Sunday Skim

Week of 12/13/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

Julie's Review: Starless Sea

Author: Erin Morgenstern
Series: None
Publication Date:  November 5, 2019
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 512
Obtained: Purchased
Genre:  Magic Realism, Fantasy, Fables
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Phenomenal novel about magical libraries and finding your people                                                                                                     Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life. ~amazon.com

Review: I don't usually say I'll re-read a book but I'm pretty sure at some point in the nearish future I will pick this one up again. I feel like there are so many layers to Ms. Morgenstern's latest that I want to revisit and pick up on nuances that I didn't the first time. It is complex and yet there is definitely a feel of whimsy throughout the book without it being too cute. 

The Starless Sea is a quintessential novel about good vs. evil but those playing a role in that are not always easily distinguished and at some point in time might have been on the other side. It is about finding yourself and finding your meaning in life or who you are meant to be. Zachary Ezra Rawlins is the catalyst for which the ancient library opens but not without it's issues because Zachary has to figure out what is real and who he can trust. Who is there to destroy the library and who is there to protect it?

Ms. Morgensterns writing is so gorgeous that I found myself imaging this beautiful and ancient library. I could vividly picture all the details she described. Can you imagine finding a book that really does transport you to a world you've only imagined? I know as readers we believe that every book takes you somewhere but what if there was a book written just for you? Like there was part of your life written in the pages that only you experienced? This is Zachary's way into a world that he's been missing his whole life. 

Don't be scared about the size of the book or the slow pace (at first) because it is so beautiful, meaningful and magical. I know my words can't do Ms. Morgenstern's justice but I finished this book 2 weeks ago and it is still with me. It's also why it took me a bit to do a review because I wasn't sure I would do it justice.

Sunday Skim

Week of 11/22/; 11/30; 12/6/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

This is the last week of school and of work for 2020 for this household! I can not wait to enjoy some downtime with my family while reading some books and watching movies/tv shows. I'm sure my husband will make plenty of fires and my kids will sit in their rooms. I'll also be working on my best of 2020 list and cultivaing that for the end of the year. 

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Julie's Review: Summer Longing

Author: Jamie Brenner
Series: None
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 384
Obtained: friend
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Novel centered around female relationship around
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Ruth Cooperman arrives in beautiful beachside Provincetown for her retirement, renting the perfect waterfront cottage while she searches for her forever home. After years of hard work and making peace with life's compromises, Ruth is looking forward to a carefree summer of solitude. But when she finds a baby girl abandoned on her doorstep, Ruth turns to her new neighbors for help and is drawn into the drama of the close-knit community. The appearance of the mystery baby has an emotional ripple effect through the women in town, including Amelia Cabral, the matriarch who lost her own child decades earlier; Elise Douglas, owner of the tea shop who gave up her dream of becoming a mother; and teenage local Jaci Barros who feels trapped by her parents' expectations. Ruth, caring for a baby for the first time in thirty years, even reaches out to her own estranged daughter, Olivia, summoning her to Provincetown in hopes of a reconciliation. As summer unfolds and friends and family care for the infant, alliances are made, relationships are tested, and secrets are uncovered. But the unconditional love for a child in need just might bring Ruth and the women of Provincetown exactly what they have been longing for themselves. With heartfelt storytelling, Summer Longing is Jamie Brenner's eagerly anticipated return to Provincetown; another unforgettable tale about motherhood, friendship, and finding your way home. ~amazon.com 

Review: I wanted something that I knew would be a quick read but have some substance to it and I love Jamie Brenner's other books, so I picked up Summer Longing. Ms. Brenner has found her muse in the quaint, eccentric, vibrant town of Provincetown. She does a wonderful job of using language to evoke the charm and feel of the beachside town. So much so that I could feel the salty air on my cheeks and smell the salt air. 

What Summer Longing is essentially about is the complicated mother-daughter relationships and other aspects of female relationships. While there are romantic overtures throughout the novel it isn't about romantic love but about sustainable love. What does it take to make a marriage work? Do you just give up when the going gets tough? How do you balance motherhood and work? Can women really have it all or is that just something we tell ourselves?

