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Showing posts with label Jennifer Donnelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Donnelly. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 05, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My TBR List With Bookshelves on Their Covers
It's Election Day here in the U.S. and I've never been part of a more divisive one. Yikes! I can't wait until it's over. If you haven't voted yet, do it now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my candidate can pull off a win and also that the aftermath of the election will be peaceful and calm, no matter what happens.
Instead of talking politics, let's yap about what we can all agree on: books. Today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Books With X On the Cover (You choose the item. It can be anything at all.)—sounds so simple, but I had the toughest time trying to come up with something unique. After discarding a bunch of different topics (keys/keyholes, lanterns, lights in the darkness, clocks, staircases, houses on cliffs, etc.), I decided to stick with a bookish theme. I love perusing bookshelves in libraries, bookshops, and homes, so it's no wonder that covers featuring them appeal to me. It was simple to put together this list, even if it feels a little generic. Oh well! Here we go.
(As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.)
Top Ten Books On My TBR With Bookshelves On Their Covers
1. The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole—This middle-grade dystopian/fantasy novel is my current read. I'm only a few chapters in, but I'm already really enjoying it. It's about a teenage girl who lives in a world without trees. Paper is priceless and she needs money to pay for her grandpa's medical care. When she comes across an actual book—a marvel she's never seen with her own eyes—she's stunned. Although she could make a fortune by selling it, she discovers it contains clues to finding what could be the last library in the world. She needs that treasure, but she will have to face a fearsome foe in order to get it.
2. The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander—I'm listening to this cozy mystery on audio. It's the first in a new series starring Annie Murray, a bookseller with a degree in criminology. When a dead body is discovered during the book festival she organized, she's horrified. She's even more shocked when the dead woman turns out to be someone she once knew. In order to get justice for her acquaintance (no matter how much she disliked her), Annie must channel everything she knows about detecting and solve the puzzling murder.
3. Better Off Read by Nora Page—When a storm damages her town's library almost beyond repair, librarian Cleo Watkins refuses to just let it close. She takes to her trusty bookmobile to rally support for the library. She's not sure what to think when a man checks out all the books she has about getting away with murder—and then ends up dead. Cleo's best friend is accused of the killing, which can't be right. Using all the detecting skills she's learned from books, the librarian sets out to solve the case.
4. The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss—This non-fiction title does exactly what is says it's going to: presents a history of bookstores in the U.S. It begins with Benjamin Franklin's shop in Philadelphia, stops in various other famous stores, and even takes a look at Amazon's bookselling empire. Sounds super interesting.
5. That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk—I've highlighted this thriller before, but since I still haven't read it, I'm going to include it again. On the eve of their graduation from college, seven students gather in the rare books library at their university. No one's supposed to be in the building after closing time, but they can't resist the atmospheric setting for an ancient Greek ritual they want to perform. It takes only minutes for the whole thing to go sideways. Soon, one student is dead. Then two. Who is the murderer? And will any of them survive the night?
6. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron—This non-fiction book was hugely popular here in the book blogosphere when it came out in 2008. Somehow, I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. It tells the true story of an abandoned, frostbitten kitten who was shoved through the book return of a library in the small town of Spencer, Iowa. The employees took in the forlorn creature and nurtured him back to health. In return, he spread his warmth and love to all who knew him, earning him international fame.
7. An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly—Another cozy series opener, this one features twin sisters who receive a surprising inheritance from their grandfather: an antique bookstore in Ireland. Not long after they arrive in Shamrock Cove, they discover a well-known resident dying on his own doorstep. With his last breath and within hearing of many townspeople, he accuses one of the sisters of murder. Desperate to clear her name, the twins must band together to solve the case.
8. The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne—A winter storm traps several lonely people inside a library in a small Colorado town. As they ride out the weather, they share secrets, struggles, and strength. This sounds like such a warm-hearted, hopeful read!
9. Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly—I don't know any book lover who isn't envious of the Beast's library in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. Who cares if it's a cartoon? That place is #personallibrarygoals. In this YA novel, Belle discovers a magical book on the library shelves that offers her everything she's ever dreamed of. Can she trust the promise of this tantalizing volume? Or is she safer staying put, even if she is being held prisoner by a snarly beast?
10. Double Booked for Death by Ali Brandon—This series opener sounds like a combination of #2 and #7. Darla Pettistone moves from Texas to New York when she inherits her great aunt's bookstore. Determined to prove she's up to the task of running the shop, she throws herself into organizing an author event. It's a roaring success...until the author ends up dead. The police call it an accident, but Darla's not so sure...
There you go, ten books on my TBR list whose covers feature bookshelves. Have you read any of these? What other books can you recommend that would fit this prompt? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also respond to comments left here.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Atmospheric Books
I missed my favorite weekly meme last week for the very best reason in the world: my first grandbaby was born last Tuesday! My daughter-in-law has a heart condition that put her in the ICU for post-partum observation until today, so this little cutie was discharged from the hospital before her mommy. Because of that, the two of us have gotten to spend lots of time together this week (especially late at night). She's a sweet, calm baby, and we're all smitten with her.
