Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father’s actions. (synopsis and image from goodreads.com)
Friday, October 30, 2020
Freeform Friday: Ghost Boys - Jewell Parker Rhodes
Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father’s actions. (synopsis and image from goodreads.com)
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
A Familius Trio (Including The Runaway Shirt, Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree, and No Matter What: A Foster Care Tale)
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader: All clear.
Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree - Judy Gilliam & Laura Addari (Illus)
Summary: Florence and Her Fantastic Family Tree explores the idea of what it means to have a big, messy, complicated, and remarkable family. As a young girl tries to complete her family tree assignment for school, she comes to appreciate her family and all its branches. With adorable drawings and the succinct words of a child, you cna't help but love your own family tree, no matter how large or small, simple or chaotic.
My Review: When Florence's teacher asks her to create a family tree to display in the classroom she's not quite sure what to do. You see, Florence's family tree has a lot of extra branches and she is more than a little worried. What her teacher gets confused? Or it won't fit on the wall. What if she has to explain it or people don't believe her?
Summary: Josh was a squirrel without a family. Between the pelicans, the leopards, the otters, the snakes, and many more, no one seemed to want a squirrel like him. Josh didn't want a family, either. He did everything he could to scare those families away first, but the elephants weren't like other families. The elephants were very large and very patient, and they wanted Josh to be part of their family today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. When Josh takes his plans a little too far and gets into a sticky situation, will Josh finally be convinced that his family is his?
Monday, October 26, 2020
Shadow Divers - Robert Kurson
For John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, deep wreck diving was more than a sport. Testing themselves against treacherous currents, braving depths that induced hallucinatory effects, navigating through wreckage as perilous as a minefield, they pushed themselves to their limits and beyond, brushing against death more than once in the rusting hulks of sunken ships.
But in the fall of 1991, not even these courageous divers were prepared for what they found 230 feet below the surface, in the frigid Atlantic waters sixty miles off the coast of New Jersey: a World War II German U-boat, its ruined interior a macabre wasteland of twisted metal, tangled wires, and human bones–all buried under decades of accumulated sediment.
No identifying marks were visible on the submarine or the few artifacts brought to the surface. No historian, expert, or government had a clue as to which U-boat the men had found. In fact, the official records all agreed that there simply could not be a sunken U-boat and crew at that location.
Over the next six years, an elite team of divers embarked on a quest to solve the mystery. Some of them would not live to see its end. Chatterton and Kohler, at first bitter rivals, would be drawn into a friendship that deepened to an almost mystical sense of brotherhood with each other and with the drowned U-boat sailors–former enemies of their country. As the men’s marriages frayed under the pressure of a shared obsession, their dives grew more daring, and each realized that he was hunting more than the identities of a lost U-boat and its nameless crew.
Author Robert Kurson’s account of this quest is at once thrilling and emotionally complex, and it is written with a vivid sense of what divers actually experience when they meet the dangers of the ocean’s underworld. The story of Shadow Divers often seems too amazing to be true, but it all happened, two hundred thirty feet down, in the deep blue sea. (Summary from goodreads.com - Image from amazon.com)
It is at this point that I have to say that I listened to the audiobook, which is not something I normally do. I am a devoted podcast listener, and I have tons of podcasts that I listen to, so I don’t always want to use my listening time for audiobooks. However, I put this book on hold at my library and it was taking forever (still haven’t gotten it) and I just couldn’t wait any longer. My obsession was gnawing at my soul. It was read by Michael Prichard, and his old timey radio-style voice really added to the ambience of this WWII U-boat mystery book. It was a long book, in my short experience of audiobooks (15 hours), and yet I finished it in less than a week. Like I said #womanobsessed.
