Thilsdu Book Reviews - Fall 2020 Edition: The Little Paris Bookshop, The Switch, The Vanishing Half, Behind Her Eyes, Becoming, The Seven Sisters, Verity, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
I know, I know. Things have been quiet around here. It’s been months since I published my last book review. Sorry. I’ve been distracted.
I have, however, kept reading through the distractions, and I’m here to share my thoughts on the books I’ve read lately with you today. In the past few months, I’ve read The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, The Switch by Beth O’Leary, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, Becoming by Michelle Obama, The Seven Sisters by Lucida Riley, Verity by Colleen Hoover, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. Here are my reviews on each.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George is, hands down, one of the best books I’ve read this year. Oh! I loved it so much. There is so much feeling in it. The title just doesn’t give the contents of this book justice. It tells the story of Jean Perdu, a bookseller who, in a sense, prescribes books to his patrons; he knows precisely what each one of them needs to read. He just doesn’t know what he needs. He’s been a shell of himself for the past twenty-one years, ever since the love of his life left him. But then a new neighbor moves into his building, and an old unopened letter is found, and Jean Perdu starts to feel again. In search of himself, the past, and his old love, Jean decides to cast off the ropes of his bookshop—which just so happens to be a barge on the Seine river—and steers his boat full of books and his life toward Provence, in an adventure that uncovers everything he’s lost. This book made me smile, and it made me cry, and it made me nostalgic, and…you should read it.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary was sweet and light-hearted. It’s set between London, where seventy-nine-year-old Eileen Cotton goes to speed up her life, and an idyllic English country village where Leena, her thirty-something granddaughter, goes to slow down. The Switch is rich with community and friendships and heartbreak and healing. It’s an easy read, and enjoyable. I’d recommend it.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet was another one of my favorites from this year, and I think it should be on everyone’s reading list. It tells the stories of the Vignes girls, twin sisters who grow up in and eventually run away from a rural southern black community. Ten years after running away, the sisters are living very different lives; one returns to their home community with her black daughter, and the other is passing for a white woman in California to everyone she knows, including her white husband and daughter. The Vanishing Half is a book about racial identity, family dynamics, love, loss, and the human struggle. It’s good.
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough was…just okay. Maybe I’ve read too many of these psychological thrillers because I’m starting to get bored with them. Or perhaps my issue lies in the fact that the main character—or any character, really—is usually unlikeable and I just can’t resonate with that. But a lot of people do like this book, so maybe I’m the outlier here. Behind Her Eyes is the story of three people and their complicated intertwined relationships: Louise, who is a bit of a mess since her husband left her, David, Louise’s boss that she slept with before she knew he was her boss, and Adele, David’s beautiful and kind young wife. Adele and David’s marriage isn’t quite what it appears to be, and Louise can’t figure out which spouse is in the wrong. But her digging ends up being a dangerous game, one that will cost somebody their life…if this is intriguing, read it. If not, skip.
I listened to Becoming by Michelle Obama, and oh, I just loved hearing her voice. I could listen to that woman talk non-stop. And I did, for almost eighteen hours. That book is long! But I really enjoyed it. It was just nice to hear her story, to get to know our former first lady and her husband a little bit better. I know I’m late to the party on this one, but it’s a book that still is—and will forever be—relevant. So if you feel like you need to restore a little bit more hope in our democracy, I recommend you read (or listen to!) Becoming.
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley was a nice read. Not a page-turner for me, not necessarily a story that drew me in, but was enjoyable nonetheless. There are five more books in this series and I’ll likely turn to the others when I’m in search of something new but just can’t find anything in particular. This one, the first of the series, is about Maia, the eldest daughter, and her journey of self-discovery that her deceased adoptive father sent her on. She goes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to discover her roots, and learns about the life, love, and loss of her great-grandmother Izabela Bonicafio. The book jumps between the stories of both women, from present day to 1920s Rio, and, well, it’s good, but not great, one that you can take or leave.
Verity by Colleen Hoover was good but creepy. I guess that’s why I picked up this book in the first place, though. There were a few passages that actually scared me, so that’s something. The story gets pretty dark, and there’s a good twist at the end that leaves you thinking. I recommend this one.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is another one of my favorites from this year. The writing is poetic but simple, the story creative, and the characters endearing. It tells the story of Adeline LaRue, a 23-year-old in 18th-century France who, in search of freedom, makes a deal with the wrong type of god. She is given that freedom, but with one major caveat: nobody remembers who she is. As soon as she walks out of a door, she is forgotten. Until, three hundred years later, she meets somebody who remembers her. There is adventure in this story, and humanity, love and time travel, and it’s just…great. Read this book. It’s wonderful.
If you’re looking for more books to get lost in as the year winds down, check out these past book reviews:
Thisldu Book Reviews - April: My Family and Other Animals and Ask Again, Yes
Thisldu Book Reviews - January: Circe, The Most Fun We Ever Had, and Such a Fun Age