Sarah Coller (Contributor of Candid Conversations)

Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1 by Beth Brower (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2026 review: I finished the 8th volume a couple weeks ago and promptly decided to reread a few of the first books while waiting for book 9 to come out. I loved clarifying and discovering so many things I'd missed the first time around. I'm so glad I ...more
15 hours, 41 min ago · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wow, this is such a fantastically well done story! Is this going replace Wuthering Heights in my heart as my favorite Bronte novel? Is Anne going to replace Emily? It’s very possible… There’s just really no denying this is a better novel than Wutherin ...more
Mar 06, 2026 07:44PM · 3 likes · like · see review
Sarah Coller rated a book liked it Wired Love (Annotated): A Romance of Dots and Dashes by Ella Thayer	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'd heard from friends that this was a good story and I received this copy as a gift... otherwise I would have DNF'd early on. I'd have missed a good story though... it just took awhile to grow on me. I really started to enjoy this at the dinner scen ...more
Feb 24, 2026 07:26PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wired Love (Annotated) by Ella Thayer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wired Love (Annotated) by Ella Thayer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Yes. Absolutely. Fantastic story. I literally found myself nodding my head up and down as I smacked that fifth star just now. This was my first Radcliffe and I gotta say, even though it was predictable all the way through, I was still on the edge of ...more
Feb 24, 2026 07:04PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In terms of straight up ability to tell a story --- yes, Wharton does very well to make us feel all the feels. However, I hate anything that glamorizes adultery and as sad as the outcomes were in this one; I just gotta say --- that's what ya get for ...more
Feb 20, 2026 08:56PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book liked it Evelina by Frances Burney	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Evelina. Hmm… While I’m already looking back on the book with something resembling fondness, this was quite the trial to get through. Faulty assumption #1: Because Jane Austen seemed to see Burney as a role model and seemed to have enjoyed her stories ...more
Feb 19, 2026 05:17PM · 1 like · like · see review
Sarah Coller made a comment on her review of Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1) " April wrote: "I hate when I like the cover better than the book itself! LOL" Haha! Yep, that's exactly what happened!! ...more "
Feb 16, 2026 06:32PM · see review
Sarah Coller has read Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1) by Christina Baehr (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
DNF'd at page 70. I wanted to love this as several friends have said it's great but it started right out with so many editing mistakes and misses that I immediately lost respect and interest. I kept going, hoping to put that out of my mind and just e ...more
Feb 06, 2026 10:29PM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog (Everyman's Library) by Jerome K. Jerome	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
For the most part, I thought this was hilarious; but sometimes the humor was a little too dark for me. I had to research most of the boating practices and some of them still went over my head. Some of this hasn't aged well, but overall I thought it w ...more
Jan 31, 2026 12:50PM · 1 like · like · see review
Sarah Coller rated a book liked it Take Courage: Anne Bronte and the Art of Life by Samantha Ellis (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The author attempts to make the case that Anne Bronte didn't need her family name to prop her up, that she was worthy of the same level of attention and serious critical review as her sisters. I agree, but the fact that this was more of a Bronte & fr ...more
Jan 31, 2026 12:39PM · 1 like · like · see review

Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1
by Beth Brower (Goodreads Author)

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2026 review: I finished the 8th volume a couple weeks ago and promptly decided to reread a few of the first books while waiting for book 9 to come out. I loved clarifying and discovering so many things I'd missed the first time around. I'm so glad I ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
by Anne Brontë

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Wow, this is such a fantastically well done story! Is this going replace Wuthering Heights in my heart as my favorite Bronte novel? Is Anne going to replace Emily? It’s very possible…

There’s just really no denying this is a better novel than Wutherin Wow, this is such a fantastically well done story! Is this going replace Wuthering Heights in my heart as my favorite Bronte novel? Is Anne going to replace Emily? It’s very possible…

There’s just really no denying this is a better novel than Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. While the main character, Helen, can be a bit preachy at times, there’s no ridiculous melodrama from our heroine. She is strong, brave, sure of herself, independent yet faithful… and speaking of faith, hers is true and solid. This is a very faith-filled story, much truer than anything I’ve seen from the other sisters. (My goal is not to praise her high above her sisters; it’s just that I’m having a bit of a crisis here as Emily has been my favorite Bronte for going on two decades!)

The bad characters here are bad. There’s no romanticizing of toxic behaviors, no swooning over a man in spite of his brutish behavior, no putting up with abuse or neglect for the sake of saving face or tradition. (view spoiler)

Anne is giving society a model for how to deal with the things Helen dealt with in a way that honors God and themselves. She shows (view spoiler) women they have options. It’s no wonder she received negative feedback from the public. She was stepping on toes. I loved her introduction to the second edition — she really lets her critics have it. She wanted acknowledgement for the purpose of raising awareness — not for her own glory. Good for her.

This was a well thought out story; we can easily see the progression into apathy and isolation as the story’s events take place. I’ve never read a better warning than this. I think it should be required reading for all young people looking to get married, but especially for young girls. ...more

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Wired Love (Annotated): A Romance of Dots and Dashes
by Ella Thayer

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I'd heard from friends that this was a good story and I received this copy as a gift... otherwise I would have DNF'd early on. I'd have missed a good story though... it just took awhile to grow on me. I really started to enjoy this at the dinner scen I'd heard from friends that this was a good story and I received this copy as a gift... otherwise I would have DNF'd early on. I'd have missed a good story though... it just took awhile to grow on me. I really started to enjoy this at the dinner scene and then it was a pretty great story from then on. I found it interesting the different outcomes of the relationships the author "starts". It was neat to see the women having the agency to go the directions they chose to go, as well as seeing the folly in their one friend who was letting his life be dictated for him. This is what I call the "healthy" Feminist literature of the time. Pro-woman without being militant in a certain direction.

