Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A mostly true memior
by Jenny Lawson
Published by Penguin Audio
Released April 2012
Purchased through Audible.com

From Goodreads:

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father (a professional taxidermist who created dead-animal hand puppets) and a childhood of wearing winter shoes made out of used bread sacks. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

Lawson's long-suffering husband and sweet daughter are the perfect comedic foils to her absurdities, and help her to uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments-the ones we want to pretend never happened-are the very same moments that make us the people we are today.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened is a poignantly disturbing, yet darkly hysterical tome for every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud. Like laughing at a funeral, this book is both irreverent and impossible to hold back once you get started.

My Thoughts:

I am pretty sure I've never read anything this funny ever. I have been a big fan of Jenny Lawson's online persona, The Bloggess, for years. When I found out that she did the reading for the audiobook, I knew I had to listen to it. There's not a more perfect way to hear a storyteller's stories! I would be listening in my car and laughing so hard I was crying. I even made my boyfriend listen to some of it with me and he was dying laughing as well. Some of the stories are what you might consider politically incorrect and unforgivably irreverent, but I loved every second of it. If you are looking for a book to make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts, this is it.

Review: Pillars of the Earth

Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follet
Read by John Lee
Produced by Penquin Audio
Released October 2007

From Goodreads:

In 12th-century England, the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral signals the dawn of a new age. This majestic creation will bond clergy and kings, knights and peasants together in a story of toil, faith, ambition and rivalry. A sweeping tale of the turbulent middle ages, The Pillars of the Earth is a masterpiece from one of the world's most popular authors.

Tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known... of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.

My Thoughts:

This book was highly recommended to me by a co-worker. After reading By Fire, By Water by Mitchel Kaplan, I was ready to read another historical novel. While Pillars of the Earth wasn't even loosely based on actual events, it was definitely a pieces that was true to it's time period. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were so many colorful characters and the book spanned such a large period of time, I never wanted it to end.

If you enjoy period books and like the medieval era in literature this is a great book for you. There is a lot of interesting plot that focuses on the way the monastic church was organized and run during this time period. I was fascinated too to hear the descriptions of the old churches being built. The idea that it could take decades for a building to be finished is overwhelming, and the dedication that drove these medieval architects was wonderful to read about.

There is plenty of drama and intrigue. What I loved about this novel was that there was a little bit of every genre. There was mystery and suspense, there was a love story, there was pure literary genius in some of the writing. I cannot sing this book praises highly enough.

I think this book is a classic. Everyone should read it. I look forward to listening to World Without End, which is the follow-up to this book.

Review: The Prodigal Summer

The Prodigal Summer
by Barabara Kingsolver
Published by Harper Perennial
Released October 2001
Purchased Used

From Goodreads:


Barbara Kingsolver's fifth novel is a hymn to wildness that celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature, and of nature itself. It weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives amid the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia. Over the course of one humid summer, this novel's intriguing protagonists face disparate predicaments but find connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with which they necessarily share a place.

My Thoughts:


I loved the book. It now holds a place on my list of favorite books ever. The imagery and landscape in this novel is amazing. I've had this book on my "want to read" list for a year but I was saving it to share with my book club. I'm so glad I did. I think we all enjoyed it. Set in a small town tucked away in Appalachia, there were only a few clues here and there to let us know that it was set in the modern day. The practices of the neighbors could easily let you believe that this novel was set in a time when people lived off the land and socialized with their neighbors instead of computers.

This novel, told from the point of view of three very different people, shows how we are all connected to one another, through our communities, and also through the very earth we live on. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys vivid imagery and colorful characters.

Review: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home
by Jodi Picoult
Read by Therese Plummer & Brian Hutchinson
Published by Recorded Books
March 2011
Purchased through Audible.com

From Goodreads:


Every life has a soundtrack. All you have to do is listen.

Music has set the tone for most of Zoe Baxter’s life. There’s the melody that reminds her of the summer she spent rubbing baby oil on her stomach in pursuit of the perfect tan. A dance beat that makes her think of using a fake ID to slip into a nightclub. A dirge that marked the years she spent trying to get pregnant.

For better or for worse, music is the language of memory. It is also the language of love.

In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people—even those she loves and trusts most—don’t want that to happen.

