Circe by Madeline Miller
Goodreads blurb:In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child–neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power: the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love
My take: 4.75 out of 5. I do not know why I was so late to read this book and join in the bandwagon, but here I am and I really enjoyed it. It is so clever and well written. Also i love books that make me go do research, I wanted to know more and i was hitting the google whilst I was reading just to get more info. For it being a heavy storyline it is surprisingly and easy read. I did the audiobook and highly recommend it. A modern classic if there is one.
Dating Dr. Dill by Nisha Sharma
Goodreads blurb: Kareena Mann dreams of having a love story like her parents, but she prefers restoring her classic car to swiping right on dating apps. When her father announces he’s selling her mother’s home, Kareena makes a deal with him: he’ll gift her the house if she can get engaged in four months. Her search for her soulmate becomes impossible when her argument with Dr. Prem Verma, host of The Dr. Dil Show, goes viral. Now the only man in her life is the one she doesn’t want. Dr. Prem Verma is dedicated to building a local community health center, but he needs to get donors with deep pockets. The Dr. Dil Show was doing just that, until his argument with Kareena went viral, and he’s left short changed. That’s when Kareena’s meddling aunties presented him with a solution: convince Kareena he’s her soulmate and they’ll fund his clinic. Even though they have conflicting views on love-matches and arranged-matches, the more time Prem spends with Kareena, the more he begins to believe she’s the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. But for Prem and Kareena to find their happily ever after, they must admit that hate has turned into fate
My take: 3 out of 5. It was ok it just was not great. What I loved – the modern adaptation of Shakespeare, especially Taming of the Shrew which is a favorite (it provided one of the best modern Shakespeare adaptation ever: 10 things I hate about you). Kareena’s character is complicated and well developed, if at times irritatingly stubborn. A sweet romance, there are just better out there. Warning it is way steamier than I thought it was going to be.
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Goodreads blurb: Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces. Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope―and hang onto her artistic dreams―she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That’s when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she’s pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn’t want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He’s always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more? As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places―and people― you least expect.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher, the book came out July 11, 2023
My take: 4.5 out of 5. I love Katherine Center. I was VERY excited when I got this ARC and dropped everything an started reading it. I loved it. It is a wonderfully cute romantic battle against the odds, with strong anticipation. I’m using anticipation because I’m not going to use predictable because that is one of my favorite quotes (rants?) of the book about the way to describe romance movies as predictable: “sometimes i see people grasping for a better word than predictable to describe romance. They’ll say it was predictable but in a good way. I see what they are going for. But maybe the word predictable has become predictable. It’s so saturated with negativity at this point that threes no real way to update its vibe. Maybe we need a better term – I propose we start using Anticipation. “
I love how much of a fan of romance books and movies the character is. I was so identified in so many moments. These where some of my favorite quotes:
“Love stories do not have happy endings because their authors didn’t know any better. They have happy endings because they let readers access a rare and precious kind of emotional bliss.. joy is just a important. I think the ways we take care of each other matter just as much as the way we let each other down. That light matters just as much as darkness. That play matters just as much as work, and kindness matters as much as cruelty and hope matters as much as despair.”
“love is nourishing. We all sense it deep down, I hope past the snark and the tough guy exteriors. Love is healing. Its unapologetically optimistic. ITs the thing that puts us back together.
If you need some hope and nourishing, and a bit of happy endings, go read this book as soon as it comes out. Katherine Center, i will read all that you write.
Tati's Tidbits 