this book.
Reviewed for NetGalley.
#book#fiction#book review#netgalley#bookreview#book blog#historical fiction#review#blog tour#womenofthepost
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