Jessica
I unabashedly loved The Monk Downstairs.I wasn't quite sure what I was in for, but I think it was something close to a standard level romance novel. It certainly was not.
Mike, a former monk, rents a small apartment from Rebecca, a single mother to six year old Mary Martha (which, side note, is quite the name to saddle a six year old with!) Mike, unused to life on the outside after 20 years in the monastary, takes a job at McDonald's and starts learning what it is to live in the world. He finds himself drawn to Rebecca, who struggles with the idea of opening herself up to another man.
For me, the main thing that stood out was the discussion of spirituality. I'm Catholic, and most books get it wrong. This book got all of its theology correct, and even managed to introduce some interesting theological discussions. Mike is trying to find his new relationship with God, while Rebecca isn't sure that she has the right to one anymore. She doesn't get there in this book, which felt very realistic. After I finished, I read the author's notes, and discovered that he was a former monk, so the accuracy makes sense.
The romance was sweet. In books, as in real life, I prefer quieter men (what the romance world calls betas.) Mike is not your typical hero, which made me like him all the more.
Highly recommended.
I had... issues with this book. I was intrigued to read it because the premise (that all the women of the world go to sleep and wind up wrapped in cocoons) was really interesting. Much of that premise was wasted, however, on a story that goes on for too long, with too many characters to care about.
The exploration of gender roles and politics is ordinarily something I would be on board with. I'm as feminist as they come, so the ideas espoused in Sleeping Beauties are something I can get behind. Or they would be, if I felt they did more than skim the surface of the complicated issues involved. Instead, we are treated to insights like this:
Hicks was dressed up in a suit and he'd shaved, but there were huge bags under his eyes and the suit was wrinkled. Of course, everyone's clothes seemed to be wrinkled now. How many men knew how to iron? Or to fold, for that matter?
Yes indeedy. A world without women would lead to a world of rumpled men!
The women are also given the stereotype treatment:
“Without men,, we make decisions fairly, and with less fuss. We share resources with less argument. There has been very little in the way of violence among the members of our community.”So... men are helpless creatures, who solve every problem with a gun. Women are peaceful saints. Is there some truth there? Sure. But it's much more complex than that, and I was offended that this was the entire premise of the book.I did enjoy the characters, who were well drawn (except Frank, who was cartoonishly villainous.) The writing was lyrical, if a bit florid at times (particularly in the scenes taking place from the viewpoint of a fox.) I finished it, but it was a slog towards the end. 1.5 stars, rounded up.
I'm a big fan of Cat Winters, and while this wasn't her strongest novel, it was still an excellent read. I think this is the first novel I've read that talks about racism and the Klan in a non southern state. Set in Oregon, it was interesting to see the differing perspective. The characters weren't as strongly drawn as they might have been, and the supernatural eke don't felt superfluous, but overall this is a great historical novel.
“What happens to the space that two people occupied together? How can it just disappear? Why can't it just become something else?”
I picked up this book because I've seen it recommended as a good read for people who are, as they say, “going through some stuff right now.” There were some parts where I definitely related to the author, as in the quote above. I loved (and related to) the chapter on her eating issues. But I was left with mixed feelings as a whole.
The author comes across, to me, as someone who would be an exhausting friend. She's a bit selfish, and not always totally self aware. In that way she seems very real, which I think is important for a book this confessional. I'm trying to put my finger on why it just didn't work for me, and the best I can do is say that it made me tired. This isn't a bad review, because I did enjoy parts, but I found myself skimming chapters, particularly the ones pertaining to her sex life, which I didn't really need to know that much about. I'm not a prude, I just... wasn't interested.
I do recommend this book. It's very well written, and I would read something else by the author.
3.5 stars. Kerry's sister Marjorie is possessed by a demon. Or maybe she's mentally ill. That's the primary mystery in this book, told in the form of an interview by grown up Merry to a writer who is writing a book about the case.
I'm not particularly easy to scare, but I have to say that this book wasn't particularly scary. Kerry's parents, particularly her father, are rather flat characters. When he decides to bring in a tv show in order to document his daughter's possession and exorcism, we are asked to try to separate the fact from the fiction.
Ending spoilers: Spoiler I'm really not sure what to make of the final twist. Was the father planning to murder them all? Did Marjorie mean to kill them all? Was she actually possessed, and the demon was the culprit?
Merry is an unreliable narrator. She makes as much clear in the final chapter, when she admits she cannot remember what happened after the deaths. And then there's the bit with the cold in the coffee shop. Is Merry possessed? Was she always possessed? What does it mean? It was more open ended than I liked.
And I hated the blog posts. Why is a woman in her twenties writing like a 14 year old?
I hesitantly recommend this one. Parts didn't work for me, but it's a good read for those who love possession stories.
I had some major issues with the hero of this book. Turner was a bully, and not only that, he was fond of physically restraining women to get his point across. Miranda was not a character I could connect with, and the plot line was a mass of cliches. The ending really dragged on, yet somehow felt rushed, if that makes sense.
I also hate cutesy nicknames - why did turner persist in calling Miranda “puss?”
The only saving grace for me was Olivia, who I quite liked. I will stick with Quinn's other series.
