pickThis is my second Eimear McBride book. She writes in this stream of consciousness style, reminds me of Virginia Woolf. You have to really pay attention when you read or you will get lost. I didn't find myself as emotionally invested in this one as I was with The Lesser Bohemians. It is also less challenging to read than The Lesser Bohemians, but still takes some mental work. I found it lovely and stimulating. Love what she does with words.
pickFor my final update, I finished The Girls at 17 Swann Street the other night. I got it from Dollar Tree, and I have to say some of the best books I've read I got from Dollar Tree. This book is about a 26 year old woman getting treatment for anorexia nervosa. The author didn't write dialogue in the traditional way. It is a heartwarming novel. I routed for Anna Roux the whole way through and was left so emotional at the end.
pickAlso finished The Secret History not too long ago. It is a great book, my second from Donna Tartt and I am now a big fan of hers. The way she tells a story is just legendary.
pickBeen away a bit, but I'm January I read Great Expectations, and really enjoyed it. Will read more Dickens in the future.
pickI just finished this wonderful collection of poetry by Jasmine Mans. In Black Girl, Call Home she touches on feminist issues, and what it means to be a queer Black Woman. I found each poem to be piercing, as good poetry should be. I can only imagine how amazing they would sound if performed.
pickI really enjoyed this one. It's my first time reading Jonathan Franzen, and I'm so glad I picked it up. His characters are so real. This family will stay with me.
My favorite book for each month of 2021 not including Last Night at the Telegraph Club because that was a library book
And now I just got this in the mail
"Luckier snowflakes were blindly evading the Fury while others met their end on the windshield."
I just love the way Franzen constructs his sentences, the way he makes you look at something in a whole different way. This sentence is very creative.
Dollar Tree mini book haul. I saw some popular YA there too but I'm trying not to buy so much YA
pickI wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book by the time I was halfway through. The book explores capitalism, racism, and misogyny. But it seemed for a moment there that every guy Elinor came across was a sleaze. It was a lot back to back. However, it all rang true. It was all honest and relatable. That's how it really is, especially in certain towns. So I couldn't not like it, especially with the beautiful writing.
pickSuch a beautiful book. Took me a while to read it, but it didn't feel like a long time. I enjoyed every bit of it. That ending really touched me. It will stay with me forever.
I plan to read her other books.
Just got the Anne of Green Gables box set! I read the first book a couple of years ago and it is very dear to me.
Relaxing this evening with a good book, tea, and a cozy-smelling candle.
Had a pretty rough day, but I got some book mail!
I read a Jane Austen book every year and Northanger Abbey is my last one.
Saw this ad on Instagram and got really excited. I loved Shelter. I'm definitely picking this one up, I'll have to wait a while though.
Books read this month:
-The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon (not pictured)
- Beat Poets (not pictured)
- The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers
- How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore
- Fire in the Belly by Cynthia Carr
I loved everything except for Beat Poets which was just OK.
My two newest bookmarks. They're from Plum Tree Illustration on Etsy. I'm going to collect more in the future.
pickWow. I just finished the book and I don't even have the words to express what I'm feeling or what an experience this book was. Because it was an *experience.* I read David's memoir maybe last year and decided I had to know more about him. I liked reading about the 80s art world, and getting to know David was just fascinating. The end of his life is so sad and painful, and I am emotional
Taking it easy. Hoping to finish this book by tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate!
I got some bookmail today which I was not expecting, but I am thrilled.
Hope you all have a fantastic day ❤
Probably going to be reading this for a while.. I keep reading things over and over and stopping to underline. 578 pages.
pickHow to Break a Boy is *so* good. It's got mean girl drama, fake dating, and revenge. As messed up as Olivia Clayton was, I cared about her. I rooted for her. I cringed and got anxiety when she kept messing up and making bad decisions, but I also had compassion because I understood why she was the way she was. She did want to be a better person. In the end, How to Break a Boy is about love and redemption. I'm so glad I read it.
Just noticed this on the copyright page in my current read, How to Break a Boy -
"I'm not going to ask you not to take this book - I'm going to warn you. This books knows who you are. It knows what you've done. And this book will ruin you."
so-soFrom the foreword, I had low expectations. The editor said that a lot of the poems were "sloppy" and "self-indulgent." That is true. I don't think most of these poems were crafted; the poets just wrote what popped into their heads.
However, I like a small handful of the poems, and I feel like I learned something, and that is valuable to me. So I don't feel like I wasted my time.
pickLove these stories as much as I did when I first read them. The title story in particular is very good. Moss Amelia is one of the most vivid characters I've ever read.
pickOkay I did guess the revelation but it was still so good! Very atmospheric. I couldn't put it down.
so-soBit of a letdown. I liked it enough to finish it, but I felt the blurb and the quote on the back promised things it didn't deliver on. I was left feeling that the book just wasn't fleshed out enough. The visions people had were cool. The female friendship group was great, I loved that. But it was missing something, and the Sapphic romance hinted at on the blurb was barely there, just an afterthought. I was let down.
Some books I got recently. 2 used books of poetry, and two from the Dollar Tree.
pickGood book on feeling your feelings and being compassionate
pickI was blown away by the writing and storytelling. I like how it's told from three perspectives: victim, abuser, and witness. I think it made the whole thing more well rounded.
Yet another Dollar Tree find... I've been reading a lot of short stories this year.
Borrowed a copy from the library early this year and loved it so much, I finally got my own copy.
pickThis is a beautiful book in a quiet way. I got it from Dollar Tree because I thought the cover was beautiful. It was worth it. I was afraid after reading some reviews because people mentioned that the ending was abrupt. I did not however, find it abrupt. I found it beautiful and touching. Each part in the book starts out with some monologues and in the end it all makes sense. I'm glad I read it.
"I will start with the tree. Because everything begins, and starts with, the tree."
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
pickAnother awesome Dollar Tree find. These stories surrounding the same estate in France spanning generations are just beautiful. Beautiful writing.
pickWon this book in a giveaway, kind of out of my comfort zone, but it's a really good book about drugs, what they do to people, and taking down the bad guy.
pickSuch a good book. I don't read dystopian often, but there is something so gripping about watching people survive in such chaos and tragedy. It's easy to imagine the world Butler created become a reality.
I don't know when I will get Parable of the Talents, but I will get it.
pickI really liked all but the last story. I didn't connect with the last one. But as for all the rest, the writing was lovely, and every time a story ended I was sad.
pickI felt like it was me out in the street meeting strangers and listening to their stories. Excellent.
pickI really enjoyed Middlemarch. It sort of reminded me of a Jane Austen novel but more mature
