Current Read. I love the cover on this one!
Our latest book club pick. I enjoyed it. Feminist, quirky and well written. The idea of this book kind of made me hesitant, but I am glad I read it; I ended up liking it.
Our latest book club pick. I enjoyed it. Feminist, quirky and well written. The idea of this book kind of made me hesitant, but I am glad I read it; I ended up liking it.
If I hadn‘t used an Audible credit, I would‘ve DNF‘d this, but I felt obligated to finish. The premise sounded pretty interesting (alternate history in which women have the power to turn into dragons) in theory, but the execution did not live up to expectations. Sort of a coming of age story, but the overall theme is just Patriarchy = BAD. The level of suspension of disbelief needed to accept the society-level ignorance/amnesia is laughable.
This isn‘t a subtle novel…but I loved it. I was a bit wary because dragons typically aren‘t my thing; Barnhill‘s writing won me over completely. I think the way she intersperses the narrative with “scientific text” about the phenomenon of Dragoning was inspired & well-done. Reading it felt cathartic. The last third of the book fell short for me (particularly the end). While comforting, it got a bit goofy. Still, I‘m wholly willing to overlook it.
I thought I would remember what I wanted to write about this, but it was too much of an emotional roller-coaster to have held onto such things. It was sorrow, it was rage, it was inspiration, it was love and beauty.
@CuriousG I love it all. Thanks for the bonus book! I can‘t wait to read all of these. So much fun. The caramels will not last long. Thanks you so much!
#hauntedhallowsswap @wanderinglynn thanks for hosting
This lit my feminist fire. A wonderful coming of age story.
I wanted to like this more, it is so well intentioned. However, it was a bit dull and slow, to the point I almost DNF‘d it. Also every plot choice and message is so obvious and heavy handed. Not terrible, but not as strong a message as it could have been. 3⭐️
#Roll100 read done! #Scarathlon #HHC 7 Hours
58 words
@bookmarktavern @dabbe @liatrek @jessclark78 @chrissyreadit @thedaysgoby @vonnie862 @ladyCait84 @sresendez12 @kelli7990 @JessieKB ⬇️
There is a lot to like in this book; the concept, for example. It reminded me of “The Power”, but different and interesting. However, the characters seemed too saccharine, at times, and I found that frustrating.
I just…what a beautiful book, what a FULL book. A wonderful richness of language, character, and story. There‘s a strong undercurrent of anger — a warning of what can happen when we ignore our past, and turn a blind eye to the present. But also, a story of family, and the strength of the bonds of love that we form not just by obligation, but by choice. And the choice we can make, to live a life bigger than ourselves. Really remarkable.
I have a super busy weekend. Two softball games, one football game in Iowa on Saturday and the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, but I have book group on Monday night so I must finish this book. That‘s my modest goal for this readathon.
Came off Libby hold when I wasn‘t expecting it! I always end up loving magical realism, and the reviews are amazing, so I‘m looking forward to it! 🐉
This was a recent #AudibleDailyDeal - I‘m still trying to decide why I‘m feeling ambivalent about this book. Some pacing issues for me and maybe some less than subtle messages from the author felt too heavy handed. It did give me Lessons in Chemistry vibes, so that‘s a plus! Between a pick and so-so. How crazy is my book cover - flower match?!? 💜 #CoverCrush
Last book of July. I enjoyed this story even though I had to suspend belief a bit. I especially appreciated her observations regarding time. #14books14weeks
#WeeklyForecast
Loving the tagged book on audio. Really liking Close to Home although the cover is awful. Just started A Big Ship and will be starting these August buddy reads.
This is a very interesting book. I didn‘t love it, but I liked it enough to be happy to race through it in time for my book club discussion—and I definitely think it will make a good discussion. What happens when women, apparently as part of a normal but unpredictable and far from universal biological process, turn into dragons? The book was slow paced and short on “why,” but that‘s OK. Wonderful characters.
Hope the pic with flowers loads 🤞🏻
This book was well written and covered a variety of topics regarding our society and how it views differences in gender, race, sexual orientation and even variances in family units. It was nice to read about such serious topics and have a bit of levity added to them (insert dragons), while still maintaining the severity of the situations that many people face on a daily basis. This one will definitely be a re-read!
4.5⭐️
My least favorite read of the year. In my view, this could have been a fun and interesting short story, maybe novella. A fun premise but it couldn‘t carry a 400 page book. I sped read the last 150 pages just because it was a for a book club. Only reason it wasn‘t a DNF for me.
Memory is a strange thing. It reorganizes and connects. It provides context and clarity; it reveals patterns and divergences. It finds the holes in the universe and stitches them closed, tying the threads together in a tight, unbreakable knot. I learned this from my mother. And now I will teach it to you.
They were beautiful, these girls. They were so, so beautiful. And maybe so was I. I lifted my arms and began to twirl. It felt so good, just for second, to let go. Completely.
Was I the immovable object, or was I the unstoppable force? Perhaps I was both. Perhaps this is what we learn from our mothers.
