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jedore's reviews
499 reviews
Calico Palace by Gwen Bristow
Calico Palace is a lively historical story of San Francisco during the California Gold Rush from the perspective of two strong independent women.
Crazy times! And, people call them "the good 'ol days đ Leave it to humans to glorify a past that they know very little about. After you read this book, you'll be grateful for a lot...like law and order and solid construction standards!
This is a quick and engaging read. Character development is excellent...in fact, after I finished, I missed all of the characters that had been a part of my every day for a week.
Growing up in Northern California, I appreciated learning about San Francisco and surrounding area. Also, living in PanamĂĄ now, I was pleasantly surprised by the bit of Panamanian history included in the story.
The story was equal parts historical fiction and women's fiction, with much focus on friendships, romantic relationships, and the usual struggles of women during this time made extra crazy by the ratio of men to women in San Francisco.
Rather than complete realism, twists, and turns, the author opted for a more white-washed version of history and a feel-good story. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, particularly because I learned a thing or two.
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
"Little girl, the way to live is, get ready for the maybe. Then forget it."
Calico Palace is a lively historical story of San Francisco during the California Gold Rush from the perspective of two strong independent women.
Crazy times! And, people call them "the good 'ol days đ Leave it to humans to glorify a past that they know very little about. After you read this book, you'll be grateful for a lot...like law and order and solid construction standards!
This is a quick and engaging read. Character development is excellent...in fact, after I finished, I missed all of the characters that had been a part of my every day for a week.
Growing up in Northern California, I appreciated learning about San Francisco and surrounding area. Also, living in PanamĂĄ now, I was pleasantly surprised by the bit of Panamanian history included in the story.
The story was equal parts historical fiction and women's fiction, with much focus on friendships, romantic relationships, and the usual struggles of women during this time made extra crazy by the ratio of men to women in San Francisco.
Rather than complete realism, twists, and turns, the author opted for a more white-washed version of history and a feel-good story. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, particularly because I learned a thing or two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This book was recommended to me to help restore my faith in humanity. While it didn't quite hit that mark, it did help restore my faith in myself. (Even better!)
This was a fast, but profound, read for me. I couldn't put it down! Any well written book that changes my perspective in some way gets a 5-star outta me and this one checked both of those boxes.
What shifted? The "grass is greener" thing is totally wiped out when we realize that: 1) we are the same core person in every single one of our alternative lives, and 2) the potential to change almost everything (including our perspective) lives inside of us NOW.
This is a fabulous book to read...and to gift to others. It's especially helpful for anyone who suffers from depression and/or has contemplated/attempted suicide.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"'Sometimes regrets aren't based on fact at all. Sometimes regrets are just...' She searched for the appropriate term and found it. 'A load of bullshit.'"
This book was recommended to me to help restore my faith in humanity. While it didn't quite hit that mark, it did help restore my faith in myself. (Even better!)
This was a fast, but profound, read for me. I couldn't put it down! Any well written book that changes my perspective in some way gets a 5-star outta me and this one checked both of those boxes.
What shifted? The "grass is greener" thing is totally wiped out when we realize that: 1) we are the same core person in every single one of our alternative lives, and 2) the potential to change almost everything (including our perspective) lives inside of us NOW.
This is a fabulous book to read...and to gift to others. It's especially helpful for anyone who suffers from depression and/or has contemplated/attempted suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm and Stalking
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
I took too long to read this book....probably because a part of me wanted to read it when I lived closer to nature in PanamĂĄ.
And, what a fascinating one it was.
Each chapter is a poetically written vignette...part science textbook, part indigenous wisdom, part love story between the author and the planet, and part tragedy.
It solidified my feeling that my soul is deeply indigenous...left with only faint memories of a communal, humble, grateful life that was deeply connected to nature.
I'm left feeling more sad about the state of our Mother Earth, probably because the people who read this book already understand the direness of the situation and the ones who need to read it the most probably won't. I think we're doomed to destroy her.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
"Your strange hunger for ease should not be a death sentence for the rest of Creation."
I took too long to read this book....probably because a part of me wanted to read it when I lived closer to nature in PanamĂĄ.
And, what a fascinating one it was.
Each chapter is a poetically written vignette...part science textbook, part indigenous wisdom, part love story between the author and the planet, and part tragedy.
It solidified my feeling that my soul is deeply indigenous...left with only faint memories of a communal, humble, grateful life that was deeply connected to nature.
