 | The Jane Austin Society by Natalie Jenner 304 pages What’s it about? This story takes place in the small town of Chawton, England just after World War II. Chawton is best known for being the last home to novelist Jane Austen. An unlikely group of people band together to form a society dedicated to preserving the famous writer's legacy. We are introduced to a small group of local villagers as well as a few visitors in this homage to Jane Austen. What did it make me think about? This was just an enjoyable, light book that made me think of the enduring legacy some writers leave behind. Should I read it? This book really is written for true fans of Jane Austen. For all those who enjoy her work- you will enjoy this charming, sweet novel. Do not expect anything deep or terribly thought provoking- but sometimes that's a perfect option. A really nice respite during a pandemic! Quote- "Part of the comfort they derived from rereading was the satisfaction of knowing there would be closure- of feeling, each time, an inexplicable anxiety over whether the main characters would find love and happiness, while all the while knowing, on some different parallel interior track, that it was all going to work out in the end." If you liked this try- The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennesy by Rachel Joyce The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach 7 1/2 stars |
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 My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
369 pages What’s it about? This novel goes back and forth between 2000 and 2017. In 2000 Vanessa is a fifteen-year-old scholarship student at a prestigious East Coast boarding school when she becomes entangled in a sexual relationship with her much older teacher. Vanessa is the unreliable narrator of both time periods. In 2000 we view her relationship as it unfolds with the manipulative Mr. Strane. By 2017 Vanessa is trying to make sense of what happened to her seventeen years ago. In both instances Vanessa reveals herself as a complicated and complicit victim.... What did it make me think about? Is there really such a thing as a complicit victim? Can a fifteen-year-old be complicit? Should I read it? This was just a dark book with a dark subject. It was graphic in detail and often difficult to read.... yet it was also a page-turner. Vanessa was so complicated that although you wanted to like her, it was hard. Ms. Russell managed to portray the complexities Vanessa faces when she looks back at her relationship with Mr. Strane. Quote- "I never would have done it if you weren't so willing, he'd said. It sounds like delusion. What girl would want what he did to me? But it's the truth, whether anyone believes it or not. Driven toward it, toward him, I was the kind of girl that isn't supposed to exist: one eager to hurl herself into the path of a pedophile. But no, that word isn't right, never has been. It's a cop-out, a lie in the way it's wrong to call me a victim and nothing more. He was never so simple; neither was I." If you liked this try- My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent On Earth We're Breifly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Trust Exercise by Susan Choi Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeymii 8 stars A New York Times Best Seller! A #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick as Featured on Today Belletrist Book Club April Selection by Emma Roberts A New York Times Book Review Group Text Selection Named a Guardian Book of the Day Named a 2020 Book You Should Pre-Order Now by Marie Claire Named a “Book We Can’t Wait to Read in 2020” by the Amazon Book Review Named One of The 50 Most Anticipated Books of 2020 by Entertainment Weekly Named One of “32 Best New Books of 2020” by Vulture Named one of LitHub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020 Named one of The Best New Books in “Pick of the Week” by People Named one of 41 Best Books to Read in 2020 by Vogue
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A sad, poignant, mystical read. I won't give too much away. Quick and well worth it!
9 1/2 stars!
A coming of age story set in Mexico. It certainly gives you a whole new view of all the people coming over the border.
9 stars
Quirky characters and the story told through letters to Richard Gere. Who could ask for more? 9 stars
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“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
― Charles William Eliot
― Charles William Eliot
ratings
1 to 2- I did not enjoy this book.
3 to 4- I found some aspect of this book redeeming but would not recommend it.
5 to 6- I really enjoyed something about this book (characters, plot, meaning etc.) but it was uneven. Some aspects were stronger than others.
7 to 8- It was a good book. I liked lots of aspects of this book. I would recommend it.
9 to 10- I was sorry to turn the last page. I highly recommend this book!
3 to 4- I found some aspect of this book redeeming but would not recommend it.
5 to 6- I really enjoyed something about this book (characters, plot, meaning etc.) but it was uneven. Some aspects were stronger than others.
7 to 8- It was a good book. I liked lots of aspects of this book. I would recommend it.
9 to 10- I was sorry to turn the last page. I highly recommend this book!
