L'Shanah Tova everyone! Happy New Year! May the coming year be sweet and prosperous. Also, may it be full of books. ;) I'm getting back in the reviewing game with this week's blog post, and it may involve a lot of fangirling on my part, because I was introduced to Penny Reid as an author this year and I LOVE her books. So, first off, she is a romance author, if you've read some of my other posts you know I read a lot of those, but as an author she also tackles some heavy things like mental illness, racism, corruption, etc., in her stories. She also writes hilarious books/characters, so even though she can write about intense subjects, there's enough lightness that a reader has a hard time turning away just because they don't want to deal with real questions. Which means that even if a reader doesn't want to deal with the implications of hard things in our world, they'll get some form of reflection on these topics done because they are important to the story. Anyway, on to the review.
Trigger Warning: Sexual assault, abuse, The Laws of Physics is actually a serial of three books about the same characters. It could be considered a second-chance romance but it has a slightly different feel from many books in that category because you don't realize until the second installment that that is what's going to happen. But moving on, this particular series of Penny Reid's deals with complicated family dynamics, consent, and sexual assault, all while exploring the sweet love story of a genius physicist and a musician. And when I say genius physicist, I mean she was working on her undergraduate degree when she was fifteen and she was getting ready to start her doctorate at eighteen. The scene opens with Mona DaVinci taking a call from her twin sister Lisa DaVinci where she is convinced to pull a Parent Trap and take her sister's place at home for about a week. Now, Mona won't be replacing Lisa for her parents (who are famous musicians, by the way), but rather for a man she doesn't know but who is a friend of their older brother, Leo, and is meant to keep an eye on Lisa until their parents get home. Lisa need's Mona's help because, well, she's been arrested. So, long story short, Mona agrees, gets to Chicago, and spends an intense week with a man who is hot, intense, funny, and kind. A guy most women would have a hard time not falling for. A guy who also supposedly hates liars. And queue the entire love story. Now, that's just the first book, and you really should read the book because it's way funnier and nuanced than my spur of the moment summary. Penny Reid does something that I need when I read a book, she creates characters I care about. Characters I want to know more about. While no one is a reader geared towards only one aspect of the book, characters often make or break a book for me. I have a really hard time engaging with and liking books where I cannot connect with or be intrigued by the characters. Books that are good books, that are written well, that have beautiful language, setting, and tone, but don't have characters I'm interested in? I'll usually finish them, but I'll also probably give them a 2-star rating on GoodReads (though I will, of course, explain such a rating and make sure others know they may still like the book). Anyway, Penny Reid does a wonderful job with her characters. I laugh, I cry, I often yell when they're being idiots...In short, she makes them feel real, and so I end up loving them. If you're into contemporary romance novels, give Penny Reid a try. She doesn't disappoint. And if you like romance novels that break into deep topics, definitely give her a read. And if you really just want to read a funny, sexy, light, novel, you'll be okay with her too. So go forth and read Penny Reid! And if you do, let me know what you think. You might not become a fan, but even if you don't, I'd love to talk with you about your thoughts on her books. Happy Reading!
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Well, I made it. I'm here. My suitcases are unpacked, and I'm remembering how expensive (time and money-wise) it is to set yourself up somewhere new. But I'm mostly set up, though I'm still trying to find a foldable grocery trolley and an air drying rack for laundry. Those things I may just get from Amazon though... I'm going to be making knishes this week, a double batch so that one I can eat/freeze and one I can share with my flatmates. It is definitely a work in progress: getting set up, finding my way around, dealing with homesickness. And I'm quite sure that won't stop being the case. However, for now, I'm at a reasonable spot considering I've been here less than a week.
Of course, I'm a little out of it today because I've contracted a cold. The post-nasal drip started yesterday evening and has continued through today. As such, my honey and lemon-juice stores have taken a hit. My hope is that because I don't have things to do for my course/job until Thursday of this week, I can take today and tomorrow to rest and nip everything in the bud. Thankfully tea is plentiful here in the UK. ;) But you all don't want to hear about my body's inability to maintain its immune system after a 9 hour flight followed by a 2 hour flight followed by 4 jetlagged days (and 4 nights of not so great sleep because of it). You probably want some pictures, right? Well, never fear! I haven't taken a whole lot yet, but below are the pictures of my adventure so far. I'll be adding a page for photos on the site as well, so you can see them all regardless of whether you can find this post again. Also of note, once I officially start my PhD, I'll also add a page that contains my posts specifically about my programme, so keep an eye out for that in early October. Happy Reading! Yes, I know, I missed the last two weeks. But it's been hectic and life sometimes gets in the way...Also, sometimes I'd just rather be reading. I'm going to try and keep this week's blog short, because you may also hear from me again before next Sunday/Monday. Although I make no promises ;).
The majority of you who read my blog regularly know that I'm going to be moving soon, and already completed a move in August. In August, I moved from the DC Metro area to Colorado to spend 6 weeks with my family before the next big move: Scotland. I'm going to Scotland to pursue a doctorate in library and information science (though the actual degree I earn will be called a PhD in Computing). This degree, this journey, is something I've been working towards for about 4 years now. And now that it's finally here, it's hard to deal with. I'm excited, and nervous, and sad. Terrified is pretty high up there too. And the hope is that I can come back and visit often if I get a part-time job while I'm there, but those little doubts are still niggling the back of my mind that I won't get a part-time job, or at least not a "good" one where I can take a week or more off outside of term time and come visit family. So, yeah. It's amazing and scary all wrapped into one. And while I know sometimes people see religion/spirituality as a crutch, why does it matter if it's a crutch that keeps me alive? Because one of the things that's keeping me going is the thought that things happen for a reason and if G-d really didn't want me to go, then I wouldn't be going. I wouldn't have gotten in in the first place, or my Visa wouldn't have been approved, or my tickets wouldn't be bought, or I'd be sick or dying or something (yes, I exaggerate but I've come to the conclusion that in this type of situation it's a family trait). The point is, in a few short hours (okay, 5 hours), I'll be boarding a plane to Paris, which will lead to me boarding a plan to Edinburgh, which will lead to me getting to accommodations and spending the first night of my next three years at a doctorate degree. Here I go! Happy Reading! |
AuthorThe author is a librarian who reads "too much" (is there such a thing?) and talks just as much. As an aspiring author she gets bogged down by grammar rules when she just wants to forget them to make a sentence flow, but never seems to be able to. She appreciates thoughtful comments and constructive criticism, but internet trolls beware, she's read enough fantasy novels to know how to defeat the monsters. Archives
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