The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

 

Amy   

Lynnie

fantasy, historical fiction

In order to avoid an unwanted marriage in the year 1714, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the darkness which leaves her unable to be remembered by anyone once she is out of their sight. Stubbornly, Addie will not let the darkness take her soul and it is now 300 years later. Addie struggles every day to influence the world around her and make the best of her strange life.

I loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue! It was very charming, creative, and well written. It cleverly included brief references to some of the novels which undoubtedly influenced V. E. Schwab in this fantasy about a woman trying out many different “lives”. While Addie wasn’t strictly a time traveler, the fact that she lived so long gives the novel the feel of a time travel novel.  The narrative jumps around the timeline in order to keep everything interesting. The characters were diverse and likable. The story’s inclusion of art and music were wonderful.

This novel illustrates how connecting with other people and having an impact in the world are important aspects of life. And it shows that there can be light, even after the darkest times. Love and hope are worth the persistence it takes to achieve. I was glad that Schwab did not focus on many significant historical events but, rather, kept them in the periphery and focused on Addie’s life. I really enjoyed the ride with these characters and kept looking for every opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

The audiobook narrator was Julia Whelan who always does a good job. I’ll give her an A for her voice acting on this one.

Lynnie's Review

I really enjoyed everything about this book.

Spanning 300 years, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the darkness in order to avoid marrying against her will. The deal means that no matter how long she lives, no one will ever remember her. Spending the centuries either alone, or living a Groundhog Day-esque existence where even if she’s known someone for years, the other person believes they are meeting for the first time.

Addie’s perseverance, her refusal to give up & give in to her circumstances or loneliness as she continues to push against the boundaries of her deal was a joy to read. When she finally meets someone who remembers her, the story becomes even more fascinating.

I loved all of the characters in this story, and even though I found much of back half of the book predictable, it’s a testament to V.E. Schwab’s writing that I still savored every moment. I sometimes felt like I read more slowly than usual just to be able to spend a bit more time with the characters.

Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) by Brandon Sanderson

Amy  

fantasy

I often add sequel reviews to the blog written for the original book in the series. But, these Stormlight Archive books are so large and Brandon Sanderson has indicated that there will be several more in this series. So, I decided to start a new blog for the next few novels in the series. I recommend you check out my original blog with the first three novels in the series here.

If you’ve read the previous novels in the series, you know approximately what to expect in Rhythm of War. You won’t be disappointed.  This installment brings the story arc forward with all the tension and wonderful characters that you've seen previously. I’ve just got to say that Sanderson is so incredibly creative and prolific. It’s truly astounding. He has multiple series, most of them containing huge individual novels, with an incredibly large cast of well-drawn, diverse characters—often not human and completely of his invention.  He creates languages, ideologies, battlefield strategies, city structures, and religions.  Genuinely, he’s extremely impressive.

Having complimented him appropriately and after enjoying this novel overall, I do have to say that his storylines are sometimes so complicated and convoluted that it’s difficult to understand what’s going on. Also, as these novels are huge, there is so much time between installments that the reader is bound to forget details about characters and situations which adds to the confusion. I wish that Sanderson would lay some things out more plainly and also provide more reminders of plot points from previous novels. Sometimes, I have had to let the larger political/religious themes become background noise and focus on the characters in order to enjoy it much more.

I was annoyed that Syl is suddenly ridiculous in the beginning of the novel. She’s always been comic relief but more subtle and genuine. In this one, she was practically slapstick and I didn’t like that she was being used that way. However, I still enjoyed cheering for all the characters I’ve grown to love and I appreciated the new characters we met along the way.

Another hit for Sanderson!

Again, the audiobook narrators were Michael Kramer and Kate Reading and, again, they were pretty marvelous. There are so many characters and they both have a great repertoire of voices. Sometimes, Reading is a bit too rigid in her speaking which is my only ongoing complaint. I give them an A.

 

 

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

Amy  

mystery

Bree is living a very pleasant and privileged life thanks to the wealth of her husband and his family. Then, her baby gets kidnapped and her world is turned upside down.

I’ve read several of Joshilyn Jackson’s novels and have enjoyed them for the most part. Mother May I falls somewhere in the middle. I had not read the summary prior to beginning so I had no idea what to expect. Sadly, it involves a child kidnapping which is never going to be a winning plot point for me. Plus, this novel lacks Jackson's sense of humor which usually adds to my enjoyment of her stories.

I had to swallow some unbelievable character actions at the beginning in order to enjoy this one. The kidnapper’s actions were unrealistic to me, given her resources and age. I cannot truly enjoy a novel when I can’t get behind the premise. I will applaud Jackson, however, for writing a story I was unable to predict. Everything I anticipated was wrong. There were also multiple mysteries, not just one, which was compelling. And I appreciated the Atlanta-area references. Portions of the novel were extremely gripping. But I can’t really say this storyline excited me overall.

