evergreensandbookishthings's reviews
899 reviews

Very funny and poignant, although I am so far removed from that phase of life with kids. Definitely good for some nostalgia and a laugh, and great for those in the thick of early childhood parenting. Though she admits her immense privilege, I just find it hard to take anyone seriously who has a night nurse for their baby.🤷‍♀️

I loved City of Girls, and I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while. I think this is a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. My headspace was not in a good place personally while reading, and it is very dense and slow moving. If historical fiction, epic character studies are your jam, this would be a great pick.

I really enjoyed Rabbit Cake, and I think Hartnett’s follow up is even better! She has a gift for writing children’s characters (whether they’re the protagonist or supporting characters, as in this novel) that feel authentic and substantive - all the characters are so unique, heartfelt, and she deals with death in a forthright and tender way. This was another ‘right book at the right time’ while I am processing my mother’s death.

Short and sweet, this one lived up to the hype more than other books this summer. I love a celebrity romance with us normies trope. Also thank you to Annie Jones of The Bookshelf throwing out Chris Evans as a potential male lead so I was able to have a nice picture in my head while reading.

My feelings about this novel are all over the place!
I am a big fan of Gabrielle Zevin, and made a point to hear her talk in person about this novel. The themes that she talked about and explores in this book are so profound. What stood out for me during her talk was the idea of “new people” meaning those who don’t follow outdated ideas about the ‘right’ or ‘traditional’ life paths. She referenced the reactions to her NYT Modern Love article (The Secret to Marriage is Never Getting Married) being an impetus, which I highly recommend reading. That anyone could tell you you don’t know real love unless you are married, or have children, or, or, or… is incredulous. This book really made me think about whether you’re greatest love is necessarily a romantic one. What makes it real, or valid?
So, I went in with HIGH expectations. Also, on paper, I am the perfect audience for this book. I am of the Gen X/Oregon Trail gaming generation, even though I was a Kings Quest girl (which we talked about at her reading!!). And that grabbed me initially: the nostalgia, as well as the complexity of Sam and Sadie’s relationship, the extraneous relationships that shaped them, and of course Zevin’s use of symbolism, metaphor and her poignant prose.

“This is what time travel is. It’s looking at a person, and seeing them in the present and the past, concurrently. And that mode of transport only worked with those one had known for a significant time.”

Ultimately, I felt as if things began to drag about halfway through, even with some shocking turns that should have picked up the pace. The narrative started to feel

repetitive. It IS the nature of their relationship, but my empathy and investment fizzled, unfortunately. l've seen

commentary that it tackles too many issues, but I didn't feel that at all. Intersectionality is a thing, and the events did not seem beyond the realm of possibility (I mean just look at the domestic terrorists running roughshod over our country, most recently in Cincinnati). It just didn't pull things together in a way that I felt satisfying.

I would absolutely still

recommend this book, as I think it is so worth reading and reflecting upon. It just didn't hit that five star feeling for me.

I quickly blew through Elin Hilderbrand’s latest, which was great to get as a complimentary review copy from Little Brown. I always love visiting Nantucket through her novels, and the food and atmosphere in The Hotel Nantucket were top notch. But the characters didn’t grab me in the way some of her others have.

I had high hopes for the latest craze, Every Summer After, but I thought it was… fine? I do enjoy the ‘one that got away’ trope, and first love stuff. But to have the central conflict kept secret, even when it’s written from the main character’s POV who is clearly *thinking* about this awful turn of events the entirety of the novel, is incredibly frustrating. Find another way to create suspense please and thank you.

Reuniting with characters from A Visit from the Goon Squad in The Candy House was an absolute DELIGHT for me. It is marketed as a standalone and that there are “some” familiar characters from Egan’s earlier novel in this book. But I think that is a disservice. I would argue that it’s almost essential to read one before the other. Or, I’d be curious if anyone has done the reverse - to read Goon Squad afterwards, as a kind of prequel. That could be REALLY interesting... Part of the allure of these intricately mapped character connections is that little thrill when spotting them, and every single character in this book is tied to one from the first.
My review for The Candy House exactly mirrors Goon Squad: surreal, shocking at times, uncannily prescient, thought provoking and excellent for fans of interconnected stories. I love love love a novel that feels like puzzle pieces which, once put together, gives you that ‘aha’ tingly feeling. (See also: Sea of Tranquility, Kitchens of the Great Midwest) They’re not for everyone, but for fans of this type of story, both of Egan’s works should be required reading.
Title spotting was excellent, too. The quote was in the context of how we basically don’t pay for music anymore. But, it applies to so many things that technology has wrought on our society.

“Nothing is free! Only children expect otherwise, even as myths and fairytales warn us: Rumplestiltskin, King Midas, Hansel and Gretel. Never trust a candy house! It was only a matter of time before someone made them pay for what they thought they were getting for free. Why could nobody see this?“

“Being a parent seemed like a truly shitty job - by the time you were old and wise enough to understand the mistakes you’d made, there was literally no chance your children would listen. Everyone had to make their own mistakes.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This Time Tomorrow was a fantastic surprise for me - I read The Vacationers ages ago and didn’t really enjoy it. Straub’s subsequent books seemed to get mixed reviews, so I never picked one up. But the buzz around this book and the fact that it came up on the ‘skip the line’ loans from @libby.app , I grabbed it to see what the fuss was about. I’m so glad I did, this was such a engrossing and quick read.
I am a sucker for a time travel trope, and I think Straub did an excellent job with the genre. I won’t say too much more, because it would give away some plot points, but I loved the mechanics of how it brought the main character and her father closer together.
There were so many thoughtful passages on being a parent, how we see our own parents, what makes life meaningful, and what ultimately brings us happiness. Just a delight to read… I may go back now and read some of her backlist.

Of course I read this Novella, too! Give me all of the Nick and Charlie content! Things are getting a little racy, haha! 🥰 I love a good romantic ‘grand gesture’ and it’s so cute. Nick is off to University and this one had my heart hurting a little bit witnessing an actual argument between the two. But, as we all know, their love will always endure, and it resolves in such a sweet way.