Reviews: FOUR AUNTIES AND A WEDDING & LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY
Hey everyone, hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I’ve been a coach potato for the past two weekends, first binging season 2 of Bridgerton, followed by Emily in Paris, and finally Cruella on Disney Plus. I’m blaming it on the cold/allergy funk I’ve been in almost ever since I got back from New York. Whatever it is, it’s not Covid but has kept me ridiculously congested for two weeks now. I’ve gone through so many tissues I feel like I should buy stock in Puffs, haha. Anyway, not a lot of blogging happened but I have gotten a fair amount of reading done, including the two novels I’m reviewing today. Both were exactly what I needed to take my mind off my illness, so I’m thrilled to share my thoughts on them with you today. 🙂
Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2) Goodreads Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Publisher: Berkley Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I read Dial A for Aunties, the first book in Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Aunties series back when much of the world was on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That book with its crazy and lovable Aunties delivered so many laughs and left me with a huge smile on my face at a time when I didn’t think there was much of anything that could cheer me up. I therefore couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the second book, Four Aunties and a Wedding. I’m thrilled to report that the Aunties are back and are just as much of a hilarious delight as they were in the first book!
The wedding in question is of course Meddy Chan’s and her college sweetheart, Nathan, and the Aunties are going to do everything in their power to make sure their niece’s big day is picture perfect. If you read the first book, you’ll remember Meddy. She’s a bit more traditional and conservative than her Aunties and sometimes wishes they would tone it down a bit, but no matter how over-the-top they are, Meddy ultimately knows that everything they do, they do out of love for her. Whether it’s wearing hats with gigantic kimono dragons perched on them or taking secret lessons in British slang and speaking in fake British accents so that they’ll “fit in” better at the ceremony, which is taking place in Oxford, England, the Aunties’ goal is to make a good impression on Nathan and his parents. I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud, but the Aunties saying “bugger off” and calling people “tossers” was definitely a highlight, haha!
Even though humor is the main order of the day with this book, there are also a few lovely and more serious moments, both between Meddy and Nathan, and between Meddy and her Aunties. There’s a lot of love and loyalty in this book and it really comes shining through.
The key to the Auntie books is that you really have to love over-the-top antics. It’s non-stop craziness and hilarity, especially once Meddy and her Aunties uncover an assassination plot that is going to ruin Meddy’s wedding and the Aunties make it their mission to foil the plot and save the day. If you’re expecting anything less than a zany good time, you might end up a bit disappointed. But if you want to straight up laugh yourself silly, you’ll definitely want to check out Four Aunties and a Wedding. 4 STARS.
Lessons in Chemistry Goodreads
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Publisher: Doubleday Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I wasn’t at all sure what to expect going into Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, but I was too intrigued by the unusual premise of a female scientist becoming the beloved star of a popular cooking show to pass up a chance to read and review this book.
The story is set in the 1960s and Elizabeth Zott is a woman ahead of her time. She’s a brilliant scientist, by far smarter than every man she studied with or worked for, but the scientific community at that time was dominated by males and misogyny. No one wants to give her the time of day and even worse, many of her colleagues seem to go out of their way to try to discredit and degrade her every step of the way. I adored Elizabeth. Not only is she brilliant, but she’s also stubborn, resilient, and downright inspiring in the way she refuses to let these men hold her back. I loved her strength and her belief that if she just worked hard enough and smart enough, that somehow she would get the recognition she deserves.
The one man who believes in Elizabeth’s brilliance is Calvin Edwards, a fellow scientist who Elizabeth falls in love with. Their relationship is a bit nontraditional in the sense that Elizabeth doesn’t believe in marriage, but married or not, it’s clear the pair are soulmates, which makes it all the more devastating when Elizabeth ends up a single parent raising Calvin’s child by herself. Again she finds herself belittled and demeaned by the men in her profession, and again Elizabeth is determined to succeed in spite of them, which is where the cooking show comes into play.
A TV producer, who happens to be a fellow parent at the school Elizabeth’s daughter attends, is fascinated by Elizabeth’s unique and quirky, no-nonsense personality. He convinces her to host an afternoon cooking show geared towards housewives, and has no idea what he gets himself into because in true Elizabeth Zott fashion, she turns the show on its end. I really loved what she did with this show and found myself rooting for her every step of the way because what she creates is an environment that educates, celebrates and empowers women, reminding them of their self-worth in what is often a thankless job, that of being a homemaker and raising children.