There are so many things I loved about this book. First off, it is really well written. It is gripping, fast-paced, and super interesting. I knew nothing about diving, and I really don’t have any interest in learning to dive (not even in a beautiful tropical place, which is very different from what these divers do). However, learning about the technology and the bravery and intricacies of deep sea wreck diving was fascinating. It was a whole new world and I just can’t believe how exciting it was. Kurson also does a great job of introducing and connecting us with each of the divers. Their backgrounds were fascinating as well, and getting to know them and their experiences was a highlight of the book. Another thing I loved is that the U-boat mystery was fascinating. I guess I just had no idea how difficult it is to find shipwrecks and identify them, let alone search through them and find artifacts. Following along with Chatterton and Kohler as they dove and tried to find out about this ship was so exciting. It was treacherous and intense and there were many times when I could feel the intensity of the situation, even though I was just listening to it.
If you are in to true adventure stories, especially ones with dangerous and treacherous circumstances (like climbing Everest or any number of dangerous outdoor endeavors), I highly recommend this book. I very much enjoyed it. It’s an older book, and yet it has impeccable ratings on Goodreads (which is hard to maintain when so many people have read it and rated it). I’m hoping that since it’s older it’s something that isn’t necessarily on your radar. I really enjoyed it, and I will be reading everything else that they have written as well.
My Rating: 5 Stars
For the sensitive
reader: There is quite a bit of language and some bawdy sea-faring humor. There
is also a man who is a serious alcoholic and this could be triggering for some
readers.
Friday, October 23, 2020
Freeform Friday: The Art for Joy's Sake Journal PLUS Watercolor Cards - Kristy Rice

[The Art for Joy's Sake Journal] includes 9 illustrations ready to be water-colored on thick, textured paper, along-side full color, frameable reproductions of the same works painted by Kristy herself, demonstrating palette choices and brushwork.
Enrich your art with "prompt" ideas to inspire your painting's growth; pages with no-stress exercises for techniques; inspirational artwork and quotations; and even a few recipes for nourishing your body along with your spirit! (Summary from back of book - Images from amazon.com and kristyrice.com - Journal given to me for free in exchange for an honest review)
My Review: Have you ever found something that you truly loved - a hobby, a talent, or a side-gig - and then worked it so hard that the joy leaches out and you can't remember the reason you started doing it in the first place? Me. Too. The Art for Joy's Sake Journal asserts that the act of creation, and art in particular, can and should be a joyful experience. Now, if you're reading this review and thinking, That's nice and all, but I don't DO journals, guess what? I don't either and I still had a blast with this book. Perhaps, that is because it isn't a journal in the traditional sense of the word.You will get paint on your hands. Be okay with paint on your hands. Own the mess; you can wash your hands later. It's difficult to make something fabulous if you're always worried about making a mess. - Kristi Rice
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
World War II Posters - David Pollack
My Review: I am not an expert on World War II. I know some of the basic history and I loved Band of Brothers, but I'm not an aficionado. I did marry one, though, and his eyes lit up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree when he saw this book. He's a man of few words, but they were: That is a cool book!
World War II Posters is a curated collection of WWII wartime propaganda employed by both sides of the fight. While it would be impossible for this book to contain all the WWII posters in existence, it is a massive compendium that covers many different aspects of the war, like recruitment, health and hygiene, fundraising efforts, production, espionage, and even those those facets less talked about, like women and minorities.
World War II Posters is a significant collection of visual history and I learned a great deal while perusing its pages. Of course, I am familiar with a few iconic war posters -- namely, "Uncle Sam Wants You," (which originated in WWI) and Rosie the Riveter's "You Can Do It! -- but was not even remotely prepared for the rest. I had no idea there were so many different organization, societies, and branches of, within, and outside of the military involved in the war effort. Nor was I aware of the depth and breadth of the war-time propaganda machine during that time.
There were a few aspects of the book that I found irksome (but important). When viewed through modern eyes, some of the posters perpetuated sexist or racist themes. As the author states, "propaganda is a tool used by all sides" and each side of the war produced posters that depicted the other side (especially the Japanese and African Americans) in a grotesquely exaggerated and dehumanizing light. It was also frustrating to see posters that encouraged women into the workforce, knowing that only a few years later they would be asked to step aside for the men coming home. However infuriating, I believe that these kinds of posters were included because they showed the uglier side of wartime propaganda and leaving them out would have rendered the collection cursory and inaccurate. In short, while I don't agree with the message of certain posters, they have unmistakable value when examined through a historical lens.
