The Marriage Portrait: A novel by Maggie O'Farrell

Kindle edition 

Another Real Simple magazine recommendation. Here's what Real Simple had to say:

"...brings to life Lucrezia de' Medici, a free-spirited young duchess in 1550s Florence. She's thrust into a marriage when the groom's intended bride, her older sister, dies suddenly. Her survival depends on whether she produces an heir. This is a riveting tale about one woman's fight for autonomy."

I started this book on my kindle on May 16 and finished it on May 26.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The thing that made me so-so on it was the tense. At times it was as if a narrator was telling the story. At other times it was Lucrezia telling the story. It was a little awkward for me switching between the two.

The overall story was interesting. It seemed to take a little too long to really get to the story. In hindsight, the context and history of Lucrezia was needed, but it could have maybe been hurried up a little. The writing is rich with details and layers. Lots of descriptions of things. I especially liked the scene with the tiger and Lucrezia. It was detailed and vague. It was textured and lovely. I wanted more of it. There were a lot of things that left me longing for more information. Maybe that wanting was the point. So much during this time happened behind closed doors. Information wasn't freely available to Lucrezia, or women in general. Maybe the author was creating that tension in how she wrote this story. It certainly was palpable.

While the ending was dramatic and traumatic (at times), it was mostly (not entirely) satisfying. I wanted more. I was curious about a few things with Lucrezia's sister in law, Elizabetta. What happened with her? What is Lucrezia's husband's past, and what happened with is future? I'd like to have learned more about Lucrezia too. I wonder if after what happened with Lucrezia if her mother had any regrets. Or any of her family.

And very interesting historical fiction book, with lots of positive reviews. While I liked this book, it isn't at the top of my list.

 Post written on May 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Just Like You: A Novel by Nick Hornby

 

Kindle Edition

Yet another book from my growing list of recommendations from Real Simple magazine. I started this book on May 1 and finished it on May 7.

Real Simple described it as a witty rom-com.

"Lucy is a 40-something white mother of two. Joseph is a 22-year old black aspiring DJ. When they meet at the London butcher shop where Joseph works, they're caught off-guard by their feelings for each other, and nearly as baffled by their awkward courtship as their wide-eyed friends and family are. [This book] is a sweet and funny testament to the wonderful things that happen when you allow yourself to follow your heart."

Yes, that does describe the book in a nutshell. However, I wasn't as enthralled and engrossed in this book as I thought I would be. The writing style seemed disjointed and rather cliché at times. The dialogue felt forced and it was difficult to tell who was saying what.

I thought this would be a fun, witty rom-com, as the Real Simple review said. It fell short and flat for me.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Kindle edition

This is another book from the Real Simple magazine reading recommendations. It was so good!

Here's what Real Simple had to say:

"...a young woman in 18th-century France escapes an arranged marriage by making a bargain with the devil for the ultimate freedom: she'll be immortal... but no one she meets will ever remember her. Then one day in a bookstore, after 300 years of loneliness, she meets a man who recognizes her. Everything changes, revealing just how much we need connection after all."

I started this book on December 12 and finished on December 23.

I loved this book. It is beautifully written, rich in details and layers, full of longing and heartache. Imagine no one ever remembering you. Ever. It might feel really liberating - you can do whatever you want without consequences - like in the Do-Over. But no one will ever remember you. Think about that. Renting an apartment - nope. The landlord won't remember you. Having a job - no. No one there will remember you. Wanting more than a one-night partner - another nope. They won't remember you. Maybe you could try something clever like Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates where he makes a video for Lucy to watch every day to remind her of her life with Sandler. But Addie, through some part of the curse with the devil, can't be photographed or leave her image in any way. So, liberating for a time, yes. But I imagine it would grow very old very fast. 

This book tells Addie's story - her trials and travails. How she manages her life (it's precarious). And how things seem to magically improve one day in a bookstore. There's way more to that than I can divulge here.

This is historical fiction meets immortality (without vampires though) meets love story. So good!

 Post written on May 25. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.