Ruth recently sold her successful cosmetic company and finds herself longing to go out to Provincetown and retire there for a much needed reprieve. What she doesn't excpect is that a baby will show up on her rentals front porch and throw her summer out of whack. She also wants to spend time with her daughter whom she doesn't have the best relationship with for a long time. Her daughter, Oliva, is at a crossroads in her career so decide to take her mom up on the offer to visit her. Little do they both know that their lives are going to change over this one summer. 

There are a bunch of stories that are all woven together within Summer Longing: Fern and Elise's journey to becoming mothers, Lidia and Jaci's changing relationship but all the other towns people that round out the wonderful cast of characters. 

If you need to be transported during the next months of winter, I can say that Summer Longing will get you to a beach. 

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Sunday Skim

Week of 11/15/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

I am so happy to have a couple days off this week and I'm even happier that one of my kids has all week off of school. I think this is a much needed break for everyone. I'm thinking I'll have time to read and watch some television. I'm sure we will put up some Holiday decorations as well because my 15 year old is dying to decorate.

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Sunday Skim

Week of 11/1/2020 and 11/8/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

I actually have no books in the queue for December, so I will be looking to read some of my own back list and those e-galleys that I didn't get to this year.  I have to say I'm kind of excited about that prospect.  Not sure what's going on in your neck of the woods but we might be going on another lockdown here but I'm taking it day by day.  

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Julie's Review: Girls of Brackenhill

Author: Kate Moretti
Series: None
Publication Date:  November 1, 2020
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pages: 330
Obtained: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Gothic, Psychological Thriller
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A wonderful, creepy gothic story involving a creepy castle, family secrets and a small town
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Summary: When Hannah Maloney’s aunt dies in a car accident, she returns to her family’s castle in the Catskills and the epicenter of a childhood trauma: her sister’s unsolved disappearance. It’s been seventeen years, and though desperate to start a new life with her fiancé, Hannah is compelled to question the events of her last summer at Brackenhill. When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories. Fueled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts. ~amazon.com

Review: It's that time of year when creepy ghost stories that are set in a small town with a mysterious castle are a perfect read and Kate Moretti's Girls of Brackenhill, definitely fills that need. We are introduced to Hannah when she's informed that her Aunt has died in a tragic car accident and needs to return to Brackenhill to settle her affairs and decide what to do with her dying Uncle. This triggers Hannah's flashbacks to that final summer when her sister, Julia, went missing. Hannah is determined to find out what happened to her and why rumors swirl around her aunt and the curse of the castle. 

Hannah has a new life that she's tried to cultivate away from her family's tragic past and even has a "steady-eddy" fiance in Huck. She's never told him much about her family and now she finds herself transporting herself back by returning to Brackenhill. Huck likes order and the details of her past are not orderly. Not to mention, Wyatt, who was her first love is the one involved in looking to see if her aunt's accident was an accident. 

Things start to spin out of control when Hannah's dog, uncovers human bones and an investigation team finds human remains. Is it Julia? If it's not Julia, who is it and why are they on the Brackenhill property? If it is Julia, will it help put Hannah's unanswered questions to rest?

Hannah is an interesting character because she's buried so much hurt and pain from her past and it's starting to ooze out of her. She's sleep walking, having dreams that seem real and starting to really lose it when it comes to figuring out what happened 17 years ago in the castle. Snippets of her past come rushing at her, she starts to unwind. She starts to investigate the past and how it's tied to people she didn't even know existed. 

As a reader you begin to wonder what is real and what is in her head. You see Hannah unravel in front of you. In the end, you yourself wonder what is real and what is in her head. I loved the ending and am still thinking about it days later and trying to make up my mind on what I believe. I'm totally ok with the non-tied bow ending for this novel. 

If you are into Gothic mysteries, then you will want to dive into Girls of Brackenhill. 

