Scan barcode
lillimoore's reviews
238 reviews
It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian
4.0
3.5 stars. I loved this romance more than I anticipated I would and especially found Noni's internal monologue remarkably well-written and so deeply relatable. I also loved the bi representation in this novel and that it had a sharp sense of humor. Noni has a wonderful character arc and grows so much throughout the book, but remains lovable throughout. It is a joy to watch her come to the conclusion of her lovability on her own. I also loved Beau and his son, and thought the central romance of this book was adorable and made a lot of sense to me. Beau was such a catalyst for Noni's growth without being her reason to exist and I always think that's great when a romance can accomplish that. He loves her for who she is at the beginning, in the thick of, and in the aftermath of some major personal growth she does. I also cannot review this book without recognizing and commending the wonderful body positivity throughout. It made me feel good about my own body—which I think is probably somewhat similar to Noni's body—and made me think about the truth of its sexiness and worthiness, and I don't have that experience often in reading but I think I ought to seek it out more.
However, I thought it took entirely too long to introduce the central romance. I understand the purpose of this in the grand scheme of things—owning your sexuality and feeling free to do what you want with it is a central theme at least during the beginning of Noni's pleasure quest—but I thought the pacing of the first half of the book did not at all compliment the pacing of the second half and so I wish it were somewhat reorganized. I also tend to automatically dismiss stories of lavish, life-changing trips around the world because it just feels so unrealistic to me. I get it, it's an adventure, but I do like a little more reality in most of my stories unless of course it is sci-fi or fantasy, which this book is not. That's not a fault of the book itself, but just where some of the disconnect comes in for me. All in all this was lovely, if at times a bit slow, and a definite recommendation to take along in your tote bag to any trip to the beach or pool this summer!
However, I thought it took entirely too long to introduce the central romance. I understand the purpose of this in the grand scheme of things—owning your sexuality and feeling free to do what you want with it is a central theme at least during the beginning of Noni's pleasure quest—but I thought the pacing of the first half of the book did not at all compliment the pacing of the second half and so I wish it were somewhat reorganized. I also tend to automatically dismiss stories of lavish, life-changing trips around the world because it just feels so unrealistic to me. I get it, it's an adventure, but I do like a little more reality in most of my stories unless of course it is sci-fi or fantasy, which this book is not. That's not a fault of the book itself, but just where some of the disconnect comes in for me. All in all this was lovely, if at times a bit slow, and a definite recommendation to take along in your tote bag to any trip to the beach or pool this summer!
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
4.0
It's funny to think I'm now shelving The Paper Palace as a "favorite" and an "unputdownable" because I almost DNF'd it, but carried on after reading some great reviews of it, and it was so worth it. Initially, it's hard to care for Elle. She just cheated on her nice guy British husband with her lifelong best friend while enjoying a summer at her family property in Cape Cod. How am I supposed to empathize with anything about this woman who risked her whole family for one stupid fling? Well, thank goodness I kept reading, because in the 50 years leading up to that moment and in the 24 hours following it (told in alternating timelines), I learned to empathize with Elle, and with Anna, and with Wallace, and with every damn character in this book. This was SO much more than it appeared on the surface and I am so glad I dove into it. It draws you in slowly, but once it has you, it shows no signs of letting go, and it was marvelously done.
Thank God for Wallace. Her character and personal history is what initially kept me reading. The atrocities she and the generation before and following her endure are heart-wrenching, but her tenacity and attitude continued to make me laugh even in some very heavy moments of the book. Miranda Cowley Heller does an amazing job of putting so much detail into this family history to make it real, and to make Elle and her motivations make sense. I was not prepared to become so invested in her story but I was wrong, so wrong, thankfully. I hurt for her. I rejoiced for her. I felt every feeling in the world reading about her story.
The descriptions of the cape and of the pond and the ocean and the fireworks and the air were gorgeous. The nuance with which the complexity of broken and repaired and rebroken family relationships were handled was astounding. It has heavy moments but still fit into my summer reading streak with its setting. I know I will not stop thinking about this book for a long time to come. It was truly excellent.
Thank God for Wallace. Her character and personal history is what initially kept me reading. The atrocities she and the generation before and following her endure are heart-wrenching, but her tenacity and attitude continued to make me laugh even in some very heavy moments of the book. Miranda Cowley Heller does an amazing job of putting so much detail into this family history to make it real, and to make Elle and her motivations make sense. I was not prepared to become so invested in her story but I was wrong, so wrong, thankfully. I hurt for her. I rejoiced for her. I felt every feeling in the world reading about her story.
The descriptions of the cape and of the pond and the ocean and the fireworks and the air were gorgeous. The nuance with which the complexity of broken and repaired and rebroken family relationships were handled was astounding. It has heavy moments but still fit into my summer reading streak with its setting. I know I will not stop thinking about this book for a long time to come. It was truly excellent.
Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan
3.0
If Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid could have a literary love child, this would be it. It has all the groovy vibes of the 1970s books that are all the rage right now and the setting of what is essentially a summer camp for adults on the California coast is a lovely escape. I really enjoyed the alternating timelines between 1979 and 1999 and I thought Jackie—especially the younger version of her—was a really interesting and nuanced character. Teenage Jackie was definitely the most complex and interesting character we had throughout. However, the other characters were not as much. Although I did really love both Angela and Willa, I felt like both of them and everyone else in the book could have used a little bit more development.
