Maryse's Book Blog

Following my heart, one book at a time...

personal growth

What to Read After “It Ends With Us”

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One of the BEST books of the year (and one of my new forever-favorites). It Ends with Us: A Novel has brought about many visceral reactions out of my fellow readers. And we can all say that no matter what, we will NEVER forget this one.

In fact, it has touched SO many, and has shined a light on such an important issue, that many feel they have found a voice, and hope, through this realistic, profound and desperately important realization.

Janet: I’m playing catch-up. I just finished Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us, An absolutely stunning, heart wrenching, intelligent, 5 star read! Maryse, I can see a ‘What to read after…’ list on the horizon, but frankly it’s going to be a tough one to follow. read more

Book Review – It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

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It Ends with Us: A Novel
To me? The BEST book this author has ever written. It’s so incredibly deep, and sincerely (<— and I don’t say this lightly) explores a complex struggle between what you feel, and what is real. I’m not referring to just the heroine of this story (which is told entirely from her POV which, to me, makes it so much more poignant), but I’m referring to the reader, too. We become her, on every level.

Well, anyway… I became her, and I just KNOW it was this story that kept me up all night. Not because I was reading it (I tried to put it down to go to sleep so I could get up early and be productive). But I couldn’t. I couldn’t sleep. And at first… I didn’t know why. read more

Book Review – Room by Emma Donoghue

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Room: A Novel
Absolutely intense!! What an incredible, terrifying, exciting, depressing, inspiriting, beautiful story! This will be a movie? HOLY MOLY! Even though I know the whole story already, I will absolutely be watching it. This one was… magnificent.

Karen:  One of the best books I have ever read out of my normal romance genre. The writing style is just brilliant!

Denise: I read that book a few years ago and could not put it down!!!

Allison: Room was very heavy. I read it probably not long after it came out and it stayed with me. It’s one of those books. It will always be with me. I hear a huge kidnapping story in the news, like Elizabeth Smart or thise 4 young girls that were kept together, and I don’t know. I just look at those stories through different eyes since reading Room. Such an amazing, well-written book. read more

What To Read After Hopeless

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It’s time for another “What to Read After…” list, and this one has some of my absolute forever-favorites! This list could easily have been called…

“What to read after Hopeless/The Sea of Tranquility/Edge of Never…”

I have been asked over and over again for some suggestions, and I’ve found with many of our fellow readers, if you loved one of ’em, you’ll love ’em all.

I’m choosing to name it “What to Read After Hopeless” though, ’cause: read more

Book Review – The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay

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The Sea of Tranquility
This one is easily going to be one of my favorites this year. And I mean TOP favorites. A subdued and somber story but with a great measure of warmth that took my breath away. I was absolutely and personally touched by the time I reached the end. Every part of me was wholeheartedly invested in these complex characters, and even the “normal” moments, and the facetious characters brought a certain depth to the story as a whole. It was… profound. The heartache tangible (and unimaginable) and yet… so real. read more