Sing You Home is about identity, love, marriage, and parenthood. It’s about people wanting to do the right thing for the greater good, even as they work to fulfill their own personal desires and dreams. And it’s about what happens when the outside world brutally calls into question the very thing closest to our hearts: family.

My Thoughts:


This was another heart-wrenching story from Jodi Picoult. I was completely drawn in by the characters in this novel. The subject matter is so explosive. When I started this one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I only knew that it involved music (which I love) and it was by Jodi Picoult (who I also love). 


What I didn't expect was the second half of the novel to become a battle between Evangelical Christians and the LGBT community. This book was very powerful. People cling to their beliefs so hard that sometimes it leads them to behave in ways that go against the very grain of what they preach. I think that Ms. Picoult handled this topic with the respect and delicacy that it deserved, while making very important points.


My favorite quote: "Jesus says we're supposed to love everyone, no matter what."


Perhaps it doesn't mean as much to you out of context, but it was a turning point for a few of the characters and I loved it. No matter where you come down on the issues addressed in this novel, you will be left examining your motives and priorities. 

Review: If You Know Her by Shiloh Walker

If You Know Her

by Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballentine Books

ARC recieved from author

FAIR WARNING! If you haven't read the first two books in the series, If You Hear Her and If You See Her, then this review will contain some spoilers. You can find my review of the first book HERE, and I suggest that to be where you start, and my review of the second book HERE.

From Goodreads:

A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW. 

Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free? 

Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike. 

Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.

My Thoughts:

This book was a perfect ending to the series. On the romance side of things I was so happy to see Law finally find someone, and become a little more confident in himself. In the first book I saw him as a sad little puppy dog who couldn't get the girl. In the second book he was like a big brother looking out for Hope, but Nia brings out his stronger side and he does a little more taking charge in this book, and I really liked that.

Nia is a really interesting girl. I love the bad ass persona she has, albeit the grief stricken gun wielding girl from the second book had me nervous. She's leveled out some in this book though. She comes back to Ash because she simply isn't satisfied that her cousin's murderer is really Hope's dead ex-husband. She starts digging around and finds some pretty disturbing facts.

When we discover who the killer is, and find out the totality of his MO, it's incredibly disturbing! I was excited that the killer was who I suspected though. That's my favorite part of reading a mystery, trying to figure out "who done it" before the author tells us!

This was an incredible series, I highly recommend it! My book club is reading If You Hear Her for March's meeting and I can't wait until they get into this series so I have more people to talk about it with!

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath

By Brodi Ashton

Published by Harper Collins

Released January 2011

ARC Tour with Once Upon a Twilight

From Goodreads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My Thoughts:

What a great story! I was happy to see some indication that there will be a second book, because the ending simply blew me away, and I still have so many questions!

In Everneath Nikki Beckett goes to the Underneath as a forfeit, meaning she literally forfeited her life so that she wouldn’t have to feel pain anymore. Only afterwards she realizes that it was a mistake and chooses to return to the surface for six months instead of going straight to her end in the Tunnels of the Everneath.

Cole, the Everliving who took Nikki to the Underneath to feed off of her energy, realizes that she is special and wants her to go back to the Underneath as his queen. Only Nikki doesn’t want to give up her heart and feed off the energy of others for eternity.

In her six months on the Surface she tries to reconnect with those she hurt most by leaving. She tries to be a good daughter and sister, and most importantly she tries to reconnect with her boyfriend Jack, the reason she wanted to give up her pain in the first place.

The story that unfolds revolves around the ancient myths of the Greeks, and the strong emotions of young love.

This is definitely a book worth reading. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series to see what comes next.

Sidenote: I love that the strong connection between the teens in this novel didn’t revolve around sex, but rather around their long friendship and their honest love of being together. I know that teen sex is a reality, but I hate seeing it glorified. This novel didn’t do that and I was very grateful for that.

Review: By Fire, By Water

By Fire, By Water
by James Mitchell Kaplan
Published by Other Press
May 2010
Review Copy provided by Publisher

From Goodreads:


Within the dramatic story lies a subtle, insightful examination of the crisis of faith at the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. Irresolvable conflict rages within the conversos in By Fire, By Water, torn between the religion they left behind and the conversion meant to ensure their safety. In this story of love, God, faith, and torture, fifteenth-century Spain comes to dazzling, engrossing life. 

