Stacking the Shelves: 2/25-3/30

 

LibraryThing Early Review:

 

Horse Girl by Susanna Newsonen

On the Rooftop

 

Title: On the Rooftop

Author: Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

Publisher: HarperAudio

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: Well-written with fully fleshed-out characters, but it just didn't grip me as much as some historical fictional novels with similar themes.

Rating: 3/5

Twice in a Lifetime

 

Title: Twice in a Lifetime

Author: Melissa Baron

Publisher: Alcove Press

 
ISBN: 9781639101368

 

Thoughts: Emotionally resilient novel with overlapping timelines.

Rating: 4/5

Boca Raton

 

Title: Boca Raton

Author: Lauren Groff

Publisher: Amazon Originals

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: Short story with an environmentalism bent that is disturbing in an visceral, empathetic way.

Rating: 3/5

Whisper Me This

 

Title: Whisper Me This

Author: Kerry Anne King

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

 
ISBN: 9781503955752

 

Thoughts: This started out feeling like a psychological thriller, but then it turned into a rather typical story about abuse.

Rating: 2/5

Acts of Forgiveness

 

Title: Acts of Forgiveness

Author: Maura Cheeks

Publisher: Ballantine Books

 
ISBN: 9780593598290

 

Thoughts: This alternate history book really makes you think about collective forgiveness and what that would looks like in practice.

Rating: 4/5

After I Do

 

Title: After I Do

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reed

Publisher: Atria Books

 
ISBN: 9781476712840

 

Thoughts: A fun chick lit filled with great, relatable characters and a main character that you can really root for.

Rating: 4/5

Grief Is for People

 

Title: Grief Is for People

Author: Sloane Crosley

Publisher: MCD

 
ISBN: 9780374609849

 

Thoughts: Having recently read Crosley's Cult Classic, I could not help but compare the two, despite that being fiction and this being non-fiction; while I fell that her friend was the inspiration for the catalyst in Cult Classic, this book is far superior with compelling writing with many nods to Joan Didion.

Rating: 4/5

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

 

Title: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

Author: Angie Cruz

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

 
ISBN: 9781250868817

 

Thoughts: Listening to what ostensibly 12 monologues made this feel like a one-woman play that covers the gamut of emotions while portraying the life of a middle-age immigrant mother.

Rating: 4/5

Fellowship Point

 

Title: Fellowship Point

Author: Alice Elliot Dark

Publisher: Simon Schuster Audio

 
ISBN: 9781797135946

 

Thoughts: A rich story of friendships bound by a special place.

Rating: 4/5

The Final Strife

 

Title: The Final Strife

Author: Saara El-Arifi

Publisher: Anchor

 
ISBN: 9781400096206

 

Thoughts: Very engaging fantasy with a lot of world to get lost in, but a few elements just needed a little more polishing.

Rating: 4/5

The Palace of Illusions

 

Title: The Palace of Illusions

Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Publisher: Anchor

 
ISBN: 9781400096206

 

Thoughts: Too many unformed characters and a lot of telling instead of showing made this myth retelling very boring.

Rating: 2/5

A Darker Shade of Magic

 

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic

Author: V. E. Schwab

Publisher: Tor

 
ISBN: 9780765376459

 

Thoughts: Schwab is a master of creating unique fantasy elements with perfect world-building, both of which are fully displayed here.

Rating: 5/5

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

 

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Author: Melissa Bashadoust

Publisher: Flatiron Books

 
ISBN: 9781250196149

 

Thoughts: Very unique and gripping retelling of some Western and Middle Eastern fairy tales.

Rating: 4/5