Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me.”

Exceptional. The most moving, endearing love story I have ever read. What can I say about this classic that hasn’t been said before? I loved this novel for so many reasons; its virtue, sincerity, humor, mysticism, romance, morality, and wit. But mostly because Jane was passionate woman not afraid to remain true to her beliefs yet follow her heart.

House of Brides

The House of Brides by Jane Cockram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this contemporary spin on classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Cockram misses the mark in her attempt to create an ominous story with a gothic flair. I was hoping for a creepy and disturbing tale. Instead, we get a formulaic reproduction with weak characters that don’t hide anything dark or grim. I did appreciate her characterization of three interesting kids and their stories within an otherwise lackluster novel.

Catch and Kill

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“In the end, the courage of women can’t be stamped out. And stories – the big ones, the true ones – can be caught but never killed.”

Wow! In this tell-all investigative true story, Ronan Farrow (son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen) shows NO MERCY in his quest to unveil the disgusting injustices to women over several decades by two of the entertainment industries most powerful men, Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer. Even more shocking, he reveals how their open secrets were hushed for years by both Hollywood and NBC in a twisted conspiracy of complicity.

But this is not just an expose on the abuse of women, it is a scandalous disclosure of betrayal, double-agents, spies, and deception. Well-written and well researched, you will not believe what you are going to read!

Kudos to Farrow and his bravery in going up against the rich and powerful, risking his job (and even his life) to bring the evil entitled mercilessly to their knees.

Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The thought was this: that all my life had been murk and depths, but I was not a part of that dark water. I was a creature within it.”

Miller flawlessly interweaves the infamous stories and characters of Greek mythology into a provocative tale of a goddess who wasn’t very godlike. Universal themes of motherhood, love, loss, solitude, revenge, compassion, and strength permeate every nook and cranny of a novel you will not want to put down. Typically, I do no like fantasy, but I really liked this. Four enthusiastic stars.

Becoming

Becoming by Michelle Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I grew up with a disabled dad in a too-small house with not much money in a starting-to-fail neighborhood, and I also grew up surrounded by love and music in a diverse city in a country where an education can take you far. I had nothing or I had everything. It depends on which way you want to tell it.”
― Michelle Obama, Becoming

Although I was a bit late to the game with this one, I am SO GLAD I finally read it. Michelle Obama’s story is refreshingly honest and exquisitely written. In her rags to riches memoir, she details the unusual trajectory of her life. Her beautiful words flow as much as their meanings do. She writes of family, race, class, motherhood, politics, womanhood, and never settling for being settled. She writes from the heart, you can feel it in her writing, hear it in her voice. She is a sincere advocate for change, and doing what is right. For that, she has my utmost respect. Mrs. Obama is beautiful, inside and out. Highly recommended.