My Thoughts:

This was a beautifully crafted novel. It exceeded my expectations in every way. Kaplan clearly did his research well and thoroughly before weaving this story of the Spanish Inquisition.

I do enjoy historical fiction, but I've never enjoyed one as much as I enjoyed this one. Kaplan tells two parallel stories. One of a high official in King Fernando's court, and another of a young single Jewish woman. By the time the stories begin to intertwine with one another you are completely immersed in the drama of the war, and fully aware of the abuse of power among those in charge of the Inquisition.

I personally loved the story of Judith, a young Jewish woman working as a silversmith to support her nephew and the father-in-law of her deceased brother. Her dedication to her family was touching. Even as they lived in an area where they weren't truly "free" but rather kept separate because of their religious beliefs, they seemed content and somewhat unaffected by the turmoil in their own region. Her actions when that all changes, and the hard decisions she must make, are heartbreaking.

This novel has drama, suspense, a little romance, and a lot of theological insight into the connected-ness of the Jews and the Christians. If you only ever read one historical fiction novel, I would recommend it be By Fire, By Water.

Review: Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows

Published by Random House

July 2008
Acquired through bookswap

From Goodreads:

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.... As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends--and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island--boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. As Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

My Thoughts:

This book was absolutely delightful! This was a Book Club read and I am so glad I read it! The book takes the form of a collection of correspondence. While reading it you feel as though you have found a  treasured box of secrets. It is such an interesting was to tell a story! It doesn't have a 'dear diary' feel to it either. It is as though someone stumbled upon a stack of letters in various houses and put them in chronological order to see what happened with this group of people. There is more than enough in the letters to keep you from becoming lost or confused, but the story moves along much more quickly this way.

The content of the story is quite heavy since these people are dealing with the aftermath of the German Occupation, and yet their telling of their own experiences in a way that focuses on the happy times and the friendships that they've formed.

It was truly impressive to me that the author is painting a vivid picture of the aftermath of WWII and yet this book seems so warm and inviting. It is really all about the interesting characters. There were moments that I shed tears, but even more when I found myself laughing along with the characters.

I loved this book. I highly recommend it!

Review: If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker

If You Hear Her
by Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballantine Books
Released October 2011
Received as a gift (RAK rocks!)


From Goodreads:


A CRY IN THE WOODS 


The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration. 


Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close? When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her


My Thoughts:

Squeel! I loved this book! It was everything I hoped it would be. I've always loved Shiloh Walker but the more I read her work the better it gets!

In Shiloh Walker’s new release we meet a handful of friends and acquaintances from Ash, Kentucky. I really enjoy Lena Riddle, the main character. She is a cook at a local Inn and she hears screams coming from her woods. When she reports the incident to the police she can only tell them what she heard because she is blind and couldn’t actually look out to see who might’ve been there.

Her grit and determination with the jerk deputy really made me love her. She and Ezra King, a town newbie and off-duty state cop, are thrown together by circumstances as well as by their growing attraction for each other. Ezra has his own dark past and he’s a wounded and sometimes broody character. Overall though, I really liked him too. He’s got a fierce protective streak, not only for Lena but for anyone who may need it. He’s a good cop and notices things about people. When we get to read portions from his point of view I feel like we get a lot of insight.

Law O’Reilly is a good friend of Lena’s and hopelessly in love with her. Although, I’m not sold on his dying devotion. He steps aside far too easily for Ezra and his fascination with Hope seems more than brotherly. I know that isn’t supposed to be the case, but that’s how it feels. He’s got this puppy dog thing going on. I want him to get aggressive and heated. I’m hoping that the third book will bring some romance for him and we’ll get to see him grow out of his reclusive shell.

Hope is possibly one of my favorite characters. I know she takes a more prominent role in ‘If You See Her’ and I can’t wait. She is introduced as this mousy little woman who has been beaten down by her past and needs protecting. As the story progresses though she has this surprising strength! There is a scene (no spoilers) where she puts this busybody woman in her place for talking about Law and it really made me want to hug this girl! I cannot wait to see how her story continues to unfold in the next book.

