Book Review – The Glittering Hour

The Glittering Hour is the story of high-society’s flapper-girl Selina Lennox getting involved with penniless artist Lawrence Weston despite her better judgement. With the financial stability and social status secured in Rupert Carew – who was all but handed to Selina on a silver platter – Selina had to choose what mattered most to her in life and where she could carve out her best future. It’s a story of love, choice, tragedy and riches. A story of secrets and mystery. A story of truth.

My last Book of the Month book of 2019, and my last historical fiction read for hopefully a while, because wow, there’s been a lot of those this year.

Book 53:
The Glittering Hour
by Iona Grey

Genre:
Historical Fiction

Published:
December 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, The Glittering Hour is the story of high-society’s flapper-girl Selina Lennox getting involved with penniless artist Lawrence Weston despite her better judgement. With the financial stability and social status secured in Rupert Carew – who was all but handed to Selina on a silver platter – Selina had to choose what mattered most to her in life and where she could carve out her best future. It’s a story of love, choice, tragedy and riches. A story of secrets and mystery. A story of truth.

Favorite Quote(s):

“We’re all going to die sometime – that’s a fact. And the only thing we can do to cheat death is to live properly. Bravely. Love wholly. Living, instead of just existing.

– Iona Grey, The Glittering Hour

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
480

My Overall Rating:
4 – The slow start on this one had me thinking it was a secure 3, but the further I got, the more invested in the story I became. Rich people are always kind of fun to read about, and especially rich people from the 20s/30s (1900s that is…), so it had that going for it the whole time.

However, once the story really picked up, I was genuinely trying to guess what the outcome was going to be and I think that’s always a good sign. While I was able to figure out maybe a third of it, the other two thirds took me by surprised and got me emotionally involved. I was seriously rooting for certain characters and was pleasantly content with the conclusion of their story.

Book Review – The Giver of Stars

The Giver of Stars is the fictional story of one group of women who road into the Appalachian Mountains between 1935 and 1943 as a part of the Pack Horse Library Project, Eleanor Roosevelt’s traveling library. Delivering books to those in remote regions of Kentucky, these women saw all kinds of characters and watched stories unfold as they passed out stories to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them. In their quest, they’re toughened up, bonded together and the center of the town’s controversies.

To be honest with you, I wasn’t thrilled with the November selections for Book of the Month, but I chose this next read because I know it was highly anticipated. I loved Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You series, but this was my first go with her down the historical fiction road.

Book 50:
The Giver of Stars
by Jojo Moyes

Genre:
Historical Fiction

Published:
October 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, The Giver of Stars is the fictional story of one group of women who road into the Appalachian Mountains between 1935 and 1943 as a part of the Pack Horse Library Project, Eleanor Roosevelt’s traveling library. Delivering books to those in remote regions of Kentucky, these women saw all kinds of characters and watched stories unfold as they passed out stories to people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them. In their quest, they’re toughened up, bonded together and the center of the town’s controversies.

Favorite Quote(s):

“Look outwards, Alice […] Not much point worrying what the town thinks about you – nothing you can do about that anyway. But when you look outwards, why, there’s a whole world of beautiful things.”

– Jojo Moyes, The Giver of Stars

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
400

My Overall Rating:
3.5 – I was super intrigued by the concept of the pack horse library – I love that that was a thing back in the days, and I like to think that if I lived during that time, I would have signed up to ride the minute the opportunity became available. That being said, from the historical side, I would say it was very lightly historical. There weren’t really any major historical events recounted in the book other than the library.

From the story side, it was just cute. It was a nice, easy read, but it wasn’t ripping me apart or making me cancel my plans to stay home and finish my book. I got more into the story in the last quarter of the book when the plot picks up, but until that point it wasn’t anything I was going to push on my friends.

Book Review – The Water Dancer

The Water Dancer tells the story of the underground amidst America’s days of souther slavery. Hiram Walker, a slave with a mysterious power, loses his mother to the coffin of the deep south. As a family of sorts forms around him, he manages to escape to the north, becomes entangled in the underground, and must choose how to use the power he’s been gifted.