Lesson in Chemistry covers a wild variety of topics and while Elizabeth’s delightfully quirky personality makes for some hilarious moments, overall the story is a pretty serious one, tackling weighty issues such as misogyny and sexual abuse. I found myself very passionate as I was reading about Elizabeth’s experiences, cheering her on but also just so angry on her behalf because of the way she is mistreated so badly by those who want to keep her in her place.
With its many layers and the unforgettable Elizabeth Zott, Lessons in Chemistry is an absolute gem of a book. 4.5 STARS
Top Ten Tuesday – 21st Century Novels I Think Will Become Classics
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is 21st Century Books I Think Will Become Classics. When I think of classics, I immediately think of the books I had to read for high school and college, but what was it about those titles that made them classics? According to masterclass.com, there are four key characteristics that novels deemed as classics tend to share: 1) a memorable protagonist, 2) they say something profound about the human condition, 3) every time you re-read a classic, you find more meaning in it, and 4) the story stands the test of time so that no matter when a reader is reading it, the story still resonates.
21st Century Novels I Think Will Become Classics
1. A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman
If having a memorable protagonist is part of the criteria for becoming a classic, it doesn’t get much more memorable than the loveable curmudgeon Ove. The story is also beautifully written and contains themes that definitely stand the test of time – particularly those of love and loss, and letting people into your heart.
2. THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If there were ever a character to rival Ove in terms of being unforgettable, that character has to be the one and only Evelyn Hugo. She’s an aging and reclusive Hollywood film star who has finally decided it’s time to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. As she unapologetically lets her story unfold, we learn that Evelyn was in love with a woman at a time in history when it was socially unacceptable to do so. A major theme that I think would stand the test of time is one of her most memorable lines from the book: “Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box. Don’t do that.”
3. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak
My own list here is filled with books set around the time of WWII, but I think The Book Thief is one of the most unique and unforgettable WWII novels I’ve ever read, one) for its focus on books and fostering a love of reading, and two) because Death features as a character/narrator.
4. THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
This quote from Goodreads pretty well sums up why I think The Nightingale is destined to be a classic: “The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.”
5. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens
Another novel I think could easily become a classic based on these themes that resonate: “In Where the Crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a profound coming of age story and haunting mystery. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens’s debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the child within us, while also subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. The story asks how isolation influences the behavior of a young woman, who like all of us, has the genetic propensity to belong to a group. The clues to the mystery are brushed into the lush habitat and natural histories of its wild creatures.” (Goodreads)
6. UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by T.J. Klune
I chose this TJ Klune novel because I think there should be more fantasy novels in what we consider to be classics and I think this one fits the bill. It features quirky, unforgettable characters with Wallace, Hugo, and Mei, a wonderful found family element, and it’s a beautifully written story about life, love, loss, and what it means to truly live.
7. SALT TO THE SEA by Ruta Sepetys
Honestly, I think any of Sepetys’ novels could easily become categorized as classics some day. She has a real gift for storytelling and every book I’ve read of hers has packed an emotional punch. I chose Salt to the Sea because of its focus on a maritime disaster that isn’t very well known – when, in 1945, a Soviet submarine sank a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety from the advancing Red Army. Sepetys powerfully portrays the brutality of war as well as the strength of the human spirit as she unfolds this tragedy before us. Such an incredibly powerful read, particularly as we are currently watching another brutal war in progress.
8. THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller
I chose this book because as popular as retellings are these days, it seems like some of them ought to make it to the status of classic, and I feel like this gorgeous retelling of The Illiad with its main focus between Achilles’ relationship with Patroclus. Again, we have unforgettable characters, this time taken from Greek mythology, as well as themes that will stand the test of time. This book also packs a major emotional punch in a way that brings this story to life in a more accessible way than the original classic.
9. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr
I know, I know, it’s yet another WWII historical fiction novel. This one is about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. I’m not even going to lie – I don’t remember much about this book myself except that I loved it so much I couldn’t put it into words. My review on Goodreads is quite simply that this is “one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read.” I remember being so emotionally invested in the two main characters but not much else. I chose this one primarily because as of today, it has received 1,270,065 ratings on Goodreads, with an average rating of 4.32. With numbers like that, it ought to have some staying power.
10. ONCE UPON A WARDROBE by Patti Callahan
I chose this book because I think it is a gem of a book that deserves so much more attention that it seems to be getting. I loved the story’s focus on both a beloved author, C.S. Lewis, and his most beloved books, The Chronicles of Narnia. I feel like that subject matter as well as its major theme of “the lengths we’ll go to for those we love” make this a timeless read.