I'm left feeling more sad about the state of our Mother Earth, probably because the people who read this book already understand the direness of the situation and the ones who need to read it the most probably won't. I think we're doomed to destroy her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
Before reading this book, I only knew that Beryl Markham was a record-setting pilot in the 1930s. By the time I finished, she was part of my literary sisterhood.
We share many traits...
She was physically and emotionally abandoned by both of her parents.
She even resisted the "typical" life lived by the whites living in Africa.
She was fiercely independent, proud, and determined.
She both loved and was frustrated by men.
She did what she wanted despite many people trying to hold her down.
Rather than choose victimhood, she rose.
This was my first read about English colonial life in Africa. I could see the stunning beauty of Nairobi based on Paula's vivid descriptionsâand totally understood the desire to live in such an untamed place.
What an interesting peek into the lives of some of the rich white expats who made Nairobi their home at this time in history. The issue of classism was not addressed in the story, so much was left unsaid, but you definitely get a sense of the rampant hedonism of the crowd and times.
On behalf of all women, I was totally disgusted by the massively misogynistic behavior of most of the men and women's forced reliance on their good will. (I'd like to say that we've significantly evolved in 100 years, but we haven't come anywhere near far enough.)
On behalf of Beryl, I was sickened that despite being exponentially smarter, stronger and savvier than most of the men in her life, they were often successful in holding her down. She was forced to fight way too hard for her dreams and survival until the very end.
I've added Out of Africa and West With the Night to my reading list to learn even more about this time and Beryl herself. The former was written by one of Beryl's friend about her love affair with the man Beryl also loved; the later is Beryl's memoir.
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I've sometimes thought that being loved a little less than others can actually make a person, rather than ruin them."
Before reading this book, I only knew that Beryl Markham was a record-setting pilot in the 1930s. By the time I finished, she was part of my literary sisterhood.
We share many traits...
She was physically and emotionally abandoned by both of her parents.
She even resisted the "typical" life lived by the whites living in Africa.
She was fiercely independent, proud, and determined.
She both loved and was frustrated by men.
She did what she wanted despite many people trying to hold her down.
Rather than choose victimhood, she rose.
This was my first read about English colonial life in Africa. I could see the stunning beauty of Nairobi based on Paula's vivid descriptionsâand totally understood the desire to live in such an untamed place.
What an interesting peek into the lives of some of the rich white expats who made Nairobi their home at this time in history. The issue of classism was not addressed in the story, so much was left unsaid, but you definitely get a sense of the rampant hedonism of the crowd and times.
On behalf of all women, I was totally disgusted by the massively misogynistic behavior of most of the men and women's forced reliance on their good will. (I'd like to say that we've significantly evolved in 100 years, but we haven't come anywhere near far enough.)
On behalf of Beryl, I was sickened that despite being exponentially smarter, stronger and savvier than most of the men in her life, they were often successful in holding her down. She was forced to fight way too hard for her dreams and survival until the very end.
I've added Out of Africa and West With the Night to my reading list to learn even more about this time and Beryl herself. The former was written by one of Beryl's friend about her love affair with the man Beryl also loved; the later is Beryl's memoir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Confinement, Drug use, and War
Peony by Pearl S. Buck
Many of my favorite books are ones with a story that pulls you in and holds you firmly in its grip while teaching you important stuff. âPeonyâ did both of these things.
This book is historical fiction, romance, and religious philosophy all wrapped into one beautiful package.
Itâs the story about a prominent Jewish family living in China in the 1800s, and specifically about the love that one of their bondmaids has for the son she was bonded with. You learn a lot about the Chinese and Jewish cultures and people living during this time. In fact, itâs the first book with an explanation of the Jewish plight that makes total sense to me.
Itâs not a typical romance, but itâs an authentic one given the cultures and norms of the time period coupled with real love. Youâll need at least one box of tissues!
I couldnât put the book down and when I was done, I missed Peony. Sheâs an amazing character that will live with me forever.
My only complaint is the major shift in the writing style toward the end of the book. Itâs almost as though Pearl realized (or was told) that the book was going to be too long if she kept up with the earlier depth and detail. With this shift, the story became more summarial with Pearl glossing over major happenings and many years very quickly without the emotional depth that made the rest of the book so amazing.
Nevertheless, Peony made my all-time favorites list and I highly recommend it to historical fiction buffs, especially those who love being pulled into an emotional story!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Would he keep himself separate, dedicated to a faith that made him solitary among whatever people he lived, or would he pour the stream of his life into the rich ocean of all human life about him?"
Many of my favorite books are ones with a story that pulls you in and holds you firmly in its grip while teaching you important stuff. âPeonyâ did both of these things.