I swear five years ago I would have gagged at the idea of historical fiction with a fantasy twist. But… ever since I started reading so much, and since Book of the Month, I’ve become a changed reader. I’ve branched out, and I’ve learned to love doing so!

Book 45:
The Water Dancer
by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Genre:
Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Published:
September 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, The Water Dancer tells the story of the underground amidst America’s days of souther slavery. Hiram Walker, a slave with a mysterious power, loses his mother to the coffin of the deep south. As a family of sorts forms around him, he manages to escape to the north, becomes entangled in the underground, and must choose how to use the power he’s been gifted.

Favorite Quote(s):

“There was no peace in slavery, for every day under the rule of another is a day of war.”

– Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
406

My Overall Rating:
4 – Confession – for the first 100 pages, I wondered if this was going to be a book that went right over my head. Coates was using figurative and colloquial language without giving explanations, and I thought for sure I was going to give this book a whopping one star.

And then things started to make sense.

And then things started to get good.

And then I could not put the book down.

When someone can take an outlandish concept and weave it into an already solid story and still keep me entrapped, I think that’s pretty impressive. Hiram’s power is crazy. It could not happen (though it arguably mirrors, and is meant to represent, the power of a greater One), yet it made this story better. Tales of slavery are already so heart-wrenching. I would have rooted for the characters without the fantasy element, but the fantasy element made me need to know what was going to happen.

Pages 101-400 were so redemptive of the first 100. Things came together so well and I began to appreciate the beauty of how it was written once I got over that hump.

Book Review – Wild Game

Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me is Adrienne Brodeur’s true story of the night her mother woke her up to tell her that a man – one who wasn’t her husband – had kissed her and the events that unfold thereafter. Adrienne was 14 when her mom did this, but it set the trajectory for an unusual mother/daughter relationship for the rest of their lives.

If you read my reviews, you know I love memoirs. My September Book of the Month choice was a no-brainer. One, it’s a memoir. And two, it sounded so intriguing. I had to read it.

Book 39:
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

Genre:
Memoir, Autobiography, Nonfiction

Published:
October 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me is Adrienne Brodeur’s true story of the night her mother woke her up to tell her that a man – one who wasn’t her husband – had kissed her and the events that unfold thereafter. Adrienne was 14 when her mom did this, but it set the trajectory for an unusual mother/daughter relationship for the rest of their lives.

Favorite Quote(s):

“You have no idea how much you can learn about yourself by plunging into someone else’s life.”

– Adrienne Brodeur, Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
256

My Overall Rating:
5 – Let me begin with a disclaimer – I read this book the week I had a baby. Emotions were high. However, I absolutely loved the transparency of Brodeur and the way she shared her story. I laughed, I cried, I related and I loved it.

For a memoir, the story largely flowed in chronological order, touching on each major event or milestone. That made it very easy to want to read more and more. And then there is the topic. Mother/daughter relationships are so hard. There were elements of the relationship explored in this memoir that I could definitely relate to and many I could not even believe, but it was beautiful to read this story and think, “I’m not alone,” or, “There is always someone who has it better/worse.”

I cannot even imagine going through what Brodeur went through, but I am so grateful she chose to share her story. As the mother of a daughter, I constantly wonder if/when I will cross the line and how that will affect our relationship going forward. It was so interesting to read about the events that unfolded after that moment in Adrienne’s life.

I think this is a must read for moms – especially moms of daughters!

Book Review – Color Me In

Color Me In is the multi-racial story of Nevaeh Levitz in some of the most formative times of her life. Nevaeh is half black, half Jewish and white-presenting. Not only does she struggle to identify a culture that is true to who she is, she struggles to understand who she is in general. And then her parents split, taking their respective cultures and separating them once again, causing Nevaeh to discover, grapple with, and lean into the cultures that make her uniquely Nevaeh Levitz.

