Bright and Shiny Shiny

Loved it!

Found an arc on the shelves at Marty & Carol's house when I first arrived in Portland and remember really enjoying this.

3.5

Interesting but a little far-fetched.

I remember really liking this long long ago.

4.5

Review to come

I received a review copy of this from Goodreads and since there are lots of long and detailed reviews already I'm just going to do a thumbnail review.

Overall I'd have to say I enjoyed myself as I was reading this but it's definitely a novel that requires a little suspension of disbelief the further you get into it. Looking back I think I'd knock it down 1/2 a star for some of the later reveals. I don't think some of the things that happened in the novel would have happened in real life but maybe. It just doesn't feel completely believable for adults to behave in the ways they did.

If it feels as though I'm being deliberately vague I am but I don't want to give away any spoilers.

It wasn't a bad read by any means and you can see from the reviews how many others loved it. I would recommend it, just with some minor reservations.

3.5

OMG!!!!! This had everything I could want in a book! This story takes place in 1861--the year after the "Opium Wars" had finally ended between England and China. Elodie is the eldest of ten sisters who's father is a plant hunter, spending most of his time in exotic locations and then showing up yearly to make another baby before heading out again. Things go wrong on his last journey and he is unable to find orchids promised to a very rich client which could cause the family to end up in the workhouse. Mom has also had complications from a pregnancy causing the local physician to give her Dr J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne which only makes her worse. Elodie is rightfully suspicious of the treatment and discovers later on this medicine is opium. With the only way to take care of the debt owed being a return trip to try once again to find the orchids her father was unable to get on his last journey and her father unable to make the trip alone due to circumstances involving his last journey, Elodie shows away on the boat to China. Her discovery halfway through the journey changes not only her life but the life of sailor Alex Balasov, who helps her out. To say more would spoil the story. In this story we have a heroine who goes from being the put upon dutiful daughter to woman who has found her place in the world and is going to claim it, even if it doesn't conform to what society expects of her. A very powerful and positive message! I loved this book and would highly recommend it!!

 

4.5

I love this series!

I loved this! Much darker than book one of the series so be prepared. For people who loved all the gadgets in book one, you are going to be disappointed because there is none of that in this volume. Lots of death and destruction and loss with another cliffhanger ending that will have you frantic for the next volume. But this book wrapped itself around my heart it was so amazing! Highly recommended!!

 

This probably wouldn't have come across my radar without the Detroit connection and might have languished on my TBR shelf if it hadn't turned up at my local library in the front area new book shelves--one of the best (and most dangerous) areas in the library. The Turner House is the story of a family and the story of a city both undergoing extreme changes. Viola Turner is the matriarch of thirteen children, who's been forced to leave the family home of 50 years on Yarrow Street and live with her eldest son Cha-Cha and his wife Tina. This of course, is only temporary until she recovers from some health issues she's been having. The home is no longer in a desirable neighborhood and sadly only worth 1/10th of it's mortgage, so the kids have to decide what they are going to do. Lots of suggestions but nobody's happy with any of them. And it's becoming more and more obvious as time passes that Viola will end her days at her son's home--regardless of her wishes. Told between the two time frames of 1944 when the Turner patriarch Francis first arrived in Detroit from Arkansas to 2008 and mostly following the oldest son Cha-Cha and the youngest daughter Lelah with appearances by the other siblings along the way this is a bittersweet story with lots of heart.

 

I loved this book!

This story is about how family is not always the one you were born into but sometimes the one you create for yourself.

I just couldn't stop reading last night and ended staying up later that I should have but I needed to know what was going to happen next.

Highly recommended!!

3.5

I really wanted to love this and I liked it but I was hoping for more Dolly Parton. I don't know--guess I'm just not a big fan of contemporaries for whatever reason!

New Meg Rosoff--I'm excited! She's one of those hit or miss authors for me. For all her books I've either loved them or hated them so here's hoping for that Eck-like feeling!