I really loved this book. This trilogy definitely has to be read in order and together. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Serial Review: Grimm's Circle Series

Grimm's Circle Series by Shiloh Walker

All Summaries from Goodreads

Candy Houses


So you think you know fairy tales? Guess again.

Greta didn’t get her happy ending her first time around. And now that she’s a Grimm—special kind of guardian angel and official ass-kicker in the paranormal world—romance is hard to find. Besides, there’s only ever been one man who made her heart race, and the fact that he did scared her right out of his arms. Now Rip is back. And just in time too, because Greta needs his help.

On a mission he knows is going to test all of his strengths and skills, the last person Rip expected to see is the one woman who broke his heart. Working together seems to be their only hope. But, when faced with a danger neither of them anticipated, the question is, how will they face the danger to their hearts—assuming they survive, of course.

No Prince Charming

Her Happy-Ever-After has been a long time coming…

Elle spent years trying to get over her so-called Prince Charming, and she’s finally getting the hang of it. A Grimm—a guardian angel with unique gifts—she spends her nights trolling for demons and kicking ass, and lately, her days have been spent with her on-and-off-again lover, Ren, a fellow Grimm. But fate has other plans in store for Elle, plans that include Michael, the prince from her youth who broke her heart.

“What do you choose…live for her? Or would you rather die?” That was the choice Michael was given all those years ago. Although he knew she’d never forgive him, when Michael was given the chance to become a Grimm, he took it. Still, he isn’t so sure Elle needs him in her life. With a lover at her side and a mission before her, Elle looks like she’s doing just fine without him.

But the not-so-charming prince isn’t going to back off that easily…not if there’s a chance she might need him again. He’d do anything to save her. Kill for her, live for her, die for her…

Warning: This dark, twisted version of Cinderella involves demons, deceit, desire, and debauchery between a princess and two sexy guardian angels, both determined to win the fair Cinderella.

Crazed Hearts
Ren has always danced along the fine line between being a little bit crazy and being overcome by a darkness that’s haunted him since his mortal days. As an empath, he prefers to live far from people who would leak their emotions all over him, so he’s not expecting the woman who drives right into the heart of his wood. She has a cursed book with her and demons hot on her heels. Even more surprising are her abilities and the reaction Ren has to her.

Aileas is on the run. She just isn’t certain if she’s running from something real or imagined. One thing is for sure, her brother is dead and she’s certain the book she found has something to do with his death. She really starts to doubt her sanity when she meets a hot but somewhat crazed man in the middle of nowhere.

He calls himself Ren, and although he doesn’t seem to be out to hurt her, he definitely seems to want something. She just doesn’t understand what. She does know what she wants though. She wants him, and the shadows and darkness she glimpses inside him don’t matter. At least, right up until he claims to be a guardian angel. 

And she thought she was going crazy.

Tarnished Knight

The mind forgets, but the body remembers. Everything.

One look at Jack Wallace and Perci knows he’s going to be trouble. Even surrounded by soul stealers, he’s a one-man wrecking crew. What does he need Grimm training for? He’s already hell on earth, a warrior bent on destruction. And something…more.

He’s too strong and fast to be a mere mortal. Even covered in blood, he makes her forget she’s only here to do a job and get out. It’s twisted. Sick. She hasn’t felt this alive in three centuries.

Born with a natural talent for killing unnatural things, Jack has always known things he shouldn’t. The fact that Perci is one of them glows all over her. Giving him an unholy urge to see just how far he can push her before don’t touch me melts into touch me there.

When they come together, it isn’t careful or cautious. It’s heaven and hell, exposing all their raw and wounded places to healing heat, resurrecting memories of a destined love from the distant past. But the evil that destroyed them once before has tracked them here, threatening their second and last chance at forever. Demanding a sacrifice no one—Grimm or human—should ever be asked to make…

Warning: Dark, sexy, a little bit scary—this fairy tale is only for grownups and is best saved for bedtime.

Locked in Silence

Dying is hard enough. Coming back to life is brutal.

Vanya has been hunting and killing demons ever since one of them scarred her face and killed her sister. Correction—since she was forced to kill the demon possessing her sister.

Then some sort of angel offers her a deal she can’t refuse—that if she becomes one of them, she gets to kill even more demons. Tonight, she’s made that choice. The death she smells on the air will be her own—and she welcomes it.

