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cpaul89's reviews
246 reviews
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The House in the Pines
By Ana Reyes
This was an engaging thriller. It's a pretty quick read. An excellent first novel from Ana Reyes.
The story spans about 7 years with some further flashbacks interspersed of the main character's mother. The main character is Maya who begins the story at age 24, but we spend a lot of time with her at age 17.
At 24, Maya has become an addict and has some big gaps in her memory. At 17, she witnessed her friend be mysteriously murdered... That's right. She witnessed it, but could never explain what happened.
Throughout the story, Maya battles the gaps in her memory and her unwillingness/inability to dive into those gaps to figure out what happened.
What transpires is interesting and unsettling. I think if you like an easy thriller you might like this one. Even if you don't like thrillers (like me) this one is very accessible.
By Ana Reyes
This was an engaging thriller. It's a pretty quick read. An excellent first novel from Ana Reyes.
The story spans about 7 years with some further flashbacks interspersed of the main character's mother. The main character is Maya who begins the story at age 24, but we spend a lot of time with her at age 17.
At 24, Maya has become an addict and has some big gaps in her memory. At 17, she witnessed her friend be mysteriously murdered... That's right. She witnessed it, but could never explain what happened.
Throughout the story, Maya battles the gaps in her memory and her unwillingness/inability to dive into those gaps to figure out what happened.
What transpires is interesting and unsettling. I think if you like an easy thriller you might like this one. Even if you don't like thrillers (like me) this one is very accessible.
Actress by Anne Enright
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Actress
By Anne Enright
I guess I just didn't get it. It didn't evoke much connection or emotion from me.
The narrator is the daughter, Norah, of a B-list actress of the golden age of Hollywood. Though she was not truly Irish, her managers dyed her hair red, gave her an Irish stage name (Katherine O'Dell), and had her speak in a fake Irish accent.
Norah documents Katherine's life through non-chronoligical tangents. From the beginning we know that Katherine shot a man, with whom she had history throughout her career, who was tortured with the pain of the injury for a decade before succumbing to the gunshot. Katherine was found effectively unfit to stand trial and withered away in and out of asylums for the remainder of her life.
There is a lot of hardship and the journey Norah undertakes to understand her mother and her mother's experiences through the lens of adulthood rather than her childhood witness. I suppose there is something in that to be acknowledged.
The writing style of the book is very fluid and enjoyable, but the content is disjointed and confusing, and, at times, mostly uninteresting.
By Anne Enright
I guess I just didn't get it. It didn't evoke much connection or emotion from me.
The narrator is the daughter, Norah, of a B-list actress of the golden age of Hollywood. Though she was not truly Irish, her managers dyed her hair red, gave her an Irish stage name (Katherine O'Dell), and had her speak in a fake Irish accent.
Norah documents Katherine's life through non-chronoligical tangents. From the beginning we know that Katherine shot a man, with whom she had history throughout her career, who was tortured with the pain of the injury for a decade before succumbing to the gunshot. Katherine was found effectively unfit to stand trial and withered away in and out of asylums for the remainder of her life.
There is a lot of hardship and the journey Norah undertakes to understand her mother and her mother's experiences through the lens of adulthood rather than her childhood witness. I suppose there is something in that to be acknowledged.
The writing style of the book is very fluid and enjoyable, but the content is disjointed and confusing, and, at times, mostly uninteresting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America by Jared Cohen
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Accidental Presidents
By Jared Cohen
I heard about this book on a podcast about 6 years ago now. (Oh dear, I can't believe how quickly that time passed in regard to this being on my TBR.)
I loved this book.
Biography is one of my favorite genres. This collection of biographies of America's eight vice-presidents who had to assume the presidency is fascinating. It's engaging, it's funny, it's informative... it's a good read.
There's an element of comfort I was able to find in how the great experiment that is the USA has always been a shit show. There were senators bringing guns to hearings, there were brawls, there was backstabbing and undercutting and unfounded privilege. It's always been a mess.
It is so interesting to read about all of the things in place today that ALSO weren't outlined in the Constitution...it isn't just equal rights that were overlooked...even what the vice president is supposed to do isn't outlined.
I love reading things that get me thinking outside of what I already know. I really enjoy expanding my point of view. The research presented within this book will teach every reader something new.
And of course I had to play around with trying to match the faces on the cover!
By Jared Cohen
I heard about this book on a podcast about 6 years ago now. (Oh dear, I can't believe how quickly that time passed in regard to this being on my TBR.)
I loved this book.
Biography is one of my favorite genres. This collection of biographies of America's eight vice-presidents who had to assume the presidency is fascinating. It's engaging, it's funny, it's informative... it's a good read.
There's an element of comfort I was able to find in how the great experiment that is the USA has always been a shit show. There were senators bringing guns to hearings, there were brawls, there was backstabbing and undercutting and unfounded privilege. It's always been a mess.
It is so interesting to read about all of the things in place today that ALSO weren't outlined in the Constitution...it isn't just equal rights that were overlooked...even what the vice president is supposed to do isn't outlined.
I love reading things that get me thinking outside of what I already know. I really enjoy expanding my point of view. The research presented within this book will teach every reader something new.
And of course I had to play around with trying to match the faces on the cover!