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Question: Have you read any of these? Do you think any of them will eventually become classics?
Review: THE WEDDING VEIL by Kristy Woodson Harvey
The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey Also by this author: Feels Like Falling, Under the Southern Sky
Published by Gallery Books on March 29, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction
Pages: 416
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Those who have followed my blog for a while know that I’m a big fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s novels. I love how she writes her characters with warmth and depth, as well as how vibrantly she brings to life the settings for each of her books. I was thrilled to learn that The Wedding Veil is actually a historical fiction novel since that’s one of my favorite genres and I couldn’t wait to see how Harvey reimagines the lives of one of the most famous families of the Gilded Age, the Vanderbilts.
In short, I loved everything about The Wedding Veil! I thought the premise of having the lives of four generations of women bound together by something as seemingly as simple as a wedding veil was just so creative and I loved watching their stories unfold and learning how it was possible that the treasured Vanderbilt heirloom veil ends up in the hands of another unrelated family altogether.
Harvey traces the journey of the veil from one family to the other through the use of dual timelines. We follow Edith Vanderbilt and her daughter Cornelia in the early 20th century, and the struggles they encountered while trying to keep their famous home, The Biltmore Estate, up and running after Mr. Vanderbilt unexpectedly passes away. I admired their strength and determination in the face of such difficult odds, including, particularly in Cornelia’s case, being forced into roles that they didn’t necessarily want and how the symbol of the wedding veil tied into all of that. I thought that Harvey did a wonderful job of telling the Vanderbilt women’s stories with great respect and compassion.
As much as I enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt women and the Biltmore estate, the contemporary timeline was actually the one that captivated me the most, especially since it starts out with a runaway bride who is encouraged to run away, by all people, her grandmother! I loved Julia and Grandma Babs from that opening scene and just couldn’t get enough of them. Julia does a runner because she learns her soon-to-be-husband has been cheating on her and feels like she would be tainting the treasured family wedding veil if she were to go through with the wedding. The veil and all it stands for leads Julia to go on a soul searching journey to figure out what she wants out of life, everyone else’s expectations be damned. I really liked Julia – she’s smart, spunky, and resilient, and the more we get to see Grandma Babs in action, it’s easy to see where Julia gets her spark from.
I don’t want to say anything else because I think it’s best to experience the journeys of these four extraordinary women yourself, but I will say that with all of its intricate threads woven together between past and present, The Wedding Veil is a beautifully written story that spotlights the inner strength of these four unforgettable women and that celebrates love, family, and a woman’s right to choose her own path. 4.5 STARS
About Kristy Woodson Harvey
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the bestselling author of DEAR CAROLINA, LIES AND OTHER ACTS OF LOVE, SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF SIMPLE, THE SECRET TO SOUTHERN CHARM and THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF PARADISE. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing, a finalist for the Southern Book Prize, her work has been optioned for film and her books have received numerous accolades including:
Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads
Southern Living’s Best Spring Break Reads
Southern Independent Bookseller Association’s Okra Pick
Parade’s Big Fiction Reads Every Book Club Will Love
Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks
Us Weekly’s Sweet Reads for Right Now
Woman’s WorldBest Books
PopSugar’s Ultimate Summer Reading
USA Today Happy Ever After’s Best Women’s Fiction
New York Live’s “Ashley’s A-List”
Deep South Magazine’s Summer Reading List
Raleigh News & Observer‘s “The Best Reads of Summer”
Charlotte Observer’s “Summer’s Best Books”
Bustle’s Books to Read and Discuss With Your Mom and Grandma
Huffington Post’s Summer Reading: Women’s Fiction Style
She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life. Design Chic is the inaugural member of the design blogger hall of fame, sponsored by Traditional Home, and winner of Amara’s Best Luxury Blog, as chosen by Roberto Cavalli. She also loves connecting with readers on kristywoodsonharvey.com.
Harvey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism and holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, Parade, USA Today, Domino, Our State and O. Henry. She has been seen in Today.com, Women’s Health,The Washington Post, US News and World Report, The Huffington Post,Marie Claire’s The Fix, Woman’s World, Readers’ Digest, Bustle, New York Live and North Carolina Bookwatch, among others.
She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy Writers, serves on the board of Beaufort Historical Association, and is a member of the University of North Carolina’s Women’s Leadership Council. She is a frequent speaker at fundraisers, book conferences and private events. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and son where she is working on her next novel.