#miranda cowley heller

[eunoiakt]

“Just so we are clear,” he says, “I will never love anyone the way I love you.”

[andreabadgley]

I’m not sure yet about this book. It grated at the beginning, but it has succeeded at pulling me in, and at potentially changing my mind about the protagonist. I’m still reading and will read til the end, so it’s doing something right.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Paper Palace | Author: Miranda Cowley Heller | Publisher: Riverhead Books (2021)

[theresalikesbooks]

Book Review | The Paper Palace

Title: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller Pages: 400 Genres: contemporary, literary fiction Publisher: Riverhead Books (July 6th, 2021) Summary “This house, this place, knows all my secrets.”  It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at “The Paper Palace”–the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life.…

[darkwithasharpenededge]

Another day, another book: A review of The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

Rating: 83/100

Summary: Book club bait, down to the pretty descriptions, the structure, and the ambiguous ending. Consider me fucking baited, I guess, because I gave this one four stars on my spreadsheet. As always, SPOILERS.

Characters: Elle is the type of character that many people will hate, because she's cheating on her husband. I liked her enough to tolerate nearly 400 pages in her head, though she's certainly not one of my favorite characters I've ever seen. However, I liked neither Jonas nor Peter. The flashback and present day scenes seemed determined to make Peter come off in the worst light possible so that the reader will side with Elle when she ultimately makes her decision (Elle and Peter argue ALL THE TIME, like ALL THE TIME), but Jonas doesn't look much better, and there's no real reason to side with him other than the history between him. He doesn't exactly come off as Prince Charming. Most of the characters in this book were the kind of people I'd despise in real life, but fortunately this was a book and I like reading about people I'd hate. Also, the story seems determined to make Gina bitchy in order to make the reader feel less bad about wanting Elle to break up Jonas' marriage, but it basically left me wondering why Jonas and Gina were even married.

Format: The book bounces between present day and past segments. Most of the past segments were relevant to the plot, although some were not and probably could have stood to have been cut. Kill your darlings and all. I liked the format, but I'm pretentious and like that kind of thing.

Prose Quality: The writing is fairly pretty. I have read so much sparse prose since I started writing these reviews that just about anything could enchant me, so perhaps I shouldn't be trusted. Anyway, I enjoyed it.

Romance: I already mentioned that I disliked both Jonas and Peter. I don't know what else there is to say. My preference was for Elle to stay with Peter, because it would create the least disruption in her family, and I didn't think that she would be able to create a stable relationship with Jonas. Not that her relationship with Peter seemed all that stable, they argue throughout basically every scene they're in, and most of the good parts of their relationship were conveyed through telling rather than showing. They seemed more comfortable in their relationship than actually in love.

Sex: Sometimes the book felt like it was trying to meet a sex quota, for the bored housewives in their book clubs. I'm a lesbian and used to the sex in books not being to my taste, but it still managed to make sex read like a description of the wallpaper. None of the sex scenes were long or particularly detailed, and I'm not sure if I'm complimenting the writer's wallpaper descriptions or bashing her sex scenes or both. It's possible I'm doing both. As far as I remember, Elle is only described as having finished once.

Plot: Elle cheats on her husband, Peter, with her childhood friend, Jonas. She has been infatuated with Jonas for a long time, but they were parted in the wake of their murder? manslaughter? of her stepbrother who raped her. Jonas is the only person who is aware that she was raped by her stepbrother. I personally think that if Elle had told Peter about the rape and about how she and Jonas killed him, I think that would have helped her get past a lot of the negative feelings she was having about her marriage, but what do I know about communication. The whole plot is about Elle deciding which man to choose in the wake of her infidelity, combined with flashbacks to past events.

Ambiguous Ending: The ending of the book is slightly ambiguous. The consensus (both from me and from a google search) seems to be that she chose Jonas at the end of the book, but there's still an element of doubt. Book club bait shit! I would have preferred to know more clearly I think, but I suppose it's not that kind of book.

