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oceanwriter's reviews
719 reviews
Til Morning by Bonnie Hearn Hill, Larry Hill
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I'm a big fan of Dorothy Kilgallen and have read extensively about her life and her career. I'm so thrilled that there are a couple of novels inspired by her. This one focuses on her affair with singer Johnnie Ray. Though not a shining or defining aspect of her life, it's not surprising that writers see this as an interesting plot opportunity.
All that said, I wasn't super into the story the way it was presented. I found Johnnie Ray insufferable at times. Some of my opinions are personal, not loving the infidelity plotline despite its complexity. I did know what I was going into when I picked it up, so that's on me. Regardless, I do wish the pacing had been a little slower and smoother, though my biggest quip is how regurgitated tidbits about Dorothy's life were forced in whether it fit the timeline or not. (I suspect people not too familiar with Dorothy Kilgallen wouldn't notice, so again, I'll put that on me.) I also noticed some wonky timelines surrounding JFK's assassination.
I would be curious to see some kind of a sequel to this given the intrigue of the events at the end of the book. The last few chapters were when I finally began to feel invested.
All that said, I wasn't super into the story the way it was presented. I found Johnnie Ray insufferable at times. Some of my opinions are personal, not loving the infidelity plotline despite its complexity. I did know what I was going into when I picked it up, so that's on me. Regardless, I do wish the pacing had been a little slower and smoother, though my biggest quip is how regurgitated tidbits about Dorothy's life were forced in whether it fit the timeline or not. (I suspect people not too familiar with Dorothy Kilgallen wouldn't notice, so again, I'll put that on me.) I also noticed some wonky timelines surrounding JFK's assassination.
I would be curious to see some kind of a sequel to this given the intrigue of the events at the end of the book. The last few chapters were when I finally began to feel invested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Infidelity
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, and Murder
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
I discovered Sarah Pekkanen last year and I quickly fell in love with her writing. I was super excited when I saw this book was a Book of the Month selection.
Attorney Stella Hudson is assigned to a custody case involving a nine-year-old girl who has developed traumatic mutism after witnessing the death of her nanny. Stella had gone through a similar experience as a child and she's hopeful that she can make a breakthrough. She quickly comes to realize this case is more complex than she anticipated. The Barclay family is full of secrets, most of all Rose.
I was taken with this story right away and the momentum maintained itself until the last quarter of the book. The plot was busy from the start, but it got even more so by the end. Stella's relationship/backstory with Charles was a lot to unpack for it not being the main plot. It's complexity didn't feel necessary. On top of this, there was a shoehorned romance in maybe the last 10-15 percent that had no relevance or build-up whatsoever. What's worse is that it became an overshadowing focus at the end. I enjoyed the main story with Rose and her family. Had the end not strayed so much (and if a couple of the plot holes had been filled) this would have been an easy five stars for me. Regardless, I did thoroughly enjoy the mystery and the twists.
Attorney Stella Hudson is assigned to a custody case involving a nine-year-old girl who has developed traumatic mutism after witnessing the death of her nanny. Stella had gone through a similar experience as a child and she's hopeful that she can make a breakthrough. She quickly comes to realize this case is more complex than she anticipated. The Barclay family is full of secrets, most of all Rose.
I was taken with this story right away and the momentum maintained itself until the last quarter of the book. The plot was busy from the start, but it got even more so by the end. Stella's relationship/backstory with Charles was a lot to unpack for it not being the main plot. It's complexity didn't feel necessary. On top of this, there was a shoehorned romance in maybe the last 10-15 percent that had no relevance or build-up whatsoever. What's worse is that it became an overshadowing focus at the end. I enjoyed the main story with Rose and her family. Had the end not strayed so much (and if a couple of the plot holes had been filled) this would have been an easy five stars for me. Regardless, I did thoroughly enjoy the mystery and the twists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, and Car accident
Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Carlota has spent most of her life in a sort of isolation. Her father's estate provides enough companionship and entertainment that she can't picture her life anywhere else. She sees herself inheriting the estate someday and taking care of her father's experiments — the hybrids.
Carlota's vision of the future starts to change with the arrival of two men visiting the estate. For the first time, she can see herself leaving home, getting married... but the Doctor's experiments may be in jeopardy and the hybrids in danger.
I reluctantly picked up this book because I didn't care much for Mexican Gothic but I'm so glad I did. Though different from the books I usually read, I was absorbed into the story and found myself wanting more once I reached the end. What I enjoyed most were the spiritual themes, though I can't say much without having to mark for spoilers. I can see myself rereading this in the future.
Carlota's vision of the future starts to change with the arrival of two men visiting the estate. For the first time, she can see herself leaving home, getting married... but the Doctor's experiments may be in jeopardy and the hybrids in danger.
