I've only recently expanded my reading to include more and more romantic fiction, and I'm discovering how much I enjoy the genre but this was...disappI've only recently expanded my reading to include more and more romantic fiction, and I'm discovering how much I enjoy the genre but this was...disappointing. It started off fine, as a run-of-the-mill enemies-to-lovers trope set in the world of dating apps. I'm fine with the fact that most romantic fiction is a little formulaic, but this one toed the line of "too formulaic." The conflict between the two characters and its resolution felt forced and there was a sex scene so cringey that my husband looked at me and asked, "Why are you making that face? What's wrong?" ...more
I am normally not a fan of the trope in which a contemporary woman discovers something about a historical woman, their lives parallel, and it changes I am normally not a fan of the trope in which a contemporary woman discovers something about a historical woman, their lives parallel, and it changes the contemporary woman's life. However, this version of that trope was SO WELL DONE.
The only gripe here is that the lone male character was very one-dimensional. ...more
Most advance copies of books include a letter from the editor or publicist explaining what's so great about the book. This one includes a letter from Most advance copies of books include a letter from the editor or publicist explaining what's so great about the book. This one includes a letter from the author that starts:
"I pray that the events depicted in The End of October never happen. But could they?"
This book was obviously conceived and written before the current pandemic began, but its timing is chilling given what Lawrence Wright was able to predict regarding what we are experiencing. His predictions are not that shocking, though, because this book was thoroughly researched and Wright was producing a story that many immunologists and medical professionals knew could happen. Because of this, The End of October often feels like a well-written piece of narrative nonfiction and that's where its greatest strengths lie. The Kongoli virus described here is hemorrhagic, meaning it's more closely related to Ebola than to COVID-19, and it is spread from Indonesia to the rest of the world in part because of Muslim pilgrimages and avian migration. But there's a lot of scientific explanations that are relevant to the world in the spring of 2020. If this were nonfiction, it would be a 4- or 5-star read for sure.
When it comes time for character development and tying a plot together, however, I found this book to be fairly lacking. The characters remain relatively one-dimensional and the subplots involving global politics—war between Iran and Russia, terrorism in the Middle East—sometimes feel forced into the overall narrative, especially early when it's not clear why Wright is including these elements. I don't think this book would be particularly notable if it was not being coincidentally published amidst the very situation it describes, but reading it while in quarantine was definitely a unique experience....more
This is somewhere between three stars and four. It took me a long time to stop being so annoyed by the main character because he came across as incredThis is somewhere between three stars and four. It took me a long time to stop being so annoyed by the main character because he came across as incredibly douchey to his friends and his teachers but over the course of the book he does grow in a very believable way and learn a lot of very YA-friendly life lessons. But the ending wrapped things up a little too neatly for me considering what had gone down....more
I love Connie Schultz and I was really eager to read her first work of fiction, but this was so bland and unfocused. It felt like she was trying to toI love Connie Schultz and I was really eager to read her first work of fiction, but this was so bland and unfocused. It felt like she was trying to touch on many different issues that the impact was diluted. The main thrust is supposed to be what it was like for blue-collar families in the 1950s and 60s and how the subsequent generation tried to be different, especially with regards to women's roles, but I kind of got the impression that Schultz kept thinking of new things (like race or religion or whatever) and felt like she couldn't not explore that in here, too.
I also felt like the structure of the story kind of took the knees out of the main plot -- the book is mostly chronological but then, about halfway through, we go back to the '50s to meet a new character and I kept wondering why she just wasn't there from the beginning. It would have given me a stronger connection to this new character, giving her role in the story greater emotional impact. Even if her role wasn't quite as clear yet, it would have removed the jarring effect that her late introduction and the backward time jump had on me as a reader if the book had used alternating chapters as a means to do more to compare this character's background and experiences with those of the main characters. ...more
Three and a half stars, really, because it's often quite skimmable. However, I'm rounding up to four because the plot kept me guessing. Three and a half stars, really, because it's often quite skimmable. However, I'm rounding up to four because the plot kept me guessing. ...more
What an absolutely incredible book, from start to finish. The story centers around twin sisters from Mallard, a town in Louisiana that was settled by What an absolutely incredible book, from start to finish. The story centers around twin sisters from Mallard, a town in Louisiana that was settled by a light-skinned man essentially as a way of separating themselves from the surrounding black community. Desiree and Stella ran away from home at age 16 and went on to lead very divergent lives: Desiree married a much darker man; Stella married a white man and passes for white herself. Desiree eventually returns home to Mallard with her daughter Jude, whose dark skin makes her a target for bullying. She longs for the sister whom she hasn't heard from in years. Meanwhile, Stella settles into a life of luxury in LA with her husband and daughter, Kennedy, neither of whom know her secret.
Spanning more than forty years, this book looks at the consequences of systemic and internalized racism beginning in the Jim Crow era through the end of the twentieth century. I picked up an advance copy of the book before the current situation, in which protests against the murder of a black man by police have spilled over into violence across the country, but it was still resonated deeply. It's a beautifully written story about a family struggling with hurt as well as a thoughtful exploration of race and racism. ...more
I had a hard time with this book. I think it's really important that stories of trans and nonbinary folks get shared, but I also thought that Felix waI had a hard time with this book. I think it's really important that stories of trans and nonbinary folks get shared, but I also thought that Felix was pretty unlikable independent of gender identity and I wasn't feeling the romantic storyline at all. ...more
A twisty, clever story that will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of readers but just wasn't my cup of tea. A twisty, clever story that will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of readers but just wasn't my cup of tea. ...more
What an unbelievably adorable romance story. All the heart-eye emojis for Rachel Lynn Solomon. The enemies-to-lovers trope is usually not my thing, buWhat an unbelievably adorable romance story. All the heart-eye emojis for Rachel Lynn Solomon. The enemies-to-lovers trope is usually not my thing, but the characters here were multidimensional and easy to root for, plus the whole novel is infused with a powerful feminist streak. I couldn't stop smiling. ...more
If, in ten years, this doesn't end up on every 'Best of the Decade' list, I don't know what to believe. This novel is astonishing and I hope it's one If, in ten years, this doesn't end up on every 'Best of the Decade' list, I don't know what to believe. This novel is astonishing and I hope it's one of the biggest books of 2020....more