Why You Keep Buying Books You Don’t Read

 

This is an interesting video and offers food for thought.

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

 

It wasn't until last year that I first learned about Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. I went on to do further research online and learned that this classic novel was first published in 1926. According to Wikipedia, Lolly Willowes was well received by book critics and subsequently became the very first Book Of The Month for the Book Club. This novel is both a satire and feminist classic with fantasy elements.

So for Women's History Month this year, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner, which is well narrated by Sarah Nichols.

I enjoyed listening to Lolly Willowes. This novel gave an interesting glimpse as to the author's view on women during the day and the cultural views of women at the time as well. The storyline, characters, and writing were also good. Lolly Willowes is a short read and I recommend it to other interested readers. I love the fantasy aspect of this novel too.

Below is the plot summary for Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner from Chirp's website:

Tabbed as one of the 100 best novels of all time by the Guardian, this “witty, eerie, tender” tale (John Updike) was originally published in 1926. Spinster Lolly Willowes yearns for freedom from her family. When she finally escapes to the hamlet of Great Mop, she realizes she’s wound up in a village of witches!

I am giving Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Death At Greenway by Lori Rader-Day

 

I first became aware of Lori Rader-Day and her novel, Death At Greenway, back in October 2021 during a virtual author talk. I am an Agatha Christie fan as well as a lover of historical fiction and mystery novels. 

During the course of the virtual author event, I discovered that Death At Greenway is set in England during World War II on Agatha Christie's estate in Greenway and the storyline deals with a mystery! So, I just knew I had to read this novel!!

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Death At Greenway by Lori Rader-Day and narrated by Moira Quirk. I thought the novel started off slowly until the dead body was discovered. After that, the storyline did pick up, BUT I was ultimately disappointed with this novel overall. This novel wasn't what I was expecting and it was fairly lackluster on all accounts.

Below is the plot summary for Death At Greenway by Lori Rader-Day from Amazon's website:

Bridey Kelly has come to Greenway House - the beloved holiday home of Agatha Christie - in disgrace. A terrible mistake at St. Prisca’s Hospital in London has led to her dismissal as a nurse trainee, and her only chance for redemption is a position in the countryside caring for children evacuated to safety from the Blitz.

Greenway is a beautiful home full of riddles: wondrous curios not to be touched, restrictions on rooms not to be entered, and a generous library, filled with books about murder. The biggest mystery might be the other nurse, Gigi, who is like no one Bridey has ever met. Chasing 10 young children through the winding paths of the estate grounds might have soothed Bridey’s anxieties and grief - if Greenway were not situated so near the English Channel and the rising aggressions of the war.

When a body washes ashore near the estate, Bridey is horrified to realize this is not a victim of war, but of a brutal killing. As the local villagers look among themselves, Bridey and Gigi discover they each harbor dangerous secrets about what has led them to Greenway. With a mystery writer’s home as their unsettling backdrop, the young women must unravel the truth before their safe haven becomes a place of death....

I am giving Death At Greenway by Lori Rader-Day a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather

 

I recently listened to the unabridged audio version of My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather and narrated by Nancy Peterson. Listening for this novella published in 1926 is two hours.

I had never read anything written by Willa Cather before 2024, so I decided to give one of her shorter works a try first. I was enthralled with the plot summary and looked forward to listening to My Mortal Enemy. 

Although I found My Mortal Enemy to be a quick read with an overall engaging storyline, I found the ending to be dissatisfying. I was also left wondering what the title meant to the author as well as for the main character. I had to do some online digging for my answers. In the end, I simply found My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather to be an okay read.

Below is the plot summary for My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather from Chirp's website:

From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author who wrote My Ántonia! In early 20th-century America, a woman leaves her fortune behind to elope with the love of her life. But instead of entering a life of freedom, she and her husband face regret after regret. Performed by an Earphones Award–winning narrator.

I am giving My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland

 

I originally purchased the brand new, hardback edition of Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland for a dollar at The Dollar Tree before the pandemic hit. This young adult novel has been sitting in my 'to be read' pile ever since.

The artwork on the dust jacket and the storyline for Our Chemical Hearts captured my attention, so I wanted to give this novel a try. Besides, who can pass up buying a new hardback novel for a dollar?

The start of the novel draws you in quickly and captivates your attention from the get go. The writing is really good and funny too at the start of the novel. I even enjoyed reading the text bubbles of the text messages between the characters throughout the novel, which was a nice touch.

Grace Town is an enigma at the start of Our Chemical Hearts. She's the new girl at school, walks with a cane and limp, and dresses in boys clothing. You want to know her backstory... and you know it's going to be a doozy of a backstory. Henry Page falls for Grace Town almost immediately and they start a friendship of sorts before venturing into a sort of romance... But it's Henry that falls for Grace pretty hard. Grace is, essentially, damaged goods and she breaks Henry's heart in the end. Our Chemical Hearts is all about first love, heartbreak, and how one heals after heartbreak.

The middle section of Our Chemical Hearts wasn't as exciting as the start, but the ending was wrapped up nicely enough to balance things out.

Below is the plot summary for Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland found on Amazon's website:

John Green meets Rainbow Rowell in this irresistible story of first love, broken hearts, and the golden seams that put them back together again.

Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.

Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl—she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl. Krystal Sutherland's brilliant debut is equal parts wit and heartbreak, a potent reminder of the bittersweet bliss that is first love.

P. S. I did see the movie version of Our Chemical Hearts, called 'Chemical Hearts' through Amazon Prime. Meh, the movie version wasn't good at all. So much was left out of the movie.

I am giving Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Happy World Poetry Day!!

 

Share a few of your favorite poets and poems!

UMBERTO ECO: WHY YOUR UNREAD BOOKS DEFINE YOU... DO YOU AGREE?

 

I came across this short video on YouTube over the weekend.

I watched this video with some interest.

Do you think your unread books define you?

The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates

 

I had read a review of one of Darcy Coates's other novels on Lark Writes...on books and life's blog. I was intrigued, so I decided to read one of Darcy Coates's novel myself.

I ended up listen to the unabridged audio version of The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates and narrated by Piper Goodeve. Listening time for The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates is 8 hours, 24 minutes and is well narrated by Piper Goodeve.

If you enjoy horror stories which feature a haunted house filled with paranormal activities, then The Haunting of Blackwood House may be just the novel for you. I was drawn to The Haunting of Blackwood House because of the haunted house/paranormal activity themes in this novel! 

I think Darcy Coates does a nice job building suspense and writing about the haunted house itself and the paranormal activities. What I did not enjoy were the two main characters, Mara & Neil. Mara's repeated refrains became annoying. Plus, I felt both Mara and Neil were two dimensional and needed an additional pop to make them more engaging. The minor characters were acceptable. This novel was a mixed bag for me.

Below is the plot summary for The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates from Amazon's website:

From bestselling horror author and queen of gothic mysteries Darcy Coates comes a chilling story about the shadows of dead things―and how they haunt the living. How long could you survive?

As the daughter of spiritualists, Mara's childhood was filled with séances and scam mediums. Now she's ready to start over with her fiancé, Neil, far away from the superstitions she's learned to loathe...but her past isn't willing to let her go so easily.

And neither is Blackwood House.

When Mara and Neil purchased the derelict property, they were warned that ever since the murder of its original owner, things have changed. Strange shadows stalk the halls. Doors creak open by themselves. Voices whisper in the night. And watchful eyes follow her every move. But Mara's convinced she can't possibly be in danger. She doesn't believe in ghost stories, and she didn't buy a haunted house―it's just not possible.

Because ghosts aren't real... are they?

I'm giving The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!