holland.reads's Updates en-US Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:38:40 -0700 60 holland.reads's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7700739368 Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:38:40 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads added 'One Golden Summer']]> /review/show/7700739368 One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune holland.reads gave 3 stars to One Golden Summer (Paperback) by Carley Fortune
3⭐️
I think this book is great for its genre (which doesn’t happen to be my favorite). I just found it EXTREMELY predictable. There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t anticipate or see coming from the beginning. Zero twists or surprises. Because of this, though the writing was good and I generally liked the characters, I found myself bored. I was skipping large sections of text because how many times can you describe the sharpness of a jawline, the curliness of hair, or the clinging water droplets before the audience is sick of it? That being said, it was an extremely fast read, and it was entertaining for what it was. Overall, meh. ]]> ReadStatus9613666892 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:02:20 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads finished reading 'Here One Moment']]> /review/show/6907123986 Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty holland.reads finished reading Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
]]> ReadStatus9613666210 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:02:10 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads is currently reading 'One Golden Summer']]> /review/show/7700739368 One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune holland.reads is currently reading One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
]]> ReadStatus9598874325 Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:51:43 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads wants to read 'Wild Dark Shore']]> /review/show/7690324153 Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy holland.reads wants to read Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
]]> ReadStatus9581375593 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:05:17 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads started reading 'The Lost and the Found: A True Story of Homelessness, Found Family, and Second Chances']]> /review/show/7305918652 The Lost and the Found by Kevin Fagan holland.reads started reading The Lost and the Found: A True Story of Homelessness, Found Family, and Second Chances by Kevin Fagan
]]> Review7673405334 Sat, 21 Jun 2025 18:52:14 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads added 'Ecstasy']]> /review/show/7673405334 Ecstasy by Ivy Pochoda holland.reads gave 3 stars to Ecstasy (Hardcover) by Ivy Pochoda
3.5⭐️
There is just…. so much to unpack here. Let me start with the premise. A rich widow accompanies her heir of a son to a brand new resort hotel in Greece, along with her aging best friend and her son’s newly pregnant wife. While there, the beach in front of the resort has been taken over by a hoard of raving madwomen who suck in each of the women in their own strange, twisted way. There is the influence of a powerful Greek god, a suggestion of illicit drugs, and a DJ who has the power to keep women dancing for days on end. There are murders, arson, prison time, and so much more. And all of it happens in about 200 pages.

While the plot was fascinating if not so strange that it was inaccessible, I didn’t like the writing style. Pochoda writes primarily in fragments, which is a pet peeve of mine as an English teacher, and as a reader who enjoys descriptive prose. While I understand that the choice could’ve been made to mimic a drug-induced effect, I found it overall to be unnecessary and stifled. The point of view throughout the book was also strange. Each chapter focused on a different person, which is a fine choice in itself, but the narrative shifted between first and third person for multiple characters. I know that it is nitpicky, but it still bothered me that there was a lack of consistency. It felt like a missed opportunity to add an omnipresent layer to only one of the character’s points of view.

While I had these issues with the writing style, I flew through this book, propelled by the strangeness and originality of the plot. Because I don’t really know how I felt about it overall, I gave it a solid, middle-of-the-road rating. ]]> Review7184183791 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:56:42 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads added 'The Bluest Eye']]> /review/show/7184183791 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison holland.reads gave 4 stars to The Bluest Eye (Paperback) by Toni Morrison
4.5⭐️
Wow, I missed reading classics. Morrison’s writing style is rich yet succinct, brutal but beautiful. I found the story of Pecola, told mostly through the lives of those around her, to be heartbreaking and earnest. However, due to this stylistic choice, I found myself wishing for more plot and less backstory with some of the characters. That is my only critique- otherwise, this novel was informative, creative, and important. I will definitely be hopping on the Morrison bandwagon! ]]> GiveawayRequest724649319 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:57:29 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/145213705-holland-reads">holland.reads</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/415322-a-particularly-nasty-case A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay
15 copies available, ends on July 15, 2025
Enter to win ]]> Review7291979834 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:25:34 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads added 'The Church of Living Dangerously: Tales of a Drug-Running Megachurch Pastor']]> /review/show/7291979834 The Church of Living Dangerously by John Lee Bishop holland.reads gave 5 stars to The Church of Living Dangerously: Tales of a Drug-Running Megachurch Pastor (Hardcover) by John Lee Bishop
5⭐️
The title of this book was the first sign that this story would be a wild ride, but MAN was it wild. Bishop’s brutal honesty, especially about moments of great shame and dark moments, was a refreshing point of view. Having had my own experiences with mega churches (which pale in comparison to Bishop’s) I felt that I could relate to so much of what he described. It was inspiring to see how God continued to work in his life, even when he felt the least worthy. This book was a true testimony that God is not done with you, and you can never run too far from His grace and forgiveness!! ]]> ReadStatus9558219078 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:35:45 -0700 <![CDATA[holland.reads is currently reading 'A Stolen Life']]> /review/show/7662114673 A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard holland.reads is currently reading A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
]]>