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A review by jenbsbooks
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
4.75
I finished this up a couple days ago - moved on to my next book, and as I came to write the review, I didn't have a super strong memory of the book. This is why in addition to my audio (preferred format, more ear time than eye time) I always get the Kindle copy to review and re-read as I review. I also had made some notes while listening. But just as a quick "enjoyment" listen and thinking back on it ... I liked it, didn't L♥VE it (as I had this authors One In A Million Boy). There had been quite a bit of proFanity (x45), the prison setting(had to laugh a little at JennyBIG, as I'm feeling self-conscious about my weight), the affairs ... just things that had me with a tiny bit of negativity (personal issues/connections).
BUT ... as I reviewed and reflected, and I even looked up some discussion questions (none were included IN the book, which is becoming more common), just taking that bit of time to delve a little deeper already made me appreciate the book a bit more. This PDF (https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/reading-guides/RG-9780063243675.pdf) had an interesting "Behind the Book" page which recounts the author doing a prison visit, which loosely influenced the Harriet storyline. The discussion questions there were good, and made me think I would enjoy discussing this in a bookclub setting (and in that case, I'd probably read more slowly, taking more notes/highlights, etc, in preparation. Because yes, I DO that for book club!) A simple Google search has several other posts/pages discussing the book ... not all books inspire that.
Lots to think about ... the prison system (control/punishment), forgiveness, quite a bit of book discussion (unsurprising, given the title and the "bookclub" premise). There are parrots ;) Relationships between parent/child - two generations, and how they see things differently. Saying no, or yes. Interesting final chapter ... almost more like an epilogue (spaced after the "end" and wrapping up loose ends). I don't know that it's really a spoiler to say it's from Violet's POV, after she's lived her life and died, and reflecting on it all. Other than ghost stories, we don't normally get "after I died ..." comments.
I don't know that I really realized it as I listened to the audiobook ... but with the three POVs (chapters are labeled Violet, Harriet, Frank), Violet's storyline is 1st person/present tense, while Frank and Harriet are 3rd person/past tense. It was all a single narrator, and she was great ... but I wonder if I would have preferred having a different "voice" for Harriet and Frank? A single narrator wasn't a deal-breaker ... as it WOULD be if the POVs were in 1st person. And technically, at the end, Violet indicates "in the telling (of her story) I told Frank and Harriet's story too" so with that, the single narrator really does make the most sense (and keeps all the voices consistent ... just for me, sometimes TOO consistent, as at times I'd forget whose head we were in as I'd stop/start the book throughout my listen). If I'd realized the difference in the tenses, I'd have looked for that more when picking the book back up and returning to the story after a break.
Other things I note ... Song spoken. Here, I really would have liked to have the narrator sing the little tiny bit (I have no idea if the narrator has a good singing voice, but it was just lacking in a patter-speak, at least in my opinion). The little statement "she spoke in italics" ... I enjoy that! Just a couple smirks, three scowls ... detritus (for some reason I really like that word, but don't here it much IRL).
So while originally, maybe I was thinking 3* ... or 4* ... I'm pretty sure if I continued my "study" of the book (maybe I'll suggest it for bookclub, although too much profanity for one of mine) I'd appreciate it even more, so upping it some ... I don't know that I can quite go 5* just because I remember my initial feelings too.
It's still pretty new - just four of my GR friends have read it as I write this review. Just six quotes saved so far. I bet those numbers will go up.
BUT ... as I reviewed and reflected, and I even looked up some discussion questions (none were included IN the book, which is becoming more common), just taking that bit of time to delve a little deeper already made me appreciate the book a bit more. This PDF (https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/reading-guides/RG-9780063243675.pdf) had an interesting "Behind the Book" page which recounts the author doing a prison visit, which loosely influenced the Harriet storyline. The discussion questions there were good, and made me think I would enjoy discussing this in a bookclub setting (and in that case, I'd probably read more slowly, taking more notes/highlights, etc, in preparation. Because yes, I DO that for book club!) A simple Google search has several other posts/pages discussing the book ... not all books inspire that.
Lots to think about ... the prison system (control/punishment), forgiveness, quite a bit of book discussion (unsurprising, given the title and the "bookclub" premise). There are parrots ;) Relationships between parent/child - two generations, and how they see things differently. Saying no, or yes. Interesting final chapter ... almost more like an epilogue (spaced after the "end" and wrapping up loose ends). I don't know that it's really a spoiler to say it's from Violet's POV, after she's lived her life and died, and reflecting on it all. Other than ghost stories, we don't normally get "after I died ..." comments.
I don't know that I really realized it as I listened to the audiobook ... but with the three POVs (chapters are labeled Violet, Harriet, Frank), Violet's storyline is 1st person/present tense, while Frank and Harriet are 3rd person/past tense. It was all a single narrator, and she was great ... but I wonder if I would have preferred having a different "voice" for Harriet and Frank? A single narrator wasn't a deal-breaker ... as it WOULD be if the POVs were in 1st person. And technically, at the end, Violet indicates "in the telling (of her story) I told Frank and Harriet's story too" so with that, the single narrator really does make the most sense (and keeps all the voices consistent ... just for me, sometimes TOO consistent, as at times I'd forget whose head we were in as I'd stop/start the book throughout my listen). If I'd realized the difference in the tenses, I'd have looked for that more when picking the book back up and returning to the story after a break.
Other things I note ... Song spoken. Here, I really would have liked to have the narrator sing the little tiny bit (I have no idea if the narrator has a good singing voice, but it was just lacking in a patter-speak, at least in my opinion). The little statement "she spoke in italics" ... I enjoy that! Just a couple smirks, three scowls ... detritus (for some reason I really like that word, but don't here it much IRL).
So while originally, maybe I was thinking 3* ... or 4* ... I'm pretty sure if I continued my "study" of the book (maybe I'll suggest it for bookclub, although too much profanity for one of mine) I'd appreciate it even more, so upping it some ... I don't know that I can quite go 5* just because I remember my initial feelings too.
It's still pretty new - just four of my GR friends have read it as I write this review. Just six quotes saved so far. I bet those numbers will go up.