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The Raw and The Cooked

Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living

Why I Don’t Recommend The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Why I Don't Recommend The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn | Book Review by Dara Boxer at Peonies and Bees
Where to even start on this one… The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn was released, and immediately, my feed was clogged with glowing and riveting reviews: THRILLER OF THE YEAR! ASTOUNDING, THRILLING! BOLD NEW TALENT! BREAKOUT DEBUT OF 2018! TWISTING! You get the idea. So it sat on my To-Read list for a while before I got around to it, knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that it might disappoint…. isn’t intuition a beautiful thing? OK, let’s dive in!
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The Book I Can’t Stop Thinking About…

Two Audiobooks You'll Be Glad You Listened To | Dara Boxer @ Peonies and Bees
I listened to Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders back in January of this year. It’s been nearly six months since I’ve finished it, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve posted about it here and here, but it was such an incredible masterpiece that I believe it deserves it’s own post. Especially since I’m still talking about it as if I read it recently, and still trying to convince my husband to read (errm, listen) to it.
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3 Excellent Non-Fictions I Recommend

3 Excellent Non-Fictions I Recommend by Dara Boxer at Peonies and Bees
I’m typically not a huge fan of non-fiction books. Of course, it depends on the topic, but typically I find them slightly boring, even if they’re quite interesting. It’s hard for me to get into them and power through, regardless if it’s a hardcover, audiobook, or eBook. Gah!
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Great Potential, Weak Execution | The Power by Naomi Alderman

Great Potential, Weak Execution | The Power by Naomi Alderman | Book Review by Dara Boxer at Peonies and BeesUnpopular opinion over here! But I’m going to tell you right off the bat, I wasn’t a huge fan of The Power by Naomi Alderman. Before I dive into why, a huge shout for an A+ fantastic premise, the idea was brilliant — it was great concept! Girls begin developing a strange physical power: they can produce electricity inside them, and this fierce new gift shifts the power dynamics between genders. NEAT, RIGHT?! No. The execution of this book was a hot freaking mess. Let’s jump into why……

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Book Club: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Book Club: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee | Book Review by Dara Boxer at Peonies and Bees

You all know I’m obsessed with all things Asian. And family saga novels spanned over several decades are one of my favorites genres to read (see here, here, and here). These two beautiful, favorite things of mine are mashed up and blended in one gorgeous historical fiction read in Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko.

  

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