As with all of her novels, Jackson narrated the audiobook herself. She is one of the best author/narrators I've heard. I give her an A-.

  

 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Amy   

historical fiction

The Vanishing Half was a family story about a few generations of women from a small town in Louisiana which was home to a population of light-skinned black people. Twin teenage girls run away together to New Orleans to escape the misery of small-town poverty and inevitability. Then one of the twins disappears from New Orleans, choosing to split from her old life and live as a white woman. The other returns home fourteen years after she ran away.

Brit Bennett's novel has a creative storyline with engaging characters and situations. The characters have to find a way to survive with the decision they made. Taking place from the 1950s through the 1980s, the novel touches on racial tensions and desires/needs to live in which they are in control. There is kindness and there is evil. There are good intentions and heartless actions, wise decisions and poor ones. It’s a really interesting tale.

My main complaint is with the timeframe jumping around a bit, especially near the end of the novel. It got confusing. But it was a good read and I enjoyed it. However, I am surprised it won the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction. I enjoyed several other nominated novels much better.

   

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed #1) by Octavia E. Butler

Amy  

post-apocalyptic, science fiction

The year is 2024 and 15-year-old Lauren lives with her family in a walled cul de sac. The wall is meant to keep the homes within safe. The United States is in turmoil. Human relations and culture have devolved into survival of the fittest. Poverty, desperation, drugs, and violent crimes are rampant. People are frequently driven from their homes, often by fire, and then must fend for themselves. The police and the politicians are corrupt and of no help.

It is so interesting to read a book that begins three years into my future that was written thirty years ago. It’s fun to see how Octavia Butler envisioned the 2020s back in 1993. Her vision of our near future is not a happy place. Resources that we take for granted are almost gone. It only rains a handful of times each year where this novel takes place in California. Water is so scarce that it costs money for the fire department to put out a fire on personal property.

The story is told from Lauren’s viewpoint, through her diary entries, and despite her dire circumstances she is a bit of an optimist. As the daughter of a preacher, she develops her own personal belief system/philosophy. She has become desensitized to most of the terrible things happening to the people around her. Yet she is hyper-empathetic and can feel peoples’ physical pain acutely.  This ability is the one science fiction aspect of the otherwise realistic story. She is one of those “old souls” who are very mature for their age. She foresees that her flimsy protections could disappear at any moment and she educates herself in survival tactics in preparation for an unknown crisis which she feels is impending.

Around the novel’s halfway mark, Lauren is flung into survival mode and the story becomes so compelling. It reminded me a bit of The Road by Cormac McCarthy (published 13 years after Parable of the Sower) as Lauren faces the uncertainty and dangers while making her way in a dangerous world. Lauren is a terrific character to spend time with despite the many tragedies she witnesses.

The audiobook was narrated by Lynne Thigpen and recorded in 1999. She’s a really good voice actress with a rich tone to her voice. However, she does not have much of a vocal variety in her character repertoire and she was too old to be reading as the first-person teenage protagonist. So I appreciated her acting but not the publisher’s choice to use her as this novel’s narrator. Granted, audiobooks were not as popular as they are today and casting choices were more limited in 1999. However, I can only grade her on today’s scale so I give the recording a B+.

  

 

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Amy  

fiction

Lakshmi is a henna artist and herbalist, helping the women of her town prepare for important events and easing their burdens related to pregnancy. Her life seems to be going well and she has almost paid for the house she is building. Then, a sister, about whom she never knew, appears in her life.

At the beginning of The Henna Artist, I liked the atmospheric picture painted by Alka Joshi of the Indian village and customs. I also thought the story had a lot of promise. But then it became very predictable. I almost stopped reading 2/3 of the way through because the only likable character was 8 years old. All the characters' underhanded tactics, stupid decisions, poor behaviors, and selfishness were stacking up to make it difficult to continue spending time with them. I only kept listening because I generally hate dropping a book after getting through most of it. Nor did I have another audiobook handy. Guess what? I was right on every single plot prediction except one. I had not predicted that one character would turn things around for themself.

The narrator of the audiobook was Sneha Mathan. She did a nice job with the voice acting and accents but had a limited repertoire of voices. I’ll give her an A-.

   

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Amy  

historical fiction

Elsa was stifled, over-protected, limited, and underestimated in the house where she grew up in northern Texas. This upbringing and treatment by her family made her timid, self-doubting, and socially awkward. In 1921, her life is suddenly taken out of her control due to her naivete. She is thrown into a difficult situation but things really get hard when the dust bowl hits and drastic measures must be taken to survive.

