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strawberrymivvy's reviews
616 reviews
Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was fairly typical of the more recent Bones books - plenty of dry wit and "asides" from Temperance Brennan, but lacking any real substance in the mystery/crime.
If I was picking up these books now, I likely wouldn't read more, average only - better series/writers out there now
If I was picking up these books now, I likely wouldn't read more, average only - better series/writers out there now
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoy family sagas as a rule, and this was generally well-written and engaging, but at times the timeline and characters were a little confusing and not well-enough delineated.
Barbara van Laar disappears overnight from her summer camp cabin, sending ripples through the whole community of campers and her well-to-do family. More than a dozen years previously her brother had also disappeared from the same location.
A mysterious, ghostly woman, Scary Mary, stalks the forest; a suspected serial killer is on the run from prison; camp counsellors have secrets to keep.
Purposely set in the 1970s when societal norms were different, this is an at times unflinching look at upper class society and their behaviour towards the communities they "honour with their presence", what we do for family, and justice.
This novel felt slightly long to me, with perhaps one too many characters, but essentially a good read and an author I may read more of
Barbara van Laar disappears overnight from her summer camp cabin, sending ripples through the whole community of campers and her well-to-do family. More than a dozen years previously her brother had also disappeared from the same location.
A mysterious, ghostly woman, Scary Mary, stalks the forest; a suspected serial killer is on the run from prison; camp counsellors have secrets to keep.
Purposely set in the 1970s when societal norms were different, this is an at times unflinching look at upper class society and their behaviour towards the communities they "honour with their presence", what we do for family, and justice.
This novel felt slightly long to me, with perhaps one too many characters, but essentially a good read and an author I may read more of
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
In Too Deep by Lee Child, Andrew Child
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I think we can definitely say that the handover from Lee Child to his brother is complete now - this novel did not have any of the same wit as previous novels, and the plot got overly complicated at times.
I get that we have to suspend belief to enjoy these books, but the snap decisions Reacher makes on who and who not to trust felt forced this time around.
I will likely continue to read these books, but too much more of a downward trajectory and loss of humour and I'm out
I get that we have to suspend belief to enjoy these books, but the snap decisions Reacher makes on who and who not to trust felt forced this time around.
I will likely continue to read these books, but too much more of a downward trajectory and loss of humour and I'm out
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I have no real idea what this novel was about - despite having a degree in literature! - and reading the reviews I'm fascinated by others' interpretations.
An adult woman, a loner, but one living independently, is called to a foreign country by her much older brother to work as his housekeeper - slave! Through at times beautiful, but often impenetrable prose, we learn they are in a northern town in a northern country, are of Jewish descent, and are shunned by the locals, but have some familial right to the large house on a hill outside of town. Animals start behaving oddly, dying in strange ways, and the newcomer is blamed.
The woman brushes her brother, bathes him, watches TV without sound or subtitles as it disturbs him too much, all very odd. To me, there are hints of both historic and current abuse, and by the end I believed she was slowly poisoning him as punishment.
Certainly not an author I will seek out, and whilst I could appreciate the lyricism, I am not sure the prizes were justified.
An adult woman, a loner, but one living independently, is called to a foreign country by her much older brother to work as his housekeeper - slave! Through at times beautiful, but often impenetrable prose, we learn they are in a northern town in a northern country, are of Jewish descent, and are shunned by the locals, but have some familial right to the large house on a hill outside of town. Animals start behaving oddly, dying in strange ways, and the newcomer is blamed.
The woman brushes her brother, bathes him, watches TV without sound or subtitles as it disturbs him too much, all very odd. To me, there are hints of both historic and current abuse, and by the end I believed she was slowly poisoning him as punishment.
Certainly not an author I will seek out, and whilst I could appreciate the lyricism, I am not sure the prizes were justified.
The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang, Kate Quinn
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was an OK read, but not my favourite of Kate Quinn's books. At times a little muddled over which of the four women knew what about each other etc, but ultimately I wanted to know what happened to everyone. It did, however, take too long to set the scene (more than half the novel)...
Set in San Francisco artistic circles around the time of the Great Earthquake when the fascination with Chinese culture was at its peak, but the Chinese people themselves were mistreated.
Some of the characters felt a little two dimensional but the story itself was something I didn't know much about, and a lot of it based on real experiences
Set in San Francisco artistic circles around the time of the Great Earthquake when the fascination with Chinese culture was at its peak, but the Chinese people themselves were mistreated.
Some of the characters felt a little two dimensional but the story itself was something I didn't know much about, and a lot of it based on real experiences
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Rocky has always enjoyed her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod - memories of sunny days, great meals, and all kinds of life experiences.
