Wow what a rollercoaster this one was. I was like he’s bad, oh no he’s good, no wait is he bad? No no i was right all along. or was i? I found myself doubting myself the whole time. Even though it was a disturbing subject matter, this book was a fast and furious read. And it really isn’t what you think! 🙂
the audio was fantastic and completely kept me hooked.
with gratitude to netgalley and Sourcebooks Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This one was full of twists and turns and just when you thought you had it figured out, another twist came. I felt that it was a little repetitive and melodramatic at parts but I didn’t see most of the twists coming, and I didn’t want to stop reading it from the first page onward.
with gratitude to Macmillan Audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This one was best read on audio!!
This was both different from and similar to Klune’s other books. It was more serious and I think also a bit more science fiction but also it was still full of heart and deeply felt like this stories are. It made me think a lot and feel a lot. and those books are always great.
Ok so I read this book with my son as it’s his favorite book. But his favorite part is the beginning so he wanted to make sure we read that part together. It was hard and crazy and deeply interesting.
I did end up doing some quality journaling today and am feeling good about some of the work I did around it. Journaling is so good for my soul. I know that it can sometimes be like ruminating but for me that’s not how it feels. I find that I always can see what I am thinking better when I am writing it down. What a gift. This was my kids’ last full week of no school. The little one starts this week and the older one this weekend. Seniors. Life passes by in the blink of an eye.
Progress on the big five:
Y: Done! I got a large container and it fully does the trick. Maybe next weekend i might finally tackle the side?!
G: Bought some light and lanterns and pompoms and the kids helped me hang it all. it looks lovely. we also bought stuff for the porch and that now looks lovely too.
S: letter one down and letter two in progress. thankful.
Sa: grooming done! will call this week for the appointment.
D: n/a
Three Medium goals:
done with this. almost all are here. one more item coming this week.
took fewer naps this week
didn’t restart the book yet. not sure what’s holding me back.
Chores:
dentist appointment- done
A->H appointment – done
finish ply – done
finish boyne
finish margarita – done
finish diaspora
buy return tickets – will do this in sept.
hang up office lights
figure out curtain office – in progress
d doctor – done
a doctor
Start: worked on this! did the hardest part.
Stop:Â still doing a better job on this
Continue:Â did less of it this week but still on it.
Brave:Â working on it so so much and d helps me so so much. took some more steps this week.
So grateful to have the kids here still. Spending a lot of time together and loving every single moment.
Here’s to another good week. Paying attention. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.
So many feelings about this book! This was a slow read with my friend Evelyn who thankfully knew so much about Russian history and literature and her husband Tom who knew about Christianity. Both of these are really helpful in reading the book. The experience of reading this book was quite the journey and I am really glad I read it slowly. The beginning was a drag for me, there was so much going on and I understood so little of it. The middle was the best since I managed to let go and truly enjoy the absurdity and the plot was settling a bit by then. And then the ending went to the next level. Net net, I am still not convinced that this book can stand on its own. That it can be uncoupled from the time and location it was written in. Because in of itself, it is more nonsensical than not. But when coupled with all the texture and politics and history of Russia and Faust and Bulgakov himself, it’s indeed quite the novel. I’m glad I read it.
Meg Mason writes exactly the kinds of books I like to read. They are character driven, soft, quiet and deeply introspective. They hold the tenderness and fragility of what it means to be human. And this one comes with the additional gift of taking place in the world of writers and writing and books. I loved it even as it broke my heart.
Apparently i am in the minority. Others found this book brilliant. It’s definitely an interesting book. It’s likely that I am not a fan of satire. I am definitely not a fan of over the top stories. And this story, in my opinion tried a bit too hard. It was too over the top, too in your face. I know it was all on purpose. But I guess it didn’t work for me. I am in the minority though, many loved it so please don’t let me be the reason you don’t read it.
This book is somewhere between a three and four stars for me. I think my experience of it is the opposite of many readers. I liked the world building and found the characters quite interesting but I didn’t like the ending. After having read Diaz’s previous novel, I was wondering why he would take such a turn and I kept waiting for the book to shift under me. I kept waiting for a reveal that, for me, never came together.
Maybe I didn’t understand the genius of this book. I did find myself thinking about it more and more since I finished it which is why I ended up rating it on the high end and reading it was a positive experience for me, but somehow I felt let down in the end. I wanted something more. Or something different.
I am still not sure.
with gratitude to netgalley and Riverhead Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I totally would have given this more stars but the ending drove me mad. It’s clear it will be a series and there will be another book but considering that books take a while to come out, I really dislike it when they end in the kind of hook that won’t resolve for another year or more!
Especially considering that this book was strong and the characters and the world in which they live is interesting and I would be happy to pick up the second one without the author having to do a gimmick like that.
Aside from the rant about the way she chose to end the story, I enjoyed the time I spent with this story. I liked the idea of magic infused in a fragrance. I like books that have lively sensory experiences and this one was beautifully done. I liked both Viola and Hugh and felt vested in their narrative. i liked the theme around ancestry, obligations we have to family, and deceit of course.
The audio narration was fantastic and kept me excited to keep reading.
with gratitude to netgalley and Avon for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love the way this book came together. For some reason it was going slowly for me but I am glad that I stuck with it and the last part of the story comes together so beautifully. At its heart this is a story about grief and how we cope with it. Beautiful.
Hmm ok I am not sure I made a lot of progress on my big August goal so far. But I’ve done some things. I’ve re-done my setup so it’s a lot lighter and I’ve done some journaling. I’ve been doing yoga. Just taking things slow and trying to be kind to myself along the way.
Progress on the big five:
Y: Have done no work on this!
G: Got the shelves, set them up, it looks lovely. No unboxing or hanging yet.
S: done with appointment, working on the rest.
Sa: nothing yet
D: n/a
Three Medium goals:
meh nothing done on this.
taking so many naps
didn’t restart the book yet.
Chores:
dentist appointment- done
A->H appointment – done
finish ply
finish boyne
finish margarita – done
finish diaspora
buy return tickets
hang up office lights
figure out curtain office – in progress
Start: have not done much on this.
Stop: doing a better job on this
Continue: definitely doing this
Brave:Â working on it so so much
Meh, I know I haven’t done much so far but I’ve been spending so much time with the kids and resting and that’s all I truly care about for August. I love them so much.
Here’s to another good week. Paying attention. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.
