Title: When She Woke Author: Hillary Jordan Genre: Sci-fi; Dystopian Year Published: September 18, 2012
Date finished: May 22, 2022
This story is about a future America where religion is a political power and having an abortion is a crime. Hannah Payne, the main character, falls in love with a pastor and gets pregnant. She is then chromed red for her sin. People stare at her and judge her because her red skin speaks for her crime. She refuses to tell anyone who the father is or the doctor who performed the abortion. She escapes the last institution she’s put in and stumbles upon people who were willing to free her from this strict world.
This story started out interesting. I couldn’t put the book down because I love myself a good dystopian story. It’s been a while since I’ve stumbled upon a book I couldn’t put down. The opening really grabbed me and kept me reading. However, midway through, the story slowed down and went a different direction. The ending was just meh. I may have had such high hopes that I was left disappointed. I wanted some sort of victory for Hannah. I also wanted to know what happened to the pastor, her family, and her friend. They all just seemed to disappear. There wasn’t anything said about what happened to them.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad read. It had a lot of potential, but just didn’t hit the right spot for me.
Who should read this book: If you enjoy “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood, you’ll probably like this one.
Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Author: V.E. Schwab Genre: Historical Fantasy Year Published: October 6, 2020
Date finished: May 7, 2022
“Be careful what you ask for, be willing to pay the price. And no matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” ~Estelle
This was a marvelous book full of magic, anticipation, heartbreak, and love. Once you are pulled into the story, it’s hard to stop reading.
When the book first came out, I had wanted to read it and so checked it out from the library. I got a few pages in and couldn’t get into it. My mind just wasn’t there. The book expired and I waited a year to recheck it out (because I was busy). When I checked it out, again, I was busy, so the book expired and I missed my chance. I checked it out one more time and told myself that if I can’t get to it this time, then maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Luckily, I had just finished a book and had reading time on hand, so I gave it another chance.
How I wish I hadn’t given up the first time because this is a wonderfully written book. It opens with Addie in the early 1700’s. She’s young and curious and wants to know about the old gods from an old woman neighbor. As Addie becomes an adult, her parents want her to get married, but she’s not ready—especially not ready to marry a man who recently lost his wife and has two young children. On the day of her wedding, she runs into the woods and asks the gods to help her.
“I want a chance to live. I want to be free. I want more time.” ~Addie
The darkness speaks to her and tells her he can’t grant her what she wants, but she is determined and tells him he can have her soul when she is done. He agrees and her wishes are granted.
Addie lives a very long life. She finds things to do and places to see, but it’s lonely because no one remembers her. One day, she goes to a bookstore and meets a man named Henry. When she returns a book to exchange for another, Henry remembers her, and that changed everything.
“Everyone wants to be remembered.” ~the darkness
I truly enjoyed this book. The characters were well thought out, the dialogues were beautifully done, and the storyline was executed excellently. I might say that it did start out a bit slow, but it picked up pretty fast. It was a strangely thought-provoking story. It made me think about what I’d wish for if I were granted a wish in exchange for my soul. I’m not sure I’d wish for anything, but it’s very tempting. One thing I really liked about the book is that there are references to artwork that Addie is in, a few are done without her knowing it like the painting of her on the shore by a famous painter. I loved the way they were presented. It really piqued my interest because I almost thought they were real, that they were actually of her!
Who should read this book: The book reminded me of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and the movie, The Age of Adaline. I found some similarities between those books and this one. So, if you’re into any of those stories, you’ll probably enjoy this one. The character “darkness” reminds me so much of the main character, Lucifer, in the T.V. series, Lucifer. For some reason that’s how he appears in the book to me, however, I don’t think darkness is meant to be portrayed as the devil. He feels more like the reaper. Also, the book is being made into a movie, so if you’re anything like me and prefer to read the book before seeing the movie, you might want to get on it.
Btw, I ended up buying a hardcover. Just couldn’t help it.
Title: You Have the Right to Remain Silent Author: Mark M. Bello Genre: Legal Thriller; Detective Thriller Year Published: April 12, 2022
Date finished: May 2, 2022
This is a murder mystery legal thriller about a case where a man was pretty gruesomely killed, and the key suspect is the wife. Zachary Blake is the lawyer on the case, and he doesn’t think the wife is actually the one who murdered her husband. Zach and his team tackle the detective work with Zach hiring Shari Belitz to work on a trial focus group to get answers that otherwise may have been missed. Everyone worked round the clock to get to the bottom of this case.
I’m trying not to give too much away because I think this book is worth reading and finding out who the killer is. The author doesn’t hide who the killer is. He subtly tells us who it is, but we still have to figure it out on our own. I loved that! Zach is one amazing lawyer. He knows who he needs to have work on the case, he doesn’t make quick conclusions or assume what-you-see-is-what-you-get. It was too perfect to have the wife be the primary suspect. Also, the doctor who watched over the wife knew a few things, proving that the wife didn’t do it, and I’m glad Zach listened to the doc.
The book was very enjoyable. The angle of the story from the lawyer’s perspective was unique and kept me intrigued. I liked how the author showed how well everyone worked together. They didn’t always agree but it all came down to proof, so even if someone thought they knew who the killer was, if they couldn’t prove it in any way, that theory was thrown out.
This was a fast paced read with lots of important information and knowledge about how the law works.
Who should read this book: This was an excellent read and I’d recommend it to everyone, especially those who love murder mystery or detective type stories. This angle (from the lawyer) is well done, and again, very unique in a murder mystery type of story.
I was surprised to see the magnolia in the backyard bloom. A few years back only a few flowers bloomed, so I thought this bush was on its way out, but I’m so glad it’s still thriving.
I finished Camp Nano and hit over 100K words so I’m really happy that I was able to get that far. My goal was 80K. As a gift to myself, I purchased quite a few celebrity perfumes. Once I receive them all, I’ll probably share some photos.
Something was in the air in April and I got hooked on the song “Never Enough” from the movie, The Greatest Showman. Have you seen the movie? What did you think? It came out in 2017 but I only watched it a year ago and I wish I had seen it sooner. I knew how popular a lot of the songs were, but there is so much more meaning in having watched the movie. I love the original “Never Enough” version by Loren Allred, but also love Morrissette Amon’s version as well as Kelly Clarkson’s. If you get the chance, watch Morrisette’s version. It’s very beautiful. Here’s Kelly’s version. I believe they’ve played this on the radio. I remember hearing it driving the kids to dance practice when oldest daughter was still in high school. She’s now finishing up her second year of university!
From My Corner of the Universe 