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booktalkwithkarla's reviews
1339 reviews
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Anthony Doerr, a prize winning author, takes us on his adventure with his twin sons and his wife, as he writes and moves through a year in Italy. He is there as a fellow, at the American Academy, writing alongside other artists pursuing independent projects. This is a beautifully written and interesting peek into the life of a new father temporarily living in a historic and fascinating city. Doerr is a talented writer, able to bring Rome alive. I felt the wind. I smelled the food. I heard the water. Doerr’s insights and advice - parenting and otherwise - inspire presence and observation.
I loved how he wove together ordinary and extraordinary events. I felt moved between the beauty of the past and present. This is a short book but one that I hope to engage with again and again. The richness of Doerr’s connections and contrasts is incredible and worthy of more attention. His love for Rome made me consider more cities I want to explore. This book offers a powerful and rich reading experience. Enjoy the journey.
“Maybe being a new parent is like moving to a foreign country. There is a Before and an After, an Old Life and a New Life.”
“We are humbled over and over – humility hangs over our heads like a sledgehammer.”
“Not-knowing is always more thrilling than knowing. Not-knowing is where hope and art and possibility and invention come from. It is not-knowing, that old, old thing, that allows everything to be renewed.”
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
First we meet Nina in a page-turning prologue. Then we go back 3 months to meet Millie who is interviewing to be a housemaid for Nina. From the first chapter the reader has to decide if Millie is reliable or not. I had to read this quickly (and during the day) because my heart was racing the entire time. Freida McFadden knows how to keep you turning the pages. This is not my normal genre choice. A friend loaned me a copy because she loved it, then my book club chose it for discussion. I can’t wait to see what they all think. This is sure to be highly discussable. McFadden delivered on what she promised, for sure. I just think this kind of book is not for me. I’m too sensitive and ready for my heart beat to normalize. Read it if you like thrillers.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This book has so many of my favorites - books, libraries, history, famous people. I loved learning about Belle and her interactions with JP Morgan. The rest of her story, her family, and her achievements was fascinating.
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray collaborated brilliantly in this book. I had the privilege of watching an interview with them as well. They are delightful, genuine, and gracious. Their voices on the page and in the interview brought Belle’s story to life in beautiful ways. Great writing. Every day I looked forward to escaping into Belle’s world to see what she would do next.
My favorite part of this book was seeing Belle’s confidence in her skills and her passions grow. Her wardrobe and excursions and discussions of art were fabulous. Her interactions with the dealers were fun. Her respect for her role was inspiring. Her relationships with her family (especially her Dad) brought me to tears a few times. This is a heartbreaking and hopeful story and I’m so glad I read it.
Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World by Andre Sólo, Jenn Granneman
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
This book champions highly sensitive people by clarifying the attributes, then showing the powerful ways HSPs make a difference in the world. Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo collaborate to give us the research and real world examples that support the strengths of being sensitive. They also offer tools and insights for assessing whether you are one of the 30% who is sensitive and how to embrace it and leverage it in your life. This was a fun book to read - full of encouraging, stories, stats, and other information. I liked the organization and content. As a sensitive person, I got a lot out of the content. The chapter on raising a sensitive generation was unexpected and very meaningful. Since 1 in 3 people are sensitive, we all know someone who is sensitive, making this a book for anyone.
🩷 Thanks to my friends Lauren and Jason who see and love me - and gifted this book to me. 🩷
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a beautiful novel about love and friendship, and the stories that can get in the way of both. Emily Henry does it again, creating a unique and fun story with depth. Her characters have lots of spunk and her writing makes them people I know or want to know. I absolutely love how close the friends are and their nicknames and inside jokes. I liked Harriet’s backstory, relatable. The Maine setting with glimpses of Montana added spectacular beauty. Themes of home and happiness make this a keeper and a novel I recommend in any season.
“Like even when something beautiful breaks, the making of it still matters.”
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Briana and Jacob are doctors and two people dealing with their own stories, families, and problems. When they meet it doesn’t go well. Yet we get to read for the journey, knowing the ending will be happy.
Abby Jimenez writes complex characters and beautiful stories that capture your attention, imagination, and emotions. The Easter eggs she offers - Nadia cupcakes, Taylor Swift, etc - are so fun. And the author’s note at the end can’t be skipped.
