Barkskins by Annie Proulx

So this book was given to me by my French advisor as a gift before my graduation, and I was so excited to start it that I added it to my TBR before using my jar to pick the others. Now while I was excited about this book and wanted to read it...I had no idea that while reading it I would also be hit with one of the biggest reading slumps I've felt in a long time.

I'm going to talk about this book timeline by timeline because I think that will be easier for me. Also I'll red out the text before some spoilers, but others I won't because they're not that big of a spoiler. This is going to be long, but this is probably one of the longest books I've read in a long time, and the longest book I've read that I've reviewed so I will try my best to cut down anything.

1: forêt, hache, famille (1693-1716)

     -René Sel
I really liked René's story and his character. I felt like he was just man trying to have a better life, and Trèpagny was a mean and cruel man who used him (which I'm sure was done a lot in this time periods by seigneurs). While the forced marriage wasn't great, I think by the end of it he and Mari did actually love each other, and I was so sad with how his story ended. I was screaming for justice honestly. WHAT DID HE DO WRONG TO DESERVE A FATE LIKE THAT!?
*add in the whole 'thought of brother while loving on Mari the first time?

2: "...helplessly they stare at his tracks" (1693-1727)

     -Charles Duquet/Duke
Everyone, I am SO GLAD Duquet found the fate that he did. While yes, you did have to be a little ruthless back in the day, he took it too far and was way too conniving and cruel for me to like. It was almost the perfect villain save the sharp cheekbones and deep chuckle. Didn't even love his wife, stole from people who helped him learn and survive in the New France wilderness. Glad he got a good ol' dose of karma at the end. That last sentence was *chef's kiss* delectable.

3: all these woods once ours (1724-1767)

     -René & Mari's kids
Honestly, I felt so bad for all the Sel children because they had both their parents (I know Mari's older children weren't René's but he treated them nicely), both of them taken away, one from a sickness and one from being *spoiler alert* MURDERED AND SCALPED! And then Renardette comes in again to screw them out of their home, have to travel to a new land they only knew from stories their mother told. I really did feel bad for them and wanted them to stay in their home, because after leaving there things just went...to s***. Almost feels like my life a bit with how they can't catch a break.

4: the severed snake (1756-1766)

     - Duquet children
It didn't come as a shock to me that I liked Duquet's children better than him, but I still don't really...like most of his children. I liked Bernard, and that's because of Birgit (and that's also all I can say about that unless I spoil a real big shocker). I do think his son's cared more about the relationships they made with the people around them instead of just going for the pursuit of money, but they still did everything for the sake of money. Also...I almost relate to Outger in a sense. I can't put my finger on it but I feel a strange connection to this man. Maybe it's because I'm locked in my house and he just didn't leave his until the end. Guess I'm Outger/Etdidu Duquet.

5: in the lumber camps (1754-1804)

     - Kuntaw (Achille's son) and his grandchildren
I felt bad for this family. Tommy having had a somewhat difficult childhood with his mother and then not having much luck after he found his father. But at least Tommy's kids (Kuntaw's grandchildren) had a better childhood with their grandparents and uncles & aunt. I wonder what it would be like to grow up with your aunt or niece. My mother did that with a few of her relatives. I thought it was interesting to follow the life in the cutting camps and seeing the danger in them a bit more. But it was also interesting to see how Beatrix tried to bring the Mi'kmaq culture into the family's life even though there was a lot of whiteman influence.

One thing that I really got struck with while reading this was *sorry another spoiler but it's because it's important to me* ...was the death of Beatrix. She had cancer, in the stomach. And she liked horses. So did my best friend Ashley (I called her my Mama Duck because I followed her around places I didn't know). Ashley died in 2016 due to her cancer, and I wish I had more time, and spent more time with her in those last months. Sometimes I regret having gone to college so far away because I wasn't able to see her.

6: "fortune's a right whore" (1808-1826)

     - James Duke (great-grandson of Duquet)
This storyline was interesting to me. James was basically sent away because his mom died in childbirth (a common thing during that period of time) and the father apparently felt bad about it when he died and left him everything. So he went home and then fell in love with the woman he met on the trip home. Even though he thought it was amazing that she cared about his family buisness and all he had to say, I didn't trust her because she seemed shady and abusive. But James was in love with a married woman and needed to find a way to be with her. It was almost too easy for him to get rid of the husband too, to bad he *umm...spoiler* KILLED THE WRONG MAN. But love(?) found its way in the end. Didn't like Posey's father AT ALL and was glad he wasn't allowed near their daughter.

