Friday, December 11, 2020
Review - The Great Alone
AUTHOR: Kristin Hannah
RATING: ★★★★★
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Summary (from Goodreads): Alaska, 1974. Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed. For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.
REVIEW: This is such an amazing book! I've never been to Alaska, but Kristin Hannah's beautifully descriptive writing made me feel like I've lived there my whole life. I've heard tales about how hard the winters are in Alaska, and reading this story made me feel like I was a part of the Allbright family's struggle to survive. I have to say the relationship between Cora and Ernt made my heart ache on many levels. Having been in an abusive relationship many years ago, I understood Cora's rollercoaster emotions on a deeply personal level. I loved cheering for Leni and Matthew, and I also enjoyed reading about Leni and Cora's strong bond. I believe I went through every emotion while reading this story, and the ending left me in tears. I would happily recommend The Great Alone to everyone, and I can't wait to read more of Kristin Hannah's work.
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Review - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
AUTHOR: V.E. Schwab
RATING: ★★★★★
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Summary (from Goodreads): France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
REVIEW: What a wonderful story! The plot intrigued me from the very beginning, and it’s honestly unlike anything I’ve ever read before. V.E. Schwab is an incredible writer. Her words flow so effortlessly - it was almost like reading poetry. There were many times a certain quote or line just stopped me in my tracks, and all I could think of was “Wow...she is really good!” Miss Schwab, I tip my hat to you. From one author to another, I just have to say you have truly inspired me. Thank you for that. For anyone reading this review who hasn’t read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue yet, I just have to ask...what are you waiting for?
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Review - The Last of the Moon Girls
AUTHOR: Barbara Davis
RATING: ★★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. When her beloved Grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls.
Lizzy discovers a Book of Remembrances meant to help Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea’s innocence, she resolves to clear her Grandmother’s name.
REVIEW: This book was recommended to me by a family member, and it was my first time reading the author’s work. I was intrigued by the Moon girls and their magical gifts, and I enjoyed rooting for Lizzy as she tirelessly worked to clear her grandmother’s name. (Her grandmother was falsely accused of murder.) The story did lag a bit in the beginning, and it took a few chapters before the storyline got really interesting. If you decide to give it a read, just hang on and don’t give up because the twists and turns in the story are well worth the wait. I look forward to reading more from Mrs. Davis in the near future.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Review - What You Wish For
AUTHOR: Katherine Center
RATING: ★★★★★
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Summary (from Goodreads): Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living. But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen. But he wasn’t always that way.
And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.
As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.
With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.
REVIEW: After reading this book, I immediately added Katherine Center to my list of favorite authors, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. This story had me sighing happily at times and laughing out loud more times than I can count. I don’t know what else to say other than it was just wonderfully written. There’s humor, romance, friendship, rivalry, heartbreak - you name it. I also want to commend Katherine for her poignant portrayal of a character living with epilepsy. (Having grown up with a step-parent who has it, I’ve witnessed firsthand how frightening it can be.) An author friend recommended this book, and I’m SO thankful she did. I would recommend it to everyone!
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Review - Before We Were Yours
AUTHOR: Lisa Wingate
RATING: ★★★★★
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Summary (from Goodreads): Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.
Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.
Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.
REVIEW: Such a beautiful but heartbreaking story! I was pulled into this book from the very beginning, and I felt so many emotions while reading it - sadness, anger, and shock, just to name a few. Lisa Wingate brought to life a gut-wrenching topic that is happening far too often in our society today - child trafficking. I had no idea the story was based on true events until I read Lisa’s comments in the book. I was curious about it, so I looked it up on Wikipedia, and I was stunned when I discovered the villain from the book, Georgia Tann, grew up ten miles from where I live. She was such a despicable human being. It breaks my heart how many children suffered at her hands. If you’re curious about Before We Were Yours, I highly encourage you to read it. You’ll be SO glad you did!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Currently Listening
Currently Reading
Popular Posts
NetGalley Badges
Goodreads Updates
