A Little Hope

 

“A Little Hope” by Ethan Joella
Published by Scribner
 
I’m surprised this book isn’t more well known.  The writing is truly beautiful.  Multiple times I would stop and reread a sentence because I enjoyed it so much.  It’s hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel.  Granted, he’s a college English professor so he should know a thing or two about writing and it’s obvious he does.
 
This book has multiple storylines intertwined within a small town in Connecticut.  Initially it took me a minute to recall who was who when beginning a new chapter related to one storyline that would also reference a character from a different storyline, but it got easier over time as I got to know the characters better.  As the title suggests, the common theme throughout is Hope.  Whether it is dealing with a sickness or grieving a loss, each storyline contains hope for a better future.  There are heartbreaks but there is healing as well.  I definitely recommend this one.
 
Finished 1/15/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#alittlehope #ethanjoella #scribner #botm #genxreads #2025reads

Little Fires Everywhere

 “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng
Published by Penguin Press
 
This is a family drama, with lots of drama.  Essentially, every character has some form of past and/or current drama they are dealing with.  Some individually and some together with others.  The common theme across it all seems to be choices made and their consequences.  Is there always a definite right and wrong or is there simply the grey area in between? It makes you ponder what choice you would have made if in their situation. I greatly enjoyed this one – loved both the storylines and the characters.  I just felt that at times it was missing depth. Granted, I think when you have this many characters with storylines, it’s harder to add depth without making the book too long and drawn out.
 
Side note - I found it quite interesting that although the book is told in 3^rd person, the majority of the time the adults (except Mia and Bebe) are referred to as Mr. or Mrs. rather than their first names even though they have their own storylines.
 
Finished 1/8/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#littlefireseverywhere #chelesteng #penguinpress #genxreads #2025reads

More or Less Maddy

 

“More or Less Maddy” by Lisa Genova
Published by Gallery/Scout Press (coming 1/14/25)
 
I’m a huge fan of Lisa Genova so was excited to get my hands on this book.  I’ve read all but 1 of her books and they’ve all been 4 or 5 star reads for me.  This one fell a little short as a 3.5 star read though.  It just didn’t pull me in as much as her other books and I wasn’t able to connect with the characters in general.  I thought the storyline was good, character development of Maddy was good, and as a bonus I learned a little about bipolar disorder.  Although not my favorite Lisa Genova book, I still recommend it.  It’s a good story and might help you understand more of what those struggling with mental health challenges are going through.
 
Because I received an ARC, I’m not sure if there will be trigger warnings in the final print so please know there is a section discussing ways of committing suicide.  If that would be a trigger for someone, I wouldn’t recommend it to them.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 1/3/25 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#moreoflessmaddy #lisagenova #gallerybooks #scoutpress #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads

Still Missing

“Still Missing” by Chevy Stevens
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin
 
Another hit from Chevy Stevens.  I’ve read 2 other books of hers and they were both 5 star reads.  This one is only 4 stars, but it was her debut novel so that’s still quite impressive.  It is the story of a woman who was abducted and held captive for a year, told through sessions with her therapist.  During those sessions you find out what happened during that year as well as what is happening current day, including her healing process and the investigation into her abduction.  I thought it was quite good and definitely recommend it.
 
Finished 12/26/24 – 4/5 stars
 
#stillmissing #chevystevens #stmartinsgriffin #2024reads #genxreads

 

Crying in H Mart

 “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner
Published by Random House
 
I know, this is not the popular opinion, but I didn’t enjoy this one.  If you took out all the parts about food, the book would probably be half its size.  I understand that food played a part in the mother/daughter relationship, but I found it excessive.  I would have rather read more about their interactions than the ingredients in a dish or how to make it.  Sorry, I don’t recommend this one.
 
Finished 12/15/24 – 2/5 stars

Between Two Kingdoms

 
“Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted” by Suleika Jaouad
Published by Random House Audio
 
I enjoyed listening to this memoir read by the author.  First you find out about her life with symptoms that went undiagnosed, then her time fighting leukemia, and finally her quest to find out what life would hold after cancer.  There were parts I found a little self-centered, although understandable.  But there were many more parts that I found insightful and thought provoking.  Although it deals with sickness and dying (not the author), I didn’t find it depressing.  I would recommend it.
 
Side note – I had never heard of this author prior, but she became well known during her cancer fight for the articles she published in the NY Times as well a video journal she kept and published.  She’s also the wife of Jon Batiste, former band leader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
 
Finished 12/13/24 – 3/5 stars
 
#betweentwokingdoms #suleikajaouad #randomhouse #2024reads #genxreads

The Last to Vanish

 “The Last to Vanish” by Megan Miranda
Published by Marysue Rucci Books (Simon & Schuster)
 
This is my second book by Megan Miranda and I just know I’ll be reading more.  I really like her writing style.  In the last one I read (All the Missing Girls), each chapter went back a day in time, so it was essentially told backwards.  For this story, there have been multiple instances over the years of people going missing from a small tourist town in NC.  Each section of the book is focused on one event, starting with the newest one.  When looking into the most recent disappearance, they learn something about the next most recent one.  So each section may focus on just one event, but it also provides insight in to the one prior.  It continues like that until you come to the original disappearance and then all the pieces are revealed as to what happened to each person.  That description may make it sound like the book is confusing, but it’s not.  It’s just a different way to spread them out rather than focusing on all the disappearances at the same time.  I really enjoyed it.
 
I only have two negatives.  At one point one of the characters just goes “silent” for a little bit with no explanation.  It was like they were forgotten (although my brain kept asking “where is x?”) until they suddenly reappeared at just the right time.  The other is that there was a backstory thrown in at the last minute that I didn’t find necessary.  Yes, it added an extra twist to the story but to me it felt “forced” and didn’t need to be there.  It took away from the flow of the story.  But even with those two personal criticisms, I still really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
 
Finished 12/8/24 – 4/5 stars
 
#thelasttovanish #meganmiranda #marysueruccibooks #simonandschuster #2024reads #genxreads