"Vincent: A Graphic Biography" by Simon Elliott tells the story of the life of Vincent Van Gogh from his childhood in the Netherlands all the way up t"Vincent: A Graphic Biography" by Simon Elliott tells the story of the life of Vincent Van Gogh from his childhood in the Netherlands all the way up to his tragic end. Rather uniquely this story is told through the eyes of his sister-in-law Johanna, who was married to his beloved brother Theo. The epilogue tells in more detail how Johanna played the key role in building Vincent's legacy after he and Theo both died within a few months of each other, leaving her an impoverished, widowed single mother with not much besides a huge collection of Vincent's art that she knew deserved more recognition and could eventually be worth a fortune. Learning more about her dedication to ensuring his art would live on was my favourite part of the book! I also enjoyed the way that the art style used throughout the book often mimicked Vincent's distinctive brushstrokes.
My only drawback with the reading experience is that I do wish that this book would have taken more advantage of exploring the graphic novel format to have comic-strip storytelling with dialogue bubbles etc. This is more of a heavily illustrated biography in that each page has a few essay-esque paragraphs of Vincent's story and is accompanied by corresponding illustrations.
Despite the colourful artwork potentially appealing to children, I would not recommend this to an audience any younger than high school age because of the frank descriptions and illustrations of Vincent's mental health struggles and suicide attempts as well as one page that includes nudity in a sexual context.
If you are looking for an easy-to-read introduction to the life of one of the most famous painters in the world, I think this book is a fantastic starting point! I particularly enjoyed learning more about the first half of his life... I feel like I know quite a bit about his later, more artistically prolific, years after visiting numerous exhibits of his work including the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. However, I did not know many details about his childhood and time spent as a teacher and missionary, so I found that quite fascinating.
*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Quarto Publishing Group � White Lion | Frances Lincoln through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.* ...more
This was my first Miss Marple mystery (and the first in the series so a fitting starting point), and while I enjoyed the case, it didn't quite live upThis was my first Miss Marple mystery (and the first in the series so a fitting starting point), and while I enjoyed the case, it didn't quite live up to the Poirot's that I have read. Miss Marple was really just a background character for 90% of the book (and a character that most of the other townspeople found to be an annoying busybody type at that!) and then came in for the final expose to solve the mystery. I wish we could have followed along more with her investigative thought process over the whole course of the book. ...more
"Highcliffe House" by Megan Walker is an absolutely delightful sweet regency romance, perfect for summer reading! I have been eager to read this book "Highcliffe House" by Megan Walker is an absolutely delightful sweet regency romance, perfect for summer reading! I have been eager to read this book ever since I saw the gorgeous cover reveal, and it certainly did not disappoint.
Graham Everett is trying to make his way in the world and support his mother and sisters through wise business investments. His most ambitious plan yet is the purchase of a large parcel of land in Brighton that he wants to develop into cottages as the seaside tourism industry booms. In order to be successful, he will need the financial backing of his mentor Mr. Lane. Graham's only hurdle is that he first has to convince Mr. Lane's petulant daughter Anna that the project is worth her father's money during the course of her visit to Brighton. Anna, however, is nursing a heartbreaking betrayal and is determined to stymie their business partnership so that she can finally have some quality time alone with her father away from vicious town gossip.
With the seaside setting and real estate haggling of Sanditon, an impoverished but close knit family akin to Sense and Sensibility, and a pair of snarky enemies (to something more?) for our hero and heroine that reminded me of North and South, "Highcliffe House" is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who loves Regency and Victorian literature and enjoys seeing those tropes come alive again in proper historical romance novels!
*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*...more
This book was written March-May 2020 and published by July 2020 so it is kind of fascinating to go back and read now in 2024... it is a time capsule oThis book was written March-May 2020 and published by July 2020 so it is kind of fascinating to go back and read now in 2024... it is a time capsule of that intense navel-gazing time period at the beginning of covid lockdowns when everyone was pontificating on "building back better" and "the importance of community" and how we were going to use this short time of suffering to change the world for the better. If I had read this in 2020 it probably would have been a very different reading experience, now it is feels somewhat naively humorous. ...more
"Behold, Believe, Become" by Timothy P. O'Malley examines deeper meanings behind various elements of the Mass in 15 short chapters that take the reade"Behold, Believe, Become" by Timothy P. O'Malley examines deeper meanings behind various elements of the Mass in 15 short chapters that take the reader from the entrance door of the church all the way to the closing recessional with reflections about holy water, the nave, the altar, candlelight, and more in between. Each chapter ends with a few questions for personal meditation or as the launch for discussion if this book was to be used for study in a small group. Focused on the physical, tangible aspects of the sacramental worldview, I found this book to greatly enrich my experience attending Mass.
I think this book would be a wonderful gift for new converts, an excellent reference for reverts who are returning to the faith, and the chapters are straightforward enough to be suitable for teen confirmands. This is definitely a book that I will consider buying physically for my Catholic bookshelf!
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Ave Maria Press through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. ...more
“Meet Ella� was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and it certainly did not disappoint!
There are many reasons to read this book: an hones“Meet Ella� was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and it certainly did not disappoint!
There are many reasons to read this book: an honest account of a man’s mental health struggles and journey to healing; beautiful nature writing describing scenic rambles in the Lakes District and Scottish Highlands; the charming vignettes of Middleton and Wales family life; a coming of age memoir from a boy bullied and misunderstood at boarding school to successful entrepreneur, husband, and father. But at its heart this is the very relatable story of the deep bond that a human shares with a beloved dog.
I have followed James on the periphery of royal events for more than decade and when he opened up his Instagram profile fell in love with his adorable and energetic pack of dogs. I felt like I already knew so much of Ella, Mabel, Zulu, Nala, and the rest of the canine crew! At times, especially in the second half, the writing in this book had quite a James Herriot feel to it that I think would appeal to lots of readers who enjoy stories of animals and English country life.
Overall, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable and heartwarming read� highly recommend it to lovers of memoir. It will certainly end up on my 2024 non fiction favourites list!...more
My big Russian classic for 2024! Overall I am so glad to have read this and am looking forward to now finding some booktube commentary videos and readMy big Russian classic for 2024! Overall I am so glad to have read this and am looking forward to now finding some booktube commentary videos and reading some analysis of the deeper meanings of this story. I didn't enjoy my reading experience quite as much as I did with Anna K last year for reasons I will elaborate on behind the spoiler cut!
(view spoiler)[For such a lengthy book, this has quite a tight cast of characters and we are primarily inside the mind of Raskolnikov which can be a little claustrophobic at times as he spirals mentally. Because of the nature of the crime, it is hard to feel that much sympathy or emotional connection with Raskolnikov which made me struggle at times with feeling invested in the story. After so much time spent with this book, I found myself a bit let down by the ending� it felt like it was all building up to something that we never actually got. Even when Raskolnikov confesses to the police it never really feels like he is actually sorry for what he did/is still kind of justifying the murders? Just as it seemed he was maybe going to finally have some personal growth the book ended! I wish there would have been more of a redemption arc for him.
I also wish there would have been more of Dunya and Razumikhin’s story to act as a foil to Raskolnikov. It felt like they could have been the Levin/Kitty couple in this book that I would have really fallen in love with despite the moral failings of the main characters, but they kind of faded out of the story, particularly in the second half just when their love story was beginning. (hide spoiler)]
I listened to the Anthony Heald narrated audiobook of the Constance Garnett translation. He did an excellent job embodying the emotions of the characters....more
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