To Whisper Her Name by Tamera AlexanderThis is a historical fiction romance set in the South just after the Civil War. I thought the time period sounded really intriguing-- I mean imagine living in the defeated South right after the war ended! When I first started reading the book the romance felt wayyy too predictable. However the author avoided this by very quickly ending the will they/won't they troupe by focusing instead on the difficulties of a relationship between two people from very different backgrounds.
Something I loved about this novel was that it felt well-researched; there were plenty of facts thrown in that weren't necessary to the plot but they worked to create a rich atmosphere.
The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeilThis is one of those novels where you start to think like the author speaks after a while-- it has a very distinctive voice and a very strong tone. Now if you like the fast paced witty voice-- as I did-- then great but it is definitely something that could cause someone to put the book down completely.
Overall: a charming read about a single mother trying to breath life into a knitting store while navigating the complexities of dating and raising two little boys and all the mess and beauty that goes into that. It is a fun, quick read.
The Darkling Bride by Laura AndersonAhh and now we come to my first DNF ARC which is a bunch of letters to disguise the fact that I did not like this book given to me for review. At all. It tried to encompass way too many genres and did not do any of them justice, every single character had mother issues (odd coincidence), and really life is just too short to finish a book you do not like. It has promise-- it wants to be sort of a modern Victorian gothic but it also tries to be everything else and....did not work for me!
Unprocessed: My City-Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food by Megan KimbleAnd straight from my least favorite to my most favorite! This was an incredibly engaging nonfiction book about the author's search for authenticity in her food. From figuring out what she even meant by 'unprocessed' to interviewing countless small farmers, ranches, wheat enthusiasts, beer brewers-- the author manages to pack in a ton of interesting information in a easy to read format.
I never read nonfiction but this was so engaging I had no issue making my way through it. It inspired me to shop locally-- I can't wait for summer when more produce is locally available-- and showed me the cost of a society which demands ALL the fruits/veggies at ALL the times. It walked a delicate line of being informative without being judgemental. I also loved reading about her struggles through the year of trying to make almost everything-- from bread to chocolate-- herself.
That's it! What did you think of this mini-review format? Like it? Hate it? Couldn't care less? Let me know!
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