diversifyyourreading's reviews
282 reviews

I loved the mix of the family story and the historical aspect. Such an incredible way to learn more about this period and such a heartwarming story about family!

The first Clique novel came out when I was 11 years old and I indulged in that series, convincing myself I would've fit right in with Massie Block and the rest of the girls (no matter how bratty they were). So, when I saw that Lisi Harrison was releasing her first adult novel, I knew that I had to check it out. Well....she's done it again! As I read The Dirty Book Club, I truly felt like I was a member of the Dirty Book Club, as if I was reading and discussing along with them. And that's a pretty powerful thing.

Four totally different women are brought together as 'heirs' of the Dirty Book Club and told to take it or leave it, but it's all of them or none of them - it can't be a partial book club. Each of them have their own thirty-something issues, but could they possibly have more in common with each other (and their predecessors) than they think? This book will make you laugh and cry, compile a list of books you NEED to read, and leave you rooting for each and every one of the girls at the end (even if you don't agree with their decisions along the way). However, I will say that I think the book was cut a bit short which, in my opinion, was the only negative thing. The chapters at the end seemed like they were quickly compiled together and threads were loosely tied. I definitely would've loved a slower conclusion - perhaps a few more chapters

and maybe one more letter from Gloria to wrap it all up

. *I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This reads like a collection of short stories, each one about a different match made at the marriage bureau. I loved how the history and evolution of the bureau was weaved into the matchmaking stories. Another non fiction book that doesn’t feel like nonfiction at all!

I don't review every book that I read because I sometimes find it hard to put a book into my own words. Either it is too similar to other books I have read or I just cannot find the right way to say what I want to say in the way I want to say it. The Butterfly Garden falls under the latter category. Why? Because a part of me is very disturbed that I enjoyed this book so much.

The Butterfly Garden needs to come with a trigger warning. The content within its pages is totally disturbing, but also incredibly captivating. And the writing is just brilliant. I think that the phrase 'hauntingly beautiful' was created for this book!

I said it before and I'll say it again - if you are sensitive to topics like rape, servitude, or really any sort of abuse or captivity, this probably isn't a good read. The images are vivid and the topics are heavy. However, if you are open to reading about topics like this in fiction, I couldn't recommend this book more. The story, beneath the graphic images and disturbing concepts, is beautiful.

This book is 50 Shades of Grey meets Ally McBeal – it’s graphic, kind of funny, and not very well written. Naturally, I was hooked. I found myself (frequently) questioning why some of the things that were said out loud were said out loud, and why some of the decisions were made, but at the end of the day the book achieved what it needed to achieve. I’ll be chatting to my girlfriends about it throughout the month and will probably recommend it to a friend. If you like romantic comedies and enjoyed the 50 Shades series or something similar, like the Crossfire novels, then you’ll probably enjoy this. Just don’t expect much from it. It’s a quick, girly read and you’ll hate yourself for secretly enjoying it.