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karieh13's review against another edition
3.0
This book about books was delicious. I picked it up at just the right time, in the right frame of mind, and I devoured it. It’s a book about books, about the magic that books hold and the effect they can have on our lives.
Chloe Sinclair is enchanted by books and by the family that introduced them to her. She encounters the Sinclair family on her eighth birthday – at a time where she was ripe for change. “What did it mean, really, to be a year older? Oh I knew in actuality I’d only grown up by a day, but there was a new feeling to being eight, an eight-year-oldness that made everything seem fuller and stronger, like I’d crossed from one sort of childhood into another. Losing my sevenness a forever thing, like losing my baby teeth.” And Chloe’s life is changed forever by this family.
She is fascinated by the Sinclair children, their otherworldliness, their sheltered life. They seem as if they are characters from books with their mysterious father and gentle, delicate mother. A mother who Chloe almost adopts as her own.
“I was doing my best not to think at all. Because it was sinking in slowly, the idea that somebody could, all at once, not exist anymore. Where had it all gone? The feel of her fingers French-braiding my hair, the velvety sounds of her storytelling, the scent of the vanilla extract she dabbed on her neck in lieu of perfume. To let it in, the idea that all of it could just vanish into nothingness, made me feel like my insides had been beaten and clawed.”
This is an interesting story, full of drama and emotion and good storytelling. The characters are compelling and the words are evocative. “It was as if time hadn’t just moved forward in a straight arrow, leaving only memories and regrets, the present was folding and intertwining with the past like the ripples from a skipped rock. The water itself is not moving, always there, above it the ripple of my life touching the ripple of Gabriel as a child..."
It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed up late, LATE at night reading – but I couldn’t let this story go. The intertwining of Chloe’s life, the lives of the Sinclairs and the books they read and love just drew me in. And at the end of the day? It’s a book about books – a subject I love and just can’t resist.
“I ran my fingers over the text, then held the book up to my face, closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet-sour scent of old paper and binding glue. Did everyone who loved books do this when they encountered a new one? I loved the physicality of books just as much as the stories inside, the feel of pages between my fingers, the intricacies of classic fonts winding along the neatly lined rows of words.”
It’s like the words came from my own heart.
Chloe Sinclair is enchanted by books and by the family that introduced them to her. She encounters the Sinclair family on her eighth birthday – at a time where she was ripe for change. “What did it mean, really, to be a year older? Oh I knew in actuality I’d only grown up by a day, but there was a new feeling to being eight, an eight-year-oldness that made everything seem fuller and stronger, like I’d crossed from one sort of childhood into another. Losing my sevenness a forever thing, like losing my baby teeth.” And Chloe’s life is changed forever by this family.
She is fascinated by the Sinclair children, their otherworldliness, their sheltered life. They seem as if they are characters from books with their mysterious father and gentle, delicate mother. A mother who Chloe almost adopts as her own.
“I was doing my best not to think at all. Because it was sinking in slowly, the idea that somebody could, all at once, not exist anymore. Where had it all gone? The feel of her fingers French-braiding my hair, the velvety sounds of her storytelling, the scent of the vanilla extract she dabbed on her neck in lieu of perfume. To let it in, the idea that all of it could just vanish into nothingness, made me feel like my insides had been beaten and clawed.”
This is an interesting story, full of drama and emotion and good storytelling. The characters are compelling and the words are evocative. “It was as if time hadn’t just moved forward in a straight arrow, leaving only memories and regrets, the present was folding and intertwining with the past like the ripples from a skipped rock. The water itself is not moving, always there, above it the ripple of my life touching the ripple of Gabriel as a child..."
It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed up late, LATE at night reading – but I couldn’t let this story go. The intertwining of Chloe’s life, the lives of the Sinclairs and the books they read and love just drew me in. And at the end of the day? It’s a book about books – a subject I love and just can’t resist.
“I ran my fingers over the text, then held the book up to my face, closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet-sour scent of old paper and binding glue. Did everyone who loved books do this when they encountered a new one? I loved the physicality of books just as much as the stories inside, the feel of pages between my fingers, the intricacies of classic fonts winding along the neatly lined rows of words.”
It’s like the words came from my own heart.
jla525's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book. Really.
And there were a few really poignant moments that kept me reading but overall it just left me feeling pretty bleh. I kept wanting more. More from Chloe, more from Nate, more from the relationship. The only character I really liked was such a minor character he probably had less than a page of dialogue.
The ending pretty much killed the whole book for me. It felt like an overplayed Lifetime movie twist.
And there were a few really poignant moments that kept me reading but overall it just left me feeling pretty bleh. I kept wanting more. More from Chloe, more from Nate, more from the relationship. The only character I really liked was such a minor character he probably had less than a page of dialogue.
The ending pretty much killed the whole book for me. It felt like an overplayed Lifetime movie twist.
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
5.0
Book #64 Read in 2014
The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold
I finished this book just now and am wondering how much can one family go through and live to tell the tale? Chloe and Nate were childhood sweethearts...Nate from a ultra-religious family; Chloe's mother was a teenager who became pregnant. Chloe becomes a part of Nate's family...as long as their scary father isn't home...and they exposure her to books and reading. Chloe tries to not expose them to the realities outside of their safe haven home. Worlds collide when 18 year old Chloe becomes pregnant with Nate's child. Obstacles are thrown at them constantly.
