Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, October 1, 2023
SEPTEMBER 2023 - Reading Wrap-Up
Hi, everyone!
I hope you all have
had a great September and have read lots and lots of very good books!!
So now I have EIGHT books vying for MY Best Book of 2023:
- The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende (May)
- Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See (June)
- How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (July)
- A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power (August)
- The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (August)
- Evergreen (Japantown Mystery #2) by Naomi Hirahara (August)
- The Women by Kristin Hannah (September)
- After Annie by Anna Quindlen (September)
It will be so very
interesting which book I decide on as MY Best Book of 2023! I think
that I know which one it is, but you will have to wait patiently to find out!!
I hope that the quality of
books in October continues to be good for me! I have had at least one 5.0-star book every month since I restarted this blog in May 2023 so that is quite the run!
STATISTICS:
9 total books
8 e-books; 1 physical book
6 books were an ARC
(Advance Reader Copy)
0 books were library books
1 book was a purchased
e-book
1 book was an Amazon First
Reads
1 book was a gifted
physical book
Audio listening time in September: 0 hours, 0 minutes
Pages read in September:
3,441 pages
BOOK RATINGS with BOOK
COVERS:
5.0-star
books (2)
The Women by Kristin Hannah
After Annie by Anna
Quindlen
4.5-star books (4)
The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce
A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly
A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
4.0-star books (1)
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone - Outlander #9 by Diana Gabaldon
3.5-star book (1)
Diva by Daisy Goodwin
3.0-star
books (1)
What Kind
of Woman by Kate
Baer
If you want to read my
full review of any of these books, there are individual review posts for each
e-book or audiobook below the picture of the book. You can just click on the specific
book link to get to that book review!!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
P.S. For more information about my book rating, you can find out more HERE.
REVIEW - Finding Margaret Fuller
OVERVIEW
Allison Pataki does it again!! She writes amazingly beautiful historical fiction about women that many of us do not know in history. Allison Pataki is shifting the paradigm!!
Margaret Fuller - what a fantastic woman! Interestingly, when I asked my husband if he knew who she was - he knew, but I didn't!
Margaret Fuller was really a force in women's education, equality, suffrage, and knowledge. She was a woman who was way ahead of her time and still is. I would love to meet her and share some tea, talk, and enjoy nature together. Margaret was a firecracker and friend/acquaintance to so many historical figures.
This novel primarily focuses on Margaret's life from the age of 26 to 40 years of age. This includes her time in Concord, Massachusetts with the Transcendentalists to her time in Europe. There are some flashbacks, but they definitely add to the character development and storyline.
This book was beautifully written and we learn so much about Margaret. But, it was not like a textbook, but rather a beautiful story of a life well-lived! I loved it!
Yet, ANOTHER 5-star book!!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
I have read all of the historical fiction novels by Allison Pataki and always eagerly look forward to her next book. This novel is beautifully written and descriptive, yet not wordy. It is just another great read!
Character development: 5.0 stars
This book is full of many characters as most historical fiction is! But, many of them were familiar historical characters!
The main character is Margaret. She is in the title and Margaret is what the entire novel is about! She is fully developed so her choices, reasonings, and life views are explored.
The secondary characters are Margaret's husband, Giovanni Ossoli, and The Transcendentalists. The Transcendentalists especially Ralph Waldo Emerson opened up many life-changing opportunities for her. The Transcendentalists could take over the book, but Allison Pataki reigns it in and they are handled very well!!
The tertiary characters are Horace Greeley, her family, and the other historical characters Margaret encounters throughout her life.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
This book was the real reason that I read historical fiction. To learn about historical characters that I don't know about and to research more so I can learn about them and their impact on history!!
Margaret Fuller is one of the "forgotten" Transcendentalists even though her impact was powerful. Of course, I really think it is because she is a woman, no doubt. I learned so much about Margaret Fuller and the Transcendentalists as I never really read any of their works. But, it was fascinating to discover what they were about and what impact Margaret had on the movement.
The main locations were Massachusetts, New York City, and Italy.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
My goodness, Margaret Fuller was so intriguing that I looked up more on her life before I started this review. She was just incredibly amazing!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfection.
