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chrissie_whitley's reviews
1547 reviews
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A completely delightful book. A complete package for booklovers and book-snobs alike. The overall tone and writing style kept this story moving along a comfortable and enjoyable pace. I just loved the grumpy titular character, A. J. Fikry. The blurb is true when it says: As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
4.0
"A. J. walks over to the crime section. He looks across the spines, which are, for the most part, black and red with all capital fonts in silvers and whites. An occasional burst of fluorescence breaks up the monotony. A. J. thinks how similar everything in the crime genre looks. Why is any one book different from any other book? They are different, A. J. decides, because they are. We have to look inside many. We have to believe. We agree to be disappointed sometimes so that we can be exhilarated every now and again."
A completely delightful book. A complete package for booklovers and book-snobs alike. The overall tone and writing style kept this story moving along a comfortable and enjoyable pace. I just loved the grumpy titular character, A. J. Fikry. The blurb is true when it says: As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
The Riverman by Aaron Starmer
4.0
"The Riverman."
"He's here?" I asked.
The moon was strangled by clouds. It was as dark out as it gets. "He could be anywhere," she said.
There were pebbles at my feet, and as Fiona lifted her bike and walked away, I worked my feet through those pebbles and kept tightening those swing chains. There are countless stories where a boy tosses pebbles at a girl's window and she opens it and climbs down and he saves her. He always saves her.
This was, quite simply, the loveliest little children's fantasy I've read in a while. If the 1980s were fantasy this would be it. This was the 80s. This was The Goonies (1985), Big (1988), Stand by Me (1986), and The NeverEnding Story (1984) all rolled up together. The writing is so filled with hope and certainty; a beautiful Bildungsroman.
Frankly, I have not read, in my lifetime, very many coming-of-age stories with a male protagonist. Being in advanced reading classes in school, I've come to learn, forced me to leave behind some standards in literature. My fellow sixth graders were reading [b:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405973850s/2956.jpg|1835605] and my AG class was reading [b:Fahrenheit 451|17470674|Fahrenheit 451|Ray Bradbury|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366411587s/17470674.jpg|1272463] and [b:Animal Farm|7613|Animal Farm|George Orwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424037542s/7613.jpg|2207778]. Don't get me wrong, I loved both of those examples - Fahrenheit especially affected me deeply at that age - but there's still that nearly absent thought that occurs to me every so often that I have forgotten some childhood classics along the way. I've added them to my to-reads, but sometimes it is hard to go back to the middle-grade books and read them and enjoy them in the same way you either would've as a child, or the way in which they were intended. This book was an absolute delight. I found absolutely no difficulty in both connecting with Alistair and becoming completely engaged in the story.
I'm recommending this to two of my book-loving friends immediately. And, then, I'm going to head to the library in the near future and check out the second book, [b:The Whisper|21469064|The Whisper (The Riverman Trilogy, #2)|Aaron Starmer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406137475s/21469064.jpg|40786990].
"He's here?" I asked.
The moon was strangled by clouds. It was as dark out as it gets. "He could be anywhere," she said.
There were pebbles at my feet, and as Fiona lifted her bike and walked away, I worked my feet through those pebbles and kept tightening those swing chains. There are countless stories where a boy tosses pebbles at a girl's window and she opens it and climbs down and he saves her. He always saves her.
This was, quite simply, the loveliest little children's fantasy I've read in a while. If the 1980s were fantasy this would be it. This was the 80s. This was The Goonies (1985), Big (1988), Stand by Me (1986), and The NeverEnding Story (1984) all rolled up together. The writing is so filled with hope and certainty; a beautiful Bildungsroman.
Frankly, I have not read, in my lifetime, very many coming-of-age stories with a male protagonist. Being in advanced reading classes in school, I've come to learn, forced me to leave behind some standards in literature. My fellow sixth graders were reading [b:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|2956|The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn|Mark Twain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405973850s/2956.jpg|1835605] and my AG class was reading [b:Fahrenheit 451|17470674|Fahrenheit 451|Ray Bradbury|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366411587s/17470674.jpg|1272463] and [b:Animal Farm|7613|Animal Farm|George Orwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424037542s/7613.jpg|2207778]. Don't get me wrong, I loved both of those examples - Fahrenheit especially affected me deeply at that age - but there's still that nearly absent thought that occurs to me every so often that I have forgotten some childhood classics along the way. I've added them to my to-reads, but sometimes it is hard to go back to the middle-grade books and read them and enjoy them in the same way you either would've as a child, or the way in which they were intended. This book was an absolute delight. I found absolutely no difficulty in both connecting with Alistair and becoming completely engaged in the story.
I'm recommending this to two of my book-loving friends immediately. And, then, I'm going to head to the library in the near future and check out the second book, [b:The Whisper|21469064|The Whisper (The Riverman Trilogy, #2)|Aaron Starmer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406137475s/21469064.jpg|40786990].
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
4.0
This book. Gah.
There is such an air of both solemnity and melancholy to this book. By the end it is utterly heart-wrenching. The story is told in a simple and forthright manner, and yet there is a certain level of subtle sophistication to the narrative. The draw into the story is easy, but gentle. This is a quiet gem of a book.
Christmas is the season for miracles, you know. Sometimes they come big and loud, I guess—but I've never seen one of those. I think probably most miracles are a lot smaller, and sort of still, and so quiet, you could miss them.
There is such an air of both solemnity and melancholy to this book. By the end it is utterly heart-wrenching. The story is told in a simple and forthright manner, and yet there is a certain level of subtle sophistication to the narrative. The draw into the story is easy, but gentle. This is a quiet gem of a book.
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
4.0
The tricky thing for me upon beginning a [a:Liane Moriarty|322069|Liane Moriarty|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1459827224p2/322069.jpg] book, seems to be getting over the fact that this is clearly marketed as chick-lit. I mean, yes, the characters are "chicks" but nothing about this is silly or fluffy, which I (perhaps unfairly) associate with chick-lit.
I could not put down this book.
The thing is—Moriarty creates these entirely real human beings. Even the ones with whom I have very little in common I can completely understand, if not directly relate. As with [b:Big Little Lies|19486412|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1399582436s/19486412.jpg|27570886] (the only other book of hers I have yet read), the plot revolves around the point of intersection with the lives of the three narrators who are, at the opening of the novel, seemingly unrelated.
Moriarty's deft ability for incredible characterization, her startlingly hilarious wit, and her fantastic pacing she sets for her stories make her books a must-read for me now. Reading a book of hers is like the beginning of a roller coaster ride. You haven't gotten a good look at the first direction (straight down, banking curve, or a leveling out) after the initial climb, but you know something is coming and the build-up is thrilling in itself. The rest of the ride finishes in a whirl of interconnected moments as our three narrators are forced to make decisions in directing their lives from here on out.
I could not put down this book.
The thing is—Moriarty creates these entirely real human beings. Even the ones with whom I have very little in common I can completely understand, if not directly relate. As with [b:Big Little Lies|19486412|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1399582436s/19486412.jpg|27570886] (the only other book of hers I have yet read), the plot revolves around the point of intersection with the lives of the three narrators who are, at the opening of the novel, seemingly unrelated.
Moriarty's deft ability for incredible characterization, her startlingly hilarious wit, and her fantastic pacing she sets for her stories make her books a must-read for me now. Reading a book of hers is like the beginning of a roller coaster ride. You haven't gotten a good look at the first direction (straight down, banking curve, or a leveling out) after the initial climb, but you know something is coming and the build-up is thrilling in itself. The rest of the ride finishes in a whirl of interconnected moments as our three narrators are forced to make decisions in directing their lives from here on out.