sfbookgirl's reviews
412 reviews

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you’re looking for a book to take you on vacation, look no further. I loved One Italian Summer for its delectable descriptions of incredible food and the small, cliffside town of Positano, Italy. This incredibly touching mother-daughter novel tells the story of Carol and Katy. The pair had planned a spectacular Italian vacation together but now that her mother has passed, Katy must embark on the vacation alone. 
 
On this magical trip, Katy encounters her mother, at the age of 30. Over the course of a summer, Katy learns about Carol not as her mother, but as the woman she was before she became Katy’s mom. This escapist read is perfect for those looking to travel to the beautiful Amalfi Coast without ever stepping outside. It did feel a little cheesy at times, but I loved the novel for the everlasting relationship Katy has with her mother. I’m not usually the biggest fan of magical realism, but this one definitely hit the mark. I highly recommend it!
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The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The Atlas Six is a tough one to review. While it has all of the elements I enjoy in a book including an academic setting, magic, and dark themes, The Atlas Six fell immediately to two stars after reading an alarming chapter set near the end of the novel (this is discussed later in my review). Olivie Blake’s novel tells the story of six young academicians chosen to participate in an elite secret society. The first year in the society involves an initiation process in which each of the young recruits must work together to solve a series of tasks. But in the end, only five will be selected as members of the society. 
 
While Blake’s writing initially grabbed me, the seemingly pretentious writing quickly turned sour. And despite having a Masters degree in Library and Information Science, The Atlas Six’s prose, candidly speaking, made me feel dumb. No book should make a reader feel dumb! Unless the book is about astrophysics or in that realm. 😆  The larger issue I had with The Atlas Six was the representation of the sole Jewish character. Without revealing any spoilers, this Jewish character experiences and is defined by the horrific event of a synagogue shooting as described near the end of the novel. Why is it that the Jewish character has to be defined by an event so prevalent, current, and specific to Jewish people? The decision to include this event seemed inappropriate and honestly, pretty offensive. All and all, The Atlas Six didn’t sit right with me and it will be unlikely that I will pursue reading the sequel.
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The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Swimmers is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Written in the collective first person Julie Otsuka’s newest novel describes what happens when a crack is found at the bottom of a private, members-only pool and the repercussions it has for its swimmers. But this is not just a story about a pool. It’s also a story about one of its swimmers - a woman named Alice who is diagnosed with dementia. 
 
While reading The Swimmers, I felt the world around me go quiet. Otsuka’s writing style offers readers a beautiful, yet devastating story about what it means to lose someone, to grieve, and to reflect on the life we have been given. While short in length, the prose feels full. As a result, I found it best to read this one over a longer period of time to appreciate the beauty of its concise, heartbreaking narrative.
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Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was a delight! Elissa Sussman’s writing style is so fun and electric that I couldn’t help but keep turning pages. While this isn’t one I will be thinking about months later, it is a novel I enjoyed while reading it. A young writer named Chani Horowitz is hired to write a profile on the famous movie star Gabe Parker in Los Angeles. Chan is obsessed with him and is tasked with interviewing Gabe for his new James Bond role. The interview ends up happening over the duration of one unforgettable weekend in which her feelings for Gabe only heighten. 
 
Ten years later and after a terrible divorce, Chani is back in LA and is asked to write a follow-up piece on Gabe. Chani has still got the feelings and she is worried that maybe this follow-up assignment is a recipe for disaster. I loved the back-and-forth narrative that switches between the past and the present day of Chani’s (and Gabe’s) life. The pacing is fabulous and is filled with so much juicy gossip; it makes you second guess that this is fiction. 
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Alllll of the starts for Project Hail Mary (and Rocky)! I loved this book so much. Despite its hefty page count, I couldn’t put this one down and I flew through it in a couple of days. All fans of sci-fi, space, and just literature, in general, are in for a treat. The novel begins with main character Ryland Grace (picture Ryan Gosling) waking up to realize he is all alone in a spaceship. All he knows is that he has been asleep for an incredibly long time and has to relearn everything he has ever known.