The Rape: This books contains rape and sexual assault. Slightly more than necessary, I think, and it really comes out of nowhere at first. (In the first fifty pages you find out that the narrator's mother was assaulted by her stepfather as a child, in a little more detail than strictly necessary. I do think that this was relevant later, especially the very specific detail of the narrator's grandmother slapping her mother when she literally saw it happen, but I was still VERY blindsided by the scene when it appeared). I applaud this book for not exceeding my personal thumb for "number of violent rapes by strangers" a work of fiction is permitted to have, because after all violent stranger rape is the coward's way of trying to make your female character interesting. I also applaud this book for letting her kill her rapist. And one more round of applause, for having her mother believe her. I do think the author should have cut the irrelevant catcalling scene though. We get it, she's sexualized too young, irrelevant catcalling scene was still irrelevant.

Peeing: Now for something lighthearted, a funny quirk of the author's that I noticed was that Elle pees a lot. There is a LOT of page space compared to literally every other book I've ever read dedicated to Elle peeing. She also pees outside a lot. I can't believe I'm mentioning piss in a review again.

Final Verdict: I actually did enjoy this book, but it's DEFINITELY not for everyone. I love pretentious books about insufferable people being insufferable, as a pretentious insufferable person myself.

Review Word Count: 965

[senualothbrok]

9 People You Want To Get To Know Better! ~ Tag game

Thank you so much @emmy-dekarios-bg3 for the tag 💜

First ship: Gale x Tav - always, because I love Gale more than air 🥰 (everyone's different versions of Tav are included here)

Second ship: Astarion x Sorn (@demiesop's OC). They are super adorable and I love them so much

Third ship: Aylin x Isobel. Proper soulmates.

Last song: "If you could read my mind" - Gordon Lightfoot

Last movie: Furiosa

Currently reading: Just finished "The Paper Palace" by Miranda Cowley Heller. May re-read Jeff Vandermeer's "Annihilation" next for inspo for new novel WIP.

Currently watching: Three Body Problem.

Currently eating: In five minutes I will be eating chicken, chips and salad

Currently craving: Chicken and salad lol

Tagging (no pressure): @alpydk @sorceresssundries @kareluna8 @boufsy @astarioffsimpmain @heyitsjaki @orangekittyenergy @sorceresssundries @ponder-the-orb

[sumire-no-nikki]

24 Books for 2024

Thought I would shop my shelves and make a "must read" book list for the coming year. My actual annual reading goal is 52 books so only planning for 24 leaves plenty of room for more spontaneous picks later on. (Also, 24 for 2024 just sounds fun and neat lol)

Nobody, Somebody, Anybody by Kelly McClorey DNF

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Water by John Boyne ✅

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint ✅

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross ✅

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw

The Colour of Storm by Damien Dibben

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama ✅

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa ✅

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ✅

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ✅

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell ✅

Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh ✅

Breast and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

[mariasont]

thank you to my angel honies for tagging me @cerisereids @basketonthedoorstepofthefbi 🍯💕✨

last song: simple love by genevieve stocks (yallllll if you haven’t listened to her you NEED to, her music makes me feel emotions i didn’t even know were possible)

favorite color: pink 💞🎀🌸 (i feel like a lot of yall could’ve guess that lmaooo)

currently watching: cm always 🫶🏼 rewatching from season 3 rn ! also watching love island and just finished bridgerton

sweet, savory or spicy: hmm probably a toss up between sweet and savory, need a little bit a both on my palette if you will

currently reading: the paper palace by miranda cowley heller — thought this would be a cute summer read but it’s actually wild as hell LMAO, i do, however reccomend it so far

last movie: prisoners… actually so incredibly good but holy hell is it a rollercoaster. this may be a crazy statement considering my hyperfixation with cm, but i generally cannot handle anything relatively scary crime related because im a baby i fear. BUT my bf made me watch it with him and it was actually prob a 8/10

relationships: currently do have the most amazing bf in the entire world <3 went through a hell of a lot of frogs to find him but alas we made it

current obsessions: dad bod hotch… anyways also weirdly enough sharks im in FL rn and im on shark tok rn so i can’t really escape them. NICOLA COUGHLAN i love her so much its not even funny

the last thing you googled: the lyrics to say yes to heaven by lana del rey LOL

currently working on: so many things it’s not even funny, i prob have about 17 WIP lmaooo i need to be put down

no pressure tags: @dudeitiskarev @kimstills

[committingtothetbr]

The List.