I have seriously been craving a solid Young Adult read, and I had high hopes for this one. I skipped the August Book of the Month options and nabbed this “add-on” as a stand-alone instead, hoping it would satisfy my craving. I think I got half way there…

Book 38:
Color Me In
by Natasha Diaz

Genre:
Young Adult, Contemporary, Debut

Published:
August 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Color Me In is the multi-racial story of Nevaeh Levitz in some of the most formative times of her life. Nevaeh is half black, half Jewish and white-presenting. Not only does she struggle to identify a culture that is true to who she is, she struggles to understand who she is in general. And then her parents split, taking their respective cultures and separating them once again, causing Nevaeh to discover, grapple with, and lean into the cultures that make her uniquely Nevaeh Levitz.

Favorite Quote(s):

“If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that you only receive what you are open to, and you are only open to what you believe you deserve.”

– Natasha Diaz, Color Me In

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None noted.

Pages:
384

My Overall Rating:
3.5 – Quick and easy, this book was definitely Young Adult. However, in ways it was almost too comparable to The Hate U Give, which took away from the overall excitement I had about this book going into it. The main character faces clashing cultures. White-presenting, she’s privileged, but she’s technically black, a people group who are not often considered to be privileged. The culture clash is intriguing – it’s something I cannot relate to, and I really appreciate Diaz diving into this story to give some perspective.

However, I would have liked for the overall story to have a greater plot. There didn’t seem to be any one event that was the height of all the action. And then my biggest pet peeve, Nevaeh reads her mom’s journal, and apparently her mom wrote in her journal as if she were writing a novel. I don’t think people actually do that…

All that being said, I am always a fan of reading books to gain perspective on the situations of others unlike me, so I can’t say this was a waste of time in any way. I was just hoping for more from it.

Book Review – Things you Save in a Fire

Things You Save in a Fire is about the major events of female fire-fighter, Cassie Hanwell’s, life. On the night of her 16th birthday, Cassie’s life is forever changed when not one, but two major events occur. From there, she becomes tough, closed off and, ultimately, always prepared to deal with emergencies. This makes her an ideal firefighter, but her being a woman does not.

Eventually Cassie’s life calls her to a Boston firehouse where her femininity is challenged even deeper by their old-school ways and the attractive, new rookie. Can Cassie remain calm? Will she put her career on the line amongst trying to prove herself as a woman in a man’s world? And what exactly is the courageous thing to do in a situation like hers?

I’ve been working on a big book that is taking me forever to get through, so I had to take a break and throw in my July Book of the Month selection just to mix it up. A quick read, this one has finally been crossed off my to-read list, only slightly into August.

Book 30:
Things You Save in a Fire
by Katherine Center

Genre:
Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction

Published:
August 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Things You Save in a Fire is about the major events of female fire-fighter, Cassie Hanwell’s, life. On the night of her 16th birthday, Cassie’s life is forever changed when not one, but two major events occur. From there, she becomes tough, closed off and, ultimately, always prepared to deal with emergencies. This makes her an ideal firefighter, but her being a woman does not.

Eventually Cassie’s life calls her to a Boston firehouse where her femininity is challenged even deeper by their old-school ways and the attractive, new rookie. Can Cassie remain calm? Will she put her career on the line amongst trying to prove herself as a woman in a man’s world? And what exactly is the courageous thing to do in a situation like hers?

Favorite Quote(s):

“It’s pure fiction. Of course. I’m just telling myself stories.

“But that’s the life changing thing about stories.

“We believe them anyway.”

– Katherine Center, Things You Save in a Fire

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
320

My Overall Rating:
3.5 – This story was so cute. It was such a quick read. It was fun. It was heart-felt. It was… nice.

But it lacked a depth I still hope to see in chick lit despite chick lit being… chick lit. Halfway into the book, I could have told you how it would end – it’s that predictable. So for the person looking for a beach read, an escape, a quick vacation, this would be a great book. So despite my only giving it 3.5 stars out of 5, I would actually still recommend this book because it’s quick and easy.

Book Review – Recursion

Recursion is about neuroscientist Helena Smith’s attempts to preserve memories as inspired by her Alzheimer’s-ridden mother. Concurrently, NYPD officer Barry Sutton finds himself investigating a case involving False Memory Syndrome (FMS), a new, mysterious epidemic that’s taking the world by storm. Through his investigation, he becomes entangled in Helena’s work, the side effects of her work, and the toll her work has taken on her and the world. Can Barry and Helena fulfill their purposes in this world? Is there an end to the tasks they’ve set out to do? Or have they entered into a recursion of failures?