I had two big beefs with this book. One is the author's issue and one is the annotator/editor's. I found some parts of the story to be pretty shallow, especially how the author has her characters constantly criticizing people’s appearances. One woman is only described by her (seemingly shocking) weight of 175 pounds. The biggest problem with another character is his red hair and what he chooses to style it with. Over and over again, the characters are making judgements about, and even being disgusted by, the appearance of others. This tells me everything I need to know about this author as most of her main characters said things like this, it wasn't just the character of one particular person.

The second issue is that this book is just badly edited. There are so many instances of words without spaces between and lots of spelling mistakes. It's unfortunate for the woman who is putting out these series as annotating and republishing lesser known works is a fantastic idea but sacrificing the step of editing can kill the best of stories. This is the second time I've come across a badly edited book this month and both were independently published. It's probably not that big a deal to some, but it makes me immediately disrespect the work.

Overall, though, it was a cute story and I'm glad I read it! It reminded me of the very early days of the internet when I was a freshman in college exploring chat rooms. We couldn't (or didn't know how to) send pictures then, either, so one could be whomever they had the imagination to be! Fun and mysterious then... terrifying now!

Signed, Petty and Pretentious in Arkansas ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing

A Sicilian Romance
by Ann Radcliffe

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Yes. Absolutely. Fantastic story. I literally found myself nodding my head up and down as I smacked that fifth star just now. This was my first Radcliffe and I gotta say, even though it was predictable all the way through, I was still on the edge of ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok

Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton

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In terms of straight up ability to tell a story --- yes, Wharton does very well to make us feel all the feels. However, I hate anything that glamorizes adultery and as sad as the outcomes were in this one; I just gotta say --- that's what ya get for ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book liked it

Evelina
by Frances Burney

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Evelina. Hmm…

While I’m already looking back on the book with something resembling fondness, this was quite the trial to get through. Faulty assumption #1: Because Jane Austen seemed to see Burney as a role model and seemed to have enjoyed her stories ...more

Sarah Coller made a comment on her review of Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1)

" April wrote: "I hate when I like the cover better than the book itself! LOL"

Haha! Yep, that's exactly what happened!! ...more "

Sarah Coller has read

Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1)
by Christina Baehr (Goodreads Author)

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DNF'd at page 70. I wanted to love this as several friends have said it's great but it started right out with so many editing mistakes and misses that I immediately lost respect and interest. I kept going, hoping to put that out of my mind and just e ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it

Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog (Everyman's Library)
by Jerome K. Jerome

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For the most part, I thought this was hilarious; but sometimes the humor was a little too dark for me.
I had to research most of the boating practices and some of them still went over my head. Some of this hasn't aged well, but overall I thought it w ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book liked it

Take Courage: Anne Bronte and the Art of Life
by Samantha Ellis (Goodreads Author)

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The author attempts to make the case that Anne Bronte didn't need her family name to prop her up, that she was worthy of the same level of attention and serious critical review as her sisters. I agree, but the fact that this was more of a Bronte & fr The author attempts to make the case that Anne Bronte didn't need her family name to prop her up, that she was worthy of the same level of attention and serious critical review as her sisters. I agree, but the fact that this was more of a Bronte & friends biography kind of proves the point she’s trying to refute. Not much of Anne’s story can be told without significant focus on other people. There’s way more about others here than about Anne and the focus is more on how these people made her story rather than she making theirs. This doesn’t mean she’s insignificant, it's just that the reason she's not as elevated as the others is because we probably don’t know as much about her and her story isn't juicy enough for history to focus on as much as the other siblings. People who are mature, stable, and selflessly serious about making a mark on the world usually fade into the walls while the weirdest and whiniest are remembered for their foibles.

There were plenty of points reminiscent of Lucy Worsley's style, in that she turns facts into imaginative assumptions. I felt she was also inconsistent in her stance. On one page she wishes Anne could have married the curate and a couple pages later she says she wishes Agnes Gray, whom she’s working hard to prove is an autobiographical character, wouldn’t have quit her job (thus losing her independence) when she married. Being that a married woman focusing on home and family is a biblical concept, what does she think “independent“ life would have been like for curate-wedded Anne?

She has some interesting and valid perspectives, but it sometimes requires a bit of sifting to find them. I really appreciated how she highlighted that Anne wrote about drunk, abusive men with honesty and disgust while Emily and Charlotte romanticized them, to some degree. I don't completely agree with categorizing Emily on Charlotte's level -- Heathcliff's evil behavior was called out as evil and our sympathies are meant to be directed toward his soul rather than his love life. However, Charlotte seemed to fantasize jerks and abusive men in her stories --- one more reason why I really can't stand her or her stories.

In fact I really started to align with the author when she got to the chapter on Branwell and discussed marital abuse. It's pretty shocking that marital rape did not become a crime in England until 1991!! (and only the 1970s for the US.) Shameful…

I did have to skip large portions of the second part of that chapter and the next since she seems to spoil every single detail of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I've not yet read. She actually spoils several books throughout— Brontes' and others. Not ok.

Overall, I learned a little, I developed a new appreciation for Anne, and I further cemented my disgust for Charlotte. My feelings for Emily remain mostly unchanged as I think the author has a bit of a different understanding than I do about what Emily was trying to accomplish in her writing, but I admit I may be a little biased as she is my favorite of the three. ...more

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