staceen's reviews
104 reviews

A play-by-play of all the times white people have voted and acted against our own interests because of racism. Really great, accessible writing. 

A group of boarding school friends reunites at a remote inn 27 years later for the wedding of two high school sweethearts, who recently reunited just before the bride was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

This is not the type of fast-paced plot-driven novel that I typically enjoy, but I loved this. Don't get me wrong, it's dark as hell, but gorgeously written. Shreve beautifully captures the way time slows down during New England winter weekends. 

I didn't find the characters unlikable like other reviewers, but definitely flawed. Agnes was loony AF and super tragic. Oh, and if the infidelity, unrequited love, estranged children, spousal abuse, climate change and terminal cancer themes weren't grim enough, the author adds a novel-within-a-novel about the tragic Halifax explosion during WWI. And they're never not talking about 9/11. 

Daphne gets notes (from the universe? God? We never find out) with the length of time of all her romantic relationships. The author spends more time name-dropping LA streets and businesses than anything else. At least 40% of the book was someone lecturing about what love *should* be. This obviously wasn't for me. I found premise to be weird and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. 

I'm still working out how I feel about this book. I found the chapters in the hospital and the descriptions of mental illnesses very visceral and honest. I liked her writing a lot and found her to be vulnerable in places, but as other reviewers mention, the book lacks a well-thought-out thesis and the omission of her marriage while describing other romantic relationships in detail was glaring. 

Some good twists and reveals that I didn't see coming until they were right in front of me. 

Part memoir, part love story, part meditation on language. Lauren Collins's writing is so smart and clever, I'm so glad I read this. 

Very short, but powerful account of a woman diagnosed with incurable brain cancer, as the author has been herself. 

Read in a few days, couldn't put it down. What I wanted The Secret History to be. 

I adore Ina's work, and it felt so comfortable to listen to her tell her story. It was honestly like a book valium, calming and kind of mindless. Not a whole lot of substance but I thought it was just right. 

I read a lot of celebrity memoirs and I was so surprised and impressed by this one. As a fan of the band, I know their music but was unfamiliar with their personal stories. This book was long, but worth every page, with crazy, almost unbelievable stories and refreshingly, what felt like genuine vulnerability and self-reflection. A really great read.