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Sunday Skim

Week of 10/25/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

I decided for Spooky Season I'd read Kate Moretti's Girls of Brackenhill to get my gothic fill and it did not disappoint. For those of you that participated in Trick or Treating I hope that you had fun and got all kind of good candy from your kids buckets. 😃 

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Julie's Review: Love Your Life

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Series: None
Publication Date:  October 27, 2020
Publisher: Dial Press
Pages: 432
Obtained: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A quirky and yet endearing heroine who finds love with a non-quirky but endearing hero
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Call Ava romantic, but she thinks love should be found in the real world, not on apps that filter men by height, job, or astrological sign. She believes in feelings, not algorithms. So after a recent breakup and dating app debacle, she decides to put love on hold and escapes to a remote writers’ retreat in coastal Italy. She’s determined to finish writing the novel she’s been fantasizing about, even though it means leaving her close-knit group of friends and her precious dog, Harold, behind. At the retreat, she’s not allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information. When the neighboring martial arts retreat is canceled and a few of its attendees join their small writing community, Ava, now going by “Aria,” meets “Dutch,” a man who seems too good to be true. The two embark on a baggage-free, whirlwind love affair, cliff-jumping into gem-colored Mediterranean waters and exploring the splendor of the Italian coast. Things seem to be perfect for Aria and Dutch. But then their real identities—Ava and Matt—must return to London. As their fantasy starts to fade, they discover just how different their personal worlds are. From food choices to annoying habits to sauna etiquette . . . are they compatible in anything? And then there’s the prickly situation with Matt’s ex-girlfriend, who isn’t too eager to let him go. As one mishap follows another, it seems while they love each other, they just can’t love each other’s lives. Can they reconcile their differences to find one life together? ~amazon.com 

Review: I read Sophie Kinsella' new book every time they publish, minus the Shopaholic becuase well I got tired of Becky's antics and lack of awareness. I have my favorites of her stand alones and I really wish someone would snap a few of them up and do a movie but I digress. Love Your Life features a Ava, who you could all a Jill of all Trades but yet to master one. She's off to the Italian Coast to write her Victorian novel but even though the focus should be the book, she's suddenly found herself distracted by "Dutch", a good looking fellow who she doesn't even truly know but hey they fall in love. Of course that's where the comedy comes in because while Ava's fictional name for herself is "Aria", Dutch is no where close to his real name, Matt. Plus on vacation aren't we the best version of ourselves or perhaps whom we want to be?

It doesn't take long for their romantic bubble to take a bit of a deflation but Ava, an ever optimistic person, believes that they can push through it by approaching their differences as cultural, like if moved to a different country. While that might work for smaller issues, it's not going to resolve the bigger ones that make or break a relationship. So, maybe some things are supposed to stay in the vacation bubble and not return to the real world. 

I will admit that Ava might even be a bit too quirky for me. There were a couple of times where I found myself going "Come on, Ava." I don't mind perpetually happy people or optimistic but you have to understand that not everyone has the same outlook. Also, while I appreciate someone trying to find what they are good at, Ava literally likes to try anything that comes into her thought pattern and that would be tiresome. It might be a bit different if the skills needed for them were somehow related but they weren't. 

I do think that Matt was the version he wanted to be when he was playing Dutch in Italy. Sometimes we all get caught up in our lives they way they are and the expectations we have of ourselves and the expectations by others, that it is hard to break free of that as well. This is what I think Matt was tied into; he didn't want to let his family down. 

I really liked the ending of this book and Ava ended up growing on me because she grew up and learned something about herself. If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella's novels, you won't want to miss this one. 

Sunday Skim

Week of 10/11/2020 and 10/18/2020:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

                                                                Looking Forward To:

It's been hard to focus on reading lately for me, even though I've finished some good books. I made the mistake of downloading Candy Crush (again) and well I might have to delete it again. 😁 Plus there's been baseball playoffs and now the World Series. I'm hoping to find my reading mojo again and I'm counting on Sophie Kinsella to do it. How's it going for you guys?

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