At the start of the book, adult Chloe and Nate are having marital problems and Nate has returned back to their hometown. He did not share details of why with Chloe. She uncovers a notebook that he has been keeping in code and begins to decipher the code and Nate's feelings. Chloe follows him back to their hometown.
I enjoyed Arnold's writing style and the way she wove books into the story. Her characters were flawed but interesting. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to them. All in all, a very good read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold
I finished this book just now and am wondering how much can one family go through and live to tell the tale? Chloe and Nate were childhood sweethearts...Nate from a ultra-religious family; Chloe's mother was a teenager who became pregnant. Chloe becomes a part of Nate's family...as long as their scary father isn't home...and they exposure her to books and reading. Chloe tries to not expose them to the realities outside of their safe haven home. Worlds collide when 18 year old Chloe becomes pregnant with Nate's child. Obstacles are thrown at them constantly.
At the start of the book, adult Chloe and Nate are having marital problems and Nate has returned back to their hometown. He did not share details of why with Chloe. She uncovers a notebook that he has been keeping in code and begins to decipher the code and Nate's feelings. Chloe follows him back to their hometown.
I enjoyed Arnold's writing style and the way she wove books into the story. Her characters were flawed but interesting. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to them. All in all, a very good read.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
wiseowl33's review against another edition
4.0
Love a book based on books and reading. There is always something a little magical in that to me. Hard to think about what they lost and would never be able to get back.
suannelaqueur's review against another edition
3.0
HA! Joke's on me. This novel only takes up 30% of the Kindle version. The rest is a complimentary copy of Romeo & Juliet AND Robinson Crusoe. Isn't that nice? I stand by my comment before. Good story but bloated. Tried to be a little too much.
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
I came across this novel on NetGalley so many thanks to them and to Bantam Publishers for an advanced readers copy. Reading this book was like sinking into a comfortable sofa with a big mug of tea, a bit of chocolate and a warm duvet. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, and was pleasantly surprised and suitably intrigued about the authors other works. First of all, it is a book about the relationship of a married couple, Nate and Chloe who met and fell in love in childhood. Secondly it is a book with a multi-layered plot entrenched in mystery and drama. Chloe is left dumbfounded when she finds a cryptic note from her husband, saying that he has gone back to their childhood town, as there is something he “must do.” The plot thickens when Chloe then finds a notebook written by Nate in a sort of code, hidden in one of their favourite childhood books – The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. As Chloe manages to decipher his writing and delve back into their past, their relationship is challenged and secrets are unearthed that no-one could have imagined.
This book was particularly enjoyable for me as it mentioned some classic and beloved adult and childrens literature that it was a pleasure to re-visit through this story. For example when Chloe first meets Nate and his family, she is introduced to C.S. Lewis and his wonderful world of Narnia, Chloe in turn introduces Nate to The Catcher In The Rye, and other timeless novels such as Robinson Crusoe and A Wrinkle in Time are noted and referred to. As with a lot of other books that I love, there is a darker side to this story, mainly involving Nate’s family and his ultra-religious, strict and disciplinary father. The author did a beautiful job of capturing the complexity of family relationships and through the use of flashbacks and memory episodes produced an intriguing mystery that every bibliophile will appreciate. I also have to admit that it was very effective in making me want to go back and visit The White Witch, Mr Tumnus and Aslan! Unfortunately, I did figure out what was going on before the end of the book, but still highly recommend it and will look out for novels from this author in the future.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.wordpress.com
This book was particularly enjoyable for me as it mentioned some classic and beloved adult and childrens literature that it was a pleasure to re-visit through this story. For example when Chloe first meets Nate and his family, she is introduced to C.S. Lewis and his wonderful world of Narnia, Chloe in turn introduces Nate to The Catcher In The Rye, and other timeless novels such as Robinson Crusoe and A Wrinkle in Time are noted and referred to. As with a lot of other books that I love, there is a darker side to this story, mainly involving Nate’s family and his ultra-religious, strict and disciplinary father. The author did a beautiful job of capturing the complexity of family relationships and through the use of flashbacks and memory episodes produced an intriguing mystery that every bibliophile will appreciate. I also have to admit that it was very effective in making me want to go back and visit The White Witch, Mr Tumnus and Aslan! Unfortunately, I did figure out what was going on before the end of the book, but still highly recommend it and will look out for novels from this author in the future.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.wordpress.com
b_lownds127's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this in one sitting, needing to know what happened, to understand the characters and events so badly that I believe I stopped breathing at one point as if that might make me read faster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
turning_every_paige's review against another edition
1.0
DNF after the first chapter.
Everything was going great and then BOOM. Narrator has an extramarital affair that is apparently going to effect the whole story. And as I skimmed to see where it was going to go, I was annoyed that she kept referring to her adultery as “making love,” even though she still, apparently, loved her husband. Barf. No thanks.
Everything was going great and then BOOM. Narrator has an extramarital affair that is apparently going to effect the whole story. And as I skimmed to see where it was going to go, I was annoyed that she kept referring to her adultery as “making love,” even though she still, apparently, loved her husband. Barf. No thanks.