I got the privilege to hear Rainbow Rowell speak and meet her for a very brief moment, and she was fully awe inspiring. Just as she writes the most real, relatable characters, she is witty, unassuming, and so relatable. It was motivating to hear of her bumpy road to success. She wrote her first two books while she was working full time as a newspaper reporter, at her local Starbucks. Eleanor and Park did poorly in London on its initial release, it finally became a best seller here in the states released as a YA novel, marketed as ‘funny sad.’
She faced setbacks, but wrote with faith in herself, and I am so thankful she did. Rainbow Rowell writes about women who are flawed, fat, insecure, and most of all loved. Truly loved for who they are without transforming, getting skinny first, or finding their best self, because they are already worthy of love. This nugget of truth runs through all her books: you are worthy of love as you are. This is the reason I devour them; this is the reason they resonate with so many readers. Rainbow herself was real; I am inspired by her discipline and her faith to write in an Omaha coffee shop without knowing if anyone would ever read her books or care. I am thankful for every character she has written, because they have helped me feel less alone, and reminded me we are all worthy of love just as we are, today.
Here is a picture of a star-struck me, with the fantastic Rainbow Rowell.
Here is my review of Carry On. Read it. Read it now. Forget your laundry, ignore TV. Read it.
Carry On is the continuation of the fan fiction characters from Fan Girl. Set at Watford, the school of Magic. Penelope, Agatha, Baz, and the chosen one, Simon Snow are students at Watford, a school for young magicians. Rainbow writes her signature sharp, fresh dialogue and builds a fantasy world you long to escape into. Baz and Simon are sworn enemies, and roommates. Agatha is Simon’s love and destiny, and Penelope is Simon’s faithful best friend. When evil and mysterious accidents begin at Watford, Penelope and Simon seek answers. They delve into a world more complicated and twisted than they could have ever imagined. I was not sure I was ready for to read a fantasy novel from Rainbow Rowell, it turns out I wasn’t ready for it to end.
To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here: Carry On
Rose has had the same dream since she was 7 years old; the same dream about the same boy, in the same magical land. Fast forward to marriage, children, and exhaustion, and you have Rose longing for sleep, to visit the escape of her dreams. Rose visits Hugo in her dreams, they battle giant spiders and try to get to the domed city far away each night, they never succeed, but the journey is the joy. They happily grow up together each night. During the day Rose is stressed, over tired, raising two young boys and nursing a new baby girl. Her husband is a doctor, working for their future and sacrificing their now in the name of ‘when I am done with residency… when we have a larger income… and all the other goals that justify a life of insanity in the moment. So Rose floats through her days, longing for sleep at night. She functions this way until on fateful rainy day her reality and dream worlds collide. I liked this book because it has just the right amount of tension and suspense. The dream worlds captured your imagination and it was completely unlike anything I have read lately. A well done journey from the magical to the real and back, this book stayed with me for a very long time.
When Etta decides to walk across Canada to see the ocean with her own eyes, her husband Otto is left to care for himself, no small feat for a man married decades. Etta leaves him the worn recipe cards with instructions on how to cook his favorite meals, and literally walks out of his life. Otto struggles through coaxing cinnamon rolls to rise, and is left bereft without his wife. Their neighbor Russell, a lifetime companion of Etta’s, retains his usual daily practice of waiting for deer pass by their farms. Both men long for their beloved Etta to return and find themselves at a loss of how to deal with the longing and emptiness she has left in their lives. Meanwhile, Etta has become somewhat of a media sensation as small towns begin to notice a peculiar white haired woman walking from town to town. She makes friends with a wolf, James, who follows her as a companion and protector. This book is half magical realism. The other half weaves stories of the characters, their loves, pains, and longings. I loved this book because there were so many layers; it was odd, unpredictable, yet charming. It will tug at your heart. If you like the norm, this is not for you, if you revel in the quaint, different, and quietly wonderful, you will love this read.
Black and white tents appear in fields; they pop up at dusk and wait for night to fall. Revelers come to see tents of contortionists, wander through worlds made of ice, or float through clouds. When the sun rises the spell is broken, and the countdown to nightfall begins again. The Night Circus is beautiful, the world is so richly created you are transported to life in Europe, traveling and living in the black and white of the Circus.
Read with us! Our book club choice is When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
Madeline has never been outside her home. Her mother and her nurse Carla are her only companions. She is sick with a rare disease that leaves her immune system compromised. If she has any contact with the outside world, she will become deathly ill. So, Madeline goes to school online. Her only social time is game night with her mother, and her sole confidant is her nurse Carla. Her seventeen year old world is controlled and so very small; until the new neighbors move in. Olly and his family arrive under Madeline’s watchful eye from her second story window, in her encapsulated chamber of germ free air. Late night email’s become Madeline’s gateway to her first real friend. Olly and Madeline find solace in each other. However, their friendship and budding romance are met with enormous obstacles. This is a coming of age story with a plot twist I did not see coming. Everything, Everything exceeded my expectations; I was impressed with Nicola Yoon’s debut novel. Her husband did the cover art and graphics throughout the book, which are beautiful and add to the story. It is a fast read, yet thought provoking; a good choice for book clubs.
A man with a closet full of secrets can only keep them hidden so long. Sooner or later your wife finds out a secret, discovers things don’t add up, and your house of cards comes falling down piece by piece. Unless you don’t let it fall. In this fast paced, story we first meet Diane, beautiful and put together, mother of a daughter named Picasso. She is married to Oliver, desperately in love, yet desperately unhappy. You cannot quite figure out what is going in her marriage, and either can Diane. The story is told from the perspective of Diane, Picasso, and a small town detective. If you liked Gone Girl you will love the twists and turns and psychological layers. However, I thought this book far surpassed Gone Girl in writing, character development, and depth. The writing is fresh, beautiful, and creative. The pacing and plot are impeccable. The story is told by different characters, the reader gains the perspective of the story from many different angles. This is the best murder mystery I have read in a long time, I could not walk away from it until it was over. It is haunting, masterful, and a stunning success.
Beginnings and Book Ends 