The last time I took a leap into Sci-Fi with Book of the Month, I gave 4 stars to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. From that experience, I learned that modern day sci-fi can actually be interesting to me. And so, I leapt again…

Book 24:
Recursion
by Black Crouch

Genre:
Sci-Fi, Thriller

Published:
June 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Recursion is about neuroscientist Helena Smith’s attempts to preserve memories as inspired by her Alzheimer’s-ridden mother. Concurrently, NYPD officer Barry Sutton finds himself investigating a case involving False Memory Syndrome (FMS), a new, mysterious epidemic that’s taking the world by storm. Through his investigation, he becomes entangled in Helena’s work, the side effects of her work, and the toll her work has taken on her and the world. Can Barry and Helena fulfill their purposes in this world? Is there an end to the tasks they’ve set out to do? Or have they entered into a recursion of failures?

Favorite Quote(s):

“Life with a cheat code isn’t life. Our existence isn’t something to be engineered or optimized for the avoidance of pain. That’s what it is to be human – the beauty and the pain, each meaningless without the other.”

– Black Crouch, Recursion

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
336

My Overall Rating:
4 – I finished this book a couple of days ago and I still find myself thinking about it when I’m doing mindless tasks. It was one I would pick up when I had even five minutes to spare because I just needed to know what was going to happen next. Sold as a sci-fi thriller, the sci-fi aspect wasn’t so farfetched that I rolled my eyes at it, and the thriller aspect kept me absolutely hooked.

If this book were a movie, which it should be, my husband would love it, and I would be hesitant to watch it because of the genre. If he were able to get me to watch it, it would be one that would keep me on the edge of my seat – one that would have me exclaiming aloud my frustrations, fear, and excitement over the things that happen – one that would pull me in far to deeply for my comfort.

So why the 4 instead of 5? Because there were times where I had to reread portions in order to truly understand what was going on. This is not a mindless read. It’s one that requires your full attention, and arguably even the patience to re-read sections in order to understand what’s being said. However, it was worth it.

Book Review – How Not to Die Alone

How Not to Die Alone is about Andrew, a man who spends his working hours searching for the next of kin of those who die alone. While securing his career, Andrew slipped a little white lie into his interview, claiming he had a wife and children. Years later, his lie still in tact, things escalate when he befriends his new co-worker, Peggy. For the first time, Andrew lets someone in and needs to decide what to do. Should he tell Peggy the truth, cutting down the web of lies he’s built and risking his reputation and job? Or should he keep up his lie, living alone, but secure in said web?

My May Book of the Month pick was probably my favorite line of novel. I love an oddball character, and I knew this one would deliver because it was compared to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, which I loved. I quickly picked this book from the five available books, and dove in as soon as I finished my next book. (Plus, this book pushed me over the edge to BFF status with BOTM. How? I’m not certain, but now I’ll get free books and such so I will take it!)

Book 19:
How Not to Die Alone
by Richard Roper

Genre:
Contemporary, Fiction

Published:
May 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, How Not to Die Alone is about Andrew, a man who spends his working hours searching for the next of kin of those who die alone. While securing his career, Andrew slipped a little white lie into his interview, claiming he had a wife and children. Years later, his lie still in tact, things escalate when he befriends his new co-worker, Peggy. For the first time, Andrew lets someone in and needs to decide what to do. Should he tell Peggy the truth, cutting down the web of lies he’s built and risking his reputation and job? Or should he keep up his lie, living alone, but secure in said web?

Favorite Quote(s):
None – which is weird for me. There were entire scenes I wish I could put in here, but no actual quotes I wanted to keep record of.

