booktalkwithkarla's reviews
1337 reviews

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

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emotional informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

The Island of Sea Women surprised me. I didn’t know I wanted to know about the Korean women of Jeju island. I did. I didn’t know that in learning their history and about their work, I would connect with and love them so much. I did. 

This story is about friendship, motherhood, communication, survival, forgiveness, worship, traditions, gender roles, really all things living and dying. And it’s worth discovering the story, word by word, for yourself. 

Lisa See is talented at research and writing. She crafted an amazing story and characters that I would expect to see in historical records (fictional, yet they are so real). Their stories will be with me for a long time. 

“How different it is with friendship. No one picks a friend for us; we come together by choice. We are not tied together through ceremony or the responsibility to create a son; we tie ourselves together through moments. The spark when we first meet. Laughter and tears shared. Secrets packed away to be treasured, hoarded, and protected. The wonder that someone can be so different from you and yet still understand your heart in a way no one else ever will.”

“A good woman is a good mother.”

“Every mother must leave her children to work, and every mother suffers, but we do it.”
The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays by Irena Smith

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I have a senior in high school and college essays are top of mind, so when I saw this memoir from an education consultant I was interested. This book surpassed my expectations. 

Irena Smith organizes her essays, which vary in length, around actual college prompts. The stories are about her life, family, career, and struggles, so are interconnected and tell a beautiful connected (and hard) story. I appreciated her honesty throughout, especially her vulnerability about motherhood. Smith is well read, highly intelligent, and a brilliant writer. Her story is also compelling, making this one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. I found myself recalling my own life and wanting to answer the prompts. 

Woven throughout are stories of her clients and their essay topics. It is clear she capably helps them get to the essence of their story. I agree with her concerns about the college application process and defining success. I highly recommend this book for parents with kids of any age. I couldn’t put it down and did only to sleep. 
Stories of Hope: An Anthology of the Redeeming Hope Found in Jesus by Wendy Palau

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Stories are powerful and these true stories of the redeeming hope found in Jesus are unspeakably powerful. Each one - unique and well written- touched my heart because of the vulnerability and honesty expressed. The circumstances vary but the loneliness, emptiness, and lack of peace before meeting Jesus are a common theme. Parts of each woman’s story helped me to tap into my own and remember the details of my salvation, baptism, and sanctifying walk, but mostly the faithfulness of God. God’s continual presence throughout my life cannot be denied. I am forever grateful to God for my story and to these women for sharing theirs and for living their lives to glorify God. 

If you haven’t met Jesus this book will encourage you to get to know him. If you have met Jesus this book will encourage you to receive God’s love and worship in deeper ways, telling the world of the redeeming hope found in Jesus. 
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia

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informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

I listened to this as a re-read and enjoyed it so much. Peter Attia reads the audio version and because I’m familiar with his podcast voice it was enjoyable. After finishing reading it in January I heard from someone that the audio version had an extra part at the end so I went to Libby to request it and it finally showed up in my queue. In the end I listened to all of it again. I heard things this time that I didn’t catch before, especially about HRT therapy which is top of mind for me. Also some of it is complex and beyond my understanding so hearing it again was helpful. And the extra part was well worth listening to. Attila’s vulnerability makes me respect him even more. Highly recommend audio version too. 
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

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adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

Throughout 2024, I read this alongside Conquer a Classic group with Annie B Jones and Bookshelf Thomasville. Each month for Patreon members Annie and Hunter recorded a conversation about the book. It was fun to listen after reading. 

Y’all, this is a fantastic story and one I think everyone should read. The characters and setting are rich. Larry McMurtry is uber talented. I had to force myself to read only that month’s section and to not read on every month. This is a book you should discover as you go so I will only add a few quotes that illustrate McMurtry’s talent. Read this novel! 

