Everything Here is Beautiful

"One doctor I'd spoken with explained that such episodes could be triggered by stress, or drugs, or trauma, or exhaustion. Or sometimes, nothing at all." ~ 5%

Older sister Miranda is fiercely protective of her younger impulsive sister, Lucia. When their mother dies and Lucia starts to hear voices, Miranda fights for her sister's needs and a proper doctor's diagnosis. Lucia goes through a marriage, leaving her husband, having a baby and making other life-changing decisions all while trying to escape her own mental illness. Meanwhile her sister struggles with when and how much to help.

Let me preface this review by saying I am very critical with books about mental health or a chronic illness. Even with a fiction genre, it is important the author stays true to fact and not wing it when describing a diagnosis, character's actions or symptoms. Because I have done a lot of personal research, I can easily tell when an author is bluffing their way through. I am relieved to report that Mira T. Lee seems to have done her research in Everything Here is Beautiful. 

But mental illness was not the main story line. Family drama took the driver's seat. The main characters had to make tough decisions, know when to take a step back, and when to intervene on a relative's behalf. And sometimes, we have to let go and save our damn selves.

"She is not resentful by nature." ~ 68%

The author did a good job with pacing the story but it was just okay. Nothing about this novel stands out. It was not a page-turner but more a steady read. I recommend it for readers that don't mind taking a slow journey through a book. The bond between these two sisters will eventually grip you.

Happy Pub Day, Mira T. Lee! Everything Here is Beautiful is now available.

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: Everything Here is Beautiful
Author: Mira T. Lee
Published: January 2018
Pages: 368
Edition: Galley
Challenge: Popsugar—A Book About Mental Health
Rating: 🖤 🖤

 

2018 Memes & Reading Challenges

2018 Goodreads Challenge: Read 80 books in 2018. 

2018 Page Count Challenge: Read 24,000+ pages.

Keeping Up with Patterson Challenge: Read books in the Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club, and Michael Bennett series by James Patterson. BOOKSHOTS are a bonus!

Perpetual Kinsey Millhone Challenge: Continue to read books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton.

Perpetual Jack Reacher Challenge: Continue to read books in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge: Read a wide range of 50 books spanning topics.

First Lines Friday: Share the first line(s) from current read(s).

Series Sunday: Share a review/recommendation of a book in a series.

Lit Tidbits: Share current literary news.

US vs. UK: Compare covers of books released in US/UK.

Life of a Migraineur: Share moments of my life with migraines.

View all of Literary Marie's Memes and Reading Challenges here.

My Year in Blogmoir

Life of a Migraineur: Shared moments of my life with migraines.

03.24.2017 Like Cranes in the Sky 

11.09.2017 Lodak Blue

My Blogmoir: A memoir in blog format of events and people in this fuckery called life.

01.07.2017 I'mma Just Put My Life in Rice: A Blogmoir

03.02.2017 Lent Goals

03.09.2017 I Just Want to Watch My Eyelids: A Blogmoir

05.27.2017 Thick of It

07.19.2017 The Story of Big Brother

08.28.2017 Blogmoir: DAMN

09.20.2017 Chat w/Chickadee

11.07.2017 4:44 a.m.

11.09.2017 Lodak Blue

My Year in Books

 

2017 Memes & Reading Challenges Roundup

2017 Goodreads Challenge: Read 84 books in 2017. 

Challenge Met: Read 105 books this year. (125% of goal)

2017 Page Count Challenge: Read 27,000+ pages.

Challenge Met: Read 32,252 pages this year. (119% of goal)

Keeping Up with Patterson Challenge: Read books in the Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club, and Michael Bennett series by James Patterson. BOOKSHOTS are a bonus!

Challenge Met: Read 7 KUWP books this year.

Perpetual Kinsey Millhone Challenge: Continue to read books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton.

Challenge Met: Read 3 Kinsey Millhone books this year. (N,O, and P)

Challenge Update: The alphabet now ends in Y. Crime author Sue Grafton dies at the age of 77. Fuck cancer!

Perpetual Jack Reacher Challenge: Continue to read books in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

Challenge Met: Read all of the Jack Reacher short stories this year.

2017 Bookish Kill Your TBR: 12 reading challenges designed to help knock out titles on To Be Read shelves.

Challenge Met: Read all Bookish KYT themes this year but not in order.

