Goodreads: Emily's Ghost by Diana Giardina
Premise: This a story about the Bronte sisters with a focus on Emily.
My Thoughts: My main thought is that Charlotte Bronte must have done something terrible to the author in a past life because the author clearly has it out for her. Emily was interesting, Branwell is a bit of a wastrel, Patrick is kind, Anne is sweet and stubborn, and Charlotte is just the absolute worst. She's shallow and judgmental, petty and mean spirited and made me cringe anytime she was on the page. And her final act in the bock was flat out shocking. The writing style did pull me in and keep me reading. When Charlotte wasn't around it was a fairly fast read that did keep me engaged even when I didn't want to be. I did like Emily and Willie Weightman and her various animals and found their story both together and individually interesting though the ending did drift over to overwrought. I would have liked an afterward or author's note or something to hear more inspiration for her interpretation of the Bronte's lives and what was based off fact and what was pure fiction. And did I mention I really hated this version of Charlotte Bronte. My Rating: Just Okay
Goodreads: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
Premise: A visitor from Sweden arrives in small town Iowa to find the woman she had been corresponding with has died and she is now the guest of the entire town.
My Thoughts: I wanted to absolutely love this book - it's a book about books, there's a small town, it's heartwarming, and all about people finding their place. And I didn't dislike it but it definitely wasn't a favorite. I think part of the problem was the length of the book. Instead of a short charming little book about finding your place and books it was a longer book that went into detail on things that didn't really matter and really caused the book to drag for me. I grew to like the characters and wanted to find out what had happened but at the same time this wasn't a book I looked forward to picking up. Great premise, interesting characters, but an execution that didn't quite work for me. My Rating: Liked It
Oh, I don't think I would like the slamming of Charlotte. Now I want to do some research to see if her personality was really like that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 👍✨
ReplyDeleteI don't like the sound of the Brontë book at all, but then not a Jane Eyre fan either. the Broken Wheel book was pleasant is what I'd say and it rolled along sweetly on audio, narrators can lift a book and in this case did. But totally agree details, details often don't enhance a story.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, I may have to take the second book off my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read either one of these. Both sound good.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I hate it when a book that could have been short and sweet drags on and on and on for no reason at all!
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