Barbara Rachel's Reviews

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon My rating: 4 of 5 stars 1/28/2023...First note on the audible, and I do not mean to be ageist because I am no spring chicken but does the narrator have to sound like she is an 95-year-old great-grandmother? It is really a turn off for the more intimate scenes. It is like having my mom read it to me. Ew. 3/15/2023 My G-d this book is overly long. Reading in pieces because I just cannot.  Do I need to hear every detail about every mundane life activity? No, not really. It is like going to a 5 week family reunion. I love my family, but who would do that....? 5/22/23...Still reading and listening to the audible, #adhd style. I feel like I am doing starship logs for this review. 

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith My rating: 4 of 5 stars First of all: this is an honest review of the book, wanting to separate RG from JKR whom I wish would keep her opinions to herself, but due to the trajectory of the story, it kept coming back to social media, online bullying and I just found that so fascinating. I mean really cutting it close to the quick there. This book.  I rented it from the library so as not to give money to the author, my choice. Here's a shock for you JKR, if you ever deign to read a fan's review: your online ranting will NEVER change my mind about supporting trans persons. So just keep it to yourself.  Back to the book. IT WAS LONG. But as a non-author, I could not tell you what on earth I would cut from it. I was intrigued and found it well written, of course, and very well plotted. The end, though.... it went from a very slow burn - which I personally do not mind - to everything happening all at ...

First confession, I do not think I have ever read the original Persuasion . I finally paused my reading about halfway through to watch the 2007 movie.  I loved the movie. For the most part, however, I did not like this book.  I really wanted to like it and I was rooting for Asha and Rico as well as Asha and her mother….but the conflict between Asha and her parents was just an agonizing slog.  Personally I found the stunted personality development of Asha tiring. Honestly, this was a book I just wanted to get through.

Pseudo-spoilers ahead…. Okay, admittedly, at first I was confused about how this was akin to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . It took a few chapters for me to sort out that this was being told from Darcy’s rather than Elizabeth’s perspective, in the voice of Dr Trisha Raje.  Once I sorted out who was whom, I mostly enjoyed the book. I especially was entertained by the alterations made to Wickham’s character; there is no vagueness about this particular Wickham’s motives; this one is as bad as they come. All in all I thought this captured the spirit of the original story and yet had enough originality to be engaging. This was very much a difficult-to-put-down book for me.  What I didn’t always enjoy, however, was being in Trisha’s head. She has a difficult personality that I had a hard time sympathizing with, particularly her tendency towards self pity. The one real difficulty I had with this book was the toxic relationship with her father and the gaslighting by her family. W...

This was a fairly classic romcom story, as would be expected by the title. The main character had a tough back story, however, making this book stand apart a bit from the pack. Without giving anything away, I will just say that Leah Keegan's history and the challenges she faces in the book were unexpected and I appreciated the depth of her character. By contrast, her opposite, Eli Masterson, is a bit obtuse and does not do much to endear anyone to the cis-hetero male for about 80% of the book.  Overall, I enjoyed the story and it was a quick 2 day read, even for me.  As far as spiciness: this is very PG-13.  Favorite quote: "Trust issues - she had them, and with good reason. She was perpetually braced for the moment something would be taken away from her - a home, a place in the world."

  I loved this book. I was laughing out loud from the beginning. Evvie is clever and funny. Her humor is on the sardonic side, which I enjoyed.  This book was a pleasure to read: the cozy water-side town, the dreamy fallen from grace pro-ball player (I kept picturing a similar character from Sweet Magnolias - anyone else?), the unusually platonic male-female friendship. I was there for all of it.  However, this is not a typical romcom. It becomes apparent that beneath a veneer of humor is some darkness and the story takes a turn into real life challenges all around.  I really recommend this book. I laughed, I cried, and of course, I swooned. Moderately spicy as far as intimacy goes, by my estimation. Favorite quote, "Being married to Tim was like...it was like paddling a boat, but for ten years...I'll just go another hundred yards. In case it's right up there. So I didn't take this whole trip for nothing."

  This book was another delightful entry into the Heartstopper saga. Interestingly, it was not a strange transition moving from a graphic series to a written novella. This story brings back the story of Nick and Charlie and is as sweet ever without being over the top or saccharine. This time they are challenged with the seismic changes that come with growing up and possibly apart. I loved the book, adore the characters of Nick and Charlie and was happy to catch up with their story.  Favorite quote, "I used to think I was pathetic for thinking soppy, romantic stuff like that. I don't anymore. I just keep thinking it." Heads up, while the prior  Heartstopper books are more PG 13, these two have grown up, and the content has too.