7: broken sticks (1825-1870)

     - Jinot Sel (Tommy's son & Kuntaw's grandson)
I liked following Jinot and his life. I think it was interesting to also see him recovering from his injury with Sillyboy and to then see him go into a life working for an ax company. I was a little worried with how much his boss liked him and why he was always taken along with him. And my worries were answered when he was made to come along to New Zealand. I was sad about it.

8: glory days (1836-1870)

     -family of James Duke
Now during this I liked Lavinia. She knew what she wanted and didn't stop until she got it and more. I also did like the Breitsprecher cousins and how much they liked to save trees. I was shocked how after some years the families joined in marriage but...there was money on both sides as well so *shrug*. I did give an eye-roll to naming the child Charles but that's also because I didn't like his character haha.

9: the shadow in the cup (1844-1960s)

     -Aaron Sel after father dies, as well as later generations
     -HAS A CHAPTER TITLED BARKSKINS
Aaron tried to live with his Mi'kmaw family but didn't fully feel like he belonged, then went on a strange ship voyage. On his return he finds that his family loves his and welcomes him with open arms and they all work together to help other Mi'kmaw and live together on reserves since the whiteman had taken most of their lands. Kuntaw makes a great reference to how he 'tried to be a whiteman, but his Mi'kmaw oil (whiteman was water) came up to the top'. They had to take up axes again and some even traveled into the west. Lost limbs and lives both at home and abroad.

Descendent of both Duke and Sel families is Lobert who has a child called Egga, who is abused at a boarding-esque school and runs away. He does not return on St. Anne's day each year like other Sel family members.

my thoughts:

10: sliding into darkness (1886-2013)

     - Begins with the children of Dieter and ends with the grandchildren of Lobert, so a mix of both families
Duke company going bankrupt after runaway employees (I did kind of laughed at this), and the anger caused Lavinia to go back on her word and cut more trees to the distress of New Zealanders and Dieter. Their son Charley dreams of the preservation of trees even more than Dieter and after a very bad...incident *an assault* he is moved to the tropics where he studies the trees and writes it all down on notebooks later used to destroy those trees after his death. The family started to research the history of the company and relearns the search of the heir and freaks, however then sells the company except for the Seedling Business which does well.

Egga had tried to keep his Mi'kmaw heritage away from his children because of his past but they begged him to spill. Had two strong-willed daughters, one of who goes into the eco-world and becomes well known. Cousins Felix and Jeanne join her and a small team to replant, research, and monitor new trees and try to begin growing the mystic forests once again. Though Egga's daughter, Sapatisia didn't know if they could ever save it.

my thoughts:


So the basic plot of this story was about two barkskins (woodcutters) Rene and Charles and following their two families the Sels - who more or less cared for the forest and family all together and had many troubles and trials all through life, and the Duquets/Dukes - who as a whole only cared about the business and money and thought clearing the forests than preserving it as well. Though the family lines did cross at one point and I really would have liked to see the Sel family come in and take over the company at one point. I think it would have been fun!


I give Barkskins 4 stars because I really liked the story, the Franco aspects, and the Sel family. However I really just disliked the Duke family and I think it's because they were more vain and stuff but I applaud Annie for writing them in a way that I can dislike them the same way I dislike real life people like them.

It's also turning into a TV series that is premiering today (May 25th) so now I have a new show to watch now!

Are you excited about the TV series on Nat Geo? Or have you read this book too? I'd love to talk all about it because I surprisingly really liked this.

Sorry this was so long I tried to cut it down I promise, I just had a lot to say and wanted to get the book out. If you've made it this far I applaud you and thank you as well. 

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: my photo of book, Barkskins logo,

Suite Français by Irène Némirovsky

*there will be spoilers and sensitive topics

This book was very different from the normal genre and style of books that I normally read. Normally I read fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy stories as can be seen from my other reviews and Goodreads lists. However when I found this book during one of my $10 library bag sales, I placed it into my bag. The story, both Suite Français and Irène's, interested me and I knew that I'd want to read it someday. The fact that it was originally written in French might have been another reason that I wanted to read this book.