Silence feels a darkness is looming. Change—something he has every reason not to welcome. The deeply hidden memories that robbed him of his past, of his own name, render him unfit to teach anyone the ways of the Grimm. Yet here he is in the dankest sex club in town, waiting to assume his charge—after he stands by and watches her die.

When Vanya awakes, their complicated, dangerous dance begins. And so does something else—a searing need that blisters along their unexpected mental connection. Silence shouldn’t be drawn to his student, but once they touch, he can’t think of a reason to stop. Even though acting out their darkest desires puts them in more danger than they realize.

Warning: This book contains sex-starved demons, lonely angels, demon-angel sandwiches, blood, violence, death and a happy-ever-after.

My Thoughts:

I can not possibly say enough good things about this series from Shiloh Walker. I've read the whole series so far, including the free eBook "I Thought It Was You." Where the loose ends from No Prince Charming are tied up before the story in Crazed Hearts begins.

A society of once human Guardian Angels who fight demons and protect the innocent? It absolutely rocks! I love re-tellings of the classics and the way Shiloh Walker has taken Fairy Tales and Classic stories and turned them into something completely different is amazing! In the early books you know right away which fairy tale characters are based on the Grimm, but in the later books you have to read the book before finding out. They are awesome stories. I highly recommend each and everyone of them.

I can't wait to see whose story comes next. There are two characters in particular that I wish could get full-length novels. In fact, that has been my only complaint of any of the stories. There is so much to unpack, I wish each story were a full-length work on it's on. 

The first two stories are available in print in The First Book of Grimm. All of the stories are available in eBook format. 

** These books contain explicit sex and violence. Not appropriate for children or teens under the age of 18.**

Serial Review: The Hunger Games

I was late to the party reading the Hunger Games Trilogy, but I am soo glad I did!

The Hunger Games 

by Suzanne Collins

Scholastic Press

From Goodreads:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Thoughts:

After reading the Hunger Games I felt like it was a really good book. It wasn't my normal read but I really enjoyed it. It could have ended there. Suzanne Collins didn't have to finish this series. If I understand correctly from the Acknowledgments at the end of Mockingjay, she didn't initially intend to keep going. But I am so very glad she did. The Hunger Games was good, but I had this feeling that there could have been more. I wasn't completely sure what I wanted that "more" to be, though. 

So I started reading Catching Fire and I knew. This was it, this was what I wanted when I had been reading the first book. Catching Fire had the backstory, the deeper connections between characters, and dynamics that were complicated and interesting. I loved Catching Fire so much that I more or less took a snack break and then picked up Mockingjay. I simply had to know how this ended.

If I thought Catching Fire "got better" as I told one friend, then Mockingjay simply knocked it out of the park for me. I loved every twist and turn that came about in Mockingjay. It was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything more by the time I finished with this one.

I am not including the synopsis for Catching Fire and Mockingjay because I made the mistake of reading them before I finished the first book and I hate spoilers. I prefer to find things out for myself. So if you haven't read them yet, I don't want to be the one who spoils anything for you!

This series is a must read, and you simply have to read the whole thing! If I were rating the book individually then I would give 4 cups to The Hunger Games and Chasing Fire, and 5 cups to Mockingjay. I just can't do that though, I have to rate the series as a whole because now that I am done that is the only way to read it! I give it 5 cups!

I purchased The Hunger Games in Nook format and borrowed Catching Fire and Mockingjay from a friend. This review includes only my own opinions.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

My Summary:

Nathan Price, a Georgian Evangelical Pastor, takes his family into the depths of Africa to a mission in the village of Kilanga. He along with his wife Orleanna, and his four daughters, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, take everything that they think they may need for their one year in the Congo.

Only things aren't as simple as the Reverend Price thought they would be, but his single-mindedness keeps his family bound to their station throughout one of the most tumultuous times in the history of Africa.

A story filled with revelation of the human character, and the tragedy of our own convictions, this tale spans four decades showing how the decisions we make shape our lives forever.



What I Thought:

"Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened."

This was the first sentence in this book. It comes from Orleanna Price, the wife of Nathan and mother of Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May. She tells us how the Congo changes them all, but being unable to tell us what happened herself, because she can't bear to speak of it, she leaves it to her daughters to tell us the story.

