Loved what you said about Glorious Exploits. I left it so long between reading and writing my review that I forgot some of that super interesting stuff about agency and non-choice choices. Absolutely adored the book and glad you liked it too ❤
Some good reviews here. I enjoyed Jessie Tu's last book so might hunt out her new one. Also keen to try the new Kirsty Capes. I recently read Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser which felt like a point in time novel. Reading Dusk by Robbie Arnott but early days yet. The Door also sounds good. Happy Christmas to you and Nell.
I have never tried Michelle de Krester, and I have never been sure if I should or not. Do you think I would like her work? Hope you have a great Christmas Janet.
Okay. The Door is happening in 2025, and Mother’s Don’t. Thanks for the recommendations, superb reviews as always. I have a copy of Say Hello to My Little Friend, I think because it was a finalist for the Kirkus prize this year, but I didn’t get around to reading it. Eventhough it was at the bottom of your reviews, I will give it a read sooner than later.
I really loved model home! For all the reasons you mentioned about representation, and I really liked the depiction of the siblings. The unswerving love but also the competitivity and comparison felt incredibly accurate. It was also such a heartbreaking story when it all came together. I gave it five stars but I also can't argue against the plot being the weakest part -- it definitely had that gothic slow unravelling that feels very wait for it... which can sometimes tip into boredom if not careful. Even though that didn't apply to me in the slightest, I can see it going that way for certain horror readers.
Not surprised you loved Model Home, Gothic Horror is something I know you love and when you add that to the mix of a great literary exploration of things like family, gender, race, and add in a dose of grief. Three things I know you enjoy on the one book!
Great job. I'm sad that Glorious Exploits never caught fire for me. I can see that, thematically, it seems right up my street. I'll give it another go someday. A Woman of Pleasure is something I need to read. It seems like a Stephanie book, no? I trust your judgment. And I'll definitely be reading Mothers Don't. I remember when it was an option for book club. Motherhood, as you know, is something I spend a lot of time pondering. It's painful to discuss, so I'm more than happy to let others do it for me.
It's fair enough you didn't get along with Glorious Exploits, it has a style, that's going to work for you or it is not. I think you would like A Woman of Pleasure - I might have told you not to read it in the book club, I have been getting muddled with it and Gifted, which is another Japanese translation about prostitution (among other things) and is not up to the same quality of A Woman of Pleasure.
Loved reading The Door recently. It became my best book of the year. You did a great job with the review. seems I must read it again as I am sure I missed a lot but what I did get was a really great read. Read Everybody's Son several years ago and like it but saw it mostly about race and not so much about adoption. Loved your review of that also. great video.
I can see why The Door is your book of the year. I think it's impossible to read The Door and to get everything in it, I an standing on the shoulders of my book group. Definitely a good book to reread. Interesting about Everybody's Son. Definitely about race a lot.
The Door was one of my favorite reads this year!
Loved what you said about Glorious Exploits. I left it so long between reading and writing my review that I forgot some of that super interesting stuff about agency and non-choice choices. Absolutely adored the book and glad you liked it too ❤
It was a great book, I had the benefit of having it as a book club read, so my review could piggyback off the conversation. :)
Some good reviews here. I enjoyed Jessie Tu's last book so might hunt out her new one. Also keen to try the new Kirsty Capes. I recently read Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser which felt like a point in time novel. Reading Dusk by Robbie Arnott but early days yet. The Door also sounds good. Happy Christmas to you and Nell.
I have never tried Michelle de Krester, and I have never been sure if I should or not. Do you think I would like her work?
Hope you have a great Christmas Janet.
The Door…yes, people will still be reading this for a long time. The most powerful and thought-provoking book I’ve read this year.
Okay. The Door is happening in 2025, and Mother’s Don’t.
Thanks for the recommendations, superb reviews as always.
I have a copy of Say Hello to My Little Friend, I think because it was a finalist for the Kirkus prize this year, but I didn’t get around to reading it. Eventhough it was at the bottom of your reviews, I will give it a read sooner than later.
I enjoyed Say Hello to My Little Friend more that it's place in this video suggests.
I really loved model home! For all the reasons you mentioned about representation, and I really liked the depiction of the siblings. The unswerving love but also the competitivity and comparison felt incredibly accurate. It was also such a heartbreaking story when it all came together. I gave it five stars but I also can't argue against the plot being the weakest part -- it definitely had that gothic slow unravelling that feels very wait for it... which can sometimes tip into boredom if not careful. Even though that didn't apply to me in the slightest, I can see it going that way for certain horror readers.
Not surprised you loved Model Home, Gothic Horror is something I know you love and when you add that to the mix of a great literary exploration of things like family, gender, race, and add in a dose of grief. Three things I know you enjoy on the one book!
Great job. I'm sad that Glorious Exploits never caught fire for me. I can see that, thematically, it seems right up my street. I'll give it another go someday.
A Woman of Pleasure is something I need to read. It seems like a Stephanie book, no? I trust your judgment.
And I'll definitely be reading Mothers Don't. I remember when it was an option for book club. Motherhood, as you know, is something I spend a lot of time pondering. It's painful to discuss, so I'm more than happy to let others do it for me.
It's fair enough you didn't get along with Glorious Exploits, it has a style, that's going to work for you or it is not.
I think you would like A Woman of Pleasure - I might have told you not to read it in the book club, I have been getting muddled with it and Gifted, which is another Japanese translation about prostitution (among other things) and is not up to the same quality of A Woman of Pleasure.
Loved reading The Door recently. It became my best book of the year. You did a great job with the review. seems I must read it again as I am sure I missed a lot but what I did get was a really great read. Read Everybody's Son several years ago and like it but saw it mostly about race and not so much about adoption. Loved your review of that also. great video.
I can see why The Door is your book of the year. I think it's impossible to read The Door and to get everything in it, I an standing on the shoulders of my book group. Definitely a good book to reread.
Interesting about Everybody's Son. Definitely about race a lot.
YASSSSSSS!!! Lush these recent reads ya do so much 📖🪱💚
As always you have some of the best reviews around! I am adding Shred Sisters and Everybody's Son to my TBR right now.
Thank you. 😊
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did.
The Door is one I have been wanting to get to for years. Thanks for inspiring me to add it to my TBR for 2025!
Yes, 2025 TBR! I'd love to hear what you make of it.
The only one on your list I’ve read and highly recommend is
The Door by Magda Szagbo 🤩
It's a great book isn't it
I must read The Door.
OMG yes, YOU must.