My son and daughter-in-law don't want pictures of their precious newborn's face on the Internet, so you're just going to have to trust me when I say that she is the most beautiful granddaughter ever born! (Although my red, squinty eyes make me look demonic in this picture, they're just the result of me crying lots of joyful tears.)
Today's TTT topic is a fun one: Top Ten Atmospheric Books. I love a story that immerses me in a rich, evocative setting that makes me feel like I've stepped right into another world. If a book is described as "atmospheric," I will 100% take a closer look at it. It's maybe not so surprising then that the word I tend to most overuse in my reviews is "atmospheric." My memory isn't the greatest (I am old enough to be a grandma, after all) so I don't remember all the details that made these books stand out to me, but I described them all with my favorite review word.
Top Ten Tuesday is, as always, hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. She has COVID, so give her some extra love today.
Top Ten Atmospheric Books
1. Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman—This YA novel is about a drought in California that makes people so desperate for water that they create a dystopian situation for themselves. The story is so vividly told that my throat felt parched the entire time I was reading it. I've never guzzled as much water while reading before!
2. Anything by Kate Morton—Morton is one of my all-time favorite authors because her books are always soaked in atmosphere. They feature old homes, buried secrets, and evocative settings.
4. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James—Haunted house stories are often eerie and atmospheric. This one, set in an abandoned school for troubled girls, certainly is. Even though it creeped me out big time and ultimately gave me nightmares, I couldn't stop reading it. That's how gripping it is.
5. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys—Almost everything about this historical teen novel feels heavy and oppressive. This is done on purpose so that the reader can feel deeply what it must have been like to live in Communist Romania under the rule of a cruel, power-hungry tyrant.
6. The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian—Set in the 1920s in a squalid Mississippi swamp community, the setting comes very much alive in this novel about two girls living bleak, hardscrabble lives who come together to cover up a murder.
7. Eventide by Sarah Goodman—I read this spooky teen novel while doing the overnight shift with my grandbaby. It's got a "don't go into the woods" plot that had me jumping a little every time I heard a noise that wasn't a sweet baby coo.
8. The Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny—These are my favorite mystery books, in part because the author makes the little town of Three Pines come alive in such a brilliant way. Yes, it's a quaint, cozy village, but its residents are complex individuals with abundant quirks, faults, and secrets. This causes the hamlet to come alive in a way that makes me want to move there immediately, warts and all.
9. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly—It's been years since I read this YA mystery set in Gilded Age New York City, but I remember loving it. A page-turner for lots of reasons, it boasts a vivid setting.
10. The Dry by Jane Harper—Like #1, this contemporary Australian mystery novel is set in a parched, drought-stricken land. The author creates such a dynamic backdrop that I could taste the dust in the air.
There you go, ten atmospheric books I enjoyed reading. Have you read any of them? Which titles did you choose for your list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, March 01, 2016
Tense, Atmospheric Gilded Age Mystery One of My Favorite Reads So Far This Year
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
"If you're going to bury the past, bury it deep, girl. Shallow graves always give up their dead" (187).
Jo Montfort is an atypical girl living an average life—at least for a wealthy society girl in the Gilded Age. The 17-year-old is beautiful, cultured, and expected to marry a man whose blood is as blue as her own. Although she's practically engaged to her best childhood friend, Bram Aldrich is a man who "inspired admiration rather than passion" (103). Jo knows she would have a comfortable, happy life with him. Still, she longs for excitement, for freedom, for something more than the banality of endless tea parties, balls, and child rearing. She yearns to be a reporter, to make a difference like her hero, Nellie Bly. Of course, such desires are entirely inappropriate for a well-bred woman. Jo will never voice them; instead, she'll wed Bram, bear his children, and settle into married life with grace, just like every other young woman with whom she associates.
Then, Jo's world shatters utterly and irrevocably. Her beloved father, the successful owner of several prominent New York businesses, accidentally shoots himself while cleaning his gun. When Jo overhears Eddie Gallagher, a dashing young reporter, call it suicide, she's outraged. Charles Montfort would never do such a thing! Jo begs the handsome newspaperman to help her find the truth about her father's death, never suspecting just how big of a mess she's getting herself into. To find out what really happened, she'll have to cavort with the city's seediest residents, combing its slimy underbelly for clues no one wants unearthed. Being spotted in public without a chaperone, let alone with a low-class reporter (or worse) could mean the permanent ruin of Jo's reputation. And yet, she can't help herself. She must clear her father's good name—because no matter what, no matter what she finds, she has to believe he still has one. Jo can't be wrong, she just can't.
The closer Jo and Eddie come to finding the truth, the riskier their partnership becomes. Not only are their movements being tracked by goons with murderous intentions, but the damning eyes of society are always on them. As Jo's own eyes are opened to the realities of life outside (and inside) her gleaming world, she begins to understand what she really wants and— most dangerous of all—what she doesn't.
