Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: 5 Warnings: Some rated R material Length: 298 pages Publisher: Macmillan Wow. I sure did enjoy this book. Since it was a thriller, it was a page turner, and just kept me wondering what the end play would be. There were plenty of twists and turns, and I appreciated the writing style and how you really got to know the main character, Emily, and how her thought process worked. Sandie Jones also did a great job in making you question every character involved at some point, which can be a hard thing to do. If you are looking for a book full of drama, look no further! Synopsis: Emily meets Adam, and it’s a whirlwind romance. He’s everything she could’ve dreamed for herself, and the full package. Well, except in the potential in-law department. When Emily meets Adam’s mom, Pammie, she immediately begins to notice subtle, cruel ways Pammie speaks to her and treats her. As the story unfolds, you see Emily struggle with herself and the multiple situations where Pammie keeps making her feel insignificant and small. Is it all in her head? What did she do to make Pammie dislike her so much? And what lengths will Pammie go to keep Emily and Adam apart?
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Genre: Coming of age Fiction
Rating:4 Length: 356 pages Publisher: Harper Collins Warnings: Abuse Horseshoe Cliff is a place of happiness and adventure for Merrow growing up as a child. However, it also holds what she fears most, her abusive older brother, Bear. When her father becomes a legal guardian to Amir, a young boy right around Merrow's age, they become best of friends. What helps them grow even closer to each other, is how Bear treats them both. Throughout the story you see their relationship grow, and how determined they are to never be apart. Feelings even start to develop between the two as they enter their teenage years, which makes Bear's rage all the worse. Their circumstances growing up are far from pleasant. In addition to Bear's treatment, they are dirt poor, with only the harvest from their land to live off of (which is hardly anything). As they grow up, Merrow becomes more and more curious about what else the world has to offer. She loves looking at large homes in their area, and even breaking in to them to see what the high life is like. Opportunities arise for Merrow to possibly go to college, and see the world. Through this process, she and Amir become estranged from each other. It was so great to watch Merrow say goodbye to her past, and step forward into her future. I actually felt proud of her. She goes to college, starts working for a program for underprivileged kids, and meets a great guy, Will, who wants to give her the world. She's even going to marry Will, no matter the hurt she feels in her heart whenever Amir comes to mind. Will she ever shake this feeling that she's making a mistake? Will she ever feel like anywhere can be considered home other than Horseshoe Cliff? This was such a moving, beautiful, bittersweet love story. Not only between two people, but also between the characters and their roots. It showcased that no matter how far you are from the places and people you love, that somehow you will always end up back with them. The ending wasn't particularly my favorite, just because I felt it required more detail. It felt somewhat rushed, and I wanted more! But I guess that goes to show how much I enjoyed the story. You can read more details about You, Me, and the Sea on Goodreads here. Happy Reading!
Time for another WWW Wednesday! All credit for this weekly post goes to Sam from Taking on a World of Words. Head on over to the blog here to see what other bloggers are reading!
What am I currently reading? I’m part way into American Royals by Katharine McGee, and so far so good! I’m already sensing all the drama that’s going to unfold, and I can’t wait. Also, it’s been a while since I’ve read anything classified as Young Adult, so I think it’ll be a refreshing change for me. I just downloaded The Other Woman by Sandie Jones on my kindle, and it’ll be my first psychological thriller I think I’ve ever read. We are getting into spooky season, so it seems fitting to read a thriller. I’ll try to read a few more books like this throughout October. What did I recently finish reading? I just finished You, Me, and the Sea by Meg Donohue, and I’ll be posting a review of it soon. It was a great coming-of-age fiction novel, and the story was very moving. I really enjoyed reading it, but the ending just left me feeling like something was missing. I liked the ending, but felt like it was lacking detail. What do I think I’ll read next?I took a trip to the library today to pick up Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, a suspense drama. Excited to dig into this one once I finish up The Other Woman.
Genre: Historical/Women’s Fiction
Rating (1-5): 4 Length: 290 pages Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Oh the joy of sibling rivalry, something I’m sure all of us are well aware of. There is something about siblings that bring about the worst jealousy in us. As is the case with Ruth & Millie, the sisters that The Wartime Sisters is about. Ruth is the older of the two, and as soon as Millie was born, the resentment began and only grew deeper with time. Throughout the book you see where the majority of this resentment stems from. Ruth overhears conversations about the ‘prettier’ sister, Millie. Or constantly listens to her mother go on and on about how Millie is fit for a prince. As well as Ruth’s dates throughout high school losing interest in her as soon as they meet Millie. Ruth wants nothing more than to separate herself from Millie, and to live somewhere that no one knows of her little sister. She does just that once their parents die, jumping with joy when her husband gets a position far away from Brooklyn, at an armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. The author, Lynda Cohen Loigman, does a great job in making you feel sympathetic for all the characters involved. So where you feel bad for Ruth, and that she had to grow up with the constant comparisons to her sister, you also feel bad for Millie, who never asked to be compared in such a way, and wishes that her sister wasn’t so cold towards her. Millie also held some jealousy of her own towards Ruth, wishing she possessed some of the intellect that her older sister had. The way life sometimes happens, is that the problem you are wanting to avoid most, is the one thrown directly in your path. So when circumstances bring Millie and her son Michael to Springfield to live with Ruth’s family, all the old memories, insecurities, and feelings come rushing back. The estranged sisters each have a secret they are keeping from the other, but what if those secrets are the only thing standing in their way of resolution, and finally developing that sisterly bond? What happens when these secrets are finally out in the open? Will they be there for each other when they need it most? The Wartime Sisters is an emotional, beautiful story about how these two sisters, with the help of friends around them, tackle their biggest secrets, and fight through their resentment in the hopes of developing a relationship with one another that they’ve craved their whole lives. You can read more about The Wartime Sisters at Goodreads here. Happy Reading!