I was weirdly afraid this was going to play out like the terrible Passengers movie, but spoiler alert, it didn’t (thank goodness). I am very excited that they are making Project Hail Mary into a movie because wow it’s going to be so good. Yes, like The Martian, there is a lot of math and science, but it’s ok if it all goes over your head. This action-packed, tear-jerking novel is one you don’t want to miss. It even has Obama’s stamp of approval as he put it on his summer 2021 reading list. Go forth and enjoy!

Thank you Random House for a gifted copy!
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Gallant by V.E. Schwab

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adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Cue the creaky stairs, the voices of ghosts, and the sudden whoosh of the wind; Gallant is a spoooooooky read. Main character Olivia Prior has grown up all her life at the Merilance School for girls but suddenly, a letter arrives for her stating that Olivia has a home and long-lost family at a manor named Gallant. Olivia leaves her orphanage, knowing that any home will be better than her current living situation. But Gallant manor is hiding secrets, and after all, her late mother’s journal warned her to never return to Gallant. 
 
While short and sweet (or perhaps eerie is the more appropriate word), Gallant is filled with spooky sensations. While I enjoyed the plot, what really intrigued me was the incredible atmosphere that V.E. Schwab created through her unique prose. You can’t help but wonder if there are ghosts in your house wandering around looking to create havoc. I quickly realized that the synopsis of Gallant gives way too much away, so I opted to read the novel for its ~vibes~ rather than for its plot. Gallant is one to read if you are looking for something ghostly and is the perfect novel for curling up on your couch while watching the fall leaves flutter to the ground outside.
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Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

As the debate about returning artworks and artifacts to their rightful owners/countries is an extremely popular talking point in the art world today, Portrait of a Thief is more current than ever. The novel centers around five college students who are hired by a private Chinese art collector to steal artwork from various museums around the world and return them to China. The book is set up to be a *great* movie or show and already happens to be in the works with Netflix. That said, the book fell pretty flat for me and I was irked by the over-romanticism of the Bay Area…I get picky about how people write about where I grew up. 
 
While I didn’t find the stakes high enough for these college kids (what student doesn’t want money?), Portrait of a Thief is a quick read with short chapters that are easy to inhale. Although it was easy to finish in a couple of sittings, I found a lot of the information about the characters to be repetitive and didn’t allow the characters to grow or develop. I ended up skimming the book towards the end only to encounter a dull ending that leaves readers with an unsatisfied experience. All and all, I was looking for some more action and a bit less description of the Bay Area’s rolling, golden hills and furniture-less apartments.
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Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau

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informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

I learned so much from this short, yet incredibly informative book. This great handbook provides all humans with a better understanding of disability and how to be mindful of disability etiquette. The book is best read slowly - one chapter at a time. There is so much to absorb in each chapter and I wanted to make sure I was processing what I was reading before heading to the next chapter in the book. It also deserves a reread and is best kept somewhere nearby as a reference. Rather than writing this in a tone that calls readers out for their mistakes, Ladau brings readers in and encourages them to think critically about how they approach disability in their everyday lives. 
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke

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challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

This non-fiction graphic novel illustrates the aspects of loneliness in America using science and sociology to explain why we gravitate towards each other. My favorite aspects of the graphic novel are the illustrations - Kristen Radtke does a fantastic job incorporating text in her sometimes busy, and sometimes simple, graphics. Radtke also uses her own experiences to demonstrate what loneliness means to her. Her reflections resonated with me and while some of the scientific elements went over my head, I appreciate Radtke taking the time to perform ample research on loneliness in America.
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Let's Not Do That Again: A Novel by Grant Ginder

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dark tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

While I really enjoy fictional books about politics, this one didn't wow me. Let's Not Do That Again is a family drama about a mother who is running for Senate and her two children who have gone adrift. Nick, the son, is reeling from a heartbreak and attempting to write a play while Great has just made the news after blowing up buildings in Paris. The majority of the story revolves around Nick and his mother attempting to locate Greta and knock some sense into her. 
 
The plot truly begins in the last 50 pages. I loved these last 50 pages, but I wish the entire book revolved around this plot point. That said, I really enjoyed the dialogue in Ginder's novel as it flows well and encouraged me to keep turning pages. Other reviewers have really enjoyed it so if political fiction is your thing, maybe give it a try. 
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