3 stars ⭐️
The majority of this book I can't say I really enjoyed, especially the first two-thirds. Too much flowery description and too many very similar conversations. I will say that I think the concept - an unfilled earth, someone preventing the serpent from tempting the first humans - is genius. The ending was beautiful even though I couldn't quite grasp all Lewis was trying to convey... like a Genesis and Revelation retelling smash-up.

4 stars ⭐️
Such a cute, tiny book about loving books and reading. Anne's voice shines through just like it does in her podcasts that I so love! This was such a cozy palate cleanser after two very heavy books.

3 stars ⭐️
The most impactful part of this book is the first 50 pages, which I'm sure I'll return to in the future. This really is not a theological book regarding the art of hospitality with practical advice, but rather, a memoir with lots of personal anecdotes on beans in crock-pots, descriptions of lengthy dinners, and tales of dogs and cats misbehaving. The first bit was overwhelmingly good - the rest, underwhelming in almost every way.

2.5 stars
I admire Kuang's ambition, but rather than reading like a dark-academia fantasy novel, I felt more like I was reading an angry sermon, or a fan-fiction of The Secret History, or a twitter thread. Kuang was more interested in preaching than creating a fantasy world, and she makes it clear that her goal was to justify violence and hatred for the destruction of empires. It's quite a hopeless story.

4 stars
This book is absolutely beautiful. Julian's visions are truly pictures of God's love for us, and how He keeps us safe, even when we aren't aware of His presence. Julian's writing is very repetitive, but I imagine that's partially due to the nature of the illness she experienced while receiving these visions. She really emphasizes how Jesus would have suffered even more for us to show His love, and how He is like our Mother and Brother.

4 stars ⭐️
I found the writing style of this story to be absolutely charming, and I fell in love with the children. There were things I didn't agree with - my heart aches for the author as he makes it clear that Christians have really hurt him - but I want to focus on what I really loved about the message of this book: it's profoundly pro-life. Everyone deserves a chance, and love, no matter their story. Every single person has value.

DNF'd
Another disappointment. The premise and general outline of the store are fascinating, but this is easily the most violent and most crude book I have ever attempted to read. I called it quits around page 140 when somebody shot a beagle. Just, no.
If you have a higher tolerance than me for torture and the f-bomb, you may enjoy it, but it ain't for me.

DNF'd
I bought this book because Barnhill did the MFA I'm looking into. A disappointment, to say the least. What is so frustrating to me is that her writing is captivating - but the story/characters are PAINFULLY bad. The women are completely flat and boring as characters - so static, and such a poor representation. And the metaphoric aspect? Well, it'd be like if Lewis wrote Aslan with an asterisk saying “By the way, he's supposed to be Jesus“.

5 stars
This is my THIRD read through of this treasure and it really has solidified it as my favorite book. I annotated and tabbed as I read, and wow - the analogies and symbolism are so incredible that it's almost on a biblical level. What really stood out to me in this read through was the concept of identity. The book is about not only what saves and defines Piranesi, but what propels him forward: that he is the Beloved Child of the House. ♥️

5 stars
Even more lovely the second time reading through. When I read it in May, I read it in a day at the airport; it's definitely meant to be digested more slowly. Much of what Ortlund says about Christ's love is shocking - but only because it's not widely discussed in churches, not because it's new. Day-to-day life looks so different living in light of that kind of love.

3.5 stars
Half of this book I adored and the other half I felt like Lewis was trying to be Tolkien (and it didn‘t work). What I appreciate the most about this story is how Lewis describes the heavens ~a la medieval cosmology~ and the angelic hierarchy he creates on Malacandra, reminiscent of 1 Peter 1:12. Looking forward to the next two books in the series!

4 stars: a very good book!
I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this book! The tension between Anne & Wentworth was palatable on every page, & Austen presents such a poignant & timeless window into the human psyche. I really love how the ultimate burden was placed on the man, how Anne was praised for having listened to her mother figure at first & then showing her independence, &, of course, how love won the day despite the passage of time.

5 stars: one of the best books I have ever read!
What an impactful read. It discusses a fairly emotional topic with logic, empathy, and practicality (it reminded me a bit of Gentle and Lowly for that reason). It's conviction and encouraging and honestly, validating - I'm not crazy for not wanting to live at a frantic pace like the rest of society!

3 stars: meh, but still worth reading.
I have been so excited about this book for so long, but ultimately, it was a disappointment. The story follows 5 characters, and there were only 2 I was truly interested in fully. The ending is not well explained (it appears the author did not himself know what happened) and the book that the book centers on is not as all-encompassing and epic as I would have hoped.

3 stars: meh, but worth reading.
Unfortunately, not as good as the original, but still cute. I have the next book in the series so I'll probably read it at some point, as I would like to know what happens next. The characters are lovable and the premise cute, if nothing else.

I'm going to try to get back into the habit of posting book reviews instead of just marking books as “read“! A very cute little book. I learned a lot about Danish culture/values and I loved the illustrations. My only gripe is that there weren't any creative ideas for cultivating hygge; most of the things mentioned I do already.

4/5 ⭐️s // a quaint little novel about a laid-off librarian who moves to Scotland. overall, I really liked it - but there were some things that irked me. naming books that don‘t exist, after giving incredible plot lines - rude. cussing - out of line with the character of the novel. hating on England - not my vibe. and the best friend was incredibly annoying.

5/5 ⭐️s // an absolutely incredible book, about not only God, but the creative mind and the very fabric of human nature and society. I‘ll be pondering Sayers‘ words for a long time; it definitely deserves a reread.

2.5/5 ⭐️s // I like the first half of this book much better than the second. a neat storyline, but it dragged on and on, far more than it needed to.