I loved journeying with these two characters because it was more than just romance. This is a story of two flawed and real people who desire love but are hindered by their wounds and old narratives. The kidney donation element heightened my enjoyment immensely as I am a kidney donor (July 2020). The way Jimenez dealt with anxiety in sensitive people was also authentic and respectful. I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to friends.
Worst Case Scenario: Finding Overwhelming Rescue in the Promises of God by Michelle Gennaro Lapp
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
What’s your worst case scenario - the thing you most fear? Michelle Gennaro Lapp is faced with her worst case scenario and tells the before, during, and after in her memoir. Throughout the pages, we journey with her and see how she comes to faith and finds rescue in God’s promises. Gennaro Lapp richly describes her experiences - external in internal - and how her knowledge and study of God’s word became her daily lifeline. The providence and provision of God in her life is so clear. And such an encouragement to us as we consider how God shows up for us too. I appreciated Gennaro Lapp’s writing style and short chapters. This is a highly emotional book, the kind I love, one that matters so much. Read this memoir, no matter where you are in your faith journey, and be encouraged.
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
informative
medium-paced
4.25
I randomly ran across this audio book and the title intrigued me. Then I found out it was written by a former leader in MLM. My curiosity in her story was high so I borrowed the book. Emily Lynn Paulson likens MLM companies to a cult - sharing her story and how even when she saw the cracks in the facade, she was unable to leave. Until she finds a deeper desire to share her story to help women get and stay sober.
Paulson wrote her story in a compelling and readable way. I wanted to hear Emily’s story because I love women’s stories. She told hers honestly and was vulnerable about her mistakes, shenanigans, and culpability.
So much of Paulson’s story (good, bad, and ugly) resonates with me from my two MLM experiences, making reading like a walk down memory lane. I don’t agree with many of Paulson’s points or attacks, but absolutely support her in telling her truth. I recommend this book as a consideration and reflection for anyone attached to MLM or curious about Paulson’s experience. I trust people to hear an insider perspective and then make their own choices.
Note: Personally, I am grateful for my experiences in MLM and the relationships I made. Some of my deepest friendships are people I met recruiting for those companies. And I love the products and will use them as long as they are made, believing them to be quality and good value.
The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Lauren, Olivia, and Melinda don’t know each other until they do, meeting and getting to know one another in a comedic and heartwarming way. Set in New York City this delightful story surprised me in the best way. Throughout I found myself wrong when I attempted to predict what was coming next.
Amy Poeppel is a great storyteller and tells this story from multiple points of view. I love her characters’ uniqueness - names, jobs, dialogue - as they deal with life. The meaning of the title is fun. Family, friendship, career, grief, life transitions, divorce, parenting and forgiveness are themes for Poeppel’s characters.
I liked all the characters including Eveline (Lauren’s mom), Dan (Olivia’s dad), and Phillip (Leo’s father), people on the periphery that added humorous moments and also illustrated ordinary yet unexpected moments. The audio narrators (full cast) added to the enjoyment. This is a fun book and great audio listen that I would recommend to anyone who likes New York City settings, humor, or found family in their novels.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Child birth is one or the most miraculous and beautiful experiences I can think of. I love the topic and any conversation or exploration about it. So I was thrilled when our book club chose The Frozen River about a real midwife from the 1700s, who is integral in her community birthing babies, seeking justice, and documenting events.
I’ve read multiple books by Ariel Lawhon so that was another plus. Lawhon is a wonderful writer taking interesting people and events and expanding details to create interesting stories. A midwife is there in her community in such a position of trust and care - and in a position to know secrets and vulnerabilities. Lawhon took that “midwife” responsibility and ran with it - giving us whole people, flawed and so real. Martha and her husband Ephraim have a fabulous love story, well worth reading about.
Lawhon writes historical fiction so well. This is my favorite of her work so far. I loved the mystery. I loved Martha and her family. And the other members of the town also made a deep impression on my heart. Learning about the justice system was a bonus to other themes involving marriage, loyalty, love, evil, grace, and resilience. Pick this up if you like historical and literary fiction. It’s worth every minute of your time. You may like me, when I finished the last page, want to start again at the beginning.
“We are in the twilight years of a long love affair, and it has recently occurred to me that a day will come when one of us buries the other. But, I remind myself, that it is the happy ending to a story like ours. It is a vow made and kept. Till death do us part. It is the only acceptable outcome to a long and happy marriage, and I am determined not to fear that day, whenever it arrives. I am equally determined to soak up all the days between.”