Last Books of July...First Books of August
Aug. 3rd, 2021 12:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
under_the_silk_treeI have reading a bit of a mixed bag here lately but I've enjoyed most of it. This should finish off the LJ Summer Book Bingo my card is Here. I have greatly enjoyed the challenge!
This sequel was so amazing. It was everything the first book was and more. The words have so much weight to them and none of them are wasted as they go about showing, telling, explaining, feeling, the myriad of events within the pages of this story. This story is told from many pov's none of it feels excessive but truly necessary in order to understand the complex situation that the characters find themselves in. The author is very good at showing all sides of a situation so that even if you don't agree with them you understand why people are acting the way they are. My review seriously isn't doing this duology justice. I highly recommend it. (Also I would recommend reading the two books back to back or as close to each other as possible.)
Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.
When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage. ~Goodreads Description
I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it. First of all the cover is gorgeous so kudos to the artist. Secondly the I loved Bri and her unique talent with plants and nature was so fascinating to read about. I enjoyed the inclusion of all of the botany (both real and magical) and Greek mythology. I also really loved Bri's moms they were delightful and you could tell they loved Bri so much. The plot was well thought out. It does end on a cliffhanger which are never my favorite but the next book in the series is supposed to come out next year so I will just have to be patient. My one quibble would probably be this book took a long time setting everything up, which I don't mind when an author wants to take their time but it kind of made the action at the end feel a bit rushed and all at once. Other then that it was a good book and I look forward to the next one. (Using this one for my free space)
I have to say I greatly enjoyed this book. Coriel is an engaging character who you can't help rooting for as her world view changes. Basically you follow Coriel though four summers as she visits Castle Auburn as she grows up. When you first meet her at thirteen you realize just how much growing up she has to do as she is naïve and tends to hero worship people without thinking too much about who they really are and how their actions effects others. The author truly has a deft hand in showing how the world around Coriel doesn't so much change as much Coriel's view of it does. Eventually she realizes her golden idols have feet of clay and that she lives a truly privileged life and how that life is built on the backs of people with no choice in the matter. I absolutely loved it when she decided to finally do something about it. I enjoyed her loving relationship with her sister and the subtle romances that woven throughout the book for several of the characters. This was a great coming of age book in a fantasy setting and I highly recommend it! (Using this one for the "Read a book with summer in the title" square)
I greatly enjoyed this follow up novel to Pride and Prejudice that focuses on Charlotte Lucas. Although I am not sure enjoyed is the right word, because some parts were too real and too painful to really "enjoy" but I...appreciated even those moments in this book (how painful? well I cried at one point). The author does an outstanding job of exploring Charlotte Collins and even includes flashbacks to when she was Charlotte Lucas and shows why she made the decisions she did. I have always loved Charlotte but I believe I understand her even better now. The summary on the back of the book is a bit misleading, this isn't a romance but a character study with a bit of unrealized romance in it. Charlotte experiences such growth in this book as she begins to understand herself and life in general. The ending is bittersweet but you do know in your heart of hearts that Charlotte is strong enough to handle all that life has in store for her and she will be alright. Warning: for death of newborn
From acclaimed author Peter King comes a new historical mystery featuring Jack London, famed adventurer and author of The Call of the Wild. On the infamous docks of San Francisco's Barbary Coast, Jack follows a trail of bloodshed and murder to the legendary gambling halls-where he finds a unique ally in Wyatt Earp. ~Goodreads Description
I have had this book on my bookshelf for awhile and I had completely forgotten about until this challenge when I was looking for a book with a boat on the cover. This was a good book. You can really tell the author did a lot of research as this book is really well grounded in the Barbary Coast during the tail end of San Francisco's gold rush. The mystery was a good one. I am always a little worried when a historical person is the protagonist of book as it can get weird because they were a real person so the author has to strike a careful balance. I did love all of the historical people and places Jack encountered as he tried to solve multiple murders. This is the third book in the series so I will probably go back and read the other two. (Using this for the "Read a book with a boat on the cover" square)
This was an okay book. Allie, the protagonist, was an alright character but not particularly compelling. Basically after a traumatic event in her childhood Allie has been sheltered by her overprotective parent when she is 16 they finally relent and let her go to summer camp. Unfortunately once there Allie realizes that all is not well and tries to solve the mystery she finds there. I liked the premise but it just didn't work for me overall, too long for the story the author was trying to tell, and at times too convoluted. (Using this one for the "Read a book set at summer camp" square)
Sorry for so many but I had fallen behind. I hope your Tuesday is going well!