This book is historical fiction, romance, and religious philosophy all wrapped into one beautiful package.
Itâs the story about a prominent Jewish family living in China in the 1800s, and specifically about the love that one of their bondmaids has for the son she was bonded with. You learn a lot about the Chinese and Jewish cultures and people living during this time. In fact, itâs the first book with an explanation of the Jewish plight that makes total sense to me.
Itâs not a typical romance, but itâs an authentic one given the cultures and norms of the time period coupled with real love. Youâll need at least one box of tissues!
I couldnât put the book down and when I was done, I missed Peony. Sheâs an amazing character that will live with me forever.
My only complaint is the major shift in the writing style toward the end of the book. Itâs almost as though Pearl realized (or was told) that the book was going to be too long if she kept up with the earlier depth and detail. With this shift, the story became more summarial with Pearl glossing over major happenings and many years very quickly without the emotional depth that made the rest of the book so amazing.
Nevertheless, Peony made my all-time favorites list and I highly recommend it to historical fiction buffs, especially those who love being pulled into an emotional story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Antisemitism, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Guncle Rule sweet sixteen: I want you to really live. To live is the rarest of things. Most people merely exist."
The Guncle is an intelligently written, funny, heartwarming and profound story of humans being human in the face of life's challenges. Exactly what I needed after laboring through a heavy classic!
The main challenges were death and grieving, so although very funny, the story was equally sad.
Character development was as good as it gets. I could literally see and hear every character as if I was watching a movie. (And, I'm SURE it will be a movie.)
With very little exception, the dialogue was brilliant...sassy, snarky and sweet just like I love it. There were a few cheesy slips, but it almost felt as if they were intentional.
There are SO many life-changing lessons packed in the pages of this book. But, instead of being preachy, you feel like you're down in the emotional trenches with people you love learning right alongside them.
Were there any shocks or surprises? No. It was definitely formulaic. But, the love of the characters and the pithy dialogue kept me engaged. And, there were enough options for an ending that when I was about 4/5's done, I couldn't put the book down until I turned the last page.
The Guncle is an intelligently written, funny, heartwarming and profound story of humans being human in the face of life's challenges. Exactly what I needed after laboring through a heavy classic!
The main challenges were death and grieving, so although very funny, the story was equally sad.
Character development was as good as it gets. I could literally see and hear every character as if I was watching a movie. (And, I'm SURE it will be a movie.)
With very little exception, the dialogue was brilliant...sassy, snarky and sweet just like I love it. There were a few cheesy slips, but it almost felt as if they were intentional.
There are SO many life-changing lessons packed in the pages of this book. But, instead of being preachy, you feel like you're down in the emotional trenches with people you love learning right alongside them.
Were there any shocks or surprises? No. It was definitely formulaic. But, the love of the characters and the pithy dialogue kept me engaged. And, there were enough options for an ending that when I was about 4/5's done, I couldn't put the book down until I turned the last page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Car accident, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
This is one of the rare occasions when seeing the movie prompted me to read the book. I loved the movie! It pretty much nailed the lives of my adult lifeâŠmy ex-husband, my ex-lover, and the ultimate love of my life. So I ran and bought the book, but held off reading it until the memory of the book faded.
I so wanted to love this book as much as I loved the movieâŠbut, I didnât.
The theme and character development were excellent, but they werenât enough to make up for the shortcomings for me.
First, this is a hardcore classic. The language and many references, including lots of biblical ones, were very dated making footnotes a regular occurrence and a lot of nuances missed (unless you wanted to conduct research (which I did not).
Second, oftentimes descriptions of the environs would drag on for multiple paragraphs. ZzzzzzâŠ
And, finally, the most important part of the whole story felt like an afterthought. I donât want to spoil it, but letâs just say that Mr. Hardy should have spent way less time describing the countryside and way more time on the last chapter!
If not for my love of the movie, I donât think I would have finished this book. I read mostly at night and it acted like a Benadryl stretching my total read time to over a month.
Iâm really glad the filmmakers brought this story to the current generation because the theme and message really are fantastic.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Bathsheba loved Troy in the way that only self-reliant women love when they abandon their self-reliance. When a strong woman recklessly throws away her strength, she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away.
This is one of the rare occasions when seeing the movie prompted me to read the book. I loved the movie! It pretty much nailed the lives of my adult lifeâŠmy ex-husband, my ex-lover, and the ultimate love of my life. So I ran and bought the book, but held off reading it until the memory of the book faded.
I so wanted to love this book as much as I loved the movieâŠbut, I didnât.
