Book Review - Kim Wright's The Canterbury Sisters

Kim Wright's The Canterbury Sisters caught my eye for several reasons. It was compared to authors that I like, such as Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed. It's a story of a woman's journey and it's set in England. I couldn't resist. Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Wright's novel, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT - Wine Reviewer, Che Milan has just lost her mother to cancer. To add insult to injury, she receives a "Dear John" letter from her boyfriend on the same day that her mother passes. Che is bereft and she spontaneously decides to book a trip to England in order to fulfill her mother's last wish. Her mother wanted to make the sixty-odd mile pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Che hauls her mother's ashes to England and joins a tour group comprised of seven other American woman aptly named Broads Abroad. As they make the journey, this disparate group of women each take a turn telling a story and Che scatters her mother along the road.

LIKE - I immediately fell in love with Wright's phrasing, so much so that I often paused to reread passages. She writes in a way that is straight-forward, honest and insightful. She also manages to find humor in inappropriate moments. Having gone through loss and grieving quite a bit recently, I could relate to the humor and cutting remarks. Che's loss felt uncomfortably familiar. I felt like I was nodding my head in agreement through much of the story.

I liked the symmetry of having the women each tell their own tales and having that echo both Chaucer and the overall idea of this pilgrimage. I had no idea that modern people made this trek, so the idea of the walk was fascinating to me. All of the women had interesting stories and there was quite a bit of surprise with where the stories headed. There were many moments in the story, where Wright managed to catch me off guard. I like the element of surprise.

DISLIKE - Nothing. I found The Canterbury Sisters to be a highly enjoyable and affecting read. I polished it off in a single afternoon, because I just needed to know what was going to happen next. Wright's story grabbed my attention and refused to let go.

RECOMMEND - Yes! The Canterbury Sisters is a wonderful story by a talented writer. I hate labels, but I do have to say that this seems to be fairly classic "Women's Fiction". I say this, because I can't imagine many men that I know choosing to read or enjoying this book. It's very women-centric and to that end, I think that many of my female friends would very much enjoy it. I now want to go visit Canterbury on my next trip to England. Wright's descriptions make it sound gorgeous and ethereal. 

Book Review- Kate Betts' My Paris Dream

 A true and tragic fact, I've never been to Paris. However, I love to travel through books and when I saw Kate Betts' memoir, My Paris Dream on NetGalley, it looked like the perfect read for armchair traveling. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for gifting me with an advanced copy of Betts' memoir in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Set in the mid-80's, My Paris Dream, follows American Kate Betts as she moves to Paris after finishing her undergraduate degree at Princeton. Betts fell in love with Paris during a high school trip and she felt a pull to spend more time in the city, a pull greater than could be satisfied during a vacation. Telling her family and boyfriend that she plans to be in Paris for just a year, she moves to France with an arrangement to rent a room in the home of a French family and she is armed with a few loose contacts for potential jobs. 

As time passes, Betts becomes more entrenched in her French life. She has a strong circle of supportive friends and on the encouragement of her landlords, she moves into her own apartment. Her initial year in Paris, is turning into years. Soon, she finds herself with a French boyfriend and a job as a fashion journalist. As a fashion journalist, Betts is exposed to a glamorous world and she meets many icons in the industry, including, Christian Louboutin, Helmut Lang, Yves Saint Laurent and Anna Wintour. 

LIKE - My Paris Dream is absolutely beautifully written. It's downright dreamy with Betts lush descriptions of her life in Paris and the fashion industry. The clothes, the food, the city streets...it's simply gorgeous.

What I found most appealing is the theme of following your dreams and your heart. This is a wonderful memoir for anyone, but I think that it would have an extra appeal for college age women. At thirty-seven years old, I read this story in a wistful mood, but if I had been younger, I think this memoir would have been inspirational. This isn't to say that I didn't find Betts story inspiring, but as I'm older, it made me feel more nostalgic for when I was in my twenties. There is an innocence and bravado about that age that Betts captures perfectly.

I found the tidbits regarding the fashion industry and journalism to be fascinating. I also enjoyed learning about France and its culture. Betts truly attempted to blend-in with the locals and I think this attitude allowed her to develop close friendships that gave her a real idea of French culture and everyday life. Betts is less of a "fish-out-of-water" than I anticipated. The French don't let her forget that she is American, but they definitely accept her as a friend and adopt her into their lives.

DISLIKE - Nothing. I absolutely loved this memoir. I finished the book wanting more.

RECOMMEND - Yes, I've already recommended My Paris Dream to several friends. Betts memoir is a must for those who love travel writing, French culture or fashion. 

Book Review- Jessica Knoll's Luckiest Girl Alive

Do you ever have a book just call to you? I was perusing offerings on NetGalley and Jessica Knoll's debut novel, Luckiest Girl Alive, screamed "pick me". I liked the title and even more, I liked the comparison to two of my favorite books, Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl.  Megan Abbott's endorsement didn't hurt either. Thank You to Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Knoll's novel, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT - Twenty-eight year old Ani FaNelli appears to have it all. Ani is quickly rising up the ranks at her dream job, working as a writer at a fashion magazine. She is beautiful and her finance is both handsome and rich. They live in gorgeous manhattan apartment and their lives are filled with lovely things, including lavish meals out and fancy clothes. Her life would be perfect, except that Ani harbors several dark secrets from a string of traumatizing events that happened to her in high school. These secrets threaten to shatter the persona that Ani has carefully created for herself post-high school. In efforts to control the information of her past, Ani agrees to participate in a documentary regarding the shocking events that occurred in her teen years, but she soon realizes that her perception of the events and of herself have changed.

LIKE - I absolutely loved Knoll's writing style. It's edgy and cutting, filled with keen observations that make her characters pop off of the page. The story is told from Ani's perspective, she is an unreliable and utterly fascinating narrator, which makes this book impossible to put down. For a majority of the story, Ani comes across as a self-involved bitch, however with an unexpected story twist at the end, I came to sympathize and even like her. Knoll is a brilliant writer and this twist is so well-conceived. I can understand why this book is being compared to Gone Girl. More than just having a good twist, Knoll does a masterful job with pacing and strategically revealing pieces of the puzzle as the story progresses.

DISLIKE - Nothing. This is the best book that I've read in a long time. it was a real page turner with memorable characters. I hope that Knoll has another story in the works, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

RECOMMEND - Yes. Luckiest Girl Alive is sure to be the next big hit and Knoll has a bright literary future.