While reading this story, I was filled with a bit of sadness because I knew ahead of time what had happened to the author, and how this story was so similar to the life that she lived in those years as well. Also again I am saddened by the chilling history of our world, the lives that were lost, the families ripped apart. The horrors that people suffered just for being alive.

Hearing the history of Irène's life as well was interesting. She came from a rich life, but during WW1 she had to leave her life because her father's was in danger. Then she and her family found their way to France where she lived a flirtatious and wild life until she met her husband.

I am in awe with how many works she was able to write in a short time in her life. She has about 9 novels, and Suite Français was her last work that was published to the world, done so by her daughter Denise many years after her death.

I'm lucky that I was able to read this book. While it is basically a first draft to the story, it was wonderfully written and filled with wonderfully created characters. I was happy and joyful when the Michauds were able to make it home, and that Charles was hit by a car and died because I really disliked his character and what he did to that young couple while on the road. I felt he got what he deserved.

There was great sorrow in the book too. I was so sad that the Father died, and in such a brutal manner as well by those kids. To be beaten and then basically drown because you got caught under the water. I was scared just reading it if I'm going to be completely honest with you.

For the love in the story, I really wanted Jean-Marie to go back and be with Madeleine because I felt they would have been really nice and cute together, and was sad when she ended up with Benoît, even though that was sort of set in stone before he went off to war. However I also wish I could have seen how Irène wrote how Jean-Marie and Lucile would fall in love. I honestly wanted Jean-Marie to have a good life, but from her notes Irène didn't have the same thoughts.

To know that this was only two parts out of what was going to be a five part story, I can say that it didn't fully feel like anything was missing. With the way Irène wrote Dolce, it was like the real ending. To say if only WW2 didn't happen, we wouldn't even have this book in the first place. I just wish that Irène's life (and so many other millions of lives) could have been spared during this time in history to have the whole story given to us.

I gave Suite Français 5 stars. Partly for the information above, and partly because I am emotional and felt part of my heart in the story because I knew what happened in the end. I honestly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and non-fiction, as I feel this book has a nice tie between the two.

Let me know what you thought of this book or the story if you've read it. Did you find it as emotional as I did? I've love to hear your thoughts as well.

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: cover photo from Goodreads, Irène's photo,

The TMI Blogger Tag

So, I wasn't tagged by Katelyn to do this...but I love talking about myself so I'm going to try my hand at the TMI tag. So whether you are new to me and my blog, or you've been here a while, this is an updated 'About Me' post so to speak.

Let's get started!

How old are you?
21 (very close to 22)

How tall are you?
5' to 5'1" depending on the nurse

Which Hogwarts house are you in?
I took the quiz on Pottermore a while ago and was placed in Ravenclaw, and everything I've learned since then only confirms it more.

Any piercings/tattoos?
I have earrings, and two tattoos. Gemini symbol on the back of my left shoulder and the newest one is a black cat on the back my right calf (a sister tattoo with my twin who has a white one on her left calf). I want to get more tattoos though!

What place do you want to visit?
oh so many places. Let's do the top 5: France, Greece, Morocco, Korea, and Japan. I'm going to be visiting Canada very soon which is why that is not in this list.

Who are you favorite bands/groups?
*I'm going to include singular artists here* Pentatonix, Paramore, Halsey, Christina Perri, Evanescence, Rita Ora, and Little Mix.

What was the last song you listened to?
RBB (Really Bad Boy) by Red Velvet (my favorite K-pop group also)

What is your favorite TV show?
Sleepy Hollow, The Librarians, Law & Order S.V.U., Forensic Files, and The Curse of Oak Island. I know three of these were cancelled/ended but I still love them.

What is your favorite movie? 
How can I pick just one!? Here are some of them: The Last Unicorn, Beauty and the Beast, The Longest Yard (newest one), Thor: Ragnarok, and Anastasia. There are so many more but I'll just stop here.

Who is your favorite actor?
Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, James Spader (because of his voice), and Mark Hamill.

Who is your favorite actress?
Brie Larson, Carrie Fisher (love you space mom), Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Olsen, Kiera Knightly, and Kristen Stewart.

Favorite author?
Julie Kagawa, J.R.R. Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sarah Glenn Marsh.

Ebooks--yes or no?
Yes, as long as I can read it I like it.

What was the last book you read? 
Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hémon.

