Take a photo of a barcode or cover
eyreibreathe's reviews
369 reviews
Date Night by Samantha Hayes
4.0
It was supposed to be their night out - a night for Libby and Sean to relax, laugh, and hit the reset button on their marriage. When they return home, however, their babysitter Sasha has disappeared, and their 4-year-old daughter Alice has been left home alone. What happened? Where is Sasha? Did she run off, or was foul play involved? And does this have anything to do with the mysterious note Libby found? This book grabbed my attention from the prologue didn't let it go. I loved the slow-building confusion, how things kept growing murkier until I felt as if I were trudging blindly through a fog, trying to make sense of things, not sure who I could trust. Without saying too much, I would have liked to see a little more closure at the end - to see how characters' lives are playing out a few months down the road. All in all, though, this was an addictively fun read, and I will be looking out for more books by Samantha Hayes in the future.
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
5.0
I recently picked up The Dearly Beloved after a little hesitation, and I'm so glad I did! This novel centers around two couples and how their lives intertwine. Charles & Lily and James & Nan are brought together when the two men become ministers at the same historic church in Greenwich Village in the turbulent year of 1963.
Although this book revolves around two ministers and their church, I don't feel like this is a religious book. It's a story about growth, about evolving as a person, and about change and faith. I think that had I picked this book up at another time, I may have struggled a bit with it - it's character driven rather than plot driven, and it does move slowly. It's a book to savor. When I picked this up, I was in the mood to slow down, dig deep, and that's exactly what I got with The Dearly Beloved. The characters have such dimension and depth and background that I felt as if I truly knew them and understood what motivated their actions. I loved how the author introduces the characters separately first, allowing the reader to get to know each of them as an individual; and then slowly brought them and their partner together, allowing us to get to know them as a couple; and then finally brought the four of them together. This really allowed for a deeper understanding of all those little relationships dynamics that come into play. This was a gorgeously written novel, you guys. If you're in the mood for a slow paced book with depth, I'd highly recommend it.
Although this book revolves around two ministers and their church, I don't feel like this is a religious book. It's a story about growth, about evolving as a person, and about change and faith. I think that had I picked this book up at another time, I may have struggled a bit with it - it's character driven rather than plot driven, and it does move slowly. It's a book to savor. When I picked this up, I was in the mood to slow down, dig deep, and that's exactly what I got with The Dearly Beloved. The characters have such dimension and depth and background that I felt as if I truly knew them and understood what motivated their actions. I loved how the author introduces the characters separately first, allowing the reader to get to know each of them as an individual; and then slowly brought them and their partner together, allowing us to get to know them as a couple; and then finally brought the four of them together. This really allowed for a deeper understanding of all those little relationships dynamics that come into play. This was a gorgeously written novel, you guys. If you're in the mood for a slow paced book with depth, I'd highly recommend it.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
5.0
I was super excited when The Guest List was offered as an April Book of the Month pick. This book takes us to an island off the coast of Ireland as guests come together to celebrate the wedding of Will and Jules. Not only is the island eerily foreboding, but secrets and lies abound among the guests...and one of them won't make it off the island alive.
I couldn't get enough of this atmospheric thriller, you guys! There was so much tension, so much mystery...and it seemed everyone had a secret. With most suspense novels, a reader gets the fun job of trying to guess who the killer is before it's revealed. In The Guest List, the victim is also a mystery. This added another delicious element of suspense to the plot, and I gobbled it right up. This book kept me guessing and kept me turning the pages far into the night. This is one my thriller-loving friends won't want to miss!
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I couldn't get enough of this atmospheric thriller, you guys! There was so much tension, so much mystery...and it seemed everyone had a secret. With most suspense novels, a reader gets the fun job of trying to guess who the killer is before it's revealed. In The Guest List, the victim is also a mystery. This added another delicious element of suspense to the plot, and I gobbled it right up. This book kept me guessing and kept me turning the pages far into the night. This is one my thriller-loving friends won't want to miss!
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
5.0
I have a confession, you guys. This little gem of a book sat on my shelf unread for EIGHT years. Well, maybe I should rephrase that...I did pick this book up a handful of times over the years and read maybe the first chapter or two, but it never seemed the right time. Timing is everything, friends, as I'm sure you know. It can make or break your experience of a book. The same book picked up at the wrong time can be a 3-star read when it could have been a 5-star read at the right time. I have experienced this in my own reading life multiple times, and let me just say...it was this book's time.
