by: Elif Shafak Goodreads description: Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a […]
Author: helenandhollyhitthebooks
book review blog
The Secret Life of Sunflowers
by: Marta Molnar Goodreads description: A gripping, inspiring novel based on the true story of Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law. When Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson finds her famous grandmother’s diary while cleaning out her New York brownstone, the pages are full of surprises. The first surprise is, the diary isn’t her grandmother’s. It belongs […]
Tidbit April 2025
Besides the obvious….what is your favorite thing about Easter? Helen says: My friend Jean and I got hooked on the Eggmazing Egg Decorator with our kids a few years ago…It is a super fun way to decorate Easter Eggs with magic markers and a battery operated egg spinner. See above photo for the finished project. […]
Upcoming Books for May 2025
May is crazy for both of us and we don’t have a lot of spare reading time. We are very “au courant” in our choices this month! All three books are getting a lot of buzz. Click here to purchase. Click here to purchase. Click here to purchase.
The Granddaughter
by: Bernhard Schlink Goodreads Description: From the bestselling author of The Reader, a striking exploration of the wounds of the past, told through the story of a German bookseller’s attempt to connect with his radicalized granddaughter. It is only after the sudden death of his wife, Birgit, that Kaspar discovers the price she paid years earlier […]
Hate Mail
by: Donna Marchetti Goodreads description: Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting… But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, […]
More or Less Maddy
by: Lisa Genova Goodreads Description: A breathless, riveting novel about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder whorejects the stability and approval found in a traditionally “normal” life for a career in stand-up comedy. Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU. Between schoolwork, exams, navigating life in the city, and a […]
The Three Lives of Cate Kay: A Novel
by: Kate Fagan Goodeads Description: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past. Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that […]
Upcoming Books for April 2025
We chose one new release and three popular backlisted books that are new to us! Read along with us. Click here to purchase. Click here to purchase. Click here to purchase- the cover art has changed. Click here to purchase.
March 2025 Tidbit
Let’s talk the Over/Under on the Oscars! Helen saw every film nominated. Imagine that! Helen says: What a weird year for the Oscars…the films just get weirder and weirder…I liked Anora, Conclave and The Brutalist. I tolerated A Real Pain and A Complete Unknown. I loathed Emilia Perez and The Substance. I never saw Wicked, […]
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 