Woman in White by Wilkie Collins [COMPLETE]

One of the most gripping classics I have read. It is the story of Walter Hartright, Laura Fairlie, and Marian Halcombe. Told from many different points of view. There is love, lies, a possible ghost, and villains that I grew to hate. If you are looking for a strong female character look no further than Marian Halcombe, she is fearless and a strong woman. She will do anything for those she cares about.

This book starts off nice enough it was cute and lovely, then the women in white shows up and things get weird. There were times I was generally mad at this book, not because it was written badly or because it was bad. I became so emotionally attached I was mad that Collins put these characters thought certain events.  Let me tell you, they go through some heart breaking and shocking things. Other times I was so excited I actually jumped out of my chair in excitement. I may or may not have also yelled in triumph. All I have to say is if you like classics I really think you will enjoy this. On the other hand, if you are “new” to classics I would say look into the story. It is interesting and it might intrigue you and pull you in.

Quote: “My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody.”

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles  [COMPLETE]

A Gentleman in Moscow is a wonderful historical fiction story that takes place in Soviet Russia. Amor Towles story follows a man named Count Alexander Rostov or to most just Count as he is locked away in the Metropol by a Bolshevik tribunal in 1922. He is placed under house arrest because he is an aristocrat in a time where aristocrats are often thought of as better off dead.

I loved this book, it was wonderfully written and I was very attached to the Count and his friends. Each character was distinct and full of life. They all seemed and felt real to me. Additionally, it was amazing to see how Towles is able to tell an entire story from the inside a hotel following a single person and still bring in the social and political ideologies of the area. This book spans decades, you see characters grow old, characters you meet at children grow into adults, and ideologies and wars come and go. If you enjoy historical fiction, pick up this book. It is written beautifully. I will be looking into other books written by Towles.

Quote: “A king fortifies himself with a castle,” observed the Count, “a gentleman with a desk.”

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo  [INCOMPLETE]

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter  [COMPLETE]

Since this book is a third in a series I wont say much about the plot. However, I will say that is series has never disappointed me. Is is always fast paced and I can never guess what will happen next. Jackaby and Abigail are amazing characters to follow. Their personalities have continued to stay true to themselves throughout each book. I highly recommend this series. If I were to describe it, I would say it is a mix between Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. Filled with supernatural phenomenon and creatures.

William Ritter is a great author. His writing is addictive and flows freely. He paints a beautiful town, story, and creates great characters.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler  [COMPLETE]

Therese Anne Fowler is a great story teller. Reading this book felt like Zelda Fitzgerald was reading me entries from her diary or telling me about her life over a cup of coffee or tea. One thing I would like to make it clear that this book is a historical fiction, not a biography. I feel like it could easily come across as a biography, which is good and bad. Good because you get so attached to Zelda and her story and the author’s writing is so confident and sure. The bad because people could take this as historical fact when it is not. Which, can cause a little confusion if you read a biography in the future.

This book tells many stories. The story of a woman, a wife, a mother, married life, the 1920s, and so much more. I picked up this book  because I always enjoyed reading about the 20s. This shows that even if you are not interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald or his wife directly, it is a good story. I enjoyed it so much I already told a few of my friends to pick it up. Also, a nice bonus is this has been adopted into a show by Amazon. So, I will be watching that in the near future.

Quote: “No writer should be the same as another, that’s not art.”

Other Reads

The Goldfinch by Danna Tartt

When I first started reading this book I was in love with it. It is well written and follows the life of a child as he grows following losing his mother in an awful way. His life takes a horrific turn and he often finds himself in unsettling positions. But, as I read I started to become bored. Characters I once enjoyed became annoying. The book was full of action and somewhat fast pace began to slow to an annoying pace.

Danna Tartt’s writing is very good,  but this book was 200 pages to long. At this point it felt like she was just putting Thoe through stuff, just to have him suffer more. I think this book has its merits, it is different from a lot of the books you hear about and it does make you question and think. But, when I read a book I read not long to learn and to think, but also to be entertained. By the end of this book I was no longer entertained. This was upsetting because the first 500 or so pages were great. I’m still undecided if I will be picking up any other books by this author.

Quote: “When you feel homesick,’ he said, ‘just look up. Because the moon is the same wherever you go.”

Challenges that have been met: 4/5

Books Read: 5

Pages Read: 1586*

Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

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*I am not counting progress made before the read-a-thon