The Secret History by Donna Tartt

 

Hmmm.

I am way late to the game on this 1992 publication, and I can see why there is so much diversity in opinion about this one.  You either Loved It or thought it was crap. Like, really violently.

Your girl here is somewhere smack in the middle.

I struggled at first with this one, and almost DNF'd it.  The telling of the story is almost excruciatingly slow.  The characters are unlikable at worst, empty challises at best.  Privileged, rich, uncaring of consequences, and one character with absolutely no filter.  They all seem to have some sort of issue - devoid of emotion, too much emotion, and absolutely blind to the outside world.  These six people meet in a Vermont college and are in a very exclusive curriculum under the tutelage of one professor of the Classics.  Some of them knew each other before college; our narrator is the outlier  - poor and from California.  His acceptance into their clique is probably the most defining moment of his life, and not really in a good way.

You know from the first sentence that a murder occurs, and to whom and by whom.  The remainder of the novel is half leading up to this decision/execution, and the other half what happens After.  There is no doubt that Tartt's writing is exquisite.  I mean, on a Pat Conroy level (which is Golden from this SC girl).  And the story is not such much about the murder itself, but such a deep character study.  Psychology majors and English Lit majors rejoice!!!  Beach readers, go elsewhere.  Online reviews rave about this novel's brilliance and meaning and even debate what really happened on that fateful night.  Is it allegory?  How unreliable is our narrator, or is he telling the factual truth?  Was this destiny and were they actually crazy or just desperate?  This would be amazing in a book club that is willing to really dig deep because there really is so much to discuss here.  You just gotta get through it first!  

The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

 

What a fun escape!!  One of Sanderson's Secret Projects during Covid, this fantasy (or, really, more science fiction) novel shows off his comedic chops and vast imagination while introducing an underdog you can't help but root for while you shake your head at him simultaneously.

He has no idea who, or where, he is.  He wakes up in a field, sees people dressed up like they are at a Renaissance Festival, and hears them talking about finding HIM.  Is he in danger?  Where IS he?  Can he trust these superstitious people he is meeting?  And WHY can't he remember who he is?   Adventures ensue.  I can't say much more except this was really fun, a quick and easy read, and very escapist, which was perfect for a few cold days locked in during the snow! If you liked Game of Thrones, but really are enjoying Ser Duncan and Egg better right now, this book is for you.  If you have no clue what I am talking about, or if you've wanted to get into a sci-fi read that won't break your brain, you can still enjoy this story! I really like Sanderson's writing.  His series are excellent, but this standalone might be just enough for most! 

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

 

Such a gorgeous cover!!!!  The story inside is a good one - great beach read and of course, the setting is to die for.  Pun not intended....

There is a bit of a love story here, a bit of historical fantasy, and a mystery which includes sunken treasure and volcanoes and strega, and why a nautical archeologist comes to Positano in the first place.  This is a dual timeline novel going back to the days when pirates could never quite make it into the port, and women spoke to the sea to save their people.  There is a pretty good twist with how that plot line connects to the archeologist that is not a usual one.  Not exactly a book club book but a pleasant read for sure!  Now I want to go back to Italy......

The Heart of Everything by Marc Levy

 

A fun, quick read about a man making amends with his dead father and going on a big adventure (with said father) to do so.  Yes, I did mention that his father is dead.  Read on.

This novel has some great descriptive writing.  You really feel like you are there with Thomas, a famous pianist, during his concert, during his chats with his breezy loving life Mama (I loved her!).  The entire concept of doing this favor for his dad is really creative.  Thomas learns a lot about his dad that he could not have known while his dad was alive.  Anyone that has lost a parent will know that desire for just five more minutes with them.  Thomas gets that and probably more than he ever imagined, but not more than he needed.

If I had edited this book, I would have pointed out a few things:  1 - please have Thomas (eventually) put on headphones so it doesn't look like he is talking to himself!  This actually drove me crazy.  2 - No way Thomas would have walked home from that restaurant.  Not in that city!!  3 - I don't think the book tells you what year this is set in, but they exchanged emails??  Uh, no.  They exchanged phone numbers and texted each other.  4 - There is an editorial disconnect in the dialogue on page 147, which confused me as to who was saying what.  5 - There is a word missing on page 163.  See if you can find (or NOT find) it!  

Now, these are tiny details.  I also felt like the title didn't really "match" the book.  I have started to see that more and more lately.  But these things did not deter me (nor do they have anything to do with the author in most cases) from reading this fun story, and I would recommend it.  