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
321

My Overall Rating:
4 – For a debut novel, this was top notch. I laughed, I cried, I snuck pages in here and there to keep learning what happened. As previously mentioned, I love oddball characters, and I especially loved Andrew. Though I can’t say I related to him myself, he seemed so relatable. I could feel the awkwardness in his conversations. I could see the loneliness in his apartment. I could basically read his thoughts before he spoke them. His character was on point, and the plot, while nothing super crazy, still kept me on edge the whole way through.

This was such a fun read, and I’m glad I picked it. Had it tugged a little harder at my emotions, I might have given it a 5.

Book Review – Daisy Jones & The Six

Daisy Jones & The Six is an oral history of 70’s rock stars Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne and his band, The Six. When the two pair up, their music is instantaneously the stuff of legends, the rock and roll American’s craved in the 1970s. But their worlds didn’t merge with ease. With rock and roll came sex and drugs. And with sex and drugs came trials and tribulations. Like any band, they navigate relational strain, differing dreams and the lengths they’ll go to to stay together… or be apart.

The stars aligned for book 13. I brought my March Book of the Month selection to book club and book club voted it our April read! That is a serious case of killing two birds with one stone in my world.

Book 13:
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre:
Historical Fiction

Published:
March 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Daisy Jones & The Six is an oral history of 70’s rock stars Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne and his band, The Six. When the two pair up, their music is instantaneously the stuff of legends, the rock and roll American’s craved in the 1970s. But their worlds didn’t merge with ease. With rock and roll came sex and drugs. And with sex and drugs came trials and tribulations. Like any band, they navigate relational strain, differing dreams and the lengths they’ll go to to stay together… or be apart.

Favorite Quote(s):

“Don’t count yourself out this early, Daisy. You’re all sorts of things you don’t even know yet.”

– Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & The Six

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.

Pages:
368

My Overall Rating:
5 – You know those times when you ask a question about some old movie star or some old band and then three hours later, you’re still scrolling your phone and you know way too much about that person or band, but you’re so fascinated that you don’t even care? That was me with this book. In fact, I think this book is written to capture precisely people who fall prey to that phenomenon. I can’t quite explain how much I wish this book was true… or how much I believed it was true while reading it. I was absolutely captivated by this story. I wanted to know their story. I wanted to hear their music. I wanted to see their performances.

Plus, I love, love, loved the writing style. Written as an oral history, it’s the first book I’ve read that felt like watching a movie rather than reading. I could hear them talking. I could see them sitting with their interviewer, pausing in answers, laughing at questions, tearing up at memories. Taylor Jenkins Reid hit the writing style out of the ballpark. This was so fun.

Book Review – An Anonymous Girl

An Anonymous Girl is about 28-year-old Jessica Farris’ entanglement after sneaking her way into a psychological study as an anonymous girl. Trying to make it on her own in New York City, Jessica finds herself getting deeper and deeper into that stud, causing her to become paranoid and making her question everyone and everything.

Again, I apologize for the additional book reviews. I’m backlogged as I’ve tried to space my posts out for a maximum of two per week, but I am also attempting to get each 2018 review posted in 2018.


Book 45 was my December Book of the Month choice. I, again, pushed myself out of my comfort zone for this one and, oh man, did it pay off.

Book 45:

An Anonymous Girl
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Genre:
Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

Published:
January 2019

Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, An Anonymous Girl is about 28-year-old Jessica Farris’ entanglement after sneaking her way into a psychological study as an anonymous girl. Trying to make it on her own in New York City, Jessica finds herself getting deeper and deeper into that stud, causing her to become paranoid and making her question everyone and everything.

Favorite Quote(s):

“One of them is lying. But who?” 

-Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl

Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet – it hasn’t technically come out yet.

Pages:
384

My Overall Rating:
4 – If I’m being completely honest, I was not happy with the December choices for Book of the Month. I chose this one purely because it was the newest book – it hadn’t been released yet. Thriller is one of the genres I try to avoid, yet this one paid off. It was, indeed, suspenseful, yet it was not scary. It didn’t feel like a plot that could happen to me, which helped keep my mind at ease. It had a very well thought out plot with solid twists. It kept me engaged, yet I didn’t get so wrapped up in it that I couldn’t sleep… because that’s why I generally avoid Thrillers…