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Last year my reading goal was 40 books and I ended up reading 48! While I pushed myself throughout the year to hit my goal, I spent December taking pleasure in, slowing down my reading. I wanted to fully submerge myself in the stories that were being told. From the beauty of the ballet to the realness of motherhood to the magic of Christmas, these 3 books were all about second chances. Here is everything I read in December.
Two years after the terrible accident that stalled her career, prima ballerina Natalia Leonova is returning to her hometown of St. Petersburg where it all began. Once Russia’s most beloved ballerinas, Natalia now drowns herself in alcohol and pills as she copes with the trauma of her past; the loss of her career, her estranged mother, absent father, past lovers, and the dancer who led her downfall. Now that she has the chance to return to the stage for her signature role, she must face her past. Portraying the inner workings, the cutthroat political and artistic ambitions, of prominent classical ballet companies, City of Birds is about the love of art that blends into life.
5 stars
Review
Oh I loved this book! As a past dancer, and current lover of classical ballets, I devoured this book. The author, Juhea Kim, did an excellent job capturing what it’s like to be a principle dancer in one of the world’s most prominent ballet companies; the jealousy, the backstabbing, the ambition, the artistry, all of it. I was very impressed by the author’s knowledge of not only balletic terms, but the significant differences between prominent ballet companies around the world. Besides the ballet portion, I love a second chance story. Whether it’s in career, love, or one’s own self, I enjoyed following along Natalia’s journey. The only thing I did find confusing was the changing of the names: Natasha is also Natalia. That took me a second to figure who was who. However, it didn’t deter me from loving the book. I was completely submerged in the artistry, the ambition, knowing what dance does to one’s self. It was a beautiful book and now one of my top 10 all time favorites!
Nolan has been the Ghost of Christmas Past for 100 years. All he wants is to finally get to the afterlife. That is until he is assigned to Harriet York; a bubbly, sweet, attractive woman. The problem is she’s not exactly Scrooge. Harriet is not like all the other people Nolan has haunted before. She is a good person, at least tries to be. As they travel through her past, they realize there is a thread that bonds them together. Now they must figure out why Nolan was assigned to Harriet, and what it all means for the two of them. Filled with magic, laughter, and romance Good Spirits had all the makings of a Hallmark movie mixed with A Christmas Carol.
Review
This was a fun one to read during the holidays! It’s like A Christmas Carol but with romance. While I loved the romance between Nolan and Harriet, I loved how clever the book was. Trying to figure out why he is haunting her, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, It was both a mystery and a love story mixed together
Art historian, cultural critic, and author Sarah Hoover takes us through her difficult experience during her first year of motherhood. While moving to New York in her 20’s from Indiana, Sarah knew the type of life she wanted. She had numerous friends, went to events, night’s out on the town, and met the love of her life. Once she got pregnant, however, everything changed. She changed. Dealing with postpartum depression without realizing it, Sarah began to grow distant from her friends, family, and husband. She felt like an imposter, different from the other mother’s she met. Through anxiety, fear, and anger, she couldn’t deal with the things happening around her. When her child was born she turned to pills and therapy, but none of it helped. Sarah was spiraling. In a brutally honest memoir, Sarah says the taboo things out loud. She talks about childbirth and motherhood that others keep to themselves. Things I never heard of happening, things that I think all current mothers, mothers to be, and women (and men) in general should know about. Should be prepared for. Should know they are not alone. While I enjoyed Sarah’s story, and applaud her for being so open and vulnerable, there were some things I think that needed to stay private.
4 stars