Hi Everyone! After some demand, people would like to see the current TBR that I have in place for myself! For all the 63 books, we have a lot of different options. I kinda read everything haha (Please note that if I have the same series, I plan to read the series at least for the first book. If I like it, I will continue on.)

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Too Hot to Handle by Tessa Bailey

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Lightlark by Alex Aster

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

That Dark Infinity by Kate Pentecost

Book of Night by Holly Black

Sinner by Sierra Simone

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Bite of Loyalty by R.L. Caulder

The City of Brass by S.A. Charkraborty

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

The Shadow Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

The Secret Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Namesake by Adrienne Young

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

Think Again by Adam Grant

These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan

Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

King of Battle & Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

Yinka, Where is your Husband? by Lizzie Damilolam Blackburn

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Darker Shade of Magiv by V.E. Schwab

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis

A Soul of Ash & Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

The Awakening by Nora Roberts

The Girl Who Could Move Shit With Her Mind by Jackson Ford

Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova

Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi

The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Any recommendations on where to begin? I could use help!

[eunoiakt]

“Stay. If he loves you he'll wait. I did. I have.”

[rockislandadultreads]

NoveList Combo: Haunting Literary Fiction

Did you know NoveList is a database you can access with your library card to find reading recommendations? Find your next favorite read with this fantastic readers tool! Check it out on our website here.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can - will she?

This is the first volume in the "Todd Family" series.

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

You belong to the earth, and the earth is hard.

At the turn of the twentieth century, in a rural stretch of the Pacific Northwest in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, a solitary orchardist named Talmadge carefully tends the grove of fruit trees he has cultivated for nearly half a century. A gentle, solitary man, he finds solace and purpose in the sweetness of the apples, apricots, and plums he grows, and in the quiet, beating heart of the land--the valley of yellow grass bordering a deep canyon that has been his home since he was nine years old. Everything he is and has known is tied to this patch of earth. It is where his widowed mother is buried, taken by illness when he was just thirteen, and where his only companion, his beloved teenaged sister Elsbeth, mysteriously disappeared. It is where the horse wranglers--native men, mostly Nez Perce--pass through each spring with their wild herds, setting up camp in the flowering meadows between the trees.

One day, while in town to sell his fruit at the market, two girls, barefoot and dirty, steal some apples. Later, they appear on his homestead, cautious yet curious about the man who gave them no chase. Feral, scared, and very pregnant, Jane and her sister Della take up on Talmadage's land and indulge in his deep reservoir of compassion. Yet just as the girls begin to trust him, brutal men with guns arrive in the orchard, and the shattering tragedy that follows sets Talmadge on an irrevocable course not only to save and protect them, putting himself between the girls and the world, but to reconcile the ghosts of his own troubled past.

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

It is a perfect July morning, and Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, awakens at "The Paper Palace"—the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. But this morning is different: last night Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside.

Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle will have to decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas, if a tragic event hadn't forever changed the course of their lives.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

[tagesmosaik]

23 books for 2023

Thanks to @booksnpictures <3 I came up with my list of 23 books I plan to read in 2023. To be fair, I am more of a mood reader and I prefer to pick my next read according to that. So let’s see if I’ll get through it. Maybe it would be more appropriate to call the list something like 23 (or more) books that have been sitting on my shelf, patiently waiting for their time.