5/5 ⭐️s // easily one of my favorite books of the year! absolutely enchanting and lovely in every way. if you‘re looking for a good christmas gift, I highly recommend giving this book!

bailed ☹️ I really wanted to love this book, and I was so excited for it. however, I ended up not finishing it, which is very rare for me! it was just too dark, and the elements of the story were not strong enough for me to offset the depressing-ness. maybe I‘ll come back to it at some point.

4/5 ⭐️s // a delightful story, and so fun to read! however, I think I may like the movie even better than the book…. 🙊

5/5 ⭐️s // one of my new favorite classics! I wasn‘t expecting to like it as much as I did, but the writing is just superb! it‘s fascinating how we as a culture have come to make a mockery of darkness; this book is a grim reminder not to do so!

2.5/5 ⭐️s // I really wanted to love this one. the characters were amazing, but I found the writing and plot quite bland.

4.5/5 ⭐️s // what an absolutely enchanting story. I finished this book several weeks ago, and I find myself still missing the characters! perfect cozy, English atmosphere, engaging plot, and as I mentioned, incredible characters. one of my favorite reads of the year!

2.5/5 ⭐️s // I was really disappointed with this book. the characters were amazing, but the writing and plot were very meh. I almost didn‘t finish it, but I spent money on the book and couldn‘t justify not finishing it for that reason 😂

I was impressed with Wilkin‘s willingness to discuss topics generally ignored by the Christian community, such as viewing the Bible as a work of literature (🤩)! however, I am extremely hesitant about her formulaic approach of reading the Bible. it‘s important to remember we are perusing relationship, not mastery of a textbook. that being said, she makes a lot of good points and I think it‘s an overall good read.

such a sweet story about 4 women who live in rural England during WWII. a bit cliché and some overused words, but overall an enjoyable summer read!

an incredibly thought provoking book about a woman who loses and regains hope. if I had to rename it, it would be “adult Ratatouille with a dash of Dante with a dash of college philosophy class with a dash of 2020 PTSD.” only 4 stars because I got sick of the unnecessary crude language sprinkled throughout. also, TW that suicide is a major theme in this book!

this was a tough book for me. the writing is incredibly engaging & I love the setting - Barcelona, Spain, one of my favorite cities in the world! the main characters are lovable & the mystery very intriguing. however, it felt almost as if the author gave up 3/4 of the way through & I literally guessed the two biggest plot points because of his carelessness. also - the crudeness & adult content dragged down the story. overall, I was disappointed.

easily one of my favorite books of the year, and one of my new favorite books. Piranesi is completely unique & compelling, and I hope we see a lot more from Susanna Clarke. I agree with many others that it‘s best to start reading it blind and let the mystery unfold, so even though I love spoilers and usually promote them, don‘t spoil this story for yourself!

it‘s been several years since I‘ve read Lord of the Rings, and while I remember them fondly, this time around I‘m absolutely floored by their genius. I truly believe Tolkien was the greatest author of the 20th century.

4/5 ⭐️s // the only reason why I give this four stars instead of five is because I wasn‘t a fan of the writing style. however, the story itself is absolutely incredible. so much to unpack that my brain is still trying to sort out!

3.5/5⭐️ s // a neat retelling with a good ending that ties in with the beginning (which I‘m always a sucker for!). however, the story was definitely dragging at multiple points.

a great introduction on how to read the Bible as literature - and why you should be reading it that way!

even though this was my first read of 2021, it‘s undoubtedly going to be one of my very favorites. in fact, I think it‘s entered the top 50 favorite books list.

I really enjoyed this book and the way it made me think about life and death, just as a good dystopian novel should. I‘m excited to read the next two books in the series!

honestly, the ending was frustrating - I want to know what happens, but not enough to read the whole series.

the title is eye-catching, so I understand why it was chosen, but honestly, a better title would be “the french philosophy of eating.” after several trips to europe, I‘ve always been fascinated by how differently europeans approach eating. this book well explains the vast difference between american & european psychology re: eating, and there‘s some good recipes thrown in, too. a bit dry at times, but overall, enjoyable.

my mom always had me write my name and age in books. rereading the hobbit this christmas break really helped me to find some peace and comfort emotionally after an extremely trying year for a number of reasons. and this page now makes me emotional.

No longer confused about the gods, but now confused with all the Elves. I suppose I should make another chart...

Such a delightful romance novel! Very Austen-esque, cheesy and wholesome, and even encouraging.

Mostly enjoyed this for the descriptions of Oxford and Brit Lit references. The characters were enjoyable, but the murder “mystery” itself fell flat.

This book was such a joy to read. The 846 pages flew by. A couple chapters lagged and the ending didn‘t tie everything up as completely as I would‘ve liked (but hey, maybe that means a sequel?), but I loved the mix of British historical fiction and fantasy. You‘ll love it too!

I can‘t say I “enjoyed” reading this book - it‘s tale is haunting. While it‘s not a story I will say I loved, I know it will stick with me for a long time.

a lovely book for a lovely plane ride back to college. I read the whole thing in the airport! it reminded me quite a bit of the recent film Knives Out.

This book was quite enjoyable, however, I don‘t think it would be enjoyable to anyone not familiar with The Odyssey. It‘s a very clever retelling, and I enjoyed the main character. The first 60 pages are pretty slow, but it picks up after that.

truly a lovely book. it is quietly convicting, showing how we so often fail at being authentic or generous, and I am so inspired to work more diligently towards obtaining “quieter virtues”.

all I can say is... yikes. forced myself to finish it. 😬

such a touching, heartbreaking story. Penelope Fitzgerald mixes moments of everyday life with snippets of firework truth that leave the reader melancholy and satisfied.