Gut feeling: 3.0 stars
I assumed that I would like this book as I have liked other books by Allison Pataki.
Suggestions:
I wish that the book had been LONGER!!
Highly RECOMMEND
BOOK INFORMATION
NetGalley ARC (Advance Reader Copy)
Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki
416 pages
Ballantine
Release date of 02/13/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, September 24, 2023
REVIEW - What Kind of Woman
OVERVIEW
First off, a very dear friend sent me this book for my birthday with a journal. I have been writing and reading both books since early June. Today, was the last poem in this book. It has been a great practice to start my day with self-care.
It has made me realize that I am NOT a poetry book reader, but rather a good poem lover.
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars
Writing: 3.0 stars
This poetry book was all over the place for me. It was inconsistent to me. There were poems that I truly felt resonated with me and others that I didn't "get". There wasn't a poem that I loved enough to share and that is significant to me.
Character Arc: 2.5 stars
There was no arc. It was all over the place.
But in all fairness, this was my first book of poetry. But, I have realized that I would rather have a book of "favorite" poems from various poets. Maybe, an anthology. Yes, I am that fickle.
Memorable: 2.5 stars
It wasn't a memorable book of poetry to me.
Entertaining: 3.0 stars
At times, I did totally chuckle as I completely understood what the poet and poem were saying to me!
Book cover: 3.5 stars
Very pretty.
Book title: 4.0 stars
Totally appropriate.
Gut feeling: 3.0 stars
I had no clue as to how I would feel about a book of poetry.
RECOMMEND
STATISTICS
What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer
112 pages
Gifted a hardcopy book
Release date of 11/10/20233
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Saturday, September 23, 2023
INCREASING My Goodreads Goal AGAIN!!
So, I increased my Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge in May 2023 to 60 books. I have met and exceeded that goal by ten books and it is only September. Now I have increased my goal again to 80 books. Will I or won't I make it!?!?
Only time will tell!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Friday, September 22, 2023
REVIEW - After Annie
OVERVIEW
This is a beautiful book!
The only way that I can describe this novel succinctly is that it is a love letter to a character. The title says it all - if is AFTER ANNIE. Annie is the character to whom the love letter is written so beautifully!
This novel focuses on the impact that the loss of Annie wrecks on those left behind - it was the loss of a wife, mother, and best friend. It is honest and real and shows the worst and best in people. Death can really make people do good supportive things and really mean hateful things.
The novel was written beautifully and deeply - we get to know the back story of the main characters especially as they all grew up and lived in the same suburban town. Powerful and satisfying.
This book could be triggering for someone who recently lost a significant person in their life so I wanted to put that out there as a warning.
Yes, ANOTHER 5-star book!!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
I have read a couple of books by this author and this novel reminded me why I loved her writing. It is so strong, beautiful, and rich. She is descriptive without being wordy.
I had no clue that she was a journalist and won a Pulitzer. Her writing is nothing that I would expect from someone who has such a strong background in opinion writing and journalism. Anna is a real chameleon!!
Character development: 5.0 stars
The characters are fully developed in a lovely and beautiful way. There were a handful of main characters whose back story was thoroughly explored which added so much to the storyline.
The main characters are Annie (wife/mother/best friend), Bill (husband/father), Annemarie (best friend), and the four children (Ali, Ant, Benjy, and Jamie). The characters show their different ways of grieving and how they work through the pain and anger that they feel.
The secondary characters are their friends, family, town residents, school friends, and other people in the lives of the main characters. They were explored greatly as a whole, but some interesting tidbits were shared that made it all come together beautifully.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
This book was described as Contemporary Women's Fiction, but I think it is much more. As I said above, it really is a beautiful love letter to Annie. After she was gone, her family and her best friend had a difficult time grieving. The hardest part for me was the grieving that the children went through - it was so real to me.
The main location was a suburb outside of Philadelphia.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
The story was so intense and real that it was as if Annie was a real person. I think that I will need a few days to mourn her passing.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
It was nice, but a little subdued.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfection.