This sequel was so amazing. It was everything the first book was and more. The words have so much weight to them and none of them are wasted as they go about showing, telling, explaining, feeling, the myriad of events within the pages of this story. This story is told from many pov's none of it feels excessive but truly necessary in order to understand the complex situation that the characters find themselves in. The author is very good at showing all sides of a situation so that even if you don't agree with them you understand why people are acting the way they are. My review seriously isn't doing this duology justice. I highly recommend it. (Also I would recommend reading the two books back to back or as close to each other as possible.)
Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.
When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage. ~Goodreads Description
I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it. First of all the cover is gorgeous so kudos to the artist. Secondly the I loved Bri and her unique talent with plants and nature was so fascinating to read about. I enjoyed the inclusion of all of the botany (both real and magical) and Greek mythology. I also really loved Bri's moms they were delightful and you could tell they loved Bri so much. The plot was well thought out. It does end on a cliffhanger which are never my favorite but the next book in the series is supposed to come out next year so I will just have to be patient. My one quibble would probably be this book took a long time setting everything up, which I don't mind when an author wants to take their time but it kind of made the action at the end feel a bit rushed and all at once. Other then that it was a good book and I look forward to the next one. (Using this one for my free space)
I have to say I greatly enjoyed this book. Coriel is an engaging character who you can't help rooting for as her world view changes. Basically you follow Coriel though four summers as she visits Castle Auburn as she grows up. When you first meet her at thirteen you realize just how much growing up she has to do as she is naïve and tends to hero worship people without thinking too much about who they really are and how their actions effects others. The author truly has a deft hand in showing how the world around Coriel doesn't so much change as much Coriel's view of it does. Eventually she realizes her golden idols have feet of clay and that she lives a truly privileged life and how that life is built on the backs of people with no choice in the matter. I absolutely loved it when she decided to finally do something about it. I enjoyed her loving relationship with her sister and the subtle romances that woven throughout the book for several of the characters. This was a great coming of age book in a fantasy setting and I highly recommend it! (Using this one for the "Read a book with summer in the title" square)
I greatly enjoyed this follow up novel to Pride and Prejudice that focuses on Charlotte Lucas. Although I am not sure enjoyed is the right word, because some parts were too real and too painful to really "enjoy" but I...appreciated even those moments in this book (how painful? well I cried at one point). The author does an outstanding job of exploring Charlotte Collins and even includes flashbacks to when she was Charlotte Lucas and shows why she made the decisions she did. I have always loved Charlotte but I believe I understand her even better now. The summary on the back of the book is a bit misleading, this isn't a romance but a character study with a bit of unrealized romance in it. Charlotte experiences such growth in this book as she begins to understand herself and life in general. The ending is bittersweet but you do know in your heart of hearts that Charlotte is strong enough to handle all that life has in store for her and she will be alright. Warning: for death of newborn
From acclaimed author Peter King comes a new historical mystery featuring Jack London, famed adventurer and author of The Call of the Wild. On the infamous docks of San Francisco's Barbary Coast, Jack follows a trail of bloodshed and murder to the legendary gambling halls-where he finds a unique ally in Wyatt Earp. ~Goodreads Description
I have had this book on my bookshelf for awhile and I had completely forgotten about until this challenge when I was looking for a book with a boat on the cover. This was a good book. You can really tell the author did a lot of research as this book is really well grounded in the Barbary Coast during the tail end of San Francisco's gold rush. The mystery was a good one. I am always a little worried when a historical person is the protagonist of book as it can get weird because they were a real person so the author has to strike a careful balance. I did love all of the historical people and places Jack encountered as he tried to solve multiple murders. This is the third book in the series so I will probably go back and read the other two. (Using this for the "Read a book with a boat on the cover" square)
This was an okay book. Allie, the protagonist, was an alright character but not particularly compelling. Basically after a traumatic event in her childhood Allie has been sheltered by her overprotective parent when she is 16 they finally relent and let her go to summer camp. Unfortunately once there Allie realizes that all is not well and tries to solve the mystery she finds there. I liked the premise but it just didn't work for me overall, too long for the story the author was trying to tell, and at times too convoluted. (Using this one for the "Read a book set at summer camp" square)
Sorry for so many but I had fallen behind. I hope your Tuesday is going well!