Anyway, here they are:

1. Deutsch – Karl-Heinz Göttert

2. Schnee – Orhan Pamuk (orig. Kar)

3. Die Überlebenden – Axel Schulman (orig. Överleverna) ✔️

4. In deinen Händen – Inês Pedrosa (orig. Nas Tuas Mãos)

5. Die Einsamkeit der Seevögel – Gøhril Gabrielsen (orig. Ankomst) ✔️

6. Ein kleines Buch vom Leben auf dem Land – Agnes Ravatn (orig. Verda er en skandale. Ei lita bok om livet på landet) ✔️

7. Die Kinder hören Pink Floyd – Alexander Gorkow

8. Goethe ruft an – John von Düffel

9. North of here – Laurel Saville

10.* Maya (orig. Maya) or Slottet i Pyrenæerne (orig. Slottet i Pyreneerne) or Der Geschichtenverkäufer (orig. Sirkusdirektørens datter) or Das Leben ist kurz (orig. Vita brevis) or Durch einen Spiegel, in einem dunklen Wort (orig. I et speil, i et gåte) or Das Kartengeheimnis (orig. Kabalmysteriet) – Jostein Gaarder

11. Hans Christian Andersen Kopenhagen – Ulrich Sonnenberg ✔️

12. The Heart Goes Last – Margaret Atwood

13. Der Meister und Margarita – Michail Bulgakow (orig. Master i Margarita)

14. Drachenläufer – Khaled Hosseini (orig. The Kite Runner)

15. Die rote Antilope – Henning Mankell (orig. Vindens son)

16. Das geheime Leben der Bäume – Peter Wohlleben

17. Zurück zur Realität – Werner Große

18.* Homo Deus. A Brief History of Tomorrow or 21 Lektionen für das 21. Jahrhundert (orig. 21 Lessons for the 21. Century) or Sapiens. Et kort historie om menneskeheden (orig. A Short History of Humankind) – Yuval Noah Harari

19. Kurze Antworten auf große Fragen – Stephen Hawking (orig. Brief Answers to the Big Questions)

20. Wie ich eines schönen Morgens im April das 100%ige Mädchen sah – Haruki Murakami

21. Das Leuchten der Rentiere – Ann-Helén Laestadius (orig. Stöld) ✔️

22. In Every Mirror She’s Black – Lola Akinmade Åkerström ✔️

23. Schloss aus Glas – Jeanette Walls (orig. The Glass Castle) ✔️

* I couldn’t decide which one to put on the list. All I know is that somehow I happened to accumulate this stack of books and that I really want to read more by those authors.

Not on✨the list✨:

- Hannahs Lied - Maren Uthaug (orig. Hvor der er fugle) ✔️

- Blackout Island - Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir (orig. Eyland) ✔️

- Alte Sorten - Ewald Arenz ✔️

- Der Traum von einem Baum - Maja Lunde (orig. Drømmen om et tre) ✔️

- Kirmes im Kopf. Wie ich als Erwachsene herausfand, dass ich AD(H)S habe - Angelina Boerger ✔️

- Lektionen - Ian McEwan (orig. Lessons) ✔️

- Charlotte - David Foenkinos ✔️

- Piccola Sicilia - Daniel Speck ✔️

- Der Papierpalast - Miranda Cowley Heller (orig. The Paper Palace) ✔️

- Offene See - Benjamin Myers (orig. Open Sea) ✔️

- Fünf Viertel einer Orange - Joanne Harris (orig. Five-Quarters of the Orange) ✔️

- Hope Street - Campino ✔️

- Und so kam es - Maren Uthaug (orig. Og sådan blev det) ✔️

- Die Leuchtturmwärter - Emma Stonex (orig. The Lamplighters) ✔️

- Was man von hier aus sehen kann - Mariana Leky ✔️

- Die Birken wissen's noch - Lars Mytting (orig. Svøm med dem som drukner) ✔️

- Wintering. The power of rest and retreat in difficult times - Katherine May ✔️

- Während die Welt schlief - Susan Abulhawa (orig. Mornings in Jenin) ✔️

[bibliobethblog]

