The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

“The girls were wild for dancing, and nothing else. No hearts beat underneath those thin, bright dresses. They laughed like glass.

No, I'm not crying, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Emma, over at Of Starry Knights and Lullabies, and Bookishly Minded, got me obsessed with the 1920's. So when 2013 ended, we both went on this mega hunt to track down 1920's books. When I saw this one on goodreads and read the synopsis, I almost fainted. A 1920's....retelling of the twelve dancing princesses?? It sounded like something I would write. 

Guys. This book is so good. I did a readalong with Linnea, so it lasted quite a long time, and also meant I could really read slow and soak up all the words. And, this is the first book I've ever underlined. So that's special.

I am struggling so much to keep cool and refrain from the caps lock button and exclamation point key. I just loved it so much. Basically, it just passed up Breakfast Served Anytime at the top of my [favorite book] list. 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stats:

Genre: Historical fiction retelling

Feelings: -rocks back and forth sniffling- While not as heartbreaking as expected at the end, I definitely felt a lot.

Happiness: y e s

Cuteness:   y   e     s     s    s   ss s  s s s s. Sisterly and romantic.  Mainly sisterly.

Fast pacing: No? But it's a hard book to set down.

Series: No.

Read if you like: The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the 1920's, prohibition, magnificent sibling love, compatible sisters, fancy dresses, dancing

Content: Two characters do sleep together but honestly it was one of the most subtly written scenes ever, and it's off page.

In one sentence... Twelve sisters, one dangerously overprotective father, and many nights outside in the dance clubs, letting music and dresses wash away their worries...until police come and secrets are uncovered. 

Thoughts: The yellow glow of lights on the kingfisher dance floor, a stream of girls flowing from taxi cabs, and a small cigarette holder.
Messages: Family has the ability to be the best or worst thing.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5 stars. 

This review has LIGHT SPOILERS. They're just about a certain character you hear about early on who show up later. Honestly, it's easy to predict though.

The Lovely Bits



-Characters-

The characters. Oh my goodness, the characters. Jo was a very well done protagonist. It's hard to get a likable main character without making her too Mary Jane. Jo was strong, flawed, and just so...Jo. And Lou? Lou was amazing. Lou stole my heart with her sass and anger...but also with the way she cared so much and just knew. All the sisters, even though most of them were skimmed over, stole my heart.

And Tom. Tom. Oh Tom. At first I'll admit I was eyerolling at first when he came up. I figured he'd come back and sweep her off her feet and they'd be married. Yeah well...

That....Tom....Just yeah. He was great. All of her characters, even side characters or characters you hated were done really well.

-Writing and Structure-

I've never encountered prose like this before. It wasn't extravagant or eloquent, but still gorgeous. Linnea described it perfectly as tight. It was very tight, which meant that each word was chosen carefully, and you could tell. It was such a pleasure to read. I loved the usage of parenthesis, as well. The whole thing was such a lovely way of writing.

The story itself was so beautiful. I instantly felt engaged with these girls and their lives, and squealed a whole lot whenever Jo would sigh and tell them "The cabs are here at midnight". The setting was so interesting to me, which sometimes is hard to do, with a general setting like New York. 

-Messages and Other-

I'm trying to tell myself right now not to hype it up, that it isn't for everyone...but I'm having trouble. This book. It has so many of my favorite things to find in books. 

Siblings. Strong female character who aren't swept away by every guy they meet. Almost whimsical settings. The whole "feeling trapped-let's sneak out and go do things" feel. And 1920's and fairy tale retelling. Have you got it yet? I love this book.

And the ending. Yeah. I am just very sad and pleased with this  book. I really do want more.



The Less Lovely Bits

Um. Why is this book under 300 pages. 

No really, I'm trying to think of something I didn't like, so I can be all "Critical reviewer"

Okay but I'm not a critical reviewer. I really loved this book. I think you should go read it. Now. And tell me what you think.

Okay! I thought of something I didn't like! It's adult fiction, which mean it costs 24 freakin dollars to buy. That's outrageous. 

---
Overall. So yeah I really liked this book, guys. If this sounds like something you would like to, then what are you waiting for?

My hearts been captured by a world of forbidden dancing and catalog dresses and quiet socked feet. And now I suddenly really want to learn how to dance.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

“Because he had been- and in many ways still was- such a brilliant man, he no doubt understood the nature of his memory problem. It wasn't pride that prevented him from asking for help but a deep aversion to causing more trouble than necessary for those of us who lived in the normal world.”