Gut feeling: 3.0 stars
I assumed that I would like this book as I have liked other books by Anna Quindlen.
Suggestions:
I wish that the book had been LONGER!!
Highly RECOMMEND
BOOK INFORMATION
After Annie by Anna Quindlen
304 pages
Random House
Release date of 03/12/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, September 18, 2023
DNF - Good Fortune
I will not be finishing Good Fortune by C.K. Chau. I am definitely NOT the correct demographic for this book due to my age. The correct target demographic would be someone in their 20s or 30s.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Review - The Women
OVERVIEW
OMG!!! This book is unbelievable! I read it in about 24 hours and could not put it down. It is another 5.0-star book! Unbelievable!!
This story focuses on the unforgotten heroes in Vietnam - the female nurses! All throughout the book, the female Vietnam Veterans are told that "there were no women in Vietnam" and dismissed when their PSTD issues come to the surface. They are the unsung warriors who made a difference so that many young men could go home to their friends and families. Heroes!!
This novel focuses on in-country in Vietnam in 1967-1968 and primarily focuses on one specific nurse, Frances "Frankie/Frank". It starts with her enlisting through the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C.
The story is brutal, horrible, and ghastly. The Vietnam War was horrible for both sides and so much went wrong to create a totally FUBAR situation. There are so many layers to what happened in Vietnam that it will never be fully understood. The young men and women who sacrificed so much were simply pawns in an old, white-man game of power.
Definitely an outstanding novel, but what makes it so strong is that it tells the untold story of the women in Vietnam - the nurses!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
Since this is the first book by Kristin Hannah that I have read, I was completely blown away by her amazing writing. It is like she is painting a picture for me with her writing, but it is so much more. I could not only see what she was writing about, but I could feel, hear, smell, and taste it!
Normally, I am hesitant to read popular books and authors, but Kristin Hannah proved me wrong. All of her readers are not wrong, she is a phenomenal writer!!
Interestingly, Kristin Hannah and I are very close in age and were born in California. What she talks about in her Author's Note was very real-life for me as well. It was a scary time for kids as we didn't fully understand what was going on!
Character development: 5.0 stars
This was a contemporary historical fiction book as it happened less than sixty years ago. But there were the normal large numbers of characters in a typical historical fiction novel! All of these characters added to the story and were necessary to fully understand the detailed storyline.
The main characters are Frances "Frankie/Frank", Ethel, and Barb who are in the Army Nursing Corps (ANC) and are immediate best friends while they serve in Vietnam and throughout the book.
The secondary characters are their patients, fellow medical personnel, and other service members in Vietnam. Back home, their parents, friends, and spouses are also big secondary characters.
Finally, the Vietnam War is the tertiary character. It negatively impacts the lives of everyone that it touches. There was no one who left Vietnam the same person that they were when they arrived. The war was a greedy and evil character.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The storyline was about what happened before, during, and after the Vietnam War for the three best friends, but most focus was on Frankie. These three friends were "ride-or-die" friends who were there through the worst and best times for each other.
It was a painful, heartbreaking story that these three women experienced, but there are many, many more who went through the same traumas during the war in Vietnam. Everyone from the Soldiers to the Marines to the doctors to the helicopter pilots was negatively affected by their own private, personal experiences. Then they all came home and had people spitting on them. Horrific!
The main locations were Vietnam, Kauai, Virginia, California, and Washington D.C.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
This was extraordinarily memorable and informative. I knew that there were nurses in Vietnam because I watched a few episodes of China Beach. But, I never for a second thought about the horror - Hollywood glamorized their roles which was an insult to what they endured and accomplished. I need to do more reading on the topic - it is a powerful story that must be told before all of these heroes pass on.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfection.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Very appropriate!
Gut feeling: 3.0 stars
I was very unsure about whether I would like this novel or not as I have never read any of Kristin Hannah's books.
Suggestions:
A map of the locations would have been a helpful addition.
Highly RECOMMEND
BOOK INFORMATION
The Women by Kristin Hannah
480 pages
St. Martin's Press
Release date of 02/06/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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