What this book does well: set the scene, make you feel as though you're in this magical little California summerscape, give anecdotes from the time period that make you nostalgic even for something you may not have been alive for. What I wish it had done better: character and relationship building. I wanted so much more from Graham, so that maybe I could have empathized with him and his fate. I wanted him to share more about Jane with Jackie. I wanted more from Jackie's father. I wanted more from Shane. I want to stop reading books where Nice Dudes just get totally hurt for no reason! I don't think having Jackie start the story as a single woman would have hurt anything. Paul felt totally unnecessary. I just felt like this idea was so cool and the story had so much potential, but missed the mark a little bit. However I still really enjoyed it and think you will too if you're a fan of the books I mentioned at the beginning of this review!
What this book does well: set the scene, make you feel as though you're in this magical little California summerscape, give anecdotes from the time period that make you nostalgic even for something you may not have been alive for. What I wish it had done better: character and relationship building. I wanted so much more from Graham, so that maybe I could have empathized with him and his fate. I wanted him to share more about Jane with Jackie. I wanted more from Jackie's father. I wanted more from Shane. I want to stop reading books where Nice Dudes just get totally hurt for no reason! I don't think having Jackie start the story as a single woman would have hurt anything. Paul felt totally unnecessary. I just felt like this idea was so cool and the story had so much potential, but missed the mark a little bit. However I still really enjoyed it and think you will too if you're a fan of the books I mentioned at the beginning of this review!
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
4.0
Lisa See always delivers, but this has to be my favorite book of hers that I've read yet. She is such a master of telling these stories of strong women in Eastern settings, and of choosing captivating topics and settings, with an infusion of historical context and an up-close perspective many of us Westerners have maybe never even heard of or considered. I, for one, knew next to nothing about rural communities or ethnicities beyond what I have already learned as a fan of Lisa See's writing and authors with similar focuses--much less anything about pu'er and the tea industry in China! I always appreciate the balance she strikes in her novels between fascinating new knowledge and engrossing narrative.
Growing up, one of my close friends was a girl adopted from China. I remember in grade school her parents coming and giving a talk to us all about the process they went through adopting her. I would love to get in touch with her after having read this book and ask her more about her experience as an adoptee from China. I loved reading Haley's perspective and seeing her voice develop and grow as the novel progressed. I loved the connection she shared with Li-yan, across oceans, time, and cultures, and although I have seen other reviewers criticize the ending as abrupt, I really thought it was lovely and perfect. I, too, would love to see a sequel to this novel, but am also so content with the beautiful package this already was. Li-yan, to me, was one of See's stand-out protagonists. I just loved her and her distinct, intelligent personality. All of the characters really impressed me in this book. I found them to be more complex and interconnected than some of her previous casts. This book was a true joy, as with all of Lisa's fabulous work!
Growing up, one of my close friends was a girl adopted from China. I remember in grade school her parents coming and giving a talk to us all about the process they went through adopting her. I would love to get in touch with her after having read this book and ask her more about her experience as an adoptee from China. I loved reading Haley's perspective and seeing her voice develop and grow as the novel progressed. I loved the connection she shared with Li-yan, across oceans, time, and cultures, and although I have seen other reviewers criticize the ending as abrupt, I really thought it was lovely and perfect. I, too, would love to see a sequel to this novel, but am also so content with the beautiful package this already was. Li-yan, to me, was one of See's stand-out protagonists. I just loved her and her distinct, intelligent personality. All of the characters really impressed me in this book. I found them to be more complex and interconnected than some of her previous casts. This book was a true joy, as with all of Lisa's fabulous work!
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
3.0
I read this book in middle school and reread about 3 years ago in anticipation of watching the movie. This middle-grade novel balances on the line of charming and heartbreaking. We follow our protagonist, Heidi, and her mentally disabled mother, who are both watched over and cared for by their brilliant but agoraphobic neighbor Bernadette. It is a coming-of-age tale that has Heidi realizing all that is missing from the story of her life and coming to terms with her unique predicament. She travels across the country to fill in the missing pieces and understand herself, her mother, and her background.
While this is a very cute tale and introduces complicated and complex subject material to younger readers in an accessible way, it is not without the problems of being quite unrealistic. You really have to suspend belief to think that Heidi can be so highly functioning, let alone exist in the situation that she does. Her mother is only capable of communicating with an extraordinarily small vocabulary. Where is CPS? Both Heidi and her mother deserved so much better. Yes, this is a touching story that can help younger readers develop empathy for those in the mentally disabled community, but I believe it could have been better executed and hope genuinely that there are other middle grade books that deal with similar subjects in a more realistic manner. If you, like me, enjoy reading books and comparing the movie afterwards, then I hope you enjoy this quick and engaging read with interesting characters, but don't expect any form of realism from it. Perhaps seek other books instead.
While this is a very cute tale and introduces complicated and complex subject material to younger readers in an accessible way, it is not without the problems of being quite unrealistic. You really have to suspend belief to think that Heidi can be so highly functioning, let alone exist in the situation that she does. Her mother is only capable of communicating with an extraordinarily small vocabulary. Where is CPS? Both Heidi and her mother deserved so much better. Yes, this is a touching story that can help younger readers develop empathy for those in the mentally disabled community, but I believe it could have been better executed and hope genuinely that there are other middle grade books that deal with similar subjects in a more realistic manner. If you, like me, enjoy reading books and comparing the movie afterwards, then I hope you enjoy this quick and engaging read with interesting characters, but don't expect any form of realism from it. Perhaps seek other books instead.