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Honestly, I was so back and forth on this book. The story had SO much potential. It was largely character-driven, but I've never hated a character more. I couldn't decide if it was satire or a commentary on mental illness. I stuck with it even though the narrator's voice grated on every nerve because I was hoping for some incredible development, but noooope. There was also some troubling non-chalance toward suicide. 2⭐️

The book felt more enjoyable after thinking that it was told from the perspective of a mentally I‘ll character. I don‘t mean that badly, as someone who has Asperger‘s. The story is very quirky, and Helen is a terrible investigator into the cause of her adoptive brother‘s suicide. It was interesting that the novel did not use any quotation marks for people speaking.

Helen Moran is difficult to be around, alternately highly empathetic and completely clueless about other people's perspectives, but I like her. She reminds me a little of beginning-of-the-novel Eleanor Oliphant, but I like Helen better. Her growth is more realistic and nuanced than Eleanor's. This novel feels like a truthful depiction of the experience of living with mental illness. Longer review on my blog, if you're interested.

Audiowalking with this odd little book (tagged) and some clouds that are quite satisfactory.

#booked2019 @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage finished this book, my "reminds you of your happy place" choice because it occurs in Milwaukee, where I grew up.

I didn't feel the book really knew what it was trying to be. Mystery? Family study? Commentary on adoption, racism, and mental illness? And I felt the ending fit poorly with the story. But that might just be me.

I wish I could say I snorted with laughter, or cheered, but what I really did was let loose a grunt like a rhinoceros, from a diaphragm spasm, at the shock of insight this afforded me. #superattractive #readwoc #booked2019

Well this is going to end well. #booked2019 #readwoc

I barely got through 40 pages of this pretentious crap before I wanted to tear it into pieces. The name thing that I mentioned before was annoying enough. But the writing itself was painfully ridiculous and try-hard. It was like stream of consciousness but from a robot that was fed a combination of kids books and college philosophy term papers. And maybe someone also spilled cocaine on the robot‘s motherboard. HARD NOPE. GOODBYE. 👋🏻🖕🏻

Uh-oh, this does annoying name stuff. The narrator‘s roommate is referred to as “my roommate Julie” every single time. And flipping ahead, I see she refers to her parents as “my adoptive parents/mother/father” every time, too. Uuuuuuuugggghhhhhh whhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I‘ll keep going but already that‘s gonna knock the rating down.

This doesn‘t have great ratings on Litsy or Goodreads, but there‘s something about it that is still really drawing me to it. And hey, it‘s only 265 pages, so if it sucks, it‘ll only be half as annoying as Manhattan Beach 😜 #nowreading

A surprisingly aesthetically pleasant 🍺/📑 pairing tonight. Another surprise is that this book is rather heavy, emotionally speaking. Still, so far so good.

Speaking about an adoptive mother here, characterizes pretty well the way parents often speak to their children.

Independent Bookstore Day haul! 😎

Successful visit to Print Bookstore! Fall colors on a spring day with winter weather. (It‘s $&@?! snowing!) 📚

was all in from reading the summary and the blurbs. heck, it won the B&N Discover award. but i didn‘t get it. the characters were not likable...and sometimes that‘s ok if you can have some empathy...not sure why i stuck with it.

Early in the book you realize you can‘t trust anything this character says. There are times when that is rally frustrating but I think the author does a good job showing the point of view of someone who clearly has some kind of mental illness.

Whiting award winners for 2018 announced. These are just some of the winning books - full list here: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/21/595300559/whiting-awards-anno...

This character is exhausting

I‘m about to book talk these ☺️😱 I haven‘t done a book talk for over a year - so I‘m feeling a tad nervous!!!

This was an usual book which is not for everyone. I liked it and will look for other works by this author. I read the ebook on my kindle.

Bailed on page 20. Absolutely hated the writing.

It's so easy to get into the habit of only reading books that are published by big-name publishers, which is why we try to mix in a few books from independent publishers throughout the year. The top row is some of our favorite reads from last year and the bottom row are from our TBRs.

Who are your favorite independent publishers and/or books from indie presses? Comment below. 👇

#ReadingWomenChallenge

Kendra just recently finished SORRY TO DISRUPT THE PEACE by Patty Yumi Cottrell and is talking about it in our newsletter, which comes out today. Subscribe now so you don't miss a thing.

https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/newsletter

Finished SORRY TO DISRUPT THE PEACE today. Holy mother of pearl, the protagonist, Helen, has to be one of the strangest characters I've ever met—but I loved her. After her brother commits suicide, Helen returns to her childhood home in the Midwest for the funeral, reuniting with her estranged adoptive parents. Helen is an oddball, but posses some amazing insights. She's also one of the most unreliable narrators in the history of ever.