Ultimately, I think this book would make a wonderful conversation piece or coffee table book and a fantastic gift for the avid collector or your favorite WWII buff. Personally, it served as a reminder of a time when unity, dedication, and sacrifice were more important to the community at large than ego and creature comforts, and I hope to carry that message with me. World War II Posters has my wholehearted stamp of approval and I am thrilled to add it to my personal library.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader: Likely fine for the adult reader. A few Biblical swear words (like H*ll and G*d). One poster shows three men showering al fresco, with one backside visible (meant to encourage cleanliness). Some posters, though considered acceptable at the time, would likely be seen as sexist or racist through more modern eyes, including some with racist terminology (e.g. "J*ps"). A few VD posters talk about prophylactics and/or have mild innuendo.
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre - Max Brooks
As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.
But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing--and too earth-shattering in its implications--to be forgotten.
In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.
Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.
Yet it is also far more than that.
Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us--and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.
Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it--and like none you've ever read before. (Summary and pic from goodreads.com)
I purposely crammed this review into an October reviewing slot because I think Halloween and the Halloween season (which for me is several months long) deserves its own set of books to read. This one is not about ghosts or haunted houses, but a swarm of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) terrorizing an isolated yuppie village is kind of Halloween-esque, right? If you’re into cryptids for Halloween, you should check this out. Maybe you should even listen to it! (Who AM I even!?)
I really enjoyed this audio book. I appreciated hearing the different voices, and the [minimal] sound effects. It really made for an immersive experience. Also, sometimes I like to be creeped out by things I listen to, especially when it’s crispy and autumn-y outside. There’s nothing like walking around in your house doing chores and being creeped out in a this-is-not-real-and-therefore-it’s awesome-way. It’s delightful!
I’ve read some feedback about this book that it’s slow. Perhaps if one were reading it it would feel that way. There is a lot of build-up and some minor points of action before the actual dramatic apex, but listening to it gave a creeping sense of foreboding that I enjoyed. Because it is written in journal style, with different entries from different people, I feel like this book really lent itself to being listened to (thanks for the rec, friend!) in that the action was well-paced and the descriptions vivid enough that it felt like we were RIGHTTHERE. Also, there is a certain amount of smugness that came from this isolated yuppie community, and Brooks has made it very easy to alternatively feel sorry for them and also feel like they got their comeuppance. There was a certain tongue in cheek way in which he described the people and the surroundings that let us in on the joke, but also made us empathize.
Did I feel like this was a realistic setting? Yeah, I guess I did. I’m always willing to suspend a little disbelief just because when you pick up a book about Bigfoot, it’s not like you’re not already maybe hoping or wanting to believe that it’s real enough to give you a little spine tingle. I do think that if there were to be an attack of Sasquatches, this scenario is as good as any (maybe better?).
If you’re into reading about Sasquatch, or post-apocalyptic stories that get a little supernatural, you should totally check this out. It was fast-paced and exciting. I enjoyed it a lot.
My Review: 4 Stars
For the sensitive reader: There is language, violence, and some mild discussion of sex.
Monday, October 19, 2020
Someone to Watch Over - William Schreiber
At seventeen she flees town with a dangerous secret about her high school pregnancy that threatens to destroy her remaining family-a mine-worker father ill-equipped to raise her on his own and an ambitious older brother determined to escape their grinding life.
After two decades hiding from her past in the far reaches of Alaska, Lennie returns to Mosely, Tennessee, hoping to reconcile with her aging father and learn from him the fate of the now-grown child he forced her to give up as a teen. Neither of them ever knew they had been manipulated into the devastating decision by the town's powerful ruling family.
But before Lennie can reach her father, she's crushed to learn from her estranged brother, John, that their father has died.
All seems lost until Lennie discovers the rumored existence of guardakin angels in a distant corner of the Appalachian Mountains, through whom deceased parents can reach back from the beyond to help the children they've left behind.