The characters in The Four Winds are well-drawn and lovable. The setting is so vivid that you can see the parched earth. You feel the dirt and the pain. The story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I have to give this novel a big CRY ALERT.

The details about the dust bowl went on a bit too long for me but served to show the relentless, endless suffering of the land, people, and all living things. In fact, a lot of the novel was exhausting in that the strife seemed never-ending. Yet Elsa had hope and there was some good will to be found. The story, thankfully, didn’t go in some directions in which I’d feared it would go. There are many gut punches to read through but the realities described in the novel were eye-opening, educational, and infuriating. I was happy to keep reading to find out how things would turn out for Elsa. 

 

  

 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Amy  

fantasy, horror

In The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, six neighbors create a book club and become very close friends until a man moves into the neighborhood and one of the ladies suspects him of crimes. Can Patricia convince the others that she’s in her right mind?

This was one crazy book. I enjoyed the premise at the beginning. I’m bound to love any book that starts in 1988, one of my best years! I also love any book that understands what it’s like running a household and can poke fun at the less enjoyable aspects of it. The brief commentary on book club structure also hit its mark.

This novel was filled with humor at the beginning. At times, it bordered on silliness. But I went with it hoping for a payoff. I was not happy that the teenage boy in Patricia’s family was obsessed with Nazis. Why would Grady Hendrix include this “interest” as something that was not concerning to his parents? I feel it would be very alarming to most parents. Within a ridiculous story, this reality check seemed the most shocking (and, frankly, upsetting) to me. Was the author trying to correlate the Nazis with monsters, perhaps? That’s the only reason I can think to include this upsetting thread in the storyline. Sadly, they do not correlate since Nazis were not fantasy. I will not forgive the author for this misguided attempt at equality.

Then, 2/3 of the way through, a big crisis occurs which was surprising to me. But the way Patricia’s husband handled it was even worse and truly irresponsible, especially considering he’s a psychiatric doctor and should have known not to involve their children that way. I cannot go into details because it would give much away but, again, this is something for which I cannot forgive the author.

Then the story suddenly takes a big leap in time which breaks the momentum. I became furious at Patricia’s husband for all of his actions and attitudes from this point onward. The author transitioned him from largely absent to largely high-handed and selfish. In fact, all the men in the story became guilty of misdeeds and mistreatment by this point. And all the women were ineffective, blind, and helpless. I could not believe Patricia would let things go on if she truly feared for children’s lives.

Then it became a horror novel for a while. But the absolute scariest part had to do with a cockroach. Let’s just say that Indiana Jones would have died if I were the one who had to turn the lever in a hole crawling with bugs in The Temple of Doom. The (second—there was an earlier one too!) cockroach scene was almost unbearable for me. I’m sure the author would be thrilled to know my reaction with that scene. Alas, I was not amused!

I think what bugged me most about this novel is that it’s a bit schizophrenic. It starts as a comedy, becomes a horror show, and then ends as a tribute to the things that can be accomplished when women support each other. As with most horror films, the ending is not really satisfactory.

The audiobook was narrated by Bahni Turpin who is one of my favorite narrators. She always does a fantastic job, is an outstanding voice actor, and has an amazing repertoire of voices. I think I would have rated this novel lower except for her terrific job on the audiobook. I give her an A+.

  

    

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

Amy  

historical fiction

It’s 2018 and Morgan has spent the past year in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. She is released in a miraculous parole deal that requires her to restore a historical mural in Edenton, NC. While she doesn’t feel qualified for the task, she’ll attempt anything in order to gain her freedom. The story is told from two viewpoints/timeframes—Morgan’s and Anna’s. Anna is the original artist of the mural which was painted in 1940. During Morgan’s restoration work, her interest in learning more about the original artist grows.

As an art appreciator, I was immediately pulled in by the art storyline. I quickly fell in love with the characters. What would Morgan discover? Why hadn’t Anna’s mural ever been hung and what happened to her?

Despite their different stories and backgrounds, both Anna and Morgan had been sent to Edenton, a town with which they were unfamiliar, to work on the same mural. Both were running from a disturbing past and knew no one in town before arriving. Both had to come to terms with their own self-doubts and learn to forgive themselves. Both came to love the mural and the people of Edenton who helped them in their efforts.

I loved the way the book was structured. Diane Chamberlain's storytelling was terrific and the momentum was never lost. Both women’s storylines interested me equally and I was interested to know what was going to happen to both of them. I really enjoyed Big Lies in a Small Town a lot!

The audiobook narrator, Susan Bennett, did a fantastic job. She had a great voice repertoire and I thought her acting was spot on. I give her an A. I’m only docking her from a “+” because I would’ve liked a little more differentiation between Morgan's and Oliver’s voices during their dialogues.