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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