Note - this is my first NetGalley review.  Hoping to have more soon.  Usually NetGalley books are ARCs or newly published. 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

 

This was my classic for 2025.  And it was not at all what I thought it was!!  I always thought this story was about the Making of the Monster.  But nope, the monster is created pretty much in the first several pages.  The rest?  Oh, the regret and the terror and the chase!!!  As you'd expect, the verbiage here is appropriate to the times, and it seems so dramatic to the modern eye/ear.  But I can see why this caused such a stir  - her age, the subject matter, the gore!  As a reader, I did not know with whom my sympathies lay.  Interesting!!

[Beware, my daughter and I (no, the younger one!!) watched the new adaptation with Oscar Issac over the holidays, and it was SO GORY!   I love Oscar but this movie was not really like the book - but did redeem itself in the end.  But we almost turned it off twice.]

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

 

I admire Jodi Picoult's work.  She takes hard topics and weaves a human story around it with care and with truth.  Often a Picoult book is hard to read; always a Picoult book makes you think.

Sometimes a Picoult book can change your mind.

There have been several theories about the work of Shakespeare.  Some people believe he didn't actually write the plays with his name on them.  Picoult takes this theory into two timelines and explores this idea, cleverly lining up why a woman in the 1590's would not be able to claim authorship on a play with a more current story of prejudice against female playwrights today.

First, the cover is beautiful.  Second, the name of this book is PERFECTION.  Third, the first few chapters of this book are hard to read.  But I am glad I did not let that stop me from reading.  Our two main characters, Emilia in 1590 and Melina in 2023, face what many women face - very little choice.  Emilia is raised with education and in wealth but then is pretty much sold into being a "courtesan" - a mistress to a titled man.  She is treated very well there, but yearns for more after being educated.  She turns to writing but has no opportunities to do anything with her words.  Then she meets Kit Marlowe and he makes a proposition that will change her life.

Melina is a struggling playwright herself and has faced discrimination due to her gender.  When she learns of a connection to Emilia, she knows the story she wants to tell.  And she ropes her best (male) friend into helping her.  

See where we are going here?

Picoult sprinkles lots of references to Shakespearean phrases throughout the Emilia chapters.  It was fun to catch a few of them!!  And to wonder - how DID Shakespeare know a woman's thoughts and emotions so well?  If he was so educated and sympathetic to a woman's plight, why weren't his own daughters educated?  How could he have described the palace in Denmark or weddings in Italy if he had never been there?  And why weren't there more manuscripts left when he died?

I admit I enjoyed the Emilia chapters the best.  The love interest in Melina's story seemed trite.  But the struggles are real for both women.  And of course, Picoult's writing is simply masterful.  She gives us lots of info in her Author's Note, and even lists out the Shakespeare references at the end.  She only leaves one question for us, which she herself has most definitely answered in her own mind:

What do YOU think???

Silver or Gold? Questioning reading new books over old

 

Silver....

or Gold??

As usual this year, I received a lot of books for Christmas for which I am of course grateful!  When I went to add them to the one cubby in my bookshelves that I dedicate to my TBR stack, I was a bit stumped.  Do I mix them in?  Do I leave them in their own sparkly stack?  How jealous are those books gonna be that have been sitting on my shelf for, I dunno, FIVE YEARS??

Remember that old Girl Scout Song (or maybe from a Christmas cartoon?  I am specifically envisioning a snowman with Burl Ives' voice...)?  Make new friends but keep the old, one is SILVER and the other's GOLD?  That is how I am feeling.  My books from years past are gold - I know where they came from and sometimes even why I bought them.  The new ones will be good friends once I read them.  But, where do I start?  Do I dive into the new books and continue to put the older ones on the backshelf?  Do I read the old ones first to make room for the new ones?  Will I lose my excitement for my new books if I wait, though??

Oh, so many questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My physical TBR runs at just over 50 books.  Embarrassing really.  I do not understand people who say they don't know what to read next.  Humph.  I just don't know which ONE to read next.  My daughter is a mood reader.  I usually try to hop between different genres, not reading three historical fictions in a row for example.  A couple of years ago I started giving myself a challenge list of books from my backlist (one a month) and that has been doable.  Maybe this year I can amp it up a bit and alternate - for every Silver (new) book I read I must read a Gold (old).  This is only paper books of course; Audiobooks throw a whole other category in there!

Anyone else have this dilemma?  How do YOU solve it?  How should I?  Tell me in the comments!!!