I don‘t usually read historical fiction, but I made an exception for Belle da Costa Greene. Benedict & Murray do a tremendous job with historical accuracy, and provide such exquisite detail that you can‘t help but be transported back in time. It also had a lot to say about race and gender identity, and the struggles of denying one‘s true self to be able to fit into society. #ThePersonalLibrarian #NetGalley

I‘m used to the traditional “Tell them what you‘re going to tell them,” Tell them,” “Tell them what you‘ve told them” of instruction, because “Tell them,” “Tell them,” ad nauseam gets old. Any Rand beats you over the head with her philosophy. Okay, fine, I knew this before I began reading the book. I read it for the story, not the philosophy. Unfortunately, the story is predictable: boy meets girl, girl hates boy, girl loves “ideal” man. The end.

What I liked: Great plot twists! It kept me guessing the entire book. I‘d think I knew what was coming next, and BAM! it would take a hard left right, all the way to the end. The characters were all flawed, with those flaws slowly coming to light throughout the story.
What I didn‘t like: NOTHING! Well, it was a little confusing at the beginning, but for me, that was the hook. This is definitely a 5 star read. #bookstagram

Uh oh. When you identify too well with your reading material. “I felt dreadfully inadequate. The trouble was, I had been inadequate all along, I simply hadn‘t thought about it.”

I‘m listening to this, and I find myself getting so pissed off at Rachel, especially when she starts drinking - again and again and again. I‘d like to smack the daylights out of her. Thank goodness I‘m in my car when I‘m yelling at her!