Genre: Christian literature
Rating (1-5): 5 Length: 240 pages Publisher: Zondervan We long for a full life, and that’s what God wants for us, but how do we get there? What does it mean, to fully live? Ann Voskamp has asked herself these questions, and in One Thousand Gifts, she lays out her pursuit to the answers. I think I may be late to the game in reading this wonderful book, but I’m so happy I finally dug into it. Have you ever read something and felt like you were punched in the gut because of how convicting it was? That was me, with this book. Chapter 1 specifcally. What hit me so hard was how Ann addressed that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He has given us, and that is why we are always falling short of this “full life”. That hit me hard, and she had me hooked, thus I kept turning the pages because I needed to know more. Ann Voskamp writes in a very poetic style, which at first was hard for me to follow. Writing in this style is extremely hard and creative, and I was enamored by it. I have nothing but great things to say about this book, and I could go on all day about it, so I’m going to keep this short by highlighting my main takeaways. #1 The key to everything according to Voskamp, is to live a practiced life of gratitude for everything God has given us. When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Like thankful for washing the dishes, sort of everything. #2 The pathway to being filled with joy, recognizing God’s grace in your everyday life, and being able to bless others all starts with gratitude towards God. #3 You can never fully get rid of feelings of discontentment. Rather, you need to fill yourself up with a greater feeling; gratitude. #4 By practicing thanksgiving, you start to realize how full your life already is. You start living fully in the moment. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for spiritual development. I've already felt a change in my life, simply by implementing thankfulness into my daily life. Happy Reading!
Genre: General Fiction
Rating (1-5):5 Warnings:Rare profanity Everyone loves Pride & Prejudice (if you don't, well maybe just read it again???), and this is the case with Soniah Kamal. Soniah is a Pakistani-American writer, and she saw ways in which the ideas in Pride & Prejudice translated into the culture of modern day Pakistan. Specifically, the constant pressure for females to be married. You need to be able to cook, clean, make good chai, be skinny, have flawless skin, good fashion sense, etc. to be deemed marriageable. Not married by your early twenties? Be ready to be the new spinster in town then. I have an overwhelming love for Pride & Prejudice. I'll be watching the movie and my husband will ask, "Haven't you watched that 20+ times?" And my response is, "Yes, but it's never enough." Because of this, I absolutely loved reading this novel. I was very impressed with how Soniah fit the story into Pakistani culture, and I learned a lot along the way. Such as their traditions and vocabulary scattered throughout the book. Unmarriageable showcases the lives of the Binat family, most importantly their five daughters. Jena, Alys, Lady, Qitty, and Mari, live a life of their mother "Pinkie" constantly pressuring them to hook a good man for an advantageous marriage. When Fahad Bingles and Valentine Darsee enter their lives, the whirlwind of potential marriage, hope, betrayal, pride, and prejudice enter their lives. The names and the plot that Soniah used follow almost exactly to the original, but it didn't keep the book from being an absolute page-turner. I actually neglected an afternoon of responsibilities because I was so caught up in the story! I highly recommend this one, you will be sure to enjoy it! To read more about Unmarriageable head on over to Goodreads. Happy Reading!
What a wonderful idea I stumbled upon at Taking on a World of Words, a blog by fellow book blogger, Sam! Head on over to the blog and you are destined to find some good recommendations in the comments.
What is WWW Wednesday? It's a weekly blog where you answer three questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you'll read next? What am I currently reading? First on the list is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I feel as if I am late to the game in reading this one, but that is mostly because I've never really read non-fiction. I am halfway through this book, and I am blown away by the ideas that Ann brings forth. It is life changing, and the way I view things and my relationship with God is already changing because of it. Can't wait to finish it! Also on my list of currently reading is Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey. I'm definitely branching out of my comfort zone by reading this one, but I'm trying to challenge myself and enjoy different genres. I'm somewhat at a stand still with this one, just because I'm enjoying my other books a little more. However, I'm very intrigued by the idea of exercise's influence on brain development. Most recently I have started The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman. I'm only a few chapters in, so it's hard to give an opinion just yet, but so far it has been promising! What did I finish reading recently? I recently finished reading Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal. This is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice in modern day Pakistan, and I am very torn about how I feel about it! I will be posting a review of it soon. What do I think I'll read next? It's hard to say what I'll read next just because my to be read list is all over the place. Sometimes it has to do with availability at the library, or whether I am in the mood for that particular book. However, I've had my eye on a few Danielle Steel books and might give one of them a go! Feel free to answer the three W's in the comment section below! |
AuthorHi, I'm Genny! You can always find me with a book in my hand. Dystopian, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction are among my favorite genres. I hope you enjoy the reviews I provide and can help you pick out your next book! Archives
October 2020
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