Believing her deceased father can guide her to her child, Lennie sets out to find one of the angels. All the while, she battles her own self-doubt and the harsh realities hammered into her by her disbelieving brother, who accompanies her on a re-creation of a cherished childhood vacation in memory of their dad.
Meeting a sketchy Appalachian artist who claims to be the spiritual go-between she seeks, Lennie convinces herself she's come face-to-face with the divine, setting her on a collision course with her brother, who's convinced the folksy local is a con artist.
Forcing herself to trust in something she can't understand, Lennie crosses an unimaginable boundary and has fleeting encounters with her deceased parents, forcing her to confront what's real and what's nothing more than her heart's impossible longing, fueled by a desperate need to seek forgiveness from the child she feels she abandoned.
Finding answers hinges on her willingness to open up to life's biggest mystery, a leap of faith that will either end in redemption or devastation. (Summary and pic from goodreads.com)
The summary for this book is very thorough, so if you’re wondering what its like; I think the summary gives a pretty good idea. That being said, I really am not a huge fan of women’s fiction. I do read some women’s fiction, and there are definitely books in the genre that I enjoy, but I would say that the Hallmark movie-type is not really my jam. I would definitely categorize this book in the Hallmark movie-type genre.
I think the reason why people like Hallmark movies and books of that genre are probably the same reasons I don’t necessarily like them: I don’t like clichĆ©s. I think clichĆ©s are lame, and when they are used, I don’t feel a shared connection of this life or an understanding of a situation, I feel like it is just really uncreative and overused. Also, I don’t like too much cheese. If a situation is too cheesy or things work out too well (especially if they’re working out in an unrealistic and unauthentic way), it feels cheesy. I also don’t like colloquialisms. I do like regional talk and descriptions that give me a sense of place, because I love a good atmosphere, but I don’t like clichĆ© colloquialisms where they feel false and so clichĆ© that they can’t possibly be real. I find this happens in a lot of Southern literature. I’m not from the South, so I don’t feel like I can say this definitely, but I do know that everyone can’t be all the same saying the same things and drinking their sweet tea just the same and such. Right? Or am I wrong…??
So now for Someone to Watch Over. The story itself was fine. It was a little non-linear in that the perspective jumped back and forth between the two protagonists, but it wasn’t necessarily confusing, it just wasn’t always consistent. Most of the story was told from the perspective of Lennie, who is the sister of John, the other protagonist. She has lots of clichĆ© problems that someone who has had a hard life might have, and John alternately does not. He is the typical opposite of his sister—makes a ton of money, is super uptight, has the perfect life from the outside. They both come from a troubled background and have lots of history and such, and they’ve had to survive in their alternating ways—one is successful on the outside but messed up on the inside, and one is messed up on the outside but a fighter. I feel like you can see where this is going. The writing is decent, and although the book wasn’t really my jam, I felt like the characters were written in a way that if this is your thing, you could really connect to them and would enjoy their familiarity.
The point is—I feel like if you are in to this sort of thing, you’re going to love this book. It has all of the things that make this type of book jive—characters with a past, they’re flawed but endearing; “Guardakin angels” (which is a term I just can’t get over for its cheesiness) and people from the Other Side who are helping to guide the characters along in their life’s journey; love and loss; a tale of redemption. I know I sound cynical, but I can immediately think of a lot of people in my life right now who are really into this kind of thing. And really, maybe our world needs more of this kind of thing—more gentle stories with people who struggle but have help and are able to make it.
My Rating: 3 Stars
For the sensitive
reader: There is some language and one description of rape that is not too
graphic, although may be upsetting to some just because of the nature of the
content.
Friday, October 16, 2020
Freeform Friday: The Parker Inheritance - Varian Johnson
When Candice finds the letter, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance.
So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the summer ends? (summary and picture from goodreads.com)
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teen - Ruby Walker
In ten illustrated chapters, you'll learn how to:
- Get out from under self-hatred
- Gain a sense of free will.
- Create your way through an existential crisis.
- Use exercise to beg your brain for endorphins.
- Have an identity beyond "sad."
- And more!
- There are ways of thinking that will make it better, and ways of thinking that will make it worse.
