Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably 3.5

This story in the vein of a Russian folktale really held my interest. Taking place in the cold Russian wilderness, young Vasilisa thrives despite her mother dying at her birth. Her older siblings dote on her, and she loves the woods and creatures surrounding and in her home. Things start to unravel when her father remarries and devolves further when another stranger comes to their village. Fairytale character like Frost and guardians are rampant throughout.

I enjoyed this book and will read the next one. I will say, for me, it was helpful to not know what the translation for some of the Russian creature names were as I tend to get a bit squeamish with some paranormal things. But since I didn't know until after, no harm.

As with much Russian literature, the many derivations of the name for the same person takes some getting used to.



View all my reviews King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Esme and Hunter have been friends pretty much since in utero. They have grown up alongside each other and share so much of their lives. So Hunter is thrown when Esme turns up engaged to a man no one has met yet.

This is the second book of this series I've read during this time of COVID19 quarantine. And they are perfect. Light. Clean. Fun. Engaging.

View all my reviews A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is probably one of the best retellings of Beauty and the Beast I've read. It is new and fresh.

Harper is magically transported from her home in DC to some other world and into the enchanted castle of Prince Rhen. Rhen is everything you would suppose a prince to be - arrogant, in charge, bossy - but harbors a secret. Harper is no damsel in distress though. She can take care of herself and doesn't mind going toe-to-toe with a prince when the situation calls for it. Add in a royal guard and an evil enchantress. Toss in some witty dialogue and some depth and character growth.

It's a great book. I can't wait to read the second in the series.

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The First Actress - CW Gortner

The First Actress by C.W. Gortner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First off, thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Bernhardt is considered the world's first modern actress. This is the story of her tumultuous rise to fame.

I had never heard of Sarah Bernhardt before coming across this book on NetGalley. However, I have read other books by Gortner and enjoyed both the story and the historical knowledge. This book was no different.

Gortner writes in such a way that I really got a feel for who Sarah was and her complexities. She endured a lot, both in her childhood and her career aspirations. There were several characters/people I really didn't like at all as a result of his story telling. And I imagine they were that way in real life as well.

Anyone who likes historical fiction, even if they aren't necessarily theater fans, would probably like this book.

Heads-Up: There are some open door scenes.

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Pay Attention, Carter Jones - Gary D. Schmidt

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Jones home is a bit crazy most days. That is, until The Butler shows up to take charge. But he has more lessons to teach than anyone expects.
I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining to read yet still tackled some pretty big issues. Definitely a great addition to any upper elementary or middle school bookshelf.
I, however, still have no understanding of cricket despite the information given at the start of each chapter. :)

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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. More than I anticipated. Probably because I felt the time travel was more fantasy than hard core sci-fi.
My book club all really enjoyed it, and it lent itself to a lot of discussion and pondering.

View all my reviews The Conservative Heart: How To Build A Fairer, Happier, And More Prosperous America by Arthur C. Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I would consider myself more conservative than liberal in most cases until it comes to social justice issues. This author was recommended to me by a family member who mentioned he was the keynote speaker at this year's National Prayer Breakfast. This book was the only one by him that my library had, so I read it. I agree with much of what he says. I don't know that I agree with his stance on the Tea Party being the salvation of the Republican party - I could be wrong with my interpretation of his writing, but that's what I walked away with on his Tea Party mentions. However, I think there are good takeaways for both political parties on how to more effectively communicate and way to truly help the poor in our communities.

View all my reviews All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung


I waffle about the fairness of rating memoirs. I've found I don't love them as they tend to leave so many questions unanswered, they are generally not linear, and focus solely on what the author wants to share and not on what the reader may want answered. This one is no exception.
However, it did raise many questions and points to ponder regarding interracial adoption and let to some interesting discussion when my book club met.

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Beezus & Ramona - Beverly Cleary

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book aloud with my kids (6 and 4yo). They loved it. My 6-year-old son - who can be somewhat ambivalent to read alouds unless they're pictures books - loved it. We typically do chapter books at lunch and picture books at bed. He consistently brought me this book to read at night too.
We learned a lot of good vocabulary. I don't remember Ramona being such a brat (with little discipline) when I read the books as a child myself, but it provided a lot of good discussion.

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The Summer Wives - Beatriz Williams

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this novel of complex relationships, the story moves between three different decades on a tiny island off Long Island where the wealthy go to summer.

The narrative and the characters were all fascinating. Due to some of the subject matter, parts where hard to read. However, the connections between everyone on the island - the wealthy and the working class together as well as among the groups themselves - kept me coming back for more. If you like historical fiction, multiple narratives, and complicated relationships, this is probably a book for you.

Notes of Caution: a lot of drunkenness, rape, abuse, open door scenes

I won the ebook version via a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks!

To read more of my reviews, visit https://mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

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