#TBRtemptation post 3! Released in March. Helen, 32, single, childless, college-educated, employed as a guardian for NYC's troubled youth. She receives a call from her uncle that her adoptive brother is dead. Speculation swirls. She uses a 1-way ticket to get back to Milwaukee to launch an investigation. She'll have to deal with her estranged family, his few friends, & an overzealous grief counselor to find answers. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Finally settling down to read this from my tbr list.... #readingwomenmonth #readers choice

I've been MIA for awhile again. I've been busy with family stuff and have also had to focus on my health. That left me with little time for reading. Anywho, started this a couple of days and loving it.

Working my way through my stack.... starting on this one ☝️ Rock n Roll Saturday night 😜

#junebookbugs day 14: #debut
Some 2017 debut novels that are on my #tbr list. Have you read any of these? Which would you recommend?

6 graphic novels, 4 books for grown ups (including one of short stories, the struggle was real), 6 MG books...

9 books read off my shelf, 7 books from the library...

BOOK BAN REMAINS INTACT!

An annoying narrative voice is always a risky choice, and I didn't feel it. Maybe it's because I'm too easily irked by that, or maybe my job led me to find the character's psychiatric dysfunctions so distracting that I couldn't get into it because I kept trying to nail down a diagnosis. My theory: schizoid personality disorder.

Well. This book was an experience! I don't really know what to say about it really, other than it is about how feelings and memory shape the way we interact or don't with the world. To say I liked it isn't apt but it wkas fascinating.

Making the bed takes ages when you stop to read 'just one chapter'

This book is gloriously strange.

I can't tell if Helen is just an odd duck or if she's in the midst of a breakdown...

I'm on a book ban 😊 not sure how many books I have left on preorder but this showed up today...

It works out, I've decided that I'm going to make my London/Paris trip a reality - so not buying books should be easy with international travel is on the cards ♥️

The unreliable, unlikeable narrator was a lot to handle, even for this short, funny story. While I thought the entire novel was well written, clever, and poignant about death, being an outsider, and finding purpose in life, I still found myself struggling to enjoy it. I read this book in a day but it didn't grab me as I had hoped. Not a perfect, but well-crafted read.

This book has one of the most #unreliablenarrators I've ever read, but Cottrell does an amazing job with it. The protagonist is so quirky and has a very unique voice. I can't wait to read literally everything else Cottrell writes. #maybookflowers

Books I want to read in May.

Helen is an asshole. A huge asshole. And you have to know that if you're going to read this. She's weird, twisted, and clearly depressed in her own right, and she is insufferable, but her voice is unique and the writing is incredible. You live the whole book in her head, dealing with her brother's suicide the best way she can and it makes for a hell of a read. Slow sometimes, which is not helpful when reading about an asshole.

"My favorite shirt at the time was found in a garbage can at the intersection of Farwell and Pleasant, a turquoise sweatshirt with an applique of a dog and rabbit in a hot air balloon basket. The hot air balloon itself was pink suede. So it was no surprise that once, a very long time ago, some people gravitated toward me."

Just started this one so not 100% sure but think I might like this narrator.

"To answer your question, I said, I purchased a one-way plane ticket. I'm here to look into the abyss and to offer my support in whatever form it takes."

Not really sure how I'm feeling about this book so far, but since I am reading it for a book group I suppose I will see...

So far living up to McSweeney's hype. Super pleased.

This is a quick, odd read. I enjoyed the quirky narrator and the foreboding of the book. But, the ending didn't give me satisfaction.

This weekend's bookhaul from my new favorite indie. #getindie

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. I struggled through the first 100 pages. The MC is really quirky and descriptions of bodily functions were hard to read. However, this book is a profoundly sad story about a sister searching for answers regarding her brother's death. Underneath all of that, is the (?): how does one live when one doesn't exist? Thanks @BookishFeminist and @mauveandrosysky for helping me get through it. Definitely memorable.

Home with cheap bubbles and a free book.
#frugalmcdougal

Some #bookmail to brighten a morning at work! So keen to get stuck into these!

I feel like this year so far has been one giant reading slump for me with short spurts of being able to read at my typical pace, so I'm content with these stats. 😊

Be prepared for an onslaught of book reviews for what I've been reading over the next couple weeks. I haven't officially reviewed a book on here in over a month. 😂 Burnt out big time. But at least I've been able to share what I've been reading. Cheers to a new month! 🥂

When life gives you a crappy day, make a tiki drink and read outside on your balcony while your partner cooks dinner for you. 🌺🍹📖