Rachel, the oldest daughter, is a selfish, spoiled girl. She hated that her family ever came to Africa and she looks forward to the day that she can return home. Rachel is an easy character to hate. She is the type of girl that you simply wish someone would bring down a few notches. The writing throughout her portions of the book let us know that she is not the most intelligent of girls, and she hates that her younger sisters are smarter than she is.

Leah and Adah are twins. Adah was born with hemipeligia and the dynamics between the healthy twin, and the broken one are incredibly telling.

One of the things that immediately caught me off-guard is the portions of the book told from Adah's point of view. Adah is a brilliant young girl. She readily admits that she has elected not to speak simply because she was not expected too, and it was easier to let people believe that she couldn't. She devours books and loves the written word. She is fascinated with Palindromes. Adah is by far the most observant in the group, and most of the information that the reader gains, they gain through Adah's insights.

Leah, the daughter desperate to please her father, undergoes perhaps the most obvious changes throughout the course of the book. Originally the child who believed (like her father) that Africa needed to be claimed and converted for God's Glory (and to look more like the United States), she soon finds herself struggling with the guilt of being a white woman in Africa, who is ashamed of her own homeland.

Ruth May is the youngest daughter, and the one that they entire family rallies around to protect. It is through her innocent eyes that we are reminded often that what is often regarded as the most important things are the things that don't matter at all.

Orleanna, the mother, is a dutiful southern wife who tries to adapt this role to Africa, while her husband tries to adapt Africa to them. There is a point early on in the novel when Orleanna is sitting at the table, crying because she cannot make her daughter's birthday cake and she says, "If I'd of had the foggiest idea, just the foggiest idea. We brought all the wrong things."

This family experiences tragedy and hardships at the hands of a demanding father who insists that they will do God's work no matter the cost to their family. The book shows us how Africa changes them, without really changing them at all.

At one point, years after first coming to Africa, Adah says of her sister Rachel. "If Rachel ever gets back to Bethlehem for a high school reunion she will win the prize for 'Changed the Least'."

I felt like Rachel's attitude was one of the superior American, who felt that by consequence of where they were born, they were automatically better than the rest. An adult Rachel tells us that the secret of 'surviving' as she has is not letting everyone else's problems effect her.

She says, "If there's ugly things going on out there, well, you put a good stout lock on your door and check it twice before you go to sleep. You focus on getting your own little place set up perfect, as I have done, and you'll see. Other people's worries do not necessarily have to drag you down."

This book was amazing. It really speaks to the human condition, and within one family we are shown all of the ways that people respond to it: Some run away from it, some fight it, others ignore it.

This was an intriguing story with a powerful message. It was loaned to me by my boyfriend's mother. She was eager for someone else to read it so that she had someone to discuss it with! That tipped me off that this book was going to be one that made me think, and boy did it!

I easily give it 5 of 5 cups. Add this to your TBR list!

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

In the course of her everyday work, career-driven assistant district attorney Nina Frost prosecutes child molesters and works determinedly to ensure that a legal system with too many loopholes keeps these criminals behind bars. But when her own five-year-old son, Nathaniel, is traumatized by a sexual assault, Nina and her husband, Caleb, a quiet and methodical stone mason, are shattered, ripped apart by an enraging sense of helplessness in the face of a futile justice system that Nina knows all too well. In a heartbeat, Nina's absolute truths and convictions are turned upside down, and she hurtles toward a plan to exact her own justice for her son -- no matter the consequence, whatever the sacrifice.


- Synopsis from Goodreads


I'll start by saying that I went through a Jodi Picoult phase where I read about 6 of her books in a one month period. I really fell in love with her books. I read Perfect Match in April of 2010. I remember that because it was part of a Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign. This book was amazing. It was a gripping story that will hit home no matter who you are. 


Nina and her tunnel-vision idea of justice will frustrate you at times, and yet your heart will go out to this mother who is just trying to find a way to protect her child as best she knows how. 


Picoult writes sections from the point of view of Nathaniel that will break your heart.


This is a wonderful book that, in true Picoult style, will keep you guessing and shock you as she unfolds the story.

This was one of my personal favorites. I give it 5 out of 5 cups.