I don‘t think Kelly Barnhill can write a bad book. I‘ve thoroughly enjoyed everything I‘ve read of hers, and this is another win. Fascinating premise: hundreds of thousands of women became dragons in the “Mass Dragoning” of 1955. Now no-one talks about it, and doing so is considered obscene and anti-American. (Continued ⬇️)
I‘ve had a fantastic reading week, I gave all of these 4 ⭐️ and thoroughly enjoyed them all. I think my favourite was The ghost woods, a creepy gothic horror which was right up my street and such a page turner although I can‘t stop thinking how great it would be if spontaneous dragoning was actually a thing!
Doing some calligraphy while listening to the tagged book which I‘m loving!
“…maybe this is the same with all of us—our best selves and our worst selves and our myriad iterations of mediocre selves are all extant simultaneously within a soul containing multitudes.”
“Embarrassment, as it turns out, is more powerful than information. And shame is the enemy of truth.”
This was a beautiful book. It was sweet and loving and the characters felt real, but it was written as a memoir so there were parts that were unresolved. I picked it up initially to review it for our Winter Read for next year, and I‘m so glad that I did. When Women Were Dragons will stick with me. #pop23 #bookaboutafamily (pictured are ducks from the hardware store for cute tax)
This has been a busy week full of emotional hangovers. I have so many things that I should be doing, but all I want to do is get back to this story. I‘m going to take me, my book, and my snack to bed.
After a very long day yesterday, I decided to start this. I am so happy that this is as long as it is. I am absolutely loving it.
"Sometimes, I feel that we are all tricked by love, and its rigid requirement of pain. We find the love of our lives and cleave to our beloved when we are still quite young and do not yet understand that we must, by our nature, die someday. In any successful marriage, one partner must face the reality of being very old, and very alone. What is grief, but love that‘s lost its object?"
Liked this one quite a bit — though admittedly loved the premise so much I perhaps expected to like it even more?
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This novel has some great quotable passages and timely commentary on the weight of silence and forgetting as well as the power in remembrance and knowledge. I wished certain things had been developed differently - a wider lens with more diversity, more nuance, more dragoning. I do love the luscious cover! 🎧
I just finished a reread for bookclub and loved it just as much the second time. The author has such a way with words, I found myself jotting down quote after quote. Looking forward to the discussion!
Or maybe they just all preferred the company of girls. And really. Why wouldn't they?
DNF'd
I bought this book because Barnhill did the MFA I'm looking into. A disappointment, to say the least. What is so frustrating to me is that her writing is captivating - but the story/characters are PAINFULLY bad. The women are completely flat and boring as characters - so static, and such a poor representation. And the metaphoric aspect? Well, it'd be like if Lewis wrote Aslan with an asterisk saying “By the way, he's supposed to be Jesus“.
Even though it took me a while to finish this book I ended up loving it. To frame a feminist novel as a fantasy read complete with dragons was genius.
This would make an excellent book club read. I highly recommend this one even if you don't typically read fantasy.
Working on finishing a few books I've had going awhile this week before I dive into some February romances. This book was just one big metaphor, but i still loved it. Beatrice was my favorite! #audioknitting
I swear the kids and I have been sick for a month straight... just one bug after another. We're all feeling crummy today but did get out in the snow for a bit of sledding. I spent the rest of the day listening to the tagged audio and knitting yet another hat. #audioknitting
Fantastical & emotional. Beautifully written allegory that celebrates acceptance of self in a highly feminist telling. The writing is gorgeous & lyrical with amazing interpersonal relationships between female characters. The plot is occasionally a little repetitive & slow-paced, but it feels as if it is simply like a way to “circle back“ & reinforce ideas as the story progresses. Barnhill's intentions felt wholesome & welcoming. A lovely read.
“How do we remember the moments when we fall apart?” 💔🔥
Loved this book and it‘s hard to describe adequately why. It‘s feminist and thought provoking, but there is love (both family and romantic) and hope and dragons and smash the patriarchy and social justice. Yeah, I just loved it.
And I had the perfect bookmark.
#booked2023 #titlestartswithw
#quicklunctimeread and my Wednesday lunch time treat!
This book is great 😁
This was my last book of 2022. It was strange, and I wasn't always sure where the author was going, but I loved it!
Lovely and strange alternative history where thousands of women in the 1950s change into dragons in a rebellion against the patriarchy. It‘s an awfully long extended metaphor for the feminist movement, but a fascinating look at what the world might look like if women took their power away from the men.
I am so excited to have received this book for #Jolabokaflod and can‘t wait to dive into it and all the lovely chocolate. Thank you, Jamie!
Thank you, Chelle, for hosting this swap and also for introducing this tradition that my family and I now include in our traditions.
Wishing you both a very happy holiday!
A beautiful genre-busting historical fiction/fantasy/alternate universe story. What would the world look like if a lot of women sometimes just...turned into dragons? There is a lot of darkness in this book, but also so much joy. It is absurd and remarkably poignant, and I loved it.