I honestly am having trouble putting words together. This was another book my mom told me to read, and once more I am sitting her wondering why my own mother would put me through such feelings.

Stats:

Genre: Adult fiction
Feelings: So many of many types
Happiness: YES
Cuteness: YES
Fast pacing: NO
Series: NO
Read if you like: Math baseball sad characters happy characters.
Content: Nothing.
In one sentence... The heartwarming story of a houskeeper, her son, and a man whose memory only lasts 60 minutes
Thoughts: Scribbled on note papers clipped to a suit

Overall:

Rating: 5/5 stars

This review is SPOILER FREE


The Lovely Bits:

Writing.

Characters.

It all was a completely lovely book. The writing was really well worded without being overly eloquent that caused many eye rolls. It was a out-there plot but didn't seem too contrived. Right away you meet these characters and you never quite fully get into their heads, and yet you care for them.

That is something I've noticed now that I am reading more adult fiction. They both take emotion differently. Many of the well written Young Adult novels I have read really get into the head of the characters. The adult novels I have read, tend to almost write from a distance, even if it's first person like this one was. As a result sometimes I find myself not being able to relate to the characters as much. That may also be because I am a teen and young adult books tend to have more emotions that I can relate to,

Still, adult books I have read manage to make you feel all sorts of feeling for characters you still don't get into the heads of.

That whole ramble aside, this book really managed to make you care about the characters. In a few slow paced pages you already felt wrapped up in the world.

The Less Lovely Bits:

The mathy bits got a little bit old after a while. I kinda skimmed all the descriptions of formals solely because I did not understand it.

The end was a tad rushed and there really was no climax. Still, it was pulled off well. I think there were a lot of concepts and writing things in this story that easily could have made the book less enjoyable, but they were all pulled off pretty well.


Overall I am very happy I read this book. Also sad because I am now sad. In a good way. A must read for lovers of math.

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

“I have been feeling very clearheaded lately and what I want to write about today is the sea. It contains so many colors. Silver at dawn, green at noon, dark blue in the evening. Sometimes it looks almost red. Or it will turn the color of old coins. Right now the shadows of clouds are dragging across it, and patches of sunlight are touching down everywhere. White strings of gulls drag over it like beads.

It is my favorite thing, I think, that I have ever seen. Sometimes I catch myself staring at it and forget my duties. It seems big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel.”

I heard nothing but good things about this book. And the cover? And how big it is? And world war two?

I needed to read it, even though I had to suffer through...I kid you not...being number 1354 on the hold list.

Stats:

Genre: Historical fiction

Feelings: Plenty of them

Happiness: Some smiles. Mainly because of the prose.

Cuteness: ANGRY CUTENESS AND FEELS

Fast pacing: Slow. Take your time reading it.

Series: Nope

Read if you like: WW2, poetic prose, spending a lot of time with character development.

Content: Some cases of soldiers saying f-word....and some vaguely described scenes of soldiers using girls, possible a brothel, but if you weren't paying attention you wouldn't have even realized it happened. 

In one sentence... The love of the little things like the sea, family, stories, and the way the tiniest things can change lives.
Thoughts: Seashells in a row on a shelf and radio static

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely bits:

This is one of the best books I have read this year.

Because of the short chapter and read one before I went to bed. And so it took a freakishly long time to read it, but it was worth every word.

The characters. It was told almost from a distance...you never really got fully into their heads, and yet you still feel for them. You still wanted lots of happy endings for them. 

The PROSE.

It was full of the love of the ocean, the wonder of shells and the sky and the power of stories, words, learning and a single radio in an attic. 

There were chapters, sentences and ways the story was woven that blew me away. Honestly this book got a high rating solely because of the prose. 

You met a large cast of characters, and almost all of them made you feel with only a few words. I got so lost in the world and stories, making the book and even better adventures. 

The Less Lovely bits:

As said earlier, it's told from a distance. Often times it seems more like a historical account with some lyrical bits thrown in. It really could have been condensed, and if you aren't allowing yourself to enjoy the prose, it'll be a long boring journey for you.

Certain bits seemed more unrealistic, and after a while you wanted to cut through the development and get to more exciting bits. I really do love development, but for a book like this you have to prepare for long stretches of background and slow plots.

It did get confusing at time with all the time jumps, thought it kept things fresh instead of going in the correct order of events.

Overall it was a lovely book. I would definitely try and prepare for a book solely based off of characters and writing, and less so on intriguing plot lines.