What book are you currently reading?
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

What is the book you're going to read next?
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

What is the number one book on your wish list?
Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

What is your favorite book?
Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

Which is your favorite book-to-film adaptation?
Catching Fire. I felt that (after the Hunger Games movie) it was so well done. Following what Gary Ross did with the first movie and going off what happened in the book Francis Lawrence did such a wonderful job catching emotion and the drama of it all.

Who is your all-time favorite book character?
Katniss Everdeen and Meredy Crowther.

Who is your book boyfriend/girlfriend/fictional crush?
Meredy Crowther, Rowan (Iron Fey), Peeta Mellark, Rey (Star Wars), and Carol Danvers.

Do you prefer books with female or male protagonist?
I don't really mind either, but I am usually drawn towards female or split POV books.

If you hated reading, what would you be doing instead?
Probably singing, or constantly doing colorguard because that's my favorite physical activity.

What do you do when someone tells you reading is boring?
My go to phrase whenever someone has an opinion that they give (and a lot of people say a differing one to try and get a rise out of someone) is "It's not for everyone."

Going outside being active or staying in and reading a book?
Staying in. I'm not that active so I like to stay inside as much as I can.

Where do you prefer to read?
If I'm home I like to read in my room or on the couch. At school I like to read in my room because it brings a sense of comfort.

Which do you enjoy reading more--negative reviews or positive reviews?
I like to read both of them. I read the positive reviews to get a sense of what others like about the book and what's good, and the negative ones to see if there's anything in the books that I might not like personally to see if I should read the book.

What is your favorite book quote?
I don't honestly keep track of a lot of these. I do have saved quotes on my Goodreads profile, but for some reason I don't remember or write down many quotes from books that I read.

This was fun to do (while ignoring my homework at the same time, oh no). Do we have any of the same opinions or favorites? Let me know! I'd love to chat with you all.

À bientôt!

Goodreads Book Tag

I am stealing this tag from Amber at The Literary Phoenix because I really liked it and I thought it would be fun to look more towards my Goodreads besides the system I put books into.

Now, some of these answers may be different from when you read this to when I have written this, but that's because I go one a lot and update everything at least once a week.

What was the last book you marked as read?

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

What are you currently reading?

I have four books in my currently reading at the moment haha, but three of them are school related. I am reading:

1. Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hémon
2. A Distinct Alien Race by David Vermette
3. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
4. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis.

What was the last book you marked as TBR?

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

What book do you plan to read next?

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I plan what books I read next with the whiteboard in my room back home and write down like ten books I plan to read and in what order I plan to read them.

Do you use the star rating system?

Yes I do! And like many of us, I wish there was the option to use half stars, or even more stars than five, but I work with what I have!

Are you doing a 2019 reading challenge?

Yes I am. I normally don't set too high a goal for myself because I'm not that fast of a reader like I used to be. My goal this year is 15 books, I have only read 1 so far, and Goodreads is telling me I am 2 books behind schedule. But I currently two of my school books have to be done soon so that will change within the month.

Do you have a Wishlist?

I loved Amber's idea of having a 'To Buy' shelf on her Goodreads (and then added said shelf to my account after). I do have a wishlist on Amazon of the books that I want, but it's also a list mixed with movies and TV show seasons that I would like to own as well.

What book do you plan to buy next?

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh. Other than that I never know what books I plan to buy next. There are always so many choices and I'm bad at making those choices haha. I usually pick what book is next while standing in the bookstore or staring at my wishlist.

Favorite quotes?

This is one of the functions that I don't use that often on Goodreads, but I do have a few here, and you can see that there are a lot of Edgar Allan Poe ones.

Favorite authors?

My favorite authors are Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien, Julie Kagawa (who is the only one featured on my profile), and I think the last time I checked, my most read author was Cassandra Clare (because I do each novella individually) so I guess I should include her here as well. Also, I can't find where that list is again to double check who is second but oh well!

Have you joined any groups?

I am currently in one group, which I joined like...actual years ago. I think I was a sophomore in high school so about seven years ago, and the group hasn't been active in five. It's a Witch and Wizard group called "Witches and Wizards" and it was a roleplaying group. I might look for different groups in the future, any suggestions?

Do you use Goodreads? Have any tips or anything that you think I'd like for it? Just want to be friends? I love friends!

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: my photo of Shadow of the Fox, covers from Goodreads, writing,