en-US Fri, 02 May 2025 12:03:05 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9378875491 Fri, 02 May 2025 12:03:05 -0700 /review/show/7537326984 DaShannon wants to read Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna by Mario Giordano
]]> ReadStatus9378875400 Fri, 02 May 2025 12:03:03 -0700 /review/show/7537326913 DaShannon wants to read Auntie Poldi and the Handsome Antonio by Mario Giordano
]]> ReadStatus9378874882 Fri, 02 May 2025 12:02:53 -0700 /review/show/5648707712 DaShannon finished reading Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano
]]> Review7536782306 Fri, 02 May 2025 07:51:09 -0700 /review/show/7536782306 DaShannon gave 5 stars to Hidden Pictures (Hardcover) by Jason Rekulak
bookshelves: thriller
I loved this one! And I find it extremely weird how divided the reviews are. I'm not flippant with 5-star reviews, but I didn't even have to think about this one. It is a fun, fast-paced, intriguing, and confusing thriller. The recommendation came across my feed somewhere but, wow, I'm so glad I borrowed the audio and gave it a shot. Lots of twists, great nuggets of writing, characterization, and surprises. I'll request more of Rekulak's works. ]]> ReadStatus9363776268 Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:51:06 -0700 /review/show/7526727222 DaShannon is currently reading The Deal by Elle Kennedy
]]> ReadStatus9363767831 Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:48:29 -0700 /review/show/7526721597 DaShannon is currently reading Playground by Richard Powers
]]> Review621110473 Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:57:35 -0700 /review/show/621110473 DaShannon gave 3 stars to Prep (Paperback) by Curtis Sittenfeld
Interesting plot and character development, I enjoyed it but the ending was complicated for me. I need a character to grow and make amends in the end and this character does I just feel for her spending so much time figuring herself out. ]]> Review7199047751 Sat, 26 Apr 2025 10:07:39 -0700 /review/show/7199047751 DaShannon gave 4 stars to Like Water for Chocolate (Paperback) by Laura Esquivel
bookshelves: literary
I read this a long time ago and I'm not sure why. I think it was one I picked up as an audio when I was commuting to my first year of teaching. It is a tragic love story with mysticism and a bit of magical realism. It follows the calendar starting in a January and would be a great novel to take a little at a time. I enjoyed it. ]]> Review7519914196 Sat, 26 Apr 2025 04:58:45 -0700 /review/show/7519914196 DaShannon gave 4 stars to A Calamity of Souls (Hardcover) by David Baldacci
bookshelves: corruption, crime-fiction, thriller
A courtroom drama that does draw heavily on To Kill A Mockingbird, BUT it gives a fresh story to deal with even more controversial topics. I enjoyed this one once I got past that first chapter. Similar to A Time to Kill, the opening is so disgusting it is difficult to commit to. I do always say, people are enduring this; the least I can do is read their stories and try to understand and grow from them. Yes, this is fiction, but it is a story that has been lived too many times. The characters are well developed, and at no time did I feel like it was believable. Sadly. I've read other Baldacci books; my favorite is The Christmas Train. I've read it a few times, watched the movie, and listened to the audio. In November 2001- Wish you well. In December 2002- The Christmas Train. In July 2017- One Summer. I have several more to read as I enjoy his books. ]]> Review7499878461 Sat, 26 Apr 2025 04:40:07 -0700 /review/show/7499878461 DaShannon gave 3 stars to Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales (Hardcover) by Melissa Marr
bookshelves: fantasy, young-adult
I had a copy of this at home and in the classroom. Reading took me forever because I was trying just to read it at school during independent reading time. I didn't love it, so I wouldn't pick it up. I liked so many of the authors, but didn't find many short stories in the collection memorable. There were a few towards the end that I enjoyed- Kelley Armstrong's retelling of The Monkey's Paw was one of my favorites. There are a few, I think, that I could use in this collection. ]]>