The theme and character development were excellent, but they werenât enough to make up for the shortcomings for me.
First, this is a hardcore classic. The language and many references, including lots of biblical ones, were very dated making footnotes a regular occurrence and a lot of nuances missed (unless you wanted to conduct research (which I did not).
Second, oftentimes descriptions of the environs would drag on for multiple paragraphs. ZzzzzzâŠ
And, finally, the most important part of the whole story felt like an afterthought. I donât want to spoil it, but letâs just say that Mr. Hardy should have spent way less time describing the countryside and way more time on the last chapter!
If not for my love of the movie, I donât think I would have finished this book. I read mostly at night and it acted like a Benadryl stretching my total read time to over a month.
Iâm really glad the filmmakers brought this story to the current generation because the theme and message really are fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Stalking
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"You have all this good inside you, but you give it all away. You don't keep any for yourself."
This is the latest in a string of recently published novels that just didn't really do it for me.
Until the end, this magical realism story was told by secondary characters in the bookâonly in the second to last chapter did the main character, Weylyn, chime in. Maybe I missed something (big), but I never did fully grasp anything more than he had some magical powers tied to weather and nature (particularly wolves).
Despite reasonably good development, the characters felt flat to me. Being that it's primarily a character driven story, this meant the whole book was flat for me.
Clearly, there are many who would disagree with me as the book is holding a 4+ rating here. I go back to chemistry...we had enough of it to keep me reading until the end, but not enough to stay with me for much longer.
This is the latest in a string of recently published novels that just didn't really do it for me.
Until the end, this magical realism story was told by secondary characters in the bookâonly in the second to last chapter did the main character, Weylyn, chime in. Maybe I missed something (big), but I never did fully grasp anything more than he had some magical powers tied to weather and nature (particularly wolves).
Despite reasonably good development, the characters felt flat to me. Being that it's primarily a character driven story, this meant the whole book was flat for me.
Clearly, there are many who would disagree with me as the book is holding a 4+ rating here. I go back to chemistry...we had enough of it to keep me reading until the end, but not enough to stay with me for much longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Bullying
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
âWe are all small-minded people, creeping about the earth grubbing for our own advantage and making the very mistakes for which we want to humiliate our neighbors.â
Charming, predictable, clichĂ©...my top three words for this book. I added a fourth when I came here to write my review and I found out that I had already read this bookâforgettable!
While the characters were well-developed and there was plenty of charm and emotion on the pages of this book, it didn't bring me anything new or original. Every character was entirely predictable and I knew everything that was going to happen.
If you're looking for a feel-good book that isn't going to disappoint or challenge you in any particular way, this is a good option. Although I'm not sorry I read it once, I am a bit sorry to have done so twice...I'll never get through my TRB list if I do that!
Charming, predictable, clichĂ©...my top three words for this book. I added a fourth when I came here to write my review and I found out that I had already read this bookâforgettable!
While the characters were well-developed and there was plenty of charm and emotion on the pages of this book, it didn't bring me anything new or original. Every character was entirely predictable and I knew everything that was going to happen.
If you're looking for a feel-good book that isn't going to disappoint or challenge you in any particular way, this is a good option. Although I'm not sorry I read it once, I am a bit sorry to have done so twice...I'll never get through my TRB list if I do that!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny, Islamophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism and Suicide attempt
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
âI was so absorbed in the things that I couldnât change, I forgot the most important thing.â
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a lovely magical realism gem translated from Japanese to English. A blend of short stories and novel, it tells the intimate stories of several people who choose to travel in time from a special chair in a neighborhood coffeehouse.
Character development is as good as it gets. I could literally see, hear and feel every character. Yet, itâs not a verbose book, which speaks to the mad skills of the author. He is able to convey so much so effortlessly.
I shed quite a few public tears while reading this one...tears of sadness, hope, happiness and a myriad of other emotions. Itâs âfeel good fictionâ without the cheesiness.
Iâm not usually a series person, but I was happy to find out this is the first book in one.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a lovely magical realism gem translated from Japanese to English. A blend of short stories and novel, it tells the intimate stories of several people who choose to travel in time from a special chair in a neighborhood coffeehouse.
Character development is as good as it gets. I could literally see, hear and feel every character. Yet, itâs not a verbose book, which speaks to the mad skills of the author. He is able to convey so much so effortlessly.
I shed quite a few public tears while reading this one...tears of sadness, hope, happiness and a myriad of other emotions. Itâs âfeel good fictionâ without the cheesiness.
Iâm not usually a series person, but I was happy to find out this is the first book in one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Pregnancy