1. January - Read a Book That Supports My New Year's Resolution
2. February - Read a Love Story
3. March - Read a Book Published The Decade I Was Born
4. April - Read a National Book Award Winner
5. May - Read a Book About Mental Health
6. June - Read a Book Set Outside of My Home Country
7. July - Read a Book About an Overlooked Figure in History
8. August - Read a Collection of Essays or Short Stories
9. September - Read an Entire Series
10. October - Read a Book That Scares Me
11. November - Read a Graphic Novel or Comic Book
12. December - Read a Book About Belief

2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge: Read a wide range of 52 books spanning topics.

Challenge Not Met: Sometime during the year I lost keeping track.

Lit Tidbits: Shared current literary news.

07.11.2017 Lit Tidbit: A Game of Thrones Graphic Novel 

10.19.2017 Spoiler Alert

11.08.2017 Book Bust

US vs. UK: Compared covers of books released in US/UK.

10.17.2017 US vs. UK

10.25.2017 US vs. UK

View all of Literary Marie's Memes and Reading Challenges here.

 

DNF of 2017

Bookhearts, you are familiar with my 50-Page Rule. If not, click here for more info. There are too many good books to read in the world to waste time struggling through a novel. So I moved quite a few books to the DNF (Did Not Finish) pile this year. Perhaps I will revisit them at a later date if one of my trusted bookhearts recommends. Otherwise, the books below shall remain unfinished. Ah well.

1. The 12 Slays of Christmas by Abby L. Vandiver and Various Authors - Only 17% through and found 14 errors. Nope. Hire me as your copyeditor next time.
2. No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts - At page 39, I thought I might not make it. And I didn't. This was no recast of The Great Gatsby.
3. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - When you're late to the series party, but should've stayed home anyway. Overhyped. 
4. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume - Way too many points of view and characters. I so wanted to like this book!
5. Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker - Where were the twists and suspense?  
6. Red Clocks by Leni Zumas - Five women. One commonality. Zero interest from me.
7. X by Ilyasah Shabazz - Even the strength of being Malcolm X's daughter and the Michigan Humanities Council endorsement couldn't persuade me to finish.
8. New People by Danzy Senna - Awkward writing as if it's a draft or outline of plot ideas.
9. We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley - Only six pages in and annoyed by the Oh-woe-is-my-rich-ass-incomplete-life main character. No empathy from me!
10. This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter - Serious subjects (heart transplant and suicide) but simple-minded characters.
11. How to Make White People Laugh by Negin Farsad - Enough already about "feeling black." Why did I even pick this book up?
12. Keep Her Safe by Sophie Hannah - I was duped; this book also goes by the title Did You See Melody?
13. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - I prefer Pekkanen alone because this collab just didn't flow.
14. The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen - Another alternating POV.
15. Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith - Enacted the rule at exactly page 50.
16. Have You Met Nora? by Nicole Blades - A book about passing...in 2017. Enough said.
17. Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan - "Be now. Then be bow." Huh? That was me the whole time.
18. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero - One (1) sentence turned me off.
19. The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang - So disappointing.
20. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - At page 52, it was already too many different points of view. But at page 98, I was over it. 
21. A Teeny Taste of Scandal by Michael Lee West - I waited for this book to be published (originally in 2013) but it keeps getting pushed back. So I pushed it to DNF by default. 

Top 10 Books of 2017

It is my literary duty to bring the top books I've read this year to the forefront and highlight my favorites—both fiction and non-fiction. Please note that my list is purely my opinion. It is not influenced by authors, other readers, other bloggers, fellow reviewers or publishers that may have provided free or advance copies in exchange for my honest review. I would spend my hard-earned coin on all of the books below.

Click the title/author for my previously published review of the books featured in my Top 10 Books of 2017. *Please note some of the reviews will be posted early next year.

Honorable Bookish Mention: This is Not a Love Letter by Kim Purcell

10. The Rooster Bar by John Grisham*

9. Say Nothing by Brad Parks

8. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

7. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

6. The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle*

5. How To Be a Bawse by Lilly Singh

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

2. Hunger by Roxane Gay*

1. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

You may also be interested in:

Top 5 Series of 2017

Top 10 First Lines of 2017

Top 10 Book Covers of 2017

Reading Challenges of 2017

My Year in Books
My Year in Blogmoir