🟣 :::READING THREAD::: Week of October 22

One great read and one AWESOME read for me !



OUR BEST INTENTIONS (‘23 - DEBUT BOOK - 4 STARS) BY VIBHUTI JAIN
DESCRIPTION : Babur “Bobby” Singh, Indian immigrant, single parent, and owner of a fledging rideshare business, remains ever hopeful about ascending the ladder of American success. He lives in an affluent suburb of New York with his introverted teenage daughter Angie. During summer break, Angie is walking home after swimming at the high school pool when she finds Henry McCleary, a white classmate from a wealthy family, stabbed and bleeding on the football field. The police immediately focus their investigation on Chiara Thompkins, a runaway Black girl who disappears after the stabbing and—it’s later discovered—wasn’t properly enrolled in the public high school. The incident sends shock waves through the community and reveals jarring truths about the lengths to which families will go to protect themselves.

REVIEW :
Debut book by this author. Recommended by 2Pea janeliz who gave it 5 stars.

The writing drew me right into the story; descriptive enough to make you feel from every side. Like a study of how friends can Influence you in good & bad ways. Many intricate parts to this disturbing tale of race and class that permeate the lives of all characters. Gripping tale.



GO AS A RIVER (‘23 - DEBUT NOVEL - 5 STARS) BY SHELLEY READ
DESCRIPTION : Inspired by true events surrounding the destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado in the 1960s. Compared to The Four Winds and Where the Crawdads Sing. Seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash runs the household on her family’s peach farm in the small ranch town of Iola, Colorado―the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past, displaced from his tribal land and determined to live as he chooses. Victoria encounters Wil by chance on a street corner, a meeting that profoundly alters both of their young lives, unknowingly igniting as much passion as danger. When tragedy strikes, Victoria leaves the only life she has ever known. She flees into the surrounding mountains where she struggles to survive in the wilderness with no clear notion of what her future will bring. As the seasons change, she also charts the changes in herself, finding in the beautiful but harsh landscape the meaning and strength to move forward and rebuild all that she has lost, even as the Gunnison River threatens to submerge her homeland―its ranches, farms, and the beloved peach orchard that has been in her family for generations. 

REVIEW : Recommended by gottapeanow who loved it 5/5 stars; best book of ‘23; left her completely gutted; “Honestly, how can this be the author's first novel? It's totally brilliant. What a peach! (Pun intended.) Gorgeous prose, riveting characters, and a mesmerizing plot that grabs you from the first sentence and doesn't let you go til the very last word”. Because of this great review I spotted on Amazon on sale for $1.99 (reg 14.99)m grabbed it and jumped right-in.  

LOVED THIS LAST PARAGRAPH IN THE PROLOGUE……
“Imagine a town silent, forgotten, decomposing at the bottom of a lake that once was a river. If this makes you wonder whether the joys and pain of a place wash away as the floodwaters rise and swallow, I can tell you they do not. The landscapes of our youths create us, and we carry them within us, storied by all they gave and stole, in who we become”.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION OF HOW WILSON LOOKS AT LIFE…..
“He rarely looked to the future, and to the past even less, but gathered up the current moment in both hands to admire its particulars, with no apology and no sense it should be otherwise”.

The writing is beautiful and flows so well. I found myself reading slower to feel every word. Victoria was such a memorable character and her experiences should inspire strength and determination in all of us. All these feelings at only 40%. I wanted this book to go on for another 300 pages. I really would LOVE a sequel ! I can only hope and dream.

GO AS A RIVER, PEACE.



Happy Reading !

I’m immersed in The Covenant of Water. I agree with those who have said that it is a contender for the Best Book of the Year. I finished up:


Fairy Tale by Stephen King. I knew when I last reread The Stand that Stephen King was a dog person (and I am not,) but it really came out in this novel. Broken into thirds, the first third was a wonderful set-up for the tale of exploring the land of Fairy Tales and became a quest novel. I felt that it dragged during the last third, to the point that I was skimming for a bit. It came back together at the end and was a good romp. 3.75/5 stars.


The Silver Chair by CS Lewis. I’m reading a non-fiction about Lewis’ writing, and it mentioned this one. I must admit that there is very little recall in my head about the plot – other than it changes to different main characters than the Pevensie children. It was a good, quick read, but will never be my favorite. There are some good scenes and some good allegories that were enjoyable. 3.5/5 stars.

I also read Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar 4 stars.
I actually listened to the audiobook that was read by the author. I was impressed with how she told her story and presented the good with the bad—and she didn’t gloss over the bad.

Goodreads summary:
For the first time, discover the unedited truth about the Duggars, the traditional Christian family that captivated the nation on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting . Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are finally ready to share their story, revealing the secrets, manipulation, and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.

Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting , Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines. She didn’t protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives and mothers and are discouraged from attaining a higher education, and that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.

But as Jill got older, married Derick, and they embarked on their own lives, the red flags became too obvious to ignore.