This year Rocky is sandwiched exactly half way between her adult kids and her parents. That in itself brings challenges, then throw in menopause and a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
This was a short, quick read, easy to complete in an afternoon in front of the fire, but was beautifully written and very thought-provoking, particularly I think for those of us in a similar stage in life
This was a short, quick read, easy to complete in an afternoon in front of the fire, but was beautifully written and very thought-provoking, particularly I think for those of us in a similar stage in life
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Abortion
The Memory Library by Kate Storey
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I'm a sucker for a book about books or libraries/book stores, so this one had to come home with me. Ella is living the dream in Australia with a high-powered job, a perfect husband and young daughter, but is estranged from her Mum in the UK. When she hears Sally has had a fall she has no choice but to return to care for her and figure out what needs doing.
When Ella was born, Sally started the tradition of putting a book a year into a home library, each with an inscription about what the book means to her. With the library destroyed, and their relationship strained, both have to work to be more open, honest and accepting.
This was not a challenging or deep read, rather a gentle reminder about the importance of family, honesty and community.
When Ella was born, Sally started the tradition of putting a book a year into a home library, each with an inscription about what the book means to her. With the library destroyed, and their relationship strained, both have to work to be more open, honest and accepting.
This was not a challenging or deep read, rather a gentle reminder about the importance of family, honesty and community.
Content Warnings
Minor: Dementia
Trajectory by Cambria Gordon
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I read a lot of WWII fiction, and whilst I did know this was targeted at the YA market, I did still expect more from it. It ultimately went into too much detail about the maths, and not enough about what was actually going on in the world, and Eleanor's reasons for the decisions she made. The ending also felt rushed, and the random "asides" to explain a plot point were irritating.
Eleanor is a high school student in the early 1940s who loves to work on maths problems in her spare time. One day she's watching a maths competition and leaves her notebook behind, when the organiser chases her down to hand it back, she realises Eleanor was the only person in the room to solve the final problem, and ultimately recruits her to work on improving the trajectory calculcations for bombs.
This was very much OK only and did not give enough credit to the intelligence of even a YA reader
Eleanor is a high school student in the early 1940s who loves to work on maths problems in her spare time. One day she's watching a maths competition and leaves her notebook behind, when the organiser chases her down to hand it back, she realises Eleanor was the only person in the room to solve the final problem, and ultimately recruits her to work on improving the trajectory calculcations for bombs.
This was very much OK only and did not give enough credit to the intelligence of even a YA reader
What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Whilst this is a short book, I'm pretty sure that at any length I'd have wanted to read it in one sitting.
The fictionalised telling of Kinsella's experience of waking up in hospital having had brain surgery, and no recollection of the diagnosis that put her there.
Told through light-hearted vignettes that tug at the heartstrings, this was thought-provoking and should inspire everyone to truly live for the moment, but also consider how they - and their loved ones - would cope in a similar situation.
Her husband was a saint, and I can only imagine the pain he must have gone through having to tell her day after day about what had happened to her, and what they were facing as a family.
"Normal plus" should be my mantra going forward...
The fictionalised telling of Kinsella's experience of waking up in hospital having had brain surgery, and no recollection of the diagnosis that put her there.
Told through light-hearted vignettes that tug at the heartstrings, this was thought-provoking and should inspire everyone to truly live for the moment, but also consider how they - and their loved ones - would cope in a similar situation.
Her husband was a saint, and I can only imagine the pain he must have gone through having to tell her day after day about what had happened to her, and what they were facing as a family.
"Normal plus" should be my mantra going forward...
The Swap by Robyn Harding
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a rare re-read for me, as I've enjoyed more recent books by this author and wanted to go back and read some of her earlier works. Even with the vague recollections I had, this kept the pages turning and was pretty much a one-sitting read.
Low is a misfit high school senior, trying to find her place whilst living in an isolated community on a small island. Freya is a beautiful social media influencer who has moved to the island and takes Low under her wing, teaching her pottery and seemingly developing a fondness for her. Enter Jamie, a local business owner who also becomes friends with Freya, leaving Low once again on the fringes.
A boozy night leads to Freya and Jamie swapping husbands, which completely upends their lives.
A dark read about toxic friendships, desire, obsession and secrets.
An author who continues to surprise and engage me, and one I'll continue to read
Low is a misfit high school senior, trying to find her place whilst living in an isolated community on a small island. Freya is a beautiful social media influencer who has moved to the island and takes Low under her wing, teaching her pottery and seemingly developing a fondness for her. Enter Jamie, a local business owner who also becomes friends with Freya, leaving Low once again on the fringes.
A boozy night leads to Freya and Jamie swapping husbands, which completely upends their lives.
A dark read about toxic friendships, desire, obsession and secrets.
An author who continues to surprise and engage me, and one I'll continue to read