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bibliokyra's reviews
1111 reviews
The Life List of Adrian Mandrick: A Novel by Chris White
5.0
I was quite smitten with this book and it was unlike anything I've read before. Adrian Mandrick is a successful anesthesiologist, a husband, father, avid birder, and last but not least, a painkiller addict. Adrian has a good heart but is full of imperfections and all of these flaws are on full display for us readers.
The story starts right before Adrian's life begins to take a turn for the worse. Adrian had a rough childhood and finds his head is often swirling with unanswered questions. After he receives missed calls and messages from his mother (who he once loved so dearly) asking for a talk, he begins to self-medicate for his anxiety by popping pills. His addiction and state of mind causes Adrian to start making mistakes and adds fuel to the fire of his already-crumbling marriage.
His main comfort in life is his "Life List"- the all-encompassing record of the 863 bird species he has spotted and identified. After the death of his mother, Adrian goes on a relentless quest to find the extremely rare Ivory-billed Woodpecker to add to his list, no matter the cost.
This haunting tale has so many gripping aspects- birds, conservation, addiction, obsession, painful childhood memories, a crumbling marriage, and family. The writing is stunning and incredibly detailed. This story will stick with me for a long time. I can't recommend this one enough.
Thank you, Touchstone Books, for sending me this wonderful book and wildflower seeds. All opinions are my own.
The story starts right before Adrian's life begins to take a turn for the worse. Adrian had a rough childhood and finds his head is often swirling with unanswered questions. After he receives missed calls and messages from his mother (who he once loved so dearly) asking for a talk, he begins to self-medicate for his anxiety by popping pills. His addiction and state of mind causes Adrian to start making mistakes and adds fuel to the fire of his already-crumbling marriage.
His main comfort in life is his "Life List"- the all-encompassing record of the 863 bird species he has spotted and identified. After the death of his mother, Adrian goes on a relentless quest to find the extremely rare Ivory-billed Woodpecker to add to his list, no matter the cost.
This haunting tale has so many gripping aspects- birds, conservation, addiction, obsession, painful childhood memories, a crumbling marriage, and family. The writing is stunning and incredibly detailed. This story will stick with me for a long time. I can't recommend this one enough.
Thank you, Touchstone Books, for sending me this wonderful book and wildflower seeds. All opinions are my own.
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
4.0
Wow. This book was an absolute gut punch. When I finished the book, it felt as though it had spat me out. I had to sit down for a while and gather my thoughts and secure my heart back inside my chest.
The year is 1981 and a deadly flu pandemic is growing rampant across a dystopian America. Time travel is now an option, made possible by a large corporation called TimeRaiser. Due to a glitch in technology, no one is able to travel back in time to stop the virus from spreading, however, people can travel into the future to avoid the virus. These people are referred to as "Journeymen". This is where the protagonist Polly comes in. Polly's boyfriend Frank has contracted the virus and she will do anything to save the love of her life. Polly receives an offer she can't refuse: if she time travels from 1981 to 1993 and works for a year as a bonded laborer for TimeRaiser, they will pay for Frank's necessary medical care and cure him. Polly hatches a plan to have them both go to the Flagship Hotel in Galveston, TX every Saturday in September of 1993 until they find each other.
Unfortunately, Polly gets re-routed an extra five years and winds up in an unrecognizable Texas in 1998. She is told that a border had previously been erected along the Mason-Dixon line and the southern states were now known as America and the northern states were The United States. Polly would now need a visa to travel back to her home in Buffalo, NY. She was transported to this unfamiliar time by herself, without any money, and without any understanding of this foreign place. The helplessness and agony she experienced while trying to navigate her way though America was haunting. She encountered a number of strange, relentless people who all tended to fend for themselves. The class divide was enormous and the laborers had almost no rights. The men throughout the novel seemed to be tinged with wickedness. The writing was so vivid, it felt as though I was there with Polly, experiencing all of these horrors myself.
