Sarah E. Silverman

Bursting with feeling and tenderness

Revisado: 12-02-24

I could not have loved this more! The relationship between Nate and Raymond was nearly, if not as, heartfelt as the development of the love between Nate and Cora. Also as beautiful was the love Nate had for Tess and Leo. The entire book was sheer perfection!

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Perfection

Revisado: 03-08-23

The story was absolute perfection. No notes. Jen Devon has rendered me speechless with her beautiful words. I…I can think of no higher recommendation for this book.

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Me-Yao 😻

Revisado: 07-18-22

I guess that’s what happens when you’re sick and have to be locked in your own fairytale tower and not be allowed to interact with anyone else — you finish a book in a day. Well, this was a great book to keep me company during my isolation. It wasn’t very heavy so my poor sick brain didn’t have to concentrate very hard. It wasn’t super spicy, so I wouldn’t get that topsy-turvy feeling in my belly. And it had just enough to sink my teeth into so I wouldn’t fall right to sleep, despite my fatigue.

I liked that the two female leads were never pitted against each other and that they served to be a support for the other. They both need each other, so they fulfill that need. But more than that, they’re both lonely and they develop a genuine liking for one another. Also, Gracie sees something in Fangli, something in herself (other than similar appearance) and helps her out. Their relationship is one of my favorite things about the book.

Now, I would never want to be famous. And this book outlines a bunch of reasons why not. (I hereby formally apologize to all the actors, narrators, authors, etc that I’ve bugged the heck out of or gotten weird with.) But we all fantasize about it and this was a nice escape into that world of regular-person-turned-famous, especially since it was a limited time gig.

The love story was a very slow burn, although it might have been a little less than a burn because it wasn’t very hot. Not that the payoff wasn’t great. Just that the heat level on this book overall was very low. As characters, though, and as a pairing I really liked them. Gracie was about as down to earth as can be - she was about as far from starstruck as possible. She was more captivated by Sam’s unbelievable handsomeness (can we say Sam me-Yao? 😻). But she was very unimpressed that he was famous and put off by his haughtiness; nothing that her frankness couldn’t break through. And so, as the walls come down, they get to know each other’s real selves and a friendship (and then more) emerges. I did start to get a little nervous as the time ticked toward the end of the book and that hadn’t resolved yet.

There were a few other topics that the book addressed which were important and rounded out the story. First, the parent/child relationships: Gracie’s relationship with her mother who is suffering from dementia, Sam’s relationship with his super controlling mother, and Fangli’s relationship with her powerful father. Second, there’s a touch of Chinese politics. I’m being a little vague so I don’t give away anything in the story. And third, sexual harassment in the office.

The audiobook was good. They needed someone who could speak Chinese and do an English accent and Phillipa Soo did a fine job as far as I could tell. Those skills certainly enhanced the experience for me.

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Really Good Storytelling

Revisado: 11-03-21

There isn’t anything I didn’t enjoy about this book. It was just really good storytelling. Narration was also excellent. 5 stars all around!

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A Must Read

Revisado: 01-22-21

A wonderfully written book. A great addition to anyone’s library who is trying to educate themselves about the inequalities among people and how to resolve them.

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Tragic

Revisado: 01-08-21

I liked that the author read her own work. She did a great job. I guess I should say that this isn’t my kind of story. Do I need every book I read to be uplifting? No. And I guess I should just appreciate the story and the good writing for what it is. But in the end, I just felt sad for the characters.

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Story really drew me in

Revisado: 12-19-20

As the story went on, I found I wanted to know more and more how it would end. Marathoned through the last two hours.

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Blatantly biased review

Revisado: 03-20-20

First, let’s talk about the narrator, since this is Audible, after all. Davina Porter’s voice did take some getting used to in the beginning of Book 1, but once she started doing all the characters, I absolutely loved her performance. Now I crave her voice when I’m not listening.

What did I like? Absolutely everything. These are not short, little novels. These are serious investments in time on the listener’s part. Diana Gabaldon had better bring it with each novel. I don’t want a rehashing of events or a mere continuation of the story. Well in Book 2 she delivered. She starts from a whole different perspective, introduces new characters, and takes us on a journey with emotional ups and downs. The only thing that I had to comfort myself with was the blurb she gives on her website, “Just keep reading; it’ll be fine.” That and knowing there are several more books in the series. And I’m here for it.

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Blatantly biased review

Revisado: 03-20-20

First, let’s talk about the narrator, since this is Audible, after all. Davina Porter’s voice did take some getting used to in the beginning of Book 1, but once she started doing all the characters, I absolutely loved her performance. Now I crave her voice when I’m not listening.

What did I like? Absolutely everything. These are not short, little novels. These are serious investments in time on the listener’s part. Diana Gabaldon had better bring it with each novel. I don’t want a rehashing of events or a mere continuation of the story. Well in Book 2 she delivered. She starts from a whole different perspective, introduces new characters, and takes us on a journey with emotional ups and downs. The only thing that I had to comfort myself with was the blurb she gives on her website, “Just keep reading; it’ll be fine.” That and knowing there are several more books in the series. And I’m here for it.

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Powerful and Necessary Read

Revisado: 12-12-19

Kendi comes from a place of vulnerability when he shares with us his journey of becoming antiracist. Becoming is a continuous process for us all and he helps us to check our biases. Though we may feel overwhelmed by the weight of racism, in reading this book we come away with an action plan and a feeling of hope.

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