- How to Gain a Sense of Free Will...and Finally Start Taking Showers Again.
- Being a friend to yourself means cutting yourself the same slack you already give to others.
- Four Lies Your Trauma is Telling You and Why You Must Not Believe Them.
- When all is said and done, I'm the only person on this Earth who will be present in my life every moment until my very last breath. Knowing myself deeply helps me connect to that life: through my relationships, my values, and through the face I choose to show the world. And the more I know, the more I can be sure that face is true.
- How to Acknowledge Failure, Find Solace, and Move On
- Being a light means being kind when it isn't required, good when nobody can see, and refusing to accept suffering as the status quo.
Monday, October 12, 2020
The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones

Friday, October 9, 2020
Freeform Friday: Betty Before X - Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson
My Review: I loved the gentle flow of this book, and I fell in love with Betty's poetic, childlike voice. The way she saw the world, the way she described things was so visual and felt so real and beautiful, it was like a painting.
This book takes the difficult emotions and struggles of the character, things like not knowing if her mother loves her or even wants her, to seeing a lynching in the town, to parting with dear friends over differences of opinions about how they should approach race relations. These are all very hard and difficult things to take in, but somehow the prose manages to make it understandable.
And then there's Betty as a character, there were little things that just made her so rounded: the specific music she loved, her hobby of sewing, her pranks with her friend, sneaking out during church services to buy candy--these little things just made Betty such a real kid. The other thing I loved about her was the way she would count her blessings. Some nights she had so many things to be thankful for, and others she couldn't think of any and took a break. But she always came back around to remembering how beautiful the world is, and how she was working to make a small difference.
I think the coolest thing about this whole book is that before picking it up, I never knew about Dr. Betty Shabbaz. But learning more about her from both the story and the short history at the back of the book made me want to learn more--this was a pretty awesome woman. I love books like these because they are especially cool for kids--to see that these great people were once little and childlike as they are, that they can see how others live life differently, but more importantly, see similarities.
My Rating: Four Stars
For the sensitive reader: Betty's mother isn't always the kindest, and sometimes beats her. There is also a scene where there is a lynching, and dead bodies are hanging from a tree, and talk of a black boy murdered by police.
Thursday, October 8, 2020
I've Got It Covered: The Essential Guide to Closing the Life of Your Loved One - Dana G. Artzer
Summary: I've Got it Covered is an essential tool to help keep you organized now and prepare your loved ones for your final journey home. It is beautifully designed, with simplicity in mind for both the person filling it out and the person using it. It allows for quick and effortless location of important information when needed. When completed and combined I've Got it Covered will supply you and your loved ones with ALL your important personal information such as: financial, social media, account numbers, policy numbers, last wishes, etc., as well as where all important legal documents are located. When you are called to your eternal home, I've Got it Covered will gently guide your loved ones through the process of closing your life in a timely and efficient manner. I've Got it Covered is full of valuable tips to save your family valuable time, considerable effort, and undue frustration during one of their most difficult times. (Summary from books.google.com - Image from publisher - This book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest review)
My Thoughts: We never want to think about the death of a loved one. Our natural inclination is to push it to the back of our minds and pretend it will never happen. However, the reality is that sooner or later a loved one will pass on and remaining family must make arrangements, close accounts, file documents, and generally take responsibility for wrapping up their earthly affairs.
I've Got It Covered: The Essential Guide to Closing the Life of Your Loved One was created to make the transition process easier for those left behind. It can be filled out by a loved one concerned for their aging family member, a parent hoping to 'get things in order' in the event of their own passing, or anyone who simply wants to keep all their essential information in one place "just in case."
Before I even opened the guide, I was impressed by the cover image, which felt peaceful and comforting. Structurally, the pages inside are well-organized and give plenty of space for the reader to fill-in the specific names, phone and account numbers, emails, and other essential information they want their loved ones to have. The guide is spiral-bound, which allows the guide to lay flat so it can be filled out without the pages flipping shut and smearing the ink.