What You Wish For by Katherine Center
4.0
Ahh, how many of you are excited for Katherine Center's upcoming release?! I loved the two previous books I read of hers, so I was over the moon to receive this ARC - a big thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley!
This book takes us to Galveston, Texas where Samantha Casey works as a librarian in the town's school. She adores her job - from the endearing children to the butterfly garden on campus to the historic school itself, what's not to love? When they suddenly lose their beloved principal, however, it is announced that Duncan Carpenter will be his replacement. THE Duncan Carpenter - Samantha's unrequited love from years past. When he arrives, though, he is nothing like the goofy, fun guy who stole her heart. This new Duncan 2.0 is no-nonsense, stern, and obsessed with school safety... and he's destroying everything she loves about her school. Now it's up to Samantha to take a stand against him and save their beloved campus. But will she lose her heart along the way?
This book was pure delight! A common theme that ran through the story was purposefully choosing joy despite whatever you're going through. With the world in the state it's currently in, I found this to be a timely theme, and it resulted in such a refreshing read. I loved the humor in this book and the quirky back-and-forth banter as well. A narrative that makes me laugh out loud is always a win! The characters were fun and witty, and I found myself looking forward to spending time each day in their company. Look for this one in stores on July 14th.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book takes us to Galveston, Texas where Samantha Casey works as a librarian in the town's school. She adores her job - from the endearing children to the butterfly garden on campus to the historic school itself, what's not to love? When they suddenly lose their beloved principal, however, it is announced that Duncan Carpenter will be his replacement. THE Duncan Carpenter - Samantha's unrequited love from years past. When he arrives, though, he is nothing like the goofy, fun guy who stole her heart. This new Duncan 2.0 is no-nonsense, stern, and obsessed with school safety... and he's destroying everything she loves about her school. Now it's up to Samantha to take a stand against him and save their beloved campus. But will she lose her heart along the way?
This book was pure delight! A common theme that ran through the story was purposefully choosing joy despite whatever you're going through. With the world in the state it's currently in, I found this to be a timely theme, and it resulted in such a refreshing read. I loved the humor in this book and the quirky back-and-forth banter as well. A narrative that makes me laugh out loud is always a win! The characters were fun and witty, and I found myself looking forward to spending time each day in their company. Look for this one in stores on July 14th.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
3.0
Truth be told, I had mixed feelings about this one.
What I liked: I love a story that features quirky characters and an eccentric small town. Virgil Wander delivered on both fronts. I also found the writing to be clever, and the English major in me found some of the symbolism to be surprising and creative. I love great writing, and this book was lush with it.
What wasn't for me: I never really felt connected to the characters. We're introduced to Virgil after his accident, and it's alluded to various times that he's become a different man afterwards. I would have loved to have known the man he was before to kind of round out his character and feel more connected to him. This was also a slow moving story, and that disconnect caused my attention to somewhat waver.
All in all, I was a bit on the fence with this one, but loving the writing itself, I would be intrested in reading his prior book Peace Like a River.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
What I liked: I love a story that features quirky characters and an eccentric small town. Virgil Wander delivered on both fronts. I also found the writing to be clever, and the English major in me found some of the symbolism to be surprising and creative. I love great writing, and this book was lush with it.
What wasn't for me: I never really felt connected to the characters. We're introduced to Virgil after his accident, and it's alluded to various times that he's become a different man afterwards. I would have loved to have known the man he was before to kind of round out his character and feel more connected to him. This was also a slow moving story, and that disconnect caused my attention to somewhat waver.
All in all, I was a bit on the fence with this one, but loving the writing itself, I would be intrested in reading his prior book Peace Like a River.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown
5.0
Out of all the many books I've read, this is the one that has taken me most by surprise. I don't give a hoot about sports 99% of the time, and I often (not always) find nonfiction dry. So if you had told me I'd end up loving a nonfiction book about rowing, I wouldn't have believed you. And if you'd told me this book would end up being one of my very favorites, I probably would have laughed in your face. And yet when I picked this book up a couple years ago, that is exactly what happened. It was told in such a way that I found the history of the Great Depression and the art of rowing completely fascinating. And I found myself cheering for these boys as I read (much to the alarm of everyone around me, I'm sure). I decided to read the youth edition of this book to my kids, ages 9 and 11, and they both were equally enamored.