2022 - 06 - epistolary - What did you read?

[PAS, Moderator AC]

June Shelf is epistolary

What did you read? Did it make you feel that you'd like to write a letter or start a diary?

[Meg]

Obsidio (Illuminae Files #3)

2.5* - but I still encourage you to read this series!
I found this instalment a bit disappointing. The epistolary aspect was done really well in the previous books, but was somewhat ignored here. Most of the book was done as descriptions of action video records, rather than the messages between characters that dominated the other books. The typical YA sci fi trope - only these teenagers can save the world (and also they are in love with each other) - was a bit too much for me in this one too.

Used for Just Read It and Seriously Serial
I nominate books about books

[Shannon]

Keep Me Posted

I'd call this one "semi-epostilary," as only part of the story was told in letters. (The rest of the story is how the letters affected the chararacters.) I didn't love the book, mainly because I didn't much like the main character/narrator. Even though she was supposed to be an "Everywoman," I didn't find her to be relatable.

I second the books about books nomination.

[Lauren]

I read Till Next We Meet and gave it 3 Stars.

Like Shannon's book, this one is also only semi-epistolary. The hero and heroine exchange letters but the latter believes she is corresponding with her husband when in fact it is his commanding officer who is the writer.

The letters are heartfelt and heartwarming and contribute significantly to the romance. Unfortunately, the actual relationship does not live up to the promise of the letters.

I nominate Georgian

[LynnB]

I read Clara Callan and gave it 3-1/2 stars. I enjoyed this novel about 2 sisters, written in both letters and diary entries. The author, although male, seemed to be great at capturing the voice of the female characters .... and then, all of a sudden, my brain would screech to a halt wondering where the male voice was coming from. Yep, there are about 3 or 4 critical points where all of a sudden I felt the male voice presence in how he looked at things. Still and all, it was a good read that I enjoyed.

I don't have a nomination right now.

[Joanna]

I read This Is How You Lose the Time War and gave it two stars.

Everyone I know loved this book, so I'm distinctly in the minority here, but I found it frustrating and somewhat dull through most of the book. Perhaps it would have been better in print rather than audio format, though usually epistolary novels work well in narration.

The ending neatly brought the story around, so an extra star for that. And I wanted more of the universe and how the time war worked. But I cared little about Red or Blue or their supposed romance. Maybe I'm just feeling jaded right now.

Used for JRI.

I nominate weird.

[Jamie]

I read Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks and gave it 4 stars.


Once you get into it, it's hard to put this fun horror down. Great build-up, a unique setting, and epistolary storytelling make for a satisfying tale.

I nominate fashion.

[Susan]

I read Sleeping Giants. I gave it 3 stars, barely. Now, a couple weeks after reading it, I can hardly remember what I liked and didn't like about it. Perhaps not knowing who is doing the interviews, or why, was part of the problem. Or maybe the implicit assumption that the way to prevent violence is to be the one with the most violent capabilities to intimidate one's enemies?

[Karin]

Antonietta by John Hersey

3 stars

NB one entire section was exclusively epistolary and another one had a lot of it mixed in.

3.3 stars--average of the five parts of this story which ranged from 1.5 to 5.

This novel is almost like a series of interconnected short stories that gives a fictional rendering of the provenance of a real Stradavari violin, Antonietta. This was the first violin of a redesigned type and was the advent of his golden era of violin making (but not one of the ones worth $10 million for various reasons.)

The stories ranged for me from excellent to boring and annoying. This is the first novel I've read by Hersey, but since I recognize some of his other titles from my parents' shelves (before they cleared most of them out) my parents read some of his books, and it's possible that some of my grandparents read him. Some parts are funny, particularly the section featuring letters written by Mozart (when a certain musician owned it.) Some sections were prose, one was epistolary, one was prose subdivided into movements (at least part of it was) and one was mostly written like a screen play (one of my least favourite ones.)

[Meg]

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

***3 stars***

Some thoughts on this book:
1. The first half was going really well, with good build up to the central event. But it should have ended more quickly after that. The last 200 or so pages were pretty pointless.
2. The discussion of racism; then and now; really elevated the story beyond the story of musical history which I wasn't super excited by.
3. This book was clearly made to be an audio book. I wish I had listened to it instead of reading the hard copy.
4. It's impossible to ignore the similarities to Daisy Jones, both in style and content they are extremely alike. There was also a plot element that was very similar to Evelyn Hugo. I was constantly musing on that as I was reading.

Used for JRI (bibliophile rhapsody) and Moving Mountains
I nominate past-and-present

[Bea]

I read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. 4*

This book was told primarily in journal entries by the protagonist. She relates events of her life and her thoughts in trying to understand the events. She is a teen who is trying to make sense of the world around her and who fears the world to come. And then her fears come true.

The story does contain a grain of hope...and a struggle with a belief in G-d. (Lauren, the protagonist, is a preacher's daughter who tries to make sense of the world of faith in light of the reality of her present world.)

The background of the story and setting are disturbing, mostly in how close in time they are to the present. (Story setting is 2024-2027, in California.)

I nominate Book Club.

I read this for the Monthly Shelf.

[Meg]

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
****4 stars****

This book wasn't epistolary in the sense that it was presented in the format of letters, but it was all about writing letters.
Set in 1940s London, Emmy Lake is supposed to just type up letters for women's magazine agony aunt Mrs Bird. But she decides to do more to help these young women.
A heart-warming light read.

Used for seriously serial and moving mountains
I nominate suspense

[Beverly]

I read Where'd You Go, Bernadette.
★★★★

The book is a collection of emails, invoices, and school memos that Bernadette's daughter uses to trace down her mother who has disappeared. Bernadette (the mother) has a meltdown and takes off after finding herself unhappy living in Seattle. This is a quirky comedy about a family in crisis.

I nominate post-apocalyptic