The Women by Kristin Hannah
Goodreads blurb: From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah’s The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
My Take: 5 out of 5. This book wrecked me. I would give it more than 5 stars If i could. I do not think I have not cried so much with a book since I read the Nightingale, also by her. First of all, I learned so much from this book, and think I need to do a deep dive on so much of Vietnam I didn’t know. Probably why I love historical fiction is that it fills my love of beautiful stories and characters with my thirst for information.
The story itself is pure perfection . It’s two parts, first part is the action in Vietnam and the second is her coming back home. Although very different pacing between both, they are both enriching and wonderful. I thought I only needed my Kleenex box for part 1 but no, part 2 got me sobbing even more. If you don’t cry reading this book I will be impressed because clearly I could not stop. The character evolution of Frankie is beautiful, heart wrenching and a marvel all at one. I was so enraged on her behalf during the book, totally invested in her story. All the relationships in the book (romantic, families, friendships ) are so rich and special , so we’ll written and so real. I wanted this book to end because I needed to get to the ending and see what happened but I also did not want it to end, I wanted to live in their world for so much longer. I thought I was foreshadowing the twist, but it came in quite a different version from what I expected and it still kept me so engaged. The ending, gorgeous! If you are a historical fiction fan Run to read this book. In general run to read this book, I think it will be generally loved by all.
Why did I choose it: The nightingale is one of my top 5 books ever, so anything Kristin Hannah I will read
Read this if you like(d): War Historical Fiction, The Nightingale, The Woman in the Castle, Kate Quinn books,
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg
Goodreads blurb: Filled with the romance and angst that defines the years you come to know yourself, with a shifting timeline covering two decades and ratcheting up the tension, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is a novel of second chances and finding your own way. You know that old saying, “if we are still single when we’re 35, we should get married?” Well, Maggie Vine made that vow with two different people, at two very different stages of her life. And they both showed up. Maggie Vine’s life is going extra-medium. At 35 she’s pursuing her dreams of being a singer and being a mother—though neither is successfully panning out. So when Garrett Scholl—stifled hedge fund manager by day but electrifying aspiring rock singer by night—comes to her 35th birthday party with the intention to kiss Maggie senseless, it feels like one piece might click into place. Except he’s engaged to someone else, and Maggie knows she won’t fit into the cookie-cutter life he’s building for himself. Enter Asher Reyes. Her first boyfriend from summer camp, turned into heartthrob actor, he’s lived a successful yet private life ever since he got famous. When a career-changing opportunity is presented to Maggie after her reconnection with Asher, it feels like everything—music, love, family—will fall into place. But her past won’t let her move on without a fight.
My Take: 4.75 out of 5. A romance with so much depth, a sophies choice that develops in wonderful ways. Has someone read this ? can we discuss? I have issues with the ending and sooo many spoilers to discuss. In general a wonderful conversation as to timing in relationships, when and how people go into your lives and how things that happen to us can totally wreck havoc on our romantic and life timings. It’s a rom com with so many existential life questions. I loved it.
Why did I choose it: I had heard great reviews from the Bookstagram community
Read this if you like(d): One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Design of us by Sanji Patel
Goodreads blurb: One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You. Sunshine incarnate Bhanu brings big UX energy to whatever she does, including going for the promotion where her only serious competition is her work nemesis, AKA Sunny, the grump with the Denzel voice. She expected to get a reprieve from him while visiting her family in Hawai’i, but the universe has other plans. When Bhanu runs into Sunny at the hotel and witnesses his ex criticizing him about being single, Bhanu does the first thing that comes to she impetuously claims to be Sunny’s girlfriend just to get some peace and quiet. Except Sunny is on island for a friend’s wedding and his ex has already texted the entire wedding party about this mysterious girlfriend. Bhanu truly is the bane of Sunny’s existence. But the last thing he wants to do is cause tension during his friend’s wedding festivities, much less be the object of their pity. He has no choice except to play along, if only he and Bhanu can put aside their quarreling and act like a real couple. Between Bhanu’s hilariously meddling family and Sunny’s ecstatic friends, the two are pushed closer together, even as stress mounts over the impending promotion. They say what happens on island, stays on island. But as Sunny and Bhanu let their guards down, will either of them be able to resist this romantic getaway without crossing the line?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. it comes out July 16, 2024.
My Take: 2.75 out of 5. It was a cute, serviceable romance but it really just did not engage me in ways that I wanted to. The Start is too descriptive, it was a little toddler like, and it took too long to get into it. I really enjoyed her other books, the Trouble with Hating you and and First Love take Two, but this one just did not measure up to the same level for me. Its cute, it just doesnt do much more. I think my biggest qualm with the book, looking back is that this is very much a congelation of tropes and its a lot in just one. We have enemies to lovers, shared bed, fake romance, vacation, its a whole kitchen sink. However the key thing, the enemy to lovers is just not so well developed. We look back at why they hate each other and its just weak – its obvious they liked each other from the start. Once their romance starts evolving, I started enjoying the book more.
Why did I choose it: I liked her previous two books
Read this if you like(d): Trouble with Hating you, First Love take Two, the Unhoneymooners
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
Goodreads blurb: A fresh and provocative story about a residential assistant and her messy entanglement with a professor and three unruly students. It’s 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, wants to graduate, get a job, and buy a house. So when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and writer, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity, she jumps at the chance. But Millie’s starry-eyed hustle becomes jeopardised by odd new friends, vengeful dorm pranks and illicit intrigue. A fresh and intimate portrait of desire, consumption and reckless abandon, Come and Get It is a tension-filled story about money, indiscretion, and bad behavior.
My Take: 2.75 out of 5. These are insufferable characters in a story where nothing happens. I ended up hate reading this in the end, I just needed to see how it ended, or if something happened, so I ended up reading at 2.5x which is my equivalent of lets just get this over with. The ending was such a disappointment, because as expected nothing happened. Where i was expecting a bang I got a dud, and really its just so bleh
Why did I choose it: IT was in a lot of Best of the year books
Read this if you like(d): The means, Such a Fun Age
Anita del Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
Goodreads blurb: 1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten―certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret. But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist. Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
My Take: 4.25 out of 5. Beautiful exploration of the female, and the colored female at that, role in the art world and in life. The interaction between the two women, Anita and Raquel is quite lovely and how ones downfall mirrors the other’s empowerment. I have to say I hated in sight the male characters, so i found it so annoying how much they fall for these idiots, but at least they learn their lessons in the end.
Why did I choose it: It was one of the most anticipated books of the year, and I got an ARC for it so it was a win win. It also got chosen as Reeses book club after that.
Read this if you like(d): Isabel Allende Books, art and feminism
Tati's Tidbits 