Happy New Year everyone! Here they are - my top 10 books of 2022, in no particular order. I’ve had a fantastic reading year, 260 books read which I can’t quite believe and the majority of them were absolutely brilliant. We have: Brickmakers- Selva Almada Love After Love - Ingrid Persaud The Mermaid Of Black Conch - Monique Roffey The Count Of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas Devotion - Hannah Kent How To Kill Your Family - Bella Mackie Mayflies - Andrew O’Hagan The Paper Palace - Miranda Cowley Heller Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart The Book Of Form & Emptiness - Ruth Ozeki I’d love to know your thoughts on my selection. It was tough! I’ve read a lot of great books this year and next Saturday I’ll be bringing you my 12 honourable mentions which were all five star reads but didn’t quite make my top ten. See you all in 2023! 🤗😘 #bookstagramuk #booksilovedreading #booksof2022📖 #brickmakers #selvaalmada💕 #loveafterlove #ingridpersaud #themermaidofblackconch #moniqueroffey #thecountofmontecristo #alexandredumas #devotion #hannahkent #howtokillyourfamily #bellamackie #mayflies #andrewohagan #thepaperpalace #mirandacowleyheller #youngmungo #douglasstuart #thebookofformandemptiness #ruthozeki📚#myfavouritebooks2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm2HCklLiO2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[scuffedgrannysblog]

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

The story of Eleanor, her loves and losses, in the context of her time at the holiday home her grandfather built, The Paper Palace

I wasn’t sure when I started reading this whether I was going to like it or not; but I was soon able to put all reservations to one side as I continued to read. What a book. There is so much contained in here but the crux of it deals with Eleanor known as Elle, and Jonas and their story. The Paper Palace is key as this is the place where Elle and Jonas first meet and where they continue to be…

[readitreviewit]

"The Paper Palace" by Miranda Cowley Heller - A Review You'll Love Are you looking for a book that has it all? Secrets, love, lies, and a summer beach house? Look no further than "The Paper Palace," the Reese's Book Club July '21 pick and an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. If you're not convinced yet, let me tell you why you should pick up this book. First of all, this book has already sold over 1 million copies worldwide, so you know it must be good. But what makes it so great? Well, it's a deeply emotional love story that unravels secrets, lies, and a very complex love triangle. Nail-biting and magnificent are just a few of the words used to describe this book. The story takes place on Cape Cod over the course of a single day in August. Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, wakes up at "The Paper Palace," the family summer home she's been visiting all her life. But today is different. Last night, she and her oldest friend Jonas had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses were chatting away inside. Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle must decide between the life she has with her beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined with Jonas. As the book progresses, we learn about the experiences that have led Elle to this day, and we arrive at her ultimate decision with all its complexity. Tender yet devastating, "The Paper Palace" considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families. But it's not just Elle's story. The book also explores the lives of her family and friends, and how their actions and choices have affected each other over the years. It's an irresistible placement of a complicated family in a bewitching place. Overall, "The Paper Palace" is a page-turner that will keep you hooked until the very end. It's a story of summer, secrets, love, and lies, and it's definitely worth the read. So go ahead and grab a copy, you won't regret it. Don't miss out on the opportunity to experience the gripping story of [book title]! Click the link to buy the book or get a 30-day free trial of Audible and listen to it on the go. Trust us, you won't regret it. Start listening now! Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details)

[cartoon-heart]

2 & 4 for the book ask!

Thanks for the ask!

2. Do you reread anything? What?

I very rarely re-read anything, but in saying that I actually re-read two books this year!

The first was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I just felt like re-reading it!

The second was Fred Astaire's autobiography Steps in Time. I first read it as a teenager (cos I was very cool) and felt it was time to revisit it.

4. Do you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Yes, absolutely! I'm always trying new authors and so here are a few that were new to me this year after picking up one of their books:

Hernan Diaz (Trust), Leila Mottley (Nightcrawling), Julia Armfield (Our Wives under the Sea), Jennette McCurdy (I'm Glad My Mom Died), Rebecca F Kuang (Yellowface), Miranda Cowley Heller (The Paper Palace), Eliza Clark (Boy Parts), Colin Walsh (Kala), Celine Saintclare (Sugar, Baby), Maggie O'Farrell (Hamnet, The Marriage Portrait), Priscilla Morris (Black Butterflies), Alice Winn (In Memoriam), Jeanine Basinger (The Star Machine), Natasha Brown (Assembly)

Book ask