The story fell flat for me during Polly's time in America, which was a good chunk of the novel. It was incredibly detailed, non-stop suffering for Polly which became repetitive and brutal to read. Also, it seemed to me that Polly might not have had the best taste in men to begin with, which was pointed out at the beginning of the story. I wasn't extremely convinced that her and Frank's relationship was as strong as she conceived it to be. I would've liked to know more about the characters and their back stories. Their stories seemed rushed and the characters seemed a bit dull. I loved the character of Polly's Aunt Donna. She had her head on her shoulders, was tough and gave excellent advice. I was leaning towards 3.5 stars for the majority of the novel until the end, when I bumped it up to 4 stars. The ending was not what I expected it to be but I think it was realistic and pulled the whole novel together beautifully.
Overall, this is an extraordinary debut novel with such elegant prose. The story is gripping, terrifying and emotional. I was curious to see if Polly and Frank would ever find each other and if their love would last the test of time. I can guarantee you will not want to put this book down until you've finished the last page. I look forward to reading more from Thea Lim. If you've read and enjoyed Station Eleven or The Hunger Games, this book is for you! Many thanks to Touchstone Books for my free copy. All opinions are my own.
The year is 1981 and a deadly flu pandemic is growing rampant across a dystopian America. Time travel is now an option, made possible by a large corporation called TimeRaiser. Due to a glitch in technology, no one is able to travel back in time to stop the virus from spreading, however, people can travel into the future to avoid the virus. These people are referred to as "Journeymen". This is where the protagonist Polly comes in. Polly's boyfriend Frank has contracted the virus and she will do anything to save the love of her life. Polly receives an offer she can't refuse: if she time travels from 1981 to 1993 and works for a year as a bonded laborer for TimeRaiser, they will pay for Frank's necessary medical care and cure him. Polly hatches a plan to have them both go to the Flagship Hotel in Galveston, TX every Saturday in September of 1993 until they find each other.
Unfortunately, Polly gets re-routed an extra five years and winds up in an unrecognizable Texas in 1998. She is told that a border had previously been erected along the Mason-Dixon line and the southern states were now known as America and the northern states were The United States. Polly would now need a visa to travel back to her home in Buffalo, NY. She was transported to this unfamiliar time by herself, without any money, and without any understanding of this foreign place. The helplessness and agony she experienced while trying to navigate her way though America was haunting. She encountered a number of strange, relentless people who all tended to fend for themselves. The class divide was enormous and the laborers had almost no rights. The men throughout the novel seemed to be tinged with wickedness. The writing was so vivid, it felt as though I was there with Polly, experiencing all of these horrors myself.
The story fell flat for me during Polly's time in America, which was a good chunk of the novel. It was incredibly detailed, non-stop suffering for Polly which became repetitive and brutal to read. Also, it seemed to me that Polly might not have had the best taste in men to begin with, which was pointed out at the beginning of the story. I wasn't extremely convinced that her and Frank's relationship was as strong as she conceived it to be. I would've liked to know more about the characters and their back stories. Their stories seemed rushed and the characters seemed a bit dull. I loved the character of Polly's Aunt Donna. She had her head on her shoulders, was tough and gave excellent advice. I was leaning towards 3.5 stars for the majority of the novel until the end, when I bumped it up to 4 stars. The ending was not what I expected it to be but I think it was realistic and pulled the whole novel together beautifully.
Overall, this is an extraordinary debut novel with such elegant prose. The story is gripping, terrifying and emotional. I was curious to see if Polly and Frank would ever find each other and if their love would last the test of time. I can guarantee you will not want to put this book down until you've finished the last page. I look forward to reading more from Thea Lim. If you've read and enjoyed Station Eleven or The Hunger Games, this book is for you! Many thanks to Touchstone Books for my free copy. All opinions are my own.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
5.0
The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a bittersweet story mainly narrated by Nana, a stray cat who sleeps on the warm hood of a silver van. The van’s owner, Satoru, meekly approaches Nana one day offering food and sneaks in a head scratch and walks away. Satoru never oversteps his boundaries and treats Nana with the utmost respect.
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One day, Nana is on the prowl and is hit by a car. He hobbles back to the van and howls for Satoru. Satoru brings Nana to the vet and back to his apartment to heal. Nana reminds Satoru of a special cat he had when he was a child so he feels like they were meant to be together. The two become quick companions living in harmony. Nana moves in with Satoru but he insists that they go on walks so Nana can maintain his survival skills.
