Maude’s Book Club
Maude’s Book Club
Book Review: ‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros
‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros was released on May 2nd, 2023 and has become the Fantasy phenomenon of the year. Thanks to #booktok, new releases have gotten way more recognition than usual. Everyone on social media raved about this novel for months, and the fanbase grew.
Yarros has said that she’s happy romance and fantasy readers can come together and enjoy this series. This is the perfect start for anyone who has had trouble dipping their toe into the fantasy genre.
Convincing You to Read Books by Leigh Bardugo
You know that Maude has been obsessed with Leigh Bardugo because of Six of Crows!
After Shadow and Bone season two was released, I decided to read it as well and I couldn’t put it down. The reason why Leigh Bardugo is such a talented writer is because of her pacing and descriptions for the action set pieces in her novels.
Leigh Bardugo created the Grishaverse which has now become even more popular because of the Netflix series. The next adaptation will hopefully be Six of Crows after the introduction of the jurda parem in season two.
Convincing You to Read Books by Blake Crouch
If you have Goodreads and you follow Maude Garrett, Amanda Tass, or Amanda Guarragi (me), you know that Maude has always praised Blake Crouch and his book Dark Matter. If Maude recommends any author to anyone, Crouch is definitely high on the list.
Blake Crouch has been writing for a while and has a total of 80 distinct works under his belt. He mainly writes suspense, thrillers and science fiction. All of our favourite things!
From Book to Screen: How ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ Is A Perfect Rom-Com
Casey McQuiston’s ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ is a bestselling novel and is now one of the best rom-coms of the year. Prince Henry and First Son Alex have perfect chemistry which made this film a joy to watch.
Convincing You to Read Books by Emily Henry
Henry doesn’t particularly emphasize the grief, but she works it into her characters as it comes in waves. There is no right way to describe grief because everyone can experience it differently.
Henry explores characters grieving the loss of loved ones, relationships or even their past self. She shows that her characters continue living and try their best to find that bright spot to keep them going.
Book Review: ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction novel that was published in 2017. It was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction of 2017.
Evelyn Hugo is described as a gorgeous Hollywood starlet who had married several times. One can only think of another Old Hollywood star who followed the same path: Elizabeth Taylor. Jenkins Reid combined starlets from the past like Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe, who all struggled to come up in the studio system.
Book Review: ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ by Casey McQuiston
Red, White & Royal Blue was released on May 14th, 2019. This was Casey McQuiston’s first novel and it was the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance and Best Debut Novel in 2019. McQuiston showed promise with her exploration of queer characters in her first novel. She was able to ground Alex and Henry in the real world with a high-profile status and make their romance relatable.
Book Review: ‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller was released on September 20th, 2011 and became one of the most talked about novels by word of mouth. The queer relationship of Achilles and Patroclus won the hearts of many.
It is a reimagined origin story of the epic Trojan War. It is a devastating love story with an almighty battle between gods and kings. The characters have been changed even though their fate remains the same. Miller writes a moving story that can resonate with anyone.
Convincing You To Read ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’ by V.E. Schwab
If you’re new to ‘Maude’s Book Club’, then you don’t know that V.E. Schwab is one of Maude Garrett’s favourite authors. Garrett has said that Schwab will always be a day one “insta-buy” because of how talented of a writer she is. Today we are highlighting ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’ and the wonderful trilogy.
‘XO, Kitty’ Review: Kitty Song Covey Gets Her Spin-Off!
Xo, Kitty is a spin-off series of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy. Anna Cathcart reprises her role and commands the screen every episode. Han wanted an extension of her series and instead of writing another book, she decide to be a co-showrunner and write this new coming-of-age story for Kitty. It’s sweet and heartfelt as Kitty finds herself, a new love, and pieces of her mother at boarding school.
‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ review
‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ is a devastating look into mental health and how to love your partner. The series is a departure from the lighthearted raunchy ‘Bridgerton’ that we are used to. It shows Queen Charlotte and King George working with each other to build the life that they want.
How ‘Peter Pan’ by J.M. Barrie is Actually Wendy’s Coming-of-Age Story
‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ is another Disney live-action adaptation that has changed the story of the original animated feature. In J.M. Barrie’s novel, it appears that the focus was more on Wendy’s coming-of-age story and that’s what David Lowery explores in this adaptation.
Join Maude’s Book Club!
We know that the internet can be a tough space to navigate and that’s why we want to create a safe space for everyone in the reading community to be able to discuss their favourite books with other bookworms.
Not only do community members interact with other book lovers and creator Maude Garrett, but Maude connects with the authors of the books directly so the community can also discuss the book with their favoruite authors.
