8/10
As a classic piece of literature, I had to read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I read this book after watching season one of Bridgerton and saw many similarities between the two.
I enjoyed Austen's satirical depiction of gender and class stereotypes. The main theme of the novel is that a woman's biggest achievement is marriage to a man that is of a high-status
which in turn can mobilize the family up the social ladder. The dramatic behavior of Mrs. Bennet in her efforts to get her five daughters married to rich and reputable men demonstrates
the absurdity of women concentrating on men to uplift their own future I also enjoyed the overall storyline and the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy. Although Elizabeth is less eager to
be married off to a rich man, she does end up falling in love with a man of high status.
7.5/10
I heard a lot of good reviews on It Ends With Us and decided to give it a read. The book highlights significant ideas of domestic abuse and
the perservance of women. As the book was based on Hoover's mother's experiences, I believe it brought up important themes of how manipulation, guilt, and hope
allows the cycle of abuse to continue. In some way, modern romance stories lack orignality and I saw that in the characters in this book. While not a mind blowing or "can't put down" type of book
it is a good vacation book.
9/10
Where the Crawdads Sing became a very popular book in 2020 and I decided to give it a read. I could not put the book down and finished it within two days. I was mesmerized by the characters, the relationships, and the plot.
The unique storyline and romance was very entertaining and the ending was unexpected and shocking to me. While this is not a movie review, I feel as though I must also comment on the movie. Although the movie stuck to the book's plot, the acting
was so bad that it really ruined the movie. The book was amazing and I wished that the movie reflected that better.
9.5/10
I read this book when I had Covid and that was a big mistake because I could not put it down and could not sleep until I finished it. This book was filled with suspense
and I needed to consume every word written immediately. The plot was very interesting and unlike the usual romance novels Hoover is known for writing. I appreciated the originality of
the storyline. Even though there was some cliche characters and interactions, I was able to overlook it because of how captivating the plot was. This book was very very close to getting
a 10/10 from me, however, I thought that the ending was weak and abrupt and instead of wishing there was more to read, I wished for a better ending. The book made me forget I had Coivd, however, once I read the ending, I fell asleep very fast.
Writing fiction is not an easy task, but I would have appreciated a better ending.
7.5/10
The Seven Husbands fo Evelyn Hugo has a really entertaining and unique storyline. The book itself touches upon many themes such as love, greed, and abuse. I thought it very creative to see the story get told in both the past and the present as present day Evelyn decides
to have a book written about her life and entrusts a writer/journalist to write down her life story. Overall, I think this was a very entertaining book to read.
6.5/10
Normal People was a very ordinary and unoriginal book. Nothing about the plot, characters, or writing was exceptional. It is not a bad book, but just not a jaw dropping read.
I read it on the plane coming back from Italy and I think its a great plane or beach book.
7.5/10
Daisy Jones & The Six is the second book I read by Taylor Jenkins Reid and I could not help but wonder what she
did prior to writing books. Both Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo are written in
the form of an interview. The two books also revolve around successful and talented people in the entertainment industry.
As I googled Reid’s background, I found that she started her career in film production and is married to a screenwriter. I thought she
might have had a career in journalism as her writing style demonstrates a desire to shine a light on journalism, but interestingly enough,
she does not. I enjoyed her writing format and style as it was a unique way of telling a story, but not difficult at all for readers to get accustomed to.
I am really impressed with how she was able to write in such a different style, yet still make it digestible for readers. This also must have
been a unique experience for Reid, as she wrote the songs that the band sings in the book. I wonder what her writing process was for that. Did she have a
melody in her mind? Did she sing them out loud as she wrote them down? I found myself trying to sing the songs in my head. The book is being adapted into a
tv series and I am eager to watch the book, characters, and song come to life.
/10