In the first section, I've Got it Covered provides a series of valuable tips concerning what to do soon after a loved one's passing, when emotions are likely to be high and ordinarily common sense steps might be forgotten. These range from simple reminders, like cleaning out the fridge and properly disposing of medications, to more complex tasks such as how to obtain a death certificate and what entities require them, as well as how to notify financial institutions, contact service providers, and inform government agencies. Other pages provide prompts and leave space to fill out the necessary information. Here are some of the topics covered:
- Who to call (outside of regular family)
- Estate Planning
- Financial Accounts
- Retirement Accounts
- Sources of Income
- Safe Codes and Safety Deposit
- Insurance (Life, Medical, Home, Auto)
- Health Care Providers
- Personal Information
- Pet Instructions
- Home and Utilities
- Information Regarding Family, Friends, and Neighbors
- Credit Information and Debts
- Property (including land, vehicle, and firearms)
- Favorite Charities
- Memberships & Subscriptions
- Email, Social Media, Websites & Blogs
- Items loaned & items borrowed
- The location of hidden items
- And more...
Personally, I believe that it would be incredibly helpful and comforting to have so much essential information at my fingertips when the time comes. The overall feel of I've Got it Covered is compassionate, rather than clinical, and I believe that it has the potential to provide a critical service and valuable peace of mind during an undoubtedly arduous and overwhelming task.
To take a closer look, you can check out their FB page.
To purchase, click here. (Not an affiliate link).
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
The Beautiful - RenƩe Ahdieh
Summary: In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival seasons, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirƩes and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic leader, SƩbastian Saint Germain.
When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in SƩbastien's own lair -- the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks-- Celine battles her attraction to SƩbastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own terrible secret.
After a third murder, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose -- one who has now set Celine in his sights. As the murderer stalks her, Celine finally takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.
At once sultry romance and a decadent, thrilling mystery, master storyteller RenƩe Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet. (Summary from book cover - Image from amazon.com)
My Review: In The Beautiful a young woman named Celine Rousseau endeavors to escape her past and the brutal truth she fears will be uncovered by seeking refuge in the infamous French Quarter of New Orleans. Not long after her arrival, Celine makes the acquaintance of SƩbastian San Germain and several other members of La Cour de Leons, and is quickly mired in scandal as a series of vicious murders seem to follow in her wake. Inexplicably drawn to San Germain and into the mystery surrounding the murders, Celine becomes increasingly desperate to determine her own fate, and save those she loves, regardless of the dangers she may face.
The Beautiful is an instantly captivating, marvelously set, and sumptuously descriptive tale. If there is one thing Ahdieh excels at, it is 'world' building. I have never been to New Orleans nor have I visited the French Quarter (in the late 1800s or at any other time), but now I feel as if I have, at the very least, stayed a night or two wandering the dark streets, glimpsing the parades, sampling the cuisine, and drinking in the atmosphere. On a completely related noted, I am totally craving beignets.
When it comes to female characters, I definitely have a 'type' and the overwhelming characteristic that all my heroines seem to share is sheer stubbornness (with 'sass' running a close second). Celine is many things, but, first and foremost, she is a woman who is learning to stand her ground even when it might be more advisable to tuck tail and run. I just love that! I also enjoyed the chemistry and back and forth between Celine and SƩbastian. Their relationship gets steamy at times without being wholly inappropriate for the genre, but it does toe the line a bit (or at the very least it toes mine), so be sure to check out the "sensitive reader" section below if you are worried.
Ahdieh does an excellent job of not tipping her hand and straying into plot predictability and I enjoyed the book's puzzling cast of secondary characters. The author hinted at many characters backstories just enough to pique my interest but left much of their tales untold and ripe for more 'page time' in the next book or, failing that, *fingers crossed* their own novella. The antagonist was infuriatingly hard to pin down most of the time and stayed firmly rooted in the shadows for much of the book, which only made me more curious and kept me reading at a frantic pace hoping for a little illumination. As far as endings go, I will say that I did not expect things to play out the way they did but found that I rather liked the twists as they came and look forward to reading more of the story.
