The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin - Book Review

"The Immortalists" by Chloe Benjamin begins as a historical fiction novel set in 1969, and follows a family of children who visit a fortune teller. The fortune teller swears that she can tell them each the day that they will die. Each of the siblings after getting their "death date" have a slightly different reaction to the news - some are frightened, others are comforted or even ambivalent. The book then follows each sibling through their lives, and as a reader we are left to wonder did having their "death date" influence the decisions the characters made or was that date more than just a prediction? Just as an FYI, there is some pretty explicit sexual content at the beginning of this book, so just know that going in. Regardless, I started out really enjoying this book, it was a strong four. I liked the ideas presented and the thought experiment of that, but as the book continued on it was more of a three star read for me. I think the novel starts out a lot stronger than it ends, but because of the ideas in it, I still think it's a really interesting read. Have you read "The Immortalists" by Chloe Benjamin? Let me know what you thought of it below!

Book Review of "The Heart's Invisible Furies" by John Boyne

 

"The Heart's Invisible Furies" by John Boyne follows a gay Irish man named Cyril through his entire life. And I can not think of an adjective that even touches on what this book accomplishes. Keep reading for more of my thoughts on this unforgettable novel!

 

 

The Heart's Invisible Furies

by John Boyne

 

goodreads // amazon // library

 

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery -- or at least, that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from - and over his many years, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country, and much more. In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit. ( from amazon.com)

 

Book Review and Discussion of
"The Heart's Invisible Furies" by John Boyne

 

 

"The Heart's Invisible Furies" tackled so many difficult ideas and moments in history with so much grace and so much humanity. And I felt so many emotions while reading, I laughed out loud a handful of times and almost cried quite a few times, as well. "The Heart's Invisible Furies" is a chunk of a book, and usually novels this long are kind of a begrudging thing for me, and by the end of the reading experience I just resent the book for being so long! That was not the case at all with "The Heart's Invisible Furies" - I am so glad it was 500 pages, and I would have gleefully read 500 more because I never wanted the book to end or to say goodbye to the characters. I have a new favorite author, and this book definitely lives up to the hype.

 

Have you read "The Heart's Invisible Furies"? Let me know what you thought of it down below or tell me your favorite book that tackles a difficult topic!

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan - Book Review

What happens when you go to the used bookstore just hours after watching Harry and Meghan tie the knot? THIS. This is about as much of a mood read as it gets! "The Royal We" follows and American character named Bex. She studies abroad one summer at Oxford, and while she is there she stays in the same dorm building as Prince Nick. They become friends, one things leads to another, then they fall in love, then things get complicated - it's pretty predictable and boring. Sorry. What is strange going into reading this and I'm still not sure I understand the trickery, but it's such a simple plot and yet somehow this book is over 400 pages long- and it did not need to be. To be fair, "The Royal We" filled a reading need that I had, so I have to give it credit for that. Have you read "The Royal We"? let me know what you thought of it down below! 

The Last Child by Jon Hart - Book Review

Have you heard of this book? Because I had not heard of it before reading it, but it has 28, 000 reviews on goodreads - isn't it weirdly shocking when I book is super popular and you've *never* heard of it!? "The Last Child" is a mystery novel that follows teenage main character, Johnny. Johnny's twin sister went missing over a year ago - no one can find her, the case is growing cold, there are no leads, so Johnny decides that he is going to launch his own investigation. The book also follows a character named Detective Hunt, he is the lead on the case - and in my opinion, a stand out character. The twists in this book are GOOD, the plotting is really good, the pacing is great - I can totally see why "The Last Child" has over four stars on goodreads. But this was more of a plot read for me, I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters and I wasn't overly fond of the dialogue. I really did get a kick out of Detective Hunt though, he is one of those no nonsense, overly committed to his job kind of cops, who is also constantly breaking the rules, and probably has a thing for your mom. If you're looking for a new twisty mystery to read, this is one to check out. If you've read "The Last Child" let me know what you thought of it in the comments, but of course, no spoilers!