For as long as they could, Jill and Derick tried to be obedient family members—they weren’t willing to rock the boat. But now they’re raising a family of their own, and they’re done with the secrets. Thanks to time, tears, therapy, and blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth and is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange. 4 stars

Goodreads summary:
When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.

While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.

The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.

4 Stars for The Armor of Light by Ken Follett. This is the 5th book in the Kingsbridge series, if you read them chronologically, and the prequel as the first in the series. I enjoyed going back to Kingsbridge, seeing that small slice of time of English society and politics (1770s-1820s - Industrial Revolution/Napoleonic Wars).

Typical of this series, you have the peasants who had so little power, and any attempts to improve your lot in life were just tamped down. The book starts with a horrible accident to a peasant family, where the nobleman in charge (and at fault) doesn't care and just lives to make their lives miserable. This story centers around the development of the cloth industry, and the attempt of the start of unions. I honestly never realized the Napoleonic Wars lasted so long through this time, and that men were kidnapped into service. There is also mention of prisoners being shipped off to Australia.

One of the things I have always enjoyed with this series is the emotional response I had to the characters who are wronged, and share their happiness with the small victories (just knowing the other shoe will drop), the dismay when they are kicked back into place, and the joy when they finally have triumph. This book has that emotional rollercoaster, but it is a shade of the prequel, and Pillars. There were just awful, greedy, cunning people and I feel like as you move through the series, those highs and lows are just not as extreme, and do not really invoke that emotional response I expect from this series.

I am currently reading Prom Mom by Laura Lippman and if you like a character driven novel, this is it.

I, too, read Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar. I thought she did a good job of telling her story. It’s obvious she still loves her parents but is very hurt over some of their actions. I’m sure her parents feel the same. I doubt Jill and her parents will ever feel fully reconciled.

I felt like she really glossed over the sexual assault incidents, just as Jinger did in her book. That’s okay, of course, it’s their story to tell or not to tell. Jill certainly didn’t hide her anger towards the public officials who released the records-calling them out by name several times. I don’t blame her for that at all. However, she certainly didn’t express that level of anger at her parents for sweeping the whole thing under the rug in the first place and then pressuring her and her sisters to go on FOX news and underplay the whole situation (while their brother waited offstage). I truly hope she has worked through those feelings in private and allowed herself to be really angry at all those who wronged her.

I also read The Postcard by Anne Berest. The book is billed as a mystery, but if you are looking for a light, quick read, this is not the book for you. The book is actually based on the true story of the author’s grandmother’s experiences as a young Jewish woman living in France during World War II. The story is very dark and tragic in many respects, but it was an important story to tell. The underlying mystery of who sent the postcard with the names of family members who were murdered in WWII is the least interesting part of the story.

I finished Killers of the Flower Moon. It's so tragic. Mind-boggling as to what happened. However, it was a bit dry. 4/5 stars.

I will probably not see the movie in the theater but will definitely watch it later on streaming.

I just started Happiness Falls and have three other books to pick up from the library today.

Lisa

Over the past 2 weeks, I've read the following books:

Holly - Stephen King - 4 stars. I really enjoyed this one but kept niggling at my brain about her character. I vaguely remember her from Mr. Mercedes but I don't tend to retain a lot from most books because I read so much.

Lights Out - Elise Hart Kipnes - 4 stars. A good murder mystery set in New England. Apparently, it's the start of a series based on the main character and I've preordered the second book.

The Exchange - John Grisham - 3 stars. This one was so slow and boring to me. It's supposedly the sequel to The Firm but other than main characters, it really doesn't have any ties to it.

Zero Days - Ruth Ware - 4 stars. This was pretty fast-paced and an easy read. A bit murder mystery with high-tech stakes.

Under the Influence - Noelle Crooks - About a third of the way through. Light-hearted reading akin to The Devil Wears Prada with a nightmare boss and young new employee. I needed something simple and easy after all the murder books I've been reading!

This one was next on my TBR list.  I think I’ll wait til next week and see if you finish or ditch.  

Well, I finished it today so it's pretty safe to move it back on your TBR list. It was slow to start but then took off! I ended up really liking it - very twisty. A solid 4 stars.

I just finished: 4 Stars for Prom Mom by Laura Lippman. This book is a slow story of revenge, that timehops btwn 1997 and COVID time (2019-2021). The story unfolds through three points of view by the main characters Joe, Amber and Meredith. None of these characters are extremely likeable, to be honest.

On Prom night in 1997, Amber gives birth to Joe's baby. The baby dies, and Amber and Joe become media sensations known as Prom Mom and Cad Dad.

In 2019, Amber returns to Baltimore, and inserts herself in Joe's life. Joe is married to Meredith, a plastic surgeon, and they have both vowed to never procreate. There is a subtle game of cat and mouse in this story, but it is not really clear who is playing the game until the very end. I often wondered, where is this going, is there going to be any action? I almost wish the author had cut to the chase but when everything unfolded at the end, I understand she was setting up a very slow burn.