“Though he had always been a careful planner, life on the frontier had long ago convinced him of the fragility of plans. The truth was, most plans did fail, to one degree or another, for one reason or another. He had survived as a Ranger because he was quick to respond to what he had actually found, not because his planning was infallible.“

“It seemed to him harder, as he got older, to find a simple way of life.”

“It was eternally amusing, the flow of human behavior.”
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Bright Young Women centers around the murders of young women in Colorado and Florida at the hands of a serial killer. In the novel he is called The Defendent or Co-ed Killer, instead of his name or any name. The intent of the author is to focus on the lives of the victims rather than the killer. 

Jessica Knoll is a good sentence level writer and I support her goal with this novel. At times I thought she succeeded and at other times I felt the writing pointed us more to the killer and wanting to know what was true. I listened it the audio version and heard the tone, so I wonder if the print version might have been better for me. 

Clearly the women were victims and deserve to be seen as whole people and not just in light of the crimes committed. The women were bright academically and as vibrant humans. Yet I found the characters relationally stunted and unlikeable. Being inside their heads, we saw them making decisions that they didn’t want to make because they felt stuck or making choices they were expected to make. I did find that Pamela’s friendship with Denise was realistic. That part was the best for me. I also liked the psychological storyline and references to attachment theory. Tina seems to take advantage of others. Her backstory is trauma filled but that’s not really a justifiable excuse. My feelings about this story are complicated so read at your own risk. 
Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know: What to Expect During the Three Stages of Menopause by Felice Gersh

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informative medium-paced

4.25

Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know is organized into the three stages of menopause and tells us what to expect. The power in this book is in the knowledge, experience, and talent of the author. Felice Gersh, MD, is well respected and communicates the realities well. I trust her opinion from listening to her on podcasts and watching a few of her videos. I found this book to be helpful and affirming. I will continue, as needed, to go back to the book to reference symptoms as I navigate the stages of menopause. 
The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Mary Claire Haver

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informative medium-paced

4.0

I’m on mission to read all the information about menopause and this one was released this year. As an MD, Mary Claire Haver has the education and experience to help women. And as a woman of a certain age she has the motivation to learn (beyond the limited exposure given in med school on menopause) more about options. She rightly says “Menopause is inevitable. Suffering through it is not”. After an overview and history, Haver offers insights by symptom. I used this book to confirm my plan with my practitioner. 
How to Read a Book: A Novel by Monica Wood

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

“I am a reader. I am intelligent. I have something worthy to contribute.”

Harriet leads a prison book club where she invites the women to talk about stories and share their stories. Violet is one of the women, a prisoner, reckoning with what she did and why, plus what that means for her now and in the future. 

How to Read a Book is a story about the value of reading and the importance of community. Themes of second chances, forgiveness, loneliness, and friendship make this a wonderful novel. 

I really enjoyed spending time with Harriet and Violet, plus the other characters. This is a sweet novel with lots of booktalk. 

“Harriet loved the stacks—those narrow channels crammed with possibility. She navigated slowly, already hearing the women’s voices, for they loved to read chapters aloud, like plays, taking votes on who took which part. Voting meant something to these women who decided nothing, and Harriet relished offering them a bone of autonomy…”
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

“Sharon has become the kind of woman she never understood before—someone who doesn’t need to talk about other people to make her days more interesting because her days are interesting enough as it is.”

I’m not an Elin Hilderbrand completionist but always enjoy her work when I read it. 28 Summers is my favorite. A dear friend visits the Nantucket bookstore each summer so for the last few summers I have wanted to read the latest release so we could talk about it together. Of course I was interested in this summer’s release Swan Song, the finale for her Nantucket series. Don’t you love that title?! This one is about a new couple in town who brings drama and coveted party invitations that get the town regulars acting in “expected” ways. Read this for a fun time and especially if you are familiar with Hilderbrand’s Nantucket characters who each make an appearance. I look forward to a conversation with my friend and to what Hilderbrand will write next. In the meantime I am listening to her podcast and loving it. 😍