I reluctantly picked up this book because I didn't care much for Mexican Gothic but I'm so glad I did. Though different from the books I usually read, I was absorbed into the story and found myself wanting more once I reached the end. What I enjoyed most were the spiritual themes, though I can't say much without having to mark for spoilers. I can see myself rereading this in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Franciscan Wisdom by Matthew Kelly
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
An inspiring collection of quotes from and about Saint Francis.
One Piece, Vol. 1: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
I never thought I would pick this up but I've heard so much about it from throneofpages that I finally picked it up. I haven't read much manga at all and I wasn't confident I'd enjoy it, but I was immediately hooked! I'm so excited to start this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Self harm, and Sexism
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reread. I love this series and this universe so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Gaslighting
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reread, but also the first time reading the 1818 text. Loved it even more the second time around and it was interesting reading the first edition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Incest, and Racism
The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I read A Child for the Reich last year and I appreciate this author's use of lesser-discussed nuances of the WWII time period. In The Secret Pianist, the use of carrier pigeons is one of the main focuses in correlation to Resistance work which I found intriguing.
Three sisters escape Paris to a coastal town. Though they're still under German occupation, they're away from the worst of the war — so it seems until Gaby is enlisted to give music lessons to a Commandant's daughter. The sisters are accused of being in league with the Germans even though Gaby, Martine, and Simone are secretly working with the Resistance. Through a rescued carrier pigeon, the women have contact to London.
Though this book didn't grip me quite as much as A Child for the Reich did, I found it interesting. I didn't feel super connected to the characters given how divided the focus was on the three sisters, likable as they were. Again, I appreciate the unique accents of the plot.
A huge thanks to Harper360 for sending me a free ARC of the book!
Three sisters escape Paris to a coastal town. Though they're still under German occupation, they're away from the worst of the war — so it seems until Gaby is enlisted to give music lessons to a Commandant's daughter. The sisters are accused of being in league with the Germans even though Gaby, Martine, and Simone are secretly working with the Resistance. Through a rescued carrier pigeon, the women have contact to London.
Though this book didn't grip me quite as much as A Child for the Reich did, I found it interesting. I didn't feel super connected to the characters given how divided the focus was on the three sisters, likable as they were. Again, I appreciate the unique accents of the plot.
A huge thanks to Harper360 for sending me a free ARC of the book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Ancient Rome: From Romulus to Justinian by Thomas R. Martin
informative
medium-paced
3.0
An interesting and brief (or shall I say unintimidating?) overview of Roman history. I felt focused on the first half of the book but struggled to find much interest toward the end as it jumped back and forth between different religions and religious figures/practices. I found a lot of it to be repetitive. Still, it is a solid look at the surface of ancient Rome.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and War
Minor: Sexual content
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
2.5
I can see why people really love this book and I so wanted to be one of those people. Alas, it was not a good match for me.
After the death of her aunt, Clementine is (more or less) living on autopilot. More importantly, she's trying to keep her aunt's memory alive by living by her philosophy. One of the biggest rules? Never fall in love... with anyone in her apartment. Clementine has since inherited this apartment, and finally, she starts to understand when she discovers a man seven years in the past living there as well.
Again, I wanted to love this book. I love the concept, there are some beautiful sentiments scattered throughout the book, it touches on themes of grief... but all of this got lost in often bubbly writing, a shocking amount of cliched prose, and a time warp that is never actually explained. I didn't find Clementine and Iwan had a lot of chemistry. Their relationship got buried in the incessant conversation about food. I'm gathering from other reviews that this might just be a thing for some people, which is fine, but it didn't make for a riveting read for me personally.
If this hadn't been a romance, I feel as though I could have looked past my preferences on writing style and food niche. I would have loved to have read more about Clementine and Analea. I felt this dynamic was the strongest.
After the death of her aunt, Clementine is (more or less) living on autopilot. More importantly, she's trying to keep her aunt's memory alive by living by her philosophy. One of the biggest rules? Never fall in love... with anyone in her apartment. Clementine has since inherited this apartment, and finally, she starts to understand when she discovers a man seven years in the past living there as well.
Again, I wanted to love this book. I love the concept, there are some beautiful sentiments scattered throughout the book, it touches on themes of grief... but all of this got lost in often bubbly writing, a shocking amount of cliched prose, and a time warp that is never actually explained. I didn't find Clementine and Iwan had a lot of chemistry. Their relationship got buried in the incessant conversation about food. I'm gathering from other reviews that this might just be a thing for some people, which is fine, but it didn't make for a riveting read for me personally.
If this hadn't been a romance, I feel as though I could have looked past my preferences on writing style and food niche. I would have loved to have read more about Clementine and Analea. I felt this dynamic was the strongest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content