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Years pass and Satoru has no choice but to find a new home for Nana for reasons out of his control. With Satoru behind the wheel of the silver van and Nana by his side, the two embark on an emotional road trip among scenic Japanese landscapes and revisit three of Satoru’s childhood friends in hopes of finding a compatible home for Nana. Nana learns of Satoru and his past during this unforgettable journey.
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The unique bond formed between Satoru and Nana was heartwarming. They were completely intuitive of one another and balanced each other out perfectly. Nana was sassy and bold, meanwhile, Satoru was gentle and considerate. This is a wonderfully heartfelt story about love, loss, self-sacrifice, humor and kindness. I laughed, I cried and I will not forget this beautiful story.
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🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈/5 cats
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One day, Nana is on the prowl and is hit by a car. He hobbles back to the van and howls for Satoru. Satoru brings Nana to the vet and back to his apartment to heal. Nana reminds Satoru of a special cat he had when he was a child so he feels like they were meant to be together. The two become quick companions living in harmony. Nana moves in with Satoru but he insists that they go on walks so Nana can maintain his survival skills.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Years pass and Satoru has no choice but to find a new home for Nana for reasons out of his control. With Satoru behind the wheel of the silver van and Nana by his side, the two embark on an emotional road trip among scenic Japanese landscapes and revisit three of Satoru’s childhood friends in hopes of finding a compatible home for Nana. Nana learns of Satoru and his past during this unforgettable journey.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The unique bond formed between Satoru and Nana was heartwarming. They were completely intuitive of one another and balanced each other out perfectly. Nana was sassy and bold, meanwhile, Satoru was gentle and considerate. This is a wonderfully heartfelt story about love, loss, self-sacrifice, humor and kindness. I laughed, I cried and I will not forget this beautiful story.
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🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈/5 cats
Tampa by Alissa Nutting
4.0
“The soul has always struck me as being a tricky thing to keep with the body: an easily bored aristocrat with the means to leave whenever it wished.”
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Celeste Price is a 26-year-old eighth grade teacher with looks that could kill, a fancy car, a nice house and is married to a wealthy policeman. Underneath that facade of perfection, Celeste preys on teenage boys and nothing will get in her way.
Celeste carefully crafts a plan to seduce her fourteen-year-old student, Jack. She understands the consequences of her actions and will do anything to keep her illicit relationship a secret. Celeste uses manipulation and seniority to get what she wants with no remorse for anyone she harms along the way.
Nutting fearlessly places the reader inside the mind of a vile pedophile. Celeste’s character is repulsive and she constantly tries to justify her actions. Tampa is a disturbing, controversial read but it is also a brilliant examination of culturally constructed gender norms, beauty, misogyny and sexuality.
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Celeste Price is a 26-year-old eighth grade teacher with looks that could kill, a fancy car, a nice house and is married to a wealthy policeman. Underneath that facade of perfection, Celeste preys on teenage boys and nothing will get in her way.
Celeste carefully crafts a plan to seduce her fourteen-year-old student, Jack. She understands the consequences of her actions and will do anything to keep her illicit relationship a secret. Celeste uses manipulation and seniority to get what she wants with no remorse for anyone she harms along the way.
Nutting fearlessly places the reader inside the mind of a vile pedophile. Celeste’s character is repulsive and she constantly tries to justify her actions. Tampa is a disturbing, controversial read but it is also a brilliant examination of culturally constructed gender norms, beauty, misogyny and sexuality.
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
5.0
I devoured this book in one sitting. The story follows a group of teenagers growing up in Alaska during the 1970’s, which is fascinating in itself. This book is technically considered young adult but the teens are all dealing with problems beyond their years, such as, poverty, teen pregnancy, abusive and alcoholic parents, orphanism and the desire for a family, even if it’s not by blood. The details throughout the book were incredible. I felt like I was there in Alaska smelling the salty sea, gutting the fish, marching over the frigid, barren landscape. The setting and character development are both phenomenal in this trim, heart-wrenching novel. The characters were lovable and their stories intertwined beautifully by the end. I highly recommend this book if you liked Beartown. It’s just brilliant. ❄️