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The Raw and The Cooked

Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living

You’re Officially One of My Favorite Authors, Celeste Ng

Book Review | Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng on Peonies and Bees by Dara Boxer

Celeste Ng’s first novel, Everything I Never Told You, made it onto my personal ‘top five books I read in 2016’ list. In fact, I still get chills thinking about it. Ng’s writing is so powerful and deeply, harrowingly insightful. When Ng’s second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, was released last year, and immediately climbed the ranks as a NYT Best Seller, I was a tad bit skeptical. The same thing happened with Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena. And you all know how disappointed I was with all three of those authors second novels… 

But of course I was going to give Little Fires Everywhere a shot, I mean, how could I not?

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Perplexing Thoughts about Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Perplexing Feelings about Lilac Girls by Martha Hall KellyDeep exhale. Martha Hall Kelly’s first novel, Lilac Girls was really tough for me to rate on GoodReads. Mainly because I have very strong and conflicting feelings the way in which this story was told. Lilac Girls is based off a true story, the horrors that took place at Ravensbrück, and the ‘Rabbits’ that were experimented on. If this book added any good into the world, it brought this piece of history — one that is so often overlooked when it comes to WWII — to life. It’s rare that I walk away from a WWII novel and dislike it, or rate it lower than a 4 on GR, but with Lilac Girls….Lilac Girls made me really ragey…  

My biggest issue with the book is, well, the piss poor story telling. If you’re familiar with Elizabeth Gilbert’s work, you know that she’s a believer that creative ideas are floating around in the universe, waiting to be claimed. Stories are begging to be told, and it’s just a matter of who listens, and who claims it as theirs. With that said, I think if this creative idea for a story was given to any other writer it would have given the story justice. And I’m honestly heartbroken at how disappointing the story was molded by Martha Hall Kelly. Let me explain……

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Two Audiobooks You’ll Be Glad You Listened To

Some books are meant to be listened to. I’m a firm believer in that, and will preach that until the day I die.

Though, I do get a tad anxious anytime I load up a new audiobook, because the flip side of believing some books are meant to be listened to, I also strongly believe that terrible narration can ruin a perfectly well written novel. And trust me, it’s happened so many times over the course of my audiobook listening life, that I’m pretty used to it by now. …

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How to Save Money on Books & eBooks

How to Save Money on Books | By Dara Boxer at Peonies and BeesThe cost of being a bookworm can add up very, very quickly. Especially if you’re flying through four, five, or even six books per month — $18 here, $25 there, and next thing you know you’ve spent several hundred dollars in a mere few months.

There’s no reason why you need to purchase new and shiny hardcovers, when there are so many excellent, and cost-effective, alternatives around you. …

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OVERRATED READS | VOLUME NO. 8

Thoughts on The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead | Dara Boxer @ Peonies and BeesAlright ladies! I think I’m overdue for another round of Overrated Reads. First of all, I know what you’re thinking when you see that Underground Railroad made this list. I’m just as shocked and disappointed (it won ALL THE AWARDS! And it’s an Oprah pick! I know. I know). In fact, I’m so dispirited, that I’m saving it for last….

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