So you've been publicly shamed started out as an interesting glimpse into the modern use of public shaming. I have noticed the phenomenon of public shaming on the internet, and at times I've though “this feels a little too much like a witch hunt for my taste.” I enjoyed the interviews with the recently shamed, as well as the professional insight into the psychology of shame on the internet. The book lost momentum halfway through, and I had to force myself to finish. I was also slightly uncomfortable with what I saw as the exploitation of those who have already been publicly shamed. And what's up with the author's hate-on for Malcolm Gladwell? I mean, I think he's a bit of a hack as well, but I don't see what makes this book infinitely more scholarly - it's all pop psychology. Just a meh for me.
I was not previously aware of Brittany Gibbons. I picked up this book because the issue of body acceptance is one of my pet issues, and I saw it was nominated for a Goodreads Readers Choice award. It reminded me in a lot of ways of the writing of Jenny Lawson, and I think fans of Jenny might enjoy this book as well (though Brittany's book has more of a message... similar to Jenny's second book.)
Brittany is very funny, and her stories about growing up had me laughing out loud several times. As the book moves into the present day, it takes on a slightly more serious tone, but it was still enjoyable. Highly recommended, and this is from someone who doesn't love memoirs.
I have a complicated relationship with Lovecraft. While I have read his works, I've never found them as absolutely terrifying as many readers seem to. I do, however, find them to be delightfully weird. Carter & Lovecraft does a great job bringing all the weirdness of Lovecraftian horror, while maintaining a unique story of its own. I had zero expectations going in - I just wanted to read a scary book for Halloween - but this book captivated me.
2.5 stars. First of all, can I say that I'm really glad I have a tablet to read on? Because that cover? Embarrassing. I generally don't dare for Scottish settings, but I do like Tessa Dare, so I gave it a try.
I enjoyed some of the secondary characters, and Maddie was a decent character. My issue? The hero. Logan was such an alpha male that I wanted to punch him. Blackmailing is presented as a path to true love, and apparently his love is so magical that it cures the heroine's agoraphobia. He's insanely jealous of every male in existence. If my friend were dating this guy I would tell her to run, regardless of cute accents. I'm disappointed, but this book was not for me.
I really wanted this book to be better. The mystery was interesting, but quite frankly I thought the writing was juvenile. I was troubled by the fear of mental illness shown by the authors family, though I understand it was probably the way they felt. Because the author can't remember her experience, there is a strange disconnect in the narrative voice.
I first read this book in 2015 and gave it five stars. I recently read Sabaa Tahir's contemporary YA novel, All My Rage, and it was my favorite book of 2022. I thought I'd reread this book with the plan of continuing the series.
I tried the audiobook, but I did not care for the female narrator (there were two, one for each POV) and switched to the ebook. Unfortunately, this book did not hold up on a reread for me. 2015 me was apparently not nearly as bothered by first person present tense as 2023 me. I feel like a lot of YA Fantasy novels were written that way then, so it probably felt less jarring.
I also felt like the world-building was lacking - this world is inspired by ancient Rome, but I felt it lacked detail. There's an emperor, but how does the empire function? I didn't really understand much about the overarching world. It also unfortunately contains not one but two love triangles (not fully fleshed out in this book, but I can see where it's going) which again probably bothered me much less in 2015 than they do now.
Ultimately I'd say that it feels very of its time. It's steeped in the YA Fantasy tropes that sprang up around the Hunger Games. It's not for me, and I won't be continuing the series.
I've been a fan of Felicia's since I first saw Dr Horrible. She comes across as smart and relatable, so I was excited to read her book. This book really exceeded my expectations for a celebrity memoir. I love the stories about her hippie childhood, speaking as someone who also had hippie parents, loved the ultima games, and majored in music. Her honest discussion of her issues with depression and anxiety was really honest, and not what I was expecting. Highly recommended!
Rereading, in anticipation of the new book! I can't believe it's been 3years!
I see that some reviewers are mentioning the daunting length of this novel. Since I've started reading everything on my Ipad I find that I don't even notice length - it was nearly over when I realized it was 600 pages long!
I loved this book! I want to recommend it to everyone, particularly to readers who (like me) are wary of anything with the Young Adult label. The story has complexity and the characters have depth - no Mary Sues here! Evie, the main character isn't, let's face it, very nice. She's selfish and impulsive, and I suspect this may turn some readers against her. Me? I loved her because she seemed like a real person. She uses a lot of 1920s slang, which was jarring at first, but I eventually got used to the language. It's obvious that the author is having fun with the period and dialogue, and I think that made me accepting of quirks that might otherwise have annoyed me. It also helps that the book had a 3rd person POV. I greatly prefer this - I can't think of the last time I read a really great 1st person. This perspective allows other characters to take POV turns as well. Some are clearly going to be used more in later books of the series, as they (Memphis particularly) don't have much to do.
There is a little romance, but it's not a focus of the book. Don't get me wrong, I love romance, but too many books consist of a heroine mooning over which of her love interests to mack on while the world falls apart outside.
This book was a delight - breezy and easy to read, but also plenty scary (not Stephen King scary, just nice and creepy!) Highly recommended - this is going straight to my favorites shelf, and I will look forward to the next installment!