Can Jo uncover the truth about her father's death? Was it really an accident? Suicide? Or murder? And after her Nellie Bly-ish pursuits, can she return to her gilded life? Will she ever be the same again?
There's so much to love about These Shallow Graves, Jennifer Donnelly's newest YA novel. Tense, atmospheric, and compelling, it's a page turner that will leave you breathless. I literally (yes, literally) could not put it down. Jo is a brave, sympathetic heroine, one whose ignorance and subsequent awakening feels realistic. The minor characters are likewise complex, making the whole cast intriguing. While I did guess some of the story's turns, several of the twists caught me by surprise. All of these elements combined to make a thoroughly enjoyable novel, one of my favorite reads of the year so far. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, sexual innuendo, and disturbing subject matter (prostitution, domestic violence, drug/alcohol abuse, poverty, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Northern Light: Historical Fiction That Has It All
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Drudgery [druhj-uh-ree] - noun, plural -er-ies. Menial, distasteful, dull, or hard work. Synonyms: backbreaker, chore, daily grind, elbow grease, gruntwork, labor, menial labor, rat race, slavery, struggle, sweat, toil, travail, workout. (from dictionary.com and thesaurus.com)
For a girl like Mattie Gokey, who thrills in the discovery of new words and ideas, life cannot get much crueler. With her mother fresh in the grave, she's stuck looking after her grieving father, three rambunctious little sisters, and her family's deteriorating farm. Between cooking, cleaning, milking, tending the crops, and caring for the children, Mattie's got little time for studying. It's 1906 and she's 16, well beyond the age most girls leave school. Still, she's determined. She will finish school, go to college in New York and become a writer. It's the only way to escape the drudgery that rules her life. There's just one problem: She swore to her dying mother that she would take care of the family. Pursuing her dream means breaking that promise, while keeping her vow guarantees a future of hard work and crop talk with her unsophisticated husband-to-be.
Even with her acceptance letter to Barnard College in hand, Mattie knows it's not to be. Her father can't farm 60 acres by himself. Her biggest supporters - her best friend, Weaver, and her teacher, Miss Wilcox - encourage her to go to New York despite her family's protests. Instead, Mattie gets a job at the Glenmore Hotel, a nearby resort catering to wealthy tourists. It's here that a packet of letters is thrust into Mattie's hand by a distressed young woman by the name of Grace Brown. Although Grace insists that she must burn the notes, Mattie forgets about them. Days later, Grace's body is pulled from Big Moose Lake - her fiancee, with whom she went rowing, is missing. As if she doesn't have enough on her mind already, Mattie now has to figure out what to do with Grace's letters. The whole situation is suspicious - should she turn the correspondence over to the police? Reading them seems a breach of privacy, but Mattie can't help herself. As she delves into the young woman's thoughts and dreams, Mattie ponders her own. Is she, like Grace, willing to give up everything she's ever wanted for a man who doesn't appreciate her? Is she destined to live a life of obscurity because she's not brave enough to take a chance? Will duty keep her from living the life she really wants? And then there's the question to which everyone wants an answer: Who killed Grace Brown?
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly tells the parallel stories of Mattie Gokey and Grace Brown, although it's really the former's tale. Mattie's the kind of narrator who's easy to identify with - she's sympathetic, believable, engaging and, most charmingly, word hungry. The reader feels her longing, her desperation, her desire for something beyond the dreary confines of her world. Her voice is so compelling that it makes her story burst into vivid life. And what a story it is. Filled with family drama, mystery, romance and humor, it's one of those historical novels that just has it all. Both entertaining and evocative, A Northern Light is not to be missed.
**
While there are plenty of deep, contemplative passages in the book, as well as fun bookish lines the following are neither. They're a little risque, but so funny that I couldn't help myself:
"I knew a lot of words - a lot more than Belinda, who giggled all the time and said things like "swell" and "chum" and "hopelessly dead broke" - but not the right ones. I kept my eyes on the furrows for a while, but that got to be boring, so I stared at Royal's backside. I had never really noticed a man's backside before. Pa didn't have one. It was as flat as a cracker. Momma would tease him about it and he'd tell her the lumber bosses worked it off him. I thought Royal's was very nice. Round and proud like two loaves of soda bread. He turned around just then and I blushed. I wondered what Jane Eyre would have done, then realized Jane was English and proper and wouldn't have gone around eyeing Rochester's backside to begin with" (53).
**
"[Momma]'d sat me down at the kitchen table ... and told me that I was a grown woman now, not a girl anymore, and that a woman's virtue was the greatest treasure she possessed and that I must never, ever give mine to any man but the one I married.
'Do you understand me, Mattie?' she'd said.
I thought I did, but I wasn't sure. I knew what virtue means - goodness, purity, and excellence - because it had once been my word of the day. But I didn't think men wanted to get ahold of those things because Fran told me all they want to get ahold of is your bosoms" (301).
**
Grade:
A
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
PG-13 for some sexual content
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