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris - Book Review

"Bring Me Back" by B.A. Paris is a thriller that follows a man named Finn. At the beginning of the book, Finn is recounting how his girlfriend Layla disappeared after a fight that they had. No one can find her, and that is still the case when the book resumes about a decade or so later. In present day, Finn is dating a woman named Ellen, who is actually Layla's sister ( yeah, kinda weird.) They are both pretty spooked when signs of Layla start appearing in their lives. Finn especially because he is also secretly receiving some spooky emails as well. All of this leaves them both wondering if maybe Layla is actually still alive, maybe someone is holding her hostage, they really aren't sure who these "Layla signs" could be coming from. This book was a pretty big bummer for me - somewhere between two and three stars, just depending on my mood. But here's the thing about this author, even when this book was unbelievable and I was rolling my eyes, like - are you serious!? - she still managed to give me goosebumps. So, I'll still be reading her next book! 

Best Books I've Read in 2018 ( So Far... ) - Top Ten Tuesday

Today I am sharing with you the very best, the cream of the crop, the tip of the top of books that I have read so far in 2018! This post is part of Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. 2018 is my first full year of blogging and creating videos about my reading and I am so excited to share with you the best, because they are great! It's an awkward list of eight books ( instead of five, too few, or ten, too many) but I wanted to be sure that they were truly the best of the best so - let's get to it!

10 Must Read Historical Fiction Novels Set in America - Top Ten Tuesday

Today I am sharing with you ten must read historical fiction books set in the ol' US of A in honor of July 4th! This post is part of Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genre's to read, so I happily adapted this week's theme of red, white, and blue. The books in this list are a mix between books I have read and love and books that I haven't read yet but can't wait to pick up!

Book Series I Would Like to Read ( or Reread! ) - Top Ten Tuesday

Today I am sharing with you the top five book series I would like to read (or reread)! This post is part of Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme was a bit of a challenge for me - to be honest, series just aren't my thing. It's been a while, basically since the OG Harry Potter days, since I was really into a series. But, I know that there are some great ones out there, and some that I'd like to give another go. Let's chat!

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter - Book Review

"The Good Daughter" by Karin Slaughter is one of those stories that is *so* incredibly hard to describe to another person - as soon as I start typing or open my mouth I am worried that I am going to ruin it for some other potential reader. SO, carefully, I will say - this book is a suspenseful thriller that is part law procedural and part family drama. I don't even want to say who the main character is, and I definitely don't want to tell you about the unexpected events that created so much suspense. I don't want to go into those details, because I want you to experience the book the same way I did - it was *awesome*. I love the feeling of excitement that this book was able to evoke. I had to stop myself multiple times from jumping a paragraph or even a page or two ahead because I am just completely unable to handle this level of suspense!

amazon // library // goodreads

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - Book Review

"My Name is Lucy Barton" follows main character Lucy after she recovers from surgical complications after an appendectomy. Her mother comes to visit her in the hospital. Lucy and her mother have a very strained relationship and they haven't spoken in years. Big chunks of the book are conversations between Lucy and her mother as they are reconnecting and Lucy's reflections on that - as well as Lucy reflecting on her other relationships - her husband, children, and her professional career. I'm pretty sure this is the most character driven book that I have ever read. It is also one of those books that relies heavily on the reader enjoying the artistic choices of the author. "My Name is Lucy Barton" is part poetry, but also part bizarre ramble - and then, for me, there were also these glimpses of brilliance.

goodreads // amazon // library

Impossible Saints by Clarissa Harwood - Book Review

"Impossible Saints" is set in 1907, in England, and follows two main characters - Lilia and Paul. Paul lives an orderly and quiet life as an Anglican priest, and that is shaken slightly when he reunites with his childhood friend Lilia. Lilia was a village school teacher turned suffragist, and she definitely was a stand out character for me in the book. Fairly quickly, Lilia's and Paul's relationship develops into something more - and that leaves both characters questioning ideas that they had built themselves upon. I gave this book three stars because I enjoyed Lilia's character so much - but I just didn't feel like this book did any one thing particularly well. There wasn't that much history for historical fiction, and there wasn't that much for it to be about Lilia's and Paul's relationship.

goodreads // amazon // library