Ultimately, I thought The Beautiful was a romantic, entertaining, and atmospheric read. I liked it slightly less than The Wrath & the Dawn (which I gave 4.5 stars) but I am still invested enough in the story and characters to pick up the next book in the series, The Damned. It's in my TBR stack right now and I will let you know how it goes.
My Rating: 4 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader: Around 10-15 instances of profanity, including several F-bombs and two crude British references to female anatomy. Some sensual situations and innuendo and one very nearly sexual situation (interrupted). One of the female characters makes a few comments that indicate her romantic preference for other women. Two incidental female characters are found kissing in a garden (brief, non-detailed).
Monday, October 5, 2020
Race to the Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse
When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says "Run!", the siblings and Nizhoni's best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of DinƩ Holy People, all disguised as quirky characters. Their aid will come at a price: the kids must pass a series of trials in which it seems like nature itself is out to kill them. If Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery can reach the House of the Sun, they will be outfitted with what they need to defeat the ancient monsters Mr. Charles has unleashed. But it will take more than weapons for Nizhoni to become the hero she was destined to be . . . (Summary and pic from goodreads.com)
Friday, October 2, 2020
Freeform Friday: Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World - Sabina Berman
Karen Nieto passed her earliest years as a feral child, left alone to wander the vast beach property near her family's failing tuna cannery. But when her aunt Isabelle comes to Mexico to take over the family business, she discovers amid the squalor a real girl. So begins a miraculous journey for autistic savant Karen, who finds freedom not only in the love and patient instruction of her aunt but eventually at the bottom of the ocean swimming among the creatures of the sea. Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World takes us on a global journey that explores how we live, what we eat, and how our lives can defy even our own wildest expectations.
(Summary from back of book - Image from Amazon.com)
My Review: The first thing you should know is that I just got stung by a bee and had to take two Benadryl when my throat started to feel funny. I shouldn't even be typing right now, but I am. This could be a disaster.
Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World is an undeniably well-written, character-driven story, filled with all sorts of moments that would make a seasoned writer drool. As such, I probably should have enjoyed it more than I did. I loved the premise and the main character but often didn't understand everything she was trying to say. I got the sense that I was missing a deeper point, but didn't ever feel like expending the effort to dig it up.
While I didn't always get things, there were parts of the story that I truly enjoyed, such as small moments of humor and tenderness, and themes about happiness and the value of both human and non-human life. Additionally, the narrator's autism affects how she sees, interprets, and reacts to the world around her and offered a compelling glimpse of what it might be like to live on the spectrum. As the main character grows, she learns how to better navigate her world (e.g. how to find comfort and how to communicate emotion through mimicry) and, as I read, her perspective helped me understand how to better relate with others on the spectrum.
I'm feeling a bit woozy right now, but I want to share a line from the book that I've had rolling around in my head a bit. I feel like it illustrates both the writers skill and the depth (that I didn't always get): To exist, which for ME is to unlearn to rush. To relax the muscles of my heart and let it beat in its own time. To be in the heat of the sun without thinking heat. To eat when hunger is hungry and give in to the tiredness that arrives with nightfall and darkness covers things and things in the darkness can rest. Just to be. To be and to see. And to see all that is as it is, while it is, today, because we don't know if it will be, tomorrow.
Despite its strengths, Me Who Dove into the Heart of the World did not fill the reading void I was hoping it would fill. It was many things that a good book should be but I simply wasn't riveted to the page. In the end, you get out what you put in. I opted to snorkel on the surface of things rather than take a deep dive. Perhaps, if I had, this review might have turned out differently.
My Rating: 3 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader: Plenty of swearing and some crude language. I eventually stopped keeping track. The narrator is an autistic savant with little to no 'filter'. Occasionally she will say, write, or do things that seem far outside the norm of typical human behavior (such as taking off her shirt in front of a man to show him the scars on her back). Other times people will say things or try to do things to her that she doesn't really understand, but the reader will (like when that same man tried to touch her inappropriately). The main character also describes sexual situations from a very literal, technical standpoint that can be both detailed and uncomfortable. The R word is occasionally used to refer to her intelligence.